Recruiting and hiring are very different today than they’ve been in the past, and a substantial catalyst driving this change is AI. If you want to thrive in this new labour environment, learning all you can about AI in hiring is a necessity. Whether you’re an international trade professional, consultant, export advisor, or business owner, this article will deliver the information you need to conquer the AI hiring process.

The role of AI in recruiting and hiring

Within the last few years, HR professionals have started using AI in many facets of the hiring process. They are using the technology in very direct ways – AI can determine who is likely to be the best candidate for a job, who to fire, and more. Below, we’ll address several ways that recruitment personnel use AI in recruitment and hiring:

• Screening –AI technology can screen candidates based on a set of defined criteria and determine which candidates are most qualified. Staff can then use this information to weed out unfit candidates and focus on those who are most promising.
• Assigning turnover risk – AI’s predictive analytics function is currently being used to assess turnover risk, pinpointing which workers are most likely to leave. With the information gleaned from AI, they can take action in an effort to retain talent.
• Track employee performance – AI programs can monitor and report on employee performance over time. Companies can use this data to remedy any performance issues, promote the best workers, and get rid of those who might be slacking off.
• Sourcing candidates –AI-assisted messages, smart candidate searches, and more help recruiters make meaningful interactions with more candidates in less time.

*This is not an exhaustive list of ways AI is used in recruitment and hiring.

Internal and external skills-based hiring: A growing trend

You may remember a time when getting a degree or achieving a certain amount of experience made you a star candidate and guaranteed you a good job. This isn’t the case anymore.

Per a 2023 Test Gorilla report, 73% of employers are currently using skills-based hiring in some form.

Skills are now at the focal point when it comes to hiring talent.

External skills-based hiring

From an external standpoint, skills-based hiring focuses on the skills a candidate possesses rather than their educational accomplishments or years of experience.

According to Dustin Burgess of the Magnit workforce management platform, “Instead of the traditional approach where…an advanced degree or specific job experience is required, we ask: does the applicant have the required skills to do the role?”

This sums up external skills-based hiring in a nutshell.

Internal skills-based hiring

On the internal side, employers are searching for opportunities to promote from within. The idea is that internal candidates are more likely to thrive in new positions because they already possess company-specific skills.

This trend of internal and external skills-based hiring isn’t going anywhere soon. AI’s screening capabilities make skills-based hiring much easier, as it’s able to weed out candidates – both internal and external – who don’t have the skills necessary to perform a given job. They also highlight promising candidates. HR staff can narrow things down further through manual screening and interviews.

How to be successful in this AI recruiting and hiring landscape

Considering the ever-widening adoption of AI in recruiting and hiring, it’s essential for both candidates and hiring managers to pivot. Hiring managers who ignore AI’s merits may fall behind competitors who are taking advantage of the technology’s capabilities. On the other side are candidates who have difficulty competing with candidates who are deemed more attractive to AI. Below, we’ll explore how to be successful in this AI hiring and recruiting landscape.

How candidates can increase their chances of getting hired

Any candidate’s goal during the AI hiring process is to secure the job they want. If you want to increase your chances of getting hired, do the following:

• Get educated on AI influences and their effects on the hiring process.
• Closely research job opportunities to gauge which skills companies are looking for.
• Gather skills that are in demand in any given industry.
• Highlight marketable skills on your resume, proposals, online applications, introductory video, etc. Incorporate some of the same keywords used in job descriptions. These skills are most important to the employer.
• Be present on networking sites, social media sites like LinkedIn, and other virtual places employers go to search for candidates.

Highlight marketable skills on your resume, proposals, online applications, introductory video, etc. Incorporate some of the same keywords used in job descriptions. These skills are most important to the employer.

In addition to the above tips, don’t forget the importance of traditional networking, developing soft skills, and following all application instructions to the letter. Doing so will help you stand out in ways that AI doesn’t immediately detect, giving you an edge over other candidates.

How hiring managers can ensure success

Choosing the right candidates is one of the main goals of AI use in the HR sphere. If you want to leverage AI effectively and ensure success as a hiring manager, here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Set S.M.A.R.T. goals and use AI to support them (as appropriate). Experts Kimberlee Leonard and Rob Watts explain that M.A.R.T. goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
• Don’t allow AI to take over functions that should be human-led.
• Ensure that your team is trained on how to use AI tools and glean information from its outputs.
• Safeguard candidates’ information using industry-trusted solutions.
• Realize that AI solutions are often biased and monitor their results to ensure fairness.

AI is here to stay

Recruitment experts everywhere predict that AI is here to stay. As general technology continues to advance, AI will become even more useful in the sphere of HR, sparking more innovation in the recruitment and hiring processes. Though this may be alarming to some, candidates and companies who stay at the forefront of AI developments and leverage AI’s strengths are sure to be at an advantage.