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Humanizing AI in Hiring · The Science of Leading

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  Hey everyone-welcome back to The Science of Leading.
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  I'm Claire Monroe, and yep, Edwin Carrington's here too-our resident
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  voice of reason.
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  Edwin, today we're talking about something that's...
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  honestly kind of exciting but also kinda nerve-wracking for a lot of
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  hiring managers: AI in hiring.
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  Good to be here,
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  Claire.
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  And you're right-there's a lot of energy around it,
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  but also a lot of unease.
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  I keep hearing this quiet fear: "If we bring AI into hiring...
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  are we losing something human in the process?" That word comes up a
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  lot-dehumanization.
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  Totally.
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  And it's not just paranoia.
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  I saw a stat recently-something like 40% of HR leaders say they don't
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  even really get how AI works.
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  And the ones who do understand it?
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  They're still worried.
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  Like-what if the system filters out the good candidates just because
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  they don't check the "right" boxes on paper?
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  Suddenly it's like... humans become data points.
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  And unfortunately,
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  that's not an imaginary risk.
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  Machines can process faster than any of us.
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  AI tools can auto-screen resumes,
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  schedule interviews, even score responses.
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  But I remember this case-early 2000s maybe-a big firm rolled out an algorithm
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  to predict "culture fit." One incredible candidate with a really non-traditional
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  background got flagged as a mismatch and dropped.
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  But the hiring manager actually stepped in,
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  reviewed it personally-and guess what?
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  That person ended up being one of the best hires they made that year.
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  That
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  gives me chills.
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  It's like... AI almost blocked someone who should have made it through.
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  And it reminds me of what platforms like CodeSignal are doing now-where
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  they use AI to test people on the actual work,
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  not just surface stuff like keywords or formatting.
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  But even then, it's not just about the scores.
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  Someone still needs to interpret the results,
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  adjust for context, catch the edge cases.
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  Exactly.
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  AI works best as a partner-not a gatekeeper.
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  Let it filter, sort, highlight-but don't let it decide alone.
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  If your algorithm is trained on flawed or outdated data,
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  you're just scaling old bias.
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  The real value is when AI does the heavy lifting,
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  and humans still shape the final call with critical thinking.
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  That's the
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  part a lot of people skip.
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  They think: "Cool, the machine will find me the top three." But the top
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  three based on what?
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  Because honestly, efficiency is great-but if you miss the person behind
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  the data, what's the point?
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  Exactly.
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  You want fast?
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  Use AI.
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  You want trust, alignment, culture fit-that still takes people.
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  The best HR leaders I've seen all do one thing: they automate the admin,
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  and protect the relationship.
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  Screening, scheduling, email templates?
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  Sure, give it to tech.
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  But the moment someone hits the shortlist?
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  That's when a human steps in.
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  And even a tiny human moment goes so far.
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  I saw this company where recruiters sent quick video messages-just 20
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  seconds-thanking candidates personally.
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  Or offered virtual coffee chats with the team.
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  Some even gave thoughtful feedback to people they didn't hire.
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  Like-how rare is that?
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  But man, it makes people feel seen.
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  It does.
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  I worked with a company that mapped the whole candidate journey and built
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  in these "human checkpoints." Even though most of the logistics were automated,
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  they always had a person jump in at key points-welcome calls,
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  real-time updates, short feedback huddles.
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  Their candidate ratings?
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  Off the charts.
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  And meanwhile, you still hear candidates say the same
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  thing: "I felt like a number." That black-hole vibe-send your application
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  in, never hear back, just...
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  vanish into the system.
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  So if we're serious about fixing that,
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  Edwin-where do we start inserting those human touchpoints?
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  Start by anchoring
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  them at the most emotional moments.
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  First outreach-make it real.
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  After an assessment-share thoughts,
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  not just scores.
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  Before an offer-bring in the team.
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  Even if AI sets the rhythm, the melody has to be human.
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  And when you invite someone to a conversation,
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  that invite should come from someone who means it.
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  Ugh,
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  yes.
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  One panel I listened to had this great line: "Technology should scale
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  intention, not just output." So like-use the data,
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  but still show candidates they're more than a set of metrics.
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  Mention their project.
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  Reference something unique.
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  Even offer up resources-like interview prep or skill tips-before they
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  ask.
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  It's those thoughtful signals that shift perception.
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  You're not just a company using tech-you're a company that cares.
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  And when you use AI the right way,
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  it's not just about faster hiring.
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  It's about better hiring.
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  Smarter, fairer, more intentional.
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  Okay,
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  let's zoom out.
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  If we've automated the boring stuff,
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  and we've protected the human stuff... what's the next level?
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  Like-how do leaders use AI strategically,
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  beyond just saving time?
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  Think of AI as an early-warning system for your
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  hiring process.
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  It can highlight where people are dropping off,
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  where bottlenecks are forming,
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  even where certain criteria might be unintentionally weeding out diverse
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  talent.
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  Some companies are using it to forecast talent needs based on upcoming
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  market shifts.
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  One study from McKinsey showed firms using AI like this boosted their
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  hiring efficiency by 80%.
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  That's not just time-they gained agility.
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  Wow.
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  And yeah-I've seen recruiters using AI to surface candidates from totally
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  different industries or backgrounds.
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  People they never would've considered with a manual search.
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  But that means the recruiter's job is changing too,
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  right?
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  They're not just pushing paper anymore.
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  They're... kind of like brand ambassadors now.
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  Exactly.
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  They're representing culture.
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  Values.
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  Purpose.
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  I worked with a team where AI ranked one candidate highest-but the recruiter
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  noticed a few small things in conversation,
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  emotional cues, alignment with the team vibe-and advocated for someone
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  else.
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  That person ended up thriving in the role.
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  So, yes-trust the data.
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  But listen for the story between the lines.
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  That's the magic,
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  right?
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  AI gives you the map-but humans decide the journey.
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  And when you get it right?
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  You don't just hire faster-you hire better.
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  Beautifully said.
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  And if anyone listening is wondering,
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  "Okay-but how do we do this?"-you can test OAD's behavioral tools for
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  free at O-A-D dot A-I.
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  It's a great way to build smarter hiring processes and protect the human
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  element.
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  Definitely worth a look.
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  And thanks again for all your wisdom,
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  Edwin.
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  I always leave these chats with like...
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  five new ideas and a better mood.
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  Likewise,
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  Claire.
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  And thanks to everyone listening-we'll see you next time on The Science
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  of Leading.
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  Bye everyone-take care!