AI in the Recruitment Process

At times, it seems like artificial intelligence may take over the world. Tools like ChatGPT are revolutionizing how we live and work, so it’s no surprise that AI is entering employee recruitment and hiring.

Recruiting is a highly time-consuming and expensive process, so many recruiting teams are turning to AI to save time, money, and other resources. Jobylon, a talent acquisition platform, notes that over 40% of HR professionals already use AI to hire talent. Read on to learn why so many teams recruit with AI, including the benefits and challenges of the exciting new recruitment strategy tool. 

What is AI recruitment?

First, let’s cover the basics. Artificial intelligence is the science of training machines to perform human-like tasks in an automated way. AI has recently caught the world by storm, offering in-depth answers to quick questions and writing high school essays in the time it takes to type a prompt.

AI recruitment uses those artificial intelligence tools to streamline recruitment and hiring, making both easier for everyone involved. Tedious tasks like screening applicant experiences and scheduling interviews become much less time-consuming, leaving room for building connections and diving into application data insights. From the applicant’s perspective, things can happen much faster, too – and that doesn’t go unnoticed in today’s time-consuming job application process. 

Recruiting is all about building the best teams possible. Using AI in recruitment gives hiring teams more time to find a great fit and get them contributing sooner.

How is AI used in the recruitment process?

When first dipping your toes into the world of AI, it can be overwhelming. Here are six of the best ways to use artificial intelligence in recruitment, no matter your industry or open roles.

Candidate sourcing

There are a lot of talented job seekers out there. Hiring teams use AI algorithms to identify top candidates from databases, job boards, and social media. These tools improve recruiting productivity by reducing candidates’ time from top-of-funnel to actual human-to-human connection.

Candidate screening

Once you have a list of candidates, artificial intelligence can help you identify the most qualified ones at the click of a button. Whether it’s a large or small volume to choose from, AI saves you time and reduces unintentional biases in the recruiting process – which everyone appreciates.

Interview assistance

Interviews are one of the most essential parts of the recruiting process. In a short time, recruiting teams must decide whether or not a person is a good fit for a role. Luckily, these new tools streamline the interview process by crafting the most effective interview questions. Want to take productivity a step further? AI can even perform its own interviews with facial and voice analysis insights.

Talent assessments

Did you know you can use AI algorithms to analyze candidates’ personality traits, performance strengths, weaknesses, skills, and cultural fits? Well, now you do.

AI tools can even be customized to find people who match the soft and hard skills your team is looking for. This new development in artificial intelligence helps companies work more cohesively and improves employee satisfaction levels by ensuring individuals match company culture and goals as much as possible.

Predictive analytics

Predictive analytics is another way to use AI in recruitment. Many companies ask AI tools to predict hiring completion dates, budget forecasts, quality success rates, and more. This takes the guesswork out of recruiting and keeps teams operating on effective timelines. Whatever you need help predicting, AI is there to help.

Chatbots

Questions often come up during recruiting and interviewing. Chatbots use AI algorithms and natural language processing tools to answer candidate FAQs quickly. If you have a large volume of candidates, Chatbots can really save time. Then, hiring teams can focus on more significant priorities closer to the bottom of the funnel.

Benefits of using artificial intelligence in recruitment

Artificial intelligence is like hiring a cleaning service for your employee recruitment process. It cleans up wasted time, candidates’ experience, and biases in hiring — which enhances DE&I and gets top talent contributing quickly. Here, we explain how AI can improve the recruitment process and keep you focused on hiring the best talent possible.

Saves time

If it isn’t clear already, AI saves time. Hiring teams no longer manually review job boards, answer repetitive questions, or worry about missing applications. They spend less time on administrative tasks and more time on hiring strategy and execution, and that’s something executive teams love to hear.

Available 24/7

Since artificial intelligence relies on computers instead of humans, it can help you at any time of day or night. Candidates often do their job searching after hours when they aren’t working in their current position. Because of that, it’s helpful to have tools like AI chatbots set up to answer questions 24/7. That way, candidates get timely responses, and HR teams reduce delays.

Bias control

There is a lot of talk about biases in the recruitment process – intentional and unintentional. Many companies use AI and its unbiased reporting capabilities to build diverse teams and an inclusive hiring strategy. That way, they can find the top talent with a perfect skillset, no matter their background.

Learn more: Workplace Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Improves candidate experience

Improving candidates’ experiences means new employees join the team with positive, engaged energy. When hiring teams have more time to strategize and get to know candidates, they can provide a more personalized experience to each candidate. At the end of the day, recruiting is all about making connections. AI tools give teams more time to make meaningful connections, even if some of them aren’t the right fit.

Challenges of using artificial intelligence in recruitment

Like anything else, artificial intelligence comes with some notable challenges. It’s newness means we’re all navigating and learning together. Here are the most common challenges of using artificial intelligence in recruitment. Please note that new challenges (and benefits) may arise as time passes and we learn more about AI.

Transparency laws

Laws and regulations are constantly changing, so you must stay informed. Explore local and national laws often and always be transparent with candidates about using AI in recruitment, especially if you use AI for things like screening, facial recognition, and interviewing. Most candidates appreciate when employers are honest about recruiting, and AI tools are no exception. Nobody wants to be in the dark.

Can be impersonal

Although AI gives recruiting teams more time to get personal, the tools themselves can be impersonal. Relying exclusively on AI risks sounding robotic, which is not good for relationship building. We recommend using the tools for some tasks but never every single one. The more human touch you incorporate into recruiting, the more you successfully stand out.

Securing buy-in

Some companies and individuals are hesitant to use artificial intelligence because it’s so new. Understandably so. There are challenges, but it’s also important to remember the benefits. Reference the benefits listed above when convincing your team to save time and energy with AI. Chances are the pros will outweigh the cons.

Enhance and improve recruitment with Top Workplaces

Top Workplaces awards attract top talent and improve organic, inbound recruitment. That’s because a credible, data-driven third party gives the awards to people-first cultures. And they are all based on confidential feedback from current employees. What more could candidates want? Nominate your organization to get the recognition you deserve. 

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Energage is a Certified B Corporation that helps organizations measure, shape, and showcase their culture to build a sustainable competitive advantage.  Having launched the industry’s first employee engagement survey in 2006, Energage draws on the employee feedback collected through the leading employer recognition program – Top Workplaces – to maintain the industry’s most robust workplace culture benchmarks.

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