NEW YORK CITY — It was inevitable that the astonishing advances we've seen in generative AI this year would be applied to LinkedIn Recruiter—one of the primary tools used by talent acquisition professionals to find talent.
LinkedIn Recruiter 2024, powered by a combination of generative pre-trained transformers (GPT) and proprietary artificial intelligence models, uses AI-assisted conversational search to more quickly and precisely surface candidates, streamline the sourcing workflow, and automate scheduled follow-up communications.
Hiring is being reimagined with the power of AI, said Hari Srinivasan, head of product at LinkedIn Talent Solutions. "This is one of the most exciting updates we've done," he said. "With the rise of generative AI, we have an incredible opportunity to change how talent leaders find qualified candidates so they can focus on connecting and building relationships with those candidates. The new product will allow recruiters to communicate in a more natural way and optimize their searches at the same time."
Recruiter 2024 is being rolled out to select users starting Oct. 3 and will be available for all LinkedIn Recruiter customers throughout next year. There is no cost increase for the upgrade.
AI-Assisted Conversational Search
The most striking change for recruiters will be the improved intake and search function.
"Recruiters have told us that one of their biggest pain points is the intake phase, when recruiters and hiring managers describe the role they're recruiting for," Srinivasan said.
When sourcing on LinkedIn, this step translates to the prompts recruiters use to surface potential candidates from among the hundreds of millions of profiles on the global networking site. Recruiters typically enter in a string of data points such as job title, years of experience and location, for example. Knowing the right keywords to use is imperative; the wrong ones can lead you astray.
"The beauty of generative AI is that you can type exactly what you want, in your own words, because the tool is good at translating unstructured text," Srinivasan said. "The process starts with a question: 'Who are you looking to hire?' You reply using natural language: 'I'm looking to hire a senior growth marketing leader.' And with generative AI combined with our insights, we can infer the type of candidate the hirer is looking for and provide higher-quality candidate recommendations from a much wider pool of candidates—moving beyond the brand-name companies that have traditionally been the default."
Recruiters can still use filters to help narrow the talent pool, but you can now also input questions such as "Who just started a new job?" or "Who lives near our company locations?" and the search results will change based on the recruiter's queries.
"And with the unique insights our members have shared with us, like if they're open to work and interested in a company because of its values, we can provide real-time, personalized nudges to help expand or modify the search," Srinivasan said. "For example, we can suggest expanding the targeted location, adding the fastest-growing skills based on the role, or recommending if a role should be hybrid—based on the talent in the area."
He added that the platform will continue to support traditional Boolean search, but that the use of natural language text will be very helpful for most recruiters, making the sourcing experience easier, faster and more dynamic.
Improved Candidate Messaging
LinkedIn Recruiter's messaging features are also getting a boost. With AI-Assisted Messages, a generative AI feature that began rolling out earlier this year, recruiters can create fully customized outreach messages in seconds.
AI-Assisted Messages draws on information in the candidate's profile, the recruiter's profile and company, and the job description to draft a targeted message. Follow-up scheduling is automated, removing some of the manual work from a recruiter's day.
"The automated follow-ups feature does the legwork for you, … freeing you to focus on other tasks," Srinivasan said.
"The feature also helps you ensure that your follow-ups are sent at optimal times, between three and 28 days later, and at the candidate's time zone to ensure you're reaching the right candidates at the right time," he added. "The feature also prevents you from unintentionally spamming candidates. It only lets you follow up once, and a scheduled follow-up won't go out if the candidate has already responded."
AI-Powered Coaching Personalizes Responses
LinkedIn is also unveiling a new learning experience for in-the-moment learning interactions. Driven by generative AI, as well as the user's profile information and the expertise found in the massive LinkedIn Learning library, the new chatbot learning coach offers real-time advice and tailored content recommendations personalized for users.
Srinivasan explained that there are several ways to find information, such as a Google search, asking ChatGPT or watching an informational video. But none of those methods are personalized, he said.
The new AI-powered coaching in LinkedIn Learning is not just a search engine for answers, Srinivasan said. It's a personalized learning coach. Once you ask a question, such as "How can I provide feedback to my manager?" it will ask targeted questions to better refine results.
"Instead of giving you a one-size-fits-all answer, it will ask you clarifying questions to more deeply understand your specific situation and experience and then offer advice, examples and feedback based on hundreds of hours of content from our expert instructors," he said.
Like with any AI, the more you use it, the more you will get out of it. The AI will learn more about users' role, skill set and career goals and offer more relevant responses and suggestions.
The responses come from the over 3,000 expert instructors featured in LinkedIn Learning content, and the coach will also offers links to relevant LinkedIn Learning videos.
"Learners can also use this new tool to find the right content they need faster," Srinivasan said. "Instead of browsing and searching, it will curate highly personalized course and video recommendations in seconds, showing you exactly where to start."
The new coaching tool is available now to a handful of customers and will roll out globally to all LinkedIn Learning Hub customers in the coming months.
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