Before we get into the future of AI in recruitment, let's take a look at the history of AI, and of hiring. During the 1950s, a group of pioneering scientists laid the foundation for artificial intelligence as we know it today. Before that, the idea of computers surpassing mere problem-solving capabilities seemed unimaginable. However in 1956, during the Dartmouth Conference, the term 'Artificial Intelligence' was coined by John McCarthy. The objective was to explore if machines could simulate every aspect of human intelligence. A revolutionary idea and sure optimism that AI could replicate human intelligence in its entirety, led researchers to theorize the creation of "thinking machines". While "AI" in the 1950s was far from the sophisticated technology we know today, it set the stage for the computational concepts and theoretical frameworks that still drive developments in the field.

It was much the same with hiring. Dating back to the days of the Roman Empire, whenever a merchant, farmer, or employer required assistance, they would seek help from their neighbors (the early concept of a network) or put up a sign to advertise for workers. These hiring processes were extremely low-tech and relied on the manual efforts of individuals using little more than a pen and paper. The first major technological advancement in recruiting came with Gutenberg's printing press around 1440. This enabled employers to produce printed material that could be distributed to more people at a faster rate than ever before. Fast forward to the early 2000s, jobs could now be posted to online boards like Monster and CareerBuilder - and while this seemed like a huge achievement, it was little different in practice than a merchant posting a hand-written help wanted sign outside their shop.

Artificial intelligence in recruitment and selection:

The concepts of hiring would converge with artificial intelligence when chatbots were invented in the mid-2000s. The idea was to use chatbots as a way to "converse" with potential candidates; qualifying them for open roles - however, the technology was not yet sophisticated enough to provide valuable insights or produce significant results. It was only with recent advancements in natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML), that the benefits of AI in recruitment were truly seen.

Today, instead of the traditional job posting, a recruiter can use AI sourcing tools to search for candidates who fit their open roles, ATS systems and automated scheduling tools will then book those candidates for screenings and interviews, and interview intelligence software will run in the background scoring the candidate's responses to interview questions and noting which candidates are most qualified and the best fit.

These innovations represent a total shift in the hiring process as they no longer require humans to be involved in resume selection, interview scheduling, and a multitude of other tasks. Removing humans from anything that doesn't require a "human touch." This allows recruiters to spend more time on the human aspects of hiring, such as building relationships with candidates and creating a better candidate experience.

The future of AI in recruitment:

So what does the future hold for AI in recruitment? As technology continues to advance at an exponential pace, we can expect to see even more significant changes in the way companies hire. Here are a few possibilities for the future of AI in recruitment:

- Predictive hiring solutions: This is an advancement I'm fascinated by. What happens when a company's growth is mapped by AI and the tools can suggest who to hire next and fill the candidate pool with people who are a great fit before the company even knows they need to hire? Once AI knows the business financials and can look at the fact that a team is at its maximum bandwidth by analyzing calendars and performance metrics, it will be able to predict when the next hires need to be made.

- Personalized job recommendations and career guidance: With advancements in machine learning, AI can analyze an individual's skills, experience, interests, and even previous performance in other roles to provide personalized job recommendations, career path mapping, and even career guidance.

- Bias-free hiring: One of the most significant issues in traditional hiring processes is unconscious bias. AI has the potential to eliminate this factor because it doesn't see personal traits the same way humans do. It doesn't care if a name is hard to pronounce if someone went to a certain university. It is purely focused on the skills and qualifications of the candidate.

- Virtual hiring events: With the rise of virtual reality and augmented reality, AI has the potential to create immersive virtual hiring events that can save both time and resources for companies while providing a unique experience for candidates. This could also allow for more global recruitment efforts without having to physically travel to different locations.

These are just a few of the possibilities for the future of AI in recruitment. Now that you have a baseline for AI and how it's positively impacting hiring processes today, let's talk about some specific tools.

AI Recruiting Tool

The impact of AI on recruitment has just begun to be understood. Even though these tools are just gaining mass adoption, the use of AI in the recruitment process has already begun to revolutionize the way candidates are sourced, screened, selected, onboarded, and managed.

Here's how you can implement AI recruiting tools into your hiring process:

First, decide where you have the biggest need right now. Are you struggling to find candidates? Maybe an AI sourcing platform is right for you? Are the candidates you hire leaving soon after they're onboarded? Maybe interview intelligence is the solution you need. Is bandwidth an issue? Maybe automated interview scheduling built into tools like Pillar would be helpful.

The goal here is to assess the core issue you're facing and solve it. Once you do that, move on to the next problem.

Next, take a look at your organization and hiring requirements. If you're a startup, the AI hiring tools and recruitment strategies you will need are far different from those of an enterprise organization. Also, if you're hiring software engineers, you're probably going to need a different solution than someone who's hiring business analysts. So take a look at your organizationally specific needs and find tools that will help you win in your space.

The bottom line is: that AI isn't here to replace recruiters (yet); it's here to enhance your abilities and streamline your hiring processes - giving you time for the things that matter. So don't be intimidated by all this talk of artificial intelligence - embrace it. Use it to your advantage.

How To Use AI In Recruitment

So we've talked a bit about the future of AI in recruitment, and some general benefits of using AI recruiting tools, but how do you get started with implementing AI into your hiring processes?

How to use AI in recruitment:

As the creator of one of the best interview intelligence tools on the market (shameless plug), Pillar realized that one of the biggest problems that AI tools would face is bias. We've seen AI in recruitment examples from Google, Amazon, and others that show how AI can perpetuate bias if not trained correctly. The key to successfully using AI in recruitment is not blindly trusting the technology but actively monitoring and adjusting it to reduce or eliminate any potential biases.

Here are some tips for using AI in recruitment:

- Educate yourself: Before jumping into using AI tools, take the time to educate yourself on how they work, what tasks they can perform, and what limitations they may have. This will give you a better understanding of how to utilize the tools effectively.

- Train the AI: As mentioned earlier, one of the biggest risks with AI in recruitment is bias. To avoid this, it's essential to train your AI tool using diverse and inclusive data sets.

- Monitor results: Keep track of the results and outcomes of using AI in your recruitment processes. This will allow you to identify any biases or issues that may arise and make necessary adjustments.

- Use AI for specific tasks: Rather than relying on AI for the entire recruitment process, consider using it for specific tasks where it can be most effective- especially when you're first getting started. Tasks such as sourcing, screening, or scheduling interviews are a great place to start.

Overall, the key is creating a hiring process that's objective, effective, and efficient while also giving candidates a great experience. AI can help achieve this balance, but it's essential to use it responsibly and continuously monitor its impact. With the right approach, AI in recruitment can be a game-changer for organizations looking to attract top talent and make better hiring decisions.

If you've seen the overwhelming number of new AI hiring tools available and thought, "How can I find the right one?" check out our guide - "How to Build the Best Recruitment Tech Stack." It'll walk you through the process of creating a hiring system that includes all of the principles mentioned in this article.

Ready to take your recruitment process to the next level with the power of AI? With Pillar, sourcing and evaluating candidates becomes more efficient and effective than ever. Book your demo today and see the difference Pillar can make in your recruitment strategy.