Hey ChatGPT...Recruit for Me!

Hey LinkedIn Fam…I first wanna say how much I appreciate you all here!? My last newsletter got so much feedback and I even got trolled. YAY! <- Haha!? So big burst of gratitude to you all here.? Please be sure to like, share, and ask those like-minded folks of yours to subscribe.? Keep the comments and feedback coming.??

Onto my subject this week…

Chat GPT

Yeah…I mess with it.? ;-)

I do!? I use it if I need to take an email and make it sound more eloquent.? I give it text and ask it to outline it.? Heck my Ironman 70.3 St. George Utah team even used it to name our Relay Team: The Marvelous Mountain Maidens

But I know like all of you do it has its limitations.

Two things I’ve heard about AI:

1. It makes mistakes (see below)
2. It will take our (HR) job

Number Two someone blurted out to me as soon as I introduced myself to them at a conference.? She laughed, “OMG AI is going to take your job!” Not cool, lady…not cool.??

So I’m going to test this theory with Chat GPT.? Come with me and let’s test this together.? My thoughts are in italics.

Me:?

Can you tell me what questions I cannot ask when recruiting for an employee in NYC?

ChatGPT:

In New York City, like many other places, there are strict laws and regulations regarding what questions you can and cannot ask during the recruiting process to ensure fair treatment of candidates and prevent discrimination. Here are some categories of questions you should generally avoid:

1. Age: Avoid asking questions that directly or indirectly solicit information about a candidate's age. This includes questions about birthdate, graduation dates, or anything that could be used to determine age.? But what age tho, robochat??

2. Race, Ethnicity, or National Origin: Do not ask questions about a candidate's race, ethnicity, country of origin, or ancestry. This includes questions about nationality, language skills (unless required for the job), or where they were born. You forgot weight and height because here in NYC unless it’s a bonafide occupational quality you can’t discriminate based on it.

3. Gender or Sex: Avoid asking questions about a candidate's gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, or pregnancy status. This includes questions about family plans or childcare arrangements.?Yes, do not do this.

4. Religion: Do not ask about a candidate's religious beliefs, practices, or affiliations. This includes questions about religious holidays they observe or whether they attend religious services.? Yes, do not do this either.

5. Disability: Avoid asking questions about a candidate's disability status or medical history. You can, however, ask if they can perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. Make sure this is in the job description and ad, please.

6. Military Service: Do not ask questions about a candidate's military service or discharge status, unless it directly relates to the job or is required by law. Thank you for your service if you have.?

7. Criminal History: In NYC, you generally cannot ask about a candidate's criminal history on job applications or during interviews until after a conditional job offer has been made. Okay, high five here Mr. RoboChat.??

8. Financial Status: Avoid asking questions about a candidate's financial situation, credit history, or bankruptcy status. Can you imagine asking someone “Hey my dude, have you filed for bankruptcy?!”?

9. Union Affiliation: Do not ask about a candidate's union membership or affiliation.

It's essential to focus on questions that directly relate to the candidate's qualifications, skills, experience, and ability to perform the job duties effectively. If in doubt, err on the side of caution and refrain from asking potentially discriminatory questions.

It didn’t do a terrible job but if this was an HR pro or employment law attorney it would be fired or debarred for giving this information.? One huge one it forgot to mention was salary information.? You can’t ask what someone’s former salary was. And on top of that it only touched on a few protected classes...there are over a dozen (see below).

There’s plenty more holes in this….I’d call on my attorney friends to chop this up some more.

There are just too many holes in its recommendation that overall I would never trust it with this level of advice.? Humans can error but a real professional would never muck this up that badly.??

And as an FYI to everyone here, here is a list of protected classes in NYC (please note some are also federal protections):

• Age
• Immigration or citizenship status
• Color
• Disability
• Gender (including sexual harassment)
• Gender Identity
• Marital status and partnership status
• National origin
• Pregnancy and Lactation Accommodations
• Race
• Religion/Creed
• Height and Weight
• Sexual orientation
• Status as a Veteran or Active Military Service Member
• Arrest or conviction record
• Caregiver
• Credit history
• Pre-employment Marijuana Testing
• Unemployment status
• Sexual and Reproductive Health Decisions
• Salary History
• Status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking, and sex offenses

But just in case AI takes over the world I want to say this…it’s very useful and I am very grateful for all it’s done for me ;-) i.e. help me make my emails sound nicer.

So LinkedIn Fam…

Where have you seen Chat GPT or AI fail in your line of work??

I’d love to know.

-L

LeiLani E. Quiray is the Founder and CEO of be the change HR, Inc., certified Minority and Woman owned, a conscious company and social enterprise, providing HR support for small-to-medium sized businesses in any facet of HR from pre-hire to post-term and everything else that happens in between. She and her team also teach free job readiness courses and provide free coaching to trafficking survivors.? Her team is not only HR Pros, they are Life Changers.?

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