Employers spend a significant amount of time on basic recruiting tasks that could be eased by automation, they told Indeed in a recent poll.
On average, hiring decision-makers said they spend nearly half of their time on tasks associated with hiring activities, including two challenging stages that may benefit from aspects of automation — candidate sourcing and assessment, according to an Oct. 25 report from Indeed.
About 53% of those tasked with hiring said they spend at least six hours per week on candidate sourcing, and 22% spend more than 11 hours. Similarly, 50% spend at least six hours per week on assessment, and 15% spend more than 11 hours.
About 9 in 10 employers said they support automation in the hiring process, saying it could increase productivity, accelerate time-to-hire, reduce cost-per-hire and improve the overall candidate experience, according to the report.
Among those who already use automation, employers said it’s most beneficial for legal and compliance checks, cross-team collaboration, ensuring diversity and communication with candidates. Among those who don’t yet use automation, employers thought it could be helpful for background checks and references, resume screening, interview scheduling and candidate sourcing.
At the same time, employers agreed that the human element of the hiring process won’t be going away anytime soon, particularly when conducting interviews, assessing soft skills, determining culture fit and making final decisions.
“While ‘automation’ is often grouped with AI, it’s important to recognize their distinctions,” John Fox, vice president of product at Indeed, said in a statement. “Automation spans a broad spectrum of capabilities, one of which is aimed at relieving people of manual tasks, allowing them to prioritize what truly matters — human connection.”
Tools like ChatGPT can help with repetitive recruitment tasks, such as drafting job descriptions, screening candidates for specific skills or qualifications and creating assessments, experts have said.
However, as such tools gain more traction in business, legal challenges remain at local and federal levels. New York City is one of several jurisdictions has implemented restrictions on automated decision tools, and the White House and several federal agencies plan to investigate how automated tools monitor and evaluate workers.
