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AI Finds C-Suite Candidates Faster, Recruiters Say
Executive recruiters say AI cuts candidate identification time by as much as half, but closing the deal still requires human judgment, persuasion, and trust.
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AI is cutting the time it takes to identify candidates for executive-level jobs, sometimes by as much as half. The parts of the process that rely on human judgment, persuasion, and trust are not speeding up, recruiters said.
"The identification of candidates is going to become commoditized," said Marty Parker, CEO of Waterstone Human Capital, an executive search and culture advisory firm.
Other parts of the process remain slow because they depend on people. Coordinating and conducting interviews with busy candidates, exercising judgment, building consensus, and persuading an executive to make a move all take time.
"All of those things are irreducibly human," said Umesh Ramakrishnan, chief strategy officer of Kingsley Gate, an executive search firm. Now, he added, AI "takes care of everything else."
Waterstone saw AI's potential during a search for an executive to oversee a jewelry company's high-tech manufacturing operation. The firm had focused on recruiting from other jewelry businesses when its proprietary AI tool suggested looking at the dental tech industry, where similar precision machinery is used to make veneers and crowns.
"Who would consider dental manufacturing with jewelers?" Parker said. "You just wouldn't. It's not obvious."
Search firms are also using AI to mine years of interview notes to identify prospective candidates. Matthew Siegel, a principal at Korn Ferry, said a consultant might recall being impressed by someone at a particular company. The name or what stood out might be lost. AI can retrieve the likely match and the earlier observations behind that impression, he said.
"It's just a terrific example of AI as a force multiplier, just making us more effective," Siegel said.
Beyond research, AI helps automate the administrative work surrounding a search. Nathan Clauss, CEO and managing partner of tech-focused search firm Talent SDK, said recruiters are building their own AI tools that integrate with internal messaging and applicant-tracking systems. They organize information across platforms and eliminate manual steps. AI can read candidate emails and note why someone is or isn't interested in a role.