Tom Cornell, Senior I/O Psychology Consultant at HireVue, explains that the blend of human intuition and Artificial Intelligence yields the most successful hiring decisions.
In recent years, businesses have made significant efforts to promote inclusivity and accessibility in their workplaces. This all starts with recruitment. Organisations must ensure that they are not stopping talent at the gates due to unfair processes, either because of inaccessibility or bias whether implicit or unconscious.
However, detecting and measuring the extent of biases is challenging for human evaluators who may not be fully aware of their own subjective tendencies. This is where external tools such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) come into play, offering a much-needed objective measurement in recruitment. AI, unlike humans, can be programmed and monitored to locate and mitigate the source of bias.
To ensure that hiring managers attract a diverse pool of talented individuals, it is crucial to establish a recruitment process that avoids excluding potential candidates. By incorporating flexible interview schedules, utilising consistent pre-recorded video interview questions, offering practice assessments, and using scalable and inclusive interview questions, every candidate, regardless of their background, availability, or location, will have an equal opportunity in the recruitment process.
When developing hiring practices that mitigate bias and inaccessibility, it is ultimately the blend of human intuition and AI that yields the most successful hiring decisions, as one keeps the other in check.
AI in recruitment can mitigate bias
AI in hiring practices can mitigate bias in several ways, the first being at the screening stage. Software can be programmed to select candidates based on skills and experience, as opposed to attributes and personality traits. Doing so ensures that every application is filtered by the same metrics, creating a level playing field for all submissions.
One option for employers looking to appeal to neurodiverse candidates at the assessment stage can opt for game-based assessments. For neurodiverse candidates, the availability of game-based assessments offers a tailored opportunity that caters to their specific needs.
Recent psychological research supports the effectiveness of game-based assessments as an interactive and more suited approach for neurodivergent individuals, particularly those with autism, to proceed with their job applications.
Businesses must acknowledge that each candidate has a unique set of strengths and capabilities to offer an organisation. Incorporating diverse assessment options allows each candidate to have a fair chance to showcase their strengths to the hiring manager.
Blending the human and AI
While AI can be an effective tool for overcoming biases in hiring practices, it is essential to recognise that it is not a complete solution. Human intervention is still necessary to ensure that the AI algorithms are working correctly and to provide the final decision on whom to hire.
In other words, AI should be used to augment human decision-making, not replace it entirely. While AI is effective in evaluating workplace competencies such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving, human intervention is important so that hiring managers can be sure that the candidate aligns with the workplace culture.
However, introducing human involvement in the recruitment process poses the risk of unconscious bias, whereby a hiring manager may unknowingly display favouritism or discrimination towards candidates due to similarities in background, experiences, or personal characteristics.
To safeguard the accessibility goals of using AI in recruitment, organisations must strike the right balance between the two for optimal outcomes. This implementation is a two-step process, where AI is initially utilised for screening and assessments, and subsequently, the hiring manager takes charge of conducting interviews during the final stage of the hiring process.
After the hiring manager has evaluated the candidates and reached a decision, they can use AI to review their assessments and identify any biases that may have influenced their decision-making.
One of the most significant benefits of using AI in recruitment is its ability to identify and track biases. Bias can exist in many different forms, including conscious and unconscious biases that may influence hiring decisions.
Unconscious biases can be particularly challenging to overcome because they may not be apparent to the person making the decision.
In contrast, AI algorithms undergo thorough testing prior to deployment by specialised I/O psychologists. These algorithms are then regularly updated and tested to ensure they remain current, minimising the risk of bias resulting from the standards they adhere to.
A hybrid system: Humans and AI
Deploying AI in recruitment helps to overcome unconscious biases which often act as barriers to employment for certain groups of people. Implementing algorithms that are designed to be objective and unbiased are trained to use large datasets of job descriptions, candidate resumes, and other relevant information to identify patterns and characteristics that are associated with successful hires.
Using this data effectively, AI can identify the most qualified candidates without being influenced by any biases that may exist in the hiring process.
Combining the complementary strengths of human experience and AI objectivity, organisations can enhance the effectiveness of their hiring decisions. The integration of AI algorithms plays a vital role in identifying and monitoring biases, especially the elusive unconscious biases, while humans provide the essential oversight and make the final decisions.
The ultimate objective is to broaden the reach and attract a diverse pool of talented individuals. AI eliminates biases during screening and assessments, enabling organisations to prioritise skills that genuinely correlate with job performance. This fosters a more inclusive and equitable hiring process that embraces the unique strengths and needs of each candidate.
