AI and talent acquisition: A marriage made in heaven

We are at the brink of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Automation has changed the manufacturing process and the HR function is also going through massive disruption to keep pace with the newest technologies.

Creating a talent pool is the primary responsibility of the HR. It struggles with hard-to-fill positions, but also manages to devise ways to handle the situation because a company’s survival and success depend upon its talent.

“We leverage AI in the hiring process, to be able to gather more information about the candidate with the intent to make an informed decision. Every individual leaves a fair amount of digital footprint on the Internet”

The recruitment process started changing in 2018 and continues to do so in 2019. Companies have altered their hiring processes and goals, to incorporate AI, data analytics and automation. These technological tools have helped employers capture the market share and build strong talent pipelines.

Research says that the AI and talent acquisition match is one made in heaven, as it removes prejudices from the hiring process.

The journey is long, no doubt, but a start has been made for the application of AI in talent acquisition.

“In the sourcing and identification sphere, organisations have evolved and become smarter. They have got savvier leveraging social media to be able to create attractiveness for the candidate. Creating an image for their brand and developing a character for their organisation helps them create value for themselves in the eye of a potential candidate,” opines Unmesh Pawar, head partner, head – people, performance and culture, KPMG

To strengthen the footfall in an organisation, employers keep the communication process going, highlighting their employee-engagement initiatives to keep the visibility intact in front of prospective candidates.

“We are using AI for talent acquisition. AI tools assist us in screening resumes effectively and efficiently to identify the right candidates from a large applicant pool. The highly-responsive feedback tool helps to enhance the AI experience and produce sharper outcomes”

“We leverage AI in the hiring process, to be able to gather more information about the candidate with the intent to make an informed decision. Every individual leaves a fair amount of digital footprint on the Internet. When I apply AI tools (outsourced) to this gamut of information, I get comprehensive information about the candidate that helps me make an informed decision,” says Pawar.

Subhro Bhaduri, CHRO Aditya Birla Group says, “We are using AI for talent acquisition. AI tools assist us in screening resumes effectively and efficiently to identify the right candidates from a large applicant pool. The highly-responsive feedback tool helps to enhance the AI experience and produce sharper outcomes.”

“Artificial intelligence (AI) is a hot topic right now in almost all fields. As with many emerging technologies, it is prone to being over hyped, becoming a shallow buzzword but part of the reason for the hype is because there is, undoubtedly, incredible potential for AI,” opines Kanwal Kaul, director HR and head for talent acquisition, RBS

Kaul continues, “The use of AI within HR is complex and fractured, there is evidence emerging of significant – in some cases revolutionary – benefits being driven by the deployment of AI. This emerging evidence of success should encourage HR departments to become braver in exploring the potential of AI.”

Augmented Reality (AR)

Pawar is also using AR to shortlist employees from a cohort of applicants in KPMG. Potential candidates are made to play an AR game— an activity that requires application of many skills necessary for success on the job. This helps to create a real-life work experience for the candidates and helps them decide whether or not to take up a job. It also helps recruiters evaluate the candidates’ potential and skills based on their performance in the game.

“The use of AI within HR is complex and fractured, there is evidence emerging of significant – in some cases revolutionary – benefits being driven by the deployment of AI. This emerging evidence of success should encourage HR departments to become braver in exploring the potential of AI”

Mobile optimised career sites

“Job seekers are relying more on their mobiles to find jobs. Employers are optimising their websites for mobiles so that they can attract potential candidates from this source. We have done the same to attract talent,” remarks Pawar.

When you buy from any e-commerce website, you are notified of similar products on other webpages. The same applies to job-shopping. A potential candidate will be more influenced by a brand that is mobile optimised. This will improve the chances of an employer getting talent quickly(marketing).

Design thinking

Design thinking is a technique to break a task into simple actions. By applying this feature to the recruitment process, employers can ensure a better experience to the interviewee. The design choice that an employer makes depends upon the feedback forms filled by the interviewees. The data collected from these helps to create design thinking for hiring.

Companies are still in the nascent stage of incorporating AI in the recruitment process. While many global players have made a start, there is still a long way to go.