1. AI can decrease time to hire & increase efficiency

Hands down, manually screening resumes is the most time-sucking endeavor if a recruiter’s job, especially since up to 88% of the resumes are unqualified for the role. The time it takes to complete phone screens, schedule phone interviews, and schedule in-person interviews are added time-suckers.

Now, take a second and think about a world where something could take over hours of menial sourcing, screening, and scheduling. It could uncover existing talent buried deep within ATS/CRMs, scrape data from external job boards and social media, and deliver the best candidates in record time.

Turns out, lots of people are thinking about a world like that: it’s predicted that by 2020, about 85% of customer interactions will be manned entirely without a human. However, industry leaders don’t entertain the idea that AI will replace recruiters. Instead, they see it as an enhancement to the recruiting process; an extra layer to make it all more efficient.

About 44% of executives believe the most important benefit of artificial intelligence is its accessibility to data and how it can help with decision-making. So when AI pulls targeted, objective candidate information, recruiters can then use that data to decide next steps much sooner than they ever could without it.

2. AI can improve quality of hire

Regardless of how incredible it may be, AI is a machine. As such, we still need humans to evaluate other humans. Once recruiters have a list of pre-screened candidates and pre-scheduled interviews, they can focus on the most important piece of the hiring process: building a relationship.

Candidates can fill out personality tests and online applications, but who’s to say they’re being honest? What if online applications don’t ask questions like, “what are your career goals?” “what are the most important factors when choosing a new employer,” or “what do you value most in your career?” Surprise: they usually don’t.

These are conversations that need to be had with another person. Plain and simple. It’s a big risk to place a candidate in a role without learning their drivers as not just employees, but as people.

We all know that diversity in hiring is a hot topic. Fortunately for recruiters, AI isn’t bogged down by interview or hiring biases. Therefore, it can help broaden the talent pool and strengthen inclusion far more objectively than humans.

AI is designed to source candidates solely on skills and experience. It doesn’t take into consideration the sound of a candidate’s voice, the design of their resume, their names, or any other subjective biases humans inject into the hiring process.

4. AI can improve communication

Here’s another well-known fact: communication between HR/recruiter and candidate is poor, and it’s not because they aren’t doing their jobs well; it’s because they’re so dang busy. 

The result: 50-60% of candidates never hear back from employers, recruiters, and/or HR. And I’m not sure if you know this, but if there’s one thing that makes candidates feel like they’re just a number, it’s that.