Talent Outlook 2024: Is There a Need for Generative AI and Automation Solutions within Talent Acquisition?

In the last year, generative AI and automation have emerged as transformative forces on a global scale. When looking at these solutions from a Human Resource and talent acquisition perspective, they are reshaping the way companies attract, recruit, and retain the right talent.  

While some companies are ahead of the game and have fully integrated AI into their daily workflows, others have not yet made that decision. Many companies are still in the early stages of adopting generative AI, with solutions like ChatGPT being utilized for tasks such as content generation for marketing, development of onboarding materials, and communications. While the discussion can seem endless on whether or not you should implement AI, one thing is clear: companies must actively engage in conversation surrounding AI implementation. 

However, when it comes to the conversations surrounding Generative AI in talent acquisition and HR, a notable challenge exists: HR and talent leaders often find themselves on the sidelines of larger discussions about embedding AI in operational workflows. According to Gartner, a mere 22% of HR leaders are highly engaged in enterprise-wide discussions about generative AI, highlighting the need for increased involvement in the adoption process. Despite minimal involvement from HR and talent professionals, there is a case to state that AI is offering many promising solutions to streamline and enhance certain tasks specifically within HR and talent management – and these should be considered. 

What are some areas where HR and talent acquisition can benefit from adopting Generative AI and Automation solutions? 

AI-generated content: Producing content at scale for every stage of the attraction, recruiting and retention process. For example, writing compelling, accurate job descriptions – all while capturing important nuances and writing styles for specialized audiences. Or efficiently building out a library of onboarding materials using AI-developed writing, audio, video and artwork.  

Personalized candidate experience: Early adopters of personalized candidate experience are earning big wins. Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has been using an AI-based talent acquisition technology to build a personalized career site – one that serves up unique content and job recommendations to visitors based on their experience, skills, and location.  
 
A report in Computerworld found that “after the rollout in the first three months of 2023, HPE more than doubled the industry standard for visitors to its career site, reaching 950,000. The company is now able to convert 26% of casual job seekers into actual hires.” 
 
Advanced talent sourcing and analytics: Employers are using AI to source and screen candidates – at scale and with remarkable accuracy. And by using AI, HR leaders are not only doing things like identifying key skills and experience in potential job candidates; generative AI can also interpret and infer where explicit direction is not given. David Henkin, an HR consultant and author, explains that AI can (or will soon) “assess skills and capabilities based not only on rote mimicry of what is in a job description but also on its interpretation of what is needed based on analytics of the job need and the success of previous job holders.” 

HR chatbots: HR can use AI chatbots to answer candidate questions – and do so in a smart, conversational style. Chatbots are also becoming much more common as an extension of the HR team for existing employees, who use them for “self-service” tasks, such as asking a question about benefits or requesting an address change. Since chatbots can understand and communicate in natural language, these interactions take place quickly and with much less friction than was common even one year ago. And all of these interactions can take place in multiple languages, as required by the end user.  

Learning and development: AI is affecting employee learning in a dramatic way, opening the possibility of highly personalized learning pathways. Josh Bersin details this training and development revolution:  

“Traditional instructional design, which is teacher-led and process-focused, often falls short at work. [...] Generative AI tools like Galileo™ can understand, consolidate, reorganize, and deliver information from a large corpus in ways that traditional instructional designers could not. This AI-driven approach to learning is not only more efficient but also more effective, enabling learning in the flow of work. And users can ask whatever question they want, with answers relevant to their need.” 
AI Is Transforming Corporate Learning Even Faster Than I Expected – JOSH BERSIN 

AI can significantly reduce the time it takes to develop a training curriculum, but that’s just scratching the surface. The real disruption relates to how AI upends training delivery – from linear and interruptive, to dynamic and continuous. Imagine if you had an on-demand mentor who could answer your questions as they arose? Many companies are investing in training “cobots,” which act as information assistants, ready to deliver knowledge snippets as they are needed.  

As the wave of generative AI and automation continues to reshape talent acquisition, it is critical for organizations to balance the potential benefits with risk assessment. Engaging HR leaders in broader discussions about the integration of AI into operational workflows is essential for maximizing the positive impact of these technologies on the recruitment and retention of top talent. 

Interested in learning more on this topic, or discovering other emerging trends in the talent market for 2024? Download Talent Outlook 2024 today for more insights!