For the previous 4 years, I’ve been constructing AI-powered instruments that assist recruiters do their job higher. Earlier than that, I used to be a recruiter myself — studying resumes, making calls, residing the grind. And right here’s one factor I’ve discovered from straddling each worlds: In hiring, automating the incorrect factor can quietly erode all the pieces that makes your course of work.
As engineering leaders, we’re continuously informed to streamline and optimize. Transfer quick. However if you happen to automate the incorrect step — like how candidates are filtered, scored, or messaged — you is likely to be changing good human judgment with inflexible shortcuts. And infrequently, you gained’t discover the injury till weeks later, when engagement plummets or groups cease trusting your system.
The Attract of Automation
Hiring is messy. Resumes are available all shapes. Job descriptions are obscure. Recruiters are overworked. AI looks like a godsend. We begin by automating outreach. Then scoring. Then matching. Ultimately, somebody asks: can this complete factor run with out a particular person?
However right here’s the rub: many hiring selections are deeply contextual. Ought to a product supervisor with a non-traditional background be fast-tracked for a high-growth SaaS function? That’s not a “sure/no” the system can determine for you.
Early on at Rocket, we made that mistake. Our scoring engine prioritized resumes primarily based solely on abilities overlap. It was quick — however fully off for roles that required nuance. We needed to pause, rethink, and admit: “This isn’t working like we hoped.”
What Agentic Methods Do Effectively
I’m not anti-automation. Removed from it. Nevertheless it needs to be paired with human evaluate.
We discovered that agentic techniques — AI instruments with autonomy to help however not determine — have been far simpler. Assume copilots, not autopilots.
For instance, our system can:
-
Recommend higher phrasing for job descriptions
-
Flag resumes that match roles 80% or extra
-
Advocate outreach templates primarily based on function and tone
Nevertheless it by no means auto-rejects or sends messages with out evaluate. The AI suggests; the recruiter decides. That stability makes all of the distinction.
Classes Discovered: The place Automation Fails
Considered one of our largest missteps? Automating outreach too closely. We thought sending customized AI-written emails at scale would enhance response charges. It didn’t. Candidates sensed one thing off. The emails seemed polished however felt chilly. Engagement dropped.
We finally went again to having people rewrite the AI drafts. That one shift almost doubled our constructive response charge. Why? As a result of candidates wish to really feel seen — not sorted.
A CIO’s Guidelines: What Not to Automate
If you happen to’re main an AI initiative in hiring, right here’s a guidelines we now swear by:
-
Don’t automate selections that impression belief. Rejections, scores, hiring calls? Maintain a human within the loop.
-
Keep away from automating duties with excessive context wants. A terrific candidate may not use stylish buzzwords. That doesn’t make them a nasty match.
-
Watch out with candidate-facing automation. Generic outreach harms model notion.
-
Do automate the repetitive stuff. Parsing, assembly scheduling, draft — automate these and provides time again to your workforce.
Human-AI Collaboration Wins
We noticed the most effective outcomes when recruiters felt like they’d an assistant — not a competitor.
Right here’s one fast story: A recruiter used our AI to shortlist 10 profiles for a hard-to-fill GTM analyst function. She reviewed 5, adjusted the messaging tone barely, and received two responses in underneath a day. Similar instruments — completely different mindset.
Suggestions loops mattered too. We inbuilt methods for customers to charge solutions. The mannequin saved bettering — and extra importantly, individuals trusted it extra.
Last Thought: Assume Like a System Designer
If you happen to’re constructing AI into your hiring stack, transcend automation. Assume augmentation.
Don’t simply ask, “Can this job be automated?” As an alternative, ask, “If I automate this, what will we lose in context, empathy, or nuance?”
Agentic hiring techniques can ship velocity and scale — however provided that we let individuals keep accountable for what issues most.