Today’s blog is based on my recent discussion with Simon Bliss, Chairman at TEAM (UK). You can access the recording of our delightful debate about AI in Recruitment here.

✨ TL;DR – What Recruiters Need to Know Right Now

✅ AI is transforming recruitment workflows unevenly. Some teams are ignoring it, others are already building agents.
✅ Start by automating admin-heavy tasks like sourcing, longlisting and candidate messaging.
✅ No one “best LLM” exists. Pick based on your use case. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Grok are current favourites.
✅ Smaller agencies have a real advantage with fewer hoops and more freedom to experiment.
✅ “Up your human” is your edge. Build community and be more visible to win more business in this industry.
➡️ AI in recruitment is now essential. It separates standout recruiters from those left behind.

📊 Key Facts at a Glance

✅ What Should Recruiters Focus on Right Now?

Recruiters should focus on using AI in recruitment to eliminate repetitive admin tasks. I challenge you to find me one Recruiter who went into Recruitment because they love admin! I bet you you will not find a single one! 🤣😂

Recruiter admin includes tasks like sourcing talent, job ad writing and initial outreach. IMHO, the future recruiter will use AI to multiply productivity while doubling down on human connection, personal branding and niche community engagement.

🎤 The Full Conversation: AI in Recruitment, Unpacked

How Is AI Changing the Day-to-Day for Recruiters?

Simon Bliss: Vanessa, how has AI changed the recruiter’s day-to-day reality?

Vanessa Raath: We’re seeing both extremes. Some recruiters still don’t touch AI. They email me saying, “We’ve heard about ChatGPT but don’t know how to use it.” Meanwhile, teams I’ve consulted with in Australia are already building spaces in Perplexity. The key is that AI has improved massively. If you had a bad experience with it six months ago, try again. And what you get depends entirely on how you use it.

What Should Be Automated and What Must Stay Human?

Simon: Many recruiters worry that AI will replace their role. What should be automated and what must stay human?

Vanessa: Let’s be real. No one got into recruitment because they love admin. Admin-heavy tasks like note-taking, writing job specs or cleaning CRMs should absolutely be automated. That frees up recruiters to do what we’re great at, building relationships with their connections.

Hung Lee did a poll in Recruiting Brainfood recently, and the top task people think AI will take over first was talent sourcing. That makes sense. Personally, I am proper old school, and I still use Boolean and X-ray searches, but AI can get you 80% of the way there these days.

“The real question is, what will you do with the time AI gives you back? Coffee dates? Hosting events? Building your personal brand? That’s the win.” ☕

The Mindset Shift for AI in Recruitment

Simon: So what’s the mindset shift recruiters need?

Vanessa: I call it passionate curiosity. Don’t bury your head in the sand. Try new tools. Break them. Explore. I use the University of YouTube all the time to learn. And if you’re in a smaller agency, you’ve got the freedom. No red tape. Use it.

Overwhelm is normal. After returning from big AI conferences abroad, I often sit with a list of over 40 tools I still need to try. Take it one bite at a time. Like the proverb says, “How do you eat an elephant? In bite-sized pieces.”

Vanessa’s Go-To Tools for AI in Recruitment

Simon: What are your favourite tools and when do you use them?

Vanessa: It depends on the task. Here’s my current stack:

💬 ChatGPT (OpenAI) – My daily go-to. I’ve trained GPTs to sound like me.
🔍 Perplexity – Brilliant for fact-based research and source-linked answers.
✍🏼 Claude – Great for creative content like blogs or newsletters.
🖼️ Gemini (via Nano Banana) – Best for image generation, hands down.
🧠 Grok – Fantastic for sourcing with very few restrictions.

“There is no best tool. There’s only the best tool for the job at hand.” 🎯

Can Small Teams Win with AI in Recruitment?

Simon: Can small recruitment businesses actually build AI into their workflows?

Vanessa: Absolutely. In fact, you’re better positioned than big corporations and enterprise businesses. You don’t need five approvals, a wee sample and a 60% quorum to try a tool in a smaller business.

My advice for Newbies is to pick one new LLM. I recommend OpenAI’s ChatGPT – the paid-for version, but the $20 USD option, not the $200 USD option! Train it to sound like you. Use it to write job specs, outreach messages or interview questions and see how much value it adds to your recruitment processes.

Want to go further? Tools like n8n and OpenAI Agent Mode let you build mini assistants. Start simple and build your confidence bit by bit.

Are AI-Written CVs a Problem?

Simon: But aren’t AI-written CVs becoming a big issue?

Vanessa: Sure. But let’s be honest. People have outsourced their CV writing to CV writing professionals for years now. AI just speeds this process up.

What’s new is tools like Handshake that apply for jobs automatically – while the candidates are sleeping! Recruiters wake up to 1,500 applications for a job they posted last night.

That’s where AI in recruitment becomes crucial on the backend. I recommend tools like RecruitmentX to filter and prioritise candidates. It’s AI versus AI now.

Finding Hidden Talent with AI in Recruitment

Simon: Any tips for finding hidden talent pools using AI?

Vanessa: AI doesn’t invent new humans. But it can help you rediscover gold in your own ATS or CRM.

Many agencies forget the data they already have. With AI search layers and enrichment tools, you can turn old databases into talent pools. A great tool that I recommend for this is StaffRocket, which is excellent for making sense of your existing CRM.

If you’re hiring in a niche like machine learning, check out communities like Hugging Face. But that’s not AI magic. That’s sourcing smarts.

Future-Proofing Your Career with AI

Simon: What should recruiters do today to future-proof their careers?

Vanessa: Focus on your online visibility and community building.

In a world where everyone has AI, who sends the message matters most. Candidates will check your profile, your content and your reputation before they even consider responding to you.

“Up your human. Be visible. Be helpful. Be real. That’s what builds trust and long-term success.” 💪🏼

Supporting Teams with AI in Recruitment

Simon: And what about business leaders? How can they support their teams?

Vanessa: Invest in training for yourself and your teams. Especially in prompt writing, aka prompt engineering. A lot of recruiters are using AI, but using it badly, and this will ultimately reflect badly on the business that they represent.

One person emailed me with feedback that looked like it came from ChatGPT. Their boss was shocked when I pointed this out to them. They had no idea that people in their team, under their noses, were already using GPTs to answer their emails.

Teams need safe spaces to experiment and learn. Prompt mastery saves hours of editing. However, it’s not a luxury; it’s a necessity in 2025 and beyond.

Looking Ahead: The Ideal Recruiter in 2028

Simon: Looking ahead three years, what will the ideal recruiter look like?

Vanessa: I believe that there will be fewer recruiters, but better ones. They will be way more efficient as AI does the tasks for them, and they will have time to be more human than we have time for now.

CV screening and job matching will be automated. What’s left will be people-focused tasks like community building, thought leadership and personal brand building.

“Be the recruiter that internal teams call because you know the space and the people. That’s your differentiator.” 🌍

🙋‍♀️ FAQs: AI in Recruitment

Q: What’s the best AI tool for Recruitment?
A: This is the wrong question, as it all depends on what you are trying to achieve. There are loads of great tools listed here, but it depends on what you are trying to achieve with AI.

Q: I feel overwhelmed. Where do I start?
A: Pick one use case, like writing outreach messages. Nail that with an AI solution, then move on.

Q: Can AI screen CVs for me?
A: Yes. Tools like RecruitmentX rank candidates based on the criteria you set. Other tools can do this too, but this one is my fave.

Q: Is Grok safe for sourcing data?
A: Grok is powerful, but it’s also looser on data privacy. Use it mindfully, especially for EU roles.

Q: How do I train a custom GPT?
A: Upload past messages, give it proper instructions, and test outputs until it mirrors your tone.

Q: Will AI replace recruiters?
A: It’ll replace tasks, not all people. Connection and trust still matter most.

👤 Author Box

Who is Vanessa Raath?
Talent Sourcing Trainer | AI Strategist & Consultant | Keynote Speaker
🌍 www.vanessaraath.com

Vanessa Raath is a globally recognised powerhouse in Talent Sourcing and AI. She’s known for her game-changing training and dynamic keynotes delivered across five continents. Since launching her business in 2019, she’s helped teams from Auckland to Seattle find hidden talent and build standout personal brands. Passionate about practical, no-BS recruitment, Vanessa’s mission is to future-proof the profession, one recruiter at a time.

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