Should I be using Generative AI for placement?

Generic Artificial Intelligence touches many aspects of hiring today, from writing job descriptions to filtering applicants. Some chatbots and keyword scanning tools, which have been a part of the recruiting process for years, can now add generative AI to their tool kit. Talks continue about government regulation of the use of AI when choosing whom to employ; Notably, New York City, California and Illinois are proposing or introducing regulations regarding this topic.

Hiring managers and HR departments may need to consider how generic AI may impact bias and equality in their hiring processes and which product would be best to use. Whether or not you should use generic AI for placement depends on a combination of factors.

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Can I use Generative AI for recruiting?

It is possible to use generic AI in the hiring process, and many companies do. In ResumeBuilder.com’s February 2023 survey, 77% of the 1,000 companies surveyed said ChatGPT helps them write job descriptions, 66% use AI chatbots to draft interview requirements and 65% % use it to respond to applicants.

Chad Sovash, former recruiter and co-host of the HR industry podcast Chad and Cheese, said that “Companies are putting job descriptions in ChatGPT and trying to get something that feels more human. which is ridiculous! … they are trying to use ChatGPT to soften it.”

View: Another survey found many americans Don’t want AI involved in recruitment.

In addition, generative AI can sort text quickly to help handle large volumes of resumes.

In an interview with TechRepublic, Beth Noveck, director of the Burns Center for Social Change at Northeastern University and GoLab, said, “If people submit writing samples or any kind of large work product, it allows you to summarize or analyze large amounts of text. can help.” , “I think these[generative AI]can make it easier for employers to analyze large amounts of content.”

AI can also be used to flag when a candidate may not be right for the role they applied for, but may be a good fit for a different open position at the same company.

How generic AI affects bias and equality

Hiring managers need to be aware that generative AI can produce bias, and the AI’s actions need to be auditable. A high-profile example of this was Amazon, which reduced the use of its AI recruitment program in 2018 due to bias towards women. In 2022, Vox obtained documents alleging that Amazon used a tool called Automated Applicant Assessment to perform certain recruiter tasks.

“Companies should pay attention to quarterly cadence to make sure an Amazon-like situation doesn’t happen to them,” Sovash said.

Noveck anticipates that AI can be trained to reduce bias, such as by scanning for inappropriate communications, reporting harassment, or spotting subtle gender bias in job ads. That said, some services now offer generic AI training that could help equalize access to education; One example is the AI ​​tool from Khan Academy.

“I believe AI can be much less biased than what we’ve had as humans for hundreds of years, through making sure our vendors are above board,” Sovash said. are, and we are conducting the audit at a normal pace.”

Look: skill-first placement The aim is to make staffing decisions based on the talent someone actually has, not their job title. (TechRepublic)

What do recruiters and hiring managers think about AI for hiring?

The hiring managers we spoke to have embraced the use of generic AI in resumes – as long as the information presented is accurate. Noveck cautioned that there are two main dangers when it comes to using AI for recruiting: bias and a lack of insight into the decision-making process.

“I can use it to write code to help me screen resumes, (but) I want to make sure that with any tool I really understand how it’s going to get the output,” she said. What are you doing for?” “The danger with these devices is that we don’t know how it makes its decision.”

He hopes that generic AI in hiring will become more accessible to job seekers and hiring managers.

“I think you’ll see a lot of new products coming out… even if it’s basically just a brand name and essentially a wrapper around ChatGPT, we train people on specific models Will See, for example, is designed to help you with your interview process.”

Overall, Sovash said, “What is incredibly important for all companies to understand is that just as not all ATSs are created equal, not all of these[generative AI]products are created equal. “

Sovash said the parsing and contextualization system has been used in placement for years. For example, TextKernel offers chatbots and staffing automation that incorporate modern generative AI but are also based on technology that has been used for decades to scan resumes.

Other hiring software companies like Paradox and TalkPush also offer conversational AI for staffing.

Sovash described a “black hole” that resumes can fall into when recruiters have too many applicants. AI may be able to solve that problem, he said.

“When you add general AI to this and take away the ‘adminis-trivia’ from a recruiter, you give the recruiter back time, and they can provide the white-glove human interaction,” he said. .

“I believe this is a huge opportunity for our (recruitment) industry to be more humane,” he added.