This Week, In Recruiting - Issue 182

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Open Kitchen: 7 x Truths About Candidate Experience in the Era of AI & Automation

2024 has been a very tough year for the job candidate. Ambient anxiety over cost of living becomes acute when you've been involuntarily thrust onto a job market characterised by declining volume of jobs and intense competition for those which remain. Aggregate candidate experience has taken a sharp downturn over the past two years. Research from CandE's in 2023 told us that unique metric, 'job seeker resentment' was up over a 10 year high; we can anticipate that this will be higher still when the 2024 report comes out later in the year.

As recruiters we have the core responsibility for CX, but our experience of 2024 has scarcely been much better than the job candidates. Our own job insecurity, downsized teams, low hiring demand, stalled promotions...all this puts us into a pessimistic condition which is not optimal for helping others through the recruiting process.

We've been increasingly relying on AI & Automation to help. Along the way, we're discovering some new truths about what human beings want out of the job search process. I've collected 7 of them here and this will be the topic of today's Open Kitchen:

Here goes:

1. Humans Can Prefer Robots.

Its been one of the most jarring discoveries in recent years that human beings can often prefer to deal with robots rather than non-humans. The idea is so contrary to the comforting myth that human must always better that it is often dismissed despite the growing evidence for the claim. Bad candidate may coincide with lack of human contact, but human contact is not the contingent factor to great candidate experience. Most of the time it is lack of information, transparency, agency or equity in the process which most irks the job seeker. When AI reduces these negativities, a human-lite recruitment flow can produce outstanding candidate experience.

Some additional context:

• We seem to prefer robots most at the beginning of the discovery process where commitment to progress has not yet been made.

• We also seem to prefer to deal with robots when undergoing assessment - the lack of human judgement reducing the emotional consequences of a potential failure?

• Feedback seems easier too, perhaps to similarly to avoid the social implications of a human delivering a reality check.

As any introvert will tell you, human interaction can be cognitively and emotionally demanding, and we don't always want this. With robots, there is no requirement for the relationship building 'small talk' and so can well suit a job seeker who is going through multiple simultaneous recruiting processes and has maxed out their emotional reserves.

2. Candidate Self Schedule (More Important Than You Think)

We don't want agency all the time. But we do most of time. We feel uncomfortable when we have little ability to influence our experience - our reptilian flight or flight response kicks in and we do what we can to get out of the experience or attempt to exert some control over it. And yet the classic recruitment process is designed such that the human being in the middle of it has as little agency as possible - we want to process them as efficiently as possible through 'the pipeline' - and any human exercising agency is a threat to that efficiency.

Candidate pipeline, hiring funnel ...we use hydrological metaphors because the flow can only go in one direction, there is no other way out unless we open a valve and we recruiters can determine how fast or slow you go. To do recruitment at any scale you do need to do this, but some concession on the psychological need for influence or control, can now be made without compromising the efficiency we are charged to produce. Indeed, sometimes giving candidates agency in some decisions can often improve efficiency, the canonical example being 'candidate self schedule'. We need to thank Calendly for the idea of enabling the counter party to book in a time to do a meeting - today, every calendar app has a similar function. Some point solutions specially tuned for interview scheduling (GoodTime, Cronofy....any others in this space?) can cater for multiple calendar integrations, load balancing on interview load, buffering meetings based on meeting type and so on. From the candidate POV though, they at least are able to schedule a meeting at their own convenience and therefore collaborate in creating the experience they are about to enter. This may seem like a small W for the candidate, but small signals of respect can go a long way when talking about CX.

3. Pipeline is Dark, So Lighten It Up

How do you feel when you look at this image? The fact there is some light at the end of the tunnel at least provides some reassurance as to how long it will take me to get through it and that there is in fact an actual exit. It's not welcoming though, and the promise of a great time is not communicated by the prospect of going through this experience. Wouldn't it be better if the entire thing was see-through, that you could see other humans beings in this process somewhere, that there are other exit points or stop points or FAQ opportunities readily accessible, along the way?

Recruiting pipelines are usually dark for the candidate. There is probably a technological root to this - in the paper based era it was simply too much effort to write letters to people and keep them updated, so employers defaulted to the 'we will let you if you've been successful' position. When we shifted online, we simply transposed this value into the digital process. Today, we know that we can do better.

• Publish the hiring process on your career site, make it clear how you do things. This is a cost free exercise which every employer which has a standardised hiring process can and should do

• Implement candidate portal, which enables people to check status without having to make specific requests for updates. Uber taught us the value of seeing our ride moving closer on the map. Something similar is not beyond the world of tech (NB: companies like Guide.co do this)

4. Mauss Says Energy In / Energy Out

My takeaway from reading Marcel Mauss's The Gift (I had do it for University, not a great read tbh 🤣) was that reciprocity in exchange was based on the matching the energy of the giving in reciprocal exchange. The basic equation of 'energy in / energy out' is missing from the calculus of most organisations in a recruiting process. We can see this most clearly when we observe the moments when job candidates complain most. Job candidates do not expect concierge treatment with every application. However, the deeper you get into a process, the more energy you have committed to doing the phones screens, the zoom calls, the assessments and the like, the more you will expect some kind of reciprocity from the employer regardless of the final decision yes / no. Keeping Mauss in mind is useful when designing protocols as to how to handle job applicants.

• Email job application, CV sent = Email rejection is ok

• Online test performed pre-human contact = Online performance report & thank you is ok

• 1st stage interview with human recruiter = Should be a call (possibly asynchronous is ok)

• In-person meeting with team = NEEDS to be synchronous call.

Of course for uber candidate experience, you can reciprocate more than what the job candidate has contributed. Going this extra mile is usually unnecessary though, and perhaps only performed by market leading organisations who have excess money to spend. This might have happened in 2021 for general hiring, but might still be a good move to do for exec hiring in any case - good strategy to ensure great experience for market influencers.

5. Availability is a Quality

Human recruiters cannot be agony aunts, job search coaches or emotional support companions. Ultimately, our loyalty is with our employers and our goodwill toward job candidates is a responsibility of the job. We can't be everywhere though and not all the time. Anyone doing the job will know that it soon becomes practically impossible to do right for everyone human being that is involved in the processes that you're managing.

There is no stronger use case for AI than the AI-powered Chatbot. The idea of the chatbot as primary candidate facing interface has been damaged by the early instances of decision-tree automated responses. Anyone who has the misfortune of calling customer service at a traditional bank will now be experiencing trauma-like emotions in having to navigate the pre-set numbered choices, knowing full well that whatever the automated response might be it would be insufficient to satisfy the needs of the query. Today's AI-powered bots are simply a step change better, so much so that they really should be considered a different category of application.

A bot which is always available, and connected to the employers core systems - CMS, ATS - can provide up-to-date information about your particular case, handle non-standard queries, check up on your current mental state, offer new information or pathways forward and even suggest escalation to a human intervention if required.

I suspect the main value though, is the assurance that somebody or something is there ready and able to respond to the majority of reasonable queries. I probably wouldn't ask, but would feel better that I could.

6. Ambiguity is a Stressor

Human beings are innately wired to be intolerant of ambiguity. Often times, we prefer the certainly of even a poor outcome in preference to the staying the liminal zone of not knowing either way. The psychological need for 'closure' is an example of this preference. Candidate 'time spent in liminality' is a good inverse measure for the quality of candidate experience in your hiring process. How much time are they spending, waiting around, for a decision or an action?

AI has once again helped reduce this number. A good example is AI generated, pre-filled scorecards. I was initially a reflexive skeptic, thinking that this was prejudice the scoring by hiring managers of the candidates they had interviewed, but then I realised that this risk is outweighed by the large volume of incomplete scorecards in any standard process. HM's - not professional recruiters, not daily users of whatever ATS we stare at everyday - will have huge variance in completing score cards and who is to say that rushed completions would not themselves be inaccurate reflection of what the HM really think? Pre-filling scorecards from sentiment analysis of the recorded video interview, followed by HM review and confirm massively increases complete rate, with enough security that errors or mistakes are mitigated. The key outcome is the recruiter is then able to move to next stage with the candidate - no more unnecessary hanging around in high stress, liminal state.

7. Another Road Other Than No

No one enjoys rejection. It's the reason why cold calling is considered a rite of passage in recruitment, precisely because it is unpleasant to be rejected by the people you canvass. In job search, as in recruitment, rejection is an inevitable part of the process which we can never make entirely pleasant however much we try: being judged 'not good enough' is inherently bad candidate experience.

You can mitigate this though, by repositioning the rejection as 'not good enough - for this role, at this time'. By connecting the rejection to the job, the employer to reduces the rejection to specific circumstance, rather than a generalised verdict which might expand to cover the candidates entire human worth. Furthermore, this is not sophistry but quite likely to be true - the individual is not suitable for that specific role but could well be suitable for others in the company or in the industry. Provision of these opportunities or alternatives to action other than 'go away' will go a long way toward improving candidate experience. Alternatives other than No include:

• Fast track to another active job role, if one exists and the candidate is indeed suitable

• Provision of training resources / skills development and invitation to re-apply in future

• Access to an exclusive talent community of candidates who have gone through process

• Access to resources on career direction

• Invitation to a company event / meet up etc.

Don't get me wrong.

Sometimes recruiters do need a brick wall - it can be the kindest thing for some kinds of candidate. However, having some alternative, forward facing options in case of rejection to a specific job, seems like a simple and do-able task. For which you don't need AI

What other ways can we improve CX? I think AI and Automation will make CX a step change better, as human contact as an inherently good thing in recruitment is an attribution error. Let me know in comments, might be worth doing a thread on this!

Now out of the kitchen, onto the lounge 👇

What's Going On?

Big List of Recruiter Events to Attend in 2024

Big List of Recruiting and HR Events to Attend in 2024 - updated folks. Coming back from Recfest, no question my enthusiasm for in-person events has only grown. Make sure you check out this spreadsheet - add any you think are missing - and get attending some of these amazing events. Btw, we might as well start adding 2025 events also, so get cracking with this also!

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep273 - EU AI Act: Implications for Recruiters, Talent Acquisition & HR, Friday 20th September, 2pm BST

We have to get busy with this folks - super important issue for all technology vendors and users of technology with an AI 'component' which in 2024 is anyone with an internet connection. One of the responsibilities and opportunities for TA will be to lead the way in keep onside of compliance. I've enrolled Chloe Shoobridge, Marketing Manager (Textkernel) to be cohost, and we're bringing in legal expertise like Martin Woodward, Director of Global Legal (Randstad), Jaap Kersten, International Legal (Textkernel), Vincent Slot, Team Lead, R&D (Textkernel) & Thibault Allard, Privacy & AI Analyst (SmartRecruiters). Register here

IHR Live London, 26th September, Islington Design Centre, London

One of the events of the year is back, and so am I, as a late addition to the line up, talking about Talent Megatrends: Risks, Challenges & Opportunities for Recruitment in 2025. Building this talk now, so you better like it 🤣. Thanks Mark Lennox, Founder (IHR) for the invitation - always a pleasure to support hombre. Register here

The AI-enabled Candidate One Year On: How and Why TA Teams MUST Adapt, Tuesday 1st October, 12pm GMT

Our friends Arctic Shores broke new ground last year with their research on GenZ use of AI. We're now well into the era of the AI-enabled job candidate and it's clear that our hiring funnels were never designed to handle it. What is the state of the AI usage today and what must employers do now? We're with Robert Newry, CEO (Arctic Shores), Martyn Redstone, Founder, (PPL Bots) and Samantha Hope, Emerging Talent Manager, (Shoosmiths). Must attend folks. Register here

How to Hire for AI Skills, Tuesday 1st Oct, 5pm GMT

Delighted to join the panel for this X-Team event on How to Hire for AI Skills. We're living in the AI-enabled era and there is no employer in the world who is not interested in increasing capacity with AI. And yet we have a massive global shortfall of expert AI talent. How do hire elite skills against elite competition? We're going to debate this out on Tuesday. Register here

Worksome Meetup: Operating with independent talent in the UK, Wed 3rd Oct, 830am - 10.45am, Lantana London Bridge | 44-46 Southwark St

In a VUCA world, it is essential for employers to create an agile and flexible workforce. Whilst the core component of any business will always be FTE, the non-FTE component will continue to increase as workers and organisations figure out new ways of working. What are the best ways to work with 'independent talent' in the UK? Join Worksome in this in-person meet up in London Bridge on the 3rd Oct. Register here

ERE Recruiting Conference, November 12-14, Anaheim, CA, USA

As I mentioned, I'm stealing Peter Hinssen's term, 'human premium'. I suspect that it, along with access to collective intelligence, is going to be the decisive component of human work in era of generative AI. How does this translate for us in TA? I'm going to be presenting a discussion on how recruiters can future proof in the era of AI. I would welcome any comments or contributions from the community in advance of this talk. See you in Anaheim: register here

NB: if you want a discount code, comment "ERE" below and I will DM you

Tec Rec 2024, TITANIC Chaussee Hotel, Berlin, November 24th–26th, 2024

I am back in Berlin folks, first time at Rec Tec since before Covid. Looking forward to sharing thoughts on the state of tech hiring, learning from local employers as to how the changing circumstances have impacted hiring posture, diversity and inclusion, state of remote, state of outsourcing. I have a 50% discount on tickets so make sure you get them here rather than elsewhere!

If you have an event, webinar or podcast going on next week and want it featured on next week's newsletter, comment below with the link and event details. Don't forget to at mention me so that I see it

Whose Story?

It's Anne-Marie McCaughan, newly back to the UK from Shanghai where she was Head of Talent Acquisition for GSK.

I asked Anne-Marie 20 Questions - here are her superb responses. Have a read and let me know what you think! PS if you're interested in taking part in future Brainfood Tribune series, comment below 'TRIBUNE' and I will get directly get in touch. All readers will be profiled if they want it 👊

End Notes

OK, time to get this show on the road. I'm going to be Dublin tomorrow through the Thursday, so if you're about, do let me know. I think good chance that I'll be free on Weds after work, so if you fancy meeting up - do let me know. Cheers!

Have a great week everybody.

Hung

Hung Lee is the curator of Recruiting Brainfood, and now This Week In Recruiting. Subscribe to both if you are into recruiting or HR or just interested in world of work.