In the world of HR tech, artificial intelligence has arrived — and it’s already unpacking its bags with an intention to stay. Thanks to algorithms equipped with powerful machine learning capabilities, AI enables organizations to streamline their recruitment operations, cutting down on labor-intensive administrative work and freeing up time on recruiters’ schedules.
But when an organization is equipped with software that’s able to perform some of a recruiter’s basic functions, does that mean the recruiter themselves is about to be rendered obsolete? And just because software is considered artificially intelligent, does that mean it’s ready to draw conclusions or make the same kind of decisions as humans?
Despite the myths and hype, AI for recruiters is simply here to help. That’s why we’ve rounded up some of the top questions HR professionals find themselves asking about AI to demystify how AI is being used by recruiters:
Do recruiters or candidates have good reasons to be worried about AI?
Unlike the doomsday scenarios often presented in popular culture, today’s applications of AI don’t have many nefarious purposes. AI (and its subsets deep learning and machine learning) is broadly being used to automate and eliminate long, repetitive and data-intensive tasks that have been typically been carried out by humans.
This doesn’t mean that people aren’t worried about AI: one study by the Pew Research Center found nearly 72% of Americans are worried about a future where computers replace most human jobs. And for candidates, 67% of Americans expressed worry about algorithms making hiring decisions without any human involvement.
But AI-fueled automation isn’t here to replace the work of a recruiter; instead, it’s here to simplify it. AI and machine learning make it possible to automate administrative tasks so recruiters can spend their energy on higher-level tasks. And for candidates, AI makes it easier for recruiters find the talent they need without relying on complicated search methods.
Will AI eventually replace human recruiters?
Contrary to popular belief, AI isn’t in the business of completely replacing jobs. One report from Gartner predicts that by 2020, AI will generate 2.3 million jobs in contrast to the 1.8 million it replaces. The jobs with the greatest chance of being replaced are the ones containing routine, repetitive, and predictable tasks, while the jobs that require complex relationships with people are likely to remain secure for the foreseeable future.
Recruiters know their work is anything but predictable and requires nurturing dozens of relationships on an ongoing basis. But many of a recruiter’s daily tasks, like coordinating an interview schedule, are basic and repetitive enough to be streamlined through automation. AI for recruiters seeks to automate those tasks, freeing up time to better engage candidates on a personal basis.
What kind of tasks will AI handle for recruiters?
AI for recruiters is set to carry out time-consuming and frustrating administrative tasks. In Yello’s Interview Day Scheduling solution, a powerful AI-enhanced algorithm analyzes staff and room availability to create an optimized interview schedule.
This solution alleviates the all-too-frequent headache of manually coordinating the schedules of multiple interviewers to determine available meeting times. AI eliminates the administrative burden of sending countless back-and-forth emails to select desired times, freeing up recruiters and recruiting coordinators to spend time on more valuable tasks.
Will AI be able to handle tasks that require a more personal touch?
Not entirely. While certain AI applications have been built with tasks like candidate screening in mind, poor data has lead to the development of recruitment tools that mimic human biases. Many of these tools have been scrapped and highlight the need for a human being to oversee the recruitment process to ensure it is conducted properly.
In one small way, that’s the beauty of AI: by eliminating menial or repetitive tasks, recruiters can focus their efforts on the purely human elements of their work, like directly communicating with candidates. AI makes it possible for recruiters to meet more candidates, easily coordinate interviews, and ultimately hire faster.
