Remember when “you’ve got mail” felt like high-tech?
Now a little thing called ChatGPT is set to change the way we work.
If you’re not familiar, a brief introduction: ChatGPT uses artificial intelligence through a downloadable OpenAI application.
It’s free, or $20 a month for the premium, and it uses machine learning to understand natural language processing.
That makes it possible for the chatbot to compose human prose.
Lest you think this is temporary insanity, Cliff Jurkiewicz, vice president of global strategy at Phenom, a Philadelphia-based global HR technology company, emphasized that by 2023, we will see companies looking to the ability of generative AI to perform tasks better, faster, and with increasing levels of precision.
“Its adoption will be unlike anything we’ve seen before and it’s already starting to show that,” he said. “ChatGPT is a real-world example of generative AI and gained one million users in just five days in December 2022.”
By comparison, it took Netflix over 3 years to reach a million subscribers.
When Jurkiewicz first logged on to ChatGPT, he was asked to write him a song, a job description, and a script, but “really needed to be prompted and provided with examples to learn my style,” he recalled.
That’s why Jurkiewicz recommends that people who use ChatGPT share 10 writing samples with the program and tell it to “analyze my pitch” to make it more personal.
In the field of human resources, ChatGPT “can change the future of job recruitment by using it to reach candidates, write job descriptions and generate interview questions,” said Mitch Chailland, president of Canal HR in New Orleans. .
Meanwhile, job seekers can use the tool to help prepare for interviews, enhance resumes, match cover letters to job descriptions, and improve LinkedIn profiles, among other things.
Here’s what to expect from ChatGPT in the job application landscape for HR professionals.
Improve your job application
Yes, the experts say it’s kosher: Jurkiewicz equates using ChatGPT when looking for a job with using an auto-correct spelling and grammar tool.
Generative AI can also help candidates identify important skills, competencies, and even keywords that candidates often overlook.
“These tools, if used responsibly, can act as a powerful agent, helping the candidate to represent themselves in ways they may not have thought possible,” Jurkiewicz said.
Chailland also thinks using ChatGPT on a job application is fine, but cautions that you’ll still want to make sure your writing is enjoyable, makes sense, and highlights your personality.
“To best use ChatGPT, have it proofread your work or help optimize for a particular keyword instead of asking it to write your cover letter or answer an app question,” he said.
Consider it your job search assistant
ChatGPT can help overcome writer’s block, research alternative job titles, discover similar jobs in a new industry, create a list of target companies, and ask potential interview questions. But, the way to land that dream job hasn’t changed.
“You still need to do your homework to get ahead,” said Morris Isaacson in Montebello, NY, executive vice president of sales for human resources platform Empeon.
But, “for motivated job seekers, ChatGPT can be a valuable information tool that makes the process easier. They can ask ChatGPT to research the position and identify key talking points for an interview, or request a keyword analysis. They could even ask ChatGPT to review their resume and suggest improvements.”
Whatever ChatGPT gives you, proceed with caution.
“Remember, the information generated by AI comes from a data set that is far from perfect or even complete. Don’t assume it’s 100% accurate,” Isaacson said.
Use it to compose work emails
Bots to the rescue, again.
“ChatGPT can be used to remove the routine and repetitive elements of writing emails and cover letters with templates or scripts,” Isaacson said. “However, it’s always important to view the ChatGPT output as a ‘first step’ that will require someone to review it before submitting.”
Not all email communications can, or should, be handled by ChatGPT.
“Many commercial emails are specific in nature and require information that cannot be discovered through the ChatGPT dataset,” he said. “And with some themes, sensitivity and the human touch are essential.”
Chailland also advised proceeding with caution.
“If you enter confidential information from the employer, the AI can learn from that and it could create legal problems,” he said.
Never use ChatGPT for this one thing
Firing employees via AI is a no-no.
So if you’re given the dreaded task of handing the ax to someone on your team, stick to your own low-tech gadgets, even if they’re human.
“Not only would this not be best practice (for many reasons, including liability and wrong responses), but this scenario represents a general misunderstanding of what the AI intends to do,” Isaacson said. “The employee being fired is a person who deserves the respect of being communicated to by someone else, not by a text or AI bot.”
