With the evolution of AI as a tool in recruitment, it’s important to take a step back and think about the values that should be present when companies are looking for their next candidate. AI has many advantages to offer and can speed up the job hunt process, but companies need to keep in mind the tradeoffs of using AI. There’s a human element of the recruitment process that is difficult to overlook. That human element is the support and implementation of DEI initiatives in the workplace.

DEI In The Job Search

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are crucial in any workplace. They shape the interactions that coworkers have with each other, ensuring equitable conversations and inclusive workplace activities. DEI also helps make sure that the people present in the workplace come from a variety of backgrounds. The main way that diversity is put into effect is through the hiring process. When a recruiter or hiring manager does their job with DEI in mind, they’re able to look at a pool of equally qualified candidates and look beyond their resume to the background that shaped them.

The Importance Of DEI For Innovation

One of the main tenets of DEI is celebrating the differences we share and acknowledging how everyone is different. These differences come to light in many scenarios in the workplace, but an oft-touted advantage of DEI is in places where innovation is essential. When solving a problem, innovation is the lightbulb that goes off when someone thinks up the magic fix. The problem with innovation is that people approach the problem they’re trying to solve from their own perspective, shaped by their own background. If everyone shares a background, there are solutions to problems in the workplace that are being overlooked. Conversely, if the hiring team properly institutes and holds up DEI initiatives, the people seeking to innovate will come from a wide variety of backgrounds and thus will have a much greater chance of being able to solve the problem.

Innovation is just one of the parts of all jobs that works better when everyone present is diverse. It’s important to acknowledge that DEI can help your workplace, but only if sufficient time and resources are invested into it. You can’t reap the benefits without putting in the work, which is why it’s so crucial for recruiting teams to place emphasis on hiring a diverse team.

Understanding AI In The Job Search

AI is the next big thing in many industries, and recruiting is no exception. Nowadays, it’s rarer to find a company not using AI than to find one that is. Given the rise of online job boards like LinkedIn and Indeed, it’s not uncommon to see coveted job postings get north of 100 applications. Parsing through all those resumes would take days, even weeks, and most jobs don’t have that much time when it comes to filling a role. AI has stepped in to fill this gap using a tool called resume screening. Resume screening is the AI’s process of going through each resume and scoring it based on the parameters it was given prior. Typically, AI scores a resume based on the keywords present, defined by the recruiting team or the job posting. Once it screens a resume, it puts a score on it and moves on to the next one. In the end, recruiters get a list of resumes that are already sorted by how relevant the AI thinks they are to the job posting.

AI’s Impact On DEI

It’s easy to see the advantages of AI when recruiting. Companies can sift through a mass amount of resumes quickly, finding relevant candidates much faster than they might’ve ten years ago. This allows them to fill the role quicker and thus generate more profits. It also evens the playing field for candidates. A sharp candidate could tailor their resume to fit the job posting, using similar language and vocabulary to get the AI to light up. This phenomenon of typical bias being replaced by AI bias leaves some room for opportunity for traditionally underrepresented candidates to get a leg up.

The Risks Of AI For DEI

It sounds like a win for everybody…right? Unfortunately, as they often do, the people applying for the jobs get the short end of the stick. The harsh reality for AI and companies is that people are not just resumes. Boiling down a person to one sheet of paper is impossible. You can’t grasp the context of their experience without understanding their background and knowing who they are as a person. Maybe a year-long gap in a resume doesn’t look great to an AI, but that candidate would’ve said they needed to take a year off to care for their ailing mother before she passed. It’s this type of context that AI misses when screening resumes, and it’s this type of context that can halt DEI initiatives in their tracks.

Why DEI Needs A Human Touch

When you screen for information, you miss the human aspect of the job process. This is why AI will not be taking over the jobs of recruiters and hiring managers, now or ever. Hiring people is an innately human process. Understanding who a candidate is and where they’re coming from is just as important as the number of years they worked at Outback Steakhouse.

Building Relationships

Recruiters do so much more than look over a resume. They learn about a candidate. They learn if this is just a job for them or if they’re looking to move up the chain of command. They learn that this person was fired while they were hospitalized and that really all they need is a second chance. Recruiters also gain a holistic view of the resume. They see the whole person when they look at a resume, including their background and the soft skills that make them excel in the workplace. It’s hard to remove the human from the hiring process. After all, hiring is the process of finding humans. Who better to do that than other humans?

At Premier, we understand how to build a team that keeps DEI initiatives in mind. Our 26 years of service have afforded us the privilege to watch the industry grow and evolve. As a woman-owned and woman-run company, we know what it means to grow from a diverse set of voices. Learn more about how we can help you find your next big opportunity with Premier!