Genuine question to all the AI specialists out there…

How would AI help a recruiter conduct an accurate reference check??

In years gone by we’ve received requests by third party suppliers asking us to sign up for external reference checking software systems (essentially the ability to email a form to a referee), thus taking out the requirement to actually ‘converse’ with the previous manager.

We continue to reject these as in my opinion one of the most critical parts of the process is ensuring you speak to people who have previously managed the candidate. As ‘consultants’, isn’t that just part of the value we provide to our clients?

We are now being bombarded with the option to use AI for reference checking. Genuinely I ask, how can I confidently outsource that to a robot?

I’m all for looking at ways to cut down on labour intensive tasks however, am I missing something? How can AI take over what a human hears and interprets?

Call me old fashioned but when I speak to a past employer it gives me the opportunity to have a meaningful conversation about how the candidate performed, and in turn I can then pick up the phone again to our client and outline that feedback – all the while taking into account the brief and what our client will be seeking from the person in the new role.