What is AI in recruitment?

AI (artificial intelligence) is playing a role in all types of activities and industries, including human resources. AI in the recruitment process uses artificial intelligence to handle the repetitive parts of hiring such as screening applications and scheduling interviews.

It automates several crucial activities so that your HR team doesn’t have to do everything manually. There are several AI software programs and tools that can make recruitment effective and simpler.

Benefits of AI in recruitment

If you’re not using AI in your recruitment process yet, you might be unsure of how it works and what your organization stands to gain from it. Below are the main benefits of AI in recruitment to help you understand how it could impact your hiring process.

1. Streamlined hiring process

Manual recruitment processes can take longer, which means you could miss out on the candidates you want to hire. While you’re sifting through applications, quality candidates could be interviewing and receiving job offers elsewhere. AI can help you quickly choose and schedule candidates for interviews, so you’re the one making a quick job offer.

Long hiring processes can also affect workplace productivity. By speeding up the process, you can fill positions faster, so your current team doesn’t have to carry the extra load for an extended time. Plus, streamlined hiring activities could save you money on the usual recruitment tasks.

2. Consistency and objectivity

With multiple recruiters and hiring managers, you get different opinions and processes for evaluating candidates. Some people have a better understanding of what the job requires, and people often go with their gut feelings, which might not be accurate or consistent.

Introducing AI into the process often creates more consistency and keeps decisions as objective as possible. Take the screening process, for example. If two people evaluated the same applications, they may choose different people for interviews.

They might miss candidates who fit the requirements well due to human error, their opinions or lack of time to review all applications thoroughly. AI can review all applications thoroughly and potentially more objectively, looking for specific qualifications.

3. Improved screening

Scanning resumes for keywords is a common practice among hiring managers. That means you could have applicants who have ideal experience and skills who get missed because they didn’t include the “right” keywords in their applications, resumes or cover letters.

With AI, you can screen applications more effectively without only using keywords. The programs can do a deep dive into the application materials, picking out actual experiences, skills and relevant details that might not be apparent by a simple keyword search.

4. Targeted job ads to increase the quality of candidates

AI can help you easily create your job ads when your company or organization is hiring. This saves your HR team time and produces well-written, detailed job descriptions that attract the type of candidates you want. If you’re incorporating advertising into your recruitment campaign, AI can help you create targeted ads and make sure they get served to people who match your criteria.

You can also use AI technology in the form of recruiting chatbots to help interested job seekers find a position that’s a good fit for them. Helping candidates connect with the right job opportunities results in better quality applicants that fit your needs well.

5. Better use of employee time

Many of the administrative parts of hiring new employees take time and are repetitive. For example, playing phone tag with interviewees to schedule interviews can interrupt the workflow.

By letting AI handle those simple administrative tasks, you free up your human resources staff to focus on other responsibilities where a human touch is more valuable. Think of AI as a personal assistant for your HR team.

6. Improved candidate experience

The candidate experience includes all the interactions applicants have throughout the hiring process. AI can improve the impression job seekers have about your company by making the application process easier and more enjoyable.

For instance, chatbots can answer applicant’s questions in real time, so the applicant doesn’t have to wait for a response from your company. Automated messaging with candidates gives them the information they need with clear, effective communication.

Impressing candidates who are interested in your company encourages them to continue the application process or tell others about your job openings, which can attract more talent.

7. Accessibility

The automation tools used in AI can help diverse applicants get the information they need easily. Many tools offer multilingual options to help them better understand the process and get the answers they need. Video screening helps candidates with limited mobility go through the interview process with fewer barriers.

8. Reduced hiring costs

Using AI technology can cut hiring costs in different ways. With the right AI program in place, you can scale your recruiting efforts without hiring additional team members. Plus, your employees can use their time for more productive tasks, so you may get a better return on your investment with those staff members.

Ways to incorporate AI in the recruitment process

You want to reap the benefits of AI in recruitment, but how do you get started? Here are some ways you can use AI to recruit job applicants:

• Writing job ads: Use AI to get tips on improving your job ads, or let the software write the ad completely.
• Schedule interviews: If you want to handle all interviews yourself, you can still use AI to schedule meetings with the candidates.
• Communicate with job seekers: Your AI systems can send automated messages to applicants and interviewees to make sure they have the information they need.
• Answer questions: Chatbots on your company’s career page can answer questions for job seekers to make the application process easier.

FAQs about AI in recruitment

Are there drawbacks to using AI in recruitment?

There are some potential drawbacks to using AI in recruitment, including a lack of a personal touch for candidates and less hands-on experience for hiring managers.

States and local governments sometimes have regulations on using AI, so you need to research and stay current on those laws to remain compliant with recruitment and hiring procedures.

What is predictive analytics?

AI uses predictive analytics to learn what works well for your company. It looks at past candidates and current employees to learn and predict what qualities fit the team or role well. It can also help you decide when to make job offers and other decisions based on forecasts from AI.

How can you keep recruitment personal when using AI?

While AI can take over many tasks, it doesn’t have to consume every part of your recruitment. In fact, by reducing administrative tasks, AI frees up your recruiters to spend more time on meaningful interactions with candidates and interviewees.

Keep the recruitment process more personal by making sure your HR team is accessible to applicants and connecting with candidates during interviews.