The last time Chuck Blatt searched for a job, about 10 years ago, he relied on a thoughtful cover letter, a résumé printed on nice paper and good rapport during a face-to-face interview.
Now, he said, "that is all out the window."
Since Blatt, 50, left his job as vice president of a painting and construction company in March, he has spent nearly every day in front of the computer in his Chicago home applying for jobs via automated processes.
He uploads his job history with the click of a button. He records videos of himself answering automated interview questions. He takes the lengthy online personality tests employers use to screen candidates.
Blatt, who is seeking a marketing position, said technology makes it easier to apply for more jobs. But other parts of the high-tech hiring process leave him uneasy.
"I have been turned down for positions that I thought I would be perfect for," Blatt said, and it is often impossible to know why. "There is no feedback because there is no one to talk to."
Technology is transforming hiring, as employers inundated with applications turn to sophisticated tools to recruit and screen job candidates. Many companies save time with video interviews or résumé filters that scan for keywords, and those at the leading edge are using artificial intelligence in a variety of ways: chatbots that schedule interviews and answer applicant questions; web crawlers that scour mountains of data to find candidates who aren't actively job hunting; and algorithms that analyze existing employee data to predict an applicant's future success.
Advocates of AI-enhanced hiring claim it reduces turnover by bringing on candidates who are a better fit. They also say a data-driven approach removes bias inherent in human decisionmakers who, for example, might favor candidates who graduated from their alma mater.