The following is a summary of the keynote delivered by Alex Tidgård
from Grooo, during our event titled "Responsible AI: Transforming HR and Recruitment". You can watch their entire talk on the Jobylon stage by following this link.
While AI has its challenges, it is predominantly a friend.
AI is becoming increasingly prevalent in recruitment processes. In fact, roughly 65% of recruiters use AI in some form today in their recruitment processes. Unsurprisingly, the surge in AI adoption by talent acquisition teams has been accelerated by tools like ChatGPT, which offer significant cost and time saving. However, a key issue remains: the gap between perceived and actual AI usage. Many recruiters are unaware of the extent to which they rely on AI and automated decision-making in hiring. This lack of awareness extends to external recruitment firms, where clients often don't know if AI is being used to shortlist candidates.
Candidates' Use of AI
Recruiters are not the only ones leveraging AI in hiring processes. Candidates are also using AI, with 72% using it in some form, whether for interview preparation or completing psychometric tests. This creates a dynamic, almost adversarial relationship between recruiters and candidates, like a "cat and mouse chase" to see who can use AI to gain an edge in the process.
Recruiters might instinctively want to forbid candidates from using AI or find ways to uncover "cheating." However, there are ways recruiters can support candidates' use of AI that also benefit the hiring process. For instance, encouraging candidates to use AI in case study preparations can integrate AI into the process transparently and ethically.
Ethical and Practical Concerns
There is a need for transparency and scrutiny when using AI tools, as biases can be inadvertently reinforced through AI. Cultural bias, for instance, is a significant concern where AI systems often reflect Western norms, which can disadvantage candidates from other cultural backgrounds. What is considered ideal in Sweden may not be the same as in Japan, leading to unfair evaluations of international candidates.
Additionally, there is automation bias—the tendency to assume that AI-generated results are neutral, objective, and value-free. Teams must be vigilant to not uncritically accept what AI spits out and apply human knowledge and values. Before adopting AI tools, organisations need to have a policy on how they will handle the data provided by AI and automated processes.
"There is a complete lack of communication and understanding of when AI is used in recruitment."
- Alex Tidgård, CEO at Grooo
Conclusion
Despite these challenges, AI has a valuable role in recruitment.
While AI brings efficiencies and advantages to recruitment, it requires careful implementation and ongoing scrutiny to ensure fairness and inclusivity. There is a lack of transparency and a lack of understanding of how AI systems and algorithms actually work. It is important to understand and manage AI's impact on the hiring process and it is the job of talent acquisition professionals to monitor and assess these challenges.
AI is here to stay. But are we ready? This question remains central as organisations continue to navigate the evolving landscape of AI in recruitment.
You can watch Alex’s full keynote presentation below:
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