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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There are many tools that recruiters can use to make their lives a little easier, but which are the most important to ensure you get the most out of your day?

These are some of the top tools’ recruiters should consider using as part of their day-to-day routine.

Recruitment Tech

Using a CRM or ATS is non-negotiable these days, it is essential that you have some form of recruitment tech in place, otherwise you will end up wasting time on tedious tasks. A Recruitment CRM is often used by recruitment consultants to help them manage their day-to-day relationships with clients and candidates. It is also often used for succession planning so that recruiters have quick and easy access to data for their future recruitment needs. An Applicant Tracking System, on the other hand, is typically more workflow driven, and used by in-house recruiters for the automation of recruitment tasks, which can help to reduce time on tedious tasks, such as screening and filtering CVs and communicating to large volumes of applicants. There are very few recruiters not using some form of recruitment tech these days, and it is also vital to ensure you choose the right option to suit your needs.

Mobile Recruiting Tools

Just as the name would suggest, mobile recruiting simply means recruiting via a mobile device, such as a smartphone or tablet. Mobile recruiting is one of the top trends for 2021, and it is hardly surprising since we have an average daily screen time of 2 hours and 24 minutes. Mobile recruiting tools come in many forms, and these are worth considering as part of your recruitment strategy. For instance, using chatbots, text-to-apply campaigns, virtual interviews, and job fairs and using a direct messaging facility, such as WhatsApp to contact candidates. It is also vital that your website is mobile-friendly.

Candidates are moving away from communication via desktops or laptops, they want to do as much as possible on their phones, while they are on the go. This needs to be incorporated into your recruitment strategy.

Instant Messaging

It is also important to have some form of an instant messaging facility to use in-house, to communicate with colleagues. More people than ever before are working remotely or utilising hybrid working, and as such, there needs to be a facility to allow you to communicate quickly with colleagues, on their mobile.

Video Interviewing

The pandemic forced recruiters to implement video interviewing. Something that before Covid, wasn’t utilised as much as was predicted. Video conferencing company Zoom benefited hugely from the pandemic and the fact that face-to-face meetings were impossible to do safely, with shares increasing from $167m to a staggering $777m in just one year. Video interviewing tools are essential for recruiters, even post-pandemic.

Job Sites

Access to job sites such as CV Library, is, of course, imperative for a recruiter, but it also needs to be the right job site. Don’t just dive in headfirst to a job site that seems popular, make sure it is fit for purpose first, just like you would do when choosing an ATS or CRM. Ask for a trial of the job site first and make sure you get the right applications before you decide on which option to go for.

Sourcing Tools

In addition to job sites, you may also want to use other sourcing tools such as LinkedIn Recruiter. It is good to use a combination of both advertising and headhunting, so a mix of options is always worthwhile considering.

Testing and Assessment

There are lots of options for assessing and testing candidates before you decide whether to take them forward to the next stage, and this is worth considering as part of your recruitment strategy. Using testing and assessment can often help ensure you don’t make the wrong hiring decisions, which can be detrimental and costly to your business.

Productivity

With recruiters juggling so many tasks at the same time, it is important to carefully manage your productivity. There are lots of productivity tools out there (too many to mention in this blog!), and you can use the option that offers you the best functionality for what you want to achieve. It can be easy to get distracted and not tracking your time can result in failing to achieve your goals. Productivity is key in any role and managing this will be sure to improve your success.

Review Websites

How do you improve your recruitment success rate without monitoring employee feedback? The answer is, you don’t, and this is something that many recruiters fail to do. Make sure you have access to review websites such as Glassdoor and Indeed to get a clear understanding of what candidates think of your process. This is valuable information that you can use to make positive changes to the recruitment process.

Surveys

In addition to review websites, you may also want to send our surveys to candidates asking them their opinions of the recruitment process, so that you can make positive changes. Without feedback, you can never improve and there are many free survey websites out there, such as SurveyMonkey. If you take just one nougat of advice from this blog, it should be that you need to ensure you have recruitment tech in place to improve your efficiency as a recruiter.

At Rectec, we know the cost of implementing the wrong solution, and the time and effort required to review the market. We’re proud to partner with a wide range of outstanding recruitment tech providers, and provide our fee-free online recruitment technology comparison and evaluation tool, Rectec Compare, where you can find the perfect ATS or CRM to for your needs in as little as 15 minutes.

A quick, responsive process is what you need to attract and engage the best talent.

At Rectec we help organisations to find the best Applicant Tracking System or best Recruitment CRM to suit your needs, accompanied by our unique complimentary tech marketplace, to help you build the perfect recruitment tech stack for your business.

You can click here to register for Rectec Compare – and best of all, it’s completely free of charge.

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