Will AI Replace Human Recruiters?

The first time I used ChatGPT, I was naive. I went to play with it expecting the same output I’d get from the AOL chatbots I used to talk to in the early 2000s. Then, like everyone else, I had that moment of “Oh. Damn. This is not a toy.”

Of course, ChatGPT and the sudden flood of AI tools that have exploded along with it aren’t without their flaws and their risks, but the reality is that AI isn’t coming to the recruiting industry. It’s here.

With 77% of companies either using or thinking about using AI, many recruiters fear that tech will eventually replace them. But will it really?

The short answer is not quite, but here’s the main thing I want you to take away: Recruiters can not afford to ignore AI.

I spoke with the experts to find out everything you need to know to ride the wave of AI recruiting without being swallowed by it, so let’s dive right in.

Why AI won’t replace human recruiters

There’s no denying that the rapid growth of tools, like ChatGPT, makes it feel like AI is positioned to take over the world. Yet despite this ominous outlook, there’s one thing that tech cannot replace: human touch.

AI is here to make recruiting more human

Jonathon Wall, a Principal at the Cassillon Group and a seasoned recruiting leader with over two decades of experience, believes that technology has the potential to make recruitment more human. How? By handling the mundane tasks that keep recruiters from doing what they love most – connecting with people.

“We should be leveraging automation and AI to do those things that aren’t fun,” he shared. Many recruiters are bogged down by repetitive tasks and system updates, often referred to as “administrivia” by Wall. By automating these, recruiters can focus on their true passion: fostering relationships.

“Recruiting is a very defined process and a lot of the what I call ‘administrivia,’ it’s the stuff that recruiters don’t like… They kind of keep us from doing the things that really are our superpowers. We’re people people.”

So yes, tech may be replacing recruiting tasks, but it’s not replacing recruiters. It’s simply assisting them so they can find top talent, fast. Here’s proof: a Mindedge study shows that 76% of employees who recently had advanced technology introduced to their office say that it made their jobs easier. Another report shows that on average, AI saves employees 2.5 hours per day.

For the recruiter, this is good news. While technology takes over tedious tasks, like back-and-forth scheduling, recruiters can focus on cultivating personal, empathetic interactions so candidates feel understood and connected.

If you’re uneasy about the boom in technology, we’d suggest reframing your perspective. It shouldn’t be “Will AI replace human recruiters?” Instead, ask yourself, “How can AI enhance what I do?”

So let’s look at the positive role AI plays in talent acquisition and how recruiters can harness it to stay ahead of modern challenges and thrive at work.

AI tools every recruiter should be aware of

“The reality is that if you’re not upskilling, you’re not learning how to use these tools… watch out, because somebody is,” Jonathon told us, highlighting the urgency for recruiters to adapt to the technological advancements. 

With many in the industry eager to sharpen their skills and leverage new tools, those who delay are at risk of being left behind. As Jonathon puts it, “All those recruiters who are sitting on the sidelines… they’re upskilling because they’re trying to future-proof their careers. And so if you’re not future-proofing right now, you’re probably falling behind.”

It’s no surprise that AI recruiting tools are at the top of the agenda for nearly all recruiting conferences in 2024. If you don’t have time to skim through all the industry publications, I’ve got you back. Here are the main AI tools recruiters should be aware of:

Interview scheduling

There’s nothing more frustrating than back-and-forth manual scheduling, especially when different time zones and work schedules come into play.

But what if you could schedule an interview in minutes with just the click of a button?

AI-powered interview scheduling software lets you do just that. They suggest the best interview times based on interviewers’ schedules and candidates’ availability. 

GoodTime helps TA teams to hire up to 50% faster by automating interview scheduling. It plugs into your existing ATS, automatically shares scheduling links with candidates, and then sends calendar invites, agendas, and reminders — freeing up hours of time for recruiters and RCs. No more back-and-forth. No more wasted hours waiting for a response.

Want to see it in action? Check out our on-demand product tour.

Candidate sourcing

It can take hours for a recruiter to weed through job boards, social media, or networking events just to find qualified leads. Not only does it eat up time, it also limits the number of candidates recruiters have time to reach out to.

This is where AI candidate sourcing tools have helped recruiters regain hours back into their day. These tools search through endless databases and online platforms to find candidates that match specific parameters, like job skills or location.

Look at Entelo, for example. This AI-powered tool helps recruiters find candidates filtered by different groups — such as gender, ethnicity, or veteran status. It also quickly reviews candidates’ social media profiles to learn more about them. Then, it recommends candidates who are a great fit for the job qualifications and the workplace culture. Talk about hours of saved effort!

Resume screening

One job post can easily lead to hundreds of resume submissions. There’s no doubt that sifting through all those resumes can be incredibly time-consuming — up to 23 hours according to one report.

AI resume screening tools can cut that time down immensely by quickly scanning resumes and extracting relevant information (such as experience, education, skills, and certificates) to identify the top resumes that fit the job criteria.

Although resume screening is promising, it’s not 100% foolproof. Why? One report shows that a whopping 93% of people lie on their resumes — and resume screening tools are not equipped to spot a lie.

Thankfully, there’s technology that can ensure candidates have the skills necessary to do the job. This leads us to our next tool: skills assessments.

Skills assessment

Let’s take a minute to think about this practically. You would never hire a hairdresser without asking them to demonstrate a cut or color. You would never bring on a graphic designer without asking for a portfolio of their work. So why then, do so many companies hire talent without first validating their skills?

Skills assessments evaluate work performance potential rather than completely relying on resume claims. With 52% of TA leaders reporting that the hardest part of their job is identifying the right candidate, there’s no question that skills assessments are on track to quickly solve that problem. From game-based assessments to coding assessments, recruiters can have candidates prove their skills so only the most qualified candidates move forward.

Personalized engagement

While you can never fully replace human-to-human engagement, you can leverage technology to keep the conversation going when recruiters are not around.

Think about it this way. When a candidate works a full-time job, when are they able to submit a resume? Likely, not until later in the evening — when most recruiters have already left the office. So how can this candidate quickly engage with a recruiter without having to play the back-and-forth email game?

Text message recruiting platforms can create a solution to this problem. These tools engage with candidates, answer FAQs, and provide updates about the hiring process — all while minimizing the manual lift on the recruiter.

We’re a hustle culture, where immediate is now expected. Texts have an open rate of 90% and are often read in the first 3 minutes. So if you weren’t already convinced that automatic mobile-first engagement is necessary, you should be now. Companies need to provide a continuous stream of communication that keeps the candidate engaged from start to finish.

And if you’re looking for a single solution for high-volume SMS & WhatsApp recruiting with automated scheduling and more, that’s exactly what GoodTime handles.

Video interviews

Not all interviews can, or should, be done in person. Even if a candidate is in the same geographical area, it can take a tremendous amount of time to drive back and forth to multiple interviews. 

Not only do video interviews save the candidate time, they also give recruiters hours back into their day.

Video interview tools often come with a pre-recorded or a live option. With pre-recorded videos, talent teams can send pre-selected interview questions to the candidate who then responds on their own time. If they’re a good fit, talent teams will often schedule a live interview session where they can continue with a more personal interaction.

The downside? Async or AI-driven video interviewers can definitely come across as colder, so consider how they fit into your process and how you’ll maintain a personal touch.

Predictive analytics

Last, but definitely not least, is automated reporting and analytics.

When everything is said and done, recruiters want to ensure their numbers are up. Reporting tools are constantly looking at what has been successful — and what has not. Recruiters can use these analytics to identify trends, make data-driven decisions, and predict hiring success.

“If you’re not future-proofing right now, you’re probably falling behind.”

-Jonathon Wall, Principal, The Cassillon Group, Inc.

Why AI in recruitment is your golden ticket

It should be pretty obvious by now that AI plays a critical role in talent acquisition. While recruiting technology doesn’t fully replace the recruiter, it does benefit them. Here are the top three advantages recruiters will see when switching to automation:

1. Saved time

Hours drafting emails, back-and-forth scheduling, searching through pages of interview questions….it’s no wonder that the average time-to-hire is on the rise. Plus, 60% of candidates leave the hiring process because it’s taking too much time. That’s a lot of missed opportunities.

When recruiters leverage AI tools, they automate and optimize various tasks that would otherwise require significant manual effort — and in turn, greatly speed up the hiring process. This is a win-win for both candidates and recruiters alike.

2. Improved candidate experience

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again — hiring tech does not remove human touch. It enhances it. When a recruiter can offload their most time-consuming tasks to automation, they have the bandwidth to connect with the most desired candidates.

And it benefits candidates too. A quick and seamless process — where they feel seen and heard — creates an atmosphere that says “You matter.”

Jonathon emphasized this point to us, saying “By leveraging AI and automation… you can have better quality human interaction, automate the mundane so that you can have more face time with people.” The crux of his belief is paradoxical yet profound: to make the recruitment process more human, one might need to automate more of it.

3. Reduced bias

Even the most well-intended person can unintentionally form biased opinions. Technology reviews candidates based strictly on skills and qualifications, reducing the risk of subjective decisions. This means everyone gets a fair chance, no matter who they are or where they come from.

Win talent faster with AI-powered, human-driven recruiting

Ahryun Moon, CEO of GoodTime, summed up our conversation with Jonathon Wall perfectly saying, “It may sound counter-intuitive, but if you automate more, you can actually make your process even more human because you can have that time back to spend with your candidates.”

Embracing AI and automation in recruitment is not about replacing the human touch, but rather enhancing it. As the landscape continues to evolve, recruiters equipped with the right tools and the right mindset are set to revolutionize the industry, one meaningful connection at a time.

AI is poised to take over much of the recruitment process. But it’s not something we need to fear. Instead, let’s accept technology and evolve with it. Let’s explore what AI has to offer and how it can make the hiring process easier — not just for recruiters but for candidates as well.

Schedule a demo to learn how Hire can level up your AI game so you’re free to focus on hiring the best possible talent.