
Managing the influx of resumes has always been a daunting task. Well-written job descriptions at attractive companies can receive hundreds of applications within days of being opened. Now, companies are grappling with hundreds of resumes, and they have to screen for AI-generated resumes that may or may not reflect a real applicant’s ability.
Candidates already feel like their job applications enter a black hole, never to be seen again. Thus, the response has been to create curated, AI-generated resumes that are built for the specific job they are applying to – whether they are qualified or not.
This puts a big burden on organizations as they decide how to manage this process moving forward. What options do companies have to weed through and screen resumes when also have to know how to recognize AI-generated resumes?
Candidate Driven Data Entry
The Pros: The “easy apply” options on many third-party websites or the upload-to-parse options on company websites have largely wiped out the need for candidates to upload resumes and fill out application information. By going back to this data entry model, employers can capture relevant information in the format they want while also cutting back on the generate and apply options that exist now.
The Con: nearly 70% of applicants abandon job postings that require more than an upload or a few clicks to get through the process. In fact, most applicants are overwhelmingly pessimistic about their chances of getting a call back when they apply to a job in a portal.
Fight AI with AI
The Pros: If you don’t have the staff to manage the influx of resumes, there are AI based platforms that can identify, parse, and screen resumes for you with little human input. This may save a significant amount of time and narrow down the applicant field to be more manageable for human consumption.
The Cons: You risk screening out great candidates who can’t write good resumes. Not everyone is a great resume writer. Additionally, AI-platforms that make decisions within the hiring process (like screening out resumes) have caught the attention of local and state governments. Companies that use these tools should expect to see legislation around these platforms – everything from disclosure requirements to mandated reporting.
Hire TA Staff
The Pros: There is always the opportunity to hire internal recruiters or talent acquisition staff to manage the influx of resumes. This allows a human to screen resumes without overloading the hiring manager or team members involved in the applicant search.
The Cons: This is a lot of time spent on passive recruitment. Instead of actively searching for applicants or managing the interviewing process, TA is now spending time trying to get through hundreds or thousands of resumes for a single job. They need to be trained to recognize AI-generated resumes that don’t correspond to a real job seeker. Additionally, the cost to hire an internal TA team for a few open positions a year might be more expensive than using a staffing agency.
Hire a Contingent Staffing Agency
The Pros: A human recruiter will review resumes and save the TA team time by providing pre-screened resumes of living, breathing applicants. Plus, hiring a contingent staffing agency means that the agency fee is only paid upon placement. This could be significantly less expensive than hiring additional internal staff.
Likewise, many agency recruiters are trained to evaluate the whole person beyond the resume. This means that they are able to read between the lines – recognizing inconsistencies or AI-generation.
The Cons: Companies pay a fee for placement. This may be hard for some companies to palate if they already have a TA or internal recruiting team on staff.
No matter the approach you take, companies will need to find a way to avoid being bogged down without missing out on legitimate talent. There are no perfect answers as we all learn to managing emerging technology that moves faster than most corporate boardroom decision-making.