Candidate or a Bot, who are you really assessing?

?? ChatGPT did not write this article ??

I feel like I need to start by saying that this was written 100% by a human! I can't claim that for the image, thanks Midjourney (what a powerful platform, wow).

Let's just say it, Ai isn't "new", it's just technology has now enabled it to be accessed by the masses and commercialised (this is a very broad and naive comment, be kind).

A few months ago Ai was hot property, VC's were clamouring to invest in use cases, developers are getting $900K jobs at Netflix and it was going to either solve world problems or destroy the world Skynet style.

Now that's still mostly true (except the Skynet thing, though Super Intelligent Ai scares the shi*t out of me - watch this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nt3edWLgIg) and Ai is rolling up the hype cycle fast, but how close to the peak are we?

This graph explains the Hype Cycle, a well known framework for the expected evolution and adoption of new technology. In the case of Ai, maybe we still have hyper inflated expectations, but I get the sense, at least in hiring that we're on a path of disillusionment.

Is the Ai infatuation over?

Now let me explain. Traditional methods of hiring rely on very text based medium; CVs, Job Descriptions, Cover Letters, References, Case Studies, Screening Questions etc etc.

So if I can create a business in less than 24 hours without the need of designers, developers, marketing, copy writers then what's stopping me using Ai for a simple job application.

Similar to education, there's now tools to review CV's and applications and detect if Ai Language Models have been used, companies are now sniffing out candidates that are using Ai tools to try and get a role.

Is Ai any worse than spell check?

And the community are making grumbles, as now it makes it harder to assess and interpret a candidate if they are essentially "gamifying" a job application, perhaps misrepresenting themselves and ultimately wasting everyone's time.

On one hand, if I'm hiring I can create a Job Description in minutes with ChatGPT (we've built it ourselves), I can get recommendations of screening questions, interview questions and even ask it to interpret a response or CV aligned against my criteria if I prompt it correctly.

So this beggars the question, if both sides (candidates and business) are using Ai as part of the hiring pipeline then does everyone win or loose?

Is it a case of balance?

The likelihood is that a candidate will be using Ai to complete day-to-day tasks in their role, if they aren't then you should be encouraging them, I mean unless it's production code (sorry Samsung)!

So if they've used it to apply for your role they've demonstrated initiative in learning a new skills and applying it to a process to get to YOU, isn't that good?

BUT, that's assuming the candidate isn't a grifter, is actually real and isn't just taking a chance.

I think the actual problem is two-fold, representation and missing good talent.

1. Is the candidate presented in front of you as good as they appear on an application form?
2. How do I assess candidates effectively without missing out on talent?

Of course the answer is Upplft but seriously, the answer is Think Different.

If candidates are using Ai tools to game the systems, maybe it's time to think differently about how you capture and match candidates at the top of your funnel using technology.

This is one of our values:

Human powered technology

We’re in the business of connecting people and as such, humans leverage technology, not the other way around.??

So what does it mean?

? Stop asking dumb pre-screening questions up front.

? Stop writing exhausting job descriptions.

? Stop asking for CV's and cover letters, they're an antiquated view of a candidate.

? Stop asking for business case studies and presentations.

? Start using technology to "match" candidates using data that matters.

? Think about alignment to your business first, competency can be tested in numerous ways.

? Ask a candidate to tell you a story or present on something their passionate about.

? Meet people (once you've used technology to get a shortlist).

? Trust someone's network, sourcing exists for a reason.

And?

Ultimately Ai is here to stay, so we all need to adapt as it normalises into our day-to-day lives.

We might be at the top of the Hype Cycle, but don't become disillusioned (too much), it has practical application, for applications (see what I did there).

I've said it before, let's "Humanise Ai" for the betterment, in this case of the overall hiring experience.

That's what we're doing at Upplft .