Harmony

The future of recruiting requires you to pivot. 

Over the last several months, we've been talking about a profound shift in talent acquisition—the rise of AI and how it's transforming the role of recruiters. As AI takes over more of the day-to-day tasks recruiters have traditionally handled, hiring teams are facing a new challenge: how to bring uniquely human value to the future of TA. This is where the recommendation for recruiters to conduct themselves more like employer brand builders comes in.

Recruiters who embrace this change will not only survive but also thrive. By pivoting into a more strategic mindset, they'll contribute meaningfully to their organizations in ways that work in harmony with AI rather than competing with it. The important thing is to recognize the inevitability of change and be prepared to act now rather than watch these changes happen from the sidelines.

So, what’s the roadmap? What does reskilling look like, especially for those who might feel uncertain about how to even begin? Let’s break it down with a simple but effective two-step Personal Development Plan (PDP) focused on becoming a more strategic player in the future hiring team.

Step 1: Perform a Brutally Honest Skills Assessment

Get real about where you excel and where you need to grow. The goal here isn’t to make yourself feel better—it’s to get ahead in a world where AI is taking over the tasks you used to own. A few example prompts:

1. Relationship Building & Networking

• Question: Can I create and sustain genuine, long-term relationships with candidates, hiring managers, and colleagues that go beyond transactions?
• Be Honest: Am I someone who can pick up the phone, build rapport, and maintain ongoing connections, or do I rely too heavily on email or automated tools?
• Score (1-5): ___
• Next Step: Identify one area where you can build deeper, more human connections in your recruiting process (e.g., more face-to-face or virtual coffee chats).

2. Storytelling & Brand Communication

• Question: Can I tell a compelling story about my company’s culture and values that genuinely resonate with candidates?
• Be Honest: Do I rely on generic job descriptions, or do I infuse my communication with real stories, emotions, and unique insights about why someone would want to work here?
• Score (1-5): ___
• Next Step: If your storytelling needs work, seek out content marketing resources to buff up that skill.

3. Cultural Fit Assessment

• Question: Can I accurately assess whether a candidate is a good cultural fit for the team and company beyond their skills and resume?
• Be Honest: Am I asking the right questions to uncover whether a candidate aligns with company values or the vibe of the team they will join or do I mostly focus on technical qualifications?
• Score (1-5): ___
• Next Step: Add behavioral or culture-focused questions to your interview process. Talk to your team about what qualities make someone succeed at your company.

And, don’t stop there. Get a trusted colleague or mentor to assess you, too. Sometimes we’re blind to our own strengths (and weaknesses). They’ll help you spot the areas where you really shine—and where you might be falling short.

Step 2: Define Your Learning Objectives & Path to Reach Them

Once you've taken a brutally honest look at where you stand, it's time to outline learning objectives that align with where the industry is headed—one where AI takes care of the repetitive, data-driven tasks, and your role becomes more human, creative, and strategic. Think of these objectives as your roadmap for pivoting from being an executor to a strategist. Be sure to assign a loose time constraint to each as well as a learning path for each.

Your goal is to work in harmony with AI by elevating the parts of your job that are uniquely human: employer branding, storytelling, relationship-building, and strategic thinking.

Here’s a simplified example using three objectives:

1. Learn to Leverage AI (Complete in month 1):

Objective: Learn how to use AI tools to automate recruitment tasks, allowing more time to build your more strategic, human-centric skills.

Learning Path:

• Get hands-on experience with AI tools built for hiring to automate parts of your current workflow, or other agnostic tools that can augment your work.
• Set a goal of automating at least two repetitive tasks in the next three months, freeing up 20% of your time for higher-impact projects.
• Follow industry case studies on AI adoption in recruiting to identify best practices.

2. Practice Employer Branding (Complete by month 3)

Objective: Become proficient in employer branding, understanding how to craft and communicate a compelling narrative that attracts top talent and differentiates your company in a crowded marketplace. Learning Path:

• Enroll in a course on content marketing or storytelling.
• Set a short-term goal of writing and refining your company’s employer story and messaging.

3. Build Strategic Thinking Skills (Complete by month 6)

Objective: Develop the ability to align talent acquisition with business goals, helping leadership plan for the future by integrating long-term talent strategy with company growth.

Learning Path:

• Read a book on customer-focused business and marketing strategy, such as The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life.
• Audit your company’s hiring strategy and the candidate experience—from processes and tools to roles and goals—and attempt to uncover opportunities for improvement.
• By the end of six months, create a presentation to pitch your recommendations and the strategic logic behind them.

Step 3: Get Going

Whether you follow these steps or create your own plan, I strongly recommend you start formalizing it—even in the most basic of ways.

What else is happening in hiring?

• Chipotle Using AI to Screen Candidates
• Recruiting Workers with Disabilities for Business Success
• Wall Street Recruiting Hell

Dan’s Corner

If you’re working on reskilling and evolving, you’re not alone. It’s all about adapting, and we’ve got two great resources to help you along the way. 

First, we just released a new episode of our speakEZ series featuring Celinda Appleby, Director of Talent Attraction at Visa. She shares how talent attraction has transformed and highlights how hireEZ is helping recruiters take on more strategic, brand-focused roles. It’s a perfect example of why building skills in areas like employer branding is crucial for staying ahead in the industry. Watch it here! 

And, this Friday, we’re hosting a webinar on multigenerational recruiting. With panelists spanning from their 70s to their 20s, we’ll be exploring how recruiting has evolved over the decades. Sign up here! 

So, as you map out your own development plan, remember: staying curious, learning from experts, and connecting across generations are all key steps in keeping your momentum going.