Nate Marsh believes a $2,000 r�©sum�© is just a "worthless piece of paper," if you blow the job interview.

Marsh, director of Must Ministries workforce development division, has a better idea: Give job seekers who could spend that amount of money creating r�©sum�©s something more useful — an ability to ace the questions employers ask.

Last week, the Marietta nonprofit rolled out the second part of its AI workforce upgrade — mock interviews. It uses ChatGPT to analyze answers to common questions. The software also provides feedback on body language, eye contact and speech patterns. In the past, it took Must Ministries staff 45 minutes to conduct one mock interview with clients.

"Now, we can have multiple interviews going on at the same exact time," said Marsh, who leads a team of about five people.

During the height of the pandemic, Must Ministries prioritized providing food and shelter to those in need, but it also invested in software. It wanted to be prepared when the pandemic ended.

That strategy has paid off. In one year, it has doubled the number of people it helped find jobs to more than 800 — representing a $27 million economic impact, Dwight "Ike" Reighard, CEO of Must Ministries, told Atlanta Business Chronicle. Last year, it served 1,725 people. About 90% of them were new clients, and at least 812 secured jobs.

Using AI costs Must Ministries between $1 to $3 per client, Marsh estimates. In addition to mock interviews, the Marietta-based nonprofit is also using high-tech solutions to help jobseekers revamp their resumes even before they secure an interview.

Must Ministries is part of a growing trend of organizations using AI in workforce development and recruitment.

For instance, in the hospitality sector, where employment still lags pre-pandemic levels, companies are using AI to recommend positions for job seekers and steer them through the hiring process.

According to the World Economic Forum, by 2025, 85 million jobs could be replaced by AI, while the evolving technology could also help generate as many as 97 million new positions.

By Crystal Edmonson - Senior Editor, Community Engagement and Live Journalism, Atlanta Business Chronicle

https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2023/08/22/must-ministries-ai-workforce-development.html