Hiring managers: what’s your working relationship with AI?

In 2023, AI didn’t just nudge into everyday life – it outright barged into the global landscape, disrupting foundational rules and redefining the way many of us work. The term ‘augmented workforce’ is climbing in prominence, and it’s worth including AI in conversations about ‘hybrid’ work since it involves the hybridization of human and machine. So to speak.

The march of AI, sparked by the rise of ChatGPT into the popular lexicon in December 2022, has stirred feelings of curiosity (What is this that stands before me? How can it help me?) and caution (Will this become sentient? Will it take my job?).

That’s especially so in the workplace. We at Workable are diving right in – our software is already evolving to exhibit robust AI utility in its hiring and management capabilities to support your day-to-day work.

A new survey – to understand AI @ work

And as authorities in this arena, we understand that to truly grasp the extent and impact of AI,we must turn to those at its forefront – the people and industries it serves.

We want to unravel AI’s role at work, with hiring at the center of that focus. This is a journey into the heart of modern hiring and a finger on the pulse of the working environment that’s seen so much transformation since early 2020.

To collect our data, we surveyed 950 employees in the US and the UK across a wide range of sectors and functions. Seven key industries stand out, each with its own ecosystem impacted by AI:

• Accounting/Finance: Precision meets prediction in this space – AI and its analytical potential can evolve the necessity of financial accuracy into strategic foresight.
• IT/Technology/SaaS: The foundational garden from which AI sprouts – and itself a landscape that’s being reshaped by its own inventions.
• Education: Learning and growth requires guidance and mentorship in the human, and is boosted by AI’s analytical powers.
• Construction: Long evolved beyond wood and nails and hammers, the physical world of construction is increasingly built through digital precision and optimization.
• Manufacturing: Machines are the foundation of manufacturing – AI orchestrates a symphony of physical technology with intelligent development.
• Healthcare: A critical sector on which the literal health of society depends, this area is rife with compliance requirements, privacy considerations, and processes that are all augmented with digital transformation.
• Retail: Experiencing AI’s transformation from inventory management to personalized shopping experiences and omnichannel presentation.

The resultant dataset from our 28-question survey of 950 provides numerous opportunities to understand all this at a deeper level. Let’s dive into the results together.

Sorry? You want to get the highlights right now? Sure. Major takeaways include the following:

• If you’re looking to utilize AI in hiring, you’re in good company. A significant majority (62.5%) of respondents used some form of AI in hiring processes last year.
• There are clear benefits to using AI in recruitment. A vast majority report that AI has sped up the hiring process (89.6%) and reduced the time (85.3%) and cost (77.9%) spent on hiring.
• When using AI, don’t dismiss the human touch. Human decision-making dominates final hiring choices, with 15.3% relying solely on human judgment and 56.8% using AI only as a supportive tool.
• IDing ideal candidates is a popular use of AI. The most common uses of AI in recruitment are resume screening (58.9%) and candidate matching (43.1%).
• Different industries do AI hiring differently. For example, resume screening is predominantly used in Accounting / Finance, while IT / Technology / SaaS sectors leverage AI more in video interviews.
• If you can mitigate bias, privacy and compliance challenges with AI, all the better. Common reported issues of AI in hiring include hiring bias (40%), privacy concerns (37.2%), and compliance challenges (30.7%).
• Don’t expect AI to solve all your woes. A majority say AI boosts their productivity (75.7%), but challenges persist – including tech difficulties (46.2%) and employee resistance (40.5%).
• Job security is a huge concern. A significant proportion of employees (68.1%) express concerns about AI impacting job security, and 57.2% say they did see jobs being displaced due to AI.

But the outlook is positive. The majority foresee an increase in the importance and usage of AI in hiring and overall workplace functions.

There’s a lot more, of course. Download your free copy of the AI hiring and work survey now!