Hiring managers are encountering many challenges during the hiring processes. Some of the various factors they need to manage are resume screening, sharing information about the brand of their business, and keeping time to hire low in the process of selecting the right candidate.
To handle these many challenges, artificial intelligence can assist you. The question many recruiters have on their mind, though, is will artificial intelligence replace a human recruiter? This article answers that question and discusses the pros and cons of AI technology in the recruiting process.
What is AI?
Generally speaking, AI is the development of machine learning and computer systems, which can be used to carry out certain tasks and make them easier. Features of artificial intelligence include:
- Speech recognition technology
- Facial recognition and detection
- The ability to make decisions, and
- The ability to acquire data
AI in the context of the recruiting process, AI is the use of artificial intelligence during the recruitment process in which it’s specifically used for talent acquisition. During the hiring process, AI and machine learning not only helps you with tasks you’ll complete manually, but it also helps with candidate shortlisting for an open role.
How does it work in recruitment?
In recruitment, AI tools work by using machine learning. The tools can help you eliminate phrases that might potentially be biased by analysing the language you’ve used in your job descriptions.
It similarly carries out the resume screening process during the candidate screening stage by analyzing resumes for keywords that match your job requirements. It does this by analysing the keywords in your job description or job spec before you post it on job boards.
AI can also be used in the interview scheduling phase of recruitment. It works by calculating the requirements for the interview process and analysing your availability to then let you know the best available time slots to schedule the interview.
Beyond this, AI systems in recruitment can make use of your applicant tracking system’s information to make precise decisions based on its knowledge of your talent pool.
Pros of using artificial intelligence in recruitment
Two main advantages of using artificial intelligence in recruitment to hire the best talent include that they make task automation and assessing broader candidate pools in a shorter time effortless.
Task automation and time saving
Artificial intelligence in recruitment helps recruiting teams automate some of those repetitive tasks such as resume screening, administrative tasks, or interview scheduling, and increase efficiency in these areas that you might spend hours doing manually.
Machine learning can quickly analyse the criteria you’re looking for and instantly automate the resume screening process so you can spend more time on other parts of the hiring process, save time, and reduce time-to-hire.
Assess a broad range of candidates such as passive job seekers
If you have a large candidate pool that contains a large number of passive candidates, artificial intelligence can help you assess and then narrow down your candidate pool based on a resume.
Manually narrowing down a candidate pool can take significantly longer and even with copious attention to detail, you might not efficiently assess all candidates. AI solves this problem by efficiently, quickly, inclusively, and systematically searching a broader range of candidates who have applied for your jobs.
Cons of using artificial intelligence in recruitment
Two key disadvantages linked with using artificial intelligence in recruitment are that machine learning can adopt biased decision making, and it can be difficult for recruiters to adapt to new technology.
Artificial intelligence can still make biased decisions
Because artificial intelligence uses data created by humans, it can adopt biases and make biased hiring decisions just as a human might.
Although some vendors of artificial intelligence technology might have put in place measures to address these biases and monitor any potential recurring biased decisions, there’s still the potential for biased decisions to occur.
Challenges with adapting to new technology
Even though AI vendors might emphasise the time-saving benefits of artificial intelligence when recruiting for jobs, getting used to it is another hurdle. Human recruiters still have to learn how to use and integrate artificial intelligence in their hiring process.
For example, getting the right balance between overusing artificial intelligence and knowing when to use it is a challenge human recruiters face when adapting to new AI technology.
Is AI replacing recruiters?
The short answer is that, for now, artificial intelligence is not yet ready to replace recruiters in this important process.
Recruitment needs a human touch partly because we can use our own experiences to empathise with and gain unique insights into qualified candidates; this is something that a human being can do to offer a better candidate experience, enhance the culture fit, and improve the candidate engagement — such things that AI will never grasp.
For this reason, it is unlikely that AI will replace human recruiters in the near future.
Artificial intelligence: why recruiters should use it in their hiring process
But artificial intelligence is still a game changer in recruitment. For human recruiters AI technology is the answer to reducing time-to-hire and automate mundane tasks, and assist you in the recruitment process.
Will AI replace recruiters? It’s not likely. But with artificial intelligence, recruiters will assess more applicants and even increase their chances of making the right hire and engaging passive candidates.
Check out the latest technology developments and more information on artificial intelligence in recruitment at recruitmenttech.com
