Chatbots Are Now Part Of The Job Search Experience. What You Need To Know
Do you want to talk to a robot? Likely you have been doing this already, and maybe for years. You know when you are on an e-commerce site and there is that pop-up that appears and you see a picture of a “person” who introduces him or herself and asks how they can help you. Likely, that was a chatbot - a robot. Many retailers have gone to chatbot technology to help answer simple and common questions. Now you are seeing it more and more integrated into an employer’s recruitment process.
Is this a good thing and how does it impact your experience as a job seeker?
What are chatbots?
This is what Oracle has on its website about chatbots.
At the most basic level, a chatbot is a computer program that simulates and processes human conversation (either written or spoken), allowing humans to interact with digital devices as if they were communicating with a real person. Chatbots can be as simple as rudimentary programs that answer a simple query with a single-line response, or as sophisticated as digital assistants that learn and evolve to deliver increasing levels of personalization as they gather and process information.
Chatbots use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and natural language processing to provide this “conversation.” You can have very simple chatbots that concentrate on one or a few related tasks. An example would be the technology that is used with a call center service. A person calling in could be asked simple questions that could allow the chatbot to answer concerns and complete common tasks.
There are also more predictive, data-intense chatbots. These chatbots learn about the user over time and can provide more personalization through machine learning. Siri, from Apple and Alexa, from Amazon are examples of these types of chatbots. You may be using this on a daily basis.
What do chatbots do in recruiting?
The answer is a lot and more and more each year. Larger companies have started using chatbot technology to streamline some of the simpler tasks in the recruiting process and likely medium and smaller sized companies will be adding this technology as well.
Scheduling
This is a time consuming process for a company. Imagine a recruiter having to coordinate phone or in person interviews for him or herself or scheduling for a hiring manager. Now imagine that for 25-50 plus candidates each week. It is not just an initial phone call, it may be multiple ones back and forth. Chatbots can do this for the recruiter. Accessing the calendar(s) of those that need to be doing the interviewing, the chatbot can offer several available times to the candidate,confirm the appointment with any instructions, and put it on everyone’s calendar.
Chatbots connected to an employers career page
Just as we have seen retailers use chatbots to assist consumers that come to their website, employers have started to incorporate the same technology for their career pages. These chatbots can answer questions (about for example, benefits and hours), can show a potential candidate job openings in a particular area, pre-screen applicants and then schedule interviews.
Screening candidates
Chatbots can ask a job candidate screening questions and capture the answers to determine if the person might be a good fit for a particular opening. A chatbot can ask about availability, specific skills or required certifications and general work history. Chatbots are getting more sophisticated, and are learning to be able to ask and assess the answers to more advanced questions. Based upon those answers, the chatbot can determine whether to move the candidate forward in the recruitment process and even schedule an interview.
Text to apply
Especially when an employer is using multiple marketing channels to reach out to potential employees, text to apply can be extremely helpful to get people to actually apply. Text to apply is providing a code so one can send a text, often with a key word for identification of the type of message. An example would be to a message such as Text “Jobs” to XXX-XXX-XXX. This can be printed on recruitment materials like flyers, retail receipts, signs, billboards, and on job ads. The receipt of the text connects the potential candidates to a chatbot who can ask questions and gather information about the candidate.
Previous candidate re-engagement
I have heard recruiters admit that they rarely review candidates that have previously applied for openings, even when they have access to these people through an applicant tracking system. It can be time consuming to set up the right filters and review the profile of these people and then make phone calls to see if an open position even is of interest. This is where chatbots can come in. The chatbot can do the work of reaching out to re-engage past applicants to ascertain interest in a new role.
Which companies are using chatbots?
Many well known companies are using chatbots as part of their recruitment process. If you apply for a position with the following companies, you may experience a recruitment chatbot.
FedEx
Cheesecake Factory
McDonalds
Ikea
Public Storage
UPS
Amazon
Deloitte
Why are they advantageous for employers?
First and foremost, a company’s talent acquisition team is tasked with hiring the best-qualified candidates. They do this keeping in mind the need to quickly fill openings as cost-effectively as possible. Chatbots nicely fit in with this focus.
Chatbots can take over more of the administrative parts of a recruiter’s job, such as scheduling, This allows recruiters to spend their time with more value-add activities like recruitment strategy, working with hiring managers and more in-depth interviews.
Another advantage of chatbots is helping to keep candidates engaged. Recruiters are stretched, with many openings to fill. It is difficult for them to do all the outreach needed, including getting back to candidates about their status and answering their questions. Chatbots can provide a more positive candidate experience by engaging with a candidate when a recruiter cannot.
Additionally, chatbots can help increase the number of qualified candidates that apply for positions. The chatbot’s ability to talk with potential candidates and answer questions can get more people to actually apply for jobs. There is a huge drop off between the number of people that visit a career website and those that actually apply for a job. Chatbots can help increase the “conversion” rate from initial interest to the applicant.
Why are they advantageous for candidates?
In 2020, there is an expectation of 24/7 access to information. Unfortunately, recruiters generally work five days a week during normal business hours. Chatbots allow job seekers to get information about an open position during off-hours, get pre-screened at a time convenient to them and schedule an interview without having to duck out of work to do so.
There are also arguments that the chatbots (or any robots) will be more unbiased than a human. Humans carry with them many conscious and unconscious biases. Chatbots can potentially address this, by assessing candidates based on specific job-related criteria. Now chatbots are only as unbiased as they are programmed to be, but eliminating human biases such as framing bias (interpreting information based upon how it is presented not the facts) and confirmation bias (seeking out information to confirm preconceived notions) is a positive.
What are the downsides for job seekers?
The downside of chatbots may depend on your expectations of the job search experience. If you are expecting a very personal experience, where you will get the time and attention of a recruiter throughout the process, then chatbots may leave you feeling empty. The chatbot is all business, so small talk and “getting to know each other” are not on the menu. Employers need to make sure that they balance chatbots with the human touch since the results of human interaction will be the basis for assessing whether the job and company is the right “fit” by the candidate. Also, like with any technology, it can also be glitchy. It is possible that your information is not transcribed accurately or you experience technical difficulties during your interaction. Also, the employer has to rely on the correct decision making of the chatbot when assessing candidates. Machine learning helps the chatbot learn, but it is not infallible. As a candidate, you might be ruled out for a role based on faulty reasoning.
While employers with large hiring needs, especially for part-time or seasonal employees, have embraced this technology, medium and smaller-sized employers are also adding chatbots to their recruitment technology portfolio. Overall, I think it is a good thing for both employers and job seekers. For employers, they can have their talent acquisition team members work with candidates when it is really important - at the middle and end of the process. Chatbots can also be helpful for job seekers, as they can get information about open positions immediately and it can shorten the recruitment process, which job seekers will agree is a good thing. Only time will tell in what ways this technology in other ways with job seekers and even employees.
For more information about chatbots, you can read the following information.
The Top 9 Best Recruiting Chatbots
A How-To Guide for Using Recruitment Chatbots
The Top 11 Best Recruitment Chatbots and a Case Study
Recruitment Chatbots: Is The Hype Worth It?