How to launch an ethical, responsible, and efficient AI hiring process

Adopting artificial intelligence as part of the recruitment process is no longer a “nice-to-have” addition—it’s imperative for hiring teams if they want to get (and stay) ahead of their competition. AI hiring technology will continue to shape talent acquisition by simplifying and streamlining tasks that used to require one or multiple recruiters to accomplish. 

But as with any new tool, recruiters need to be mindful before, during, and after deployment to ensure their investment operates the way it’s supposed to.

Wherever you are in your AI consideration or adoption journey, we’ve put together a handy checklist to help you identify the right AI solution for you and your hiring needs.

1. Define objectives

Before adopting any new technology or process, the first step is to identify why you’re considering it and what problems you hope to solve. With AI, for example, you may be seeking to solve specific recruitment funnel pain points that are stalling your ability to get candidates through the pipeline fast, or you may be searching for a way to stay more connected to candidates as they complete the early stages of the process. 

By clearly defining your goals and objectives, you’ll be able to implement the new technology with a keen understanding of its purpose and the results you expect. 

2. Assess data security

Protecting your company and its people is likely at the top of your priority list, so you need to make the solutions you’re considering comply with data security and privacy regulations, both at the local and national/international levels. 

One way to do this is to verify that your options follow best practices for data encryption, storage, and access controls, all of which can help protect candidate information.  

Read how Fountain customer Fetch decreased their time-to-hire by 95% and hired in as little as 8 minutes using Fountain AI.                                                                                           

3. Determine integrations compatibility 

Just because you adopt a new AI hiring tool doesn’t mean you have to abandon your existing hiring process. Your future AI hiring tool should be able to integrate with the HR systems you use every day.

Although some integrations may require additional customization, the ease with which the tool integrates will be of utmost importance for hiring teams that need a seamless transition to AI.

4. Research reliable AI hiring vendors

Once you’re ready to begin your search for an AI hiring tool, take your time to research and evaluate reputable vendors with track records of delivering reliable conversational AI solutions. 

Before making a final decision, read up on the vendor’s:

• customer reviews,
• technical support capabilities,
• scalability, and 
• reputation in the field of HR technology.

5. Explore chatbot capabilities 

One of the prime reasons you may be exploring AI hiring solutions is so you can eventually add a chatbot to your careers site. As you conduct research, ask whether the vendor’s chatbot can:

• handle various candidate inquiries,
• answer with relevant information,
• schedule interviews, and
• support multilingual candidates.

6. Ensure compliance and bias mitigation

Similar to point #2 above, it’s vital to make sure the AI hiring tool you choose adheres to legal and ethical guidelines, including compliance with anti-discrimination laws.

Perform regular audits of the chatbot’s behavior and responses to mitigate biases and maintain fairness in the hiring process.

7. Test and evaluate your AI hiring solution

Before deploying, conduct thorough testing and evaluation of the tool’s functionality, accuracy, and user experience through different example scenarios. This will help ensure the tool meets the desired objectives outlined in point #1 and aligns with candidate expectations. 

Learn how AI can help transform the candidate experience with our e-book, AI for Applicant Engagement.

8. Audit for continuous improvement 

With your new hiring process up and running, it will be crucial to perform continual audits to evaluate its effectiveness. Use data analysis and recruiter feedback as opportunities to refine chatbot responses, expand its knowledge base, or integrate new features. 

9. Offer AI hiring support and training for HR teams

As with any new technology, it’s likely your hiring teams will need to be trained to use it effectively. Provide adequate training and support to your recruiters who will use it to ensure they understand its functionality, can address common candidate inquiries, and can leverage analytics to make informed hiring decisions. 

Optional AI hiring features

The following features may not come standard for all AI hiring solutions, but they can be tremendous assets to a well-rounded tech-enabled hiring strategy. 

Customization and branding

Some AI vendors offer the option to customize AI components, like chatbots, using your company brand elements (e.g., brand colors, logo, etc.). You can even tailor the chatbot’s responses to reflect your company’s voice, tone, and values to create a consistent candidate experience. 

Training and optimization

As AI inevitably continues to evolve, plan for continual adjustments to your newly adopted hiring tools. Allocate resources to refine chatbot responses, improve accuracy, and adapt to changing hiring requirements or candidate preferences. 

Candidate feedback and monitoring

A big part of your AI hiring strategy is to improve candidate experience, so why not let them share how it’s working for them? Implement mechanisms to collect feedback on your AI hiring tool, and monitor candidates’ interactions with the chatbot to identify areas for improvement. 

To learn more about implementing AI ethically and efficiently into your hiring process, click here to download our complete AI toolkit.