Human vs. Machine: Who's Really in Charge of Hiring Today?
In today’s hiring world, your first interview may be with an algorithm and not a human. Artificial intelligence (AI) has become the word for everyone and the solution to everything. No longer a concept, it is becoming a reality that is reshaping nearly every aspect of our lives, including the search for a job. For both employers and jobseekers, AI has become a powerful, yet often problematic tool. It promises efficiency and objectivity, but it has also created a new set of challenges that can make the hiring process feel more impersonal and frustrating than ever. Like many new, untested, and not fully understood tools, the challenges can sometimes seem worse than the problem they are trying to solve.
The Allure of the Algorithm
For hiring managers, the appeal of AI is obvious. As we discussed in our last article, The Gap Between Job Seekers and Hiring Managers, leaders are swamped. They face a mountain of applications for every open role, and they simply do not have the bandwidth to review each one manually. AI-powered Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) offer a solution, a way to automate the initial screening process and surface the "best" candidates quickly. In theory, this should free up managers to focus on more strategic tasks, like interviewing and building relationships.
The reality, however, is far more complicated. These systems are programmed to look for specific keywords and qualifications, which means they can easily overlook great candidates who have unconventional backgrounds or who simply use different terminology on their resumes. Is a "brand ambassador" the same as a "sales associate"? To a human, the transferable skills are clear. To a computer, they can be two entirely different things. This reliance on specific criteria can lead to a workforce that is trapped in sameness, as the system continually selects for the same types of profiles. It can also introduce unintended biases, as the AI learns from historical data that may reflect past trends in hiring.
The Candidate's New Toolkit
On the other side of the equation, jobseekers are now using their own version of AI resources. A host of new AI tools has emerged that can write cover letters, generate resumes, and even automate the process of applying for hundreds of jobs at once. For candidates who have been frustrated by the lack of response, these tools can feel like a lifeline. If the game is about getting past the algorithm, why not use an algorithm of your own to improve your odds? The thinking may be, “I’ll use AI to get me in the door, and then they can see who I really am.”
This creates or compounds the overload problem for hiring managers. They are now being flooded with applications that may or may not contain truly qualified or even interested applicants. It becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between a candidate who has genuine interest and experience and one who has simply used a sophisticated tool to craft a perfect-looking application. This devalues the very signals that managers have traditionally relied on, like a well-written cover letter, to gauge a candidate's sincerity and effort. When everyone looks perfect on paper, no one does.
Is Anyone Still Human in This Process?
This is the real danger of over reliance on using AI in hiring: it threatens to remove the human element from what should be a deeply human process. Hiring has (or least should be) more than just identifying options and bodies for a role. Rather, you are seeking the right person who will fit with the team, contribute to the culture, and grow with the company. These are things that an algorithm cannot measure. As I’ve written before, building a great team is about creating connections at work, and that starts with the very first interaction.
This creates a 'black box' problem, where neither the hiring manager nor the candidate truly understands why a decision was made. When a qualified person is rejected, the lack of transparency makes it impossible to address potential flaws or biases in the system. When companies rely too heavily on AI to make hiring decisions, they risk creating a sterile, transactional experience that alienates the very people they are trying to attract.
When jobseekers rely too heavily on AI to apply for jobs, they risk losing their authentic voice and a genuine connection to the opportunities they are pursuing. In both cases, the focus shifts from people to process, and everyone loses.
This is not to imply that AI has no place in hiring. When used thoughtfully, it can be a valuable tool for automating administrative tasks, reducing overload, and even identifying candidates who might have been missed by traditional methods. The key is to use it as a supplement to human judgment, not a replacement for it. Or, at a minimum, understanding how these tools are set up will dictate a lot more of what you get out of it than you may have imagined. Right now, most systems that retailers (or any other company for that matter) use are still based on ‘garbage in, garbage out’ methods. We still have to tell the system what we need, how to think, or what to do. Then it learns from that. If the foundation is already shaky, or if you are trying to shift from historical trends and behaviors, this becomes problematic in helping the system learn what you need it to do. As AI gets smarter, some of these issues will likely be reduced, but not eliminated. There are still going to be questions that need to be asked and answered that can only come from humans that know what that the current situation really is.
The challenge for leaders is to find the right balance. It is about leveraging technology to make the process more efficient, without sacrificing the personal touch that is essential for making good hiring decisions. It is about remembering that at the end of every resume, there is a person.
So, how do we navigate this new reality? What are the practical steps that both hiring managers and jobseekers can take to reclaim the human element in hiring? In the final article in this series, we will explore the solutions and strategies that can help us close the gap and build a better hiring process for everyone.
What has your experience been with AI so far, either as a hiring manager or a jobseeker?
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