If I told you that AI was making recruiting more human, would you think I was crazy?
“Bruce, I’m not sure you know what ‘AI’ stands for…”
I get it, but after 40 years in the industry, I hope I’m well-versed in staffing and artificial intelligence. The point is, by using AI to identify, screen, and match initial candidates, recruiters can save up to 30% of their time. There’s so much they can be doing with those hours.
The Recruiter as Relationship-Builder
If recruiters no longer need to search for candidates, what’s their role? With AI progressing rapidly, will we need recruiters at all?
Not so fast.
Right now, candidates have the upper hand. With record low unemployment, they can afford to play hard ball when it comes to hourly rate or salary and other perks. Oddly, low unemployment is contributing to another factor: uncertainty. Fearing a recession and anticipating the 2020 election, many professionals are starting to choose staying put – despite appealing offers.
Ultimately, candidates are looking beyond numbers – for job security, culture fit, and the right advancement opportunities. They need a real human who understands their needs and their industry and can be a trusted advisor.
PREMIUM CONTENT: Preparing your staffing firm for the world of AI
As an employer, you should hire recruiters who want to:
Become experts in their recruiting niche. Gone are the days of recruiters relatively easily floating from one industry to the next. Today, the difference between a healthcare recruiter and an IT recruiter is like the difference between an ER nurse and an app developer.
Your recruiters need to know the in-demand skills for their industry, and they need to understand their audience’s motivations. What motivates a nurse differently than an app developer? What do both types of professionals want out of their assignment or career? Developing this understanding is no longer recommended. It’s essential.
Communicate more effectively with candidates. As candidates, most of us have experienced a job search where, at some point in the process, we had no idea what the next step was. We didn’t know if we were still in the running, even though we followed up appropriately after an interview. We were let down by recruiters not keeping us apprised of the candidate journey, and we likely wrote off the opportunity.
As AI saves recruiters time on the front end, they need to put more time into the middle and end stages. Recruiters must anticipate the questions candidates will have at each critical step. Without that trust and rapport, great candidates may leave great offers on the table.
Your Role as an Employer
Just as AI increases the expectations you have for recruiters, it also increases the expectations recruiters have of you. Top recruiters no longer want to spend time spraying and praying when their colleagues at cutting-edge companies are generating candidates using AI.
To attract the best employees, attract the best recruiters by adopting staffing AI. Explore the many options in SIA’s AI report.
