Artificial intelligence is permeating all aspects of life. And while many people like to focus on the more sexy development, such as self-driving cars, ride-share apps like Lyft and Uber, and airlines enabling planes to fly on autopilot, AI is now playing a key role in the hiring process — and job seekers may not even know it.
More organizations are now embracing AI to sort through job applicants and automatically target those that meet certain criteria. HR departments are turning away from people evaluating resumes and are instead embracing AI algorithms to find the right candidate.
Knowing this, job seekers now must change their approach to finding employment. This is especially critical in today’s tough economic climate and tightening job market, as a result of more than 30 million Americans filing for unemployment in the past few months due to the Covid-19 shutdowns and the disruption in the nation’s cities and many businesses in the wake of the George Floyd protests.
However, knowing the tools and applications being used in the job-recruitment journey is now necessary in the first step in securing a position. Employers are using many different AI-enabled technologies throughout the hiring process and job seekers need to be familiar with them to maximize their opportunities.
There are job-builder tools that help gather relevant information and target employment searches, such as Google Careers, Skillroads, and Leap.ai (which was actually built by two former Google employees to better help technology professionals in their job searches). Utilizing these applications helps people get their information in front of the right companies and increases their likelihood of finding a job that matches their skillsets.
Then there are platforms such as HireVue, which helps companies conduct a wide range of interviews and then evaluates them to provide hiring recommendations. HireVue uses AI to not only ask questions and sort through the answers but also to monitor facial expressions, voice tones, and even spoken grammar. It then sorts through the results before a hiring manager even lays eyes on the recruit.
Those are just the job-search realities. Perhaps the biggest advantage for a job seeker is to already have AI skills and expertise that will help boost a company’s capabilities. In fact, Deloitte’s global study of AI early adopters found that 68% of global enterprise companies report a moderate to extreme AI skills gap. Individuals able to help plug these holes certainly make more attractive job applicants.
According to the study, AI early adopters state that the top four most-needed positions are “AI builders” who are involved in creating AI solutions. They are:
- AI researchers to invent new kinds of AI algorithms and systems
- Software developers to architect and code AI systems
- Data scientists to analyze and extract meaningful insights from data
- Project managers to ensure that the AI projects are executed according to plan
In addition, enterprises that have adopted AI technologies are looking for “AI translators,” according to Deloitte. These are individuals who can help close the gap between the business and technical staff.
That said, however, organizations aren’t just looking for AI rock stars to invent new algorithms; they need employees with AI skills at all levels, such as software developers, data scientists, and project managers, that can use existing AI tools to participate and oversee projects from start to finish, according to the Harvard Business Review.
Needless to say, AI is playing an enormous role in the job market. Potential candidates need to utilize and embrace the current tools that organizations are using to sort through applicants. What’s more, having actual AI development or project management experience can move a potential candidate to the top of the list.