Job seekers must take note of the recent AI boom in South Africa, with ChatGPT becoming extremely popular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recruitment platform Pnet said that it is crucial to understand the effect AI now has in recruitment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pnet said that one of the pros of AI is that it reduces human bias. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Hiring bias is not only detrimental to job seekers, but to recruiters, employees and businesses. This is because unconscious biases can hinder diversity and inclusion efforts as well as company retention rates. And, unfortunately, this often occurs during the recruitment process,” Pnet said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It added that AI reduces the use of human bias, as it is programmed to only focus on the candidate’s skills, work experience and qualifications. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moreover, using AI will free up time for recruiters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Sifting through hundreds of applications every day to find the right candidates for different roles is hugely time-consuming for recruiters. AI could help to dramatically reduce the time spent on manually screening applications and CVs,” Pnet said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
An automated process of selecting candidates can also increase the amount of data that is gathered and assessed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, the use of AI can improve the candidate’s experience, as recruiters are often too busy to respond to individual candidates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“With the introduction of chatbots and virtual assistants, candidates will receive feedback faster and have a more positive view of the recruitment process. This could result in them applying for jobs more confidently in the future,” it said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cons<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n However, there are several pitfalls to using AI in recruitment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, AI is extremely keyword-dependent. This could cause candidates to trick the system and be identified as good candidates when, in reality, they are not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n AI may reduce human bias, but it may also overlook candidates who have atypical work experience and could be the best fit for a role based on their “soft skills.” Assessing character traits and personality requires human judgement, Pnet said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Moreover, AI is extremely impersonal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n “Brand loyalty is important for both recruiters and employers. Even if a candidate is unsuccessful in their application for a certain role, there may be a vacancy which would be perfect for the same candidate in the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n “While AI chatbots can be great for answering frequently asked questions, a recruiter is still best placed to create an authentic relationship with quality candidates.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hence, despite the growing fears that South Africans could lose their jobs to AI, Pnet said that recruiters will still be needed, as AI alone cannot fix the various hiring challenges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, Pnet said that AI and human intelligence must be merged to help create a more efficient, fair, and candidate-friendly recruitment process, which will help companies attract the right person for the right job. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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