23rd October, 2018
Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is beginning to disrupt the traditional process of recruitment, replacing human decision makers with machine learning and data analysis.
A crucial factor in running a successful business is the ability to hire the best people with the right skills for the job.
Traditionally, business owners and managers like to have a high level of input in this process and, as their operations grow, they might consider engaging a recruitment agency and developing an HR department to facilitate.
But this paradigm is shifting as new technologies begin to shift the focus away from human-powered decision making.
Online recruitment platforms have been developed to assist businesses of all sizes to make the strenuous task of recruiting new staff members easier on business owners.
To get more of an understanding of these systems, I had a chat with Barbara Hyman, CEO of PredictiveHire, a leading startup in the online recruitment space.
Hyman explained that when humans screen job candidates, they are prone to making snap judgements based on superficialities, ignoring the many factors that can predict how well a candidate will perform.
This is where data platforms actually have an advantage – their ‘blind screening’ makes the process both faster and fairer.
AI-based recruitment platforms are being created to steer away from that subjectivity.
“These online, AI-powered recruitment systems eliminate subconscious biases,” Hyman told The Pulse. “They base the process on the democracy of numbers, leveraging off a wealth of data that continues to be gathered, proving incredible results for businesses looking to hire people with the right character traits for various positions.”
Hyman also believes platforms like these are especially useful for SMEs, as they alleviate the pressure (and expense) of recruitment during the formative stages of those businesses.
“When a company is in its first couple of years of operation, recruiting the right staff is a crucial element to the success of the business,” said Hyman. “On the flipside though, SME owners are often strapped for cash and have lower hanging fruit to take care of.”
This is why these business owners are finding so much use for such platforms; AI-driven technology is significantly cheaper than traditional recruitment methods, and has been achieving exceptional results.
READ: Artificial intelligence changing the future of business
Another leading platform in this space is Vervoe – an AI-powered, skill-testing platform that has also shown tremendous results in online recruitment around the world.
After being asked whether or not traditional SME owners are scared off by terms like “AI”, “automation” and “data analytics”, Vervoe’s CEO Omer Molad said that it all comes down to how they are taught about the benefits of moving their existing processes across to a new solution.
“We never lead with ‘AI’.” said Molad. “Instead, we talk about why the traditional hiring process is flawed.
“Great people are unfairly screened out, too much time is wasted interviewing the wrong people, interviews don’t predict performance, and so on.
“Then we offer a fundamentally new way of looking at the world. Screen people in, instead of out. Give every candidate a chance to prove their skills. Hire based on merit instead of background. Test skills and attitude instead of focusing on pedigree.
“That message resonates with people.”
READ: Fear of automation with be 2018’s fake news
Molad also told The Pulse that he is excited about where the AI-based, skill-testing and recruitment space is headed.
“We haven’t even scratched the surface. Two areas we’re spending a lot of time on are content creation and analytics,” he said.
“By content creation, I mean the content used to test skills and how it can be generated and then matched to the right employer or recruiter at the right time.”
As for analytics, Molad explains, companies have a growing thirst for data about the behaviour and characteristics of both their candidates and their employees.
“They want to make decisions based on data, not a hunch,” he said. “That’s the real opportunity.”
With all of the above in mind, if you’re looking to grow your team and to hire the right people, moving over to AI-based recruitment platforms is likely to not only save your business time and money, but it also might be the key to creating your dream team of staff that can help you take your business to the next level.