Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to revolutionize virtually every industry—even ones once deemed “human,” such as Human Resources. Although this may seem counterintuitive, using AI models in Human Resources, especially during the recruiting process, could profoundly affect the success of new employees through training and their time at the company.
Challenge: Filling the Job Market’s Needs
It is critical to remember that the business world is incredibly fast-moving. Maintaining a competitive edge is paramount, especially in today’s job market, where there are more open positions than unemployed people looking to fill them.
By improving the recruiting process using AI, organizations can kick off a ripple effect that starts with better and more efficient onboarding. This allows the employee to enter the workforce and start contributing to the company’s bottom line quicker.
Solution: How AI in Recruiting Affects the Onboarding Process
Any HR professional will tell you that a successful onboarding process starts with recruitment. If you do not hire the right employees, it is unlikely they will succeed in training—much less when they are free to do their jobs. Implementing responsible artificial intelligence practices in the early stages of recruiting can ensure that all incoming new hires are prepared for the onboarding process.
Some recruiters have even used artificial intelligence for recruiting steps as early as drafting job descriptions for job postings. By using a generative AI model to draft a job description with specific keywords, recruiters can ensure they are not only enticing the ideal candidate but also that applicants know what to expect should they eventually join the company. Gone are the days of vague, copy-and-paste job descriptions, as artificial intelligence can craft job descriptions tailored to the needs and desires of a candidate profile specified by the recruiter.
AI then can be used in resume screening, filtering out unqualified candidates and ensuring that only qualified candidates make it to the interview rounds. Of course, this introduces a limitation: The model will only look for specific data points the user identifies. Generally speaking, artificial intelligence in the candidate screening process will save managers time by ensuring that only qualified candidates who are a good fit for the company make it to the onboarding process.
The goal of adopting AI in the onboarding process for employees is to use advanced data analytics to empower recruiters to make more informed decisions. For example, using a slew of data from a candidate’s resume and profile—such as their work experience, background, education, and skills—an artificial intelligence model can compare this to a profile of previously successful employees at the company and determine whether the candidate will be successful in the workplace.
Other factors essential for a successful onboarding process that require human input to achieve are soft skills and cultural fit. Artificial intelligence models can identify skills and experience that will be valuable to the workplace and allow employees to better adapt to their new position in the onboarding process. However, such models lack the foresight to perceive the soft skills—such as communication or work ethic—or how well their personality will align with those of their coworkers and the company’s mission.
A human recruiter must still read between the lines to find these qualities. Otherwise, they will be painfully realized during the training process after you have already spent precious time, money, and other resources onboarding the new employee.
Results: Using AI in Recruiting Can Give Companies a Competitive Edge
Ultimately, scalability is the main benefit of implementing AI in the recruiting and onboarding process. By streamlining the early steps of the process, AI can free up recruiters to focus on identifying the aspects of a prospective employee that AI can’t see, allowing virtually every candidate hired to be the right one.
When it comes time to onboard these new employees, the training and development process will be much more efficient, as new hires recruited using AI are likely to be more prepared to enter their roles in the company. As a result, trainers can focus less on the new employee’s specific duties and spend more time educating them on the company and its culture.
Key Takeaways
By implementing AI in the recruiting process, recruiters will profoundly impact the employee experience, which will reverberate throughout their entire time at the company—from training to when they are ready to fulfill their roles. Embracing the potential of AI will create a smoother onboarding process and ensure that every new employee is a good fit for the company.
