AI in recruitment: revolutionising the hiring process

As technology continues to evolve, many companies are streamlining their recruitment processes with the use of artificial intelligence. But can we really rely on a machine to work out whether we can have a job or not – or which workers a company should hire or fire. 

Artificial intelligence has been transforming the way we live and work, from automating routine tasks to revolutionising industries such as healthcare and finance and even predicting, with great accuracy, what we want to watch next on Netflix! 

So whilst we might be happy for a machine to suggest which movie we should watch next, we might feel quite uneasy at the thought of it deciding the future of our career. However, with the help of AI businesses can streamline their hiring process, save time and money and improve the overall quality of their workforce. The ways this can be achieved is through:

CV screening: AI-powered software can analyse candidates' CVs and identify the most qualified candidates for a particular job. This saves HR departments and business teams a significant amount of time by filtering out irrelevant CVs, allowing them to focus on the most promising candidates.

Video interviewing: AI-powered video interviewing software can assess a candidate's body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice to provide insights on their personality traits, communication skills, and overall fit for the job. This technology also allows for remote interviews, making it easier for companies to recruit candidates from different geographic locations.

Candidate matching: AI-powered software can match job requirements with the skills and experience of potential candidates, helping recruiters find the best match for a job opening. This technology can also help companies create more diverse and inclusive workforces by identifying candidates from underrepresented groups.

Onboarding: AI-powered onboarding software can automate the process of welcoming new employees, providing them with necessary information and training, and setting them up for success in their new roles.

Despite these many benefits, there is still an overriding concern of bias and discrimination. AI algorithms are only as unbiased as the data they are trained on which, if is in any way bias, could perpetuate existing inequalities and not fit squarely with businesses D&I policies. There is, naturally, also concern about the displacement of workers in certain industries which could lead to widespread unemployment and economic disruption.  There’s also the overarching issue of AI accurately understanding “soft” skills and transferrable skills and how these can be applied, subjectively, to a particular job specification. Perhaps only a human can do this…?

This new way of assessing potential is highly valuable in a world where inevitably we will have to learn to co-exist alongside machines. In order to make our co-existence as harmonious as possible, there will need to be a collaborative effort between policymakers, industry leaders and developers to ensure that AI recruitment benefits society as a whole, and that us recruiters remain instrumental to the process!