How to use ChatGPT in recruitment: Transforming the hiring landscape
Discover how AI-powered ChatGPT can streamline the hiring process, automate tasks, and improve the candidate experience.
With businesses reporting that the average vacancy takes over 6 weeks to fill, recruitment can sometimes be a frustratingly long process.
In this article we explore the ways that recruiters and hiring managers can use ChatGPT to make recruitment more efficient, uncovering how you could be using conversational AI to streamline the hiring process.
Understanding ChatGPT
ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence (AI) chat bot, launched by OpenAI in November 2022. Since its launch, the software has amassed over 100 million users and generated numerous headlines due to its potential to transform the world of work.
In a nutshell, ChatGPT is an AI-generated conversation tool, which takes prompts from a user to provide a speedy and detailed response. Users can enter into a conversation with the AI-powered tool, replying as much as required to further shape, hone and improve its response. This could be useful for defining the length of the copy, the tone of voice, specifying key phrases to include and more.
As of July 2023, 2 in 5 businesses reported that they had begun using AI in the recruitment process – including sourcing candidates (11%), scheduling interviews (11%), writing job descriptions (11%) and crafting interview questions (10%).
Benefits of ChatGPT in recruitment
Nearly a quarter of large businesses expect to increase their use of AI tools in recruitment by the end of 2023, and there’s little wonder why.
ChatGPT, for example, can automate several stages of the recruitment journey, helping to make the process more efficient and contribute to an improved candidate experience. As it’s relatively new to the market, ChatGPT still sometimes has peculiar quirks, but with the right prompt and sense-checking it can dramatically reduce the time you spend on more administrative tasks, bearing the brunt of writing emails, adverts and more – as well as being a handy tool for idea generation.
When considering the benefits of Chat GPT for recruitment, it’s essential to remember that it’s not there to replace recruiters. Human interaction and a person’s decision making are unmatched and should remain the lynchpin of your recruitment strategy. However, ChatGPT helps to alleviate some of the more tedious, fiddly tasks on your to-do list, giving you more ‘head space’ for the selection process, and freeing up more of your time so you can confidently begin recruitment for more roles at any given time.
7 ways of leveraging ChatGPT in recruitment
The good news is that setting up a ChatGPT account is free, and OpenAI has a suite of easy-to-use tutorials to help you get up to speed.
In terms of the recruitment industry, there are 7 areas of the hiring process that recruiters can begin embracing ChatGPT to lighten their workload. Let’s explore them now.
1. Writing job adverts
When time is of the essence, writing a job advert can be a daunting task. With ChatGPT you can revolutionise the way you write a job ad, reaping the benefits of effective copy without being a copywriter or a tech guru. It takes just a few simple prompts to get started, allowing you to cut a few corners straight off the bat.
Firstly, the job requirements should be defined. If you, or your colleagues, are unsure of all the skills you need – or just want to sense check your job spec – you can turn to ChatGPT for help.
Using a simple prompt, you can begin generating ideas, allowing you to simply pick and choose the ones which fit your vacancy.
Example prompt:
- What skills does a sales manager need?
- What responsibilities should a Customer Success Manager have?
With a confirmed job title and list of key skills and responsibilities, you can begin crafting your job advert. Simply begin a conversation with ChatGPT by asking it to write a job description for this job title which includes the experience and skills you need.
Example prompt:
- Can you write a job description for a Customer Success Manager. The candidate needs to have at least 3 years’ experience in a B2B SaaS role.
Day-to-day responsibilities include fostering positive client relationships, problem solving and reporting on behalf of our clients, and ensuring their product inventory is used and that they are maximising the benefits of our produce suite.
For a job advert that really brings your business to life, you can also ask ChatGPT to write in a certain tone of voice, or even input existing text and request a similar style. So, if you’re fiercely loyal to your company culture, or if you have a particularly successful job advert you want to mirror, you can get the result you want.
Example prompt:
- Can you write a job description for a Social Media Manager. Use a fun, quirky tone and pull inspiration from this website: [link]
Once submitted, the tool will instantly begin generating your job description. However, when using ChatGPT to produce a job advert, it’s worth remembering that you don’t have to solely rely on AI. Totaljobs’ research shows that 2 in 3 jobseekers are more likely to apply for a job if the advert gives information on the company culture and values. To ensure a successful hire, it’s wise to amend and add to the result provided by ChatGPT. After all, no one knows your business like you do.
Before publishing, remember to proof-read and edit the copy provided. While ChatGPT is a fantastic timesaver there may be inaccuracies within the text, such as the use of American English, assumptions its made or vital information missing. To help you complete the task with ease our guide to writing the perfect job advertisement can help you polish your advert before publishing.
2. Writing outreach copy
All recruiters will know that when recruiting hard to fill roles, a good way to secure a good hire is by proactively reaching out to people with relevant skills who may not have applied to your job. To speed up the process, with ChatGPT you can save time in writing the perfect message, helping you to get the most out of tools such as the Totaljobs CV Database.
Simply include the job description, or a link to the role, and prompt ChatGPT to write an engaging email which shares this with the candidate and pulls out some key things you’d like to include.
Example prompt:
- Write an email to a Commercial Analyst, sharing the below job vacancy at our company to see if they’d be interested. Use a friendly, but not over-familiar tone, and highlight our company benefits we offer and promote our career development. Keep it short and have a clear CTA.
3. Scheduling interviews
Arranging interviews can be an administrative nightmare if you do not have access to scheduling software, but ChatGPT can remove some of the headache with a few basic prompts.
To use the tool to secure the right interview slot try inserting the availability of your interviewers into ChatGPT and asking it to craft an email to the candidate to select their desired time, saving a back and forth and giving the candidate a better experience as a result.
Once they reply, just schedule it in your calendar and invite the candidate.
Example prompt:
- Write an email inviting a candidate to interview for the role of Front-end developer. Sarah and I will conduct the interview. We are both free on Monday mornings and Thursday afternoons – we only need a 1-hour slot. Include a table of all available times and dates within the next 2 weeks.
4. Answering candidate questions
A positive candidate experience is key in a competitive market. As you’ll be all too aware, some candidates have questions, and when pressed for time it’s hard to give them an answer that does you, or your business justice.
Simply enter their questions and the key things you’d like to include in an answer, and ChatGPT can help you provide a quick response with the tone you’re looking to strike.
Example prompt:
- Write a reply to the below email in a friendly tone thanking the candidate for their question – we offer 25 days annual leave per annum, but they can purchase/sell up to 3 days.
5. Preparing interview questions
Whether you’re recruiting for a lot of different vacancies, or there’s one highly specific role, preparing interview questions can be one of the fiddlier aspects of the recruitment process. Thankfully ChatGPT is perfect for generating a list of questions for any position you have, whether you’re looking for specific examples within a competency based interview – or hoping to have a more general discussion.
You can simply insert the job description and ask it to create interview questions for you, to your liking.
Example prompt:
- Provide 10 interview questions from this job description.
- Provide 5 competency-based interview questions from this job description.
Beyond saving you time in preparing for the interview, a bank of uniform questions also helps create a fairer interview process and means you can compare potential hires like-for-like.
6. Providing feedback
Providing timely feedback, even if a candidate is unsuccessful, is key to your building your employer brand.
When speaking to candidates who have been successful, you can use ChatGPT to craft a message to congratulate them, pinpoint some specific strengths and arrange a time for a follow-up call, or a second interview.
Example prompt:
- Write an email to a candidate telling them they were successful in their interview, and we’d like them to complete the attached task and present it back to us. Ask if they are available next Friday and what time would suit.
- Write an email to a candidate telling them they were brilliant in their interview yesterday. We loved their ability to work collaboratively with global Product teams. Ask them when they are free for me to call them. Use a friendly tone.
ChatGPT can also help you craft more difficult messages, letting candidates know that they have been unsuccessful in their application. It’s best practice to include a few specific pieces of feedback you’d like to include, but if you’re time poor, a more generic response is preferable to none.
Example prompt:
- Write a short professional email to a candidate telling them they were unsuccessful in their interview. Say we are looking for someone with more management experience. Thank them for their time and offer to speak on the phone.
7. Hiring market research
When defining your talent acquisition strategy, ChatGPT can save you time spent trawling the news, and searching online. Through carefully worded prompts you can receive an update on key market trends in your industry, and what factors are at play in your efforts to recruit.
Example prompt:
- What are the key trends in the UK job market, particularly within social care?
Alternatively, Totaljobs has a suite of market trend analysis and insight for you to read at your leisure.