AI and Recruiting


As a recruiter I use AI tools, but it is not as much as AI marketers would lead you to believe. The AI recruiting tools are not yet fully developed and the recruiting process is very complex and based on human interaction. AI tools for recruiting have been available for over 10 years and I have watched them develop from rudimentary to useable tools. But the bulk of my AI usage is the same as most people - creating documents, ideating interview questions, taking notes, and generating social media posts. But ranking and sorting through candidates is another thing altogether. 

I have used over a dozen different recruiting AI tools and they all have shortcomings. In 2024 the technology has not developed enough to have a large impact on the job candidate selection process.

I would love to hit a button and ten perfect candidates appear on my screen. But this is not possible with the current tools. I still spend a large part of my day scanning resumes and LinkedIn profiles.

As a recruiter I am required to read between the lines. I need to have an understanding of my company’s industry and the unique needs of team and AI is not ready for these fine details. 

Here are some examples of how AI falls short:
* AI would not know that the hiring manager would be interested in someone who worked at one of our competitors even if they did not meet half of our job requirements. 
* AI might pass by someone who did not have the right programming language but their degree in Finance would offset this requirement. 
* Two years working in a startup is the same as Four years at a fortune 500 company.
* The manager’s top five job requirements would not be so firm if the candidate had two other specific skills. 

These nuances are critical insights I've gained through years of experience and building relationships.

Due to AI's current constraints, companies remain hesitant to fully rely on it for hiring decisions. Thus, the core recruiting process has seen minimal change. For job seekers in skilled positions, this means traditional methods like manual resume reviews still heavily influence hiring outcomes despite recent advances in AI.

Looking forward, I’m optimistic about AI’s potential to improve recruiting efficiency. I anticipate future developments that will offer better tools for both job seekers and recruiters, potentially overcoming the current deficiencies.

#AI #Recruiting #jobs #employment