Over the past several years, many industries have seen a rise in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation, and machine learning technology. These technology advancements are frequently used in organizations' recruitment processes, and they can undoubtedly produce a positive impact on an organization's efficiency level. Since AI is typically programmed to complete tasks quicker than humans can, it raises the question: "Will AI replace human recruiters in the future?".
It's understandable to feel uneasy about AI making its way into our lives because we're used to seeing movies that portray robots taking over the world, but these are just movies. The movies don't show the ways that AI can positively impact an organization's ability to recruit top talent when it is used correctly. There's an argument to be had for each side regarding AI, and our technology expert weighs in on both sides in this podcast.
In our most recent episode of our Back to Work podcast series, Joe McIntyre, our host, and Mike Dachenhaus, Yoh's VP of Digital Transformation, discuss how the increased use of AI in the recruitment process has been affecting companies. They discuss how AI is being used today and where they think it's heading in the future.
Listen to our Podcast below:
How Is AI Being Used in Recruitment?
Where we're predominately seeing AI, automation, and machine learning technology in the recruiting industry today is in the candidate sourcing phase of the talent acquisition process. This technology can be used to more rapidly connect top talent to job opportunities. AI can be programmed to quickly complete the initial part of the recruitment process where recruiters have to manually sort through hundreds of applications to see who could potentially be a good fit for a position. It can be used to automate high-volume, repetitive tasks, thus eliminating this burden from recruiters.
In addition to talent identification and matching, Mike mentions how employers are leveraging technology to determine who they should be targeting and where their job boards should be placed in the market. Chatbots and virtual assistants utilizing AI are also being implemented at many companies and impacting the talent acquisition process. Taking these small tasks away from recruiters will lessen their workload, allowing them to be more productive and focus on other tasks that require human touch.
What's Next for AI?
Mike and Joe also talked about the future of AI in recruitment to close out the podcast, and Mike gave his expert opinion on what he believes is next. A 2020 study revealed that 10% of companies have integrated AI into their HR departments, and another 36% said they're planning this integration over the next few years — and this percentage has likely increased since the pandemic.
They discuss how if AI's use continues to increase in the recruitment process, companies need to proceed with caution and do so in an ethical manner. One improvement that needs to be made is ensuring that AI is not biased in its candidate selection. It can be difficult for technology to keep diversity in mind during recruitment, for example, so this is something that needs to be worked on to improve AI's outcomes.
As long as recruiters can understand the ways that AI will benefit them, they should not worry about giving up control or losing their job to technology. As Mike notes, recruiting is extremely people oriented, so there will likely always be a place for people in the recruitment value chain driving these processes. For additional insights, listen to the full podcast.
