Artificial Intelligence is becoming more common as a hiring tool. An AI program via webcam questions job seekers, usually during the first interview.
It appears to be a very useful hiring tool, one of many necessary to hire the right person for the job, mainly because the first screening is based on an algorithm instead of a recruiter who may not treat applicants fairly. At least initially, there’s no need to be concerned with interviewer bias, it would seem.
“People are rejected all the time based on how they look, their shoes, how they tucked in their shirts and how ‘hot’ they are…Algorithms eliminate most of that in a way that hasn’t been possible before,” said Loren Larsen of HireVue.
However, Ifeoma Ajunwa, a professor of labor and employment law at Cornell University has reason to be concerned about AI as a hiring tool: “We have to remember that automated hiring platforms are still created by humans. The same biases that humans have would also be transferred to any platforms they create.”
Also, select AI algorithms attempt to recognize and measure myriad complexities of human communication, including body language. It’s possible, for example, most of the individuals who look up to the right or fidget while answering a question (signs of deception, according to body language experts) aren’t being forthright, but it’s also possible AI algorithms would miss nuances and erroneously judge the applicant, while a well-trained human interviewer would not.
Additionally, some people are exceedingly talented at doing interviews, particularly on video, such as those trained in body language and, or psychological assessment.
Artificial Intelligence used as a hiring tool, beyond the initial information-gathering interview, brings to mind self-driving cars; it sounds great, but it needs to advance further to be a 100% reliable option.
To avoid hiring disasters and save an enormous amount of time and money, I recommend multiple forms of assessment, such as unconventional security investigations, including handwriting analysis.
Copyright © 2020 Scott Petullo