So many people in the recruitment and selection industry are using AI. It could help recruiters do less paperwork and make the process run more smoothly. Some recruiters worry, though, that AI can’t replace the human touch in some parts of the recruitment.
Pros of AI recruitment
1. Reduce administrative time
Tools like automatic data CV scanners as well as scheduling software can help recruiters spend less time on time-consuming administrative tasks so they can focus on more important tasks, like building good relationships with top candidates. AI can be used to quickly and easily match the qualifications and skills needed for a job with the applicants who have those qualifications and skills. This is much faster and more efficient than a recruiter spending hours looking through CV after CV by hand. A lot of information can be looked at in a short amount of time. AI can also be used to book applicants for the next step of the process, like an initial interview or a test, once they have been chosen to move on.
2. Accuracy can sometimes present problems
A lot of the tools that use AI are still pretty new, and they can make mistakes. For example, if a candidate used a different word or phrase to describe a skill than the system does, this candidate could be overlooked even though they are suitable for the position. As these systems become more popular, more candidates are learning how they work and may try to game the system by using certain buzzwords and phrases to make it seem like they are a better fit than they really are.
3. It can also make things for the individuals running
It’s not simply about making the recruiters’ jobs go faster and easier. When recruitment agencies use AI in their processes, candidates can also get something out of it. Anyone who works in the recruitment city knows that a good candidate experience is important if you want to hire the best people, especially when you’re competing with other companies for the best new hires. And anyone looking for a job can tell you how annoying it can be to not hear back quickly or even at all after sending in an application.
Using systems like chatbots, AI can be used to answer questions from candidates, schedule interviews and tests, and keep candidates up-to-date on their advancement in the recruiting process. Applicant Tracking Systems that use AI can also figure out how well a candidate did on an evaluation or even help with initial meetings by asking the same questions to all candidates who’ve already reached this stage. All of this accelerates the process a lot and makes it less likely that top candidates will get frustrated if the recruiter has to do a lot of paperwork to slow down the process.
Cons of AI recruitment
1. Some things need to be done by a person
There are some things that can only be decided by a person, like if a candidate will fit in with the company’s culture or if their hard work is as good even though their application makes it sound. To find out about these things, you will have to talk to the candidate, usually in person. Interviews are a big part of hiring, so you might not be too worried about this. But AI could pass over a candidate who fits in well with the company’s culture but needs a little more training in favor of someone who has more credentials but doesn’t share the company’s values.
2. Can offer recruiters better candidates
AI can help recruitment agencies spend less time looking through applications from people who don’t meet all the qualifications for a job. It may also help recruitment agencies write clearer job descriptions and find those better-qualified candidates in the initial place. The software is getting better quickly, and AI can also employ programmatic advertising to show the right people the right job opportunities at the right time.
3. AI can learn recruitment biases
People frequently state that one of the best things about using AI in hiring is that it doesn’t have any biases like humans do. This isn’t always the case, though, especially at the beginning of the hiring process when people are being screened. Some AI recruitment techniques can look at a company’s past hiring information to figure out what traits the company wants in candidates. This means that AI could reinforce any biases in the way people were hired in the past instead of getting rid of them.
Read more: 5 tools for recruitment based on AI