Don't overstep when it comes to using AI in recruiting

Hiring managers  have learned to embrace AI, but they're also realizing that just because AI can handle the bulk of the recruiting process doesn't necessarily mean that it should. 

Sixty-five percent of recruiters are already using AI in the recruiting process, according to data from Tidio, an AI-driven customer service solution. Over 85% of HR professionals also believe that AI will replace parts of the recruitment process, with 77% predicting that eventually, humans won't have to be involved in the recruitment process at all. But that isn't necessarily true, nor should it be, says Chris Savage, founder and CEO at video hosting platform Wistia.  

"When you have an abundance of something, priorities shift," Savage says. "We're entering into a world of abundance of AI, and that means that the human interactions in the process are going to become a lot more important, not less." 

Read more: How AI frees up recruiters to focus on people first

There are various parts of the recruitment process that are vastly improved by AI. Sixty-three percent of HR and employees believe that automation could help screen applicants, 56% think it could aid in the search for candidates on multiple platforms and 46% believe it could start writing accurate job descriptions for recruiters, the Tidio data found. Fifty-nine percent of people leaders even think that it could be integral to removing unintentional bias. 

However, when it comes to the more personable parts of the hiring process, confidence in chatbots drops. Only 37% of workers say AI would make a suitable replacement for humans in conducting initial interviews, and 56% of applicants don't want AI to make decisions related to hiring and firing employees at all. And with technology evolving, recruiters may not want those tasks handed off, either. 

"We're entering into a world where you have to assume that you can't always trust what you see on a screen," Savage says. "The quality of AI is getting so good that I think even remote companies are going to start requiring in-person last round interviews to really make sure that the person they're hiring is the same person who filled out the application and can handle themselves in a professional environment." 

The market for life-like AI avatars — which refers to the production of digital versions of people complete with face and vocal replication — has grown exponentially over the past few years, with the industry expected to be valued at approximately $33.8 billion by 2032, according to LinkedIn. Recently, small startups have also begun partnering with businesses to create digital "copies" of employees, to help them with tasks like training. It wouldn't be a stretch of the imagination to assume that applicants could use the tech, too, according to Savage.  

Read more: For an easier open enrollment, introduce AI and ChatGPT

"There's a lot of people who are really desperate for work and trying different things to get a job because of the economy at large," he says. "It's just a prediction, but I think a combination of things have put us in a position where it's possible." 

While there are obvious drawbacks to the incorporation of too much artificial tech in workplace processes, with the right balance, the overall outlook could be positive — especially for smaller companies that don't have the resources for a robust HR department. The key is to keep people's best interest at the center of those decisions and be as open and transparent with employees — and most importantly with candidates — about where AI is being used. 

"Anytime there's new technology, there will be really exciting things and really bad things and you have to address both equally," Savage says. "If you're going to utilize AI's power while engaging with applicants, how do you also give people the power to  report it if it doesn't seem correct? Find ways to limit it so that it doesn't get abused as much."