Love it or hate it–AI is here to stay. Artificial intelligence might not seem like a natural fit for recruiting and hiring new employees. However, those processes involve many repetitive, time-consuming tasks that AI can easily automate.
Artificial intelligence can help in three specific areas:
- Sourcing: Allowing recruiters find and connect with talent faster.
- Screening: Helping hiring managers identify and select the best applicants quickly.
- Interviewing: Taking on the logistics of scheduling interviews to save time.
With the right guardrails, AI can help limit biases in the hiring process and ensure you find the right new hire to go the distance with your business.
Imagine you’re looking to hire a new manager. You know exactly what you are looking for, but few of the resumes you’ve received seem to be a good fit… so you search for candidates online or take a chance on someone who is not right for the job. Both of these options can be time-consuming and a waste of resources. AI can source the right candidate for an open position. AI tools like Workable and Ideal can scan job sites to find candidates who meet the specific criteria of your job posting.
“The stats are staggering: as much as 80% of employee turnover results from bad hires, from processes that don’t predict job performance,” wrote Stacie Garland, Director of Assessment Solutions at Vervoe.
AI can help automate aspects of the screening process. Chatbots, for instance, can schedule and, in some instances, even host job interviews (like Impress AI). AI can administer skill assessments, a more effective way to match candidates with open positions by measuring current knowledge and ability. Other tools can provide resume parsing to help you screen out spam or candidates that don’t match the position description.
Skill assessments are said to be one of the best ways to level the playing field for all candidates, offering a way for candidates to show they can do the job before they’re hired, regardless of their educational background or job history. AI helps recruiters by scoring these tests instantly, making it feasible for small businesses to implement a skills assessment without adding resources.
Of course, there are famous examples where AI has actually made hiring bias worse (like at Amazon). “The flaw in these tools isn’t the technology—it’s the data being used to feed the algorithms. Matching candidates based on the information on their resume doesn’t lead to any different result than if a human recruiter ranked candidates manually,” wrote Vervoe.
If you’re not ready to use AI as a screening tool, start by integrating it for the routine tasks of scheduling, reaching out, and sourcing possible candidates.
The Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce offers many resources to help you start, run, and grow your business–including our annual Leadership Emporia Academy, monthly Group Lunches, Ribbon Cuttings, Business After Hours events, Legislative Dialogues, and more. Stop by the Trusler Business Center at 719 Commercial St., call 620-342-1600, or visit our website at www.emporiakschamber.org to learn more.
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“Let’s Talk Business” is a weekly column of the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce and Visit Emporia. The mission of the Chamber is to be proactive in creating an environment for business and community success, guided by the vision that positive attitudes promote positive actions. Contact us at 620-342-1600 or chamber@emporiakschamber.org and visit our website at www.emporiakschamber.org.