Strategic People

Machine learning is getting better and better and we are seeing AI (artificial intelligence) as a focus for most tech companies, but how will this impact on recruiters and recruitment?

Although AI has significantly advanced this decade we don’t have to worry about computers taking over the world, Terminator/Skynet style, just yet. Whilst companies such as Google are putting resources into machine learning we still have a long way to go. However the rate of progression estimates we will have real AI in the next 5 to 10 years so in 2025 will recruiters have to worry about their jobs?

AI in Recruitment

To discuss how AI may influence recruitment in the future, we need to touch upon how recruitment has changed as a role in the past decade.

Recruitment has always been about placing the right candidate in the best-fit role for them, whilst that hasn’t changed the way we find and vet our candidates has changed, it isn’t just a case of finding someone who has a good CV and talks the talk we can now analyse data to help find that ideal candidate.

Finding the one unique individual in a talent pool has been optimised by the introduction of big data and talent mapping. Matching the candidates for the job role can be just as hard as finding the person in the first place.

Data in recruitment

Recruitment is ripe for some AI assistance, the nature of recruitment means we deal witha lot of unstructured data, CVs in all shapes and forms, notes about candidates, covering letters, all of this can be interpreted and sorted using AI technology that is already being tested.

Having this amount of data sorted properly and without any bias can help recruiters sort through the initial stages of recruitment and talent aquisition.

AI in automation and sentiment for recruiters

Recruiters are often being sent CVs by candidates, in the digital age many candidates will get frustrated if they do not hear back from a recruitment immediately, a fast response time means the candidate has more trust and respect for the recruitent agency/consultant this improves sentiment of the company. However many recruiters may not have the time to respond quickly, they may be interviewing or engaged in other recruiting activities. Reports say 56% of people will have a negative view of a company if they do not get any immediate response, this can be avioded easily with AI and programmed chat bots, candidates are not opposed to delays when initial communication and reciept of CV has been made.

AI can easily automote thes tasks for recruiters increasing trust in the agency the consultant and eventual placement. When dealing with a recruitment consultant the candidate and the company both have to trust them and when AI can automate processes that leave the recruiter free to go the extra mile for them this is trust well placed.

AI in rectuitment will help recruiters be more ‘Human’

Throughout the ages technology has made certain roles more dispensible, usually the more remedial roles are taken over making jobs more productive, more efficient and leaving room for more creativity.

In recruitment, the addition of AI will take away the need to do the autonomous jobs, the jobs that take up a significant amount of time, rifling through notes and matching them to candidates and job roles. AI will give an unbiased opinion of the candidate and job based on facts, this will leave recruiters time to do what they do best.

Recruiters aren’t by nature data analysts, they are people and they are unique at spotting a persons qualities and potential to place them in a job role. That is a strength that cannot be taught and at Strategic People we have made ourselves the best by utilising that strength.

Recruitment will change with the introduction of AI, but a computer will never be able to spot how well a person will fit into a team, what parts of their life and hobbies will be advantageous to a company or will set them head and shoulders above any other candidate. Nor can a computer identify business forecasts based on an ongoing relationship with a company, undestand that companies ethos and find candidates who will fit into that environment long term.

AI will help recruiters sort through the data and leave time for finding talent!