Author: Ivana Svrzić
We are all aware of the changes that the latest AI technology has brought to us. This new technology has introduced many innovations, changes, and instability in specific jobs and ways of doing business. People have started to fear for their careers and identity; consequentlyca, skepticism towards these changes is growing. This fear is entirely understandable. Today, with just two clicks, we can find answers to questions that we used to search and research for hours or generate an image according to our wishes in just ten seconds. This innovation affects all of us and has impacted us somehow, so we must strive to adapt and change to today’s trends.
Is AI capable of replacing humans and their skills?
Yes and no. Many studies still suggest that AI cannot fully replace humans, as it will always lack the following:
- Creativity and innovation – AI responses are often stereotypical and uniform, so authentic expression is minimized.
- Emotional intelligence – AI technology cannot approach human emotions.
- Adaptability and flexibility – Since AI is programmed to work in a specific way, it takes a lot of time to “teach” it to process and provide the relevant data we need.
Ultimately, AI is a good tool if we know how to use it and learn to harness its benefits properly.
Now, let’s return to how AI tools affect the recruitment process in HR.
Firstly, the critical task of every recruiter is to analyze and select suitable candidates for the job.
- Manual resume review: AI technology can help us automate the traditional review and ranking of applications based on critical skills, experience, etc. Until now, recruiters have spent a lot of time reviewing candidates’ resumes to find those that best fit open positions. AI tools, such as automated search and sorting systems, can now analyze thousands of resumes, identifying the most suitable candidates based on keywords. This technology reduces the time needed for the initial selection of candidates by up to 90% in some organizations.
- The next step in candidate selection is the initial interview: AI bots can now conduct these interviews, ask questions, and evaluate candidates’ responses, significantly speeding up the process. Standard interviews with the same questions for all candidates are becoming a thing of the past. AI enables personalization and adaptation of the interview to each candidate based on their skills and experience, leading to better highlighting of each interviewee’s individuality and improved evaluation quality.
- Relying on intuition during hiring decisions: It has been common practice in HR for recruiters to rely on intuition and subjective assessments when making hiring decisions. This is especially true when they infer latent (internal) variables based on manifest (external) behavior. On the other hand, AI uses data and algorithms to make decisions, reducing the possibility of subjective error. 68% of recruiters believe that AI helps reduce unintentional biases during the hiring process, increasing the legitimacy of the interview process.
- Advertising and passive sourcing: AI methods that actively search for talent online are becoming superior to traditional job ads posting and waiting for applications. These tools can proactively find and contact candidates not currently looking for a job.
- Recruitment channels: Before the advent of AI technology, recruiters used limited advertising channels on job sites or internal referrals. With AI, these channels expand through social media, specialized platforms, and extensive data analysis to find candidates from a broader spectrum of sources.
Here’s an example of a company that successfully uses AI technology:
Hilton, a leading global hospitality company, has reduced the time needed to fill positions by up to 90% thanks to the use of AI technologies. This was achieved by automating the initial candidate selection process, including resume screening and automatic interview scheduling.
Furthermore, research shows that 44% of recruiters and 67% of hiring decision-makers believe that AI’s greatest advantage is time savings. AI tools enable faster identification and selection of qualified candidates, significantly speeding up the entire recruitment process.
These data demonstrate not only AI’s efficiency in reducing time and costs but also its ability to improve the quality of hiring by allowing a focus on the best candidates from the very beginning (Recruit & Hire Better, Carmichael-Fisher).
And finally, a bit about the numbers:
Data shows that the global AI recruitment market was valued at approximately $590.5 million in 2023 and is projected to reach $942.3 million by 2030. Around 68.1% of companies report an increase in the use of AI tools in recruitment, further accelerating this trend.
To conclude
The modern era has brought a lot of good but also some challenges with it. For starters, medications are more available, tested, and reliable than ever. Vaccines today are more tested and stable than ever. Most people have access to the internet, all the information on it, maps, and the ability to talk to people on the other side of the world. All this has made our lives much easier compared to the lives of our grandparents, who fought wars and faced existential questions — hunger, crises, and wars. Our parents had to go through 10 books during their studies to find some information, while today, we can see all that with just two clicks.
AI advancements have further improved all this computerization. We should not fear AI technology or underestimate it; instead, we should use all the advantages of the modern era and utilize it for the proper purposes —making our everyday lives easier.
