We are imagining what the world of recruiting might look like if we pushed status quo aside and truly considered how to best leverage AI to recruit in new and different (and better?) ways. [For context, read The Future of Recruiting Part 1 here.] Join me as I consider a conversation with an AI bot.
AI: Hey there! Sorry to interrupt, but I noticed you've been checking out our job openings and specifically looking into two finance positions. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about our new hiring approach, feel free to respond. If you prefer to be left alone, I'll respect your privacy.
Candidate: I’m intrigued, particularly about your "new approach." Yes, I'm actually interested in two positions that I've been researching. Are they still available, and what's different about your process?
AI: Sure thing! If I understand correctly, the positions you're curious about are Cost Accountant and Senior Accountant, right? Well, both of those positions are still open and report to the same manager. We posted them two days ago and we currently have fewer than 50 candidates who have expressed interest. Based on our historical data of recruiting for similar roles, when we reach around 100 candidates showing interest, we're confident that 3-5 of them will be qualified and willing to take on the opportunity. I predict it will take until the end of the week to reach that number, after which we'll unpublish the positions and remove them from several job boards. Does this help with your decision on whether to express interest in either or both positions?
Candidate: Wow, competing against 100 people sounds daunting. How can I know if my application will even be considered? I'm tired of being ignored or overlooked.
AI: Great question! I totally understand where you're coming from. In the past, employers haven’t been as transparent and that's precisely why we've made significant changes to our hiring approach. We do know many candidates apply for positions they aren't qualified for or use tools to blindly automate applying without researching the job, location, or the company. Factors like these are rapidly increasing the number of candidates who are less likely to compete successfully. Our data shows that more than 60% of candidates applying to our financial openings aren't ready for them for one reason or another. That's why we aim to have 100 or more expressions of interest before moving to the next stage.
We also know that candidates like you, who are taking the time to carefully consider the opening, our work environment, and the company itself are more likely to make a better decision and have the necessary skills and willingness to take on the job. That's why I'm here to engage with you. I can supply you with additional information on the salary, the team you'd be working with, the manager’s approach to leading a team, the company's values, and much more.
Most importantly, whether you make an informed decision about whether you can compete for the position or not, once you express interest it is my job to help you apply AND compete fairly. Oh! and, if you are not selected, I can also provide feedback on how you can improve your outcome in the future…but only if you're interested.
Candidate: LOL. Can I just share my resume with you now to see whether it is worth applying?
AI: Actually, what we have in store is even better than what you just suggested. We believe that it's more important for you to decide if you want to apply, rather than us assessing you right away. But, once you've made up your mind, I promise to interview you within the next 72 hours, at a time that works for you.
At this point, we don't need your resume or any other documentation. Instead, I'll conduct an extensive interview that includes a few questions we need for the application. I’ll make notes and share my notes with you to confirm we have all the details necessary to make a good decision to go forward with your application. While I'm not human, I've been thoroughly trained to ask a series of questions relevant to each job. I'll ask you and every other candidate who expresses interest about your skills, knowledge, and experience that you would need to succeed in your position.
We believe this is the fairest way to gather initial information, rather than solely relying on humans using AI to read resumes or written application forms which, by the way, are often massaged by AIs like me and are often misleading. Even though everyone will be asked the same questions, I'll delve deeper into your responses to understand your role in projects, your proficiency in the required tasks, and your experience in acquiring new skills. This will help us assess your ability to do the job and your potential to grow within the company - specifically for the financial positions in which you are interested.
There aren’t enough humans to interview every candidate for every job but I can do it all simultaneously and so we spread the interviews out over 72 hours to give you time to get ready. Since there's a predictable time frame to gather enough qualified candidates for each of our open positions and a time limit for conducting interviews, you can count on my getting back to you promptly about whether you'll proceed to the next stage with our human counterparts. Does that sound fair to you?
Candidate: That sounds crazy but fascinating. Why do you go through the trouble of interviewing everyone if it is obvious that they aren't a good fit or that they spam you by automating their applications? I imagine that has its costs.
AI: I get why this looks inefficient when everyone gets ‘up-to-bat’ so to speak. Surprisingly, our approach allows us to make better decisions faster based on acquiring a complete set of relevant data in the same way from every candidate without the interference of human bias or the varying ways in which candidates present themselves through artificially manipulating their resumes or reacting to formulaic applications. As for cost, I can interview hundreds of candidates simultaneously at the price of a human interviewing just one person.
I can also communicate in dozens of languages. I even know sign language. I can be visible as a friendly face or conduct interviews through extensive messaging asynchronously. I'm patient, understanding, and easy to talk to.
I’m trained to present my employer with a defensible set of data. I’m also trained to help you learn much more than you could from a written job description or a human untrained at coaching. Most importantly, I can surface a defensible slate of finalists that humans can be confident can all do the job - including some candidates who might never have been considered using traditional approaches. Don’t forget that every one of the candidates we don’t hire could become a customer, a competitor, a referral of others or someone who returns and is successfully hired tomorrow.
Candidate: Wow. Like I said, you had me at new approach. What is left for me to learn in order to, as you say, ‘express my interest’?
AI: It is up to you. Perhaps you want to know more about the manager you would work for. In this case both open positions are for the same team. You would be working for an experienced manager with 15 years of service. He has 12 people working for him currently. I can also share where many of his past hires are now to give you some sense of the potential for growth and how he is as a developer of his teammates. Or you might be interested in the diversity of the team reporting to him. You might want to know about our flexible remote policy, how the team discusses goals and progress, how the company supports employees, and/or the community where they live and work. I’m ready when you are.
Welcome to my world, where humans and the human-like work together