With the dynamic emergence of new HR technology in the workplace, practically everyone is seeing a shift in how they go about their daily tasks. This rings especially true for HR and recruiting departments. But what effects will new technologies have in this area?
How has HR technology helped so far?
Automation and machine learning algorithms are becoming commonplace in tools used for talent acquisition – it is no longer looked at as something from the future or something that will take away jobs from HR personnel and recruiters, but rather as a tool that can be used to help. One of these tools is AI-powered search, which is quickly becoming a staple in all applicant tracking systems.
These systems allow recruiters to quickly target the candidates they are looking for in each recruitment process – usually, all it takes is to input the criteria and requirements needed for the open position, and in a couple of seconds, they will have access to the top available candidates. Whereas earlier, recruiters had to sift through hundreds of resumes manually – taking up a huge chunk of their workday. This is one main example of the positive impact that new HR technology is having on recruitment. But where else can AI technologies take them?
Which AI trends are taking shape?
Not only is AI helping recruiters quickly identify top candidates, but recently there have been many communicators and chat programs launched which, through using AI, automate communication with candidates – whether it be getting more information needed from candidates automatically or automatically setting interview dates between the candidate and recruiter (Such as is used by Hello Astra). Some chatbots go as far as autonomously completing full interview processes through a chat app. While there are companies that see this as a potentially big boost in productivity. Allowing them to focus on more immersive tasks such as interviewing processes. Brand recognition in the job market, some are still skeptical.
After speaking with senior-level HR and recruiters at several conferences last year, I came away with the feeling that, towards chatbots, is still divided. There are some recruiters who believe this is inevitable in today’s age. The younger workforce will connect with chatbots well. There are others who think losing the human aspect of a person-to-person connection (even early on). will hurt the recruitment process and alienate potential candidates. Still, in the future, technology in recruitment could go even further.
How far can it go?
With the AI tools mentioned above, there is still one constant. Companies need recruiters to be able to interview candidates and use their expertise to qualify if candidates are suitable for hire. But is this something that can also be done through new technologies? While my talks with the aforementioned senior HR and recruiters gave a resounding “no”. The strong opinion that there is always a personal aspect that is needed while hiring for your specific company.
There are more and more arguments towards fully automating recruitment using AI. For one, in the future, AI automation and the technology associated with it will be on such a level. That it will be able to notice things humans simply cannot. An example of this would be facial recognition software. Is able to tell whether or not a candidate is being untruthful during an interview.
Something that enterprise companies would love to know by simply setting down a camera. Another argument is that an AI interview will not allow for any bias. It will only use the criteria which are fed to it. It will not look at sex, race, weight, or anything that is not essential to decide on a candidate.
Summary
Obviously, this is something that at the moment seems like a lose-lose situation for candidates and recruiters alike. But one thing we mustn’t forget is how quickly HR technology is evolving. And how easily it can surprise us. We can be sure, that it will impact the way we work in recruiting.
