#ZohoRecruitChat Roundup: the Candidate Experience, the Rise of the Machines, and the Future of Recruiting
Yesterday, applicant tracking system Zoho Recruit sponsored a fascinating tweetchat on recruiting in the age of artificial intelligence and automation. Participants included our own Recruiter.com CEO Miles Jennings (@milesj), as well as other industry experts like Genesys Talent CEO Carla M. Tibbitts (@CarlaTibbits), CV-Library Founder and CEO Lee Biggins (@LeeBiggins), UK Recruiter Managing Director Louise Triance (@louistriance), and Zoho’s Christian Blood (@blood_christian).
Below, we round up some of the most insightful commentary from the chat:
Leveraging Automation to Improve the Candidate Experience
Let’s get started
Q1: How can we leverage automation in recruitment to improve the candidate experience? #ZohoRecruitChat pic.twitter.com/anDqA4VhvO— Zoho Recruit (@zohorecruit) June 12, 2019
However, AI in candidate experience currently seems limited to optimizing the top of recruiting funnel (candidate conversion into an application). Real improvements in experience will be when AI is pushed further down the recruitment process. — Miles Jennings (@milesj) June 12, 2019
A1: I hear stories all the time about candidates not hearing back from interviewees quickly–or at all. Good automation can help HRs keep track of who's been contacted, especially when a company is hiring at a large scale. #HireTheFuture #ZohoRecruitTweetchat
— Christian Blood (@blood_christian) June 12, 2019
A1 Automation used for screening can be worrying for jobseekers who feel the process will exclude them when a real life recruiter won't – but done right it's got real value #ZohoRecruitChat
— louisetriance (@louisetriance) June 12, 2019
A1 – it's not 100% popular but chatbots can provide jobseekers will a lot more information they need than recruiters can easily do #ZohoRecruitChat
— louisetriance (@louisetriance) June 12, 2019
AI’s Impact on Hiring Cycles
Q2: How frequent will company hiring cycles to be with automation and AI in the picture? #ZohoRecruitChat pic.twitter.com/JDWCjZVJSq
— Zoho Recruit (@zohorecruit) June 12, 2019
Let’s take retail hiring surges, for example: what do they look like when predicted and planned for algorithmically throughout the year? #ZohoRecruitChat
— Miles Jennings (@milesj) June 12, 2019
Of course, it's much more than just good manners. But day-to-day, I think anything that can help support a human touch in recruiting benefits candidates and companies. #zohorecruitchat
— Christian Blood (@blood_christian) June 12, 2019
As a starting point – they might prefer it. So long as it quickly leads to personal interaction
— Miles Jennings (@milesj) June 12, 2019
A2 In an ideal world, its ability to speed up the recruitment process & make intelligent assumptions about candidate behaviour means that hiring cycles won't occur as often, but socio-economic factors continue to influence #HireTheFuture #ZohoRecruitChat
— Lee Biggins (@LeeBiggins) June 12, 2019
If Disney World used ticket data to adjust their staffing levels, I wouldn't have spent 85 minutes in the sun waiting for an ice cream. lol
— Miles Jennings (@milesj) June 12, 2019
Will AI Replace Recruiters?
Q3: With the rise of the machines, will AI replace recruiters? #ZohoRecruitChat pic.twitter.com/3CH3Eh8f2s
— Zoho Recruit (@zohorecruit) June 12, 2019
If you consider a recruiter’s job to be understanding the demands of the business, mapping that to prospective talent pools & creating mutually beneficial matches, humans will be on Mars sooner than AI will replace recruiters. #ZohoRecruitChat
— Miles Jennings (@milesj) June 12, 2019
A3: AI will not take our jobs, as long as we can re-skill ourselves for the future, although it will cause a structural shift in jobs. I hope I am not naive in thinking that people-driven industries will always require people. #zohorecruitchat
— Christian Blood (@blood_christian) June 12, 2019
A3. No of course.
AI is likely to make less errors compared to humans. They're accurate and fast. However, they cannot interact with invisible data. From eye contact, to handshake or body language, there are so much that only human can do.#HireTheFuture #ZohoRecruitTweetchat— Catherine Coolen (@ZSphereCCool) June 12, 2019
Will AI Drive People Out of Jobs?
Q4: Is there a fear of job losses due to an increase in automation and AI? #ZohoRecruitChat pic.twitter.com/KnJkNkHpdI
— Zoho Recruit (@zohorecruit) June 12, 2019
I don't agree with its darkest predictions, but if you read it, you can't say that we're not in for a major shift.
— Miles Jennings (@milesj) June 12, 2019
A4 A recent SAI survey, says that only 12% of workers feel AI will have a negative impact on their jobs. https://t.co/nmZ8H9bBMf#ZohoRecruitChat
— Carla M. Tibbitts (@CarlaTibbitts) June 12, 2019
A4. Yes there is a fear that AI will eliminate part of the recruiter job as it is the case for call centers and sales reps with #CRM. But it will certainly create new opportunities for employees so that they can focus on higher value tasks.#HireTheFuture #ZohoRecruitChat
— Catherine Coolen (@ZSphereCCool) June 12, 2019
Definitely more now. What's coming long term though? I know that none of us know. It's been a net positive though so far.
— Miles Jennings (@milesj) June 12, 2019
A4 Let's keep in mind that in HR "H" is for Human #ZohoRecruitChat
— Catherine Coolen (@ZSphereCCool) June 12, 2019
A4 There is some fear, but change is inevitable. The best recruiters take advantage of this change and leverage the speed of automation to make more submittals, spend more time with candidates and work more closely with their hiring managers and clients.#ZohoRecruitChat
— Carla M. Tibbitts (@CarlaTibbitts) June 12, 2019
Recruitment in the Next Decade
Q5: How will the recruitment industry change over the next 10 years? #ZohoRecruitChat pic.twitter.com/07Lpu3Fc0H
— Zoho Recruit (@zohorecruit) June 12, 2019
A5 AI will change the recruitment industry much like it will change learning and education – through deep personalization. See @SofieNabseth on education — https://t.co/p7r6YxvIL1 #ZohoRecruitChat
— Miles Jennings (@milesj) June 12, 2019
A5 Artificial intelligence tools are the future of talent acquisition. The best tools will enhance the candidate experience by giving very accurately targeted job recommendations and will make recruiters more efficient and strategic. #ZohoRecruitChat
— Carla M. Tibbitts (@CarlaTibbitts) June 12, 2019
Q5 For recruiters there should be less admin and more engagement with clients and candidates – a proper consultative role (using tech obviously!) #zohorecruitchat
— louisetriance (@louisetriance) June 12, 2019
So far AI simply reinforces unconscious bias! We need to make AI less human in a way. 😉
— Miles Jennings (@milesj) June 12, 2019
@milesj : But, would too much AI or automation lead to missing on a good hire? Like, in cases wherein a candidate's skillset does not match the workflow, but he/she could have been a great hire otherwise.
— kruthi gonwar (@gonwarkruthi) June 12, 2019
What It Takes to Be a Successful Recruiter of the Future
Last question for today 🙂
Q6: With the changing role of human recruiters, what are some key skills needed to be successful tomorrow?#ZohoRecruitChat pic.twitter.com/cyOEhMSqI5— Zoho Recruit (@zohorecruit) June 12, 2019
A6 As mundane processes are automated, recruiters need to focus on what humans do best – communications and complex business needs assessment. See “Recruiting and AI: The Symbiosis of Human and Machine”: https://t.co/yCStMiIIe7 #ZohoRecruitChat
— Miles Jennings (@milesj) June 12, 2019
A6 Some are the same as today; great empathy & understanding of both the client & candidate. Increasingly the ability to master & harvest all the digital tools available to find, engage with, & retain the best candidates #HireTheFuture #ZohoRecruitChat
— Lee Biggins (@LeeBiggins) June 12, 2019
Meaning there are career opportunities here for recruiters – business process and software innovations are important. Recruiters need to go deep with their companies and learn the systems.
— Miles Jennings (@milesj) June 12, 2019
A6 Recruiters should learn about the technology and use the tools to their full extent. Closing both the candidate and the client is a critical sales skill and can’t be replaced with technology. Develop strategic relationships, don’t submit just for today! #ZohoRecruitChat
— Carla M. Tibbitts (@CarlaTibbitts) June 12, 2019
A6. First of all, recruiters have to reinforce the human skills, focus on what machines can't do. But, they will have to be more flexible, improve IT and social media skills to be successful tomorrow and not forget to have a good #ATS.#HireTheFuture #ZohoRecruitChat
— Catherine Coolen (@ZSphereCCool) June 12, 2019
A6 Key skills that recruiters will need.. Real understanding of their client's needs, ability to listen, ability to communicate at all levels – pretty much what I'd say we always needed – we'll just not have to do all the dull admin 🙂 #zohorecruitchat
— louisetriance (@louisetriance) June 12, 2019