Last week, I spotted news of a Glasgow-based recruitment technology company which is expanding with a new base in North America after receiving £3 million of investment.
Willo is a video-interview platform that enables growing companies to screen candidates at scale. It is used by companies including Toyota, Samsung, DPD Group and the NHS.
It is wonderful to see a home-grown company doing so well and expanding into global territories. The business was started by two entrepreneurs who spotted a gap in the market for streamlining the recruitment process.
Some of this investment is also going to be used for launching Willo Verified Profiles, a new credential verification feature designed to help employers cut through AI-generated noise in the hiring process.
And this is where I think this story is really interesting.
AI has so much potential to streamline recruitment processes, freeing employees to focus on the tasks where their experience has the most impact.
It’s something I’ve discussed before, when survey research I saw in the summer revealed a fifth of Scots were using AI to help with job applications, with just under a tenth of businesses using it to help find the right candidate.
It can save hours of work, sifting through applications and CVs to pull out those who best fit the job criteria. But what about prospective candidates using AI to streamline the application process on their side?
I think Willo’s new feature could be a game changer, helping to verify the information candidates submit and providing a platform to both shortlist candidates and ensure that, if they have used AI in their application, the information supplied is in fact correct and not pulled from the ether.
As AI is fed more and more examples, it’s going to perfect the best answers to common recruitment questions and, the more sophisticated it gets, the harder it will likely be to spot applications created using AI.
In my opinion, the same principle applies no matter what AI is being used for – it shouldn’t completely replace the common sense and experience of a person.
For recruiters, it is a fantastic tool for shortlisting candidates, but it should supplement the other steps in the process. Interviews, whether in person or virtual, are still vitally important to get a proper idea of a candidate’s experience, which boxes they tick, their personality, and what they would bring to your team.
However, I think where AI sits within a candidate’s application is still a little more woolly. If recruiters are using AI to sort through applications based on set criteria, AI can help candidates ensure their applications meet that criteria.
There’s a danger that if you’re not AI-savvy, a fantastic candidate might not even make it to the interview stage because they’ve not used the right phrases or terminology that demonstrates they tick the right boxes.
But where is the line? It’s fine to use an AI tool to finesse a CV or application, but the temptation is that we start to rely on it too heavily – and a platform like Willo could be the answer to prevent this.
You can use it to check grammar and spelling, optimise it for a particular role, help choose which aspects of your experience to focus on, or, if you’re in need of inspiration, find a good CV template to use. It’s only as good as the information you give it, though, and if you are light on detail, it will start filling in the gaps with generic buzzwords and details that might not be true.
Employers are mixed in their thoughts about its use within applications. If an application is obviously influenced by AI, many will disregard it. They still want experience and personality to shine through.
If anything, with competition for roles increasingly high, it’s more important than ever to stand out from the crowd by demonstrating what your unique experience and genuine personality would bring.
The recruitment landscape is without a doubt going to continue to evolve as AI becomes more integrated into business, and the success of Willo demonstrates that there is real appetite from employers to find tools that assist the process.
Side (236 words)
With the impending autumn budget looming over businesses worried about what it might bring, it’s good to see a UK Government initiative announced which can help businesses in towns in desperate need of investment and regeneration.
The ‘Pride in Place’ programme has pledged £292 million and is set to benefit areas of Scotland.
The investment, which forms part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, aims to support and empower deprived communities to help them improve their high streets and tackle inequality.
The funds, which will be delivered via local authorities, will support projects such as town centre improvements, upgrading green spaces, and providing financial and upskilling support for local businesses.
The announcement claimed that the programme could see some of Scotland’s poorer areas benefit the most from the long-term funding, with the potential for some to see £20 million over the next decade.
It is hoped that the funding can help to address long-standing issues in parts of Scotland, including the fact that one-fifth of Scots live in deprived areas and the high number of derelict buildings in some parts.
The Scottish Chambers of Commerce welcomed the news but cautiously said that they are awaiting full details ‘to see if the government’s policy can live up to its ambitions’.
Let’s hope this can deliver and for local businesses in the areas earmarked for funding, make sure you take full advantage of any help available to you.
Laugh (112 words)
We Scots have always had a proud tradition of ‘putting a kilt’ on things to give them our own unique stamp, particularly when it comes to food. From the infamous deep-fried Mars Bar to the calorie-laden nightmare that is a pizza crunch, it’s always been a thrill to see what culinary concoctions Scottish businesses whip up.\
But, in a certainly bold take, an ice cream business in Pitlochry has topped the list of unusual snacks with haggis gelato.
Pinchy’s Gelato unveiled the savoury dessert mix to viral intrigue, blowing up on TikTok for the strange, sweet-spicy snack.
People seem to be enjoying it, but I think I’ll stick with a 99 myself.
Weep (103 words)
From its international film festival to the recent filming of Spider-Man swinging through the city centre, Glasgow has always been a bustling place for cinema lovers. That’s why it’s a particular shame to see the end of an era last week, as Cineworld on Renfrew Street closed its doors for the final time.
The cinema, which was the tallest cinema building in the world, opened back in 2001 and has welcomed thousands of film fans through its doors over the years.
The closure, due to landlord disputes, has led to job losses and the credits rolling on one of Glasgow’s most stand-out skyscrapers.
