Dive Brief:

• A new report by Bullhorn reveals that 75% of staffing and recruiting firms anticipate an increase in revenue in 2018 over 2017. Similar to optimism in 2017, respondents believe 2018 will be successful despite concerns about automation, politics, digital staffing platforms and more.
• The 2018 North American Staffing & Recruiting Trends Report: The Industry’s Outlook for 2018 also addresses the impact of automation in recruiting. Around 23% of firms identified automation as a top priority while 36% considered it a top challenge, signaling an opportunity for improved use and adoption of the technology.
• Whether or not automation will be good for firms is open for debate. According to the findings, 40% of respondents believe its value lies in increased efficiencies, while another 40% point to increased engagement. When asked if automation would create or eliminate jobs in the industry, the results were mixed: 38% say create, 38% say eliminate and 24% are undecided.

Dive Insight:

The debate over whether technology will generate or eliminate jobs continues. While some believe tech will create more jobs than it kills, others surveys show that a majority of Americans (72%) are concerned about a future where people and machines compete for the same tasks. Almost as many (67%) are worried about a future where algorithms make employee hiring decisions instead of human beings.  

AI for example, is said to be able to help recruiters reduce bias in hiring and make screening more efficient, but many are concerned about its impact. AI is anticipated to claim up to 10 million warehouse and service jobs in the next five to 10 years, according to some reports. Others, however, believe that AI will have created 2.3 million jobs by 2020 – more than the 1.8 million it will likely eliminate.

With more companies looking at automation options, governments and educators will look to shift training and upskilling initiatives to maintain worker participation across all industries.