The rapid development of AI tools creates confusion about which solutions deliver the best results while maintaining positive candidate experiences. Many talent leaders struggle to identify which AI capabilities will drive value versus creating unnecessary complexity.
AI and recruitment automation technology now ranks as the most sought-after solutions by employers. According to the 2025 RPO Trends Report, 55 percent of RPO buyers want AI and recruiting automation services from their partners. This demand reflects employers' recognition that AI can streamline hiring processes, improve candidate matching, and reduce administrative burdens. Through strategic implementation and partnership with experienced RPO providers, talent leaders can navigate this complex landscape effectively.
In my recent interview with Matt Corbett, President of ZRG Embedded Recruiting, for the Talent Leader Council, we explored how talent leaders can effectively implement AI in recruiting while balancing technology and human elements. This edited conversation provides key insights for talent acquisition leaders seeking to transform their hiring processes.
Corbett: AI transforms recruiting massively in thousands of different ways because recruitment isn't one thing. People look for simple answers to complex questions with AI today, and there simply aren't any. It has begun to transform recruiting slightly but will change it more dramatically over time.
Although we look at recruitment as one thing, it's not. Recruitment within executive search differs from internal recruiting teams, contingency agencies, RPOs, temp agencies, and interim businesses. Each of these conducts recruitment, but the methodology, deliverables, ROI, and margins all differ significantly.
The use of technology for each of these different businesses will be completely different. Additionally, the use of technology within each of their clients might be completely different. This creates layers of complexity when implementing AI solutions across various recruitment functions.
It's growing rapidly, but AI will change everything about the recruitment landscape. The key challenge for talent leaders involves recognizing these distinctions when deploying technology rather than seeking universal approaches to fundamentally different processes.
Speed represents AI's first advantage in recruiting. Data gathering provides the second major benefit, as AI captures everything when humans might lose information through leakage or incomplete documentation. This creates transparency into how candidates respond and interact with your process while accelerating workflow progress through instant responses to hundreds or thousands of people simultaneously.
The primary challenge involves balancing these advantages with human interaction. Some candidates prefer working with AI for faster processes, while others might opt out entirely if AI represents their only option. The solution combines both approaches strategically rather than relying exclusively on either technology or people.
AI deployment requires constant iterative interaction, unlike traditional technology implementation. It operates through learning rather than programming, demanding continuous tinkering and improvement instead of simply turning it on and letting it run independently.
The balance varies significantly by role type and process stage. Some positions require minimal human interaction, while others demand almost entirely personal engagement. For many roles, AI handles the initial third of the process, while humans manage the middle and final stages.
The volume also dictates the appropriate balance. Companies hiring 20 similar positions might leverage AI extensively throughout their process, while those hiring single specialized roles might rely primarily on human interaction. The seniority level changes how much AI integration works effectively.
AI should handle mundane, highly automated scheduling interactions and basic information collection. This frees recruiters to focus valuable human engagement on meaningful interview conversations where personal connection delivers maximum value.
RPOs work with multiple companies, testing technologies across diverse environments. This provides a crucial perspective on how solutions perform under different conditions and regulatory requirements. With AI regulations varying across states and countries, RPOs navigate compliance challenges more efficiently than internal teams.
The AI ecosystem evolves so rapidly that organizations can't predict the best solution six months ahead. With approximately 1,700 TA solutions globally around AI and 18-20 new options emerging daily, RPOs constantly evaluate emerging technologies across multiple clients simultaneously.
RPOs may deploy technology solutions faster than internal teams can implement them independently. This accelerates experimentation while minimizing internal investment in rapidly changing technology landscapes.
One organization deployed conversational AI in partnership with an RPO provider. This implementation highlighted how companies must continuously engage with technology as it learns to improve performance. It also revealed critical insights about candidate preferences and technology adoption.
The key lesson emphasized giving candidates choices between AI interaction and human engagement. Acceptance rates varied based on how technology was presented to candidates, the questions it asked, and explanations provided about the process. While companies appreciate productivity gains, candidates don't universally accept processes lacking human interaction.
Candidate willingness to engage with AI varies significantly by role type, function, and seniority level. Organizations can't deploy identical AI solutions across sales, finance, and engineering teams or for individual contributors, unlike directors and VPs.
AI excels at making connections that humans miss. It can evaluate candidates against every open role in the organization and identify matches recruiters might overlook. The technology connects candidate backgrounds with existing datasets to enhance hiring decisions through its capacity to process vast information and recognize patterns.
Labor markets will transform rapidly as AI increases productivity across functions. While AI creates new jobs, regulatory environments influence how effectively different regions adapt. Less regulated markets like America's demonstrate greater dynamism in navigating these transitions than highly regulated labor markets.
Organizations cannot hesitate with AI adoption. Humans using AI outperform those without it across every role, function, and industry. Successful implementation requires open-minded engagement, continuous learning and recognition of nuance rather than seeking simple answers to complex questions.
For more insights from other Talent Leader Council contributors, check out the RPOA Voice blog, which features interviews with top talent acquisition experts. And for expert insights on the go, listen to the Time to Hire podcast from the RPOA.