AI Recruiting: The Good, The Bad, and How to Make AI Work for You

Stephen Hawking said, “Success in creating AI would be the biggest event in human history. Unfortunately, it might also be the last, unless we learn how to avoid the risks.” Artificial intelligence, once a buzzword, has become an integral part of our lives. It is shaping the future of technology and truly can be leveraged to revolutionize industries. Although AI comes with a growing list of exciting possibilities, there are also significant concerns.

The past decade has come with remarkable breakthroughs in AI. From natural language processing (NLP) and deep learning to AI ethics and explainability. These advancements have paved the way for humans to collaborate with intelligent machines to solve complex challenges. However, AI is susceptible to bias, inaccuracies, and potential legal implications. So where is the middle ground and how and when do you incorporate AI in your hiring process? That is the million-dollar question.

The Good

The use of AI in the hiring process has the ability to streamline the recruitment process and enhance the candidate experience with efficiency gains.

The process begins with attracting the interest of potential candidates. Effectively communicating an employer’s brand, culture, and value proposition can be a time-consuming and challenging task. Generative AI can streamline and enhance the process of creating tailored content that speaks directly to top candidates for a position.

Once interest has been sparked and resumes come rolling in, AI has the power to quickly and efficiently scan through resumes searching for keywords to choose candidates that have the edge requirements. These tools analyze resumes at a speed and scale not possible by human recruiters.

The analytics also interpret context and relevance creating a nuanced understanding of each candidate. Increasing the efficiency and speed of combing through resumes allows HR professionals to get the top talent in front of them quicker so they are not missing out on their best candidates.

AI creates a shift from a reactive, experience-based approach to a data-led strategy. Recruiters can make decisions based not only on a candidate’s past experience but also on potential future performance. The tools offer a deeper understanding of candidates, leading to better hiring decisions and improved job matching.

The Bad

AI can be extremely beneficial in the hiring process but does not come without risks. There are concerns about bias, lack of transparency, and potential legal implications.

AI processes are not inherently objective and neutral. Bias can be introduced in the process from the start. During the sourcing stage, AI can be used to choose where and how to post job announcements. AI can recommend phrasing that may encourage or discourage certain candidates so it’s important that a human still evaluate the job post that can be very quickly created using AI. For example, a word like “ambitious” can have greater appeal to privileged groups of individuals.

AI tools can also create bias in the interview phase, excluding specific cultural groups. For example, roles that are historically held by specific sexes, races, and genders. Any tool set up by humans will include inherent bias – after all, the algorithms are created by human beings. Bias can greatly reduce your pool of candidates and put you at risk for legal ramifications (due to both bias and data security).

Users need to consider that the use of only AI with no team involvement in the hiring process can lead to a lack of human input. This affects not only HR professionals but potential candidates as well. 66% of Americans surveyed by Pew Research Center say they would not want to apply for a job in which the employer uses AI to make hiring decisions due to the lack of “human factor.”

It is a concern for HR professionals who are faced with a lack of transparency created by algorithms and data models. It can leave candidates confused on how they are being evaluated leading to confusion and mistrust.

“The bad” leaves you with the potential to not only be trudging through legal battles but even more importantly overlooking valuable candidates, losing them to competitors.

Navigating the Middle Ground

Somewhere in the middle of the good and the bad lies your AI recruitment sweet spot, which you can master if you choose your AI tools carefully and monitor and evaluate them regularly. Recruiters can address concerns and overcome them by:

1. Creating human touches in the application process – the simplest way to achieve this is by being upfront and keeping candidates in the know on what to expect and when. Even a quick introductory video chat can check this box.
2. Generating transparency by requesting feedback from a wide range of people or stakeholders.
3. Educating yourself on privacy laws and follow them (like telling your candidates up front you will be utilizing AI).
4. Using AI tools that retain the human element while generating efficiencies. Not by completely replacing all human interaction or intervention. (More on this below)

If you take the right steps in choosing and using AI tools and combine them with the power of human touch, your recruitment process will not only benefit, but thrive.

Your Company’s AI Hiring Tools

Organizations need to do their research, choose AI hiring tools carefully, AND integrate them in a manner that is beneficial to both user and candidate.

Welcome interviewstream’s AI Recruitment Assistant – the suite of AI applications that will assist you in achieving a more effective and fair recruitment process.

Leveraging the power of artificial intelligence with AI Recruitment Assistant will:

• Streamline your process: Enhance your hiring process and free up time to connect with top candidates.
• Create a consistent hiring process: Generate universally applicable content for your entire hiring team.
• Fill up your hiring toolkit: Produce hiring materials in minutes – allowing you to quickly create engaging content for candidates.
• Keep the human touch, while saving time: Quickly generate quality interview questions, job descriptions, emails, social media announcements, and more. Boosting your efficiency while allowing your team of human experts to have the final say.

interviewstream’s AI Recruitment Assistant shifts your process to a data-driven strategy that increases your efficiency, streamlines your process, and more importantly, enhances the candidate experience.

Enhance your Recruitment Process with interviewstream

Artificial intelligence is here, and here to stay. It has proven itself to revolutionize the way we work and live and although there are risks, the benefits outweigh any negative concerns.

interviewstream’s AI Recruitment Assistant will transform your hiring process. The future of recruiting is here (literally) – don’t sleep on it!

To read more about mastering AI in the hiring process check out our free eBook. Or reach out to have one of our team members show you a live demo and answer any questions. Happy hiring!

About The Author

Drew Whitehurst is the Director of Marketing, RevOps, and Product Strategy at interviewstream. He's been with the company since 2014 working in client services and marketing. He is an analytical thinker, coffee enthusiast, and hobbyist at heart.