How to improve AI HR tools in The Wall Street Journal

Hey EMPLOYERS, Wanted to address this WSJ article on AI and the Hiring Process. People often ask us if AI is going to do away with the need for, and value of, staffing companies. That's the same question many asked years ago about the onset of job boards (starting with Monster and now Indeed, etc.) and the answer is still the same. Each time something new and wonderful is introduced to make your life easier, it will also have a counterproductive use that can make your life more difficult along the way. With job boards employers can post their own jobs, use screening questions to attract only qualified candidates, and let algorithms conduct key word searches on resumes to identify the things that matter to them. BUT, candidates often falsely answer those screening questions so their resume will get through, sending piles of resumes to the employer that they still have to spend hours and hours screening. With AI, employers can use bots and other tools to help with their hiring, but candidates have already learned how to use AI for their own benefit too. Many are using AI to craft their cover letters and resumes, which results in an unreal presentation of their writing and communication skills. This means employers have to do a deeper dive to properly assess what is true, what is real and what the candidate really possesses. In addition to this, many small business owners aren't well versed in labor law so even minimal contact with candidates can result in exposure to liability, risk, and even lawsuits. Staffing companies live in the HIRING space, all day, every day. If you want to save time, money and frustration, contact a staffing company. How can you maximize your investment of paying a placement fee? We'll be happy to tell you. Find a staffing company that you are willing to develop a strong rapport with and let them ask you questions (lots of questions). The more we know you, the faster we can screen, vet and present prospective candidates to you. If you jump from staffing company to staffing company, or only contact one on rare occasion, your experiences will be like "50 First Dates". It takes time to get to know each other and learn to anticipate what each other needs in order to get best outcomes. Most companies that contact us wait until the last minute so there isn't much time for getting really acquainted, which slows down how quickly we can "hit the nail on the head". We love getting to know our clients and our candidates, and repeat business and word of mouth referrals is the result. We'd love to get to know you today if you are ready to cut out many of the hassles in your hiring process. As long as there are ongoing "better mousetraps" for the hiring process, there will also be ways for candidates to sneak through your pipeline and end up costing you time, money and frustration. This WSJ article highlights what is already happening with AI. #hiring #staffing #value

Just a reminder for those who missed this post earlier. WHY USE A STAFFING COMPANY? Read on if you are considering it but are worried about your ROI. Not everyone needs a staffing company for EVERY hire, but there are always some that make great sense. #staffing #hiring #ROI #toptalent

Trying to unravel the current job application paradigm: Given we live in the open-ended digital job submission era, what is the typical cut off of applications being viewed per role? For example, for a LinkedIn generated job post, sometimes you'll see 100 applicants have already submitted. LinkedIn does not note what the actual number of applicants are after it reaches 100. So it could be in the thousands. The ambiguous nature of the process creates more questions than answers. For instance, what is the role of AI is weeding out candidates via an applicant tracking system (ATS)? Is there a default HR algorithm-based tool employed by companies or are there proprietary solutions in place? Should there be a standard choice for job submission candidates to OPT OUT from being screened by AI instead of a human being? Has there been data gleaned from the analysis of potential lost opportunities for both companies and candidates given the heavy reliance on automated systems. After all, hiring has historically been a human-driven function, hence the need for a department of "Human Resources." Qualitatively, people are being impacted negatively by the current hiring process. Are companies listening? Are discussions happening where you work to arrive at better solutions?

I see the benefits of utilising AI tools to assist HR teams with recruitment, especially when they receive high volumes of applications. However, companies should not be using technology that is still in its infancy to replace the human touch - any application should still be sense-checked to ensure that suitable candidates aren't being rejected automatically by an automated system that operates without the gift of human judgment and common sense. Typically, I can spend two to three days working on an application, tailoring each cover letter and CV to the specifications of the role and corporate values of the Employer. I may spend over a week working on some applications, trying to make them as strong as possible before submission. On more than a few occasions now, I have received automated rejection emails at such speed that almost with complete certainty, I can be sure the application never got viewed by human eyes. A job application being rejected is fine; that goes with the territory, and the market is competitive. There is no doubt that there will be roles I have applied for where there will be many candidates with much greater experience. But spending long hours putting something together, for it to be only disregarded without it ever being given the benefit of at least a passing glance, is certainly disheartening. https://lnkd.in/g3fKEpns

The Wall Street Journal, ‘AI Helps Job Hunters Beat Employers At Their Own Game. You’re Fighting AI With AI’: Bots Are Breaking the Hiring Process. Many now rely on ChatGPT to rewrite their résumés to match job descriptions—aiming to get through corporate screening software. Job seekers are also using software like Big Interview, which evaluates résumés to show applicants why corporate tools might rank them lower than other candidates, and offer suggested changes to improve their standing. “Most companies today use AI for recruitment,” #BigInterview says on its website. “It’s only fair to let job-seekers leverage the same technology.” It’s bot versus bot on the hiring front lines, as job hunters turn to new tools to counter the AI that’s screening their applications. Job seekers, frustrated with corporate hiring software, are using artificial intelligence to craft cover letters and résumés in seconds, and deploying new automated bots to robo-apply for hundreds of jobs in just a few clicks. In response, companies are deploying more bots of their own to sort through the oceans of applications. The result: a bot versus bot war that’s leaving both applicants and employers irritated and has made the chances of landing an interview, much less a job, even slimmer than before. “You’re fighting AI with AI,” said Brad Rager, chief executive of Crux, a recruiting firm that matches cybersecurity specialists with employers. The AI arms race is bad for job candidates, he said, who feel defeated when online applications come to nothing, and for employers, who are frustrated when imprecise AI tools highlight weak candidates. “There’s so much promise, but there’s a lot of crap and garbage,” Rager said of the tools used by employers. Posting open positions online once promised to democratize the job search, giving employers the chance to cast a wider net and job candidates an opportunity to easily explore their options. But as online job-hunting grew in popularity in the 2000s, companies that advertised their openings online became overwhelmed by the sheer volume of applications and began turning to software to help sort job candidates when hiring. That left many people hunting for new jobs with no responses—not even a rejection letter. #jobsearchtips #recruiters #humanresources #management #technology

Job seekers, dealing with the challenges posed by corporate hiring software, are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to streamline the creation of cover letters and resumes within seconds. They are utilizing automated bots to apply for numerous jobs efficiently with just a few clicks. In a parallel response, companies are deploying their own bots to manage the overwhelming influx of applications. This escalating bot versus bot scenario is causing frustration for both applicants and employers, leading to reduced chances of securing an interview, let alone a job. The competition between automated systems is intensifying, creating barriers in the traditional hiring process and making the job market even more challenging to navigate. https://lnkd.in/dMdUqRSV

Is AI Automation Really Helping Your Job Search? Does it make sense to let a bot auto-apply for 5000 jobs while you sleep? Or do quality applications trump quantity? It's interesting to hear from recruiters who are on the receiving end of AI generated applications...what's working and what's not? Read on... If you’re a job seeker or recruiter, I would love to hear about your experience using AI in your job search and recruiting efforts. #AIRecruitment #JobSearchStrategies #AIAutomation #RecruitmentTrends #FutureOfWork

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Bots are Breaking the Hiring Process Frustrated with AI in corporate hiring software, job seekers use artificial intelligence to craft cover letters and résumés in seconds and deploy new automated bots to robo-apply for hundreds of jobs in just a few clicks. Regrettably, this has led to a bot-versus-bot war, a situation that not only irritates both applicants and employers but also significantly reduces the chances of landing an interview or finding the right candidate. In an effort to combat the onslaught of AI-generated applications, some companies urge job seekers to refrain from using AI to fill out online applications. One prompt asked applicants something the company figured only the bots would ignore. It read: “If you’re reading this, awesome—do not answer this question.” Whether you are looking for a job or new talent to grow your company, the best way to avoid the battle of the bots is to tap into your personal and professional connections and contact professional recruiters, like My People Person.

I have a question for the hiring managers/HR folks. I've read many articles that say employers are using AI to toss out AI resumes. I've read many other articles that say the only way to get hired is to use AI to write your resume. What are your thoughts?