Where AI can shine in Recruitment w/ guest Bill Fisher (VONQ) [Ep. 13]

In the latest episode of AI in Recruitment, VONQ’s Chief Technology Officer Bill Fisher delves into the transformative potential of AI in the hiring process. His insights provide a fresh perspective on how AI can address the perennial challenges faced by recruiters. “I think the scarcity is in part because the tools they’re using aren’t good enough to find relevant candidates. And that’s where, that’s where opening AI can really shine.”

Using AI for candidate evaluation

Bill Fisher emphasises the immediate benefits AI can bring to recruitment, particularly through generative AI tools like ChatGPT. He suggests practical applications such as creating detailed job descriptions, generating Boolean search queries, and even devising A/B test cases for job ads. These enhancements can significantly reduce the manual workload for recruiters, enabling them to focus on more strategic aspects of their roles. “It’s really difficult for me not to think of 30 different ways some of these work outputs can be improved by using chat itself.”

One of the most compelling advantages of AI, according to Fisher, is its capability to infer and evaluate candidate suitability. AI can analyse job descriptions and candidate profiles to identify the best matches, highlighting strengths and weaknesses. This process not only speeds up the selection process but also ensures a more objective evaluation, reducing potential biases. “You can give a large language model a job description, you can give it ten candidates… what’s the best candidate? And then why?

Where AI can shine

Addressing the common complaint of candidate scarcity, Fisher argues that the issue often lies in the inadequacy of current tools to discover suitable candidates. He illustrates this with an example where traditional parsers fail to recognise key skills presented graphically on a CV. AI, with its ability to understand and extract multimodal data, can bridge this gap, making more candidates visible and assessable. “I think the scarcity is in part because the tools they’re using aren’t good enough to find relevant candidates. And that’s where, that’s where opening AI can really shine.”

“I think the scarcity is in part because the tools they’re using aren’t good enough to find relevant candidates.”

Fisher highlights the innovative use of AI agents to manage candidate interactions. By conducting gap analyses and automating follow-up communications, AI can handle repetitive administrative tasks, ensuring that potential candidates are not lost due to lack of timely engagement. This continuous interaction can capture more relevant information and maintain candidate interest throughout the recruitment process. “If you tell the system, perform a gap analysis on these two documents and then communicate with the candidate, it can phone, send a WhatsApp text, or email.”

Fake it ’til you make it

Looking ahead, Fisher envisions AI not just as a tool for recruiters but also as an ally for job seekers. AI can empower candidates to bridge knowledge gaps and present themselves more effectively for roles they might otherwise be overlooked for. This democratisation of job opportunities can potentially reshape the job market, allowing for more dynamic career shifts and personal growth. “A large language model could help somebody fake it till they make it. I think it allows a way to jump into a new role where I have zero experience.”

Listen to the full podcast

For those keen on delving into the complete discussion with Bill Fisher, CTO at VONQ, the full episode is available for listening on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or through the link below.