The term “AI recruiting” has some cachet in recruiting circles, but is it something that can help your business? What does it mean precisely? The short explanation is that AI recruiting uses artificial intelligence to automate some parts of the recruiting and hiring process.
Of course, it’s important to remember that not every piece of recruiting technology uses artificial intelligence. AI refers to tools that specifically use machine learning to automate screening applicants, scheduling interviews, or other bulk tasks.
For example, a chatbot using artificial intelligence can engage with a hiring prospect on a website you’ve set up specifically for recruiting. After asking some screening questions, the chatbot can curate a list of appropriate job openings and even help them choose an interview time.
Frequently, application tracking systems also use artificial intelligence to include or exclude candidates from consideration.
If you’re still struggling to fully understand AI recruiting, keep reading. This article will cover what it is, how it works, and where you might integrate it into your recruiting efforts.
What is AI Recruiting?
This definition can get a bit confusing. The term “artificial intelligence” is frequently used to describe technologies that don’t involve AI at all. Be aware that not all recruiting and hiring technology involves AI, even if marketed that way.
An AI tool must be able to act intelligently based on some sort of input or awareness. AI can be used in any hiring area, including recruiting marketing, screening applicants, conducting assessments, and even interviewing candidates.
How Does Recruiting With AI Work?
AI recruiting tools help hiring teams by solving some problem or roadblock that exists in the recruiting process. In most cases, this means automating tasks so that recruiters can focus on tasks that aren’t repetitive or mundane.
For example, when recruitment teams can use a tool to screen resumes or conduct phone screens, recruiters can spend time creating better hiring strategies.
How does this work? The specifics depend on the tool that’s being used. In general, AI tools gather and organize information, then take the appropriate action based on that data.
For example, a sourcing tool might analyze existing data in your CRM and ATS and on the open web. Then, it will compare the information it gathers against your current requirements to create a shortlist of candidates to pursue.
This technology can also help to reduce the potential for bias in the early stages of recruiting. With a strict focus on data such as assessment results and skills, unintentional bias is less likely to be an issue in early-stage recruiting.
The Benefits and Drawbacks of AI Recruiting
When you find the right tools, AI recruiting technology can truly add value to your recruiting strategy. Some examples of this include:
- Reducing recruiting costs
- Providing better methods to screen candidates
- Automating recruiting processes
- Increasing time and resources available for creating better recruiting strategies
- Offering better insights into both candidates and recruitment channels
Most importantly, these tools can improve the candidate experience. Thanks to AI technology, candidates are less likely to be impacted by bias, more likely to be engaged more effectively throughout the process, and even participate more actively by scheduling their assessments and interviews.
What’s the downside? While human judgment is flawed, it can catch nuance along with some not-so-concrete attributes in candidates.
For example, a tool may determine that a candidate checks every box when it comes to skills and assessments. It can’t identify that the same candidate has an authoritarian management style that doesn’t fit into the company culture.
Investing in AI Recruiting Tools
Should you integrate AI tools into your recruiting and hiring efforts? That depends on your needs.
Before you invest in any technology, you’ll want to take a close look at your current recruiting process from beginning to end. Identify where there are failures and inefficiencies. Look for opportunities to automate steps or improve the candidate experience.
Finally, take a closer view of your recruiting goals. Note where you are falling short. For example, if you aren’t receiving the number of responses you need when publishing job listings, you could have issues with your employer brand.
Once you have that current state analysis in hand, you can explore where your team can use recruiting technology to improve things. In many instances, you may find that AI recruiting tools are the ideal solution, but not always.
Recognize that these technologies can do great things, but don’t be so hyperfocused on adopting them that you fail to recognize other tools that may be more effective.
Will AI Change Recruiting?
Eventually, most hiring teams will add some sort of AI technology to their recruiting tool kits. When this is done with insight and thoughtfulness, the results are likely to be quite beneficial.
AI can streamline the recruiting process, reduce costs, and improve the experience for prospective hires. Additionally, AI may lead hiring managers to adjust their views on what information is valuable in screening candidates and what is not.
Consider resumes as an example. Once, this rather static document was considered to be the best source of information about an applicant. Now, there are so many other ways to gather up-to-date information and insights about candidates that resumes no longer seem as important as they once did.
AI systems can help streamline your hiring process, allowing hiring teams to focus on long-term, strategic thinking that benefits employees and candidates in every stage of the employment process.
