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 realized from straddling each worlds: In hiring, automating the fallacious factor can quietly erode every little thing that makes your course of work.
As engineering leaders, we’re continually advised to streamline and optimize. Transfer quick. However when you automate the fallacious step — like how candidates are filtered, scored, or messaged — you is likely to be changing good human judgment with inflexible shortcuts. And sometimes, you gained’t discover the harm till weeks later, when engagement plummets or groups cease trusting your system.
The Attract of Automation
Hiring is messy. Resumes are available in all shapes. Job descriptions are obscure. Recruiters are overworked. AI looks as if a godsend. We begin by automating outreach. Then scoring. Then matching. Finally, somebody asks: can this entire 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 position? 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 based mostly solely on expertise overlap. It was quick — however utterly off for roles that required nuance. We needed to pause, rethink, and admit: “This isn’t working like we hoped.”
What Agentic Methods Do Nicely
I’m not anti-automation. Removed from it. However it must be paired with human evaluation.
We discovered that agentic techniques — AI instruments with autonomy to help however not determine — have been far simpler. Suppose 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 based mostly on position and tone
However it by no means auto-rejects or sends messages with out evaluation. The AI suggests; the recruiter decides. That steadiness makes all of the distinction.
Classes Realized: The place Automation Fails
One among our greatest 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 regarded polished however felt chilly. Engagement dropped.
We finally went again to having people rewrite the AI drafts. That one shift practically doubled our optimistic response price. Why? As a result of candidates need to really feel seen — not sorted.
A CIO’s Guidelines: What Not to Automate
In case you’re main an AI initiative in hiring, right here’s a guidelines we now swear by:
-
Don’t automate selections that affect belief. Rejections, scores, hiring calls? Preserve a human within the loop.
-
Keep away from automating duties with excessive context wants. An ideal candidate may not use stylish buzzwords. That doesn’t make them a foul 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 very best 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 position. She reviewed 5, adjusted the messaging tone barely, and acquired two responses in below a day. Identical instruments — totally different mindset.
Suggestions loops mattered too. We inbuilt methods for customers to price strategies. The mannequin saved enhancing — and extra importantly, individuals trusted it extra.
Closing Thought: Suppose Like a System Designer
In case you’re constructing AI into your hiring stack, transcend automation. Suppose augmentation.
Don’t simply ask, “Can this process be automated?” As a substitute, ask, “If I automate this, what will we lose in context, empathy, or nuance?”
Agentic hiring techniques can ship pace and scale — however provided that we let individuals keep in charge of what issues most.
