The job market is an ever changing and dynamic market. You may have noticed yourself that applying for a job has changed course over the last couple of years. Old fashioned interviews are no longer the standard way to go and technology has made its way into the job application process. Although developments may have been sped up by the current Covid-19 pandemic new trends have been up and coming for a longer time.
The biggest impact in efficiency of job applications and interviews has come from Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI has digitalized the recruitment process for small and large corporations even more. Nowadays, it does occur that motivational letters and resumes are screened by an AI robot. This leads to candidates having to carefully examine what to put in their letters or resumes. Another, for now less impactful, implication of AI in the recruitment process are Chatbots. Chatbots are basically virtual assistants that take over tasks at for example a customer service department. Chatbots enables customers to be in contact with a company for 24/7. In the recruitment process a chatbot might be used to orientate certain candidates that applied for a job. Simple questions about salary or company culture could be discussed and a recruiter can pick up personal contact with the candidates that suit the company best.
There is certainly a long way to go before AI is able to take over recruitment process but it might in the end do so. It is true that by hiring people using an AI system or chatbot there is less of a personal touch. Also, it might be harder to select candidates that might fit the companies culture better than others which could lead to problems down the road. However, hiring people through AI systems or chatbots can also create advantages. There is a lot of fuss about ethnic profiling in recruitment in the current job market and people claim they are rejected the chance of job because of their descent. Two other factors are being judged based on gender or appearance. When using an AI system or chatbot to recruit new employees these prejudices do not play any role. So in the end the usage of AI systems or chatbots could turn out to create a more objective, bias free and transparent recruitment process.
Reference
Emerce. (n.d.). De toekomst van solliciteren: opvallende trends en ontwikkelingen. [online] Available at: https://www.emerce.nl/achtergrond/toekomst-solliciteren-opvallende-trends-ontwikkelingen.
Hi Myron,
Interesting blog you wrote there! One of my friends works as a headhunter for a recruitment company, but I have not heard him about the use of AI yet. Could possibly be interesting in this area aswell.
Referring back to your blog, like you mentioned, the scanning of resumes and motivational letters sometimes already takes place with the use of AI. In my opinion, this ‘selection’ or ‘filtering’ part of the recruitment process is indeed very suitable to be done through AI. Additionally, I agree with you that discussing simple issues like the required salary could possibly be done with a chatbot.
Though, the parts after that, such as the actual job interview are less suitable for AI I think. For me as a company, main goal of a job interview would be to get to know someone, see what he/she is like and if that fits within the company’s culture and goals. I doubt whether an AI program could really provide me with that, as this is not only about credentials but also a certain feeling you have with a person.
With regards to ethnic profiling, I think AI can certainly make a difference. This would also fall under the ‘filtering’ and ‘selection’ of candidates, as a computer would not take a foreign name or skin color of a person into account. Instead, it will focus on credentials or that person’s motivation.
Thanks for the good read, I’ll pas it on to my headhunter friend.
Hi Myron!
Interesting post! Especially applicable and relevant for our stage in the professional career. I always find it interesting how companies develop on these AI-systems, yet in a large segment of the job-listings candidates are more likely to be chosen through referrals and company events (so are we really removing recruitment bias?).
From my own experience I find these AI systems to be in a very initial stage, usually not as applicant-friendly as expected and taking away an important part of the application, human interaction. Indeed, if you think about it, is it not weird that the human investment in a human employee that is expected to stay at least 2 years is automated in such to such an extent that human interaction is reserved for the very last stages of the application?
Nevertheless, automated recruitment systems also bring their pro’s. For example it is nice that at least you receive an answer for an application (still lacking for several SME’s and multinationals by the way) and are kept up better on the stage of your application.
It is going to be interesting to see how these applications further develop into the future, and what a job application may look like in the next 5-to-10 years!