Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing every industry and talent acquisition (TA) is no exception. In today’s rapidly evolving job market, traditional recruitment methods are undergoing a transformation, driven by advancements in AI. Artificial intelligence are not just buzzwords anymore; AI is a powerful tool reshaping the way companies find, evaluate and hire talent.
Results published in the Mercer 2024 Global Talent Trends Report (which surveyed 12,200+ global C-suite executives) named digital acceleration including AI as one of the top 3 geopolitical and socioeconomic forces company executives see impacting three-year plans.
So how exactly is AI being used in talent acquisition? From recruitment marketing to candidate sourcing & selection to onboarding, the emerging recruitment technology is constantly evolving and will be ever-changing. Many companies have already embraced this new advancement in the digital era as they strive for efficiency and cost savings.
Some of TA functions that AI can take on include:
- Writing job descriptions
- Predictive recruitment marketing
- Creating social media content
- Candidate sourcing
- Resume selection
- Automating interview scheduling
- Analyzing pre-screening interviews
- Evaluating pre-employment assessments
- Collecting data for predictive analysis
- Automating communication with candidates
- Interpreting different languages
The list of possibilities is increasing, especially with the acceleration of generative AI, but with all these digital technology advances there come pitfalls. While AI has the potential to streamline hiring processes and enhance decision-making, there are growing concerns about how its use can negatively impact organizations. We’ve outlined some of the pros and cons for AI in the most common functions in TA.
Resume Screening
Pros: Automated Candidate Matching- AI can quickly sift through thousands of resumes and identify candidates that match the job requirements based on the criteria set by recruiters. This can significantly reduce the time spent on manual resume review and allows candidates to be shortlisted in seconds. Reduction of candidate bias is another potential win with AI, as systems are programmed to focus solely on qualifications and experience, potentially reducing human biases based on gender, race or age during the resume review process.
Cons: Errors and Misinterpretations-AI systems can misinterpret data or make errors, potentially leading to the exclusion of qualified candidates. There is also a potential for algorithmic bias. If the AI is trained on biased data, it can perpetuate and even amplify these biases. For example, if past hiring practices were biased, the AI might continue to favor certain demographics over others.
Automated Communication
Pros: Personalized Communication– AI can provide what appears to be personalized communication and feedback to candidates, making them feel valued and improving their overall candidate experience, at least that’s the aim. Chatbots can handle preliminary inquiries, schedule interviews and provide candidates timely updates. They can also be available 24/7 to interact with candidates providing information and answering questions promptly, with the aim to enhance the candidate’s journey.
Cons: Lack of Transparency-For companies the risk is that a candidate’s critical soft skills may be overlooked with automated communication, which can make the cultural fit assessment difficult for companies. For hiring stakeholders, the decision-making process of AI can be opaque, making it difficult to understand why certain candidates were favored over others in selection. For candidates, over-reliance on AI can make the recruitment process feel impersonal, and they report a negative candidate experience with the loss of human touch.
Data Collection
Pros: Candidate Assessment Tools-AI-powered recruiting solutions can assess candidates based on data and analytics and provide insights that can help hiring managers and recruiters make informed decisions, such as their index on meeting job criteria for skills and experience plus organization cultural fit.
Cons: Privacy and Security Concerns– Ensuring personal data is stored securely and used ethically is a significant concern. A breech in confidential data is costly for an organization on many levels, and there are legal complexities involved to protect candidates. Companies must adhere to complex regulations related to data protection and privacy, which can be challenging, time-consuming and costly.
As companies strive to evolve with technology to improve efficiency, we know AI isn’t going away. In fact, most see AI as poised to revolutionize how we attract, engage and recruit candidates. According to a Linkedin, 62% of recruiting pros express optimism about AI’s impact on recruitment. With numerous advantages, there are also numerous challenges. Challenges that companies will be evaluating closely, as they look at AI and face implementation company wide. To leverage AI effectively, companies must strike a balance between automation and human involvement, ensuring that AI complements rather than replaces the human in Human Resources.
If you would like to learn more about utilizing AI for your
talent & recruitment efforts, contact us today.
Featured Colorado Life Science Jobs
Director of Quality, Americas click here , Cochlear in Lonetree, CO
Senior Manager, Sales Excellence North America click here Terumo BCT, Lakewood, CO
Senior Data Scientist Click Here Enlitic, Fort Collins, CO
VP of Regulatory & Quality Click here Rapid AI, Golden, CO
Colorado company news
Terumo BCT celebrates 60 years as a community-first Colorado company Click here
Enveda raises $55M to combine ancient remedies with AI for drug discovery Click here
Colorado tech hub to be “Silicon Valley” of quantum Click here
Corden to invest nearly $500M to expand Boulder manufacturing facility Click here