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On July 24, 2024, Dexian hosted an AI webinar featuring industry leaders across staffing, HR, and artificial intelligence (AI) who discussed the transformative potential of AI in recruitment and sales.
Moderated by Dexian’s Director of B2B Marketing, Cheryl Hardy, the webinar featured panelists Pat Quagrello, Vice President of Recruiting Operations at Dexian; Rich Mendis, Chief Marketing Officer at HireLogic; and Michael Rochelle, Chief Strategy Officer and Principal Analyst at Brandon Hall Group.
Focusing on Dexian’s AI implementation journey and our strategic partnership with HireLogic, the session introduced attendees to the latest implications of AI in HR and recruiting, explained ethical and legal considerations, and explored the return on investment (ROI) and extensive benefits of implementing AI sooner rather than later. Finally, the panelists looked toward the future of AI and answered pressing questions from the audience.
This article outlines the key takeaways from the conversation. A full recording and access to supportive resources are available on our website.
The Evolving Landscape of AI in Recruitment
The webinar kicked off with an overview of the dynamic and rapidly evolving sector of AI in recruitment. There’s a demand for efficiency generated by the fact that “most HR teams are working with fewer people and less budget; yet the needs of the business haven’t diminished – they’ve only grown exponentially” (Rochelle). As a result, teams are looking to do more with less.
While it’s a sector marked by significant recent advancements, it’s also one that will remain “dynamic and kind of messy” (Mendis) for the foreseeable future due to varying regulations across different regions. The European Union’s AI Act, recently passed after years in the making, sets a precedent that other countries like Canada, Australia, and China are following with a variety of regulations. In the United States, the regulatory environment is more fragmented, with state and local laws leading the way. For example, New York City has restrictions on automated employment decision tools, and similar regulations are in effect in both Maryland and Illinois. This patchwork of regulations underscores the importance of staying informed and compliant, particularly around discrimination and privacy protection in HR. As a result, the amount of proposed legislation to mitigate unethical use continues to grow exponentially.
In concluding this section however, Mendis cautioned that this fragmented set of laws is not a strong excuse for waiting to implement AI. The risk of falling behind, he pointed out, is compounded by threat of unintentionally continuing “to propagate some of the very obvious human unconscious bias that already exists in the absence of AI.” As a result, forward-thinking companies are driven to find ways to implement in both compliant and timely ways.
Dexian’s Strategic AI Implementation
Dexian has always been a human-first company, truly focused on being in the business for good. With nearly 90% of all HR and talent acquisition decision makers using AI tools, the panelists were quick to agree that we’re seeing heightened AI adoption “not to replace humans, but to augment us” (Mendis). AI’s ability to find patterns in talent acquisition needs ranges from building resumes to reviewing them and from auditing interviews to providing detailed candidate searches based on previous ones. It all leads back to efficiency and accuracy with the elimination of manual tasks and room for error.
According to Mendis, while AI is useful for “surfacing results, analyzing data, and providing information…the decision on whether to hire or fire or promote somebody should ultimately be made by humans.” Rochelle builds on this by saying that when implementing AI, “the most important thing that you could put in place, and we recommend this one to organizations that are incorporating Gen AI, is to have a good governance model” to ensure that the decisions made in hiring are humane, fair, and unbiased.
In this vein, Dexian’s approach to AI implementation has been strategic and forward-thinking, foremost preserving the company’s investment in the human touch. As Quagrello indicates, the first key to success is executive buy-in. Dexian’s CEO, Maruf Ahmed, has committed significant investments in AI solutions, continuously pushing the leadership team to innovate. Additionally, Dexian COO Tara Winn has appointed an AI Innovation Manager to oversee all AI initiatives, ensuring alignment with the company’s vision and strategy, complemented by an AI innovation team dedicated to evaluating cutting-edge technologies and solutions. This team “champions all AI strategies, driving operational efficiency and delivering exceptional value to Dexian customers, consultants, and clients” (Quagrello).
Partnership with HireLogic
Central to Dexian’s AI success has been a partnership with HireLogic. Over the past 12 months, the program has proven invaluable. HireLogic’s flexibility and ability to integrate seamlessly with Dexian’s workflow have made them an ideal partner for the company amidst rapid growth.
Quagrello emphasized, “At Dexian, we focus our recruiting on our relational delivery model. We believe in long-lasting relationships that will enhance the candidate experience.” Dexian’s goal with AI implementation was to automate recruiter workflow and increase efficiency, ultimately freeing up recruiter time to build relationships with candidates. Traditionally, recruiters had to manually document conversations into their ATS after interviews. With HireLogic, an AI tool that integrates with video and phone conversations, smart notes are automatically taken and entered into the ATS.
The results are two-fold: not only does this free up recruiters to spend more time on interviews and focus on conversations, rather than taking notes, but it also paints a more holistic picture of the interview because the entire conversation can be noted. The AI then provides a “detailed synopsis of the candidate based on the conversation,” helping recruiters understand success factors in relation to the job. Over time, the data in the ATS becomes richer and more comprehensive. Rochelle pointed out that this can also help identify when a candidate pool lacks suitable candidates, guiding businesses on how to develop the ideal candidate profile when one isn’t available.
Improved Candidate Experience
When asked about how the integration of AI at Dexian has influenced the candidate experience, Quagrello enthusiastically expressed that it’s been positive, saying that candidates are “understanding that their conversations with our recruiters are better because we can focus…doing it better, more efficiently, and with a better experience. They’re happy.”
As a takeaway for candidates seeking to experience an improved job search in a market dominated by AI, the panelists had advice to give. Rochelle pointed out that candidates can take advantage of AI but that it takes work in restructuring a resume to reflect Gen AI’s needs. He advised, “So the best advice I can give candidates is you can still work to do on your end in order to show up on these tools and to be selected properly.”
Quagrello also reminded candidates that although Dexian and other leading organizations’ recruiters are using AI, “the AI piece is not gonna replace the relationship that you have with your recruiter.” Ultimately, the integration of AI aims to enhance the recruiter-candidate relationship, ensuring a more efficient and personalized experience for job seekers.
Looking Ahead
Rich Mendis pointed out that “It’s not that AI will replace humans. It’s that humans using AI will replace those who do not.” This highlights the necessity for organizations to embrace AI to stay competitive. Quagrello put this into practical perspective with some statistics about the performance of Dexian recruiters once augmented by HireLogic’s AI program. The recruiters who were frequent users of HireLogic had “14% more screening interviews, 23% more candidates sent to hiring managers, 41% more hiring manager interviews, and the best part, 38% more candidates placed in closing.”
Attendees were provided with an AI implementation toolkit, which includes best practices for implementation, change management, and ROI measurement. This toolkit is designed to help organizations navigate the complexities of AI adoption and ensure successful integration into their recruitment processes. As emphasized by Mendis during the webinar, “Look at your process to ensure that however you choose to deploy and where you choose to deploy AI, at the end of the day it’s in the service of augmenting and supporting that human decision, not replacing it.”
The AI webinar was an informative and engaging session, providing valuable insights into the future of AI in recruitment. We extend our gratitude to the incredible panel and our participants for their contributions. For those who couldn’t join us live, a recording of the session and additional resources from HireLogic and the Brandon Hall Group will be made available. Be sure to check out these materials to stay informed and ahead in your AI journey.
Engage with Dexian to stay at the forefront of AI advancements in recruitment and explore how our innovative solutions can help your organization thrive in this rapidly evolving landscape.
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