Beyond the buzz: Tangible AI use cases for talent acquisition

AI is a buzzword many of you are probably sick of hearing. Understandably, the term has taken over the industry. But that’s not by coincidence. Many have recognized that to keep up with today’s fast-paced and ever-evolving world of talent acquisition, AI (Artificial Intelligence) can be a powerful tool to drive results and streamline the hiring process. So, in this article, I will cut through the noise and showcase how AI is supercharging HR professionals so they can source, engage, and select the most qualified candidates.

Sourcing the best talent with AI

It’s not a secret that, as HR professionals, we aim to match the best talent with a particular job in the most cost-efficient way possible. But in today’s world, which continues to change and add greater complexity to an already challenging and complex process, this task has increasingly become a goliath of a mission.

From the proliferation of places to post jobs to combatting bots that can waste our time and money, talent acquisition teams have their work cut out for them. But having AI as an ally changes that narrative. I won’t spend more time explaining how hard the job is…recruiters already know that. But many can’t imagine what their day-to-day would look like with AI. That’s where I want to start.

At the top of the talent acquisition funnel, imagine that you could leverage AI to place job ads and serve them only in the right places to the right candidates who will most likely convert. And as these campaigns run, you’ll have the data to track and maximize your ROI so you secure high-performing talent. That sounds probably too good to be true, but programmatic job advertising technologies leveraging AI are doing this today.

Using machine learning, AI can help predict the performance of your job advertising campaigns, even when you make changes to them mid-campaign. Today, in North America, we have enough data to allow AI to ingest all your jobs and predict the cost and time needed to fill them. Clients are given a budget prediction report before the work starts. With this capability, you can control your budget more and narrow the gap between ideal cost and performance. That means no more wasted budgets, guesswork, and bias overall. Humans are all susceptible to bias, and with AI, we can obtain the objectivity needed to achieve the high performance and proficiency necessary to source the best talent today. But that’s just the top of the funnel. AI is also doing things further down in the job journey.

Engaging and selecting qualified candidates with AI

Engagement and selection are really the next step after you’ve built a source pool of talent. Previously, teams would have to engage manually and rate long lists of candidates one by one. During times when there are a lot more candidates looking for opportunities than there are available, teams can quickly become buried in this stage of the process. But that changes with AI.

Teams can enhance this workflow by providing personalized and efficient interactions with candidates. Conversational AI, such as chatbots and virtual assistants, can engage with candidates 24/7, answering questions, providing updates, and collecting relevant information, even scheduling interviews. This continuous engagement ensures that candidates are informed and actively involved in the hiring process, even outside traditional business hours. But, conversational AI helps further qualify candidates and is an important touch point. You also need AI to analyze the applicant pool so that you can spend your time only with the most qualified candidates. Robert Walters, a leading global staffing agency, saved their recruiters hundreds of hours per year just by allowing ML/AI to pre-rank candidates for jobs based on skills assessment.

AI-powered algorithms can analyze candidate data, including resumes, cover letters, and qualifications, to identify the most suitable candidates for specific roles. By comparing candidate profiles to job descriptions, AI can rank candidates based on their alignment with job requirements, ensuring that HR professionals focus on the most promising candidates.

That means you can find the best people for the job while maximizing your budget and time, making you more dynamic and flexible no matter the campaign or economic situation. All of this is done by enhancing everything you already do well to take talent sourcing and selection to a level that’s really required in this fast-moving, complex market landscape. One that has begun to catch up to the AI revolution through legislation.

Legislative considerations and transparency in AI

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into talent acquisition processes, addressing concerns regarding bias, privacy, and transparency is crucial. Legislation is evolving to ensure the responsible use of AI and to combat AI inadvertently perpetuating bias in hiring practices. Governments worldwide are considering or actively implementing regulations to hold organizations accountable for AI’s ethical and unbiased use in HR.

Related: The truth about AI’s impact on the global workforce

To maintain transparency and ensure compliance, HR professionals should partner with vendors that have conducted audits of their AI technology. This allows organizations to demonstrate that their AI systems do not perpetuate bias and are aligned with legal and ethical standards. By embracing transparency and providing insights into AI algorithms, organizations can build trust with the public and stakeholders, ultimately driving the necessary, if not inevitable, adoption of AI in the HR space.

AI is happening right now

AI is more than just a buzzword in talent acquisition; it’s a powerful resource for HR professionals seeking to enhance all the great things they already do today. By leveraging AI in sourcing, engagement, and selection, HR teams can streamline operations, make data-driven decisions, and maximize their impact. More than ever, HR teams with AI can face any challenge the market will inevitably throw at them. That means great people can find more great people through the power of AI, no matter the circumstances.