Yesterday we began a discussion with the Chief Product Officer of Monster, Chris Cho, concerning artificial intelligence (AI) and the future of HR and recruiting. Without further ado, here is the rest of that discussion.
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Daily Advisor: AI seems like a great solution for so many recruiting problems, but how do hiring managers know when it’s best to use AI?
Cho: Hiring managers shouldn’t be worried about when and where to use AI For most stakeholders in the recruiting and hiring process, AI should be invisible and intuitive. A good use of AI is finding the best time of day to schedule interviews and collect and process feedback from interviewers and hiring managers.
Also, we believe that the value hiring managers and recruiters provide is making human connections with candidates. Rather than having HR teams struggling for the resources to create or identify AI solutions, it will make more sense for them to outsource these needs. Companies—like Monster—are actively working to develop the tools that will enable them to be successful.
Daily Advisor: Can you tell me about the role of machine learning when it comes to recruiting and HR?
Cho: Machine learning makes repeatable tasks within recruiting more capably automated. Chatbots are actually, in theory, a good example of this. More advanced chatbots are actively learning based on responses they receive and changing how they interact with users.
Daily Advisor: I’ve read that there is a serious shortage of recruiters and HR managers that have the requisite training to make the most of contemporary HR software. Is software evolving faster than the people on the ground can keep up? How is this issue being addressed?
Cho: If software is evolving in a way that makes it difficult for users to keep up, the burden should fall on the software—not its users. The best software shouldn’t require a manual—it should be intuitive. Increasingly, commercial software is becoming more consumer-friendly. And, really good software should make people better at their jobs, not be another roadblock. It’s something we’re taking into consideration as we continue to evaluate our product and role in the job search process.
Daily Advisor: What is something about AI that most people in HR and recruiting don’t know?
Cho: Here’s one thing you might not know: AI is going to liberate us from our dependency and addiction to apps and devices. The irony is technology itself will free us up to do more “human activities” so we can have a more meaningful day. How? Future technology fueled by AI will be more seamlessly and invisibly integrated into our lives so we’re not constantly checking e-mails, calendars, or logging into our favorite app. A primitive form of this exists with tools that help schedule meetings at times when you are more cognitively alert, much like tools today that suggest best times to leave your home to avoid traffic on your commute.
Daily Advisor: What is something about AI that you wish that every HR and recruiting professional knew?
Cho: AI isn’t science fiction, and it isn’t going to take over our jobs and our worlds. So, don’t be afraid of it. Embrace it! The advent of more sophisticated tools that feature AI will push recruiters into differentiating themselves. The role of the recruiter will alter into one that is more outcome- and marketing-driven while still maintaining the human connection. In other words, recruiters need to become even better at the things that aren’t quantifiable or measured as KPIs. The human elements of their job are part of what makes them so valuable and irreplaceable.
Chris Cho is the Chief Product Officer of Monster.