A rtificial Intelligence has become a valuable tool for North Bay employers and job seekers, with both now using AI-powered software programs to generate materials like job descriptions and cover letters. Still, those using AI should be aware of the pitfalls that can come with enlisting bots in the jobs process. Employers, for instance, should be wary of setting preferences that encourage unlawful discrimination in selection. Job seekers, meanwhile, should take care to ensure their application materials are accurate and original. “In both hiring and applying, the person behind the process is more important than the AI,” says Donaciano Botello Torres, a career advisor at Sonoma State University’s Career Center. “A manager needs to review and OK a job description before it is posted, even if they use AI to generate it. An applicant should review and adjust a resume before they submit it, even if they use AI to refine it.” SSU’s Career Center is emerging as a local resource in understanding AI’s role in hiring. So is the set of staffing companies that utilize AI- powered candidate screening software programs. In addition, leaders at local Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) are hosting and attending AI-centered seminars and workshops to better serve their clients. Earlier this month, the Solano-Napa SBDC hosted North Bay AI for Small Biz Day, a live online event for small to mid-sized businesses to share a clear plan about how to use AI for
different purposes. Miriam Hope Karell, the director of the Marin SBDC, says her takeaway from a recent AI-focused workshop was that businesses should not use only AI to screen and select candidates. “There are human-centric pieces that are important when choosing candidates. The main point I took away from the discussion is that critical thinking is the number one skill sought after by businesses. Critical thinking cannot be replaced with AI. [It] needs to be developed alongside the use of AI tools,” says Karell. Karell adds she has seen local business owners be hesitant to use AI-powered software because they are worried about exposing candidates’ personal information. “There is a concern with using AI and it sharing confidential information about people that should remain private,” says Karell. AI, the ultimate people pleaser Without restraints, AI-powered software can lead a company to unknowingly engage in discrimination that violates the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and federal law. This is especially true for employers with a history of selecting against candidates of certain backgrounds. Information in a resume, cover letter, recommendation letter or work sample can indicate a candidate’s nationality, language, age, disability, ethnicity, sex and sexual orientation. “AI tends to be a people pleaser. It likes to give you what
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32 NorthBaybiz
November 2025
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