AI – Are you an adopter?

Written by: Anthony Whyte Managing Director, Talent International and APSCo Director

In July, I had a pleasure of attending an APSCo members lunch to listen to Bill Simpson-Young of the Select Advisory Committee on AI regulation for Australia, and some of the opportunities ahead for our industry.

It also included a fireside chat with Aaron McIntosh (Regional VicePresident APAC at Bullhorn) with Q&A opportunities and it got me thinking like most of the attendees.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has revolutionized the recruitment process by making it more efficient and effective for both candidates and recruitment companies.

However, there are positives and negatives to consider when using AI in the recruitment world.

One of the biggest benefits of using AI in recruitment is that it can help to streamline the hiring process. AI tools can quickly analyse resumes and applications to identify the most qualified candidates, saving recruitment companies valuable time and resources.

This allows us as an industry to focus on building relationships with candidates and clients, rather than sifting through numerous applications.

For candidates, AI can help to match them with job opportunities that align with their skills and experience. This can increase the chances of finding a job that is the right fit for them, leading to higher job satisfaction and retention rates.

Additionally, AI can provide candidates with real-time feedback on their applications, helping them to improve their resumes and cover letters for future job opportunities.

On the other hand, there are also negatives to consider when using AI in recruitment. One of the main concerns is the potential for bias in the AI algorithms used to screen candidates.

If these algorithms are trained on biased data, they may inadvertently discriminate against certain groups of candidates, leading to a lack of diversity in the workplace.

Another potential downside of using AI in recruitment is the loss of the human touch.

While AI can streamline the hiring process, it may also lead to a lack of personal interaction between candidates and recruiters.

This could make the process feel impersonal and discourage candidates from applying for jobs with a particular company.

Many agencies have already implemented AI to do CV prepping; Job ad writing; interview question preparation and the like, but these are just the minimum basics.

In summary, the use of AI in the recruitment needs to be carefully worked through due to both positive and negative implications.

While AI can help to make the hiring process more efficient and effective, it also has the potential to introduce bias and reduce the personal touch in recruitment.

It is important for companies to be mindful of these factors and use AI in a way that benefits both candidates and recruiters.