Hung's Tools for Recruiting: Chatbots

What is this?

Recruiting Chatbots is an application of AI which has the most obvious immediate impact in recruiting / talent acquisition. Some early adopters (see hub:raum, Anchor Trust) have manifestly demonstrated ROI in deploying chatbots in segments of their recruiting flow. I suspect the market is ready for this and is poised for mass adoption, which I fully expect to be widely achieved by the end of 2018.

How does it work?

You have to build a chatbot. This can be done in-house, via 3rd party chatbot builders (i.e Job Pal - see below) or DIY it via chatbot development platforms. You have to decide where the chatbot is going to 'live' - facebook, slack, on your home domain etc. Many chatbot development platforms have one click build-to-deploy to your main messaging page. You have to train the bot - feed it with data and teach it how to respond to queries. Then let it loose.

That's basically it.

What are the use cases?

Recruiting Chatbots do not replace the human recruiter in conducting fully fluid human-like interactions. They are however, useful in the following use cases.

1. Replace the FAQ

2. Automate scheduling (calls, interviews, tests)

3. Provide status updates on applications (fill the 'CV blackhole'..)

4. Re-engaging 'not now, maybe later' prospects in the talent pool

5. Provide an interface for in-process candidates to submit feedback

6. Provide an interface for prospects to further explore EVP

7. Source candidates on behalf of recruiters

8. Contact candidates on behalf of recruiters**

**there are companies which currently purport to do this. Technology works, not sure about the idea

Who are the providers?

Job Pal (leading chatbot builder - connect with CEO Luc Dudler for more info)

Ari (TextRecruits AI assistant - speak to Birch Faber)

RoboRecruiter (multi-product business - connect with Sales Director Martyn Redstone)

My Ally? (recruitment assistant - speak to Pat Vajjah)

RecruitmentBot? (UK based market entrant to agency market. Speak to Iain Hamilton)

Debra (TalentSwot's chatbot assistant - replaces FAQ. Speak to Andrew Ruffat )

Mya (takes on everything from phone screen onwards)

Applyr (chatbot filter for high volume applicant flow - speak to Stephen Parkins)

XOR.ai? (applicant interface - speak to Jane Orlova

VCV.ai (sources, contacts, schedules candidates)

This list is just a a list not an endorsement. If you are a provider and think you should be there, please feel free to add a comment in this thread below.

Hung Lee is the founder of WorkShape.io - the revolutionary recruiting platform for Software engineers, and the curator of 'Recruiting Brainfood' - the weekly newsletter for the talent industry.

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