Recruiters vs AI platforms. Why dealing with real people is always the right way

However, while AI offers hiring managers the ability to automate repetitive, high-volume tasks in the recruiting workflow, this technology is by no means the silver bullet in sourcing and securing top talent.

Considering the critical role human interaction plays in matching Candidates to the right companies, Employers would be wise not to rely heavily on AI, lest they are prepared to sacrifice social skills, empathy and negotiating abilities from the process.

If you’re eager to fill vacancies with high quality Candidates who meet your requirements, you may want to think twice about replacing real people with robots:

Building valuable relationships

No amount of automation can replace the most important element of a Recruiter’s role: relationship building. It’s the efforts that a dedicated Recruiter makes in getting to know the Candidates and working with them to weigh up opportunities, that can make all the difference in their decision.

When a Recruiter leaves a lasting impression on a Candidate, a professional relationship is born: should they find themselves seeking new Employment in the future, they will likely bypass the job-boards phase completely, to instead work with someone who understands them, to find a suitable position.

Seeing potential beyond credentials

While AI tools can undoubtedly offer assistance in CV screening, they cannot build and nurture a network of talented Candidates, nor truly understand their motives or ambitions. It takes more than a keyword-matching exercise to gauge whether a person is right for a particular role.

A specialist Recruiter, on the other hand, can prove considerably valuable in defining the traits and soft skills that have made previous Employees successful in the role, before subsequently using this criteria to source the most relevant Candidates.

Gauging the culture fit of Candidates

Having used AI software to narrow down your applicants to a shortlist, you’re faced with the prospect of finding someone who fits in with your organisational culture. As you start conducting interviews, it becomes apparent that the Candidates selected are perfect on paper, but not quite right in person.

This is where a traditional Recruiter comes in handy: as well as skills and experience, they can filter down your search results to only those who they believe to be the best cultural fit. By maintaining a close working relationship with an Employer, Recruiters are able to familiarise themselves with the values, beliefs and environment of an organisation. This level of insight will prove invaluable in finding people who will feel at home in their new company.

Judging a Candidate’s interpersonal skills

Following impressive advances in technological development, various artificial intelligence platforms now promise Employers the chance to improve the quality of hire through standardised job matching. As exciting as it may sound, however, this technology does little to determine the interpersonal skills of a Candidate. In truth, it takes more than a simple matching exercise to source and secure the right person. By meeting with a Candidate face-to-face, Recruiters can determine how well they will communicate with their managers, work with their colleagues, and respond to customers’ needs. This kind of assessment is just not possible through technology alone.

While AI will undeniably benefit Recruiters themselves in simplifying menial tasks, the human touch is unlikely to be under threat any time soon.

What do you like most about dealing with your Recruitment agency? Tell us, we would love to hear from you.

Over the last 20 years, we have grown as a business to become one of the leading independent Recruitment agencies in Oxfordshire, and in 2018 have opened our first London office, to service Clients in the capital.

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