Have you heard of recruitment “bots”? These bots, short for robots, are a new trend in automation taking over workplace tasks. As the name would imply, this new type of bot specializes in recruitment functions. At its core, this is a form of artificial intelligence that can perform basic functions and interact with people who are applying for jobs.
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Recruitment bots are also known by other names like: automated assistant, chatbot, chatbot assistant, AI recruiting, AI recruitment chatbot, etc. This technology in the recruitment sphere typically first takes the form of an automated conversation with potential applicants—a type of functionality that is made easier with the proliferation of messaging options available today to integrate with. It can also do other tasks, which we will discuss more in a moment.
What Functions Can a Recruitment Bot Perform?
What any particular recruitment bot can do of course depends on its programming, but here is a sampling of the types of activities managed by some of the recruitment bots available today:
- It can have a preliminary conversation with a job applicant to determine whether the individual meets the most basic qualifications. This is a simple form of pre-screening. It can be done via text, such as through a messaging system, or even by recording an applicant’s verbal answers to questions. This can even be set up to happen in real time – right at the time the job applicant is on the website ready to apply for the job. Immediate screening is completed, which could decrease the chance of losing a qualified applicant who has already moved on by the time the recruiter has the chance to review their resume.
- It can answer basic questions from applicants, such as information about the job or about the company. This can free up the recruiter’s time to focus on the tasks the bot cannot do.
- It can help with scheduling in-person interviews or other meetings.
- It can replace the application process with a more interactive process. For example, an organization could use a recruitment bot to ask an applicant questions – the same questions typically found on an application – and record the answers.
- It can assess all applicant qualifications and create a shortlist, ranked by the criteria of your choosing.
- It could give candidates who are not qualified for the position a list of other opportunities available they may be better suited for. This could mean you’re less likely to lose the candidate altogether if there’s another opening that might be a good fit.
- Applicant details can be aggregated by a recruitment bot, so that you have a clean profile to present when considering which candidates to bring to the next stage in the process.
- It can allow candidates to have an avenue to check on the status of their application.
- It can also be an automated way to give candidates updates about their status, even without the candidate initiating the conversation. This can include advising all applicants once the role has been filled. (One major frustration of job seekers is the lack of information from an organization regarding job status. This can help eliminate that frustration and perhaps help the organization retain a more positive employment brand even among those candidates who were not chosen.)
- These types of automated assistants can be integrated into the existing processes. For example, they can be utilized in the chat feature of a company’s job site.
- The bot could search by keywords or by scanning resumes or profiles to find potential candidates for you to contact. Or it could contact them on your behalf and set up interviews with interested and qualified candidates.
- This type of AI can even interact with new employees to help determine their onboarding needs and/or guide them through standard tasks required during the first days on the job.
- A chatbot could even conduct simple background screening or reference checks.
Now that we’ve taken a look at what recruitment bots can do, stay tuned for part 2 of this article, where we’ll outline a few of the benefits for recruiters using this new technology.