Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Recruitment

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technology is having a game changing impact on the work of recruiters.

Automating our workflows, streamlining talent searches and speeding up candidate communication, these tools have been revolutionary. The question is, which parts of talent attraction are still better handled with a traditional human touch?

How have AI and ML developed

The first very basic forms of AI were developed in the 1950s, but the first many of us saw of this ‘new’ technology was most likely in films such as ‘The Terminator’.

Luckily ‘The Terminator’ has not surfaced in real life. However, products such as ChatGPT, Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri are the most visible forms of AI in use today.

Many more types of AI technology are less front and centre, including the tools used by recruiters to find and screen candidates and schedule communications.

These cutting-edge tools have so far delivered lots of time savings, improved candidate experiences and even helped to eliminate unconscious biases from the recruitment process.

How have AI and ML improved recruiting

Talent sourcing

Tools such as MightyRecruiter use vector space matching technology to shortlist candidates from vast talent pools.

Tools like this cross reference job descriptions with thousands of CVs to highlight the people with the most relevant experience and skills.

The AI has gained a strong semantical understanding of the information it scans. This means that the texts don’t have to match exactly for suitable candidates to be flagged.

Volume screening

AI is also streamlining the recruitment process by screening shortlists of candidates. The most advanced versions of these tools carry out online simulations to assess suitability.

It can answer key questions such as “how might an applicant perform on their first day” and “will they be a team player”.

The AI tools can also help with diversification of shortlisted candidates. They will focus on skills and experience and ignore irrelevant details such as last name and the type of school the candidate attended.

This totally eliminates any unconscious human biases that may otherwise impact the process.

Efficient scheduling

Trying to schedule an interview is sometimes a tedious and drawn-out process, but with virtual PA’s, the process becomes smoother and more efficient for everyone involved.

These recruitment chatbots not only help with time scheduling, but their automated features can also provide more touchpoints with candidates. This can create a more engaging process for the candidate.

Getting the balance right with AI tools

As with many other forms of AI and machine learning, recruitment AI is best used alongside more traditional approaches.

There is no doubt that AI can help us to identify the best talent faster. However, there is no machine that can match the personal touch of a recruiter.

After all, who better to assess the suitability of a candidate than someone who has filled countless roles in the real world?

Whilst the latest suite of tools can do much of the heavy lifting, the work of recruiters is still essential to check that an ideal candidate has not been missed by the technology.

Building great relationships with people and overseeing the interview stage is also something that will always require a more human touch.