The impact of AI on the recruitment process is likely the most significant digital transformation we will ever see in our careers as recruiters. When I reflect back on some of the others I’ve been a part of over the last decade, like mobile-optimized applicant tracking systems, SMS texting, one-way pre-recorded video interviewing, and the distribution of psychometrics and predictive hiring assessments, I’m actually extremely hopeful about AI.
But the conversation about AI and “bias” in recruiting deserves more precision. There’s a lot left to be decided in the courts around automated decision systems (ADS) yet, log on any given day, and there’s a strong disconnect between candidates and companies, even practitioners are over opinionated and under informed.1
AI bias and illegal discrimination are not the same thing, and the legal standards governing employment decisions didn’t suddenly disappear because software became more sophisticated. Governance has existed for decades. We’ve just hit some growing pains. And if anything, AI gives us an opportunity to interrogate how decisions are made, measure their outcomes, and build more accountability into processes that have always contained human judgment and human bias.
So let’s be honest right quick, recruiting has never been bias-free. And bias is not inherently negative or positive. It’s simply, bias. You’re a recruiter, you have them.
Humans make subjective decisions about resumes, schools, career gaps, communication styles, “culture fit,” and who simply feels like the strongest candidate. Assessments, video interviewing, sourcing algorithms, and other tools have all deserved scrutiny. And there are lessons learned from past digital transformations that hopefully the industry gets right this time. So yes, AI deserves scrutiny too. And no, one person isn’t going to decide that for a near $50BN industry with a 10% CAGR, that’s forecasted to nearly double by mid 2030s.2
So when we talk about the balance of the humanity with AI in recruiting, let me ask you this… Do you know a human recruiter that can produce an auditable explanation for every person they didn't call in a requisition?
Well AI can. And will. And it will be used in the courts. And it will be way simpler, more cost effective to do so. Which companies will be relieved to use and leverage. Which in turn empowers candidates. (Does that qualify as a virtuous cycle?) AI has the potential to make criteria, scoring, evidence, and outcomes more visible and measurable, all while empowering candidates to have a better chance at getting hired. Just to be a little more overt, Voice AI stands to be the great equalizer.
What can we all agree on? Okay fine a softball…the top of the hiring funnel is broken! Applications per company are up 129% since 2023. 62% of recruiters say application volume has increased in just the last year. More than half review fewer than half of the applications they receive. And only 21% are very confident their systems aren’t filtering out qualified candidates. At the same time, 74% of candidates now use AI in their job search. And 93% of applicants never make it to an interview. (Many of whom are qualified.)3
So don’t tell me AI at the top of the funnel isn’t a valid solution already working for companies. Just look at zapier!4 What if, instead of deciding who deserves a conversation based primarily on a resume, you could actually give more candidates a conversation? Pretty cool.
What is important to get right about AI in hiring is that human recruiters are still making the decision, and handling all dispositions. With the dawn of Ai interviewers going mainstream and Greenhouse’s own Voice AI, I’m excited to see the problem be solved for both recruiters and candidates, alike. Because more empowerment on both sides of hiring is needed right now. And it’s better than the alternative…a recruiter deciding who to call out of thousands applicants in a req based on submission filtering, vibes, or their blood sugar.
AI interviewers are just one of the topics we dove into on this season of The Recruiting Roadshow. There’s so much more. Season Two took me to New York City. And the city didn’t disappoint. We had an absolute blast. But I’ll be honest for a second, NYC is not an easy city to produce a video series in. Long flight, hauling a 70 pound Pelican from airport to cab to the busy city sidewalks. It’s pretty wild. And hot. And NYC objectively smells terrible. For a Colorado guy having filmed part of Season One literally on a beach, I knew we’d be in for a change of scenery. But that’s the cool part of doing the Roadshow. Getting out into the world, seeing the country, and connecting with recruiters. I loved getting to hang out with recruiters on their turf. These are folks who live and work in NYC or were in town during the trip, because it’s such a different experience than a lot of folks that live elsewhere. Sure SF, Chicago, DC all have some hustle, but nowhere near what it’s like to live and work in NYC.
This is the part of the story where I tell you how not easy it is to create high quality video content for LinkedIn. Right now recruiting content is having a moment. (Super cool! Rising tide lifts all boats. I know and support pretty much everyone doing recruiting content right now.) But I’ll let you in on a secret. It is not for the faint of heart. It might look easy as you scroll over a vertical day in the life post on LinkedIn, or when you see a multi season, episodic long form recruiting show filmed in person in a professional studio by a documentarian that looks cool compared to other content. But it’s hard work. So for this trip to NYC we put our money where our mouth is and packed out a four day shoot to pull off these incredible conversations in midtown Manhattan. For you. And for me. Which will make sense when you watch some of these conversations, and the significance of these relationships in my life. Hands down, the guests were incredible. And the opportunity to spend time in person with the recruiting community is always worth the investment. As we heard in Season One from Cailean Bailey, it’s all about the return on relationships. I still think about that every day. So thank you to all the guests on the NYC leg of Season Two:
Andrew Delabar, Clifton Jadoo II, Erin Walsh-Beguin, Stefanie Fackrell, Adrian Russo, and Kelsey Biggs. Please go follow them all and tell them I sent you.
And if you’re not a “Strong Yes” on cool recruiting content, it’s not to late to join us for The Recruiting Roadshow.
See you on the road! ✌️
https://www.counties.org/news-and-media-article/understanding-automated-decision-systems-ads-and-why-counties-should-care/
https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/hr-tech-market
https://grow.greenhouse.com/download/en-2026-ai-in-hiring-report?
https://lnkd.in/p/ghnWVCN3
