LinkedIn is a social media platform primarily used for professional networking and career development. It allows users to create professional profiles with information about their work experiences, education, skills, and accomplishments. The site provides job listings, allowing users to search for and apply to jobs through the platform, which is why many of the one billion members use it to find new jobs.
With AI fast becoming the go-to tool for most people, whether they need to write a blog post or pen a break-up letter to their boo, it makes sense that LinkedIn would introduce AI to the platform to facilitate users searching for jobs.
Why Has LinkedIn Created the Tools?
Chief Product Officer, Tony Cohen explains that for a lot of people, the biggest issue they have when searching for jobs on LinkedIn is not knowing whether they are a good fit for a role. They also want to know how they can improve their chances of winning a job they apply for.
The new LinkedIn AI tools let Premium members interact with an AI chatbot. The chatbot can coach you on whether a job suits your skills and also let you know about open job opportunities that might be a good fit for you. Other areas where the chatbot will come in handy is if you want some additional background on a company or would like to know what skills would improve your resume.
How Do the New AI Job Search Tools Work?
LinkedIn announced it was rolling out new AI job search tools on 1 November. It described the new tools as a coaching experience for job seekers. The downside is that these tools are only available to premium members, so if you want to use them, you will have to upgrade.
An example of how it works is as follows:
- You see a job on LinkedIn that seems like something you could apply for. You can access the job chatbot directly from a job listing, which will suggest questions you may wish to ask.
- You ask the chatbot whether the job is a good fit for you, at which point, the chatbot will evaluate the listing and give you a verdict based on your skills.
- You can ask the chatbot how best you can position yourself for the job, ask who works there, and even things like the work-life balance at the company.
The new AI tools can help you uncover jobs you might not have seen, streamline the job seeking process, and offer you more tailored advice. Just as you would get from a recruitment agency.
The tools are powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4 language model. LinkedIn says it has invested a considerable sum of money in developing its new chatbot assistant and the supportive infrastructure. They want the tools to provide a more ‘conversational’ experience for job seekers, in the same way you’d have a low-key chat with a job coach. LinkedIn recognizes that job seekers on the site want instant answers if they are checking a job listing and the platform aims to meet that need.
The Future of Job Hunting on LinkedIn
LinkedIn research has found that the skills needed to perform jobs are changing. It estimates that 65% of skills will change as workplaces continue to evolve. The skills you have today might not be relevant in seven years time, which is why it is important to stay ahead of the curve, whether you work in marketing or retail.
The new LinkedIn AI assistant will take a lot of the pain out of the job hunting process. As well as advising you on whether a job suits your skillset, it can also suggest skills that might benefit you going forward, connections that could help your career, and even which articles you should read based on the career path you are on.
How Useful is AI in the Recruitment Industry?
AI tools are not just useful for people looking for a new job on LinkedIn. AI is also playing an important role in the recruitment industry as a whole. Here are a few key ways AI is being used by employers and recruitment agencies:
- Automating repetitive tasks – One of the biggest headaches for recruiters and HR teams is the sheer volume of applicants for some roles. It can take ages to sift through piles of applications and resumes. AI can help automate repetitive, time-consuming tasks like this as well as scheduling interviews, sending rejection emails, etc. This saves recruiters significant time and allows them to focus on more strategic tasks.
- Matching candidates to jobs – AI algorithms can quickly parse through applicant profiles and job descriptions to push the top candidates to the front of the pile that are a good fit for open roles. This makes finding qualified candidates much faster and improves a potential employee’s chances of finding jobs that are right for them.
- Reducing bias – AI can help remove unconscious human bias from the hiring process by focusing decisions on skills, experience and other job-related criteria. This can lead to more diverse, qualified candidates.
- Chatbots for candidate engagement – Many companies now use chatbots to engage candidates and answer common questions on their career sites. This provides a seamless experience for job seekers.
- Predictive analytics – AI recruitment tools can crunch large datasets to predict which candidates are most likely to be top performers, stay with the company longer, or be a culture add. This allows recruiters to prioritize the most promising applicants.
AI adds significant efficiency and productivity to the hiring process. It automates time-consuming tasks, helps employers and recruiters to find strong candidates, and provides actionable insights. When used ethically, AI can remove bias and allow recruiters to focus on the human side of hiring. The technology still requires human oversight but is proving very useful for recruitment teams.
If you are in the market for a new job, it is well worth upgrading to a premium account on LinkedIn, so you can maximize your chances of finding a great new job.