How recruiting AI is redefining the talent experience
Hiring 5 minute read

How recruiting AI is redefining the talent experience

Rise | July 23, 2020

Using AI in HR is becoming increasingly popular, and there are some particularly interesting applications for recruiting AI.

Relying on artificial intelligence (AI) to recruit top talent may seem like a futuristic far-off idea, in the same league as flying cars, robot housekeepers or personal holograms. 

The truth is that artificial intelligence has been in use for some years: Siri, the virtual assistant on Apple devices, is an example of AI; the shows recommended to you on Netflix were selected by an AI algorithm; and Tesla, a pioneer in autopiloting vehicles, is perhaps the most famous example of AI technology in use today. 

A 2018 simulation study by McKinsey predicts that by 2030, “some 70 percent of companies might have adopted at least one type of AI technology”. The report also estimates that AI will generate $13 trillion in economic activity by 2030. However, the report also comes with a warning for late adopters of recruiting AI technology. “[L]ate adopters might find it difficult to generate impact from AI, because front-runners have already captured AI opportunities and late adopters lag in developing capabilities and attracting talent.” 

So if you’ve been thinking about introducing AI software into your organization, there’s no better time than the present. Keep reading to see a few examples of how you can use AI throughout your hiring process. 

Artificial intelligence (AI) can help talent acquisition specialists and hiring managers find and place people in jobs more efficiently and effectively.

AI recruitment software can automate the process of candidate sourcing and pre-screening by scanning resumes for keywords. Alternatively, AI software can evaluate candidates’ answers to pre-screening questions and recommend which candidates to move forward into the process. 

Task automation is one of the main advantages of artificial intelligence when used in HR and recruiting. Human resources teams can save a lot of time by employing AI talent acquisition software to review resumes and cover letters, and even send automated rejection emails or emails with calendar invites to schedule interviews. On the candidate side, applicants are all contacted and, regardless of the outcome of their application, are left with goodwill towards your company.

There are other various processes within the talent experience that can benefit from AI, including improving interviews with prospective candidates.

AI can be leveraged into the workflow of facilitating interviews and identifying the candidates with the most potential.

Video interviewing technology enhanced with AI can help talent professionals evaluate candidates by using data points to analyze vocal intonation and inflections, word choice and facial expressions or movements. 

By aggregating and analyzing social cues, AI recruitment software can report on a candidate's comfort level, identify whether there may be an issue with their “level” of honesty and also grade the quality of their answers.

One example of AI recruiting technology is HireVue. Its software uses algorithms to assess video interviews. Here’s how it works: HireVue analyzes interviews and candidates’ actions to provide clients (i.e. employers) with feedback on a candidate’s levels of engagement, motivation and empathy. 

HireVue’s recruiting AI technology can even gauge if a candidate’s facial expressions contradict their words. The software can spot thousands of hints about intent, habits, personality and other qualities by looking for links between traits found in interviews and eventual job performance. As an example, HireVue assesses whether a candidate uses active verbs, such as “can” and “will” or relies on negative words, such as “can’t” or “have to.”

While a report from a video interview shouldn’t be the only thing a hiring manager relies on when making the decision to hire someone, it can help eliminate some obviously poor fits for the role. It goes without saying: AI (and other recruiting technology) is not intended as a replacement for HR or hiring managers—it’s intended to be a tool to help recruit, assess and hire top talent.  

Human bias can influence recruitment. When evaluating candidates, hiring specialists are vulnerable to stereotyping and making subconscious decisions based on the personal factors of a candidate without being aware of it.

This is known as unconscious, or implicit, bias: A belief or assumption about any social group or identifying characteristic such as race, gender, age, nationality and sexual orientation. Implicit biases inform our behaviours, attitudes and interactions—and reinforce stereotypes. 

Recruiting AI software can be programmed to disregard information regarding a candidate's age, race, and gender. It also can ignore background history such as where someone lives, which university they attended or any clubs or organizations they’re affiliated with. In other words, AI software has no unconscious biases. 

GapJumpers offers one such unbiased AI software. It uses AI to host digital 'blind auditions', which levels the playing field for applicants and helps you increase diversity within your organization. 

Candidates are asked to submit work samples and challenged to answer work assessment questions anonymously. This allows recruiters to see beyond the resume and better assess talent through pure employee experiences, i.e. the skills, knowledge, and creativity revealed by the AI. 

Job applicants are ranked by objective information, not subjective gut feelings. This streamlines the hiring process and also reshapes it into an egalitarian, inclusive system that gives every candidate the same fair evaluation. 

Want more insight into how HR professionals like yourself can unlock AI's potential in talent prospecting and recruitment? Find it in our latest ebook. 

Download The HR Pro's Survival Guide to Artificial Intelligence, Part 1 to learn about the latest disruptive AI technology for human resources professionals looking to prospect and recruit the best talent—and what you need to consider before jumping in.

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