Human resources is an increasingly important aspect of the overall strategic processes of an organization since a significant portion of the HR department’s responsibilities include recruiting and retaining talent. Unfortunately, HR personnel often face challenges regarding limited manpower and resources. As such, this limits their ability to make quick hires, verify credentials, and maintain an effective online hiring process.
Fortunately, HR recruiters can obtain a significant leg-up by adopting conversational AI, which helps them eliminate repetitive tasks and provide efficient administrative solutions. Let's find out how this is possible!
HR professionals wear multiple hats, one of which is connecting employers with prospects on a deeper level. But, during the recruitment process, HR is faced with a heavy workload. Customer service tends to diminish regarding follow-up due to high workload, slow-down responses to requests, and show less engagement.
Conversational AI can assist HR recruiters through the use of virtual AI assistants. These AI assistants can automate communications, scale recruiters' workloads, and improve prospective employees' recruiting and hiring processes. By communicating with a virtual AI assistant when they visit the careers page of a company’s website - at the very beginning of the relationship - prospective applicants will get more insights on the role, determine whether the company is the right fit, and begin the application process.
Here are some ways conversational AI supports the HR department:
Conversational AI removes the guesswork from the screening process by allowing the application to filter through the applications, selecting the ones that meet the criteria. The application uses the data to predict the compatibility between the applicant and the company. By doing this, recruiters can focus on building relationships with the most promising candidates.
Employees often refer candidates for positions within the company. Conversational AI can play a role in determining the kinds of candidates being referred and which people or departments tend to refer the best ones. This adds additional insight into the correlation between employees who are successful at the organization and them recommending good candidates that can add additional value.
Gone are the days when an applicant was willing to wait to hear from a company. Today, considering the talent shortage and speed of technology, applicants expect to stay in communication with their prospective employers lest they lose interest.
Conversational AI keeps communication consistent by continuously sharing important information with prospective and current candidates.
For candidates waiting to hear back from the HR team, the virtual AI assistant can relay information on interviews, progress updates, when recruitment for a particular position begins, how to submit a profile, how the company is working through COVID-19 protocols and requirements, and other roles in addition to the one they are applying for.
Conversational AI works for many candidates because it operates 24/7, something that isn’t feasible for a human. As such, candidates can engage and interact with virtual AI assistants before or after traditional work hours, making recruitment significantly more convenient and flexible. Additionally, conversational AI can be used in social applications to support the recruiting process.
High-volume recruitment is enhanced with conversational AI taking the reins by scheduling interviews and following up. Operating as a virtual AI assistant, applicants can schedule interviews from a selection of dates and times, notifying the HR manager or team member when the time slots have been filled. Follow-up is much easier, advising applicants on the next steps with room for them to ask questions. The virtual AI assistant can also work with the applicant to confirm, cancel, or reschedule their interview when needed.
Most HR departments have a huge database of applicants that may not have been hired for roles. Conversational AI sifts through those applicants, searching for those that may qualify for the new role. In an advanced state, the application can also recommend current employees for new roles or direct them to roles better suited to their skill set.
Once the applicant becomes a candidate and eventually gets hired, things can easily fall through the cracks. A good onboarding and training process can help with employee retention. In fact, by taking an active role in the employee’s new role, productivity can increase by 57% and retention by 82%.
Conversational AI will guide new hires through a series of training sessions, keeping up their progress and making sure they stay on schedule, as well as handling any inquiries. Onboarding activities can be tracked and virtual AI assistants can send reminders when there is additional information that needs to be submitted. New employees with questions can find the answers through a virtual AI assistant or they can be referred to an HR team member for further information.
It's no secret that conversational AI is an asset to the HR department when used effectively and efficiently. Conversational AI is designed to aid and free up time for recruiters, allowing them to serve potential candidates and new hires more effectively. This helps in attracting new talent, getting better-qualified leads, and remaining connected throughout the recruitment process without interference.
Conversational AI can also take on the task of keeping applicants that were not selected in their warm candidate pool by reaching out to them on a regular basis to see what’s changed, update their information, and learn more about what they want career-wise.
While making a final decision on a candidate will be handled solely by recruiters, conversational AI is able to improve and accelerate every step of the process leading up to hiring. As such, HR recruiters are able to find more qualified candidates, and prospective employees benefit from an enhanced recruitment and hiring experience–making them more eager to join your company.
With HR playing a larger role in the strategic initiatives of any company than ever, finding the best candidates and employees is crucial. Fostering positive interactions with your company from the start sets the expectations and standards of applicants. Plus, companies that provide great recruitment experiences typically see revenue increases and improved employee engagement and retention.
Conversational AI is the key to giving your HR recruiters a leg-up on tasks and other duties that can be monotonous and take up too much time, as well as fostering personal engagement and interaction with potential candidates. Now, and moving forward, conversational AI should be an integral part of any recruitment strategy.
If you’re interested in learning more about DRUID’s conversational AI solutions, download our whitepaper today.