Artificial intelligence or AI tools have changed things in all sorts of ways from designing wines to recreating ancient music. It was inevitable AI would also have an impact on recruitment. After all, it’s a useful way to simplify administration, automate processes and analyse information.
Employers and recruiters can free up time to focus on their wider talent acquisition strategies and long-term planning. However, there’s a risk that candidates’ recruitment experiences can become impersonal. Over half of possible new recruits will turn down an otherwise attractive offer if the recruitment process is poor.
How can AI support the recruitment process?
There’s no doubt an effective recruitment process is labour-intensive. AI can help to save time with activities such as:
Advertising. Drafting a good recruitment advertisement is time-consuming. AI can prepare a first draft, based on the job description and any other information you provide. However, human reviewers still need to make sure the content is engaging and relevant to your audience.
Job descriptions. This is often more challenging, depending on the type of role. GenAI can collect information from other similar roles to create templates. However, you’ll need careful review and revision to make sure you have an accurate definition of the role. Looking ahead, it will be the basis of your new recruit’s performance and later reviews.
Candidate matching. When you have a large database of potential candidates AI can certainly save time matching skills with job specifications. However, experienced recruiters know how to look beyond basic skillsets to identify a candidate’s potential. Depending on the role, this can make a big difference to successful recruitment.
Accessing talent. Around three quarters of employers have reported difficulties in recruiting due to a lack of skills. AI can interrogate large amounts of data to identify new and diverse talent pools. Manual processes simply couldn’t handle the volume of data involved. The process can help employers find a new perspective on their recruitment strategy.
Can AI improve candidate experiences?
The quality of the recruitment process affects outcomes and, if poor, can damage an employer’s brand. Delivering positive recruitment experiences requires good communication and a respectful approach.
Candidates have a long list of understandable frustrations. These include complex processes and slow or, in the worst cases, no responses, following applications and interviews. When they have spent time and effort applying for a role, they expect seamless experiences and fast responses. Used in the right way, AI can automate and simplify job applications, allowing recruiters to improve the experiences they deliver.
Of course, there’s now widespread recognition of the risk of bias in AI driven processes. The government has issued guidance for responsible use of AI-enabled tools in HR and recruitment. It outlines possible risks and the ways to evaluate the performance of AI systems. Overall, it’s important candidates clearly understand if, when, and how AI might play a part in their application. Employers should also make clear how human oversight will ensure fair treatment for candidates.
Are regulations needed for using AI in recruitment?
In California candidates have the right to access and delete personal information collected during the recruitment process. In Europe, the Artificial Intelligence Act describes recruitment AI systems as high risk, requiring transparency and human oversight. Rules are still evolving about the use of AI, so employers must reassess their position regularly.
Professional recruiters provide the human touch
Ascendant Recruitment has a team of experienced professionals who constantly review the benefits and risks of AI tools. We’ll be happy to discuss your options to use predictive analytics or AI-automation to improve your recruitment and onboarding processes. With over 22 years’ experience we can help both employers and job seekers understand how AI can improve recruitment.
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