Transforming Recruitment in Pakistan: The Role of AI in Shaping HR Practices

As part of the human resource management research , our team (Rana Abdul Rafay, Zaka
Ali, Saim Sohail and Waqar Hyder) discussed several topics and themes that are carving out
the future of HR practices in Pakistan. After collaborative feedback we identified a very
booming part of recent IT development around the globe, the use of Artificial intelligence.
Given the undergoing digital transformation in Pakistan, we researched this, to write the
newspaper article.

We began by exploring how AI is integrated into HR practices around the world, especially
in recruitment as our theme was itself the developments in hiring process. We used prior
published papers, and reports from leading sites, such as the LinkedIn survey, “The Future
of Recruiting 2023 and PwC report. Our research for the newspaper article has
demonstrated how Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and other AI-powered Chatbots are
changing the face of traditionally practiced ways as they change and make recruitment more
streamlined and enhance employee experiences.

In Pakistan, important industries like IT, the banking industry, and retail are using artificial
intelligence to handle huge amounts of job applications that could take weeks to sort out.
Tools including the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) help the human resource
departments, filter candidates more easily

AI in Recruitment: Transforming the Hiring Process

This reduces bias and speeds up the overall hiring process at a macro scale. This is important in Pakistan because where there is a lot of young talent, it is essential that the companies find top candidates quickly who perfectly suit their needs. AI can analyses resumes submitted in the hiring process and check if candidates fit specific criteria, making hiring faster and more accurate

Another thing we identified during our task is that employee engagement and retention are
important issues for companies that can be addressed by the use of artificial intelligence.
Many organizations now use AI-driven Chatbots which are trained to respond to the common
HR questions asked by employees

These Chatbots give employees quick answers, which results in HR professionals having more time to focus on more complex tasks. By automating routine work, AI saves a big chunk of time for HR teams and helps boost employee satisfaction and engagement. AI platforms also track employee behavior and provide personalized feedback to improve the work experience which is essential for the organization’s growth. This support can help retain employees in competitive job markets like Pakistan’s

While still under-development artificial intelligence presents numerous advantages, our
research has also uncovered some of its limitations. Although artificial intelligence can
handle various administrative tasks with efficiency.

it cannot yet fully substitute human judgment and the general human cognitive abilities which include things like empathy, and cultural understanding that are critical for assessing people while hiring. The article we reviewed stressed that AI should be viewed as an external tool designed to multiply the HR
capabilities rather than replace human professionals.

While it can aid in providing data-driven decisions, it remains the responsibility of HR managers and their HR Practices,human skills to ensure that these decisions are in alignment with the organization’s values and culture.