Chatbots result from the increasingly evident presence of Artificial Intelligence in multiple company processes. Do you know what benefits this tool brings in terms of selection?
Although their incorporation into the HR area is still recent, technology companies have been using them for at least a decade. We are talking about chatbots –which in their terminology, mix the terms “conversation” (chat) and “bots” (robots)-. It may sound like science fiction, but if we mention Siri or Cortana, you already have an idea of what kind of tools we are referring to.
Roughly speaking, and already entering into selection matters, the chatbot is a tool that simplifies and brings the company closer to the candidate through a virtual figure that, among other functions, welcomes those who register for the first time to an employment website; they guide them through employment platforms and are in charge of holding the first interview with potential employees, making the first screening.
Chatbots, a process of progressive sophistication
It is software capable of conversing with a person through an automated conversation service in which automatic answers are used to solve the users’ questions. Chatbots have existed since the 1950s, but in 2016, they were equipped with artificial neurons capable of establishing very advanced algorithms to promote better understanding and provide them with a more natural language, thus improving interaction with users.
It is not about leaving the critical stages of a selection process in your hands, but it is about lightening the workload of recruiters. The first screening that they allow distinguishes between the appropriate and inappropriate candidates but also promotes that the candidate feels supported from the moment he decides to register in a job portal or a job offer, something that results in a better reputation and image of the employer brand and that should be taken into account according to a survey carried out in 2017 by Carrer Builder and which indicated how 58% of people seeking employment have a bad impression of the firm that does not contact them, either for good or for bad, right away.
Significant savings for the company
A recent study by Monsters and G2V Careers also reveals that recruiters spend 78,352 minutes on selection processes, or 60% of their annual workday. A task that is emerging as key for the company cannot consume this considerable number of hours either, since it prevents the hiring managers from dedicating themselves to others that can add more value to its day-to-day activities. In this context, chatbots stand as the ideal solution to lighten the load since they allow to reduce the recruitment time by 80%. This was revealed last September by a study carried out by Chatbot Chocolate, an agency specializing in the development of chatbots, highlighting how the tool “allows a neutral and unbiased evaluation of applicants, ensuring the blind curriculum.” It is, in short, a more than significant time saving, knowing that, according to another study, this time by Brand Employment, each job offer published in Spain receives between 800 and 1,300 applications.
