Why AI Might Not Fix Recruitment Productivity by

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Recruitment Leaders - are you looking to engage with tech to help you drive productivity? Are you needing significant RoI from your tech stack? Be careful you don't full into the pit of "tech before process".

In the 2 decades we've been working in recruitment, a persistent, cyclical problem is starting over again — and it's being amplified by the advent of new technology like AI.

😔History Repeating Itself: Tech Before Process

My team has watched a trend unfold: the belief that simply "buying data and tech and throwing it at a problem" will magically fix it.

Unfortunately, it rarely does, and I fear we are seeing this pattern play out again with Artificial Intelligence.

The core issue is that the recruitment industry often engages with technology without truly engaging with the process the technology is supposed to fix.

We get why. A LOT has happened in and to the recruitment sector in the last 2 decades - it's a big ask for leaders to stand back from the coal face and really invest time in the problem when it's been so disruptive...

But, we've seen this cycle before:

The CRM wave: A sophisticated recruitment system is bought, added to the recruitment business, and recruiters are told to use it, often without a fundamental change to the underlying workflow.
The Automation trend: Tools are purchased to automate tasks, but the initial problem (unproductive activities) remains because the why and how of the automation weren't properly addressed.
Now, AI: In the rush to purchase the latest AI tools, many recruitment firms are overlooking the essential step of asking: "What problem are we trying to solve, and how will this technology specifically help me do that?"

🤔Purchase V Problem

I recently said to a client who was trying to get buy-in from his recruiters for the AI tools he's bought:

Are you processing the AI, or AI-ing the process?

One way is wrong, the other right. Food for thought...

This focus on the purchase over the problem means we miss the fundamental goal:

Fixing recruitment productivity.
Empowering recruiters to do the right things at the right time.

🙋 WIIFM? What’s In It For Me? The Missing Link

A healthy skepticism—or outright fear—exists among many average recruitment consultants about what AI and automation are really there to do for them.

If you're an innovation leader, your mind is likely 20 steps ahead, focused on the competitive edge, efficiency metrics, and future-proofing. But when introducing new technology, you must take it back to basics and think with the recruitment consultant / resourcer / manager in mind.

You need to answer the crucial question for them: "What’s in it for me (the consultant)?" - WIIFM?

Stop talking about backend efficiencies and start talking about the individual's tangible benefits:

"This will help you make more money."
"This will enable you to take a longer lunch break."
"This will free you up to see your kids' school plays."

Ultimately, this tech is meant to enable recruiters to spend less time on low-value, time-consuming tasks (often up to 80% of their day) and more time on high-impact, revenue-generating activities.

Because right now, the stats clearly show they are incredibly busy... potentially doing the wrong stuff.

If you want technology to succeed, you have to connect it directly to the recruiter’s personal and professional drivers.

What are your thoughts?

What is the biggest barrier to getting your recruiters to use new technology effectively?

And how will you ensure that you get true value from your tech, data, and people in the next year, and beyond?