The increased use of AI in employment screening

Employment screening is getting increasingly complicated. More data about candidates is available than ever before, and regular changes to data privacy laws make the to-do list of HR managers longer and more extensive. Digital data harvested from social media, online applications and previous employment have all made procedures for hiring new staff more comprehensive, increasing man hours and hiring costs.

But artificial intelligence has been relieving the human burden for some time now, by taking on some of the simpler recruiting tasks such as scheduling interviews and sourcing candidates.

First cut screening times can be hugely reduced by utilising AI CV readers which are trained to pick out the most relevant qualifications, skills and experience. Intelligent screening can also employ chat bots, who can carry out initial interviews online. Together these methods can drastically reduce human workload by presenting HR managers with an already condensed list of the most appropriate candidates.

When it comes to background screening applicants, AI can search the wider range of available data in a faster time, where previously data might have been missed or avoided due to time or manpower limitations.

AI is also able to spot patterns in data which might not have been visible in old-style checking, which can highlight potentially risky candidates or flag up information which needs to be further investigated. Furthermore, AI can help direct research to only the most relevant data points, where humans could waste time and potentially make errors from being subject to an overwhelming amount of information, AI are able to wade through large amounts of data and focus only on the most relevant insights.

While utilising AI in employment screening offers a faster, more comprehensive and less biased search by unearthing candidates which might be missed through traditional search methods, it is vital not to discount the importance of human interaction. Many recruiters report that their gut instinct has led them to the right candidate or directed them away from an applicant that on paper looked perfect but could have turned out to be a disastrous hiring decision.

As machine learning and artificial intelligence grow more sophisticated, AI in employment screening will become more commonplace, but it is essential that we do not grow complacent. Ensure that all candidates are thoroughly screened to confirm their suitability for employment, to protect your customers, staff and your bottom line.