Computers have long played a role in the recruitment process, not least in the filtering of applicants down to a number that is more manageable for human recruiters.  There are strong signs that AI will play a growing role however, with significant implications for candidates and recruiters alike.

That’s the conclusion of a recent paper by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, which cites AI applications in recruitment as one of the top workplace trends of our age.

The paper aims to provide an overview of AI in the workplace, before providing organizations with a practical to do list for assessing the use of AI tools during the hiring process, with a particular emphasis on the role of industrial organizational (I-O) psychology.

The future of work

The paper argues that themes such as the future of work and the skills gap all have a common base in that they all explore the kind of work we’ll be doing in the future, and specifically how well equipped we are to perform that work.

They believe that the way we hire and manage people is therefore fundamentally important, and AI promises to be a driving force behind a number of changes to the workforce.  The authors argue that HR has not been at the forefront of exploring AI however, and this needs to rapidly change if the future of work is to unfold in a way that is satisfactory to all.

“AI applied to assessing and selecting talent offers some exciting promises for making hiring decisions less costly and more accurate for organizations while also being less burdensome and (potentially) fairer for job seekers,” the authors explain. “However, HR is “late to the AI game.” In these early days it’s important to understand that there is plenty of hype surrounding AI-based tools. After being equipped with the right questions and knowledge that removes some of AI’s mystique, you can be a more an informed AI user and a better decision maker for your organization.”

The paper attempts to provide an introduction to both the technical aspects of AI and the business implications, especially for HR teams looking to utilize it for recruitment.  It concludes with a number of next steps recruiters can take, and provides some key questions to ask of vendors before choosing an AI-based tool.