Why AI Recruiting Is More Human Than You Think

Executive Summary

AI and recruiting technology are evolving rapidly, and with that evolution comes apprehension. Many worry that automation depersonalizes hiring, creating barriers between candidates and human connection. But what if AI is actually fostering better human connections rather than distancing candidates from hiring managers?

After analyzing thousands of candidate interactions and speaking with talent acquisition leaders across industries, from mental health services to skilled trades, we see how AI is helping fix broken recruiting systems that are frustrating candidates and recruiters alike.

The Uncomfortable Truth About Modern Job Searching

One candidate put it bluntly: "Most of the time I apply expecting never to hear back…I applied to 20 jobs and only heard back from 3. I was impressed with how much the AI recruiter knew about the job. It made my job search so much easier."

Think about that ratio: 85% silence. This is the "human" recruiting process that is often referred to.

Another candidate shared: "I give companies a 30-day shot clock before I mark them as no-reply in my notes." They've literally created a system to track employer ghosting because it's become so normalized.

This is the strain candidates are experiencing in today's recruiting systems: overwhelmed recruiters struggling with volume, applicant tracking systems that function as black holes, and a fundamental mismatch between hiring volume and human capacity.

The Buckshot Problem

Mike Clare, CEO of Mood Health, an online mental health services company, described a phenomenon I'm calling "the buckshot problem":

"It seems like what it means to apply for a job has changed a lot over the last few years... people are kind of doing more of a buckshot approach with applications, clicking around online and submitting applications to a bunch of different companies."

When candidates apply to 50-100 jobs because they know most won't respond, and recruiters receive thousands of applications they can't possibly screen thoroughly, everyone loses.

Candidates feel like numbers. Recruiters feel overwhelmed. And the "human touch" we're supposedly preserving? It's already gone.

What Candidates Actually Want

Candidates aren't asking for less technology. They're asking for a better, more responsive recruiting experience.

"With the AI call, I saved a lot of time. Instead of being redirected to fill out the same info on different websites, I get everything I need upfront. Plus, the quick responses mean I'm not stuck in endless phone interviews."

And this insight: "Talking on the phone is so much easier than web applications. Having to fill out the same information over and over is so annoying; I skip job applications that ask too much information."

Candidates are consistent in what matters to them:

• Immediate engagement (not 30-day silence)

• Respect for their time (not repetitive form-filling)

• Accessibility (interviews that fit their schedules, not just 9-5)

• Transparency (clear information about the role upfront)

• Legitimacy (confirmation they're not being scammed)

In a competitive talent market, speed of response has become a differentiator. As Mike Clare from Mood Health observed:

"If a candidate is applying to 50 or a hundred jobs and gets a text message with the ability to immediately hop on the phone, it's an opportunity for us to stand out from the crowd."

The Weekend Plumber Problem

Leslie Ellis, Director of Recruiting at Sears Home Services, shared a critical issue in blue-collar hiring:

"If a candidate is working all day on an HVAC system, or they're in customers' homes all day, now they can do this interview whenever works for them... Someone can even take this interview at three in the morning, five in the morning, whenever works best for them."

Traditional "human" recruiting actually excludes entire categories of workers, tradespeople, shift workers, and caregivers who can't take calls during business hours.

One candidate celebrated: "I was excited to get a text from Sears right away... I got a call instantly, which was awesome. My email is jammed with job board spam, so I lose track of my applications and miss emails."

The AI solution isn't replacing human connection; it's making it more accessible to people who were previously excluded.

The Consistency Advantage

One unexpected benefit of AI in recruiting: reducing unconscious bias through consistency.

Lindsey from People Science, a recruitment process outsourcing firm, shared how they used AI for internal promotions:

"I am aware of my own bias... I have spent years cultivating and watching them [internal candidates] grow into the great leaders that they are today... this is where Joy is going to shine for me. I'm going to allow the AI to do that first interview so that when it does hit my desk, I have these great notes and a really good understanding of what this outsider perspective would be that I wouldn't be able to get."

A telecommunications client noted: "We couldn't even get a human to function in that way without showing that unconscious bias."

AI doesn't reduce bias because it's perfect; it reduces bias because it's consistent. It asks every candidate the same questions in the same way. It doesn't make assumptions based on names, accents, or backgrounds. It evaluates answers based on content, not delivery style.

Reframing the Human Touch

Here's where we need to fundamentally reframe the conversation: AI recruiting isn't about removing humans from hiring. It's about empowering hiring teams and automating the parts of hiring that humans are inefficient at.

Mike Clare from Mood Health explained their philosophy:

"The things that humans are really good at are emotional connection and having depth of understanding. And then there are the things that humans don't really want to do: answer super basic questions about a job... Most people don't like doing it, and there's a lot of room for error."

Leslie Ellis from Sears echoed this: "Prior to us implementing Joy, we were doing a written assessment... the frustration component for our candidates was so high that we wouldn't see a completion rate being very high. Our completion rate with joy has gone up significantly because someone's not feeling like, oh, I have to type through all this stuff."

The result? Recruiters spend less time on administrative screening and more time on meaningful conversations with qualified candidates.

As Mike noted: "We've now got our phone screens and our video interviews down from being 30 to 45 minutes to 15 to 20 minutes... we're able to utilize our time with the candidates much more efficiently."

The Real Question

The question isn't whether AI belongs in recruiting, it's already here.

The real question is: Will we use it to amplify the worst parts (ghosting, bias, inefficiency) or the best parts (responsiveness, fairness, connection)?

One candidate summed it up: "Even if it's a bot, it's nice to have someone reach out quickly."

That's the bar we've set: candidates are grateful when a bot responds because at least it's something. We can do better. AI is helping us get there and not by replacing recruiters, but by freeing them to build genuine connections with qualified candidates.

Moving Forward

Improving the candidate experience won't come from rejecting technology, it will come from deploying it thoughtfully to create faster responses, fairer evaluations, and more time for meaningful human interactions.

As Leslie Ellis noted about her team's response to AI: "AI is not going to replace us. It's going to replace those who don't embrace it."

After thousands of candidate interviews using Classet's AI, we've seen a 99% acceptance rate. This tells us that candidates are comfortable whether their first interaction is with a human or AI. What matters to them is receiving a response quickly, being treated fairly, having their time respected, and getting a real shot at the opportunity.

That's not a technology problem. That's a human problem. And right now, AI is helping us solve it.

About the Author:

Gino Rooney is CEO and Co-Founder of Classet, an AI-powered recruiting platform focused on improving both recruiter efficiency and candidate experience. Before Classet, Gino spent over a decade in talent acquisition, experiencing firsthand the challenges facing both recruiters and job seekers.