In a recent parliamentary written question, Dave Doogan, SNP Spokesperson for Defence, queried about the use of automated decision-making systems within the Ministry of Defence, particularly regarding personnel decisions.
The Scottish National Party representative asked the Secretary of State for Defence, “To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department uses automated decision making in relation to personnel.”
Andrew Murrison, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence, reassured Doogan that, while automation is increasingly used to aid decision-making, it does not act independently of human intervention.
He asserted that “there are no automated systems currently in service, nor any in development, that will make decisions independently of human intervention. Automated support is streamlining many of the labour-intensive processes which historically have denuded the capacity of single Service workforce planners and managers to focus on resolving people issues as they arise.”
Automation is utilised to simplify procedures, especially in time-consuming tasks, freeing up department personnel to focus on urgent matters. For example, the recruitment process may use automation to inform candidates if they are ineligible for certain roles based on their age or nationality. However, the system also provides contact details for further discussion on potential suitability for other roles.
Murrison further noted that automation plays a significant role when recruiting into the Civil Service. Candidates may undergo a psychometric test online, with the system calculating scores based on the individual’s responses.
These are then compared against a peer group who took the same test, resulting in a percentile. The Under-Secretary explained, “Individuals need to reach the pass mark for the test to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment.”
It is clear that, while automation supports efficiency in managing some aspects of personnel-related processes, human discretion remains an essential factor in the UK’s Defence Department.
Before the army handed over recruitment to Capita, all recruits had their initial brief with the Army inside a recruitment centre, with a military bod with a bit of experience under his/her belt who was there to iron out any initial gripes, questions or issues, which at a stroke would put the candidate at ease
Once we moved over to Capita, that face to face first contact was replaced by a computer program. Which is why I working in the Officer recruiting cell had to deal with so many F-ups . Such as a young lady (Dad was a major in the infantry) who on applying on line to join up listed in her medical history aprt she had suffered from acne as a young girl. That admission saw her booted. I rang up Westbury and tried to fight her corner, by stating that if she was to stand in front of you, you wouldn’t for a month of Sundays presume to think she had ever suffered from acne and could I book a visit for her to the Westbury Dr in which to sort out this issue. Nope.
Another girl, wrote down she had broken her leg as a child, again rejected, stating she wouldn’t be able to undertake Military training. She wrote a letter of complaint (CC’d me in) stating that not only had she been running for her county for Cross Country, she was running for her University team, in the meantime in order to earn some extra cash she had joined the TA.. Again nope.
I have no issues with IA, but its only as good as the person who writes the code, which entails having them seconded to somebody who is currently making those decisions and ensuring what he/she comes up with mirrors that person’s train of thought From what I have seen that hasn’t happened yet and all we get is that IA’s train of thought continually boarding at the station.
AI has no place in recruitment imo. A lad in our village wanted to join REME as a fitter. Been a cadet for years. Fit, well turned out etc. Capita took over eighteen months to process his application, most of it being done “online”. They and AI are not fit for purpose. A few years ago a recruiter would have snapped him up. Luckily he is now well settled and thriving as a soldier. Most would be put off by the wait. The examples you quote are just appalling.
Online isnt AI.
What you have described is usual recruitment agency nonsense using real people
Correct. Not sure if I’ve misread Wallace either but online psychometric testing isn’t AI either
AI means different things to different people. If its a computer system obviously it is artificial but is it inteligent? More powerful computers & algorithms means lots of powerful things can be done. But are any of them thinking inteligently – I think not. Many companies have rebranded their software as AI – great marketing😂 Some AI system chew their way through the internet. There is an old saying in IT – garbage in – garbage out
Thanks. To some of us “fossils” who would rather deal with real people? Tech is a shit show.
One Solar flare or EMP burst everything will be back too Face to Face interviews god I’m a Fossil
I’ve been collecting my Pension for a few years now Andy I’m now out looking for a rock strata that I can inter myself into
Not as this lad explained it to me.
Some use of common sense from the recruiters would be good and AI certainly isnt a replacement, when will they learn?
Sorry, should have said, not the recruitment staff, but the policy makers
I don’t like the use of the term pychometrics to describe verbal/numeric reasoning tests as it also includes other types of testing that don’t have right or wrong answers, such as personality testing. It’s too broad a term to use meaningfully.
As other have said, it’s nothing to do with AI. Both terms have been commandeered by salesfolk and politicians, their meanings losing precision in the process.
You just cannot beat face to face on such matters as you can tell a lot there that a machine never ever will. Common sense will never be something a machine can do or think outside the box. Using a non-military outfit to recruit is so wrong in so many ways. Although waiting times are shorter now than they used to be, in the past up to several years wait to get in for some branches and that is when the Military were of a size much larger than today. Sad times but then the youth of today do not see much sparkle in joining up sad to say, all PC and pink which WAR will never be.
There’s a world of difference between AI and automation, the 2 are very very different.
Any chance of using AI for project management?