Have you heard of ChatGPT? Chances are, you have—and if you haven’t, buckle up!
The generative AI tool that recently launched is making waves worldwide for its highly advanced, human-like ability to process and respond to prompts. It’s already posing challenges in academia, as students turn to the solution to write term papers and assist with exams. However, the tool’s ability to offer shortcuts, which can be seen as cheating in a classroom setting, may also be a major time-saver and efficiency-producer in realms like HR.
While ChatGPT is the newest AI tool on the block, HR professionals have increasingly been relying on artificial intelligence tools in recent years to power everything from employee communications to benefits administration. One area where experts agree HR can reap significant benefits—if a tech strategy is smartly rolled out—is recruiting.
Using AI for recruiting
Any recruiting professional will likely agree that some aspects of their work can be time-consuming—combing through resumes, checking references, sourcing new candidates, scheduling interviews. These tasks aren’t just tedious; if recruiters spend too much time clicking on LinkedIn profiles or creating calendar invites, they’re losing time on the other parts of their job that are significantly more meaningful, such as creating deep connections with candidates and eventual employees.
That’s where AI is coming in—automating those tasks that can be automated to free up recruiters’ time to do those innately human tasks that can enable the most successful hires. According to research from Tidio, more than two-thirds of HR professionals agree that AI can positively influence the recruitment process, and over 85% predict that AI could replace pieces of the recruitment process.
And it’s happening across industries: Predictive Hire found that about 55% of employers surveyed are utilizing AI technology in their recruiting strategy. Among the top areas recruiting is having an impact are candidate screening and sourcing, creating job descriptions and conducting first-round interviews. The goal of turning these tasks over to technology is to create a more seamless and efficient process, ultimately reducing time-to-fill and hiring costs, and increasing candidate and recruiter satisfaction.
What to consider
There are a number of factors that go into the success or failure of an AI-powered recruitment strategy—and employers should consider them before tapping the tech for recruiting.
While AI is being widely adopted in HR, business leaders should recognize that the technology is still emerging, and rapidly changing. That means we don’t quite yet know all of the pitfalls and challenges associated with embedding AI in a business strategy—so employers must tread carefully. Just last month, leading technology minds—including a co-founder of ChatGPT—issued a warning about the potentially harmful effects of AI, if it’s not used smartly and strategically.
To that end, employers considering heading down the AI path should thoroughly vet any vendors with which they plan to work, paying particular attention to the issue of DE&I: While some experts suggest technology can help minimize bias in the recruitment process, the algorithm is only as good as the data set on which it was built—so, depending on how the tool is created, it could actually deepen an existing DE&I problem.
Employers should also remember that technology should be an enabler—not a replacement—in the HR sphere. While tech can enhance the role HR plays and the work that it contributes to the organization, without the human touch, the recruiting process may ultimately suffer. After all, the “human” in human resources is in the name for a reason!
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