Remember when Marty McFly hopped into the DeLorean and traveled to 2015 in *Back to the Future Part II*? He found a world of flying cars, hoverboards, and self-lacing shoes. Yeah, our 2015 didn’t look quite like that, but the pace of technological advancement in the next 10 years… with AI, it could have us believing we’re (back) behind the wheel of a large… DeLorean.
Same As It Ever Was?
What I mean by that DeLorean comment is that AI is new and yet it’s the “Same as it ever was.”
While we’re watching how AI is revolutionizing the recruitment industry, we’re also seeing how it is not. For example, AI candidate matching helps but is not great (yet) and doesn’t add too terribly much in recruiter efficiencies. But over thousands of resumes? Yeaaaah, okay. But much of what I’m seeing being touted as AI is really RPA (Robotic Process Automation) or just automation. And that’s okay too, but everything that says it’s AI is not AI.
For us, AI helps us pre-qualify. (By the way, I loathe the term screen or pre-screen – more on that in a minute.)
One of the coolest things we’re doing is using automation to engage with every applicant via text. And later, when the time is right, we re-engage.
I also believe AI predictive candidate analytics are around the corner if not already upon us that will separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to talent outreach. But what we’re already doing by engaging everyone and doing it with AI plus humans is flipping the script on the traditional recruiting process. We’re making it more inclusive versus exclusive. Qualifying versus screening. Think CX – Candidate Experience. Get it?
Want to get it? Ask me how and I’ll show you what we’ve got under the hood.
Schedule a consultative demo here.
Virtual Worlds
Another big shift is the integration of virtual reality (VR) into recruitment processes. Some are now using VR to give candidates virtual office tours and simulate job tasks, providing a deeper insight into the company culture and work environment before a candidate even steps foot in the office. This not only enhances the candidate experience but also helps ensure a good fit for both parties, reducing turnover rates.
How we’re using it? Through our partnership with iXplore, we’re using VR to help the workforce of the future by delivering immersive career experiences and career navigation. Because you can only become what you can see, right? iXplore are fantastic storytellers taking kids (the hero) on career journeys and we’re pretty dang good at delivering career navigation–connecting talented kids and graduates to employers, industry associations, etc.
SEE HERE how we’re utilizing VR to prepare the tomorrow’s workforce
The benefits of AI and automation are extending beyond mere operational efficiency.
I believe these technologies will redefine our industry (recruitment), our workplaces, streamline processes, eliminate redundancy, and reallocate resources towards innovation, creativity. We all know this. You know it. So what if the water is cold, just dive in.
Efficiencies? Work-life Balance?
So with all this efficiency, you may be thinking, “I’ll have better work-life balance!” Yeah, prolly not. I mean, theoretically, okay. But that tired trope has been trotted out and back for centuries starting with movable type. Efficiencies gained but…
I’m not trying to be cynical. I’m just reminded of Parkinson’s Law. The idea that work expands to fill the time it is allotted. So, yeah, we’ll be busy for sure, work will be different, and perhaps more fun. IDK. Probably. But balance? No. If you allow for it and it feels like balance while your texting at the dinner table? Okay, sure. 😬
And yes, there are valid concerns about the impact of automation on jobs, especially if you bury your head in the sand and don’t adapt. Some roles will become obsolete or they will evolve, just like they did with internet 1.0 and 2.0. But this shouldn’t a signal to fear the future or make another Terminator movie. It’s an opportunity to adapt, create, and thrive.
But in order for the new workforce to emerge and thrive, it’s now time to shift our focus from traditional experience-based role requirements to skills based hiring – meaning we hire based on one’s ability to adapt and acquire and apply new skills.
For example, the skill of AI Prompt Engineering.
By the way, we’re building a pipeline of AI Prompt Engineers.
Want to know how your company can benefit?
Get with us HERE
So our challenge as recruiters and corporate hiring officials is to identify and cultivate talent that can thrive in this new era.
We need individuals who are not only tech-savvy but those who can problem solve, innovate, and adapt alongside these advancements. Not so much those who come plug-n-play or hit-the-ground-running.
So our challenge as recruiters and corporate hiring officials is to identify and cultivate talent that can thrive in this new era.
We need individuals who are not only tech-savvy but those who can problem solve, innovate, and adapt alongside these advancements. Not so much those who come plug-n-play or hit-the-ground-running.
The Final Cut:
I do believe AI and automation are powerful allies that can help us create more dynamic, efficient, and rewarding workplaces whether they be remote, hybrid, in your car, on a mountain, glamping, or in a Vrbo in Malta.
So, let’s not shy away from the future. Let’s embrace it.
Sow, Grow, Harvest,
Dave
