Is the role of recruitment going to be replaced with AI? It’s a genuine question that we get asked. Every day, as a business, we receive emails containing an intro to a new automation tool to aid recruitment. Whether it’s from scanning CVs to conducting references, it seems there is nothing that AI can’t do to support every step of the recruitment process…

Whilst we’re all for streamlining systems and working efficiently, recruitment is an industry that is fundamentally built on human relationships.

Although, let’s be honest, as an industry it has built a reputation for becoming somewhat transactional. So why not use these AI tools I hear you cry?!

It’s simple. If you’re working with a reputable recruitment agency, you’re partnering with a consultant, not a job-filler. This person has fine-tuned their skills over the years and can turn processes around quickly because they are a master at their craft.

You may look at recruitment fees and bulk (we get it, they come off your bottom line), however, the value is in paying for a seasoned professional who can take the pain of hiring away. You are paying for their many years of experience, the networks they have built, their negotiating proficiencies, along with their commercial acumen of understanding the holes you need to plug in your business – not the hours it takes them to place a candidate.

These professionals go through every part of the process with a fine-tooth comb and pick up on behaviours and subtle cues that I do not believe AI would be able to spot.

For instance, would it be able to pick up if a candidate has lost engagement due to the tone of their voice?

Could it understand what may compel a candidate to take your job over another offer?
Does it understand your business, its pain points and your competitors?

Can it have a conversation with a referee and know where to dig if there is maybe more to the story?

Can it build a genuine relationship with you, one that’s built from trust and real-life experience?

We all know that people buy from people. Think of a brand you love, you love the story of that brand, the journey it takes you on, how it makes you feel – you buy into that, not just the product.

I’m not saying that we won’t embrace some AI tools as they develop, but essentially, career recruiters have three things that are irreplaceable – influence, empathy and negotiation skills.

After 20 years of recruiting Executive Assistants, Operations Managers and administration support across Sydney, Sprint People is here to stay as a boutique, premium recruitment business run by two consultants who love pink, are obsessive about what they do (building relationships and making placements!) and will never compromise service for the ‘ease’ of AI.