Going out to look for a job by distributing resumes to several companies is a method with little chance of success in the era of the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI). A tool increasingly used in personnel selection processes to streamline and improve the efficiency of recruiting talent. Although its use is most widespread is in the automated screening of resumes, since in this phase AI allows for massive analysis of candidate profiles in order to identify those who best fit the requirements to fill a vacancy.
The use of AI in selection processes not only saves time, but also makes it possible to reduce the unconscious biases of the human resources specialist. “It is estimated that a recruiter spends no more than 10 seconds looking at a resume,” says labor market researcher Pilar Llácer, who explains that sometimes the professional may not know the sector for which he is looking for personnel, have prejudices about the company of origin of the candidate or with respect to his age. In this sense, technology can be an ally to combat discrimination in this area.
However, “these techniques are not yet widely used,” clarifies Nekane Cendoya, director of Trabajos.com, a job portal that has been implementing algorithms in the services it offers for four years. And she continues: “An SME probably does not select its staff in this way, but large consultancies, supermarket chains or temporary employment companies do, which can receive thousands of resumes a day.”
The first phase of the selection process, the curricular screening, is the one that is usually easiest to automate through an AI system, which can also be implemented, however, in other parts of the process, such as recruitment chatbots to interact with candidates for the purpose of gathering initial information and scheduling interviews; video interviews in which factors such as body language, facial expression and verbal responses are recorded and analyzed to identify relevant traits, and social media scanning to find additional information about background, personality and job aptitude.
With the popularization of the Internet, job portals and social networks aimed at the world of business and the workplace such as LinkedIn have become the usual way to find a new job. On these portals it is common for candidates to have to fill out a standard resume - although other formats such as Word or PDF are also often allowed. A system through which two-way communication is established: the candidate can register for job offers and, at the same time, companies access the database of these specialized platforms to search for their candidates.
Furthermore, with the emergence of AI, websites and recruitment companies have been implementing tools that use algorithms during screening. According to the human resources experts consulted, there are some factors that candidates should know when applying for a job, since they can be decisive for the algorithms to position them well in the selection process or, on the contrary, They end up discarding them. Below are the main aspects that should be taken into account when looking for a job in the era of artificial intelligence.
The algorithm gives higher scores to candidates whose resumes contain certain terms that are highlighted in the job posting. “We have to be able to extract what keywords are written in the offer or what knowledge, experience and requirements the company demands," explains Cendoya. Therefore, adapt the resume to the job position for which you are applying and personalize it. It will be essential to stand out from the rest of the candidates.
Nor should we overlook the importance of quantity, since the AI “will take into account how many times we introduce these keywords in our resume or cover letter,” adds the specialist. So, does this mean that the more times a keyword is repeated, the more likely the candidate will be to advance to the next phase of the selection process? "Yes, but without going overboard," she answers, "because the text has to have a normal, natural density."
Pilar Llácer argues that, although the algorithm will not take into account that the experience, knowledge or quality in which a candidate stands out the most is positioned at the end of the resume, the recruiter who reads it after the first screening will value it because " reads from top to bottom" and usually has little time to decide. In this sense, Cendoya highlights the importance of the information being "very visual." To achieve this, it may be useful to highlight words with bold, italics or enlarge the font size. "This will make it easier for the recruiter to extract the information he needs in a few seconds to decide if the candidate passes the screen."
Experts assure that the algorithms used in selection processes are capable of detecting spelling mistakes, although this is not always an important aspect to be accepted or discarded. "It will not be as relevant in cases where perfect written communication is not required," explains Cendoya. On the other hand, if the offer specifies that a strong command of a foreign language is necessary to apply for the job, if the artificial intelligence software detects that the resume is written in another language, it will directly reject it or, in the best case, you will consider it worse.
Presence on social networks is another factor that can be decisive when it comes to successfully passing a selection process. In this regard, the teacher and also author of You are going to be hired and you know it, Pilar Llácer, recommends having updated profiles on the platforms used for professional use. Another relevant issue is to show interest on social networks in the company you want to work for. "If you are going to apply for an offer from a company and on Linkedin you do not follow that company, [the algorithm] will directly position you worse than another candidate who does follow it or has publications about the sector or company in question," he explains.
Finally, the cover letter is another key element to differentiate yourself. A document that must also often go through the filters of algorithms. In the writing, the candidate must prioritize creativity, as well as highlight his main achievements and the reasons why the company should select him for the position. Before putting it into the letter, which should not be too long, it may be useful to "do some preliminary reflection," advises the director of Trabajos.com.
The ability to tell your work story, especially if you have knowledge of storytelling, helps you get an advantage in the selection process. “But it has to be written honestly and oriented to the position we aspire to; The candidate must align his values with those of the company,” warns Nekane Cendoya. Transparency is crucial, even more so when human resources specialists already use AI in videoconferences, in which the interviewer is replaced by an avatar or the responses and non-verbal communication of job applicants are analyzed. In the latter case, the robot can detect that the candidate touches his nose - a gesture associated with lying -, leans back - which denotes disinterest - or detects a lack of correlation between what he expresses verbally and what his gestures say. .
Taking into account what new technologies are capable of doing to find the profiles that best fit to fill a job, it may be appropriate to consider whether it is easier to deceive the machine than the human in a selection process. "It's easier the other way around," says Llácer.
