In todayâs changing world of work and intensifying competitive world, employers turn to technology for more accurate answers related to their businesses. Until recently, the primary goal of adopting artificial intelligence in HR was to provide transparency and drive savings. Today, however, smart emerging technologies enable HR teams to do more than that. So what does the future of recruitment hold in store?
Thanks to technological advancement, we can not only automate repetitive tasks but also solve critical business challenges that have a direct impact on profitability and results. In other words, AI in HR now allows human resources teams to reach new productivity heights and deliver an even more significant impact on business outcomes.
For the future of recruitment in particular and HR in general, artificial intelligence is a good example of such a technology that can reduce time-consuming tasks and make jobs faster, more accurate and easier which also means improved efficiency for businesses. From sourcing candidates to employee experience, AI in HR has the potential to forever revolutionise the way we think about recruitment and other HR-related operations.
But what is artificial intelligence exactly you might ask? Artificial intelligence refers to a type of technology that can solve problems previously associated only with human intelligence. Itâs a software tool trained to do what humans can – learn and process data. As opposed to regular software, the advanced machine learning and deep learning algorithms used by AI provide better accuracy to recruitment processes, policies and procedures.
Below we address more specifically exactly how artificial intelligence will impact the future of recruitment and how AI in HR can further help your business grow.
1. Saving time screening resumes
Screening resumes manually remains to this day one of the most time consuming tasks for recruiters as â52% of talent acquisition leaders say the hardest part of recruitment is identifying the right candidates from a large applicant poolâ. (Vervoe)
With screening resumes and shortlisting candidates taking an estimated 23 hours of a recruiterâs time for one hire and the hiring volume increasing every year, recruiting teams needed a more efficient way to do more in less time. Considering all this, AI in HR came like a breath of fresh air allowing recruiters to automate the resume screening interview scheduling process.
2. Removing biases from the future of recruitment
As much as recruiters try to be objective and inclusive, at the end of the day they are humans too, which means that the recruitment process can be affected by personal beliefs towards certain candidates who may or may not get the job because of this.
However, thanks to AI and automation, this lack of impartialness can be avoided through algorithms that can be programmed to assess skills objectively and reduce human prejudice.
While recruiters and employers have been looking forward to a solution that would render the recruitment process as objective and impartial as possible, thereâs still a long way to go for AI in HR. One example often used as an argument against AI in recruitment is a vulnerability found in Amazonâs recruiting engine. Reportedly, the computer models used by Amazonâs AI were able to catch on to cues about the applicantsâ gender and favoured candidates who used language more likely to be found on make candidatesâ resumes.
In addition to gender bias, the same experiment revealed that the algorithm also failed in that it often recommended candidates who were unqualified for the position. The key takeout here? While the future of recruitment holds great breakthroughs in store for employers and the industry at large, the recruiterâs role is still essential in making the right hiring decision.
3. Improving the quality of the hiring decision
Even though a main recruitment success metric, the quality of a hire can be difficult to assess by recruiters. Lack of data and measuring systems regarding what exactly happens to candidates after they get hired are just two of the reasons. By incorporating AI in HR, recruiting professionals can map and match candidatesâ experience and skillset to the requirements of the job.
The future of recruitment has in store a more accurate and transparent selection process, reduced costs, and better resource allocation. And eventually these also translate into happier, more productive employees and better business outcomes.
4. Increasing the retention rate
Poor retention rate is something most companies struggle with. So companies can use AI platforms to measure employee experience as well as to single out employees that may be looking to hand over their resignation letter. By using artificial intelligence in HR to detect changes in the activity and behaviour of employees, or satisfaction rate, HR leaders can predict when employees are unhappy and might be thinking of leaving or even when they might need a raise for outstanding performance.
5. Minimizing repetitive tasks using AI in HR
Low-value, repetitive tasks lead to employee frustration, mistakes and lack of ownership. Instead, by allowing employees to focus more on value-driven tasks and leave it to AI tools to takeover common HR tasks that do not require strategic decision making – like filling out excel documents, productivity and employee happiness can significantly increase which will also lead to better time-management, resource-allocation and overall improved business results as well. Contrary to popular belief, AI and technology wonât take away jobs, but actually allow HR and recruiting staff to do their jobs to the best of their capabilities by automating mundane tasks and generating more profit for the company, freeing up time to focus on the human element of recruiting.
6. Improving training processes, learning and development opportunities
In terms of ongoing staff evaluation and training, AI can help with identifying skill gaps and easily organizing training programs according to the unique needs of the employees, thus offering them an overall better learning and development experience and companies specialized resources.
More specifically, AI-powered e-learning platforms can provide tailored training suggestions based on the skills set of employees as well as serve as an excellent database for their growth.
By leveraging AI technology to improve employee skills, assessing and analyzing those skills against company requirements, the future of recruitment will enable companies to also enjoy better business results. By using artificial intelligence it is also possible to map out learning pathways for each team or individual as well as draw possible career directions.
7. Streamlining onboarding
The onboarding process of new hires is a very important part of the recruiting process yet also a laborious and time-consuming one. In fact, according to Glassdoor, a thorough onboarding process can help companies improve retention by 82% as well as increase productivity by over 70%.
Whatâs more, through the use of artificial intelligence it can be customized to fit the individual tasks and positions filled by employees. From briefing newcomers about the job profile, sharing the companyâs values and key processes all the way to informing them how to set up computer systems, an AI onboarding app can do it all, allowing HR staff to focus on other tasks that require human interaction.
Considering everything we mentioned above, itâs easy to see how artificial intelligence is pushing humans to become better professionals and work smarter, all the while shaping the future of recruitment.
AIâs influences are spanning across the entire recruitment sector and HR too, improving all processes and contributing to an increase in efficiency, streamlining workflows as well as reducing human error every step of the way.
But as much as the HR landscape continues to be influenced by AI and other emerging technologies, HR teams must find ways to balance these advancements with transparency, clear processes, and business objectives. While AI in HR is a valuable and powerful technology, essential for growing businesses, itâs not a one-size-fits-all solution. So in order to reap the rewards and stay relevant in the future of recruitment, this opportunity needs to be leveraged according to your companyâs purpose and goals.