Global Executive Recruitment: Ditch the AI – We Need to Talk
Hiring organizations take note: top executive candidates are likely to ignore or reject an unsolicited approach from an eager suitor. If it comes from a bot, they definitely will. But once a hiring process is underway, senior executives will likely deploy an AI to prepare. Nonethless, they harbor serious doubts about what an AI does with their views and data.
The New York Times recently reported a staggering statistic: LinkedIn is now processing 11,000 job applications a minute. Per hour, that’s more than the population of Boston. And it’s no secret that many candidates use generative AI in hiring: not only to write their CVs, but to seek and find jobs and help with interviews.
As a low volume, high curation business, executive search is a very different landscape. But that doesn’t mean that senior leadership hiring and board-level recruitment are AI-free zones.
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Am I really off the record?
Top candidates are constantly bombarded by eager suitors. And those approaches are increasingly AI-generated. Sought-after leaders are doubling down on their visibility and won’t dialogue with a robot, Amrop Partners warn. They may even use AI to screen incoming opportunities, says Job Voorhoeve, leader of Amrop’s Global Digital Practice. “Talk to my agent to check if this is an interesting opportunity for me.”
The live interview is the ultimate executive search instrument. Here, the AI is an assistant: transcribing, translating, and summarizing. Amrop’s protocols prioritize security, requesting a candidate’s permission before activating the bot. “If they say, I prefer not, you turn the AI off on the spot,” says Amrop Global Programs Director Costa Tzavaras. Most – especially younger - candidates agree to AI use. Others harbor doubts about their interview data. “Who knows if my voice or view will pop up in a prompt on the other side of the world? Even with layers of data protection and enterprise-level licensing agreements, humans still somehow mistrust an invisible system.”
Recording and transcripting interviews is hardly new. And, from Google to Instagram, online platforms have been harvesting our data for years. Why does an AI bother people? “It feels slightly darker,” says Costa Tzavaras. “It’s a layman's understanding of where the data goes.” Job Voorhoeve also understands the misgivings, especially at the early approach stage. “What if it leaks out to my employer, or you get hacked? What’s more, you're headhunting me. I haven't agreed I'm even interested, so I don't want you recording my answers verbatim.”
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I Am Not a Robot: AI and Leadership Hiring
Part I - Mapping A Shifting Landscape
Who is hiding under the desk?
Candidates are deploying AIs to research a potential new employer or refine their presentation. They are welcome to do so, say the Amrop Partners. “It isn’t wrong to use a generative text tool to help you get started, fix your sentence structure,” says Costa Tzavaras. Job Voorhoeve trusts human nature. “Humble, good people don’t exaggerate.” Just to be sure: “They know I’ll ask for examples of how they created a successful organization.” Competency-based interviewing ultimately reveals an executive’s essence. “It’s all about proof checking, which we're doing anyway. So I'm less concerned.”
A candidate facing a tough interview may ask an AI to provide a questionnaire about the role, says Global Board Member Mikael Norr, then input the questions back into the machine and hoover up the answers. “No human being has touched the process. That’s probably useful in certain recruitments, but not in the arena we play in.” Once in the interview, less ethical people may quietly deploy an AI to answer questions, warns Jamal Khan, Managing Partner of Amrop in Australia. Still, the proof of the pudding lies in the eating. “You soon get found out in the job.” Costa Tzavaras concludes: “If it's on a screen, consider it AI, and move as quickly as possible to in-person interventions.”
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Read our full report: I Am Not A Robot - Part I: Mapping a Shifting Landscape.