The Pros and Cons of AI Job Recruitment

What’s the problem with AI recruitment technology? Why are so many companies using it?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) recruitment tools are increasingly acting as a gatekeeper between you and your next job. Some say that recruitment technology is a lifesaver for sorting through thousands of applications, while others say it rejects qualified candidates.

Below we will take a look at the pros and cons of AI recruitment and provide tips for job hunters.

AI Recruitment Tools

If it feels like applying for jobs is getting harder and more confusing, you’re right. Artificial Intelligence (AI) recruitment tools are increasingly acting as a gatekeeper between you and your next job. And the technology isn’t just amplifying historically challenging aspects of the hiring process, it’s throwing in a few new kinks. 

Who’s Does AI Recruitment Tools Help?

A growing number of US companies are using AI recruitment technology in their hiring processes including: 

• Most major US job platforms
• 99% of Fortune 500 companies
• Small companies
• Fast-food chains

Experts say the technology is appealing because it’s cost-effective and—according to its developers—makes hiring more efficient and equitable. Developers say the tools sort through thousands of applications faster than humans and they make unbiased decisions by removing human preference and error.

Common AI recruitment tools that companies use include:

• Resume and cover letter screeners
• Chatbots that pre-screen, interview, and filter out candidates.
• Video interviewing technology that evaluates candidates’ facial expressions and vocal patterns.
• Software that scores applicants’ personalities, skills, aptitude, and culture fit.

AI Recruitment Technology Problems

Although AI recruitment tools may benefit employers, experts say they’re creating confusion, anxiety, and other problems for job seekers. They argue that the tools:

• Make arbitrary and discriminatory decisions
• Inappropriately filter out qualified candidates
• Fuel the trend of employers ghosting candidates.

Experts say these problems raise transparency, accountability, and privacy issues since job seekers have no way to know: 

• What data and AI tools companies are using to assess them—and if they’re discriminatory.
• Who—or what technology—is making hiring-related decisions.

Further, there’s no way to guarantee that AI recruiting tools aren’t reproducing known biases.

Job Hunting Tips

To navigate what is, for many, an increasingly complex and baffling job search experience, experts recommend the following tips:

1. Keep your resume simple and use the most common template

2. Match resume keywords to those in the job description. To ensure they’re aligned, use resume-boosting software like keyword simulators and resume scanners—for example, TheProfessional.Me, which is free. 

3. Expect AI interviewing tools to assess what you say and how you say it—including your word choice, facial expressions, and body language. To prepare for this, consider using:

• Mock interview software. Practice your interview skills with an AI tool like Yoodli, which walks you through interview questions, records your responses, and gives feedback on your word choice, verbal delivery, and eye contact.
• ChatGPT to generate interview questions: 
  • Copy and paste a job description into ChatGPT. 
  • Instruct it to create interview questions for each bullet point in the description and to list its top 10 keywords. 
  • Brainstorm responses to each question and examples that correspond with the 10 keywords.  

Is AI Coming for Your Job, Too?

It’s hard to predict the extent of the impact AI technologies will have on the job landscape. However, we’re likely to see the typical cycle of disruptions: Tech is invented as an answer to something society needs; tech meets this need, which changes how society behaves and operates; this change then leads to new problems needing new tech; the cycle starts all over again.

If you’re worried about your job security, experts have a number of tips to help you future-proof your career. The main takeaway is to stay flexible and be a lifelong learner. You can do this by:

• Being aware of trends in your field. Read reports written by industry leaders, follow reputable blogs and publications in your industry, and attend conferences to stay on top of industry developments.
• Expanding or updating your skill set. There are ways to upskill or second-skill outside of traditional schooling. You can enroll in an online course (from providers like Coursera and edX or top universities like MIT, Harvard, and Yale), sign up for an internship, take on additional work from another department (as long as it doesn’t get in the way of your job), or find a mentor.  

If you’re taking an “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” approach, consider AI jobs in quickly growing fields. Aside from prompt engineers, another emerging profession is that of machine learning engineers—a hybrid of data scientists and software engineers—who design and develop AI and improve it after analyzing data. 

Those with a non-coding background can look into jobs that will become increasingly relevant as businesses pivot to using new technologies: process re-engineering, which involves making changes to the way businesses run; data ethics, which ensures the appropriate use of data, from collection to insights; and business case development, which involves analyzing project costs, benefits, and risks to help companies make informed decisions.

According to career experts, perhaps the most important thing you can do in the age of robots is not to try to compete with machines but to lean into what makes you unique and irreplaceable: your humanity. Consider jobs that require relationship-building and that tap into distinctly human qualities like empathy. Examples are jobs in health care, which is projected to see a surge in demand by 2030. Another quality to explore and nurture is creativity—for instance, some believe that despite AI’s ability to generate “better” art, human-made art will become more valuable for its authenticity.

Looking Ahead

Experts say that until AI regulation catches up with rapidly evolving, increasingly AI-driven hiring practices, job seekers will have to do their best to adjust to shifting realities as they present themselves.

Want to fast-track your learning? With Shortform, you’ll gain insights you won't find anywhere else .

Here's what you’ll get when you sign up for Shortform :

• Complicated ideas explained in simple and concise ways
• Smart analysis that connects what you’re reading to other key concepts
• Writing with zero fluff because we know how important your time is

Start your free trial today!