Robots are coming for your job.
Well, that’s the scary projection, anyway. Experts unequivocally agree that automation will continue to transform the employment landscape, but just how much that will affect job security remains to be seen. A smattering of projections in this arena includes:
- About 60 percent of global jobs have at least 30 percent of their duties that can be completely automated, according to McKinsey Global Institute
- The same report predicts that almost half (49 percent) of today’s work activities could be automated by 2055 with technology that’s already available in the marketplace or being developed in labs
- Oxford University researchers estimated that 47 percent of U.S. jobs are in danger of being automated
- Up to 7.1 million jobs across 15 countries could be lost to automation by 2020, according to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report
Bleh. That’s pretty dismal. And not to depress you, but we could go on.
What does this mean for recruiters? Is our industry in jeopardy? Could AI and automation replace our jobs?
It’s easy to incite fear when you spread the news in bite-sized chunks of pessimism as we’ve just done, above. What these sound bites don’t relay is the vast opportunities that automation presents, across all industries and in recruiting specifically; the amazing ways it will ease our burdens and free us from repetitive, rote work to focus on more valuable recruiting endeavors. If you’re properly prepared for the new era of automation, automation will augment our jobs, not take them over.
Relax. It’s going to be fine.
AI, automation & the future of recruiting
First, just as a matter of record, let’s define the difference between artificial intelligence and automation. Both are central to the theme of this post.
- Automation is software that follows sets of programming rules to achieve a desired outcome. Whereas a real live human being had to, once upon a time, instigate and monitor certain actions to make sure other certain actions were taken, automation software takes that over, eliminating repetitive and mundane processes.
- Artificial intelligence is the use of learning and problem-solving computer algorithms to simulate human thinking. Leveraging such things as machine learning, predictive analytics and natural language processing to make better business decisions falls under the umbrella of AI.
Both have amazing implications for recruiter productivity. In fact, 80 percent of executives surveyed by the artificial intelligence language company Narrative Science said AI solutions improve employee productivity.
Let’s look at the ways automation and AI are having a positive impact on our industry.
What automation & AI is doing for today’s recruiter
In general, automation and AI can help your agency reduce errors and improve the quality of work and the speed with which it is completed. Specifically, software is available right now that can automate the following recruiting tasks:
- Resume screening
- Responding to applications
- Scheduling interviews
- Aggregating and segmenting applicant information from lead capture forms
- Posting vacancies to all job boards
- Searching across all job boards
- Maintaining a centralized inbox of applicant responses
- Making reference requests
- Writing job postings
- Creating a candidate record and updating skills
In addition, screening chatbots can take over a number of tasks that previously required a human being, from fielding questions from job seekers to making first-pass screening decisions based on data they collect—and then turning those results over to a real-live recruiter. Social media scraping tools can analyze social posts to assess whether someone would be a good fit for a position or company.
This all serves to free valuable time recruiters can now spend with clients, prospects and candidates. Not only is productivity increased, but we are empowered to deliver enhanced client and candidate experiences.
In other words, the time your team saves on such tasks can be better spent on activities that require a decidedly human element. Which brings us to...
And here’s why humans will always have the central role in recruiting
It’s an interesting conundrum: The more we automate the menial tasks of recruiting, the more we heighten the human touch. In recruiting, automation allows us to amplify our humanity, not replace it.
Humor, empathy, trust, respect, kindness, warmth, connection: These are the things that all good human relationships are built on, inside and outside of business, and these are and always will be at the heart of recruiting.
Relationships matter in recruiting, which is why your very human job is safe. By adopting AI and automation—the very things so many of us fear—and leveraging them to their fullest potential, you can do what you do best: Be you. When recruiters and technology work hand in hand, the future of our industry is bright.
TrackerRMS: Recruiting software for a bright future
TrackerRMS is a complete software solution for recruiter, candidate and client success. It enables recruiters to automate routine tasks, build better relationships and increase productivity, driving growth and profitability. It also functions as a complete online CRM solution, which brings the benefits of automation to your sales force. Request a demo today.
