AI can help you get an interview – or get passed right up!

Things like this have existed for a while, but one technology company engaged in the global recruitment business has just released news about its new “auto-matching CV tool to help employers get the right candidates quicker.”

Broadbean Technology is launching their platform during a time in which many employers expect to receive an uptick in job applications, which makes finding the right candidate more time consuming. According to a statement recently released by the company, their new tool “uses machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) to auto-match applications against the job criteria, allowing hiring managers and recruiters to sort candidates by match strength. Using a visual indicator from Broadbean’s Applicant Ranking tool, recruitment teams can clearly see which applications most strongly match against the specific criteria, without the need to manually sort through applications.”

As a hiring manager, I myself can relate to the dread of having to weed through a pile of resumes, all collected from various sources, each representing another decision I’ll have to make. That was the case even before the pandemic destroyed the global economy and sent countless workers home to update their resumes.

Broadbean considers time one of the most important factors in successfully acquiring top talent. Recruiters must be quick in identifying the best applicants so they may engage them before they’re lost to the competition. The company insists this is still true despite the much larger pool of job seekers that now exists because of pandemic-related destruction to the job market.

So, with time being of the essence, Broadbean has stepped up to the plate with their new software tool. “The integration of machine learning and artificial intelligence means criteria can be updated and applicants can be ranked based on more than just their previous job titles. A person’s relevance against specific skills can also be assessed based on an application – so even if the perfect candidate is the last person to apply, they will be the first person on a hirer’s priority list.” There’s no doubt that AI is making headway in a vast number of industries, emerging as the latest and greatest tool to automate, simplify, and outpace competition. (And remove the need for expensive human resources). While I don’t disagree that machine learning is amazing and that AI can definitely enhance our lives, I’m also keenly aware of its dangers.

I’m not talking about a Terminator-style takeover resulting in a mech-warrior-like world of robot rule. Not yet anyway. Aside from being one small step toward taking the human out of human resources, using AI in the hiring process raises a couple of immediate and legitimate concerns, both for the employer and the jobseeker.

People commonly embellish their resumes and misstate things on applications. Professional resume writers know how to make their clients look unbelievable on paper, even if they aren’t quite so fantastic in real life. Maybe AI will learn to spot that somehow, creepily consulting an applicant’s social media posts or something. But, for now this is not something I see being resolved with any AI sifting tool.

Equally common are the really great candidates who either don’t realize their resume isn’t keyword optimized or can’t afford pay someone to do it for them. They may have an average quality resume, but given the increased number of people in the pool, and this new AI tool for weeding out all but the absolute best, what chance do those folks have of ever getting a phone call for an interview?

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