Automation isn't a new consideration for HR professionals. They've been navigating the introduction of robotics to workforce tools for many years. However, new developments in artificial intelligence (AI) may disrupt the HR field itself. The growing number of startups that are developing AI software to reduce the burden of high-volume tasks like screening an initial applicant pool demonstrates the disruptive potential of this technology. This is saving the time of HR professionals, giving them much more time to focus on important decision-making, creating a more robust workforce for companies.
More than parsing
These new software programs go much farther than just parsing resumes for keywords. After identifying a select number of qualified candidates, certain programs like Mya from San Francisco-based Mya Systems can go so far as to conduct an initial chat interview. After getting through the boilerplate questions, Mya can recommend certain candidates and even schedule an interview with the hiring manager.
While new technology and the workforce tools at hand can often be at odds with those who must adapt to it, AI recruiting has the potential to dramatically increase the effectiveness of the HR department as a whole. By standardizing this high-volume task, startups like Recruiting.AI hope that these programs can help companies:
- Re-direct time to higher impact activities
- Standardize the job matching process to increase the quality of hire
- Collect data to identify hiring trends and adjust tactics
- Allow recruiters more time with final candidates to determine culture fit
Data spells success
In fact, most of the AI tools are already compiling interesting data -- results show that candidates who pushed back on salary negotiations were more likely to leave that position before others who did not.
Successes early on in AI recruiting have proven certain benefits, but there are still barriers to overcome. Data is one of the most important parts of good AI, but maintaining and storing all that information can be cumbersome and expensive.
It's also possible that these algorithms might overlook a well-qualified candidate, though a human recruiter is just as prone to such mistakes - it’s the combination of AI and the human touch that changes the recruitment game. Startups in the AI world like AllyO with their AI recruiter hope that by automating and creating a self-optimizing end-to-end workflow for recruitment, they can minimize those gaps.
It's hard to deny new technology its place, especially when it has the potential to disrupt the standards of the HR hiring process. As with all technology, early adopters may find a few more kinks to work out. However, when finding the best talent pool for a company, being on the cutting edge with a completely current set of workforce tools can often provide benefits that far outweigh the risk.