Recruiting Gen Z

Organizations that find themselves flooded with interested job applicants have long sought ways to streamline their recruitment and screening processes to efficiently identify talent. And as technology is changing, so are their approaches. In the past, such efforts often involved adopting better applicant management software and outsourcing; now organizations are starting to embrace new technologies and revising their approaches. 

The use of algorithms to identity potential candidates, and screen application forms and resumes more quickly are some ways in which recruitment and screening processes are changing. Another way stems from the fact that we all now sit in front of a computer with a camera. No longer do screening interviews need to be conducted in-person – or even in real-time. Now job applicants are talking straight to camera and recording video responses to answer questions posed to them via text and pre-recorded video. This eases staffing constraints and scheduling pressures for recruiting organizations. Such approaches can be also be appealing for Gen Z applicants who want control over when they respond, and for those who favor technology–mediated interactions over in-person face-to-face. 

What happens after such ‘interviews’ is perhaps where the largest revolution is starting to occur. These videos may be watched and rated by a person, but they may also be analyzed by AI. Interview videos generate a vast amount of data, beyond just the content of the answer. They generate data on intonation, body language, eye movement, and facial expressions. Some service providers are starting to offer clients candidate analysis based on these, using algorithms to code this data and provide insights into the traits of those being screened. Such analysis typically draws upon the findings of scientific research – but how accurate and fair is it in practice?

Providers will take steps to try to ensure shortlisting the best candidates for a particular job by developing vacancy-specific algorithms. The ethical may also take steps to try to ensure fairness and that no identifiable group is being disadvantaged. Yet employers must tread carefully, and use these services responsibly. Not all providers (or users) will be equally vigilant, and the regulatory landscape is only just starting to take shape. Within Europe, the new AI Act will help guide the actions of organizations, while President Trump recently signed an executive order that suggests a framework for AI use and oversight in the US will not emerge anytime soon. Even where legislation is being put in place, this will evolve – not least as the technology does – but also as any early oversights are addressed. In the recruitment and screening space, we must hope that where legal guidance is lacking, thoughtful HR professionals will help to develop best practice frameworks to fill the gaps.

One thing seems certain, the use of AI in recruitment and screening will increase. Savvy and responsible employers will seek to take advantage of its speed and analytical potential, but only incorporate it having satisfied themselves of its predictive power and fairness. This requires an understanding of the technology, serious validation attempts, and the monitoring of outcomes for more than just the ‘usual’ socio–demographic groups. This likely limits adoption to the very large, at least initially.

For Gen Z job applicants, the use of AI in recruitment and screening will create new challenges. Having good answers to interview questions is one thing, but being able to deliver those responses to a screen – without in–person cues, feedback, and encouragement – in a way that will be ‘coded’ the right way requires a high degree of self–awareness in front of the camera. Perhaps this is a challenge that a generation of TikTok users are uniquely able to rise to.