There is a lot of noise about how AI – specifically generative AI and AI agents – is already halfway towards revolutionising how we work, how we create and how we collaborate.

From coding to customer service, from marketing to sales, NLP programmes are making immediate, critical inroads into previously human-centric operations. 

The possibilities beyond this explosion in generative AI (and the presumption that a working AGI is only around the corner) extend the horizon of what AI can do for more complex tasks, such as iterative problem solving and high-level reasoning.

So within this hysteria of disruption, where are the details around how AI will make workplaces better for everyone? 

After all, the main benefit of integrating AI into workplace processes is to reduce the mundane, automate the repetitive, and allow humans to do what humans do best – create, reason, collaborate, ideate, laterally generate ideas, build relationships and create genuine emotional connections between people, products, services and theories.

Amidst the contradictory thought pieces and think tank panics about AI, what seems to be somewhat lost in the mania is how AI can help build more equitable, fair workplaces for many millions of people who are forgotten or incapable of integrating into analogue workplaces. 

So can we create a future where AI is used for good, or are the tech naysayers right in assuming AI will only be used for illicit gains in easily manipulated industries, deep fakes, crypto-scams and hyper-capitalism?

Let’s dive into it.

Diversity, equity, and how AI can help.

According to author and Forbes contributor Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, AI will help diversity in two ways.

• “The first is to diagnose things better, telling us what truly goes on in a culture, revealing some of the hidden dynamics underlying many of the critical interactions between people at work”.
• “The second is being able to actually measure inclusion, in particular, whether someone’s demographic status or identity can predict their actual status at work”.

The analytical power of modern AI programmes “allows us to go beyond perceptions”, giving change makers and leaders insight into “biases in behaviour”. AI fills a gap between what we think is happening, and what really is happening, or what could happen, based on evidence. AI can supplement emotionally driven HR decision making with evidently based logic, which in the case of diversity hiring, network management and fair representation can only be a good thing.

Bridging this evidence/emotion gap is the only way to build HR functionality based on real, performance-driven equity, based on real-time data. That data, and the ability to parse it, is the real power behind how AI can assist in creating a representative workforce.

Of course, this doesn’t mean AI should be used on a whim – there is ample evidence that poor AI implementation can break laws and entrench biases, so oversight is key. 

It’s worth reading pieces, such as this article by Fast Company, on the pros and cons of using AI for diversity hiring practices.

Inclusivity, disability and how AI can help.

As this detailed report by Accenture titled AI for disability inclusion puts it, there are several things business leaders and AI developers both can do to help foster more inclusivity in workplaces, especially around disability access and using tech to help people work more productively.

At the very basic level it starts at the design phase. AI creators need to put “inclusive design principles in place to support “human + machine” collaboration (which is) essential to the development of fair and unbiased AI solutions”. Inclusive AI by design is the foundation of inclusive AI use. 

So what does this inclusive design look like in real life? Well, it can be a poisoned chalice but again with the right leadership and strategy AI can be a blessing. 

• “Biases often occur at the intersections of disability, race, gender, and other identities”, which means whatever and however AI is developed it has to be built around reducing bias between underrepresented and vulnerable groups, rather than exacerbating them.
• AI can help build more inclusive workplaces. For example AI platforms can provide better testing and pre-interview assessments, AI-based accessibility tools such as speech-to-text transcription and sign language into text systems, AI-driven employee feedback, AI-augmented accessible interview processes and AI-augmented language accessibility tools. 

The tools of the future can be implemented today to help those most in need of that extra layer of support.

Minority recruitment and AI. 

This piece by the Data Scientist neatly summarises how AI can help elevate minority hires in the recruitment funnel. 

But much of the theory behind diversity-focused hiring strategies – such as blind screenings and automated assessments – has been known for years. It’s how they’re evolving via AI that HR pros need to be aware of.

• The real power lies in how AI improves data-driven recruitment. AI can operate between a wide array of recruiting tools such as jobs boards, social media, applicant tracking systems and recruitment CRMs seamlessly, to better communicate in real-time with specific candidates on the nature of targeted jobs, or clients on the state of play with candidate funnels and minority talent availability. 

• AI can create more accurate predictions on candidate suitability and hiring success utilising data, and can better identify patterns in background, experience and assessment viability. 
• Coupled with in-house NLP (like ChatGPT plugins), AI becomes more than an automated extra – they become an assistant recruiter in all but name, able to seamlessly and immediately dive into entire recruiting networks to matchmake in real-time.

With the right sort of oversight (and a fixation on making sure bias-free searches are run), AI can be the diversity hiring partner every recruiter needs. 

At Rectec we help organisations to find the best recruitment and talent acquisition technologies to suit your needs. 

From Applicant Tracking System and Recruitment CRM comparison, to vendor snapshots, and technology showcases in our unique technology marketplace, we provide fee-free tools to help you build the perfect recruitment tech stack for your business!

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Following a hugely transformative two years, the recruitment industry is facing unprecedented times.

Large numbers of workers have either quit jobs or switched careers as a result of pandemic turmoil – and many more are still planning on doing so.

Now commonly labelled “The Great Resignation,” this wave of changes stands to create considerable cost implications to business owners.

In a previous article ‘How to Beat the Great Resignation’ we offered advice on how being open, honest and inclusive with your employees is crucial when managing staff retention. Whilst preventative action is important to build within the foundations of any business, the issue remains that we’re in the midst of a difficult situation, demanding the matching of shifting job expectations with suitable employees.

It’s also worth noting that a widespread lack of specialist skills and experience has only served to exacerbate recruitment difficulties.

According to a Hays Recruitment survey reported by The Guardian, more than three-quarters of employers (out of 22,700 surveyed) “experienced skill shortages in the last year.”

Of course this concern has a significant effect on recruiters as employers seek any and all viable solutions.

So how can you become a better recruitment negotiator in order to increase your client portfolio and placement figures?

Create a Comfortable Atmosphere.

Prior to any negotiation, all parties involved should feel comfortable. Accordingly, creating an atmosphere within which your prospect or client feels at ease is important. Being personable and finding common ground to discuss will establish a familiar footing before you push forward with what you wish to achieve from the meeting. Presenting yourself as likeable will place you in good stead, and limit the risk of any friction should the negotiations become tricky.

Practice Tactical Empathy.

Employing tactical empathy into your negotiation process serves to build good faith and create an upper footing over your negotiation partner. It involves a variety of skills to achieve positive outcomes and is widely used in many negotiation scenarios.

This strategy is ascribed to career negotiator Chris Voss, whose book ‘Never Split The Difference’ is detailed by Scribd as revolving largely around the use of tactical empathy in negotiation. Concentrating on feelings and emotions, it’s suggested that identifying any negative or positive emotion and reacting accordingly will help maintain control and trust (deactivating any negativity and magnifying any positivity). Reassurance that your intentions are to be as honest and open as possible should also be presented early on in negotiations. R

Recognise Expectations.

Imagining the negotiation course from both sides and fully understanding what your negotiation partners’ expectations might be are very beneficial thought processes to consider.

Placing yourself in the mind of the prospect is an idea we’re borrowing from the book ‘Getting More’ by Stuart Diamond. The general idea is that it’s very easy for a recruiter on the business-side to operate solely from a perceived perch of authority – forgetting to take into account what the candidate may hope to achieve.

With focus and attention drawn to what the other party wants, however, you can improve your chances of achieving a successful outcome.

Establish a Win-Win.

When building a business relationship that you want to see flourish, it’s essential that both sides achieve satisfaction following negotiations. In order to ensure that you reach an agreement that is mutually satisfying, you may have to pull back on applying too much pressure during the negotiation.

With this in mind, any financial discussions should be opened with figures different from what you’d settle for, so that you have room to “haggle” with clients or candidates. Even if some less favourable compromises have had to be reached, you still need to benefit from repeat business. You most certainly do not want them to leave, not wishing to pursue any further dealings with you. There are many strategies you can employ to obtain the best negotiation results, and we hope the few we’ve selected assist you in some way to achieving your recruiting goals.

Luna Nikolai is a business school student who dreams of launching her own business in the near future.

In the meantime, she is working part time and writing in a freelance capacity on a range of business, education, and professional development topics.

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