AI is becoming increasingly prevalent among Talent Acquisition teams’ tool belts, and rightly so – today’s job market is vastly different from even just a decade ago. The digital era has opened the floodgates to new methods of hiring, communication, and collaboration. As a result, we’re seeing a major shift in how companies attract, vet, and hire candidates. Automation has already dramatically changed the recruiting process, as well as other key areas of employee recruitment and retention.
In fact, a recent report by software supplier Jobscan found that over 98% of Fortune 500 companies currently use some form of computer automation for recruitment. The most common are applicant tracking systems (ATS) which is software designed to scan and evaluate submitted resumes automatically. And artificial intelligence developments are moving the goalposts significantly.
What is AI?
Artificial Intelligence refers to computer systems that are designed to learn, autonomously, and make decisions like humans. AI systems are capable of solving complex problems, making predictions, and completing tasks that require complex reasoning. While the term “artificial intelligence” has been around since the 1950s, recent developments in technology have made it a lot more practical.
AI is built on three core pillars. Machine Learning, which is the process by which a computer uses data to “learn” and improve its performance without being programmed. Natural Language Processing, is where a computer scans and analyzes human language to understand and generate content like humans do. And finally Computer Vision, where the computer is able to see and identify objects from images like humans do.
How is AI changing the recruiting process?
AI is revolutionizing the recruitment process by automating many of the tasks that are currently performed by humans. Already chatbot AI products like Paradox are being used to reach out to prospective candidates to capture skill and expertise data. AI-enabled recruiting software can sift through data on potential candidates, gauge their fit for the position, and even begin interviewing them.
By taking these tasks off the hands of humans, the job of recruiting can be facilitated, sped up, and made more objective. A computer-assisted recruiting process can also collect and analyze data on candidates in a more objective way than a human ever could. Interviewers typically have their own biases and instincts that can cloud their judgement, but AI systems can be completely objective when evaluating a candidate’s fit for a position.
AI is Used For Automating Tasks
AI can help recruiters find candidates more efficiently by using machine learning to comb through data and make connections that humans might miss. Findem.ai and Eightfold.ai for example, can take a search requirement and scour millions of profiles on social media and specialized databases to identify potential candidates. AI systems can search for keywords, skills, and experience on these profiles and find candidates that otherwise would have gone unnoticed.
AI-powered recruiting software can also automatically set up first interviews or virtual questionaries to filter candidates. They scour social media sites, like LinkedIn and Facebook, to find potential candidates. These automated systems can also search through databases of educational institutions and previous employers to find potential candidates.
AI is Used For Finding and Screening Candidates
AI systems can screen candidates more efficiently and objectively than humans. Human recruiters typically rely on their instincts to screen candidates, and this can introduce bias into the hiring process. AI systems should have no prejudice and can screen candidates more efficiently and impartially. This helps drive towards a more diverse hiring policy, among other things. ATS systems use machine learning to analyze a candidate’s resume, cover letter, and can even evaluate an interview transcript to gauge fitness for a role.
A good automated system can scan and make connections between different jobs, like the fact that the job title “Software Engineer” is similar to “Computer Scientist”. AI systems can also make connections between skills and experiences that humans might not see. For example, a computer system can compare the data on thousands of candidates to find commonalities among them. The system may discover that all the highest-scoring candidates majored in Physics as undergraduates.
AI in Employee Retention and Engagement
AI systems go beyond screening. Tools like appical.net are used to improve and automate a lot of the employee on-boarding tasks, thus freeing up time for HR departments. They are also useful in tracking employee engagement and make predictions about how long employees will stay at the company.
Human resources teams can use AI-powered software like Workstep.com to create and track employee engagement surveys and help employees understand workplace benefits. Additionally. AI systems can also create personalized employee goal-setting systems to improve staff retention over the longer term.
The Role of an Automated Future
A.I. is here to stay. Automated and AI based systems are today used in healthcare, finance, transportation, and many other industries. Artificial intelligence is hugely impacting the recruitment process and other key HR functions. The power of computers to crunch a large amount of data and make connections that humans aren’t even aware of is extremely useful, especially as job roles become more complex and specialist. AI systems can screen candidates more efficiently and more impartially than humans, and offer significantly more efficient methods of recruiting and retention.
On the other hand, automated systems like skillsyncer.com are increasingly being used by candidates to check their resume and qualification criteria before they apply for job vacancies online. They simply upload their resumes and/or cover letter to a computer system and receive a detailed report on their suitability for the role.
Since A.I. is here to stay, it’s important to stay up to date on the latest developments and trends, to be prepared for the changes this valuable technology will bring to the workplace and beyond.