This changes everything. Sure, we’ve heard that before – from robotics to machine learning and blockchain, it was going to change everything. The latest “change it all” ticket is artificial intelligence. Will AI change recruiting and can it be employed as a recruiting tool?
AI may be as influential in our lives as the computer operating system and the internet, and neither of those technologies have replaced human beings; nor will AI in the recruiting industry. We have seen many misconceptions and heard greatly embellished capabilities associated with AI to create perceived differentiators in the marketplace. In fact, AI looks a lot like an immense database.
The first misconception about AI comes from our imaginations. It’s always been incorporated in fantasy and fiction. However, it’s very important to remember that the entertainment industry’s version of AI is very different from the business and technology version of AI. Business’ AI is a tool for humans that applies machine learning models to large data sets to try to predict outcomes. It’s not emotional, instinctive, or even intelligent, for that matter. AI can’t sell, can’t have conversations or employ soft skills, nor can it make human connections, understand body language, or read nuances and social cues. AI can recommend decisions. It cannot make decisions, and in our lifetime, it won’t take the human out of human resources.
How does AI serve as a tool for recruiters? The fact that AI isn’t replacing recruiters doesn’t diminish the technology. The reality is, it’s incredibly exciting to know that AI will be as influential to us – and our productivity – as the internet. That being said, its limitations should also be defined so we know how to use AI, where to deploy it, and which claims of AI capabilities are overblown.
PREMIUM CONTENT: Preparing your Staffing Company for a World with AI
There’s been a digital transformation in the recruiting industry over the past 20 years. The transition to implement AI needs to be top-down-driven change. Early adopters realized that they needed to invest in scale and now others are investing just to keep up. We have a whole generation entering the workforce that has had iPads since they were toddlers. This generation doesn’t know what a fax machine is. They communicate via text, social media platforms, and email, not telephone. The best way to reach a candidate who is currently employed is via text message versus a phone call, since they’re actively working.
Machine learning takes a large sample of events and outcomes and picks the model that best represents your problem and predicts what’s going to happen in the situation. There is no substitute for a recruiter finding interest in an applicant. When an applicant is interested in a position, there needs to be a human connection to decide whether they’re a fit. We can give recruiters all of the best tech tools, like BrightMove’s Enterprise Applicant Tracking software, but AI itself can never reproduce the human touch of fitting a candidate for a position.
