AI is once again hitting the news with Elon Musk and engineers from the world’s leading tech firms signing a letter to cease the development of AI, world governments looking into ways of legislating it, and recently a leading scientist responsible for building AI resigning from Google, the leading question still remains; do we need to worry about Arnie speeding off on a motorbike to save Sarah Connor? Probably not…but will AI affect jobs, and in particular recruitment? Yes, it's more a question of how.
AI, or artificial intelligence, has increasingly become a popular tool in recruitment processes across many industries. AI can help automate and streamline the hiring process, potentially saving time and resources while also improving the overall quality of candidates. One common use of AI in recruitment is in resume screening software. These programmes use algorithms to analyse resumes and identify keywords, skills, and experiences relevant to the job opening. This can significantly reduce the time and effort required to sift through large volumes of resumes, allowing recruiters to focus on the most promising candidates.
Another area where AI is being used in recruitment is through chatbots and virtual assistants. These tools can interact with candidates to answer common questions, provide feedback, and schedule interviews. This can help improve the candidate experience, making the recruitment process more efficient and transparent. AI can also be used to analyse candidate data to identify patterns and predict potential performance. For example, algorithms can analyse past hiring data to determine the characteristics of successful candidates and use this information to identify the most promising applicants.
There’s undoubtedly a place for AI in our roles to assist us, however an over-reliance on AI and lack of risk mitigation in regard to data management and effective regulatory requirements could cause more problems than it solves. Are the calls for a pause while security catches up a bad thing? Definitely not.
In terms of job security, it’s unlikely to completely take over. The human touch will be needed to fill tricky roles using recruitment methods that AI won’t know or can’t use such as referrals, networking events and genuine experience. Plus, people buy from people, and candidates are more likely to lean towards working for a company where they’ve experienced human interaction, not just a chat bot.
I don’t think AI will be taking the jobs of recruiters anytime soon, sorry Arnie.