Hype and fear play loudly today as AI makes its presence in nearly every aspect of talent acquisition (TA). And those emotions are part of a larger force influencing how markets evolve: disruption. AI disrupts jobs, the way companies handle work, the economy, and even how people think and what they do.
From a talent acquisition perspective, a genuine concern is that AI disruption sows doubt. Doubt causes inaction, and inaction stalls innovation. And when companies put their TA innovation plans on hold, they put their competitors in the driver’s seat in the race to secure the people needed to grow and succeed.
Whether a company is considering a technology, a solutions partner or a new approach to getting work done, removing doubt about AI and reining in the wait-and-see instinct is step one. To take that step, examine the real impact automation has already left within our industry — and lean into AI’s full capabilities for strategic planning, workplace culture, accuracy, talent capacity and long-term growth.
Here are three common areas of hesitancy around AI solutions that business leaders should examine to adopt a truly innovative, timely and competitive TA strategy.
Fear of the unknown. The TA function’s speed and flexibility are significantly influenced by its adoption of AI-driven technologies. For skeptics, however, AI adoption fuels more questions than answers around data integration, accuracy and what the near future holds.
Making assumptions based on lagging data is one of the riskiest parts of recruiting planning. When projections fail to deliver on time or budget, the business struggles to bring projects to fruition, impacting an organization’s survival and growth. Advanced intelligence, enabled by machine learning functionality, provides a measurable way to reduce the gap between what an organization does and doesn’t know by offering predictive data that sees ahead of evolving talent objectives. As one client said, “The system answers questions we did not even know to ask.”
In our experience with clients, we have seen the value that extremely flexible and forward-looking intelligence can bring. Given the increased number of data points and real-time metrics that intelligence platforms provide, accuracy and reliable predictions are vastly improved. Companies can eliminate the guesswork in remarkable detail by taking an “innovation-first” approach to data sourcing, providing operational stability for the entire organization.
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Data without a story. A view into relevant metrics can often lay bare new needs for overwhelming process improvements and workplace changes. Unfortunately, the sheer volume of data sources can cloud decision-making, magnifying every success or shortcoming. As a result, an employer may default to “what worked last time” rather than take on an adaptive problem-solving approach.
The AI functionality of an advanced workforce intelligence platform automates the analysis, giving organizations a responsive tool to examine time-to-fill averages and outliers in detail — offering full transparency into what is working and what is not. Through AI-driven solutions, teams are empowered to facilitate constructive, solutions-oriented conversations.
By investing in data, you are investing in relationships. AI applications provide next-level metrics and reporting capabilities that are accurate and transparent.
Bias behind numbers. Recruiters recognize that bias can lurk within existing automated functions like resume reviews, stack ranking or distribution of ad spend. How teams navigate this data is the key to overcoming this common pitfall.
Adding technological capabilities to identify bias within the data significantly strengthens the hiring process through trustworthy quality assurance. This includes a review process to support continued regulatory compliance. Talent-specific expertise can support internal strategies while helping businesses navigate new regulations.
Data confidence comes from careful vigilance and a deep understanding of innovations, key market indicators and regulatory developments. Process data can be completely transparent and amazingly predictive, and with the confidence of a trusted partner, companies can better mitigate bias within the hiring process.
Embrace the Promises and the Cautions
It is reasonable and accurate to associate AI with disruption, but it is important to remember that AI presents risks that can and must be managed, not shunned. The machine learning skeptics who remain may be putting their future TA potential at risk. The path to success belongs to those who create foundational, long-term resilience by arming their TA team with the tools to succeed.