HR is a department with a negative reputation. It usually has few resources apart from overworked staff, boring technology and piles of employee handbooks. Overburdened recruiters have to sort into groups applications from candidates that far exceed the available jobs. For example, Johnson & Johnson (J&J), a consumer goods company, receives 1,2 million applications for 25.000 positions each year. AI-enabled systems can screen applications much faster than humans and determine whether candidates are a fit.
According to Athena Karp of HiredScore, a startup that uses algorithms to screen candidates for J&J and others, only about 15-20% of candidates usually have the right qualifications for a job, but they are rarely told why they were not hired. They indicated more suitable jobs. The technology helps “to show respect to candidates”, she says.
Nvidia, the chip maker, also receives more CVs than the HR department can handle, which is why it spent a year creating its own system to predict which candidates are worth going through the interview process. It has identified patterns that recruiters may not have recognised: for example, candidates who submit particularly long CVs turn out to do less well than others, so those extra words will count against them. Hilton, the hotel chain, reduced the average time to hire a candidate from 42 days to five with the help of HireVue, a startup. It analyses videos of candidates answering questions and uses artificial intelligence to judge their verbal skills, intonation and gestures. This can be particularly useful when the candidate comes from a different culture or speaks another mother tongue, says Ellyn Shook, chief leadership and HR officer at Accenture, a consulting company with 435.000 employees that also uses HireVue.
Employers tend to hire candidates who are like themselves, which creates undifferentiated workplaces. Orchestras, for example, were usually male. The employment of female musicians increased only when they introduced “blind” auditions behind a screen. Algorithms can act as virtual screens, making hiring fairer. Pymetrics, a startup whose clients include companies such as Unilever, a consumer goods giant, and Nielsen, a research company, offers a set of games for candidates to play, usually at an early stage of the recruitment process, that disregard factors such as gender, ethnicity and level of education. Instead, they test candidates for about 80 characteristics such as memory and attitude to risk. Pymetrics then uses artificial intelligence to measure applicants against top performers and predict their suitability for a role. This can help candidates without conventional qualifications.
Another company helping businesses become more inclusive is Textio, a startup that uses artificial intelligence to improve job descriptions. For example, it has found that corporate jargon such as “stakeholders” and “synergies” tends to put off some candidates, particularly non-white candidates, and that women are less likely to apply for a job described as “managerial” rather than “developmental”. Adjusting job descriptions can bring 25% more qualified people and boost hiring among minorities, says Kieran Snyder, head of Textio.
Recruiters often meet candidates who are well qualified, but not the right fit for the particular position they are trying to fill. In the past, there was no way to redirect them to other jobs. Artificial intelligence will make it possible to “redirect candidates we have attracted in the past”, says Sjoerd Gehring, vice president of talent acquisition for J&J. The healthcare giant uses HiredScore, a startup, to score candidates. When a vacancy opens, the system automatically creates a shortlist of candidates who could be a fit. This will bring significant cost savings, says Mr Gehring.
By integrating artificial intelligence into human resources processes, companies gain the ability to attract talent in new and effective ways, eliminating bias and strengthening inclusion. AI tools, such as those used by large companies, create a balance between efficiency and fairness, shaping a more diverse and sustainable workplace. As technology continues to evolve, the role of artificial intelligence in HR will remain decisive, leading to more balanced and productive relationships between businesses and the people who make them up.
Thanasis Karmiris
Payroll Manager
