3 things job seekers need to know about hiring technology (and 3 ways to make it work for you)

By Ron Mitchell

Searching for a job in the age of AI résumé reviewers, online assessments, and automatic “no” piles is excruciating. And we haven’t even scratched the surface of anxiety around the pandemic.

Technology has drastically changed the job search process, even in just the last five years, and job seekers now find themselves questioning how to adapt to a tech-driven recruiting environment. What makes adapting so hard? In large part, it’s because so much of what happens, happens behind closed doors. We know that AI is helping with hiring decisions, but what does that actually mean, and how does it change your job search?

1. Companies are building profiles on you

You probably know about software that can scan your résumé for keywords. But when recruiters are considering you for a job, they aren’t just looking at your résumé. They’re now relying on tools that build full profiles on job seekers just by scraping publicly available information such as social profiles, old blogs, awards, academic histories, old résumés on LinkedIn, etc. These tools allow employers to build a profile about you without ever meeting you, and that profile could be drastically different than the one you’re hoping to convey with your résumé. The kicker? Employers believe that those sources can be even more informative about who you are and what you do than an actual conversation.

2. Skill assessments are digging deeper

Traditional strength and personality assessments aren’t going anywhere, but they are becoming more sophisticated. To better understand whether or not a candidate is the right fit, employers are using assessments with more intelligent algorithms that can determine how you’ll perform in a specific job environment. Some address cultural fit, and some are built to measure technical skills.

3. Employers want you to show, not tell

Chances are, you’re familiar with the “scenario” type of questions in an interview that asks how you would react in certain situations. Pretty soon, you may have to show, not just describe, how you’ll handle on-the-job-scenarios. Companies that have substantial resources and that are hiring en masse are taking it a step further by using VR to build workplace scenarios. This technology is helping employers get a more concrete picture of how you’ll react to customers, the fast pace, technology requirements, etc.

The missing human connection

What place does human interaction have in recruiting? With AI screenings and other tech-based decision making, the human connection is becoming harder to establish, and companies are making judgments without ever having met the candidates.

This concern doesn’t stop after the hiring process is done. Companies everywhere are adapting to accommodate remote work, meaning technology is replacing face time in the office too. Slack, videoconferencing, and email help close the human connection gap, but employees must create new intentional habits when using these tools to support collaboration. Combine these changes with the rise of the gig economy—another game changer in the workplace—and workplace culture becomes even more fluid. With these new elements, employers, employees, and job seekers must actively work to establish a human connection.

Making it work... Read the full Fast Company article to see how to make it work for you!