AI is the buzzword in tech right now and for good reason.
Nearly every industry (especially knowledge work) is seeing huge changes because of the development of generative AI tools like ChatGPT.
Every sector that uses writing and code is seeing changes as workers turn to ChatGPT to help them with their work.
The reason for this is quite simply the fact that we have free tools available to use to generate text on any topic.
But how is this affecting HR departments and the process of hiring staff?
Let’s find out.
How AI is changing HR and the hiring process
First things first, AI has been used in HR for some time now. Recruiters have been using algorithms to filter potential clients for a long time. The difference nowadays is that you have tools to generate written text.
How Employers/Recruiters use AI
There are many parts of the Hiring process that employers and recruiters can use AI.
Here are some examples:
- Generate a job description based on a prompt
- Communicate with potential candidates
- Candidate onboarding checklists
- Interview question generator based on the job/candidate’s experience
These are just some examples of how AI can help the recruiting process. Any task that is repetitive can be automated and any task that uses media can benefit from using generative AI.
How Job Applicants are using AI
Job Applicants are using AI more and more in their job application process.
Cover Letters are boring to write and it is easy now to use AI to read the job description (and your Resumé) and write a tailored response.
Resumés can also be written with AI. Tools like KickResume provide you with a resumé template and use AI to fill in the text.
Freelancers can also use AI to reply to job listings as to why they would be a good fit for the job.
How to check if AI was used to write a Cover Letter
The Cover Letter is the most obvious way that a job applicant would use AI. Writing a cover letter needs an understanding of the company you are applying to and how your experience can help you get a job.
To check if a candidate used AI in their cover letter, we can use our AI content detector which is called Winston AI.
Our AI detector has a 99.98% accuracy rate when detecting AI-generated text and you can test it out here
Let me also test it out here so you can see how it works
First, I will ask ChatGPT to write me a cover letter
Now, I will copy my ChatGPT cover letter and paste it into our AI content detection tool.
As you can see from the result on the right-hand side of the image above, Winston AI correctly identified the text as 0% human-written.
This gives you no doubt that the text you are reading was generated by an AI tool.
How to check if AI was used to write a Resumé/CV
Checking a Resumé for AI content is a little bit more difficult than a cover letter. The problem is that Resumés often have shorter paragraphs and really should have personal information only.
That being said, many people will use AI to write their resumé for them.
Here I am checking a sample of a Resumé from the website Kick Resume.
As you can see from the result our AI detection tool could still predict that the text was AI-generated.
Another difficulty that makes checking resumés for AI is that the text is shorter. AI detectors need at least 500 characters (about 100 words) to work well. This is so our language analysis tool and training datasets have enough context to make an accurate prediction.
Does it matter if a job applicant uses AI in their Application form?
You might be wondering if it matters if a candidate uses AI in the application process. This often depends on the job.
If the job is in an AI tech firm, then it might show you that they are up-to-date with the latest technology.
If the job is as a kindergarten teacher, then your trust might be lost by the factual inaccuracies that can occur with AI-generated text.
AI is a tool and you can use it to help you with some parts that you are struggling to write. I don’t think using an AI tool to write your entire cover letter and resumé will give your potential employer an accurate picture of your strengths and weaknesses.
How all this will impact the Hiring Process in the future
AI is having a huge impact on the way we hire people and it will hopefully lessen the friction between companies finding the right people and people finding the right jobs.
Companies still struggle to find the right person for the job and spend a huge amount of time and resources to hire a single employee. Some interview processes last for months at a time. Hopefully, AI can help with the search for the right talent by using advanced algorithms to match employees and employers.
I believe cover letters will be replaced with video cover letters in the near future as applicants generating AI cover letters and HR staff using AI to read these letters is a pointless exercise. In the meantime, if you need to know if an applicant used AI in their application, you should try out Winston AI.
