The Rise of AI in Early Careers Recruitment

With AI being a key component of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, it’s clear that this rapidly evolving space is here to stay. As technology continues to reshape industries, it’s essential for organisations to adapt. While some my approach these advancements with trepidation, others are eager to embrace the opportunities it brings.

In this insight piece we will be discussing a range of topics including the following…

• Embracing AI
• TheTalentPeople Insights
• Benefits to using AI in early careers
• Six areas to start leveraging the use of AI tools
• The vital role of human skills
• Upskilling internally
• Ensuring ethical use of AI

Embracing Innovation: Navigating The AI Frontier

It’s understandable that these new technologies bring challenges, but just as search engines like Google faced scepticism upon introduction, they quickly became indispensable tools in our daily lives. AI and the generation growing up with AI are rapidly becoming necessities in today’s workforce, with early adopters making big impact.

In this dynamic space, where 73% of TheTalentPeople’s Roundtable community believes AI can support candidates in the assessment process, it’s crucial for employers and candidates alike to understand the role of AI in early career recruitment. From streamlining processes to reducing bias, AI has the power to revolutionise candidate recruitment and how we operate within our organisations.

TheTalentPeople Insight: Candidate Use of AI is Skyrocketing

We conducted a series of polls on the topic of AI within our employer community and among our candidates’ eco-system. According to a poll taken six months ago, only 25% of employers had seen evidence of AI being used by candidates in early talent recruitment. Four months ago, this jumped to 38%, and in a recent poll, that number skyrocketed to a staggering 80

We asked candidates with in TheTalentPeople ecosystem how they use generative AI in their job search.

Poll Results:

Potential benefits for using AI in early careers

Benefits to recruiters:

• Increase efficiency
• Update and support candidates quicker allowing time for recruiters to offer more 1-2-1 assistance to those who need it.
• Help prioritise and organise workloads.
• Share indications of Video Interview scores

Benefits to candidates:

• Help to prepare for video interviews and assessment centres
• Help with research
• Increasing productivity
• Explore career options
• Improved candidate experience

At TheTalentPeople, we use AI to support our Recruiters and users of our system, but the following are suggestions for additional areas where AI could be implemented.

Six areas to consider embracing AI technology to streamline processes in early talent recruitment:

1. Deploying chatbots: chatbots can handle routine inquiries and provide quick responses to frequently asked questions. This is help free us recruiters’ time and allow more space for those who need further guidance.
2. Automations: Automations can help standardise responses, reducing manual efforts and ensuring consistency in communication.
3. Enhancing candidate experience: AI-powered tools can personalise the recruitment experience for candidates, from job recommendations to personalised communication.
4. Improving candidate recommendations: AI algorithms can analyse candidate data and match them with suitable roles.
5. Optimising job descriptions: Utilising AI to enhance job descriptions to ensure that are optimised for search engines and free from biases.
6. Summarising notes, proofreading, and grammar checking: AI tools can assist in summarising interview notes, check for grammatical errors and save time.

The Vital Role of Human Skills in AI Driven Recruitment

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into our recruitment processes, there is a growing recognition of the importance of human skills in gaining a baseline understanding of a candidate’s natural responses. While AI offer significant benefits in terms of efficiency and productivity, it is ultimately human judgement that is needed to make critical decisions. Despite AI’s ability, it cannot replace the nuanced understanding and empathetic judgement that humans bring. It’s essential to strike the balance between leveraging AI while ensuring our approach is ethical and respects the uniqueness of each candidate. By combining the strengths of AI with human expertise, we can optimise the recruitment process while maintaining, fairness, transparency, and integrity.

Staying Ahead: Embracing Upskilling in the Age of AI

With 71% of TheTalentPeople’s Roundtable community stating that they don’t feel they have the skills they need to embrace the opportunities AI presents, this underscores the importance of investing in training and development initiatives. Leveraging the expertise of those proficient in the use of AI can be a valuable strategy. By sharing knowledge and expertise, organisations can facilitate internal upskilling programmes and opportunities to empower employees in the use of AI technologies. Welcoming apprentices and graduates who have recently joined the company to share their skills with the wider company can further accelerate the upskilling process.

Policy Matters: Ensuring Ethical AI Use in Recruitment

Despite the widespread use of AI by candidates, only 7% of organisations within our community have policies regarding candidates’ acceptable use of AI within the recruitment process. A staggering 83% have no policy, with an additional 10% unsure whether one is in place yet. It’s important to provide clear guidance on whether the use of AI is acceptable and, if so, where its use is acceptable.

As AI becomes more prevalent in recruitment, organisations must establish clear policies and procedures to ensure its ethical use. Having well defined policies can help organisations mitigate potential risks associated with AI, such as bias in algorithms and data privacy concerns. It also ensures fairness and transparency in the recruitment process, fostering trust among candidates and stakeholders. Organisations that proactively address the issues and establish robust AI policies will be better positioned to leverage the benefits of this technology while maintaining ethical standards and compliance with regulations.

The benefits of using AI in recruitment are evident from both candidates’ and recruiters’ perspectives, offering increased efficiency, productivity, and improve candidate experiences. However, challenges such as the need for clear policies, the importance of human judgement, and the necessity to upskill remain crucial considerations in harnessing the full potential of AI in recruitment. As we continue to navigate this dynamic landscape, it’s essential to prioritise ethical practices, ensure transparency, and leverage the strengths of both AI and human expertise to drive innovation and success in early recruitment.

Curious to see how our expertise can transform your early talent recruitment? Schedule an insight session with TheTalentPeople today and explore how you can maximise the effectiveness of your recruitment strategy.