Longer job searches. Résumés increasingly written—or optimized—by artificial intelligence. AI-driven screening tools have contributed to skyrocketing application volumes while also increasing the risk of qualified candidates being filtered out prematurely, especially as generative AI fuels résumé inflation and keyword stuffing.
At the same time, new AI-driven hiring platforms, credentials and even proposed job marketplaces from technology leaders promise to “fix” what’s broken in talent acquisition. For senior HR and business leaders, the question is no longer whether AI will influence hiring, but how much trust organizations should place in these tools—and at what cost.
Members of the Senior Executive HR Think Tank have experience across industries in talent acquisition, employee experience, DEI, workforce analytics and the responsible use of AI in HR. Their experience reveals a consistent truth: AI can unlock measurable value, but only when paired with strong governance and human judgment.
Below, they expand further on the issues at hand for HR professionals today and weigh in on whether AI-driven hiring platforms and credentialing systems are solving real problems—or simply shifting complexity to a new layer of the process.
“AI-driven talent acquisition is not just a ‘nice to have.’ It is quickly becoming a strategic necessity.”
AI as a Force Multiplier, Not a Replacement
For Laci Loew, Fellow, HR Analyst and People Scientist at the Global Curiosity Institute, AI-driven talent acquisition has moved beyond experimentation.
“AI-driven talent acquisition is not just a ‘nice to have,’” Loew says. “It is quickly becoming a strategic necessity, especially for organizations facing high-volume hiring, competitive talent markets and the need for scalability.”
She points to tangible business outcomes when AI is implemented with intention. Used well, AI can increase recruiter productivity, shorten time-to-hire and improve candidate-job fit—metrics that matter in tight labor markets.
Still, Loew cautions against viewing AI as a turnkey solution.
“Without strong guardrails—including transparency, bias audits, human oversight and governance frameworks—AI can introduce new risks,” she says. Those risks range from unfair screening and legal exposure to a poor candidate experience that undermines employer brand.
Her advice is to treat AI as an amplifier of human capability, not a replacement for it. Organizations that invest equally in governance and training are far more likely to see sustainable returns.
Why Relationships Still Beat Algorithms
Tracy Jackson, President and CEO of HR E-Z, brings a small- and mid-sized business lens to the conversation—one where trust and values often outweigh technical credentials.
“Now more than ever, networking will be the most credible and efficient method for matching the best talent with opportunities,” Jackson says. “A highly engaged performer referring a candidate and vouching for their character and abilities will outshine anything AI can generate.”
She argues that while AI may efficiently surface skills, it struggles to assess values alignment and work ethic—factors that often determine long-term success.
Jackson also raises red flags around bias and exclusion.
“Many AI systems have bias built in and may expose companies to unfair or discriminatory practices that would not normally exist,” she says. She adds that it’s common for AI to reject strong candidates who would likely advance if a human were involved.
Her recommendation is a blended approach: Leverage AI for efficiency, but anchor final decisions in human judgment and relationship-based insight.
“AI is changing how we discover and evaluate talent, but it also reminds us how essential the human experience is.”
Preserving Humanity in a Data-Driven Process
Nicole Cable, Chief People and Experience Officer at Blue Zones Health, sees AI as both an opportunity and a warning.
“AI is changing how we discover and evaluate talent, but it also reminds us how essential the human experience is,” Cable says. While AI can create speed and access, she cautions that it can reduce people to data points if organizations lose sight of individual stories.
Cable emphasizes intentional design.
“My focus is on using AI to elevate, not replace, human judgment,” she says, “leveraging technology to widen opportunity while keeping empathy, curiosity and connection at the center of every hiring decision.”
For leaders, that means training hiring teams to question AI outputs, not blindly accept them.
Human Curation Is Not Optional
Steve Degnan, Advisor, Board Member and Former CHRO, believes the current hiring environment borders on chaotic.
“In the short term, some firms are considering a ‘pay to apply’ approach due to the explosion of AI-driven applications,” Degnan says. Add AI-generated résumés and occasional exaggerations, and the signal-to-noise ratio becomes unmanageable.
He is skeptical of fully automated solutions.
“I think human curation of the entire process will be necessary for the foreseeable future,” Degnan says. He adds that authenticity matters more than ever for candidates, while employers must treat applicants with dignity and ensure AI tools do not discriminate.
“Hope for a human-less panacea to hire humans is overblown,” Degnan says.
“We often present candidates who were declined by their ATS system and AI tools.”
When AI Screens Out the Right Candidates
Lauren Francis, Founder and CEO of Mulberry Talent Partners, sees firsthand how AI screening can miss the mark.
“Many organizations seek executive search support after making an internal effort to fill a role,” Francis says. “We often present candidates who were declined by their ATS system and AI tools.”
In many cases, those candidates move forward—and are ultimately hired.
Rigid AI screening criteria can often exclude experienced professionals whose résumés don’t align neatly with algorithmic expectations, meaning leaders may need to regularly audit their systems and challenge assumptions about “fit” encoded into AI tools.
How to Use AI Tools the Right Way
- Use AI to scale efficiency, not eliminate oversight. AI works best as a force multiplier when paired with governance and human review.
- Preserve relationship-based hiring signals. Referrals and networking still provide insight no algorithm can replicate.
- Design for candidate experience, not just speed. Empathy and storytelling remain critical differentiators.
- Keep humans accountable for fairness and dignity. AI does not remove legal or ethical responsibility.
- Continuously audit AI screening tools. Regular review prevents qualified talent from being filtered out.
Keeping Humanity at the Center of Hiring
AI-driven hiring platforms and credentialing systems are undeniably reshaping talent acquisition. They offer speed, scale and data-driven insight at a time when both employers and candidates feel overwhelmed.
Yet the Senior Executive HR Think Tank asserts that the future of hiring will not belong to algorithms alone. Organizations that balance innovation with humanity—combining AI efficiency with intentional human judgment—will be best positioned to attract, assess and retain the talent that drives long-term success.
