A Data-Driven Analysis of Recruitment with AI

Now, the size of an HR or recruitment team often dictates this choice. It’s all about what fills you up.

There’s this common scaremongering tale that recruitment with AI is here to snatch jobs from recruiters. But let’s be honest—while AI might be good at crunching numbers and matching keywords, it lacks the human touch needed to source, assess, and persuade candidates to jump ship. It's more of an assistant than a replacement; think of it as a helpful sidekick rather than a takeover villain.

So, how has AI fared in both full-scale and partial recruitment roles? Has it outshined recruiters, or has it merely matched their shine? Maybe it's just another trendy tool that’s being shoved down recruiters' throats like last year’s kale smoothie fad.

Let’s dive deeper and find out if there are any benefits of recruitment with AI or just another high-tech hype train. After all, the goal is not to replace the human touch, but to enhance it, ensuring recruiters can focus on what they do best—connecting with people, not just profiles.

Impact of AI on different stages of recruitment

Sourcing and attracting

When it comes to the first steps of recruitment—sourcing and attracting candidates—AI is like that eager friend who insists they've found the "perfect" match for you. But does it really get it right, or is it just playing a numbers game?

Let’s talk numbers: Recruiters typically spend about a third of their workweek just on sourcing candidates. It's a big job, considering about 72% of them find it challenging to locate candidates who are a good fit. Plus, with 86% of top talent currently employed and not actively seeking new opportunities, the task becomes akin to finding a four-leaf clover in a field of three-leafers.

Here's where recruitment with AI steps in with its promise to speed up this process and extend reach. By leveraging keyword searches and Boolean operations, AI tools aim to streamline the sourcing task, handling the heavy lifting so that recruiters can focus on the human aspect.

Pros of AI in Sourcing:

• Efficiency: AI can sift through vast amounts of data much quicker than humans. Given that high-quality candidates are typically snapped up within just ten days, speed is of the essence.

• Scale: It can simultaneously scan multiple job boards and social media platforms, potentially increasing the chance of catching those high-quality candidates who are quietly excellent but not actively looking.

  
  

Cons of AI in Sourcing:

• Relevance: Despite its speed, AI might not always hit the mark on relevance. Although it can pull in hundreds of profiles, only a fraction might truly align with what you’re looking for. This misalignment is part of why 76% of recruiters say attracting high-quality candidates is their biggest challenge.

• Depth: AI depends heavily on keywords and may miss nuanced traits that make someone the right cultural or team fit. It can recognize 'leadership' as a keyword but can't assess the depth of that leadership experience or its relevance to your specific needs.

  
  

72% of recruiters state AI is the most helpful to them for candidate sourcing – one of their major challenges with the layoff trend and job openings where only “quality candidates” are desired.

Screening and shortlisting

There are mainly two methods here: resume parsing and skill assessments. Resume parsing is like using a metal detector on a beach—it's great at finding stuff, but not so great at telling whether it's treasure or just another rusty nail. The trouble is, nowadays, resumes are increasingly being jazzed up with the help of generative AI, making it even harder to spot genuine gems.

Then there’s the AI interviewer route, which, while more time-consuming, is like having a coffee date with your candidates—you get a better sense of who they really are beyond the resume. However, it's like deciding to make a three-course meal instead of ordering a pizza; it takes more effort and time.

Now, onto the stats: a whopping 79% of recruiters are convinced that human involvement in recruitment might go the way of the dinosaurs, largely because there's a palpable fear of being replaced by machines. Meanwhile, 56% of candidates are staunch traditionalists, insisting that a human should make the final hiring call. Seems like everyone's a bit nervous about handing over the reins to AI.

Interestingly, 63% of this group believes AI will take over screening, and 68% think AI could be the unbiased referee we need, removing unintentional human bias from the equation. It's a mixed bag of optimism and anxiety.

Pros of AI in Screening:

• Efficiency: AI can scan through resumes faster than a binge-watcher through a Netflix series.

• Consistency: It doesn’t get tired or distracted—it’s all about the business, all the time.

  
  

Cons of AI in Screening:

• Over-reliance on Keywords: AI might be getting duped by AI-enhanced resumes, creating a loop of artificiality that can overlook the human element.

• Lack of Depth: Like a bad first date, AI doesn’t get the subtleties. It knows your interests but can’t understand your passion.

  
  

Interviewing and assessment

Interviewing involves juggling hard skills, which AI can screen if it's been given the nod earlier, and soft skills, which are trickier. AI might be able to tell you if someone is a decent coder, but understanding if they can play nice with others or handle a crisis is a different kettle of fish. Here are the common missteps in the interviewing stage:

• Scheduling Snafus: Ever tried organizing a meet-up with five friends with busy schedules? That’s child’s play compared to scheduling interviews. Delays are common, and candidates often lose interest fast.

• Unprepared Recruiters: Juggling a thousand tasks, recruiters sometimes enter interviews less prepared than the candidate. The result? Generic questions that fail to probe deeply into the candidate’s suitability.

• Soft Skills Amnesia: Many interviews skip over soft skills entirely, focusing instead on whether the candidate can do the job, not how they’ll do it.

• Vague Visions: Failing to clearly communicate the work environment and culture is like selling a car without letting the buyer test drive it.

• Bias Blues: Let’s face it, humans have biases, and sometimes, interviews can reflect that more than clearly.

  
  

With these pitfalls in mind, here are some startling statistics: a massive 78% of candidates report that they're never asked for feedback post-interview. Only 17% of employers are vigilant about measuring candidate experience at every stage, and nearly half the candidates feel their time was disrespected during interviews.

Pros of AI in Interviewing:

• Efficiency in Scheduling: AI can handle the logistics of scheduling like a pro, ensuring that interviews are lined up without human error or delays.

• Consistency: AI-driven interviews can maintain a standard of questions that ensures every candidate is assessed equally.

  
  

Cons of AI in Interviewing:

• Lack of Nuance: AI can ask about your management style, but understanding the subtlety of your answer is still beyond its reach.

• Cold and Impersonal: An AI conducting an interview is about as warm as a handshake in Siberia. The human touch is crucial for gauging personality and fit.

  
  

Guidelines for Using AI in Interviewing:

1. Hybrid Interviews: Use AI to streamline scheduling and maintain records, but keep humans in the loop for conducting the actual interviews, especially when assessing soft skills and cultural fit.

2. Feedback Mechanism: Implement AI tools to collect feedback from candidates post-interview, helping improve the process continuously.

   
   

Onboarding

Onboarding is the final curtain call in the recruitment show, where you either set the stage for a long-running hit or a one-season flop. It's where new hires get their first real taste of the company culture and expectations—a process that, if bungled, could send them running for the exits before they’ve even memorised where the bathrooms are. Let’s see how AI fits into this act.

Onboarding is crucial, yet about 48% of new hires find their post-onboarding training to be somewhat lacking. This is troubling, especially since nearly 30% of those dissatisfied with their onboarding experience are eyeing the job market again within just three months. But here’s an interesting twist: AI-onboarded employees are 30% less likely to quit within their first year. Meanwhile, 65% of HR professionals believe that integrating AI into onboarding could significantly boost employee retention.

Challenges and Pain Points in AI-Assisted Onboarding:

• Impersonal Touch: Onboarding involves a lot of paperwork and logistical setups, which AI can streamline. However, the lack of human interaction can make this crucial introduction to the company feel more like programming a new gadget than welcoming a new family member.

• Inadequate Engagement: While AI can tick off the boxes on compliance and initial training modules, it often fails to engage new hires on a deeper level that fosters emotional and cultural integration.

• One-Size-Fits-All Approach: AI-driven onboarding programs can sometimes apply a cookie-cutter approach, not tailored to individual needs or roles, which can lead to the feeling of being just another cog in the machine.

  
  

Pros of AI in Onboarding:

• Efficiency: AI excels at automating the mundane—filling out forms, setting up work tools, and scheduling initial training sessions—freeing up human resources for more personalized interaction.

• Consistency: Every new hire gets the same level of thoroughness and information, reducing the likelihood of important details falling through the cracks.

  
  

Cons of AI in Onboarding:

• Lack of Personalization: AI might ensure everyone gets an employee handbook, but it doesn’t tailor the experience to individual backgrounds or career paths.

• Overreliance on Automation: Relying too heavily on AI can leave new hires feeling undervalued or isolated, lacking human connections that are crucial in the early stages of a job.

  
  

Guidelines for Using AI in Onboarding:

1. Blend AI with Human Elements: Use AI for efficiency but ensure there are ample opportunities for new hires to interact with their team and other humans. Maybe schedule a welcome lunch or a meet-and-greet that’s decidedly offline.

2. Customize the Experience: Use AI to gather data on new hires’ preferences and previous experiences to tailor the onboarding process. Think of it as setting up a playlist that really vibes with the listener.

   
   

AI for screening and shortlisting candidates

Starting off on the right foot isn't just nice—it's crucial. The initial stages of recruitment are bogged down with challenges like AI-generated resume spam, resume overload, and a murky view of candidates' true skills.

Let's face it, the recruitment process can be tough. You're inundated with resumes—many of which are so keyword-optimized that they could pass the Turing test—making it tough to gauge the human behind the hype. With the ease of online applications, recruiters often face a deluge of candidates, turning what should be a treasure hunt into a chore. Many resumes do a great job at listing certifications and completed projects, but they give little insight into how well a candidate can actually perform in the wild.

The consequences? Burnout among recruiters, as sifting through endless piles of resumes without the right tools is like trying to mow a lawn with scissors. It’s not just inefficient—it’s soul-crushing. In the rush and the chaos, real gems can slip through the cracks, ending up with your competitors instead. When too much time is spent on initial screening, it delays the entire hiring timeline, frustrating teams and candidates alike.

So, what’s the solution? Implement recruitment with AI tools that do more than keyword match. Look for AI interviewer tools that can assess the authenticity of skills and even predict candidate compatibility. Use AI to help prioritise which candidates are likely to be a good fit, so you spend your valuable time engaging with potential rather than sifting through impossibilities. Early in the process, engage with potential hires in ways that allow them to showcase real skills, perhaps through practical assessments or creative challenges that go beyond the traditional resume.

RoundOne AI is an AI-powered platform that does exactly that - handles the initial round of screening (or call it the first round of interviews!), replacing the need for a resume, for faster and more cost-efficient hiring. 

Schedule a walkthrough of the platform today!