Lauren Jones, sourcing specialist at Capita, shares her views on the growth of AI in this sector.
There are interesting times ahead for the recruitment industry as Google unveiled Google for Jobs in the US in 2017, soon to be followed with a UK launch. Google for Jobs is tipped to revolutionise the recruitment industry using AI and machine learning to deliver personalised job posts direct to the job searcher, factoring in elements like their personality and lifestyle.
The biggest benefit here is undoubtedly going to be felt by the intrepid job seeker, and intentionally so. Google for Jobs personalises the job posts shown to the candidate by creating a persona map of them - using their search history, webpage browsing habits, location history and commute time from advertised roles to only show them relevant and appropriate opportunities.
This has the potential to greatly improve the candidates experience and make their job search journey less daunting and time consuming. Could this also potentially signal the end of the job board? Candidates will arguably no longer need to search for jobs on job boards directly anymore. But that’s just the beginning.
Job boards, recruitment agencies and internal recruitment functions in the UK will need to take proactive steps to ensure they are not missing out by implementing a formatting schema that allows Google to interpret the information in their job postings. Google for Jobs will use sophisticated algorithms to analyse entire job descriptions - rather than just job titles and basic keyword matching – giving Google a significant edge over job boards when it comes to giving the candidates personalised, relevant results. Better still, Google for Jobs will continue to learn, getting smarter and more accurate the more searches it runs. For the job boards and agencies who don’t act quickly with the changes, they risk being left behind the curve – losing their competitive edge in a very competitive market.
For those who do get on board with the changes, there are numerous benefits. By optimising their own careers sites, companies could decrease their advertising spend overall and reduce their reliance on external suppliers. This could streamline the interview process as only the most relevant candidates will be shown their roles to apply to. Time to hire will be reduced for recruiters as they will receive better quality candidate applications. Hiring Managers vacancies will be filled with more suitable and engaged candidates, hopefully having a positive effect on retention.
I’m extremely jealous at the thought of just how much candidate data Google will gain. What this means from the perspective of people data analytics is huge (if you’re a data nerd like me). Google will have one of the world’s largest rationalised database of jobs and skills that are in demand, by location. They will also be able to map trends across skillsets and levels of seniority, and show businesses where the people they need are, based on quantifiable data. For anyone involved in talent attraction – this is the holy grail.
Finally, could one of the casualties in the march of recruitment technology be Recruiter’s themselves? Personally, I don’t think so. AI and automation will make the job-hunting process easier for all involved – but no robot yet created can replicate genuine human interaction.
Lauren is dedicated to sourcing high calibre candidates across Capita's Commercial and Workplace Services and is interested in developing a pipeline of strong candidates to find them the career of their dreams in a variety of Administrative, IT, Finance, Sales and Management positions.
Connect with Lauren on Linkedin today to find out about her current opportunities.