'Artificial intelligence helping to evolve role of recruiters'

Artificial intelligence (AI), instead of making the role of the recruiter impersonal and robotic, is acting as a useful tool that provides information necessary to source and hire higher-quality professionals, says a Korn Ferry survey.

According to the survey by the global talent management solutions provider, 64 percent of APAC respondents said AI has changed the way recruiting is done in their organisation, with 76 percent saying using it as a sourcing tool generates higher-quality candidates.

"AI helps us dramatically enhance outcomes by reducing the time spent on sifting through large numbers of candidate CVs to find those best matched for a particular position," said Pip Eastman, Korn Ferry Managing Director APAC Regional Solutions.

Eastman further said, "This is particularly true in emerging markets where there are many potential candidates, but niche skills are in short supply".

Half (51 percent) of respondents said big data and AI are making their roles easier, with 40 percent saying the top way it helps is providing valuable insights, and 34 percent said it has freed up their time.

Of the 14 percent of respondents who said AI has made their jobs more difficult, the majority say they have too much data and they do not know what to do with it.

"Data for data's sake is not a solution for smart talent acquisition practices," said Franz Gilbert, Korn Ferry Vice President of Product Innovation.

Gilbert further noted, "recruiters need to refine their skill sets and work with the right kind of AI tools that will provide them with critical information such as compensation analysis and supply/demand reports on particular job categories in specific regions".

Korn Ferry surveyed 770 talent acquisition professionals from across the globe in November and December 2017.