Technology & innovation
Tech workers are increasingly distrusting of how AI is being used in the recruiting process, according to new research by Dice.
Highlights from Dice's survey of over 200 U.S. tech professionals:
68% of tech professionals surveyed by Dice "distrust fully AI-driven hiring processes," while 80% "trust human-driven approaches."
Virtually all (92%) respondents said they think AI-driven tools "miss qualified candidates who don't optimize for keywords."
More than three-quarters (78%) of tech workers say the way employers are currently recruiting candidates "pressure them to exaggerate qualifications just to get noticed."
65% of respondents said they have tweaked their resumes just to "improve their chances with AI screening tools."
Almost one-third (30%) of tech professionals said they are "considering leaving the industry entirely due to their frustrations with the hiring process."
Read more via Business Wire
A new study of 67,000 job interviews suggests that AI may outperform human recruiters.
Researchers at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and Erasmus University Rotterdam began with a pool of 67,000 job seekers applying for "entry-level customer service roles in the Philippines."
The job seekers were randomly assigned to be interviewed by an "AI voice agent" (who "disclosed itself as AI"), a human recruiter, or to have the option of choosing between the AI voice agent and the human recruiter.
While the AI voice agent conducted some of the interviews, humans "made the final hiring decisions for the jobs … based on how well candidates performed in the interview and on a standardized test."
AI-led interviews "resulted in 12% more job offers and a 17% higher rate of retention for at least the first month."
According to the researchers, AI voice agents "covered significantly more key topics in the calls relative to human interviews, which meant the recruiters had more relevant information on which to base their decisions."
Of note was the extent to which AI “spoke less and prompted the interviewee to speak more.”
Read more via Bloomberg, University of Chicago
The introduction of AI agents has enabled Salesforce to cut thousands of support roles. On a recent appearance on The Logan Bartlett Show, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says the company has cut 4,000 support roles as a result of AI agents. Benioff said AI has enabled a reduction in the support headcount from about 9,000 to about 5,000. Benioff further said that Salesforce has identified "more than 100 million leads that we have not called back at Salesforce in the last 26 years because we have not had enough people." The company's agentic sales function is now "calling back every person," according to Benioff. (Watch the full interview via YouTube, Techspot)
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is in the process of recruiting AI talent to help the agency "advance its mission." The agency's leaders recently traveled to Silicon Valley in order to "recruit AI experts," telling reporters they are looking to "lead the federal government in harnessing AI to advance our mission." According to DHS, AI talent will be "known as the AI Corps, modeled after the U.S. Digital Service, a technology unit housed within the Executive Office of the President (EOP)." The agency's goal is to "recruit 50 employees in this space over the next year." (Mashable)
Apple is testing an AI chatbot to help employees selling in retail stores: Apple already implemented an AI chatbot designed to provide support to customers. Now, according to news reports, Apple is testing using its AI chatbot Asa to assist retail employees with selling Apple products. Apple is currently testing using Asa to "help employees learn more about Apple advantages, learn about varying use cases for the iPhone, and more." (9to5Mac)
