Critically analyse how technologies can be utilised to improve employee selection, drawing upon examples to illustrate. (AC 2.3)
The employment process has been greatly revolutionized by technological inventions and these days most companies make extensive use of different technological tools in the process of screening, grading, and hiring of potential employees. As new ideas and trends come up, the recruitment and selection process keeps evolving.
To create a transparent and unbiased environment while hiring, it becomes necessary to evaluate every candidate equally. AI has changed the way the recruitment process is done by using ATS and screening applicants based on the criteria set by the company.
Nevertheless, at present, social media companies are using AI-based tools to identify job seekers who fit the job description. They can conduct deep searches through massive databases of CVs by parsing and keyword searches, which mean their analytics and insights, are of the best quality, powering businesses to make decisions based on facts gathered that are related to human resources.
Many discoveries that took place such as ChatGPT and a bunch of other similar applications helped a lot to make the generative AI technology that advanced. This technology made it possible for the users to work faster and, as a result, the production processes were made more efficient and the system operations were simplified (McKinsey, 2023). What is noteworthy in this regard is that generative AI also is practical enough in the hiring department to assist with screening and categorizing applicants. A recruiter can input the job advertisement description to a platform and identify the candidates who meet the desired qualifications. AI technology which is the same as that of Van Esch et al is proven to be more objective and unbiased than human beings.
AI systems’ accuracy and reliability are based on the quality of the data they use. The very stage in which an AI system is developed can lead to the bias of that system being passed on in the same manner. AI algorithms sometimes return biased results as well. While the hiring process is all about data, it must be depersonalized, but the bias cannot be eliminated. This underlines the ethical aspects of data security and the ability of AI to come up with decisions.
Employers should be cautious and develop a complete privacy policy that clearly informs the applicants about the usage of their data by third-party AI applications and also get their voluntary consent. Nevertheless, the fact that a computer would have the sole responsibility of screening a candidate and not humans may make the latter rather anxious. Algorithms could err in comprehension of the information or the allusive elements of the CV as well, for instance, for candidates who choose a different standard or have a dyslexia problem. Therefore, it is advisable to incorporate a human supervision process to validate the outcomes generated by AI-powered systems that are given by machines.
It is indispensable to say that AI has not only its disadvantages but also its pros, for example, the promotion of inclusion, diversity, and equity. Artificial intelligence is an example of how technology can be used to benefit people if it is utilized the proper way. The use of AI in human resources can be done in a way that is fair and 100% free of bias or favouritism.
Adding gamification to the hiring standpoints, a habit of using games and puzzles to choose candidates can be connected with the concept of employer branding which is the power to build employer brands as innovators (Walshe, F. (2024). However, this is the most difficult task for them as they have to understand how their actual behaviours are being evaluated and they might get an unfair advantage through it. The engaging situation created with the use of gamified tools in a way that puts an equal condition to all makes the result more comprehensive in revealing the candidate’s potential. (Georgiou et al., 2019).
The incorporation of gamification in the evaluations may bring validity to inherent problems and ethical dilemmas, particularly to those who are neurodiverse. The job-specific tests may not be totally clear and may conflict with the principles of fair competition. Despite this, some companies have been able to produce positive results as a result of the use of gamification in their recruitment process.
The HMRC uses technology in its hiring process. The ATS takes over the applicant sorting and filtering process for recruiters. Notwithstanding, it is a system that exists independently of any other data system, so it is a stand-alone entity with a gap in integrating many touchpoints, and therefore its effectiveness is limited. To get the best from the technology, it is sometimes required to have multiple processes, but what is needed is a more integrated and streamlined group of recruitment tools.
Social media is also involved in the process of screening candidates for HMRC. The system focuses on the resumes posted on their site and performs checks based on the applicant’s set of skills. The system is indeed an expert in fulfilling its task. Yet, it is also possible that this procedure may inadvertently rule out the possibility of qualified people whose resumes are not in this pool. Perhaps, a more flexible way can be thought which allows those who do not exactly but closely have similar job titles to have the same opportunity with those job positions. Even so, the HMRC can disregard the innovative tools that others are using because it is modern and can be effectively exploited for all departments of the HMRC.
The Civil Service widely uses work-based scenarios to evaluate and select graduates. Very often, for those with neurodiversity or limited experience in professional job applications, it all seems to be difficult because of straightforward answers to many job positions. Seeking a fair adjustment is okay, nonetheless, the procedure of evaluation cannot be altered. Nevertheless, these evaluation techniques can also be considered useful as far as the objective of the test is clear.
Technology has revolutionized the whole process of hiring, for which ATS, gamification, and AI are the main actors. While these skills are not infallible and may be a bit biased at some times, they are very useful when both human recruiters and these tools work together. With the help of these groups, a fair and just hiring process can be implemented. While appreciating the fact that technology is not meant to replace but rather complement the expertise of well-experienced staff
- CIPD (2023) ‘Selection methods’ [Online]. Available from: https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/people/recruitment/selection-factsheet [Accessed Day 17 Feb. 2024].
- GDPR for HR: AI in Recruitment, EU employee transparency legislation, data privacy legislation in the US and more (2022) Osborne Clarke. Available at: https://www.osborneclarke.com/insights/gdpr-hr-ai-recruitment-eu-employee-transparency-legislation-data-privacy-legislation-us [Accessed Day 18 Feb. 2024].
- Georgiou, K., Gouras, A., and Nikolaou, I. (2019) ‘Gamification in employee selection: The development of agamified assessment’ [Online]. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ioannis-Nikolaou3/publication/332618899_Gamification_in_employee_selection_The_development_of_a_gamified_assessment/links/5cc09632299bf120977d647f/Gamification-in-employee-selection-The-development-of-a-gamified-assessment.pdf [Accessed Day 19 Feb. 2024].
- Pan, Y. and Froese, F.J. (2024) ‘An interdisciplinary review of AI and HRM: Challenges and future directions’, Human Resource Management Review, 33(1) Snyder, K. (2023) ‘ChatGPT writes recruiting mail: A Textio analysis of recruiting mail written in ChatGPT’ [Online].
Available from: https://www.textio.com/blog/chatgpt-writes-recruiting-mail/100663967620
[Accessed Day 22 Feb. 2024].
- Tom Clegg. (2023) Revolutionising recruitment: Ai Tech takes the lead, LinkedIn. Available at:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/revolutionising-recruitment-ai-tech-takes-lead-tom-clegg-
[Accessed Day 23 Feb. 2024].
- Walshe, F. (2024) ‘Gamification in recruitment’ Robert-Walters Group [online]. Available at
https://www.robertwaltersgroup.com/content/dam/robert-walters/corporate/news-and-pr/files/whitepapers/gamification-in-recruitment.pdf [Accessed Day 23 Feb. 2024].
» |
bibliography |
Use the space below to include any sources referred to but not directly cited (eg books, articles, websites) within your assessment.
- Hollander-Bolton, I. (2021) ‘Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Recruitment and Selection – Human Factor’ [Online] Available from: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/artificial-intelligence-ai-recruitment-selection-izabela/ [Accessed Day 19 Feb. 2024].
- Industry Expert. (2023). The Role of Innovative Technologies in Recruitment and Selection. Retrieved from: [This is a generic source, as no specific citation was provided.] [Accessed May 03. 2024. 2024].
- (2023). Applicant Tracking System. Retrieved from: https://www.indeed.com/hire/recruitment-solutions/applicant-tracking-system [Accessed May 02. 2024. 2024].
- Pan, B. (2023). Algorithmic Bias in Recruitment: How AI Technology Perpetuates and Amplifies Biases. Retrieved from: [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/378063915_A_Comprehensive_Review_of_AI_Techniques_for_Addressing_Algorithmic_Bias_in_Job_Hiring.] [Accessed May 03. 2024. 2024].