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5 Compelling Uses of Artificial Intelligence in Recruitment

Written by: Lisa A. Burke
Published on: Aug 31, 2020
Category:

AI female recruiter

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in recruitment is not a fad. Since the development of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), technology has introduced process efficiencies into the  recruitment function, making the work easier, faster with improved outcomes. In today’s workplace, AI has become the dominant technology tool and is a must-have in every recruiter’s toolbox. A 2018 LinkedIn study indicates that 76% of recruiters believe that AI technology will significantly impact their work in the coming years.

Below we review 5 compelling uses of AI in recruiting, each is easy to implement and the ROI will be significant in terms of fostering an improved candidate experience along with a more targeted hiring process.

1. Automated Candidate Sourcing

The first step in the hiring process is building a pipeline of  qualified candidates. However, even knowing where to source (e.g. job boards, social media sites) the process can still remain challenging with recruiters often needing to wade through a large number of resumes to identify the most qualified candidates. Manually screening resumes is a very time-consuming process when a large majority of resumes received for a given role are not qualified.

Developments in AI enables recruiters to automate the sourcing process while also expanding the pool. Certain AI tools have the capacity to analyze upward of 300 million social profiles searching for relevant keywords and keyword phrases. The sourcing tool is also able to send personalized messages to candidates to enhance engagement. For example, the software can detect the name of the candidate’s current employer and make note of that in the introductory email.

Intelligent screening software automates screening by analyzing the experience skills and knowledge of current employees who are successful and applies this knowledge to new applicants to make predictions of who should be successful.

2. Candidate Matching

Related to sourcing is the candidate matching function which allows for customization of the candidate experience.  Tailor-made candidate matching is taking its cue from the learning and development (L&D) department which utilizes customized delivery of  individualized  employee training based on the employee’s specific career goals and preferred training tools. AI technology is now being used to optimize the candidate experience in terms of presenting roles that most closely match their career interests. How? AI is able to track candidate behavior on your facility’s website (such as clicks and resume uploads) and automatically sends customized job-related messages that best match the candidates experience, skills, knowledge and interests. 

3. Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity hiring is another popular trend. A diverse workforce has many advantages, some of which include:

  • Improves employee engagement and productivity
  • Promotes a positive employer brand
  • Enhances employee’s skill set and experiences
  • Fosters innovative ideas through the collaboration of members from diverse groups who bring unique perceptions to a given problem
  • Enables your facility to utilize diverse employees to promote the facility to their circles of influence

A study by Modern Hire shows that 56% of candidates believe that AI may be less biased than human recruiters. While 49% believe that the use of  AI will improve their chances of being hired.

AI is able to scan job posts, facility website and social media pages to identify culturally problematic language for unintended bias and suggest alternatives.

4. Conversational Recruiting with Chatbots

The candidate experience, especially early in the process, is a critical factor in building a successful recruiting campaign. Chatbots are a great tool for engaging candidates during the recruiting process. A CareerBuilder Survey shows that 58% of job seekers said they would have a negative impression of a company if they didn't hear back from the company after submitting an application, whereas 67% of job seekers would have a positive impression of a company if they receive consistent updates throughout the application process.

chatbot

Chatbots are always on the job 24/7, to respond to candidate questions, perform screening interviews, schedule interviews, and send out appointment reminders. Even before the recruiting process begins, Chatbots can be helpful to start a dialog when a candidate first visits your website. AI-enabled chatbots also increase the number of application submissions because candidates are able to obtain an immediate response to their questions.

5. Facial Expression Analysis

This analysis is performed by watching candidates' responses during a video interview. Most often these interviews are “facilitated” by a chatbot. The interview questions are selected based on the knowledge, skills and abilities required for the role. The algorithm then analyzes candidate responses in terms of word choice, sentence structure, demeanor, enthusiasm, speech patterns, and facial expressions to assess fit for the technical aspects of the role, as well as the overall culture of your facility. Can AI detect falsehoods? Not specifically by language but, given the wealth of research regarding facial expression and honesty, it can be presumed that truthfulness is being evaluated. Most Facial Expression software selects the best matches and returns results to the recruiters, along with a report about what has been observed for each candidate. One caveat to this tool is that it can give false positives; i.e. candidates often know they are being monitored by facial analysis software and become self-conscious which alters their expressions. 

Conclusion

The 5 compelling uses of AI in recruitment that we discussed above will become ever more popular within the recruitment field throughout the remainder of 2020, into 2021 and beyond! If your facility has not yet embraced AI to optimize your recruitment process, now is a great time to start. Because, for better, or worse, AI is here to stay and it will significantly change the recruiter role through augmented intelligence that assists recruiters to determine culture, foster candidate engagement, increase diversity and use data to analyze quality of hire. In short, AI enables recruiters to become more proactive through each step of the hiring process.

For additional recruitment trends and tips, continue reading other articles in our recruitment blog.