How to Get Job Seekers on Board with Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence often gets a bad rap. Employees worry that this technology will one day replace them in the workplace. Customers are underwhelmed by the service they receive from chatbots. Job seekers feel at a loss about how to convince a program they deserve a job.

But there is one group of people that has welcomed artificial intelligence with open arms: recruiters. In fact, the 2018 LinkedIn Global Recruiting Trends report found that 76 percent of recruiters feel AI has had at least somewhat of a significant impact on what they do.

If job seekers want to land their dream job, they need to embrace artificial intelligence and its role in the hiring process. And as a career counselor, it’s your duty to help them.

Here are four ways the technology actually makes the job search easier:

1. It’s undetectable

Many job seekers worry that artificial intelligence will make the hiring process less human. They think the tools make decisions without truly understanding what they have to offer. Also, they fear that if they have questions or concerns, there won’t be an actual person for them to reach out to.

But the truth is, hiring professionals have been using artificial intelligence tools like applicant tracking systems and skills screening for years. These tools take tasks off hiring managers’ plates so they can give job seekers more attention. In fact, if there was no artificial intelligence, it’d be almost impossible to reach hiring professionals because they’d spend all their time reading through resumes.

Help job seekers come to terms with the use of artificial intelligence by explaining just how common it is. For example, show them how ATS tools scan resumes for specific keywords related to the position. This will put their minds at ease and help them create applications that are more likely to be selected by AI.

2. It saves time

One of the reasons recruiters love AI is because it saves them time. The right software can go through hundreds of applications in seconds. What job seekers need to understand is that these tools also save their time.

Without artificial intelligence, it would take forever to get through the hiring process. After submitting an application, it could take the hiring manager weeks to decide who to invite for an interview. Job seekers would have no choice but to anxiously await the next steps of the process.

3. It eliminates bias

Unconscious bias is a job seeker’s worst enemy. Even if a job seeker is perfect for a position on paper, something about them can cause a hiring manager to make a different choice. Fortunately, artificial intelligence helps remove multiple types of prejudice.

In fact, according to the aforementioned LinkedIn study, 43 percent of recruiters say they use AI tools because they help to remove human hiring biases. These tools select candidates based on their skills and experience, giving deserving job seekers a fair shot at the job.

This should give your job seekers peace of mind during the early stages of the hiring process. Instead of worrying how they’ll be judged, they can focus on clearly presenting what they bring to the table. If their resume aligns with what the company is looking for, they’ll move on to the next step of the process.

4. It leads to a better fit

In the long run, what’s best for your job seekers is finding a position and a company that meets their needs. Otherwise, they’ll end up back in the job search in a matter of months. Over time, however, artificial intelligence tools learn to better identify who is the best fit for the role.

To help job seekers see how AI helps them, have them make a list of why they believe they are perfect for the job before applying. Then, have them review their cover letter and resume to see if they reflect those top qualities. This will give them an idea of how artificial intelligence tools assess candidates and allow them to rework the documents to better show they’re the best fit.

At first, artificial intelligence can be intimidating for job seekers. But once they understand the upsides of the technology, they can position themselves in a better light. By embracing AI, they can succeed in their job search.