AI is now present in most industries in the UK. And recruitment is just one in an extensive line of businesses where AI is flexing its muscles. Not only can AI powered tools automate recruitment tasks, enhance the candidate experience, and improve decision-making, but they can also handle candidate sourcing, screening, and initial interview stages, allowing recruiters to focus on more strategic activities.
Perfunctory instead of authentic
But whilst AI it helping to analyse vast datasets to identify suitable candidates, personalise communication, and even predict candidate success, from a candidate point of view, its use is more akin to a double-edged sword.
Whilst every applicant wants to ensure that they come across as unique and that their talents and abilities shine through, increasingly they are using AI to streamline and enhance their applications. Everything from writing a covering letter, compiling a CV, completing an application form, researching the business and putting together interview questions.
But the issue with AI is that it can’t think, empathise or reason. There is no creativity or individuality. Essentially its remit is limited by what is has been taught. And job seekers are being urged to understand when it’s appropriate to use it and when they do to use it sparingly.
Diluting the real you
In the meantime, organisations are seeing an increase in candidates using AI tools (for example, ChatGPT) to help job seekers complete job application forms. Essentially, this involves putting application questions into an AI tool and then copying the answers it supplies into the application form, either word-for-word, or occasionally with some basic minor edits. But employers are reporting a number of common complaints about job applications which are:
- Riddled with AI-generated sentences and phrases copied from AI chatbots
- Filled with too many Americanisms
- Similar in style, language or tone to other applications
- Crammed full of stilted, impersonal and unnatural wording, which lacks authenticity and a real human/personal voice
- Inconsistent in the language used, writing style or tone of voice throughout
- Overstate skills, experience, knowledge and qualifications
- Overuse of corporate jargon, repetitive buzzwords, or hollow phrases
Don’t compromise your credibility
Business leaders are worried that this overreliance on AI in job applications may mean that the technology could effectively ‘engineer’ the recruitment process, resulting in the appointment of people who are not capable of, or who are unqualified, to do the job for which they have applied. They have stressed that what they are looking for is clarity, honesty and relevance, not samey content, cliches and manufactured perfection.
It’s no surprise that to combat the growth in AI generated job applications, many organisations are now using specialist screening software, which can detect whether AI has been used. In addition, some recruiters now include more face to face interviews to ensure a more human connection, as well as using job based competency tasks to test an applicant’s skills and capabilities early on in the process.
How I can help
For advice and support when it comes to tailoring your recruitment process for greater levels of success, please email caroline.robertson@actifhr.co.uk