New research from leading hiring platform NIJobs reveals that the majority of Northern Ireland recruiters are already using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve the recruitment process.
Data shows 8 out of 10 (78%) use AI to improve efficiency and enhance recruitment in a variety of ways, including writing and publishing job ads (40%), reviewing applications (36%), post interview processing (25%), data entry (24%) and initial candidate contact (23%).
In contrast, recruiters report (61%) that administration tasks are slowing down hiring, affecting overall efficiency, which is impacting finding the right talent. Admin tasks that could be automated currently cost recruiters three days’ worth of work per vacancy, or £29,345 per recruiter per year in monetary terms.1
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Recruiters spend approximately four hours screening CVs for each vacancy. For such a time-intensive task with minimal benefit, 77% say this is slowing down the overall process.
Concerns were also expressed around other time-intensive tasks, where sourcing candidates and conducting interviews are taking 4.7 hours and 4.8 hours per vacancy, respectively.
The pressure on recruiters is also affecting the candidate experience. With 32% of candidates dropping out of the interview cycle, the survey highlights a clear need for a shorter process (36%) and faster feedback (35%) to hire the right candidate.
The NIJobs Hiring Efficiency Survey spoke to 100 recruitment firms and 250 interview candidates across Northern Ireland to gather insights on efficiency, productivity and how improvements could be made.
Commenting on the research, Christopher Paye, Country Director of The Stepstone Group Ireland with responsibility for NIJobs, said:
"This research is a good indicator of the pressures that recruiters face in a busy labour market, particularly if they are managing large volumes of job applications. While some recruiters remain on the fence about AI due to unfamiliarity, our research demonstrates that those who are already using it are having a positive experience. AI has become an essential tool for improving efficiency, reducing unnecessary costs, and speeding up hiring the right talent.
“The increasing integration of AI will reshape how we approach recruitment and should be used as a valuable tool that benefits both the recruiter and the candidate. Employers must also use this technology responsibly and strategically, ensuring staff are equipped with the right skills to support it. With the right systems in place, business owners can remain innovative, agile and transform recruitment as we know it.”
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