You may have noticed that AI is getting a lot of press lately. Most of it has been negative, especially when it comes to data centers and the potentially disastrous impact their needs (namely electricity and water) could have on the environment. Noise and air pollution are also concerns.
AI isn’t exactly seen as a friend of the employment landscape, either, with many people left wondering how much impact the technology will have on certain job roles from a replacement standpoint. Fortunately, it can prove to be a valuable tool for connecting humans with companies searching for talent assets. Job-seekers and employers alike are using it to put their best foot forward, although some see it as an attempt to perfect the imperfect, a digital makeup sealer to hide the flaws.
In this week’s installment of the April State of the Industry report on hiring and retention, we queried our esteemed dealer panel to see if they’re leveraging AI to enhance their processes, from interviewing to filtering applications. For those who are currently not partaking in artificial intelligence, we wanted to learn about their philosophy on potential future use.
Many organizations, including UBEO Business Services, are taking a deliberate approach to incorporating AI-driven tools and processes. Melanie West, the west director of HR for the Austin, Texas-based firm, sees a great opportunity for the technology to remove human bias from the selection process.
“We are slowly warming up to the idea of exploring AI for application screening for instance and in other areas with the goal would be to reduce administrative workload and support unbiased, efficient recruitment decisions,” she noted.
Another advocate of the methodical approach is Pulse Technology of Schaumburg, Illinois. While the technology is not fully ensconced in the dealer’s end-to-end process, it’s leaving the possibility open for an increased role in the not-too-distant future, according to Vince Miceli, vice president.
“We use AI to help enhance up our questioning in an interview process but have not used it yet for going through resumes, for example,” he said. “We are open to how it may help us more in the future and are looking at those options now. It is the wave of the future, and we want to use it optimally.”
Some AI advocates, such as Jim Haney, formerly the chief marketing and technical officer for Doceo of York, Pennsylvania, see it as being a valuable tool for screening volume applications, identifying patterns in successful hires and reducing bias in early-stage filtering. The optimal approach, he feels, is to make the hiring process more efficient without losing the human judgment that ultimately determines a great hire.
Over-automating the process is a bona fide concern. “Our industry runs on relationships. The qualities that make someone exceptional in this business, adaptability, emotional intelligence, genuine curiosity about solving customer problems, are hard to score algorithmically,” Haney noted. “AI should enhance the process, not replace the conversations where you actually learn who someone is.
“As someone who holds an MIT certification in AI and digital transformation, I believe the dealers who figure out how to integrate AI into their operations, including talent acquisition, will have a meaningful competitive advantage. But it has to be intentional, not just bolting on a chatbot and calling it innovation.”
