Init8's Katie Smith reviews Computer Says No, the BBC's analysis of the benefits and pitfalls of the role of algorithms in candidate selection.

I’ve been working in recruitment companies for a few years now but never thought of how tech influences recruitment processes until joining Initi8 in October last year.

I recently watched the BBC’s Computer says no – Should tech choose who gets jobs? who sees Daniel Henry (BBC journalist and former recruiter) explore both the negative and positives of computer algorithms and artificial intelligence used heavily in recruitment processes. This is a must see for anyone who is using technology as part of the selection process.

Computer Says No

The documentary starts by stating more and more of today’s recruitment process is outsourced by tech and estimated to be worth £35 billion by 2028.

Different people, from diverse backgrounds are explored in this documentary and its extremely interesting to hear their tech related stories.  

One of the interviewees and stories in the documentary which stayed with me is economics graduate Olly, who was diagnosed with ADHD and autism later in life and has unfortunately found it difficult to get a job. The majority of jobs that he applies for has an automated video interview, which Olly finds difficult and believes he is already put at a disadvantage. It is estimated that around 1 in 7 people in the UK alone are neurodivergent. This means they may behave, think and learn in different ways than what is considered in todays society as ‘typical’. If a dataset isn’t set up to include this diversity, the computer algorithm may class the individual as not being skilled for the job and, consequently, lose out on more than capable candidates.

The documentary also explores the accuracy of voice recognition and facial recognition and if datasets ultimately have enough data to make accurate decisions.

Daniel Henry has makeup artist, Paddy McGurgan give him a ‘natural glow’ look to then send a picture off to be analysed. Despite the efforts of Paddy McGurgan the algorithm was judging the colour of Daniels skin. The dataset didn’t contain enough images of black people which has confused the algorithm and therefore given racial bias comments, instead of analysing the makeup itself.

Discussing racial bias and testing just one specific algorithm showed there can be inaccuracy due to unbalanced datasets or even as far as unconscious bias of the programmers themselves. Coding Black Females (CBF), a charity close to our hearts here at Initi8, found that black women were heavily underrepresented in the tech industry. Since then, CBF have been on a mission to provide opportunities for their community members to learn new skills by providing free training courses and support through mentoring and other development opportunities. In order to make sure the great work of organisations such as CBF comes to fruition in employment spaces, any AI used needs to have more diverse datasets that accurately represent the population.

The Benefits of AI

That said, in today’s society, applying for roles is definitely an easier process with the help of tech. You have access to millions of jobs, filtering to your needs and skills and able to apply with the touch of a button. You can also set up notifications for new roles as they are posted, meaning you can be one of the first to apply.

Online CV checkers also rate your CV in minutes, giving you easy and doable ways to improve your CV so it looks more attractive to potential employers.

Video interviews have also been a huge advantage, especially since the COVID-19 Pandemic. More employers remote working which means you can connect with businesses and opportunities from all around the world.

There is no doubt that tech has definitely made the workplace more efficient but I believe discussing potential flaws can only be a positive thing. Diversity is an extremely important value here at Initi8 and there are always ways to improve.

If you would like to see the documentary, you can follow this link: Computer Says No, the BBC's analysis of the benefits and pitfalls of the role of algorithms in candidate selection

Got an interesting take on the use of AI in recruitment or have a story based on your own experiences? We’d love to hear it! Share with us over on the Initi8 LinkedIn and Twitter.

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