5.2 Chatbots
Chatbots (like Amazon’s Alexa or Apple’s Siri) have recently appeared in the recruitment sector, using artificial intelligence to take on repetitive tasks and shortlisting a pool of qualified candidates for the recruiter.
The chatbot might ask candidates a series of questions, recording data and ranking applicants. They can answer simple candidate queries and even organise meetings and phone calls.
A survey by Allegis (Fisher, 2017) suggests that 58% of job seekers are comfortable interacting with artificial intelligence apps to answer initial questions in the application and interview process. 66% are glad to have AI apps help with interview scheduling and preparation. So there is some acceptance of this process, but a way to go before we all embrace it.
As the person on the receiving end of a chatbot’s communication skills, a top tip is to keep your sentences clear and concise.
Doing some research about the company prior to your interaction with the chatbot might allow you to use key terms in your answers that you know are used by the organisation, e.g. on their website or in their job descriptions. This might help if the chatbot is programmed to look for key words.