While many believe AI is transforming recruiting, we are systematically taking the human part out of the process. That is not really a good thing for many candidates. People want to work for people that they like. Like how a buyer would rather buy from someone they like and have a personal connection to. When you take the human out of the hiring process you are playing with your company’s culture. That might be a battle you will lose.
Have you been on LinkedIn lately? Candidates are blowing up social media right now frustrated by the hiring process because of poorly executed AI tools. Companies are trying new things, and we get it, the world of AI is intriguing. However, if it is turning great candidates away from your organization, it is not worth using the tools.
“The AI recruitment industry grew by over 64.45%. Industry experts predict this market will reach $1.12 billion by the end of 2030.” – Demand Sage
In this blog we are going to explain how you can harness AI’s full potential in recruiting and avoid common pitfalls; organizations should follow these best practices.
Define Clear Objectives and Use Cases for AI in Recruiting.
What are your hiring challenges and objectives? Do you need help reviewing resumes, improving candidate matching, or enhancing diversity? AI may be a great tool to help you. You can use AI to help you look through qualifications, but today especially you need human eyes to spot fake resumes, and character is hard to judge on a piece of digital paper.
Define what you need the AI to do for you before you buy into an AI platform. Do not implement a new AI hiring workflow without human oversight. Remember your company culture is not an AI robot. You can use AI to resume screening streamline (but do not rely on this method alone.) You can use it to help reduce candidate ghosting and automate interview scheduling. We do not recommend you conduct those interviews using your AI technology.
Augment, Do Not Replace, Human Judgment
While AI can process large volumes of data and reduce manual tasks, your business hiring decisions should always involve human oversight. This is not just in your best interest, but the candidates you are vetting to work for you. AI could feel cold and unpleasant for too many on the hunt for their next opportunity.
Would and AI bot know if they were interviewing an AI candidate? Or would AI ask and answer questions according to what the tech has determined to be correct? Humans still need to be part of the process. You need to vet anyone you are hiring. AI is making it more complicated for everyone involved in the hiring process.
Data Quality and Diversity Options with AI Recruiting Tools
AI does not have the same bias as a human. In some ways, screening with AI ensures that only the candidates that check the boxes get to the next round. We all know however that humans are more than just the boxes they check. While it helps avoid perpetuating historical biases, it also can miss human qualities that we also value in employees like volunteering in the community. Sometimes people are easier to train without experience for certain positions. If you tell AI to only pick through candidates that have “X” amount of years’ experience, you could be eliminating great people.
It is important to audit the results you get if you use AI to screen candidates. The AI may have unintended bias based on an input it misinterpreted by you and your team. Today AI is still in its infancy. You will want your team to check for these unintended biases to identify and correct unintended discrimination. Everyone should check regularly and audit their data sources to maintain accuracy and relevance in the hiring process.
Using AI to Write Better Job Descriptions
Have you ever tried using Chat GPT or another AI tool to write your job description for you? Apparently, a lot of people are doing this, candidates are noticing. They are noticing how the same phrases for qualifications are popping up on job boards everywhere. They are even tailoring their resumes to answer the questions they are seeing on repeat to try and stand out through automated processes.
Does that make them more qualified than someone else? Probably not, but as we mentioned earlier in this article, these are the types of bias that are being created unintendedly by using a tool that spits out descriptions similarly to others looking for the same positions.
Everyone is using AI to find salary information. They are also using AI to compare company benefits. Is this leveling the playing field for candidates when it comes to compensation? Is it putting your company at a disadvantage over others because candidates may not apply to your position based on a posted salary, or lack of transparency on salary for a position?
Transparency with Candidates
Clearly communicate with candidates regarding the utilization of AI in your hiring process, detailing which stages are automated and how their data is managed. If they expect to be interacting with an AI bot, they are less likely to get frustrated. On the other hand, we are seeing threads of chats with candidates on LinkedIn exposing the companies that are using AI to interact with candidates. No surprise, the candidates are not thrilled, and you do not want to lose a great person because they dislike this type of interview interaction.
Leverage AI for Personalization and Candidate Experience
When used correctly, AI can help to personalize candidate communications, job recommendations, and nurturing sequences. The use of AI can be very helpful for candidates to understand your business. For instance, if you have a great chatbot on your website, the candidate may be directed to the chatbot to learn more about what your business does, company culture and more to prepare for an interview.
One way that may be helpful for candidates to implement conversational AI bots to answer FAQs. The goal is to keep them engaged throughout the hiring process. For instance, at ClarityHR we have implemented a Delphi AI bot that can access our entire knowledge base for both customers and candidates to learn about us and answer questions. If at any point in the conversation they want a human, we will have a human get back to them on their questions.
The key here is to make things more accessible and streamline the experience for the candidate. It is not to come off like your business does not care about the human relationship. In addition, you do not want a candidate to feel like they are not valued because you are using an automated process. Human relationships are incredibly valuable. Do not lose this element in the quest to automate your hiring processes.
Continuously Monitor and Improve AI Automations
AI is rapidly evolving, some of the sticking points we are hitting today, may have better resolutions tomorrow. For now, it is important not to rely on an automated process for screening candidates. You really need quality control for both your internal team and for anyone you are considering for a position within your organization.
The humans in your organization are who your candidate will work with. Both need time to build rapport and develop a good feeling for how you do business. Hiring the right person is so important and a costly mistake if you get someone who checks all the boxes but does not fit into your company culture.
Bottom Line on AI Automated Hiring Options
ClarityHR is dedicated to assisting you in achieving an optimal balance within an increasingly AI-automated hiring landscape. Your small business does not fit in a box. Your hiring process should not feel like the human element does not matter. We are all more than a resume, and your company is not run by robots. Your hiring process should be either. Contact us today to learn how you can leverage our HR expertise to find the perfect people to join your organization.