Why AI Alone Cannot Fix Recruitment
The Tech and HR points of view
New technologies are already changing a lot of the jobs of today (think about the impact of home automation, connected businesses, smart cars - all due to the evolution of IoT).
Vincent Lonij and I did a great interview on the Hot topic of AI in Recruitment
Vincent has many years of experience in developing machine learning and AI-powered applications.
V: In the last few years, many new AI tools for recruiters have come to market -- proof that recruitment is a significant challenge and, moreover, proof that this challenge remains unsolved. In some cases, like Amazon’s unsuccessful attempt at automated CV screening, technology took a step backward. Perhaps one of these tools will provide the right answer to cracking the recruitment code, but it is worth considering the fundamental limitations of the current generation of AI technologies that make a pure AI solution to recruitment impossible.
R: It’s a reasonable position to consider. After all, we want to hire people to do the tasks that computers cannot (yet) do. The essence of these tasks is evolving -- and AI is developing fast. But the bottom line is that we need employees who have qualities that computers do not possess or cannot express in the same manner as a human being. Should we expect computers to be able to identify qualities in job applicants that a computer itself does not possess?
Can AI have Emotional Intelligence?
R: I think we should dive into the idea of EQ and Collaboration between people. One of the key qualities that make us successful is the ability to collaborate across traditional silos. Very few problems can be solved by one individual and most require multiple skills, as well as bouncing ideas and approaches. Emotional intelligence is not just about detecting and understanding the emotions of another person, it translates in recognizing and adapting to an individual's emotional needs and patterns. This is crucial for establishing a successful collaboration between people on one side, on another - it allows humans to build better and long-lasting relationships and influence others based on certain trends and changes of the behavior.
V: The ability to understand human emotional needs is not yet grasped by machines. There are systems that interact with humans through natural language, think about applications like Siri and Alexa. It is tremendously impressive what these systems can do. But just the fact that Alexa knows the correct response to a query does not mean that she understands what you really need.
Human Understanding
R: Let’s explore that a bit more, why do you think AI does not have understanding?
V: This concept can be understood differently. But in this context, I would define it as the ability to adapt to new situations. For example, the ability to quickly switch between different contexts. If you take an AI designed to drive a car and ask to assess resumes, the results won’t be very good.
Full article on LinkedIn