What if we told you that, from now on, we’ll be using a computer to qualify candidates for senior roles?
No more one-to-one discussions between candidates and our researchers around skills and experience. No more hands-on assessments about cultural fit. No more feedback direct from the researcher.
This may seem extreme (and don’t worry, it’s not going to happen), but it’s already common practice in many hiring processes carried out by contingent recruitment firms, as well as internal recruitment for junior roles.
Judging by the regular debate on LinkedIn, conversations are now also taking place about using artificial intelligence to fill even the most senior roles.
This has got us thinking. Does AI technology really have a future role to play in executive search?
When you read the opening question posed by this blog, you probably wondered whether AI could be relied on to find the best candidates. How many great candidates would be overlooked?
To put AI to the test, we carried out an experiment to see how well AI could make a hiring decision.
We provided AI with a job description for a recent search, candidate profiles and interview notes for three shortlisted candidates, and then we asked AI to pick a candidate for the job.
It turned out that AI would have hired an individual who was rejected by the client due to insufficient seniority and experience, raising an important question about whether AI can really be trusted to make business-critical decisions.
The value of executive search is the human touch. The skill of the researcher in carrying out a successful executive search assignment is their ability to listen, understand and communicate.
Managing relationships between clients and candidates while assessing a candidate’s suitability against the client’s requirements is a key aspect of the executive search offering, which can’t be done through emails or simply reviewing a CV.
To achieve great results in talent acquisition it is essential to have not just sound judgment but empathy and emotional intelligence – something AI will never be able to achieve as well as humans.
The way forward is about finding a happy medium between artificial intelligence and human intelligence.
Using technology to speed up otherwise time-consuming tasks such as mapping the talent market by pulling in data at a keystroke can free up researchers to devote more time to making direct contact with candidates.
It may also extend the size of the talent pool in the early stages of the search, with the caveat that there should always be an efficient reviewing process to ensure the data which guides our decisions is reliable.
We also need to be mindful of our clients’ attitude towards AI technology. If hiring managers are comfortable for AI to be used to extend the scope of the search and deliver a quicker outcome, then executive search firms have a responsibility to adapt to this and look at ways to incorporate it into their processes.
But the fact is, our clients and candidates appreciate Ennis & Co’s personalised and empathetic service, and we won’t be changing our business philosophy any time soon.
We don’t deny the power of AI and will continue to explore how it can enhance the way we operate, but there is no substitute for our 15 years’ experience of carrying out executive searches for automotive industry clients.
We will continue doing what our researchers do best – find amazing people for amazing companies.
