Use of Artificial intelligence & machine learning in the recruitment industry

Abstract

Hiring and recruitment was one of the last divisions within the corporate environment to get tech-enablement. There were minor technological innovations, but they were few and far between. The onslaught of the pandemic altered that reality. The restrictions on mobility and gathering forced the companies to evolve and adapt to a changing reality through online recruitment processes. Thus, the speed of technology adoption in the recruitment space has witnessed an unexpected meteoric rise. We utilised a market research methodology to gather insights about technology (particularly AI and ML) adoption in the recruitment space. We conducted a literature review to benchmark the existing research in this space. Thereon, we conducted interviews with experienced folk in corporate who have either championed or experienced the technology aspect of hiring. Findings from these two sources were backed by a survey to fine-tune the hypotheses. One of the key findings of our research is that technological adoption in recruitment is primarily restricted to the initial stages of recruitment life cycle, and companies still rely on in-person interviews and human-to-human interactions for the final hiring decision. Candidates are generally aware of this technological evolution but can do better on emerging technological trends. However, they are generally optimistic about the value addition of deploying technology in recruitment. Candidates prefer the online mode for assessments and evaluations due to the objective nature, greater leisure, and convenience. However, offline mode is preferred for interviews due to smoother experience, ability to display body language, soft skills and problem solving, and a greater ability to establish a connection with the interviewer. However, companies have not done very well on technology deployment and there is a wide gap between the expected and perceived experience, which arises even more as the candidate’s experience increases.