Could AI take over the world of recruitment outsourcing? Imagine you have an assistant who schedules interviews immaculately, screens CVs without any bias, and identifies leading candidates in record time. What a dream this would be! The catch is, they’re not human, they’re artificial intelligence.

This may be a future dream for some, and a possible nightmare for others, but the implementation of AI was recently discussed in the Recruiting Future podcast with Matt Alder. He gave interesting insights into how organisations are currently carrying out AI and what the future holds for the industry. 

This blog will discuss the future of recruitment and what will happen to recruitment outsourcing.

What is AI in recruiting?

The first point discussed in the podcast was an eye-opening fact that despite all the talk about artificial intelligence in the recruiting industry, there isn’t actually any genuine AI in recruiting.

The term ‘artificial intelligence’ is actually vastly exaggerated, and according to the actual definition, it means ‘machines that work and act like human beings’, but that is not what HR and recruiting seems to call it.

The closest thing to AI currently in recruitment is the algorithms that are used to match the right people to the right jobs, as well as the hint of machine learning and forecasting.

Will AI replace outsourcing?

Despite the common worry that AI will steal jobs from humans across many industries as technology advances, the future of recruitment seems safe. AI will never be able to replace recruiters in outsourcing as the process of candidate selection needs to be personalised with a face to it to build trust from both ends. 

Artificial intelligence will only make outsourcing recruiters' lives easier by scanning multiple data of candidates in a fraction of the time, and will also be able to look for signs that candidates may be ready for a new opportunity. This works to increase both the available talent pool and the engagement of said candidates.

AI also helps to increase the speed of communication between recruiters, clients, and candidates; replies can be automated, giving recruiters time to focus on building trusting relationships with candidates.

Outsourced recruiters can also use AI to predict market shifts and indicate trends that could be widespread across the talent pool. AI also works to improve diversity by reducing human bias through hiring decisions, helping to level the playing field and identifying qualified candidates that hiring managers or recruiters may miss.

There are also potential ethical concerns that could arise from the use of AI in recruitment. As the algorithms used by AI are only as unbiased as the data they are trained on, there is a risk that these systems could perpetuate existing biases and discriminate against certain groups of people. It is important for companies to actively monitor and audit their AI systems to ensure that they are not inadvertently perpetuating biases and to ensure that their recruitment processes are fair and inclusive.

It’s clear to see that AI will not hinder or replace outsourcing recruitment, but only make it easier for recruiters to work effectively and build better relationships with clients and candidates.