“Where few people have real experience in the area, having an informed interest puts you in good stead”
As part of our commitment to adding value beyond connecting our clients and candidates to develop their teams of find fulfilling careers, we’ve developed a series of articles to transfer knowledge between our clients and the candidates we support.
This week we spoke with Ian. Ian is an experienced Data Scientist who has developed a broad understanding of Recruitment Analytics and is passionate about the future of AI in Recruitment and HR. We asked Ian a couple of questions about his career and his current interest in AI and Recruitment Technology.
Can you tell us how you got into Data Science and Recruitment Analytics?
“As far as I am aware, people have only been calling themselves data scientists for the last ten years. Before that, there were people doing similar work in the consultancy and market research industries. I was working in the latter and am grateful for the broad experience it provided”.
“It’s impossible to open a Sunday paper nowadays without seeing an article about how we are all destined to be recruited by algorithms rather than people. I am a data scientist with broad experience and saw this as an opportunity to make a difference in an exciting, growth area”.
Do you have any advice for those looking to develop a career in this niche?
“Come on in, the water’s lovely! Suppliers are understandably protective of their algorithms but are very generous with shared case studies available on their websites. After that, find out whether your existing employer is already looking at this data driven recruitment. If so, offer your input”.
“You could also join one of the fast-growing suppliers who are typically start-ups of small or medium size. Some recruiters run evening events on the topic which could be a pleasant way to learn while making contacts. Where few people have real experience in the area, having an informed interest puts you in good stead”.
What do you think are the major benefits of AI and Machine Learning in Recruitment?
“Firstly, some very practical ones: cost and time savings for candidates and employers. Nobody likes the feeling of sneaking out for an interview. A combination of the new technologies should mean that the interviews which we do attend are restricted to ones with a high chance of success. If an employer likes you but does not have an immediate opportunity, a future opportunity is more likely to happen”.
“Secondly, some societal ones: diversity and social mobility. We are all probably guilty of ‘recruiting in our own image’, here is our chance to end that. If an integrated system links recruitment criterion directly to historic employee performance, what could be more meritocratic than that?”.
Do you foresee any disadvantages to AI or Machine Learning in reference to Recruitment or HR?
“Not in the tools themselves. In theory, they could be badly used or implemented, but the suppliers will be keen to ensure that doesn’t happen”.
What are the ethical issues faced by users of these interfaces?
“Candidates have legal rights as regards to use of their data. If these are observed, I see new systems as being fairer than current tools and therefore more ethical”.
How do you see the technology developing in the future? / What is the future of Recruitment Technology?
“The Sky is the limit! There is no question the Recruitment landscape is changing. The current starting point for a candidate search for a new career opportunity is typing search criteria into a job board or search engine. I believe the future will be more along the lines of a dialogue with a good career coach”.
Ian is currently open to interim Data Scientist roles with a focus on Recruitment Analytics.
If you are interested in a confidential conversation about your next career opportunity or would like to speak with us about supporting the growth of your team, please get in touch today.