Artificial intelligence is defined as “the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially customer systems. These processes include learning, reasoning and self-correction”. The past few years have been transformative for artificial intelligence — not so much in terms of what the technology can do, but how the workforce has begun utilizing it. For Human Resource professionals, in particular, new permutations of AI technology have been sprouting up for use in recruiting and hiring efforts. In fact, 96% of senior HR professionals believe AI has the potential to greatly enhance talent acquisition and retention.
Making their workforce more diverse and inclusive has been top of mind for hiring managers. However, with AI technology, there has been a lot of discussion on whether it has developed a bias for choosing candidates that are predominantly white and male. In this blog post, we will discuss whether AI has developed a bias and what employers can do to contradict this bias with best practices moving forward.
How Amazon’s AI recruiting tool developed a bias
Recently, there has been a tremendous amount of growth in the tech industry around initiatives to better diversity and inclusion, though we still have a ways to go. Unfortunately, last year, Amazon’s machine-learning specialists uncovered a major problem with their recruiting engine. Amazon’s recruiting algorithms were trained to vet applicants by observing patterns in resumes that had previously been submitted. Since the tech industry was male-dominated for such a long period of time, the recruiting tool was only pulling resumes submitted by men.
While the idea of using an AI recruiting tool seems like it would reduce the reliance on the subjective opinions of hiring managers, there is still work to do. Many believe AI isn’t advanced enough to eliminate the possibility of biases. By relying on a computer program to evaluate candidates, many believe we are putting trust into a computer that cannot explain its reasoning.
Why AI can eliminate a company’s bias by only looking at skillsets
Companies such as CareerBuilder and Indeed have used AI to help provide their customers with qualified candidates by finding the best match. Based on keywords used in job postings, these sites’ algorithms can identify what skills a job requires and find candidates that match. By only focusing on a candidate’s skill set, employers are able to eliminate the possibility of unconscious biases.
CareerBuilder recently announced an update to its platform by creating AI algorithms to better address diversity. Irina Novoselsky, CEO of CareerBuilder said, “Companies are demanding more of their Talent Acquisition partners, and our technology not only helps companies deliver on their recruitment needs, including addressing diversity and bias issues but also enables them to effectively reach their business goals.”
When interviewing a candidate, whether it be in-person or over the phone, people can’t help but bring their own experiences or assumptions to the interview. Whether it is a ‘gut-feeling’ or unconscious bias, human aren’t able to fully explain their decision. With AI, it is capable to pinpoint exactly where those biases were applied and address them.
AI isn’t going anywhere soon and is only expected to get more advanced. While AI can be used to help eliminate human error, it shouldn’t be the only solution. AI can be extremely useful when working alongside HR professionals. For example, AI can be used to sift through resumes and find qualified applicants. But when it comes to scheduling and conducting interviews, HR professionals need to be involved. As AI becomes more advanced, HR professionals will see tremendous benefits in helping eliminate mundane tasks.
To learn more about the hiring process, check out our blog on 3 Reasons Why Resumes are Becoming Non-Existent!
Recent Comments