AI Explained: demystifying hiring's newest trend

By Lindsey Zuloaga, Chief Data Scientist at HireVue
Lindsey Zuloaga, Chief Data Scientist at HireVue discusses how artificial intelligence can improve businesses' hiring process

With the job landscape presenting new challenges on what feels like a monthly basis, improving hiring processes has taken on new urgency. Hiring teams who have been considering the implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are moving quickly from consideration to adoption, and we want to demystify the use of AI to help everyone involved use it to their advantage.   

AI tools have taken on a huge role throughout the hiring funnel, from advertising jobs, sourcing and engaging candidates through chatbots, matching people with the right role, and assessing candidate skills and competencies to see if they are a good fit. A recent study showed that 63% of businesses plan to invest in AI hiring solutions in 2022, but in order for adoption to take hold within a business, users must understand and trust that new tools are making their jobs better. To help demystify AI and ensure greater adoption, here are five key ways these systems can improve your business’ hiring process. 

1. Improves time-to-hire

The hiring process is only as fast as the person or system behind it. For example, if there is one hiring manager tasked with finding new talent, then the hiring process is dependent on their availability to sort through CVs, arrange interviews over email and attend the calls. If there are multiple roles open in a business, this can lead to backlogs of tasks and potential talent taking up roles elsewhere.

Having an AI system in place speeds up this process and accelerates the time-to-hire for the business. This technology can sift through CVs far quicker than a human and link up to hiring managers' diaries to arrange calls at the click of a button. This allows hiring managers to focus on choosing the right talent, rather than constant administrative tasks.

2. Mitigates bias

Another large benefit of using AI in hiring is cutting down on bias. As humans, we can be unreliable, as no two hiring managers are the same. This leads to a variation on what is deemed to be a ‘successful’ interview and who is right for the role. With AI, interviews are assessed and scored by the same algorithm, giving all candidates a consistent experience. Using algorithms to interview avoids the danger of humans scoring candidates based on personal preferences, that have nothing to do with job competency.

3. Widens the talent pool

There is a sheer volume of candidates who are being overlooked by hiring processes. Traditional hiring processes are designed with only the neurotypical in mind and it’s blocking an untapped pool of talent. For instance, autistic employees are highly qualified and have an aptitude for technical skills, attention to detail, dependability, and focus. They’re a great asset to anyone's team, but traditional processes are not built with this type of individual in mind. 

Game-based assessments are a type of AI that allows candidates to interview for roles via games that assess skills like memory and basic math. They can be used as pre-hire assessments and as assessments for internal mobility and leadership potential. They assess candidates’ skills in a quick and engaging experience, helping hiring leaders easily prioritise candidates based on their personality and work style, how they work with people, and how they work with information. And for neurodivergent candidates, this presents them with an equal opportunity to thrive when searching for a new job. 

4. Collects the details

AI also collects and categorises data. If the only assessor in the process is the hiring manager, they won’t remember key details of every interview. Supplementing human decision-making with the record-keeping and decision assistance of AI will give talent leaders back more time to interview a wider range of talent. 52% of all workers are already reporting burnout – adding tools to ease workload can help combat this worrying trend. 

When AI collects and stores data automatically, hiring teams and recruiters have insights and candidate details at their fingertips, without having to revisit CVs, assessments, or interviews.

5. Eliminates ghosting

All too often, rather than sending a withdrawal or rejection email, candidates and recruiters are simply cut off. When candidates don't hear back on how their interview went it can be extremely frustrating, and also stressful. And for hiring teams and recruiters, not hearing back from selected candidates also wastes a significant amount of time. 

Interviews that harness AI - video or game-based assessments - mean candidates can receive feedback instantly on what went well and areas of improvement, something that is uncommon in traditional hiring structures. This type of feedback is also much more detailed than something an interviewer could share. And for the recruiter, this means they do not have to spend time giving feedback to unsuccessful applicants.

Unlocking AI’s secrets

AI is a very powerful tool for recruiters and candidates alike, saving both parties time and ensuring that candidates are well-matched to their jobs, making them more likely to stay in their roles in the long term, a win-win for candidates and businesses alike.

While it might seem like a technology which is far removed from people, it’s the exact opposite. AI simply enhances human decision-making in the hiring process so that everyone can use it to their advantage.

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