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Artificial intelligence, automation, cloud computing, blockchain... companies in the Tech and IT sector are constantly seeking new ways to improve and push the boundaries of existing technology. To remain competitive, they must be agile and source talent with specific skills. What are these skills? How can organizations attract, recruit, and retain talents in this rapidly changing sector?

Essential Skills for Success in the Tech and IT Sector

The sought-after skills include:

• Programming skills: knowing how to code in multiple programming languages.
• Knowledge of emerging technologies: staying updated with the latest technologies.
• Data analysis skills: data manipulation, statistical analysis, data visualization, and predictive modeling given the increasing amount of generated data.
• Cybersecurity skills: risk management, intrusion detection, data protection, and incident response to protect systems and data considering rising cyber threats.
• Project management skills: planning, execution, control, and communication to ensure the successful delivery of technological solutions.
• Critical thinking and problem-solving: being able to analyze complex problems, propose innovative solutions, and make informed decisions.
• Communication skills: effectively communicating with technical and non-technical colleagues and clients to collaborate effectively and ensure understanding of technological requirements and solutions.
• Agility and adaptability: being able to quickly adapt to technological changes and new challenges in a constantly evolving environment.

Recruiters in this sector now attach as much importance to soft skills (behavioral skills) as they do to hard skills (technical skills). According to a Deloitte study, leadership skills (54%), problem-solving and decision-making (47%), interpersonal skills (44%), creative and innovative thinking (41%) precede data analysis (40%) as the top essential skills in Tech-IT professions for the years to come.

Tips for Recruiting Talent in the Tech and IT Sector

• Specify the required skills (hard skills and soft skills) in the job description.
• Communicate your employer brand, company culture, and the benefits offered as part of the position. Tech and IT profiles are attracted not only by attractive compensation but especially by good working conditions.
• In addition to job sites and social networks, take an interest in dedicated forums, Tech events, hackathons, establish partnerships with training institutions and schools, consider co-option in this highly community-based field.
• Test candidates to identify their skills and use digital tools (remote testing and interviews) that reflect the innovative technological environment of the employer.

Strategies for Evaluating Required Soft Skills

There are various methods:

• Problem-solving scenarios to observe how a problem is approached, available options analyzed, and solutions proposed.
• Technical case studies (challenges encountered during software development, implementation of IT infrastructure solutions, or data security management) to assess the ability to quickly understand technical issues and propose effective solutions.
• Coding and programming tests, to measure a candidate's ability to solve problems logically and effectively, their ability to learn new programming languages, or adapt to specific development environments.
• Psychometric tests evaluating critical thinking, cognitive abilities, or intellectual aptitudes to assess candidates' learning and adaptation potential, their problem-solving abilities. Personality inventories will provide insights into their communication skills.

Tips for Retaining Tech-IT Talents

• Offer continuous training programs 

According to Sacha Kalusevic, Director of Michael Page Technology, "There should be more continuous training to support employee progression. To attract more IT candidates, companies could highlight the skills that their future recruits will develop in the projects they will undertake and offer them a training program to update or develop certain technical skills." 

• Encourage self-learning and career development 

Tech profiles, accustomed to self-learning, want to enhance their skills to stay aligned with market needs and those of their employers. It is essential to support this and support their career development. 

• Create a stimulating work environment 

It is essential to offer flexible/hybrid work environments (telecommuting, flexible hours, flex office, four-day week) as well as meaningful work with missions, a vision, and clear objectives.

The profile of talent in the Tech and IT sector has evolved. Individuals are now recruited not only for their technical abilities but also for their behavioral skills; they are even considered a priority. Such skills should therefore be evaluated during the recruitment process and, also developed among existing employees.

It's never too late to improve your recruiting process. Follow these 8 tips and best practices to improve your recruitment and hiring decisions. 

The methods and means used for recruitment differ from one company to another. However, most HR professionals agree that mistakes in the recruitment and hiring process can have serious negative effects on the organization. Recruitment issues should therefore not be underestimated in terms of work climate, motivation, productivity and financial impact. To help you limit the risks and find the right candidate, let's define bad recruiting practices and explore our top tips for successful recruitment.

What is bad recruiting?

For various reasons, recruiters sometimes make recruitment errors: incomplete job description, imprecise missions in the job offer, etc. Sometimes it's the candidate's profile that does not correspond to expectations: lack of skills, or conversely, too qualified. Another scenario is recruiting an employee without having formally assessed their soft skills: here, the recruiter relies on their intuition and somehow skips the different stages.

What are the consequences for the company?

The consequences of bad recruiting are sometimes not felt until a couple months after a hire has been made. An employee who does not share the values ​​of the company can become a disruptive element in a team and be a source of demotivation over time. Moreover, their lack of involvement can negatively impact the productivity of the team and organizaiton.

The direct consequences of poor recruitment are also an increase in turnover, or even an increase in work stoppages. In the long term, the cost for the company is significant: cost of another recruitment process for the same role, cost of possible replacement and training of the new employee, drop in productivity, consequences on the rest of the team if certain tasks are to be distributed, etc.

8 Tips for an Effective Recruitment Process

It's never too late to improve your talent acquisition and recruitment processes. Here are a few tips:

1. Create an Accurate Job Description

One of the reasons for poor recruitment is the lack of clarity about the responsibilties and the skills required for a position. As you write the job description for an open role, be sure it includes the precise responsibilities, the environment and the working relations within the team and organization, the candidate profile sought (level of training, experience, background, skills, etc.), and the relevant success metrics for the role. An accurate job description defines the ideal candidate profile for both hiring managers and recruiters, simplifying sourcing and improving communication between the entire hiring team.

2. Write a Transparent Job Post

Now that you've written an accurate job description, it's time to post and promote the open position. In addition to the responsibilities, skills, and experience required, it's best practice to also include work location (in-person, hybrid, fully remote), type of employment contract (part-time, full-time, contractor), and the expected salary range for the position. To further improve the candidates experience, you can also include detailed information about the stages of the recruitment and hiring process at your organization. Once you have all that information, promote the job internally on your company's intranet, as well as externally on popular job boards such as LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor.

3. Don't Overlook the Importance of Your Employer Brand

Now more than ever, emplyees want to work at organization that share similar values as them. To help attrach the right profile of candidates, companies should promote their values and culture across the various channels that make up the candidate lifecycle, including the careers website and social media. Portraying corporate/social values, business projects, team outings, employee testimonials showcases the attractiveness of your employer brand and contributes to a positive candidate experience.

4. Prepare for Job Interviews

Besides the interviewer not showing up, nothing is more frustrating for a candidate than facing redundant questions from different interviewers. Interview preparation ensures a shared understanding of the ideal candidate profile. A well-prepared interview team builds trust and encourages candidates to share their experiences and motivations. To implement this best practice, develop interview guides that specify the attributes or skills each interviewer should assess, include useful questions, and incorporate a standardized scoring rubric.

5. Assess All Skills

Before making a hiring decision, it's essential to assess all their skills. This includes soft skills, hard skills, as well as attributes like personality and learning style preferences that impact individual and team culture and productivity. To do this, use tools like psychometric assessments to measure cognitive, behavioral, and interpersonal skills. You can use separate assessments to measure each area.

6. Make Objective Hiring Decisions

Your recruitment process and the tools you employ throughout the candidate journey should improve decision-making for hiring managers by gathering objective data. By using precise job descriptions, pre-employment and psychometric tests, well-informed interviews, and standardized candidate scoring criteria, you can identify the candidate who aligns best with the role and the organization. Additionally, this approach helps reduce biases that may emerge when making judgments based on intuition or interview interactions.

7. Reply to All Applicants

HR should promptly inform all candidates of their application status. Failing to respond, even to candidates who were not selected for interviews, can damage the company's image and employer reputation. Encourage interested applicants to consider future roles within the company and wish them luck in their job search. For candidates who were interviewed but not selected, consider providing constructive feedback that could benefit them in their future interviews.

8. Refine Your Onboarding Process

The initial days and weeks within the organization can significantly impact the employee's overall experience. Effective onboarding should encompass various activities and topics to ensure a seamless transition into the new role. These elements include orientation, introduction to the company history and culture, access to essential resources, familiarity with policies and procedures, clear role definition, mentorship and buddy systems, open feedback and communication, performance expectations, and focused training. A well-structured onboarding process not only helps new hires feel appreciated and engaged but also equips them for success in their roles, benefiting both the individual and the organization. It lays the groundwork for a positive and productive working relationship.

Optimize Your Recruitment Process with Pearson TalentLens

Learn how Pearson TalentLens pre-employment and psychometric assessments can help empower your recruiting and hiring teams with the right talent insights.   

HR professionals are taking on more autonomy and responsibility for the talent strategy and the future direction of organizations. At the end of 2023, we could see some key trends starting to shape the recruitment field. Here are ten top trends that are gathering pace for the year ahead.

1. The rapid growth of AI and machine learning

AI and machine learning came to the foreground last year and is making strides in the world of HR and recruitment. Currently, 63% of companies are investing or have plans to invest in AI solutions for talent acquisition problems (Gartner). In 2024, organizations looking to streamline and enhance their talent search will be turning to AI for insight as it has the potential to inform all parts of the recruitments process. AI solutions are writing clearer job descriptions, matching clients, automating process, and advancing onboarding. In 2024, organizations will need to be mindful of the ethical use of AI in recruitment processes, particularly around data usage and changing legalities (which will be dependent on local). But the potential for AI to transform the recruitment process is significant. 

But that is not all, AI is also changing job roles themselves. Head of AI positions have tripled globally in the last five years (HR Magazine), and roles including or directly linked to AI have grown significantly. On the one hand this may affect job retention as some roles are replaced, whilst on the other there is potential for upskilling and reskilling current employees and embracing the opportunities AI can bring. Using data driven assessments we can help hiring managers gain insight into career potential and skill sets.

2. Skills-based hiring is on the rise

Hiring requirements are evolving. Whilst many Hiring managers are focusing on qualifications as their key criteria, others are adopting a skills-based approach to hiring and focusing on candidates’ skills – soft (e.g., adaptability, communication, emotional intelligence) and hard (AdWords, coding, copywriting), as well as responsibilities. LinkedIn Data indicates that taking a skills-based approach to hiring can widen talent pools by 10x. Using psychometrics, hiring managers can confidently assess candidates' skill sets to help you select top talent who will perform well now and in the future. This strategic approach can result in a more varied and multi-skilled workforce, and even help to improve retention rates.

3. Ongoing demand for flexible and remote working

Flexible working is still very much in demand and today's employees want and often need to benefit from remote working practices and flexibility. In 2024, the concept of remote working will continue to be debated. Many organizations still fall either side of the argument concerning its benefits to work-life balance versus productivity. Research by Upwork suggests that by 2025, an estimated 32.6 million Americans will be working remotely, with over 98% interested in working remotely at least some of the time. Organizations focusing on employee retention and acquisition will need to look at the motivations and values of their candidates and teams to strike the right balance.

4. A renewed focus on Inclusion

According to a recent WEF report, organizations with inclusive cultures are 3.8 times more likely to harness the full potential of their employees and have improved retention rates.

5. Drive retention by supporting employee wellbeing

28% of HR professionals see employee wellbeing as their second highest priority for 2024, and with talent retention one of the biggest challenges for organizations it is time to take a close look at what plans are in place to support employee wellbeing. From creating more inclusive work cultures to open discussions around physical and mental health, today’s employees are looking for places to work where they feel valued as an individual as well as an employee.  

6. The cycle of upskilling and reskilling

The workforce is changing and with it the demand for new skill sets; technology is replacing some roles but also adding pressure for employees to learn new skills and systems to perform in the future. Employers estimate that 44% of workers’ skills will be disrupted in the next five years. Conducting a skills analysis of the workforce will provide an overview of the current skills gaps that exist in organizations. With this insight hiring managers can begin to plan their talent lifecycle; analyzing job roles and outcomes to shape future job descriptions and planning talent pipelines to source new talent ahead of time. Psychometric assessments have a key role here and can help HR professionals select top candidates based on skill sets and requirements enabling them to advance candidates who are the best fit for the role with confidence, as well as helping to highlight opportunities for future development and eligibility for training programs.

7. What’s your brand?

Company branding is high on the agenda for 2024. With the demand for talent still at a high, candidates have more opportunity to select an organization that best represents their values and motivations. How organizations present themselves, their values and the future will be up for review. HR professionals looking to attract millennials and Gen Z, may need to assess how their social media presence, employee advocates and values are portrayed to attract top candidates. Tools such as SOSIE 2nd Generation, can help organizations take a closer look at their values and motivations – analyzing employee insights can help HR teams shape career development plans and teams.

8. Power skills of the future

'Power Skills' are the capabilities that will power the world’s economy and people’s careers today and tomorrow.  A recent Pearson report identified that the top power skills employers are currently looking for are communication, customer service, leadership, attention to detail and collaboration – top human skills that will be essential for business and personal success. In 2024, HR managers will need to look at how they can help employees develop these skill sets and move forward in their careers. Individuals who feel better invested in are more likely to remain with the organization. Tools such as Watson-Glaser™ III can help recruiting managers identify their top skills sets based in job criteria and provide the insights needed to source and select candidates with the right skill sets.

9. Data driven recruiting and analytics

In-hand with AI and machine learning is an increased desire for data-driven insights to inform recruitment processes. The cost of making a bad hire has a significant impact not only financially but also in terms of productivity and team motivation. Using data insights HR managers can make informed, objective decisions on their recruitment selections. Outcomes can also inform how efficient and effective selections have been and enable adjustments to be made to the recruitment process in the future that will benefit both the candidate's experience and business overall.  From cost of hire, time to hire, training costs, time to place and onboarding – data is transforming the recruitment field and making it more accountable than ever.

10. Generational and population trends

According to a Deloitte Insights article, Gen Z and millennial workers can be catalysts for change in building a future-proof workforce. Expected to make up over half the workforce by 2030, they are values-driven, striving for work/life balance, and are concerned about the environment, the state of the world, and the future! This year, employers can empower these workers by leveraging their passion and determination to create a better future through activities and policies such as establishing employee support groups (ESGs), supporting community activities, and offering volunteer time off.

Future-proof your recruitment process

Creating a future proof workforce takes time and planning, HR professionals who are empowered to embrace technology and use insight to drive the talent lifecycle will benefit from the trends currently set to shape 2024.  

As a human resources professional, ensuring reliable recruitment is crucial to the success and longevity of your business. With this in mind, adopting certain strategic reflexes is essential. Discover ten tips you can adopt to enhance the reliability of your recruitment processes, from building a strong employer brand to implementing an effective onboarding process. By following these tips, you'll improve the quality of your recruitment and contribute to the growth and stability of your organization. 

In today's competitive landscape, hiring the right staff is paramount for organizational success. Leveraging Pearson TalentLens assessments, we present five essential strategies to optimize your talent acquisition process and secure top talent for your team.

Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing recruitment, offering many opportunities to help recruiters with their day-to-day tasks and make informed hiring decisions. However, it also presents challenges that are important for HR professionals to be aware of. In our factsheet below, explore the opportunities and challenges of integrating AI into the recruitment process, highlighting the need to strike a balance between automation and maintaining the human aspect, while ensuring the security of candidate data.

If artificial intelligence (AI) is already very present in our daily lives (GPS, playlists, targeted advertisements) and is gradually becoming more popular thanks to tools such as ChatGPT, the metaverse is still in its infancy. These new technologies, which have enormous potential for development, are gradually being integrated into companies for human resources management, and, in particular, recruitment. What are the possibilities offered by these new algorithms? Do they help to recruit better? If so, will they eventually replace recruiters? 

What do we mean by artificial intelligence (AI) and the metaverse?

These technologies, which are increasinly become part of everyday and work life, each have very distinct uses.

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence is a set of technologies, computer programs capable of simulating human intelligence from data provided to it. ChatGPT, for example, is a chatbot tool that uses generative AI: it produces content from the information fed by users and must be constantly fed. This allows it to generate structured content that mimics dialogue. However, to obtain reliable results, it is essential to train the tool with precise queries and direct it towards the desired objectives to improve  reliability.

The metaverse

The metaverse (from the English metaverse), contraction of “meta universe”, literally means the universe beyond. More precisely, it is several digital universes which evolve in parallel, because, currently, it is not yet possible to communicate from one virtual world to another. This 3D universe is often a combination of two technologies: virtual reality and augmented reality. We enter the metaverse through specialized platforms, with a virtual reality or mixed reality headset, and, for more immersion, virtual reality glasses, shoes and/or haptic gloves. Users, via avatars created by themselves, can lead a virtual existence, buy a home, decorate it, meet their neighbors, etc.

Frequently used in video games, companies also use it for different purposes, in particular to innovate their recruitment practices.

What roles can AI and the metaverse play in recruitment?

Both artificial intelligence and the metaverse should be considered as tools that can be of benefit to organizations, in particular to meet recruitment objectives.

Facilitate sourcing

Searching for candidates on job platforms is very time-consuming for a recruitment manager. However, semantic analysis carried out via artificial intelligence greatly facilitates the selection of candidates and allows the recruiter to save significant time in sourcing. AI is one particularly effective sourcing tool in the event of large recruitment, since it is capable of quickly analyzing thousands of CVs. The broad field covered by AI allows you to detect applications containing the keywords present on the relevant job description and/or the job offer. Thanks to matching, sorting CVs is made easier and allows recruiters to easily build up a talent pool. Using the metaverse also saves time during the pre-selection stage, for example by eliminating the telephone interview. In addition, it is possible to organize group interviews or virtual job dating in certain hiring processes, provided that the candidates are equipped with a headset.

Automate time-consuming tasks

If sourcing is made easier, it is also thanks to the automation of time-consuming tasks, such as the distribution of offers on job sites, from the ATS (Applicant Tracking System, recruitment management tool, monitoring of candidates among other things). For companies that need to recruit many employees, AI algorithms have become essential to automate and personalize a response to receiving a CV or a spontaneous application, as well as an invitation to a job interview. This also allows the sending of personalized emails to each candidate and facilitates the monitoring of applications at each stage of recruitment.

Help with writing

More and more recruiters are using AI to write their job offers, personalize them by highlighting the company culture, as well as to describe the desired job profile and highlight the required skills. ChatGPT can thus increase the readability of advertisements and adapt their form to different social media, which also makes it possible to reach certain passive candidates. For their part, job seekers also use ChatGPT to write their cover letter.

Evaluate skills

Video games and virtual reality are part of the recruitment techniques used by HR managers to simulate situations allowing candidates to be evaluated on, for example certain personality traits. Behind an avatar, candidates would have more spontaneous reactions. Regarding skills assessment in general, recruitment professionals may well consider conducting interviews with candidates in the metaverse, which may or may not be a copy of the company's premises. This new technology makes it possible to organize scenarios that are difficult or impossible to implement in reality: diving into the heart of the ocean, flying in a helicopter, going into space, open-heart surgery, etc. It can be enriching to have applicants meet there to observe their reactions and identify the candidate who best fits the position to be filled.

Optimize the candidate experience

Some companies already offer virtual tours of their premises. An asset for optimizing the candidate experience. A total immersion visit allows a future employee or candidate to understand the company culture more precisely, and, facilitate onboarding. Regarding AI, chatbots, for example, also help improve this experience by responding to certain expectations of the candidate and the questions they may ask about the application procedure and the recruitment stages.

Promote the employer brand

As an indirect consequence, the use of virtual or augmented reality technologies makes it possible to attract profiles who may be reactive to these recruitment methods. Therefore, a start-up looking to recruit an IT expert has every interest in integrating this technology into its talent acquisition strategy. In addition, by communicating these new recruitment methods on professional social networks such as Linkedin, job sites such as APEC and other recruitment channels, the company enhances its attractiveness to potential candidates. In addition, the innovative nature of these technologies can encourage the best profiles to apply.

What are the opportunities and challenges of AI and the metaverse in recruitment?

AI and/or the metaverse represent strong added value for companies, and specifically in the field of recruitment. However, they still face some challenges, hence the importance of knowing these tools well.

Opportunities : 

• You save time! Some groups or multi-site companies use virtual reality to organize their work meetings. In the same spirit, the metaverse can serve as a means of recruiting a new employee internationally, thus saving travel and time.
• Parsing technologies (analysis of CVs in paper and digital format to integrate the information contained in recruitment software or ATS) and matching ( identification of skills, experience and qualifications which correspond to the profile sought for a position particular) also facilitate the work of a team of recruiters, by making it possible to select the candidate who best suits the position to be filled and therefore to recruit effectively.
• If the company wishes to recruit executives, managers or young graduates, it can quickly find employees who are immediately operational.
• AI makes it possible to automatically update content and data, which have a limited lifespan on the web.
• The metaverse makes it possible to simulate the working environment and technical constraints, to reduce certain risks. This represents a real asset for a recruitment manager, who is looking to reduce hiring errors and costs linked to poor recruitment.
• These new technologies have the advantage of allowing the recruiter to expand international recruitment, with distance or language no longer being obstacles.

THE challenges to overcome:

• AI presents a risk of standardizing profiles and recruiting clones: generative AI in fact learns from the data with which it is fed. If they look similar or a recruiter often enters the same keywords, atypical profiles risk being excluded from the results.
• The quality of the data provided, the lack of regularity in machine training, or even poor formulation of the query can lead to distorted results. Thus, it is often necessary to try several times to obtain a conclusive answer from ChatGPT. This is why it is essential that users are trained beforehand.
• Users may encounter security and personal data protection issues, as the GDPR does not apply in all countries outside Europe.

AI and metaverse: a solution to overcome recruitment difficulties?

In a tense job market, the company must stand out from its competitors to attract candidates and find concrete solutions to remedy its recruitment difficulties.

An innovative recruitment method

The use of these innovative technologies such as AI and the metaverse boosts the employer image and can attract new talents, provided it is not just an empty shell. This innovative recruitment approach optimizes the candidate experience (role playing, total immersion in virtual reality, new sensations, etc.) and can make it easier to target shortage profiles. In addition, used for a first interview, these technologies save time and prevent a prospective recruit from going to a competitor.

Expand the type of profile sought

Generative AI can propose candidates different from those usually sought, depending on the queries and keywords submitted to it. But it is still the human who provides the data and the recruiter who issues requests based on his recruitment objective, at a given time. The machine is a simple performer. However, AI is capable of proposing candidates that the recruiter would not have considered straight away and encouraging them to recruit atypical candidates. A person hiding behind a unicorn-shaped avatar can match 80% of the desired profile. The company has the possibility of then training it via the metaverse! It is also a way of limiting discrimination in hiring. In addition, thanks to matching, the AI can spontaneously draw from the pool of applications received, which it itself helped to create.

Impacts difficult to assess

The impact of artificial intelligence on recruitment as a whole remains difficult to measure. The time saving is undeniable in automating the sorting of applications and in matching them with the job profiles to be filled. Furthermore in terms of travel and the organization of interviews, and even in the implementation of the evaluation. However, all this requires engineering by recruitment specialists, as well as the definition of KPIs (Key Indicators Performance) to monitor and determine the return on investment (ROI) of these technologies, in relation to the processes. “classic” recruitment methods.

AI, metaverse VS recruiter?

Are the new algorithms intended, in the long term, to replace the recruiter? Are physical exchanges set to disappear? If the metaverse is a space conducive to role-playing, it is often reserved for pre-selection interviews. As for the job interview, it still takes place, more generally, face-to-face. The use of the metaverse as a recruitment tool is still anecdotal, compared to the solutions offered by AI. However, it is important to remain cautious and carefully regulate the uses made of it, while ensuring the quality of the data available.

AI, metaverse and psychometric tests: complementarity

Recruitment solutions are numerous and depend on the defined recruitment strategy.

Diversified means

Recruitment by direct approach (recruitment of managers or rare profiles), co-optation, internal mobility, new recruitment methods (AI, metaverse etc.), there are multiple ways of recruiting. But there is no universal recruitment solution that will help you find the ideal candidate. Often, the person who takes care of recruitment (consultants, human resources department, recruitment firms) uses complementary recruitment methods and tools which have their place at this or that stage of the recruitment process.

Psychometric tests and virtual reality

If the face-to-face job interview remains essential, the psychometric tests dedicated to recruitment allow us to know the candidates in depth, based on declarative items, while the simulation of real situations, in the metaverse or elsewhere, allows you to visualize the reactions of applicants and to evaluate soft skills more precisely. Psychometric tests, such as the SOSIE 2nd Generation - personality and values inventory and/or the DAT™ NEXT GENERATION intellectual aptitude tests precisely assess the skills of candidates, provide information on their potential and are excellent predictors of job performance.

The metaverse is effective in its own way for evaluating the candidate on the technical skills specific to certain sectors of activity, thanks to situations similar to the reality of the professions (catering, maintenance, industry, etc.).

Thus, whatever the tools, the metaverse and psychometric tests are complementary to “increase” the quality of the evaluation.

Cognitive biases

When used well and supplied with reliable data, AI makes it possible to create a pool of candidates without discrimination. It is therefore reasonable to believe that the combination of artificial intelligence technologies and scientifically designed psychometric tests would eliminate any risk of cognitive bias in the recruitment of talent.

Thus, used wisely, AI and the metaverse represent considerable help for recruiters. However, these tools are a thousand miles from being able to replace humans in their functions. Indeed, while they offer many advantages for decision support, they also have a major flaw: they do not know how to manage emotions. Human skills such as imagination, empathy, creativity, etc., among those required to perform a role in HR, still have a bright future ahead of them.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the world of work – and talent acquisition and recruitment is no exception. In the infographic below, we explain the impact of this new technology on talent acquisition and our recommendations to HR to best prepare this shift. 

Like the World Wide Web at one time, AI (Artificial Intelligence) is developing more and more in the business world. All areas of business are impacted, and its powerful technology is revolutionizing the world of work. For some of us, AI is seen as a threat, while others, on the contrary, view it as a great opportunity to transform our work "for the better". 

One thing is certain: AI is changing us. To take full advantage of AI in your business sector, there's one golden rule: anticipate the skills you'll need to evolve your job and use your role as a human being as added value. 86% of respondents to a BCG X study believe they will need training to upgrade their skills [1]. What impact does AI have on professional skills? How can we best prepare for the growing integration of AI into the world of work? Here's how.t

The potential impact of AI on professional skills 

1. Automation of routine tasks: AI automates many routines, low value-added tasks, often characterized by repetitive, predictable and structured actions, freeing up workers' time to concentrate on more complex, creative and strategic tasks, where their human skills are required. 
2. Strengthening analytical and cognitive skills: Professionals need to develop analytical skills to take advantage of AI's capabilities, interpreting the many results it generates. In an increasingly data-driven business environment, AI helps professionals develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills to make better decisions. Listening, humility, curiosity, open-mindedness and the ability to take a step back are personal qualities in high demand in this sense. 
3. Increasing demand for social and emotional skills: The ability to collaborate with, understand and interact effectively with intelligent systems specific to AI requires professionals to have social skills such as communication, collaboration and understanding of mutual needs for better teamwork and conflict resolution. In addition, workers need to adapt quickly to new technologies and accept change. Emotional skills such as resilience, flexibility and stress management are expected for this.

Key skills to develop for the new world of work 

1. Analytical and problem-solving skills: It has become essential to be able to analyze data, identify trends and find innovative solutions to problems. 
2. Creative and critical thinking skills: Developing original thinking skills to encourage innovation and critical thinking skills to step back and manage complex and novel situations is a priority. 
3. Communication and collaboration skills: Perfecting written and oral communication skills, as well as the ability to work effectively in a team and manage constructive interpersonal relationships, is key. This can only benefit collective intelligence and better performance at work. 
4. Adaptability and lifelong learning skills: It's important to be well prepared to adapt to technological changes and evolutions in the job market by adopting a lifelong learning approach. 

Strategies to prepare for AI in the workplace

1. Keep abreast of technological trends: It's vital to keep abreast of advances in AI and the fields likely to be impacted by this technology. 
2. Develop transferable skills: Investing in general and transversal skills that can be updated and applied to different professional contexts can only be beneficial. 
3. Take training courses and obtain new certifications: It's a good idea to strengthen your skills by taking specific training courses, obtain certifications and benefit from practical experience in the field of AI. 
4. Network and learn from experienced professionals: Exchanging with experts in the field of AI to gather valuable advice and information is also recommended. 

The world of work is undergoing a paradigm shift with the increasing arrival of AI in many industries. To take advantage of this, it's important to understand its scope and prepare optimally for its integration within the company. The human skills required for a job are not necessarily the same as before. Everyone can make the most of this changing environment by developing new key skills, useful for adapting to the evolution of their profession. The rapid progress of AI also requires a culture of continuous adaptation. In this sense, it's important for human resources (HR) managers to support employees in developing their skills throughout their professional careers and encourage continuous learning. In this way, employees will feel better supported in this ongoing transformation and the impact it has on their jobs.

[1] Study by BCG X, BCG's tech entity, on the impact of AI on jobs among employees in 18 countries across all industries and statuses https://www.bcg.com/publications/2023/what-people-are-saying-about-ai-at-work

In the competitive world of recruitment, companies are constantly looking for ways to streamline their HR processes and save time to be efficient. This is where cutting-edge AI-powered technologies such as ChatGPT or BARD can become invaluable. This blog post gives you 5 tips to help automate many of the tedious tasks involved in recruitment, allowing recruiters to focus on more strategic initiatives. Don't miss out our top 3 AI solutions that HR managers shoud use in 2024. 

1. Revitalize your job offers  

Writing job descriptions can sometimes be laborious, even more so when you want them to be different, convincing and attractive. AI (Artificial Intelligence) solutions such as ChatGPT or BARD can help you write more engaging, effective descriptions that highlight your company's culture and specific advantages. The benefits are twofold: attract more qualified candidates and improve the overall recruitment experience! 

So how do you go about it? Provide the tool with all the information and instructions on the position you're recruiting for and ask it to write an impactful advert for you. Then make your choices from the suggested wording (ChatGPT, Bard) picking and choosing only the parts you like. In short, do your own cooking!

2. Optimize your interview planning  

Scheduling interviews can be a real logistical headache, especially when you have to deal with the agendas of several candidates and interviewers. ChatGPT and BARD can simplify this process for you by automatically scheduling interviews according to individual availability and preferences. The advantage? Save time and frustration and ensure that interviews are conducted in a timely and well-organized manner.   

How do you achieve this? Integrate ChatGPT and BARD into your interview management system and provide the availability of candidates and interviewers. Intelligent algorithms analyze this data to automatically suggest compatible time slots, simplifying the scheduling in an efficient and automated way.

3. Communicate effectively with your candidates 

Interacting with potential candidates can be a time-consuming task. Use AI to craft dynamic, personalized contact messages. Whether you're responding to inquiries or conducting preliminary interviews, ChatGPT or BARD's natural language capabilities improve communication, enabling you to connect more effectively with candidates and speed up the early phases of the recruitment process. 

How do you get started? Integrate ChatGPT or BARD into your candidate communication platform. By providing contextual information, these AIs can automatically generate personalized messages, facilitating interactions and speeding up the initial stages of recruitment.

4. Ask the right interview questions  

Preparing interview questions can be a time-intensive task. Generative AI enables you to speed up the process of creating questions and thus preparing for the interview. Your interview questions will be tailored to assess whether the candidate matches the company's values and expectations. 

How do you do it? Provide ChatGPT or Google's BARD with key details about the position you are recruiting for and let them suggest a set of questions that could be asked during the interview to assess candidates' skills. In addition to the job description, don't hesitate to provide information about the company's culture. This will enable AI to generate questions that assess candidates' cultural fit.

5. A smooth onboarding experience 

A smooth onboarding experience is essential if new employees are to feel at home and integrate quickly into your company. By tailoring induction content to the role and experience of each new employee, you can significantly improve the quality of the employee experience right from the onboarding phase. A positive, welcoming atmosphere right from the start of their journey with your organization will remain a pleasant memory for them. And as the saying goes, "You only have to make one good impression".  

So how do you go about it? Ask AI to help you generate personalized onboarding materials: welcome emails, training schedules, relevant company information etc.

In today’s remote-first world, online talent assessments have become a crucial part of the recruitment and hiring process. Companies often rely on these assessments to identify and select the most suitable candidates for open roles.

With the increased scrutiny placed on online assessments due to the rise of automated language modeling and artificial intelligence, it’s now more important than ever for companies to ensure their assessment results are valid and lead to accurate data-driven hiring decisions.

A study conducted by HirePro, a trusted recruitment automation and proctoring solution provider, found that “30% to 50% of candidates cheat during entry-level job assessments.” While this figure drops to 10% to 25% for lateral job assessments, companies must be proactive in curving cheating in their talent assessments. This is where online remote proctoring provides the most value to talent acquisition professionals.

What is online proctoring?

Proctoring is the practice of monitoring candidates during an assessment. Its role during the testing process is to ensure the fairness and security of the assessment, prevent cheating, and ensure all test takers follow the given rules and guidelines. There are three main formats in which proctoring is utilized:

• Live Proctoring: involves a real-time proctor monitoring candidates during the assessment process through a live video call.
• Automated Proctoring: utilizes advancements in AI-driven algorithms to analyze the candidates’ behavior during the assessments (eye movements, background noise, etc.).
• Recorded Proctoring: records the entire assessment session so that it can later be reviewed by the talent acquisition team.

The Challenges of Proctoring Online Talent Assessments

Online talent assessments offer numerous advantages, such as flexibility and accessibility, but they also pose specific challenges that can compromise the accuracy and validity of results. Some of the key challenges include:

• Cheating: without proper supervision or proctoring, candidates can participate in cheating using unauthorized materials, online assistance, and help from others.
• Impersonation: there is a risk of impersonation, where someone else takes the assessment on behalf of the candidate.
• Technical Issues: disruptions can occur due to technical glitches on a candidate’s computer internet bandwidth constraints, causing disruptions and a frustrating assessment experience.

The Role of Proctoring in Mitigating Challenges

Online proctoring plays a pivotal role in addressing the challenges associated with talent assessment platforms. By incorporating online proctoring measures, companies can enhance the credibility of their candidate evaluation process. Here are some key benefits of proctoring:

• Ensuring Assessment Integrity: proctoring solutions ensure that candidates follow all the rules and guidelines set by the assessment.
• Verifying Candidate Identity: leading proctoring solutions offer identity verification, which matches the face on their webcam with a valid form of a picture ID provided by the candidate prior to the assessment.
• Minimizing Technical Issues: proctoring solutions are often seamlessly integrated into the assessment process, reducing the amount of software the candidate needs to use.

Pearson TalentLens & HirePro Remote Proctoring

Proctoring is an essential part of our talent assessment platform. Our goal is to ensure the fairness and reliability of your talent acquisition process. That’s why we have partnered with HirePro, a leading remote proctoring provider, to bring you automated proctoring solutions across our talent assessment portfolio.

As technology continues to evolve, you can be sure we’re continuously improving our proctoring methods to safeguard the integrity of our assessment and strengthen the confidence in your candidate evaluation process.

Learn more about how Pearson TalentLens uses proctoring to deliver valid results.

The impact of making a ‘bad hire’ can have a resounding effect on businesses performance and profitability. At a time of year when businesses are implementing and forward planning their talent decisions, understanding what makes a ‘bad hire’ and how you can avoid this route is essential.

Research shows that ‘up to 20 percent of new hires’ leave within the ‘first 45 days of their new role.’ (HR News) A ‘bad hire’ could be the result of a mismatch between job role and skill set, values that do not align between company environment / expectation vs personal values, or team fit.

There are also business factors that can lead to organisations making a negative hiring decision. Poor onboarding processes, lack of face-to-face interviews, and pressure to make quick hiring decisions due to time and budget demand. A bad hire is costly, estimated at three times higher than the salary paid, plus the impact a bad hire can have on team morale and performance.

How Can Organizations Avoid this Costly Mistake?

Use psychometrics

34% of HR professionals cited psychometrics as an effective way to improve recruitment processes, by gaining insight into personality, aptitude, and behaviours required for their roles. Role assessment by Pearson provides a range of renowned assessment tools including the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal that can provide a granular view of each candidates' job fit and how they rank against other applicants who are being considered for the same position.​

Skills-based hiring

Avoid outdated proxies and look at recruiting based on skill-set - the competencies and skills essential to your role as opposed to credentials. This gives you a wider talent pool to choose from and helps you avoid overlooking valuable candidates.  

Look at all your options 

With skill-gaps having a significant impact on future business development, upskilling internal members of staff will help to protect your business. Identifying areas of concern and developing staff into new roles could help improve employee retention and avoid the possibility of making a ‘bad hire’ by mismatching skills and role requirements. 

A bad hire is a costly mistake to make for any organisation, but by planning for your recruitment needs and investing in tools such as psychometrics and hiring solutions you can gain the insight needed to avoid this mistake and strengthen your business for the year ahead.