Advantages and Risks of Using Artificial Intelligence in the Hiring Process

When it comes to hiring and firing, artificial intelligence (AI) has a problem with credibility and accuracy. Many of us don't like the idea of ​​leaving decisions that can seriously affect human lives to machines, especially when we may not understand how and why they do what they do.

What is the need for artificial intelligence?

What if it turns out that machines were actually capable of making decisions in a way that is fairer and less susceptible to biases and prejudices than human decisions? For many of those working on the problem of applying machine intelligence to hiring and human resources, that is the goal. And going beyond that, is it possible that AI can help overcome the challenges of today's rapidly changing employment environment? The transition to remote work and work from home, prompted by the global COVID-19 pandemic, requires human resources departments to navigate and predict their way around complex and constantly changing patterns of employee behavior.

These are the types of patterns that AI highlights in identifying, understanding, and predicting. That's why Google is so good at predicting what you want to search for, and Netflix is so accurate at predicting what you want to watch next - 80% of viewing on the service is driven by recommendations!

Nevertheless, while we might be happy to have a machine help us choose which movie to watch next, we might feel a little uncomfortable at the thought that it is deciding whether or not we can have a job - or which employees the company should hire or fire.

What do experts say about artificial intelligence?

The concern about this has also been shared by Frida Polli, the CEO and founder of Pymetrics - one of the leading AI-driven hiring platforms. What is crucial is that by helping organizations better understand what candidates can offer in that regard, they can lead to less biased and more effective hiring decisions. This is not only Polli's opinion, but also that of one of her company's clients - Tan Moorthy, Global Head of Education, Training and Assessment at Infosys. Moorthy says, "If you look at what's happening with technology skills, the lifetime of how long they are relevant is decreasing on the one hand, and then we have automation taking away roles that people can do. That means that ... you have to come up with ways that people can coexist with machines. That's the critical need ... you have to hire the right talent(s) (and) so it's important to bring people in not based on their degrees, but based on their skills."

At Infosys, this understanding of current employment challenges has led to the establishment of the Reskill and Restart program. The program is built around a free online platform that connects employers and trainers with job seekers and potential employees based on their skills and interests, not their background and education. So far, it has enabled hundreds of people to retrain for profitable and rewarding careers in the technology industry.

Pymetrics played an important role in this process thanks to its innovative AI-powered decision-making tools for hiring.

PickJobs and Artificial Intelligence

Did you also know that PickJobs' tool PJ MATCH also uses artificial intelligence to accurately match employers and job seekers? Based on the parameters entered in the job ad and the completeness of the user profile, the system automatically calculates the compatibility of the applicant with the employer's needs.