B3: Online Applications
Artificial intelligence is now the big time-saver for recruiters as the technology can sort through hundreds of applications in a fraction of the time a human can. Applicant tracking systems and other intelligent screening software will most likely be the first to “read” your job application documents. These technologies sort through all applications using keywords to identify those applications that best suit the available job. Therefore, your application documents must be strategically customized for every job posting to which you are responding. For applicants, online job boards, social networks, and mobile technology have become the permanent engines of modern-day job search. The number of apps available to assist job applicants through the job search process is numerous. Thus, knowing how to take advantage of these apps, how to build your online presence, and how to navigate through the online application process are skills the 21st-century job seeker should know.
To get started, view the following video, How to Apply for a Job Online, which provides some basic knowledge on the online job application process.
The Intelligent Application Process
Artificial intelligence has become an important tool in seeking out candidates, screening résumés, running interviews, and selecting new hires. Technology, as the video above indicates, removes many obstacles in the hiring process. In fact, a 2018 survey of trends in the hiring process reveals that 70% of companies have used social media to find and hire employees, and 89% plan to use social media as part of their future hiring process (TalentNow, 2019; see Figure B3.1). Consequently, securing a job in the current and future job market will involve understanding the ins and outs of the online application process.
Before developing a strategy for your job application process, take a few minutes to understand how artificial intelligence (AI) has become a powerful tool in the recruiting process. According to Rebecca Heilweil’s 2019 Vox article, AI is used in the following ways to recruit candidates:
- advertising for jobs that are available
- résumé and personality assessment screening
- scanning existing profiles for language cues relating to suitability for the job
- using recruitment chatbots to answer routine questions
- predicting job performance and the likelihood the candidate will stay on the job
- ranking candidates
- screening interview candidates for likely success on the job
- reducing unconscious bias (though the effectiveness is debated because the algorithms are created by people, who may have unconscious bias themselves)
While all this is happening invisible to you as a job seeker, it is wise to keep these uses of AI by recuiters as you develop your online presence and employment documents. By doing so, you will be optimizing your chances of being noticed by potential employers–even those you may not have approached for a job.
Knowledge Check
Creating Your Online P