Yes, the chatbot is in vogue. Yes, everyone is talking about it. A few brave adventurers took the plunge and chose to install one to help human resources.

So, is the HR chatbot just a fad or a real optimization? Let’s review everything these conversational agents can offer you.

1. Gain in performance and save time

We can identify three main missions to give to an HR chatbot:

• Pre-selection: the chatbot makes the first sorting of candidates, verifying the adequacy of diplomas and skills to the position sought for example.

• Training and improvement of employees: the chatbot can inform whoever wants it about possible training courses, it can provide employees with advice on well-being in the company…

• HR documentation: in this case, the chatbot will perform all the administrative tasks normally performed by human resources such as leave requests, personal information requests, documentation requests, etc.

Recruiters spend two-thirds of their time on screening. While they spend 28% of their time preparing candidates.

Regarding pre-screening by a chatbot, it leaves time for recruiters to focus on higher value-added tasks. According to a Korn Ferry study, 27% of recruiters said artificial intelligence has freed up more of their time. Indeed, by grouping three steps (collection, CV sorting and pre-selection), the recruitment process is accelerated. This acceleration will ultimately improve the conversion rate of qualified applications and reduce costs.

In terms of employee training and development, workplace wellness generally improves employee satisfaction. These can then be more efficient and therefore more effective.

Regarding the documentation, the installation of a chatbot allows access to it 24 hours a day. In addition, the answers provided are generally of better quality since the human error factor behind them is lower.

2. Attract the most sought-after candidates through digitalization and innovation

The idea with a chatbot is to enhance your employer brand. Indeed, the recruiter chooses the best candidate, but a good candidate also chooses the company on his side. It is therefore a matter of attracting the best candidates.

The chatbot set up is often the mirror of your company culture: the candidate must be able to get an idea of the latter to see if it is in line with it.

69% of recruiters, according to theKorn Ferry study, said that using artificial intelligence to source candidates results in higher quality candidates.

Indeed, we understand that chatbots respond to a generational dimension. It will be easier to target a much more connected generation Y or Z with technologies like chatbots.

The talent experience offered with a chatbot is simple, fluid, innovative and transparent. There are no more forms to fill in, no more adapted offers to search for hours… Exchanges with the company become less chaotic and more efficient. The company has a modern and up-to-date image.
We can also see a decrease in HR communication costs.

3. The human being always remains at the center of the process

You should not think that a chatbot will entirely replace the human. It is not intended to be a job interview, it does not replace the recruiter. The chatbot represents here a purely operational solution.

We can distinguish 2 phases in recruitment: sourcing and selection.

The choice is still made by a human being since it will be based on more subjective elements such as the candidate’s personality, or his or her oral performances.

The sourcing stage is already very digitalized and therefore very flat. With a chatbot, this step becomes more human and fun for the candidate.

The chatbot is therefore not there to replace the human entirely. It will be able to perform repetitive and low value-added tasks to free up employees’ time. The latter can then be more effective on the second part of the recruitment.

According to theKorn Ferry study, 87% of recruiters are excited about working with artificial intelligence and they don’t think it will replace them in the future.

At the 2017 rms conference, 4 companies that have implemented an HR chatbot were able to share their experiences. The video of these feedbacks are available on Youtube.

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