Will Artificial Intelligence Replace Recruiters?

Those who have worked with me have likely heard me say, “When you stop learning (or growing), you start dying.” This utterance (or a variation thereof) is intended to emphasize the importance of continuous improvement, for your company, your department, and most importantly yourself. Learning is a means for us to prepare for change and growing is how we survive change. The courts have dissolved plenty of companies that failed to respond when change was required.

Just 40 years ago recruiters were almost solely dependent on newspaper job postings to reach job-seekers. Now niche career sites, job boards, programmatic job distribution, geofencing, behavioral targeting, social media, video, digital audio, SEO, and gamification are just a few of the many ways to reach job-seekers. Over this same period we went from clawing through filing cabinets to find applicants, to doing so in just a few clicks of an ATS or CRM. Companies that embraced this recruiting rennaisance saw phenomenal growth, while those less interested were left behind. For recruiting professionals the last 40 years has brought dramatic change, but it pales in comparison to what lies ahead.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has seemed a novelty or experiment for many of us in talent acquisition, but in the next 5 years it will transform, becoming an essential part of every process, platform, and workflow. Able to ingest every bit of relevent data, AI will quickly use it to complete most mundane, repetitive, time consuming tasks; from determining what jobs need to be advertised and where, to which candidates need to be contacted first and how. Never sleeping, AI will execute these and many other tasks quicker and with greater accuracy than ever thought possible.

This may sound a bit like a dystopian novel, striking fear in the hearts of many, but it is better viewed as an opportunity for us to improve the human side of recruiting. We are in a relationship business after all, and AI should help us free up the time needed to become better networkers, stronger connectors, more vivid storytellers, closer friends, more genuine relationship builders, and more valuable partners for those who are seeking work. Artificial intelligence is artificial after all, so if we concentrate on the human side of recruiting we will not just survive, we will thrive.

?????????“One way or another, we all have to find what best fosters the flowering of our humanity in this contemporary life, and dedicate ourselves to that.” – Joseph Campbell??

To help get you started, here are few ways we all can improve as recruiters in the age of Artificial Intelligence. Feel free to add some of yours in the comment section:

• Cultivate Empathy- In a previous Monday Minute, I referred to this as a recruiter’s super power. Step back, put yourself in the job-seekers shoes, and look for ways to better show genuine interest and compassion.
• Practice Kindness- We often focus only on what we must do, with little thought about what we can do. Take time to recognize and when possible address the needs of your applicants. This is particularly important when communicating with candidates you short-listed but did not hire. Help them understand why they did not cross the finish line, encouraging them towards their next opportunity.
• Build Better Relationships- Great, you made the hire, but you don't have to abandon everyone else who applied. Build them into your or your company's professional/social network- even if just as followers, keeping them tied to you and your organization makes sense. Consider sending out a periodic email or newsletter informing them of current trends and company news. Remember to keep the balance on the professional side of personal.
• Learn About and Encourage Belonging- Being a good human applies to every race, creed, belief, socio-economic status, education level, sexual orientation, and any other label that humankind likes to utilize. We can be better at belonging.
• Never Stop Learning- Every positive thing you can think of is a bi-product of learning. Learn about, create, and a participate in good things, and the subsequent success will be unavoidable.

“Change is the end result of true learning”– Leo Buscaglia

Artificial Intelligence is starting to make things easier, and it is not likely to stop. Rather than curling up in a corner in fear, let's all focus on getting better at what it can't do. I hope you found this week’s- The Monday Minute to be a source of encouragement. If you did, I hope you will like it, follow it, share it, and remember it. If I can help you in any way, you know where to find me.

Best,

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