Utrecht – NL, May 13, 2021. We’re all familiar with the world of online dating, where powerful algorithms match hopeful singles with their perfect match. What is less well known is that governments around the world are using this incredible AI technology to tackle rising unemployment, find the best people for jobs, and tackle and anticipate skills gaps.

As we are all too painfully aware, the COVID-19 pandemic has shaken the world of recruitment, resulting in unprecedented changes to the labor market. Smart PES caseworkers are harnessing the power of these dating algorithms to strengthen their position in the labor market and boost their wider digital transformation strategy.

How it works

Rintse van der Werf, VP for the WCC Employment Solutions Business Unit explains:

“To start with, the AI technology scans the applicant’s resume and any other documents. Then, using a variety of metrics, the algorithms check the relevancy of the applicant’s skills and experience against specific criteria, including candidate location and cultural fit. Once these checks have been completed the case worker is supplied with the audited applications that best match their requirements and criteria. They can then focus on arranging interviews and assessing the best-match candidates in more depth – and ultimately find the best people for the roles.”

Less admin = better engagement with top candidates

A 2019 report revealed that only 10% of recruitment professionals were making high or very high use of AI in recruitment – but 36% of participants expected usage to be high or very high within two years.

Robots aren’t going to be taking over the world any time soon, but this powerful AI can help time-pressed PES workers with the following, and much more:

The benefits of using best-match dating algorithms

“The best-match technology helps PES professionals valuable time on bureaucracy and admin like background checks, and reviewing resumes,” says Rintse, “This means they have more time to engage with the best candidates and can cope better with shifting demand and the impact of crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Over time, PES departments can streamline processes and refine their overall hiring strategy. Furthermore, they can address skills gaps and anticipate future recruitment trends so they can mitigate skills shortages. The algorithms can even identify potential skills matches that aren’t detailed in resumes so you can really look between the lines to find people sustainable, fulfilling employment that benefits both them and their community.”

With so many skilled people out of work, the task of helping the unemployed find sustainable work is significant and complex. The pandemic labor market is constantly fluctuating and highly unpredictable. Without robust real-time insights, caseworkers will struggle to identify and act on demand. Could this technology, which was once the stuff of science fiction, be the solution to the challenges facing global public recruitment?