The Robot and the Handshake: Finding Balance in Modern Recruiting
Everyone’s obsessed with automating recruitment these days. AI this, machine learning that. The inbox is full of pitches for tools promising to revolutionize how we hire. It’s like we’re all kids in a candy store, drawn to the shiniest wrapper.
But here’s the thing about recruiting that nobody wants to talk about: it’s still fundamentally human. Always has been, always will be.
Think about cooking. You can have all the fancy gadgets in the world, but if you don’t understand heat, seasoning, and timing, you’re just making expensive mistakes faster. That’s recruiting in 2023.
The most successful recruiters I see are taking what I call the “manual transmission approach.” Sure, automatic is easier, but manual drivers understand what’s actually happening under the hood. They’re using old-school fundamentals - direct calls, genuine relationships, consistent metrics - while strategically deploying new-school tools.
The numbers tell the story. A full-desk recruiter needs 9.8 handoffs and 3 client presentations per week. A pure recruiter needs 15 candidate submissions. These aren’t “AI-dependent” metrics - they’re human-contact metrics. The tools should help you hit these numbers, not replace the activity that generates them.
This balance becomes even more critical as companies scale. I see it play out in distinct stages:
- 0-1M: The “Spaghetti” phase - throwing everything at the wall
- 1-2M: “Spaghetti and Meatballs” - adding substance to the chaos
- 2-3M: Building the restaurant
- 3-5M: Creating the franchise model
Each stage requires more sophistication, but never at the expense of the fundamental recipe.
During downturns, this hybrid approach becomes your lifeline. The firms that thrive aren’t the ones with the most tools - they’re the ones that maintain human connections while using technology to expand their reach. They’re fishing where the fish are, but they’re using both net and pole.
The path forward isn’t about choosing between old and new - it’s about being bilingual in both languages. Learn from your top billers. Study their metrics. But don’t just copy their tech stack - understand their thinking process.
Remember: Tools should amplify your expertise, not replace it. In a world obsessed with automation, the human touch isn’t just a differentiator - it’s your superpower.
Just make sure you’re using it while your robots are running.