ChatGPT: How generative AI could change hiring as we know it ...
Since November 2022, AI chatbot ChatGPT has enabled anyone with internet access to generate anything in the written form. This technology has given the ability to write intricate essays and code, succinct memos or poetry. Even with basic prompts, ChatGPT can complete complex, written tasks in moments and work as a creative tool to quickly produce efficient content.
Jobseekers are among those reporting such benefits. Leveraging a dataset containing 570 billion individual words, OpenAI’s ChatGPT can compose convincing cover letters on demand, or synthesise a few career details into a competent, bullet-pointed CV. For instance, a candidate can prompt the chatbot and copy and paste the AI-generated text straight into the message.
This technology is already changing the way job applications are composed. However, hiring managers aren’t oblivious: they understand candidates are already using generative AI to assist them. As AI becomes more sophisticated, it could create a shift in job applications as we know them and move recruiters away from the traditional modes of evaluating candidates.
Adam Nicoll, group marketing director at recruitment and job-consulting firm Randstad, based in Luton, UK, says time-poor hiring managers may be unlikely to distinguish between a cover letter written by a candidate and one generated by AI. Nicoll believes that this is not cheating the hiring process. Instead, he feels that it is helping those who aren’t the best at writing and editing in producing a neat summary of career highlights. It’s the digitised version of asking a friend to review your CV.
Despite generative AI proving to be beneficial for job seekers, the standard hiring process may undergo significant changes. For instance, as generative AI can create pre-interview presentations, employers may introduce harder assessments in response. According to Vince Miller, reader in sociology and cultural studies at the University of Kent, UK, “The onus is to test and evaluate what the machines can’t do. While generative AI can arrange data in an interesting way, it’s not particularly creative – it can only work with what already exists. So, that could mean assessments demanding more creative and abstract thought from the candidate.”
Additionally, there could be a greater emphasis on scrutinizing candidates in face-to-face settings, says Brooke Weddle, partner at consulting firm McKinsey & Company, based in Washington, DC. According to her,“As opposed to cover letters, which typically convey little information critical to the actual hiring decision, employers look hard at cultural fit and soft skills during the interview process.”
Furthermore, some recruiters are already embracing new AI tools on their side of the job hiring process. For instance, some large corporations are leveraging AI in the recruitment process to test job seekers’ qualities through skill- and personality assessments, which use data-driven behavioural insights to match candidates against vacancies and reveal their soft skills. According to Weddle, these kinds of emerging platforms that give recruiters more data on candidates may change the job-application process, especially as “we move from degree certifications to skills-based hiring”.
In conclusion, ChatGPT is changing the way job applications are made. The technology is making it easier for those who may not necessarily possess the best writing skills to suddenly have them. However, as the technology grows sophisticated, we can expect to see significant changes in hiring processes. Nonetheless, the future of job applications may be promising with recruiters relying more on the skills of job seekers and not just degree certifications alone.
