There are countless companies thriving for innovation and change that are putting extra funds (and effort) into research and development. We are hearing news of all types of new software being released for all kinds of tasks, but one that stands out is a company that helps the average person find stable and well-matched employment: Lensa.
Lensa is a job search site that focuses on recruitment from both the recruiter and job-seeker side of things. The main focus of Lensa is to leave a positive impact on the job market by focusing more on job seekers and the way their company works.
This company has brought lots of new and ethical ideas to the world of recruitment that we will be discussing later on in this article. Mainly, Lensa has used a data-driven approach to make finding a job as efficient and accurate as possible through AI software.
Artificial intelligence isn’t a myth, nor is it a threat. It is simply a more intelligent version of software used for elevated computing tasks. AI needs to be programmed by professionals and uses algorithms paired with immense amounts of data to derive answers to commands or inputs.
The type of AI everyone uses now is called narrow AI, meaning it completes simple tasks one at a time while being quick, efficient, and more accurate than a human. There is also artificial general intelligence which is what we see in Hollywood movies.
This form of AI, though a goal for many scientists, is also unlikely. We do not understand our own consciousness. Thus, we cannot mimic it yet, and it’s unlikely we will ever create a fully autonomously sentient machine. Though this may sound disappointing, narrow AI already does more than we could have ever imagined machines doing.
They are able to make fast computations based on algorithms and vast amounts of data, making them more efficient than any human being could be. That being said, they will not replace recruiters, which is why Lensa utilizes strong narrow AI software to facilitate the lives of its users with strong connective capabilities as well as other additions unique to the company.
The first way the job search company has used artificial intelligence to advance its website is by automating resume selection for recruiters. They do this by having the AI search for keywords in candidates’ resumes to then send them off to the next step: a human recruiter reading through it.
The automation of resume searching has become extremely popular, with around three-quarters of resumes going through this process. This has reduced the time it takes to hire someone and has also increased every candidate’s chances of getting hired for a well-matched job. It has reduced costs for all companies using it, leaving funds for more important projects.
Artificial intelligence also has the ability to categorize resumes and even reject them automatically, further reducing unnecessary time spent on administrative tasks by recruiters, leaving them more time for important ones such as interviews and hiring.
Artificial intelligence reduces hiring bias by removing prejudices and any mistakes a human may make. The human subconscious is non-existent for a machine. Most biases candidates experience is gender bias. There are multiple factors for this, starting from sexism to statistics, such as men being more likely to apply to a job that is above their skill set.
As mentioned earlier, job matching has also been optimized, especially at Lensa. Most users are extremely satisfied with the results of their efforts on the online job board and found heightened success rates.
Recruiters get to spend more face-on time with candidates due to the searching and finding process being automated with AI. This means stronger and longer interviews with candidates and better connections to possible future employees. Having more time for real interviews increases the chances of a candidate joining the recruiter’s team.
Lensa has a special use for artificial intelligence in their work style game, a unique video game for job seekers to complete. This game focuses on finding out the characteristics of individual users to help them find the ones suitable for certain jobs. It can even help a user find unknown positive traits about themselves to further their job-finding journey.
Automated reminders, chatbots, and offer emails are other ways Lensa uses AI to connect recruiters to users and keep users engaged. Passive candidates have a lot of potential in the job market and are given targeted offers that may please them more than their current position. This gives recruiters on Lensa an advantage in finding more suitable candidates.
Thanks to Lensa’s workstyle and game, candidates can add to their resumes but you can also go beyond that and receive help creating your actual resume. The website has a tool for helping you make your resume as best as possible.
Lensa does not make candidates pay to sign up, though some paywalls do exist depending on the company you apply for. In turn, recruiters must pay to upkeep their applications on the site. This means every candidate application they wish to view, they must pay for it. This filters the candidate selection process and also allows the recruiter to have more choices.
Some challenges of using artificial intelligence for job boards is the immense amount of data a program like this needs to function correctly. Recruitment AI uses machine learning from the search process to even some virtual interviews to determine good candidates.
It may be a struggle for some job seekers to accept or get used to having AI analyzing you before a human does but Lensa and other online job search boards have proven themselves to employees and recruiters alike. This automation makes finding a job faster and easier while also reducing costs and increasing efficiency for companies looking for employees.
There is no need to fear technology in general. With a little cybersecurity good practice, one can go a long way without running into any issues. Since AI simply runs on algorithms and data, not sentience, it is a worthwhile investment to use and one that provides the most benefits for Lensa users.
Image Source: Tima Miroshnichenko- Pexels
