Real Talk on Artificial Intelligence

Indeed CMO Jessica Jensen on why AI anxiety is real — and how Indeed and other companies are incorporating AI into their daily workflows across the board.

Key Takeaways

Overwhelmed by AI? You’re not alone — but you can overcome those feelings.
Consider how AI can help your HR and TA team with day-to-day tasks and upskilling.
Establish AI use guidelines to set up your organization for success.

Jessica Jensen, Indeed’s Chief Marketing Officer, would like to invite you to join the AIAS — that is, the Artificial Intelligence Anxiety Society. “You pay your dues in guttural screams into a void,” she joked onstage at Indeed FutureWorks 2024.

HR professionals feel overworked — can they offload some of that work to AI? But wait, what about the fear of AI taking jobs? And what will happen to those who can’t adapt to this new technology? As Jensen explained, feeling behind (and, yes, anxious) is normal given how rapidly these new tools are changing the way we work.

Indeed’s CMO, Jessica Jensen, onstage at Indeed FutureWorks 2024

Throughout human history, advancements in printing, manufacturing and agriculture all transformed labor. But they took time. “We had hundreds of years to adjust to these technologies,” Jensen said. “We were able to learn them, integrate them into our lives and make progress.” However, in the past 20 years, from the emergence of smartphones to driverless cars to AI in the workplace, “The pace of change is exponential.”

“Some people have taken the approach — which is totally understandable — of resisting technology and trying to really lean into analog mechanisms, and they often find themselves with more manual and time-consuming work on their plate,” Jensen said.

“Other people have jumped in brazenly and started using tools that may be untested. They didn’t consult with their legal departments properly in advance and then found out, ‘Oh, the internet is loaded with bias, and AI is just recycling and perpetuating that.’” In that scenario, AI may leave HR professionals worse off than before — and they’re not alone. Despite promises of boosting productivity, Forbes research shows that 77% of employees using AI say it has actually added to their workload.

“There’s a lot of noise, and for many of us in this room, we’re experimenting with tools, seeing some benefits and also feeling confused and overwhelmed about how to move forward,” Jensen said.

Jensen cut through the hype — and the fear — to discuss three key strategies for using AI to help make your HR/talent acquisition processes faster, simpler and more human.

How AI Can Help You Today

Indeed research shows that, today, HR and TA leaders most commonly use AI for HR functions (including budget management, policy and compliance), summarizing or analyzing resumes, generating interview questions and writing job descriptions and ads.

Indeedians use a few powerful AI tools that automate time-consuming tasks, including:

Grammarly, a writing assistant that can help improve communication, particularly for those who speak English as a second language.
Zoom’s AI Companion, which auto-generates meeting transcripts.
ReclaimAI’s calendar reorganization platform, which helps Indeedians establish better work-life balance.
Glean, a workplace search tool that helps users find internal information, like a department’s org chart or a long-lost Google Doc.
Yoodli, an AI speech coach that analyzes filler words, speaking speed and jargon.

We listen, we learn and, when we make a mistake, we apologize and correct it. We believe hiring is fundamentally human, and we try to innovate responsibly
Jessica Jensen, Chief Marketing Officer at Indeed

Your Company Values Should Shape Your Responsible AI Approach

Indeed’s team follows a set of core principles whenever they use or develop AI. “We center ourselves in fairness and equity,” Jensen said. “We listen, we learn and, when we make a mistake, we acknowledge it, we apologize and correct it. We believe hiring is fundamentally human, and we try to innovate responsibly.” This approach informs Indeed’s AI-powered products, including:

Invite to Apply, which sends AI-based job recommendations to job seekers based on their resumes, Indeed profiles and qualifications. So far, Jensen said, testing has shown a 20% increase in started applications and a 13% uplift in downstream success.
AI Job Description Generator, which creates job descriptions in under five seconds. Employers have used it on more than 7.5 million jobs this year and typically see a 16% increase in applications.
Candidate Highlights, a feature of Smart Sourcing, which analyzes and summarizes resumes to suggest how candidates could be a good fit or where there might be gaps in their experience. Jensen noted that 86% of Smart Sourcing users say Indeed gives them the best qualified candidates for the role.

Upskill to Build AI Proficiency

Jensen shared a few ways Indeed is upskilling its employees to improve their AI skills:

Indeed offers an AI pathway within the company’s internal learning and development program, so Indeedians can learn foundational topics in AI.
Each department has an AI Champion who keeps the team up to date on the latest AI tips and tools.
Indeed has created the BOOST program, which helps Indeedians from customer success, sales and other roles learn new skills through technology classes.

“We are trying to be an incubator and an educator internally, and people are so excited to explore new opportunities,” Jensen said.

She also shared an example of how another company is using AI to give employees new opportunities. At IBM, the online employee directory maintains information about each employee’s background, experience, current role and certifications. IBM has created a proprietary algorithm that leverages data from the directory to recommend training that will help current employees qualify for other open roles at the company. IBM can thus grow its talent from within and enhance mobility opportunities for its workforce. “They are proactively using an AI tool for skills assessment, cross training and career development, which is pretty cool,” Jensen said.

Whether or Not Your Team Feels Ready, It’s Time to Embrace AI

Jensen asked attendees to give responsible AI a try, even if it seems scary. “The reality is, employers in many industries will not hire people if they don’t have experience using AI tools,” she said. “So, I encourage you and your teams to get in there — and you don’t need to just play, you can actually use tools and make real progress today.” Plus, she said, AI can be a fantastic way to learn and professionally reinvent yourself. “We don’t need to be anxious about it,” she said. “We can be honest about the failures and successes — and lower our cortisol.”

Read more Indeed FutureWorks 2024 coverage:

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Recommended Reads

Indeed FutureWorks 2024: Real Talk on Moving Past the Anxiety to Embrace Responsible AI

How AI Can Help You Today

Your Company Values Should Shape Your Responsible AI Approach

Upskill to Build AI Proficiency

Whether or Not Your Team Feels Ready, It’s Time to Embrace AI

Discover Work Wellbeing

Lead with Indeed Updates

Get the latest insights on the workplace and hiring, straight to your inbox

Get insights and inspiration for the future of work

Get insights and inspiration for the future of work

Recommended Reads