#AI and #recruitment and the #futureofwork and perhaps the future of Your FLOCK.

Posted February 2, 2021

3 years and 3 days ago I wrote this about #AI and #recruitment. But was I right…? Is it the #future?

As someone that gets asked about the future. And especially the #futureofwork.

I do love being able to sometimes predict it. And get stuff right. Not everything. But sometimes “some things” right.

Like this which I wrote about AI and recruitment 3 years ago.

This is just after I had invested in YourFLOCK — at the time called Macawly. Over time the name changed but the mission did not. And nor has my interest (and fear) about how recruitment can use (and abuse) AI in the #futureofwork.

The blog from Jan 30th 2018 went like this:

“As you might know I love a bit of #AI. As I am a tech geek. And, of course, #AI is BIG news. It has the potential to change the world as we know it. It already had when Alpha beat our best human at GO.

(Ed note: Worth mentioning that #AI is now reading better than many of us as well. This is the first time a machine outperformed people at reading.)

So #AI, already beating us at games, is probably coming for our jobs now too. But what I am the most interested in is, apart from the revolution after this happens. Is not how it’s going to take our jobs. But rather how will this change in society help us get better jobs?

Will technology help us?

You see, for years my biggest problem has been hiring the right people. Or working with the right clients or the right partners to grow my agency. Or building a “rockstar like” team to disrupt an industry or two.

I am not alone.

As building the wrong team is one of the main factors for failure for startups. Actually ahead of being out played by their competition.

The same can be said for BIG business as well. As companies are made and broken by the power of their people. So some way of using technology to help me hire the right people has always been of interest. As my own emotional intelligence is so low…

Now #AI mixed in with #bigdata analysis, machine learning and psychology based understanding. Might mean I no longer have to rely on my emotional intelligence or gut thoughts about people. The machines can do it for me / us.

The machines are already here…

Technology, in its present guise, can augment and complement human reasoning skills. And so our decision-making processes. By providing information that otherwise wouldn’t be available. Especially when we start using large amounts of data and clever psychological tests.

As reported in Business2Community:

“Big data may sound daunting to manage, but it’s a tool that’s becoming increasingly more important on the HR side of things.”

And there are lots of them on the market. Ranging from cost effective culture fit matching services like MACAWLY in Manchester. To HUGE tech AI systems that predict when people might leave a large company — like Glint. The latter being amazingly complex.

As reported in TechRepublic:

“In terms of tracking employee sentiment and engagement. Glint is a platform that allows companies to conduct internal employee surveys on demand. It uses AI to draw conclusions and get them to leadership so they can take action .”

The technical advantage:

Companies can use this to identify teams that are less engaged. Or that are unhappy, and focus their efforts on those areas. Which is a big plus for profitability. As research shows:

“Organisations with higher employee engagement are 22% more productive!” Compared to their peers with a less engaged workforce.”

This gives companies using such technologies a HUGE advantage from the same resource. And so people are predicting BIG things happening in the world of AI and recruitment. With Glassdoor’s new report highlighting the five big trends in the labour market. These they believe are likely to unfold in 2018 and beyond. The first one being the industry bracing itself for #AI in #HR.

And this is just the start. As Glassdoor’s report says some of these trends are already visible today, but they expect:

“Each trend to accelerate in the coming years — disrupting the way companies attract, hire, and retain talent.”

This is something we are looking into at MACAWLY. But should MACAWLY be aimed at #startups or big businesses? As MACAWLY plans to help individuals match together. Based on the system of shared core values and beliefs they live by.

But perhaps BIGGER businesses would appreciate the ideas and results more?”

This was 3 years ago.

And you know that final question — we still haven’t answered yet. Is Your FLOCK for BIG businesses? As we have been successfully used by many big businesses.

Or should Your FLOCK be used to help the personal development of individuals. And become a digital coach of sorts.

Which is why Innovate UK gave us a 100K grant. To see whether this would be the case — and help evolve the future of work for society.

Working with machine learning specialists and with investors that are interested in data and culture — we might be able to do both.

And help team leaders analyze their team psychology. And help bosses see their company culture. And to help individuals tap into their values and unlock their own potential.

We are not likely to do this with AI.

But we are on our first steps. Using data to help create a machine learning experience that becomes a digital coach. Our learning and development advisors created the activities to help you develop. And based on your core values and those of your team — Your FLOCK picks the best ones for you.

As newest investor Tom Auld says:

“Your FLOCK and the world of work, is a place rich in data and potential for machine learning to be used. With more and more people needing scalable tech solutions for the future. It seems like a great time to invest in such a tech startup.”

As an investor myself — I totally concur with this. And if I had more money I would invest in our seed round. But alas the BBC don’t pay that well (Well not me — not just yet anyway.)