LinkedIn has introduced its latest AI-powered innovation: the Hiring Assistant. Designed to streamline the recruitment process, this tool aims to alleviate the burden of repetitive tasks, allowing recruiters to focus on building relationships with candidates.

The Hiring Assistant can transform brief notes into comprehensive job descriptions, identify suitable candidates, and facilitate communication throughout the recruitment process. "From intake to interview, Hiring Assistant is here to help you focus on the most impactful, people-centric parts of your job," said a company statement.

Currently, the tool is available to a select group of large enterprises, including AMD, Canva, Siemens, and Zurich Insurance, with plans for wider availability in the coming months.

Hiring Assistant can seamlessly create job postings and integrate with third-party applicant tracking systems. By leveraging LinkedIn’s extensive data, which encompasses over one billion users, the tool is expected to automate as much as 80% of pre-offer tasks—ranging from background checks to offer letter generation.

Josh Bersin explains how LinkedIn's Hiring Assistant represent a significant leap forward in automating the hiring process, which often involves tedious and repetitive tasks.

"This is a pretty amazing product," said industry analyst Josh Bersin. He noted that the tool could revolutionise the recruitment industry by improving recruiter productivity and candidate quality. "This is the first highly integrated agent that fits directly into the LinkedIn workflow," Josh said.

Companies using it now including Siemens and Canva are seeing recruiter productivity and candidate quality skyrocket, " according to Josh.

The Hiring Assistant can simplify the complex recruitment process, which typically encompasses over 30 steps—excluding essential tasks like background checks and onboarding. LinkedIn claims that its new tool could automate up to 80% of the pre-offer workflow, streamlining what has traditionally been a labour-intensive task for recruiters.

Bersin lauds the Hiring Assistant’s sophistication and innovation. One of its features, 'Experiential Memory' allows the Assistant to remember a recruiter's search and activity history, tailoring results to the unique needs of tech or executive recruiters.

"This is a well-engineered product. Not only does it include many subtle features (ie. “find me a candidate like Joe,” which brings in Joe’s profile and analyses Joe’s role, skills, and experience), it includes several platform innovations," added Josh.

In addition to its current capabilities, LinkedIn plans to enhance Hiring Assistant with features like interview scheduling, candidate messaging, and follow-up communications. Bersin pointed out that the tool even has advanced functionalities that allow recruiters to find candidates based on specific profiles, making the search process more precise and personalised.

Research shows that AI-assisted outreach messages achieve a 44% higher acceptance rate, while AI-driven searches result in an 18% increase in candidate acceptance. This data indicates that as recruiters embrace AI tools, candidates are also leveraging AI to enhance their applications, creating a more competitive hiring landscape.

While the Hiring Assistant boosts efficiency, its true advantage is in allowing recruiters to connect more effectively with candidates. By handling routine tasks, recruiters can focus on collaborating with hiring managers, enhancing the employment brand, and better understanding both candidates and the job market, Josh argued.

Amy Schultz, Global Head of Talent Acquisition at Canva, expressed enthusiasm for the tool, stating, "Hiring Assistant gives our teams the ability to focus on what really matters—connecting with candidates on a personal level."

LinkedIn is not the first mover in this space, but the company’s credibility will accelerate the market, according to Josh.