Seemingly overnight, artificial intelligence became the most exciting new technology. As it relates to businesses, AI has become a positive game changer for recruiting, retention, learning and development programs. In an interview with Salesforce interim chief people officer Nathalie Scardino, she discussed how the cloud computing and social enterprise software-as-a-service provider is leveraging AI for the company and its clients.
AI-powered recruiting tools offer advantages over traditional recruiting methods, including analyzing large amounts of data, automating the recruitment process, reducing bias, helping companies find and hire passive candidates who may not be actively looking for a job and improving employee retention, according to Scardino.
Traditional recruiting is focused on active job seekers. With AI, companies can sift through seemingly overwhelming candidate applications, saving recruiters valuable time. With better precision, talent acquisition professionals can more easily identify the most appropriate and suitable candidates for the job.
Instead of painstakingly looking through the millions of résumés submitted to large, well-known organizations, like Salesforce, machine learning algorithms can analyze large amounts of data and identify the best candidates for a job aligning with the job description requirements. Traditional recruiting methods heavily rely upon human judgments and intuition, which can sometimes be subjective and biased.
Scardino shares how generative AI is helping the company match potential candidates to roles, “Last year, we got more than 2 million job applications, so it’s helping us identify top talent that we may have missed otherwise.”
Saving Money And Better Matches
With AI, companies can save money by reducing the need for human recruiters and providing them with more time to focus on the personal aspects of the job, such as hand-holding candidates throughout the hiring process.
The advanced technology can also identify potential candidates who may not have applied for the job, but have the requisite skills and qualifications. It can also use predictive analytics to analyze candidate data, including résumés, social media profiles and online behavior, to predict which candidates are most likely to be successful in the role.
Chatbots And Interviewing Around The Planet
Businesses can deploy AI and automation to recruit people from all over the world. Chatbots can provide answers, color and context to questions about the job listings, application process and other matters. Recruiters can engage with candidates more effectively and save time by automating specific basic routine tasks. AI video pre-screening interviews cut down on the interview process timetable and reduce the opportunity costs of scheduling and conducting in-person interviews.
Looking Within The Company Instead Of Hiring From The Outside
Companies instinctively seek candidates from other firms when they have a job opening. However, AI can look at a company’s current workforce and identify the employees who possess skills that can be pivoted to an internal opening instead of hiring from the outside. “We’re taking this a step further by creating a talent marketplace for current employees to match them with open roles, learning and mentorship opportunities based on their skills and career interests,” said the chief people officer.
This is a great retention tool as employees respect and appreciate that leadership keeps them in mind for interesting opportunities that open up within the organization. The technology can also help offer mentorship, learning, and training to succeed in the new role.
AI won’t necessarily replace recruiters. The role will likely evolve with junior recruiters sourcing for applicants. The experienced recruiters will handle the delicate hiring process relationship. As AI provides so much information, it will become easier for niche recruiters to gain an understanding and comfort level with other types of jobs in various functions. Human interactions will always be needed, such as being empathetic and compassionate and asking the right questions to ensure that the job fits the candidate.
Preparing For The Future Of Work
“This is not the next tech bubble–it’s already having real business implications,” Scardino said. “As AI continues to disrupt every industry and role, it’s the responsibility of employers to help prepare their workforce for the jobs of the future.”
Salesforce offers summer internships (Futureforce) and pre-internship programs (Tech Launchpad) focusing on AI training and curriculum. Staff members have access to reskilling and learning opportunities with Trailhead. Ask Concierge, an AI-powered employee support bot, supports employees throughout their careers, ranging from onboarding to benefits specific to the worker’s country or region.
How Other Companies Are Incorporating AI In Recruiting
Amazon
According to an October 2021 confidential internal document viewed by Recode, Amazon has been working on an Automated Applicant Evaluation system that will determine which job applicants possess the most potential for success. The software searches for matches between the applicants’ résumés compared to current Amazon workers currently in the same type of role. Upon identifying these candidates through the AI tool, the online retail giant will then fast-track these candidates for interviews within the white-collar headquarters and warehouses.
Hired
Hired, part of the Adecco Group, one of the world’s largest staffing and talent agencies, offers an AI platform that matches tech and sales talent with top companies. With data, curated matches and higher acceptance rates, employers could save hours searching for potential job suitors.
Phenom
Phenom, a unicorn HR tech company based in Ambler, Pennsylvania, uses artificial intelligence to automate tasks and personalize job searches. The technology can predict and guide job seekers to the roles that fit their backgrounds. Phenom also enables employers to match people with the right jobs. This includes finding on-target talent within their organization and promoting them internally. Its software is embedded into an array of job sites with some of the largest companies in the world.
Beamery
Beamery is an AI-powered, talent-management platform that leverages AI by aggregating billions of relevant data points from across the internet, along with an enterprise’s existing technology, to assist organizations in quickly identifying and prioritizing potential candidates likely to thrive at their organization. It also helps with diversity, offers career pathways for existing internal employees and understands the skills and capabilities a company needs to build its future workforce.
HireVue
HireVue offers video interviewing and recruiting automation technology. The company has conducted millions of interviews and has the data to predict the best person for the job. HireVue’s proprietary software enables companies to record videos of job seekers answering a standard set of interview questions. The video interview assessments use AI to transcribe and analyze the candidates’ recorded responses to quickly determine whether they fit the role.
SeekOut SeekOut is an AI-powered talent search engine that enables businesses to locate and engage qualified candidates. It combines machine learning technology with professional network data from sources, such as LinkedIn, to identify potential hires that meet the job advertisement requirements.
SeekOut’s platform utilizes language processing and talent-scoring algorithms to search for applicant matches and rank applicants for open roles. Automated messaging empowers recruiters to efficiently reach out to prospects at scale on LinkedIn and other platforms. SeekOut’s analytics provide insights into talent pipelines, hiring performance and outcomes.
Eightfold
Eightfold is an AI-powered talent intelligence platform using deep learning for companies to locate, recruit and retain workers. The firm’s platform also provides data-driven insights to offer rewarding career paths and helps companies match employees to relevant open positions with growth opportunities. Forbes has recognized Eightfold as one of the most promising privately held global companies building businesses out of artificial intelligence in 2023.
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