why AI will never replace recruiters.

The recent report showed that a growing number of organizations are using automation, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) across the globe. Such technological advancements have led to impact several professions within organizations; Human Resources being one of them. The increased use of AI and robotics is continuously transforming this field, and there is often a debate if the former will completely wipe out the need for humans in it.

 

While AI is being used to automate processes, enhance efficiency, and reduce personal biases, it still lacks the ‘human touch’ that is crucial to HR functions such as recruitment. Experts suggest that technology still cannot replace the risk-taking and instinctive ability of humans that is required for effective recruitment.



So what is it that makes humans irreplaceable when compared to AI? Here are five of the top human recruiting skills.

 

Establishing personal connect with candidates

There is no denying the fact that recruiting is one of the most ‘human’ jobs of the HR. It relies a lot on building a personal relationship with the candidates. Interacting initially, understanding of mutual needs, and laying the foundation of a prospective future association is somethings that only humans are capable of. AI cannot humanize this process. The recruitment team at Yahoo, for instance, has a strategy to set themselves apart from other recruiters. From doing a thorough background research of the prospective candidates to sending them personalized emails, this team works with a goal to identify talent with the ‘superpowers’ needed to do the job.

 

Making the person-job match beyond CV 

AI can go only so far when it comes to identifying and selecting the candidates who can fit the job. It can assist in evaluating a candidate basis the qualifications and certain skills needed for the job. However, there are several human attributes that cannot always be measured technologically. Statistics show that soft skills are one of most critical influencers of job success. And still, 63% of HR professionals agreed that they found it most difficult to assess the soft skills in a candidate. This ‘humanized’ aspect of recruiting makes humans more valuable to the process.

 

Finding the right culture-fit

Organizations aim at hiring candidates that are likely to become assets to them in the future. One way to achieve this is to bring hires who match not only their job roles, but the company’s culture as well. AI tools can also help in assessing this to an extent through pre-screening, but it cannot do what human observation can. Some recruiters prefer a face-to-face interaction to gauge if the candidate is going add value to their organization’s work culture or be a misfit. Companies such as Citadel, are going a step ahead by conducting ‘job auditions’ i.e. invite the prospects over to work for a day or so to find the best matches for their work culture.

 

Evaluating the candidate’s interpersonal skills

While ‘good recruiters’ match the right qualifications and skills with the right job profiles, ‘great recruiters’ match the right person and attitude with the right job role. A good hire often translates into the one who is good at establishing strong professional relationships at work. It is a human skill to accurately predict as to whether a candidate will be able to communicate well with his/her colleagues and manager, understand customer needs, handle customer grievances, etc. AI is still not capable of anticipating and customizing and altering the conversation basis the candidate’s responses. Thinking off-the-feet and being creative is what gives human recruiters an upper hand from the AI.

 

Selling the job to the candidate

The recruiters are the ambassadors of their employer brand. Candidates get their first impression of their prospective employer through their hiring professionals. AI can match the algorithms and filter the highly eligible prospects for the job, however, it cannot convince the top talent to take the job. Human recruiters, on the other hand, have the ability to influence a candidate’s decision regarding the job. Research has identified ‘not seeing prospects as the biggest decision maker in the hiring process’ - as one of the biggest problems of recruitment. AI cannot solve this problem as it is not capable of gauging another human’s motivations.



Considering the fact that recruitment is a high-touch and highly interpersonal HR function, the need for humans in it is hugely viable. This is confirmed by another survey which shows that only 14% of recruitment professionals are concerned about AI replacing them.