These days, just about every industry is being transformed by artificial intelligence, machine learning, and automation. This technology has advanced what people can do and where they can focus their attention and passion on the job. With that in mind, we were curious about how AI could transform the staffing industry. For our answers, we looked no further than Bullhorn Engage 2023, a premier staffing and recruiting conference.
Jennifer Higdon, Megan Hoef, and Amy Meyersieck of the w3r Consulting team made the trip to Boston from May 31 to June 1 to learn about the latest innovations, enhance our recruiting strategies, and build our network. Here’s what we learned while listening and talking to leading-edge tech leaders, industry experts, Bullhorn users, and our peers in the staffing and recruiting industry.
How AI Will Reshape the Business World
Let’s start with the big picture: how is artificial intelligence going to impact the workforce? Though some fear the technology will eliminate jobs (Goldman Sachs expects 300 million will be lost or disrupted by AI), others see the potential for job creation.
In his keynote address, Art Papas, CEO & Co-Founder of Bullhorn, explored the transformative power of AI and how other breakthroughs have created new positions and professions. He reiterated that AI will mostly improve our roles and productivity, not replace us.
One of his main talking points centered on the invention of the automobile, which at the time worried people who thought the motor carriage would take jobs away. The innovation of the automobile created a huge boom in employment opportunities and entire industries, replacing old jobs with new ones. Papas said, “All of these technologies have created jobs that we wouldn’t have imagined.”
Will artificial intelligence offer the same number of good-paying jobs? We’re still in the early stages but there are various emerging roles connected to generative AI and types of automation. Roles like AI trainers, AI auditors, AI prompt engineers, and machine managers have been created to refine and advance the abilities of algorithms to analyze massive data sets. As adoption expands, we’ll see new and expanding ways the technology creates job opportunities.
AI Will Change How Recruiters Work
Since Bullhorn Engage is staffing focused, the speakers made sure to delve into the ways applicant tracking systems, customer relationship management systems, and similar platforms will evolve alongside AI.
A session held by Bullhorn’s Matt Fischer (COO) and Jason Heilman (SVP, Product – Automation, AI and Talent Experience), explored how automation and AI can help resolve the most pressing challenges in recruiting. What are those challenges? Bullhorn conducted a recent survey to find out and the duo presented them:
- Businesses wanted more communication, greater candidate quality, and improved contract flexibility from staffing firms.
- Candidates wanted to know recruiters had the right jobs, a solid reputation, and a track record delivering great experiences.
With that insight, Bullhorn reverse engineered the necessary features to satisfy what business leaders and candidates wanted.
One of the most promising uses of artificial intelligence for recruiters is the upcoming introduction of a new Bullhorn feature: Copilot. This AI-powered digital assistant will provide recruiters with prompts to enhance their communication and speed. The generative language capabilities of this tool will be able to accelerate text and SMS interactions, enhance resume writing, and even craft messages to pitch candidates’ best qualities to companies eager to hire.
For recruiters, this has the potential to speed up the more routine elements of their work while freeing up more time to build relationships. Pulling from both the ATS’s database and job boards, this AI digital assistant will even grade candidates based on how they fit specific keywords and company criteria. Recruiters still need to verify candidates align with the culture and possess the skills they claim to have, but this automation will potentially accelerate timelines and increase quality placements.
Candidate interactions are only one part of the augmented staffing process. Bullhorn One, their end-to-end recruitment solution, has enabled automation on processes ranging from billing, time-tracking, and invoicing to keep business leaders appraised of the information they need, when they need it.
Persisting No Matter the Challenges
As new technology sweeps across the business world, the companies that will thrive are ultimately those remaining nimble and adaptive to changing situations. The closing keynote reiterated the importance of never giving up and continuing to pursue your passion. Erik Weihenmayer, an athlete, adventurer, and motivational speaker, talked about breaking through barriers and never letting fears hold you back. As the first blind person to reach the peak of Mt. Everest, he is an inspiration for anyone who needs a reminder that you can adapt to the challenges life presents.
This conference served not just as an informative forum, but also as a vibrant hub for cultivating relationships. Jen Higdon said, “We loved the opportunity to interact with colleagues from our field. Swapping thoughts and stories throughout our time in Boston was gratifying. We’re deeply grateful to w3r for providing us with this invaluable opportunity to attend, learn, and evolve.”
The opportunity to directly observe the most recent updates from Bullhorn has sparked our excitement to utilize these resources to their fullest extent. Our team returned feeling excited, eager, recharged, and ready to apply the wealth of knowledge we gathered.
Want to stay up to date with the latest innovations and strategic insight? Check out our blog for more perspectives and tips from our team of experts.
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