AI in Recruitment

AI in Recruitment: Game-Changer or Just a Passing Trend?

AI is everywhere right now! From the content we consume to the way we shop, work, and even date. So it’s no surprise that recruitment hasn’t been left out of the AI revolution. There’s been a huge increase in the number of AI add-ons available and some of them really do look impressive! Clare has spent a lot of time learning about these new initiatives and wanted to share her thoughts and continue the conversation.

While the promise of faster, fairer, and more efficient hiring sounds fantastic to every recruiter and manager on the planet, we believe there are still a lot of considerations before deciding to fully convert to AI.

The Benefits: Speed, Scale, and Smarter Decisions

1. Time-saving automation

One of the biggest perks of AI in recruitment is how much time it can save. Think automated CV screening, scheduling interviews, responding to basic candidate queries and all the repetitive admin that eats into a recruiter’s day. With the right AI tools, recruiters can spend more time actually recruiting and having meaningful conversations with candidates and stakeholders.

2. Improved candidate matching
AI can process vast amounts of data to match candidates to roles based on experience, skills, and even soft skills inferred from language use or career patterns (if you prompt it to perfectly).

3. Enhanced candidate experience
Used well, AI can provide faster feedback, more consistent communication, and a smoother application process. And in a world where candidate experience and employer brand are so closely connected, that really matters!

But There Are Pitfalls Too…

1. Bias
AI is only as good as the data it’s trained on. If the data contains bias (consciously or unconsciously, and let’s be honest, historic hiring data often does), the AI can unintentionally perpetuate it. This is a huge risk, especially when it comes to diversity and inclusion.

2. Lack of transparency
How does an algorithm decide which candidates go forward and which don’t? Should we really base a candidate’s capability on five key words? Can AI understand that a candidate has a maternity gap in their CV and ensure they’re not unfairly penalised for it? We don't know ...

3. Dehumanising the process
Let’s be honest, recruitment is about people, and nothing will ever change that. While AI can support us, it can’t replace the human touch. Candidates still want to be seen, heard, and valued, not just scored by a machine.

So, Where Do We Go From Here?

AI in recruitment isn’t going away. From what we’ve seen, it is just getting started!

We believe the key is using it as a tool or enhancement, not a replacement. Recruiters need to stay curious, keep learning, and critically assess the tech we use to continuously ensure the best outcomes for our candidates and clients.

Let’s make sure we’re asking the right questions like “Is this tool making the process fairer, or just faster?”, “Are we using AI to enhance candidate experience?” and “How do we balance efficiency with empathy?”

We’d love to hear your thoughts. Are you using AI in your recruitment process? What’s worked well? What are your concerns? Please reach out to me to continue the conversation. clare.miles@operamms.com