Do Not Fear The Chatbots

There is a lot of debate around artificial intelligence and its role in business.? Many people worry that it will take their job… and it might just.? However, any role that it can currently take is one which can allow the current job holder to pivot.

Two of my clients implemented chatbot interviewing this week to great fanfare.? I have to admit that I was initially skeptical, but the proof is in the pudding.

My objections come from my concerns on dependence of applicant tracking systems, but this is different.? The chatbot is programmed by the hiring manager.? They set the questions and acceptable answers.

You respond to a job posting.? You are directed to a chat where you are asked questions.? Some are binary or numerical.? Some are short form.? Candidates that successfully navigate the process are directed to a calendar link to set up an interview with the hiring manager.?

There is no phone screen and no parsing of your resume.? In fact, it is not until you have scheduled the interview that you are prompted to submit a resume.? You can delay submission or in the case of an in-person interview you can decline to submit it digitally.

My clients are getting better quality candidates than they did under previous set-ups.? A member of HR simply checks the transcript to ensure that it is correct before it gets to the hiring manager.

Not only is the process more effective at moving quality candidates through the system.? It is also more efficient by allowing an interview scheduled with a hiring manager within an hour of an applicant showing interest in the role.

I have seen similar systems at work.?

One of the potential downsides is that the calendar can get filled up fairly quickly if there are not enough available time slots.? This disadvantages late applicants.? And depending on demand and availability, a late applicant can be one who applied as early as an hour after the posting went live.

An apparent upside is that a qualified candidate can more easily pass through the process without the filtering of someone who may not fully understand the role or what it takes to be successful.? The hiring manager already has answers to real questions that directly relate to the role and its qualifications.

People can still scam their way through the process and that may be the cause of other companies experiencing scheduling complications.? The limitations of the natural language processor make it possible for someone to just input buzz words and make it through.? People can still lie about willingness to relocate, being local, being legally able to work without a permit, etc.

It is certainly the early days in the process of AI pre-screening of job candidates.? It is a better option, but it still has a lot of room for improvement.? It does not eliminate old roles, but allows them to pivot to other adjacent roles.

So do not fear the robot revolution because they are still learning to crawl…though admittedly they do it better than their human counterparts.? Just remember you only have to be faster than the other guy.