AI in Recruiting: What’s Actually Useful vs. Just Hype?
AI is everywhere in recruiting right now. From sourcing tools that promise the “perfect match” to chatbots that claim to handle your screening process end-to-end, it’s easy to get caught up in the buzz. But as someone who works in the trenches every day, I’ve seen firsthand what’s helping—and what’s just adding noise.
In this post, I’ll break down the most common uses of AI in recruiting today and separate what’s actually driving results from what’s more hype than help.
Useful: AI for Candidate Sourcing & Matching
AI-powered sourcing tools like HireEZ, SeekOut, and LinkedIn Recruiter’s AI features have come a long way. When trained well, they can help identify passive candidates with the right experience, even if they’re not using obvious keywords in their resumes or profiles.
Why it works:
These tools can analyze patterns across your successful hires and surface candidates who’ve followed similar paths. That saves time and expands your pipeline beyond the usual suspects.
Caveat:
Garbage in, garbage out. If you don’t feed the AI clear criteria—or if your data is messy—it won’t magically fix your hiring problems.
Mixed Results: AI in Resume Screening
Automated resume screening tools have been around for a while, and some platforms now use AI to “score” resumes against job descriptions. While this sounds smart in theory, it can quickly become a black box.
Where it helps:
For high-volume roles, it can speed up the first-pass filter to find basic qualifications.
Where it falls short:
Soft skills, context, career pivots—these get lost. I’ve seen great candidates screened out because their titles didn’t match up, even though their actual experience did.
Bottom line:
Use AI to support your decision-making, not replace it.
Useful: AI for Outreach Personalization
Tools like ChatGPT, Lavender, and others can generate highly personalized outreach messages at scale. For busy recruiters juggling multiple reqs, this is a game-changer.
What works:
If you’re sourcing 50+ candidates a day, having AI write tailored messages based on someone’s LinkedIn profile, recent activity, or shared connections increases response rates without burning hours.
What to watch:
Tone and authenticity. AI-written messages still need a human review or they'll feel robotic fast. Keep the message tight, conversational, and real.
Mostly Hype: AI for Culture Fit or “Personality” Screening
Some platforms claim to analyze a candidate’s speech, writing style, or online presence to determine “culture fit” or personality traits. This is where things start to veer into junk science territory.
Why it’s problematic:
These tools often rely on biased data or unproven psychometrics. They can reinforce stereotypes, screen out diverse talent, or just flat-out get it wrong.
My take:
Trust your interview process, not AI voodoo, when it comes to culture and team dynamics.
The Real Role of AI in Recruiting
AI won’t replace recruiters—but recruiters who know how to use AI effectively will replace those who don’t. The key is understanding where it adds value and where it needs oversight.
Here’s how I use it today:
To build smarter sourcing lists
To speed up personalized outreach
To automate repetitive tasks like scheduling or follow-ups
But when it comes to evaluating fit, building trust with candidates, and closing top talent? That’s still 100% human work.
Final Thoughts
AI is a powerful tool—but it’s just that: a tool. The best recruiting outcomes still come from empathy, intuition, and relationship-building. If AI can give you more time to do those things better, it’s worth every penny. But if it’s just another dashboard or scoring system you don’t understand? It might be time to hit pause.