Artificial intelligence has become integrated into everything from the entertainment space to the healthcare industry, and the business world is no different.
Recent research has shown that most businesses in the U.S. are either already using the technology or figuring out ways to adopt it into their upcoming business plans, such as for cybersecurity or customer service purposes.
Another business landscape that’s already seen a large chunk of AI incorporation is recruitment.
A survey from ResumeBuilder.com projected that 43% of companies will use AI in the interviewing process this year, with most of them believing this will increase hiring efficiency. However, 85% of them said AI won’t replace humans in making the final decision.
So what will the technology be used for in the hiring process?
Brian Gagnon, the chief technology officer at Uprise Partners, told Scripps News that to start, AI can be used to write job descriptions, develop better interview questions and reduce the applicant load to those who are truly qualified, instead of having companies interview each candidate who applies.
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From the opposite perspective, Gagnon said the use of AI in the recruitment process is, in most cases, indistinguishable for the applicant, such as through email responses or through questionnaires.
Still, potential hires can have concerns if they do realize they’re dealing with a robot instead of a real person, and Gagnon said that’s where companies need to realize in which settings AI can be useful and in which it can be harmful.
“AI is not going to probably get a candidate excited about coming and joining your company,” Gagnon said. “It’s great for looking at resumes. It’s great for maybe responding to messages, doing some of that early work. But as you get deeper into the hiring process, having an actual interface with the people that you might be working with is really critical.”
Gagnon told Scripps News that the future challenge for businesses will be to understand how to best use AI tools, particularly regarding the issue of bias.
AI can both increase and reduce bias in the recruitment process. On the one hand, Gagnon said many engineers whom he hires may not be as stellar at writing as others. If AI believes their resume or essays aren’t as communicative about their qualifications, it could wrongfully disqualify them if there isn’t a check and balance in place. On the other hand, AI may believe a candidate is a better fit than another due to how the applicant tailored their resume.
Gagnon also told Scripps News what he sees as the future of AI in the hiring process and how larger companies are using the technology.
To view the full interview, watch the video above.
