The Business Co-op Corner

As you begin your co-op work term search, it's important to understand how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the job market. From resume screening to interview scheduling, AI now plays a significant role in the hiring process. While these tools can simplify your search, they also raise important ethical considerations. To explore how students can navigate these technologies responsibly and ensure a fair, transparent, and effective job search, we spoke with Chandler Holyoak, Employer/Community Specialist with Career and Work Integrated Learning and gathered his insights surrounding this topic. 

1. Is it ethical to use AI tools to help with job applications, and do employers view them as a positive or negative factor?

Using AI to improve your writing, structure, and overall document can be ethical as long as it’s aimed at enhancing your skills and not cheating the system. The key is to ensure that employers cannot detect the use of AI. While technology can help improve your resume or application, it’s important to maintain your personality and personal touch throughout the process. AI should be used as a tool to refine your work, but it shouldn’t overshadow your unique voice or make the final product sound robotic. The focus should always be on leveraging technology to improve the personal side of your resume or documents, not replace it. 

2. Are employers finding that AI is effective in improving the accuracy and efficiency of candidate screening and interview scheduling? 

Yes and no, AI can be helpful in the initial stages of the hiring process. When employers receive hundreds or even thousands of applications, particularly for positions with companies that have an international reach, it can help narrow down the pool of candidates. However, issues arise as some applicants cheat the system to get through the first stage. Some students, for example, copy and paste the job prompt into AI tools, which employers can easily detect, disqualifying them. There are also instances where students manipulate the system using coding techniques, such as inserting white text to push their resumes past the first screening. This kind of unethical behavior is disheartening, as it robs opportunities from candidates who approach the process with integrity. While these individuals may get past the screening stage, the falsehoods will eventually surface during the interview, leading to their disqualification. This ultimately frustrates employers, wasting their time and undermining the integrity of the hiring process.

3. How can a student best optimize their resume and application to be effectively processed by AI recruitment systems?

To optimize your resume and application for AI recruitment systems, the key is to focus closely on the job description for the role you’re applying to. Carefully review the job listing and identify keywords and phrases that match your skills and experience. For instance, if the job requires proficiency in Excel, make sure to highlight specific instances where you’ve used Excel and how you’ve applied it. It’s crucial to be honest in your application - don’t exaggerate or claim skills you don’t have, as this will inevitably come to light during the interview or on the job. Your resume should reflect your actual abilities, so focus on finding positions that align with your skill set. By being truthful and aligning your experience with the job description, you’ll increase your chances of passing through the AI screening and getting noticed by employers.

4. Based on your knowledge how are employers ensuring that AI tools used in recruitment are free from bias and promote fairness in hiring?

Ensuring AI tools in recruitment are free from bias and promote fairness is a challenging task. One of the difficulties is that it can be hard to identify where biases may arise, as we often don’t know who created the algorithms or what implicit biases they may have built in. From what I understand, AI systems typically analyze job descriptions and look for resumes that highlight specific skills and qualifications mentioned in the posting. Despite this, some organizations still opt to manually review applications, particularly for students, in an effort to ensure fairness and avoid potential bias in AI-based systems.

5. In your opinion, are employers balancing the use of AI for screening candidates with the need for human judgment in evaluating soft skills or cultural fit?"

Yes, employers are trying to balance the use of AI for screening candidates with the need for human judgment, especially when evaluating soft/transferrable skills or cultural fit. In a student-focused demographic, the situation can often be less straightforward since students may not have 10-15 years of experience, making it difficult to assess cultural fit or potential from a resume alone. I had a conversation recently with a woman who mentioned that some students are submitting applications with exaggerated claims to beat AI. As a result, her team is manually reviewing each one. For instance, one applicant claimed a 3.5 GPA, but it was actually 2.4. This highlights the importance of taking everything with a grain of salt. Employers are increasingly looking for qualities like coachability, adaptability, and a willingness to learn, so it’s important for students to showcase these traits on their resumes. Doing so will open up more opportunities, as employers value these qualities just as much as technical skills.

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Chandler’s overall word of advice:  "At the end of the day, whether you've created your  resume or cover letter with AI or not, it's important to have someone else read it. You most likely won’t be able to tell the difference yourself."