LinkedIn has introduced the Hiring Assistant, an AI-driven tool specifically designed for recruiters. The tool aims to simplify repetitive tasks such as candidate searching and assessment, allowing recruiters to spend more time on the human aspects of their work. Here, we outline its features and the initial reactions.
What is the Hiring Assistant?
The Hiring Assistant has been developed to act as a digital assistant, supporting recruiters in their daily tasks. Using advanced language models and AI technology, the assistant learns from past interactions and preferences, continually improving its ability to cater to the unique needs of each recruiter. The goal is for recruiters to spend less time on administrative tasks and focus more on engaging with candidates.
How does the Hiring Assistant work?
The technology behind the Hiring Assistant includes several AI functionalities. For example, the assistant learns from previous preferences and interactions, so it can better tailor future tasks to the recruiter’s working style. An Agent Orchestration Layer helps the assistant collaborate with various tools that recruiters use, which is particularly useful for those managing multiple systems in the recruitment process.
“Companies already using it report a significant increase in recruiter productivity and candidate quality.”
Thanks to advanced semantic search capabilities, the Hiring Assistant can identify relevant candidates more efficiently and automatically send personalised messages. Josh Bersin, for one, is a fan, as he writes in a recent blog post. “The Hiring Assistant is the first highly integrated tool I’ve seen that seamlessly fits into the LinkedIn workflow. Companies using it now are seeing massive gains in recruiter productivity and candidate quality.”
‘Well-Thought-Out Product’
The first companies Bersin refers to — Siemens, Canva, and AMS — were among the first to access LinkedIn’s latest AI offering. “It’s a well-thought-out product,” Bersin writes. “It not only includes many subtle features (e.g., ‘find a candidate like Joe,’ where Joe’s profile is loaded and his role, skills, and experience are analysed), but it also introduces some platform innovations.”
Experiential and Product Memory
The first innovation Bersin mentions is ‘Experiential Memory,’ a feature that stores the recruiter’s search and activity history for future use. The Hiring Assistant learns how the recruiter works and communicates, adjusting its results accordingly. For example, the assistant differentiates between a tech recruiter and an executive recruiter.
The second innovation is called ‘Project Memory,’ which consolidates all information about a specific search project. “This means the selection criteria, emails, and hiring manager input are all stored within the project, allowing the assistant to oversee the entire hiring process”, writes Bersin. “Recruiters face this challenge: every hire and every hiring manager is different, and every project has unique, sometimes new requirements that have nothing to do with the job description.”
Time savings for recruiters
According to LinkedIn, the Hiring Assistant can automate up to 80% of the pre-offer workflow, from candidate searching to initial screenings. The tool aims to stand out by recognising both explicit and implicit skills in candidates. This means that, based on work experience and profile information, the tool can identify leadership qualities or specific competencies that may not be immediately apparent in the profile.
Concerns for the Rest of the Automation Market
Joel Cheesman, co-host of the Chad & Cheese podcast, notes that recruiters are generally excited about the new possibilities the Hiring Assistant brings. However, he adds a word of caution: “LinkedIn is owned by Microsoft, and we know Microsoft works with OpenAI”, Cheesman said in a recent episode. “So it makes sense that they can integrate these cool AI tools directly into their services, because it works perfectly.”
“Integrating all these automated tools should raise concerns for companies like HireEZ and SeekOut, who are also working on this kind of automation.”
“I also think you have to look at the data”, Cheesman continued. “No one has more profiles than LinkedIn. They’re also getting better at engaging people, getting them to return and stay on the site. They’re doing great things with video. So, short story, I’m cautiously optimistic that LinkedIn will handle this well. But integrating all these automated tools should raise concerns for companies like HireEZ and SeekOut, who are also in the automation space, about where this is heading.”
‘Cycle of superficiality and inefficiency’
Entrepreneur Joe Procopio writes on Inc. that using AI to take over recruiters’ repetitive tasks could have an adverse effect. “While LinkedIn’s VP of Product, Hari Srinivasan, is optimistic about AI’s role in streamlining the recruitment process, I’m doubtful this will actually improve the work of recruiters”, he states.
“If AI takes over writing job descriptions, sorting candidates, and even making initial contact, there won’t be much left for recruiters to truly make a difference.”
He sees particular risks. “If AI takes over writing job descriptions, sorting candidates, and even initial contact, there will be little left for recruiters to truly make a difference. This kind of automation doesn’t lead to better candidates or more successful companies, but instead creates a cycle of superficiality and inefficiency.”
Tool rolling out gradually
Like other social media platforms, AI is proving to be a lucrative revenue stream for LinkedIn. In 2023 alone, LinkedIn Premium subscriptions generated $1.7 billion in revenue, after the platform decided to put its best AI features — such as AI writing assistants and personalised career advice — behind a paywall.
While the tool is currently only available to a select group of companies, it will be gradually rolled out more widely.
As both critical and enthusiastic responses continue to come in, LinkedIn is still refining and expanding the Hiring Assistant. While the tool is currently only available to a select group of companies, it will gradually be made available to a wider audience.
