Artificial Intelligence (AI) is impacting all industries and changing the way organizations operate at every level. AI developments support programs that ease the burden of many operational tasks. There are even some cases where this technology has the power to make certain jobs obsolete. So with AI taking over more and more complex operations, what is the relationship between AI and recruiting and, have recruiters become a thing of the past?
The answer is a resounding “No.” In fact, recruiters play an increasingly important role in the IT industry. The IT gap has made it difficult for companies to find experienced, certified IT professionals to support their business, and IT leaders are turning to staffing partners for everything from project-based resources to full-time hires.
Here are two key reasons why AI cannot fill the vital role that recruiters play in the IT industry.
1) Recruiting means building relationships.
Recruiting at its core is about fostering relationships—with the company you’ve taken on as a client, and with prospective IT professionals. Nurturing connections with IT professionals and learning about their desired career paths, skills, and who they are as individuals are essential parts of successful recruiting. The key is working with clients to identify their IT goals and assess which candidate will help achieve desired outcomes.
While AI may be able to identify candidates with a preferred skill set, it lacks the ability to build strong relationships with both the client and those prospective candidates.
2) Soft skills are just as important as experience and certifications.
Looking “good on paper” isn’t enough for most organizations. The right IT professional needs to have soft skills such as good communication and problem solving in order to succeed in their role.
Some candidates choose to list these skills on their resume or cover letter, but validating that the individual truly has these attributes often takes extensive screening and several face-to-face conversations.
New technology can help recruiters improve their process.
So what role does AI play in the recruiting process? New technologies are improving the daily workflow. Programs are now managing database systems, scheduling interview appointments, connecting with clients, and easily reaching new prospects. These platforms improve efficiency and allow recruiters to focus on successfully placing resources.
AI technology continues to grow and develop, and the benefits in streamlining processes and techniques are obvious. Just remember that AI cannot replace the soft skills that humans possess when it comes to building relationships and identifying essential qualities in potential candidates.
CBTS IT Staffing and Consulting solutions offer project-based resources, staff augmentation resources, and permanent hires. We have a team of more than 900 full-time consultants and a database of more than 40,000 IT professionals to help meet your needs.
AI isn’t replacing recruiters, but we do believe AI has the power to help our IT staffing and consulting team do their jobs even better. To learn more about AI and recruiting, download our free guide, “Six ways AI will transform the future of IT recruiting.”