Chat GPT didn’t write this post – AI’s role in recruitment

AI has been around for years, but recent developments have made it a hot topic once again.

We used to (somewhat smugly maybe) say to ourselves, “You can program a computer to send an automated email once a month, but my creativity can’t be replaced – I still have to write it!” However, at the end of 2022, the latest edition of ChatGPT was released, as well as the Dall-E image generator, and we’ve now realised that even creativity can be artificially produced.

So, while we’ve been through a technology revolution before, what does this mean for recruitment? For candidates, this means optimising your CV to suit both AI and humans. AI will “read” your CV, searching for keywords such as specific skills, area of expertise, and the industry you work in—the higher on the page and more common, the better! With this information analysed, AI can then “rank” you higher in searches for specific terms.

However, AI won’t be hiring you (yet). Your hiring manager still needs to be marketed to. We want to be able to understand how you work and what personality you will bring to a company. Colour, formatting, and language all play to our emotions and allow us to understand you and how you will fit into the team.

Conversely, for employers, we can search for candidates in more discerning ways. It is important that you know exactly what skillsets, attributes, and personality you want in a candidate. This can often be a challenge, even for line managers, to articulate succinctly. What does the actual day-to-day work look like? What skills are actually most important? What will appointees need prior to starting, and what abilities can they grow?

This is where our expert consultants provide real value. We ensure the time we spend with you in a briefing captures both what the role requires and what kind of candidate you are looking for. This includes the skillset and experience you are requiring, as well as how they will fit into your existing team, and whether they share your organisation’s culture and values. This not only helps us find the right candidate but also helps you understand precisely who you are looking for — often starting from a broad and daunting selection!

ChatGPT, the popular chatbot from OpenAI, is estimated to have reached 100 million monthly active users in January, just two months after launch, making it the fastest-growing consumer application in history

Reuters, February 3rd 2023

We can see how AI has begun to change how we operate; however, it is still merely a tool which we use to achieve the best results. New AI tools will continue to be introduced to our industry like any other and it is important to know how they work, the opportunities they present and the risks they bring. They allow us to identify candidates starting to look for new opportunities, and to narrow down our focus on those with skills and experience matching your requirements. This can be sensitive information, both in terms of current employers knowing their staff may be looking for roles elsewhere, and for the commercial sensitivities of your organisation.

We pride ourselves on the security of our database, as well as the professionalism and confidence of our consultants. We have learned from cybersecurity experts that harm caused by a data breach is most often caused by unintentionally providing information to external sources, rather than an off-site hack. So, when we use artificial intelligence, we ensure that the information provided is either maintained within our own systems or anonymized to protect our clients and candidates.

In short, what does artificial intelligence mean for recruitment? AI is a tool to assist in analysing, searching for and ranking candidates based on specific skillsets however it is still very much only a tool – not a process. For candidates, this means optimising your CV to suit both humans and AI. For hiring managers, this means we can utilise this tool to find the right candidate by having a good conversation about what skills and personality you are looking for.