How does Greenhouse use AI? Here’s everything candidates need to know
Placeholder text for "read time" DO NOT REMOVE
When you apply for a job, you know that AI is going to play a part in the hiring process. But exactly what part is a mystery. You hit submit and wonder: Will AI screen out my application before a human sees it? Is a bot writing those rejection letters? Are algorithms making decisions about my future?
The hiring process today is a black box. Candidates barely know what happens after they apply for a role, let alone how AI is involved. (By the way, you can read about what actually happens after submitting an application here). In some cases, algorithms filter people out before humans even see them; job hunting feels more dehumanizing than ever. It’s bad enough that AI is coming for all the jobs, but it’s now auto-rejecting you from the jobs that are still out there? What a demoralizing thought.
As a candidate investing time and energy into applications, you deserve transparency about how companies are using the technology in their recruitment process. While we can’t speak for every hiring team out there, we can provide insights into how our 7,500+ customers use AI through the Greenhouse hiring platform.
Here’s an unfiltered look at what really happens behind the scenes.
How Greenhouse uses AI
Before we jump into the specifics, let’s make one thing clear: at Greenhouse, we think that AI should be used to assist recruiters, not replace them. This means AI doesn’t make hiring decisions for recruiters, it doesn’t “rate” candidates and it doesn’t decide which applications get seen and which ones get rejected.
Our AI functionality helps recruiters automate tasks, analyze data and create content so they can save time, review more applications and personally engage with a higher number of strong candidates.
Now let’s look at how AI is used at each stage of the hiring process in Greenhouse.
Before the job is posted
Recruiters can soon use AI features in Greenhouse to help them write better job descriptions, faster. Our AI will pull from a vast range of job descriptions for similar roles, helping recruiters to not only save time, but also to describe role requirements clearly and accurately. When planning interviews, recruiters will be able to use our AI-powered tools to design consistent questions that evaluate each candidate fairly, limiting the bias that might creep in if just one person was designing them.
When a hiring team is deciding what to look for in a candidate
Before a hiring team starts reviewing applications, it needs to define the evaluation criteria for the role. What skills and experience does a candidate need to have and which ones matter the most? Our AI helps recruiters create what we call “scorecard attributes” – the specific qualities and capabilities they’ll evaluate in each candidate. This saves time for hiring teams, but more than that, it helps ensure that every candidate is assessed fairly against the same standards.
When you hear from a recruiter about a job
Applications for roles are surging, but many recruiters still put a lot of time and effort into proactively reaching out to potential candidates. They can use AI features in Greenhouse to personalize their outreach messages while maintaining their company’s voice. This means you receive more relevant, engaging communications about opportunities that match your background – not generic, impersonal emails.
During application screening
When your application arrives in Greenhouse, recruiters have the option to use our resume anonymization feature to automatically remove identifying details like your name, gender, photo and links to your social media profiles. This helps to reduce unconscious bias in the screening process. Recruiters see your skills and experience first – not personal details that aren’t relevant to the role and could lead to bias.
In the review process
For in-demand roles, recruiters often search and filter applications to find candidates that best suit the role. Our AI functionality automatically suggests search terms that are relevant to the role. That way, the recruiter isn’t relying only on terms they can think of in the moment; they’re casting a wider net and increasing the likelihood of finding the most qualified candidates.
During interview scheduling and follow-up
Recruiters can also use our AI functionality to help schedule interviews at a time that suits everyone and then use it to summarize notes and feedback once interviews have taken place. And when it comes to letting candidates know whether or not they’re progressing to the next round, recruiters can draft personalized emails at scale. That way, you’re more likely to get timely updates and not fall victim to one of the least popular habits in modern-day hiring: ghosting.
Does Greenhouse use AI to auto-reject applications?
No. Greenhouse never uses AI to rate candidates or auto-reject applications. We just don’t think that any company that truly wants to find great candidates and deliver a fair experience would outsource their decisions to a bot. It does happen at some companies, though. And that’s why we think you should pay attention to which application tracking system (ATS) is used by the companies you apply to. It can be an indicator of their approach to hiring.
Hiring in the AI era
AI in hiring is here to stay. Its arrival comes at a time when job applications are surging and recruiting teams are shrinking. And in some cases, it’s being used in ways that make an already tough process even more challenging.
At Greenhouse, we’re taking a different approach. We’re using AI to help recruiters save time so they can focus on what matters most: reviewing more strong applications and giving candidates the type of experience they deserve. We can’t control how every company uses AI, but we can ensure that companies using Greenhouse are leveraging it to make hiring better for everyone, especially candidates.
