How talent acquisition can use AI to become more human

Artificial intelligence is now at the heart of every conversation, both inside and outside organizations. Among HR disciplines, Talent Acquisition is arguably the one experiencing its impact most directly: AI agents are already automating sourcing, pre-screening and interview scheduling, to the point that 63%* of candidates have already gone through a hiring process in which AI played a role, compared with just 50% six months earlier.

A significant and growing share of recruitment’s transactional work is shifting to machines. The natural reaction would be to invest in even more automation and reduce Talent Acquisition headcount accordingly. At Akoya, however, we believe there are compelling opportunities to reinvest this newly available time into deeply human activities, some of which have been neglected despite being essential to ensuring the right talent is in the right place at the right time. In this article, we explore several “human touchpoints” where greater human involvement can make a decisive difference.

Partnering more effectively with the business to identify needs and deliver the right solution

The time unlocked by AI can first be reinvested upstream, through much deeper collaboration with business leaders and hiring managers. Misalignment between recruiters and managers on role requirements makes organizations 41%** more likely to change their expectations during the search process, resulting in a 38% increase in hiring timelines. This creates an opportunity to spend considerably more time helping managers define their actual needs, separating what is truly critical from what is merely desirable.

Once those needs have been clearly articulated, Talent Acquisition teams can play a stronger role in translating them into skills that can be sourced in the market. Managers are usually very effective at describing what they need, but far less effective at expressing those needs in terms of specific, measurable and assessable capabilities.

There is also a third dimension, one that is too often overlooked: determining which talent lever should be activated to address the need, rather than automatically defaulting to permanent external hiring. A shorter-term contract, targeted outsourcing, or internal mobility may, in many situations, provide a faster and more effective solution. By developing a deep understanding of business needs, challenging assumptions against market realities, and identifying the right talent through the right employment model, Talent Acquisition teams can significantly strengthen both their impact and their credibility with the business.

Strengthening human connection to maximize offer acceptance

In marketing, the concept of “moments of truth” has long been recognized: decisive interactions that ultimately determine whether a customer chooses to buy. Recruitment follows the same logic. A candidate’s final decision often comes down to a handful of critical moments that determine whether they will accept an organization’s offer.

These moments of truth are always rooted in authentic human interaction: the first conversation, where candidates form their perception of the company far beyond the job description; the interview with their future manager, where genuine compatibility is assessed; and, often the most decisive moment of all, when a candidate is weighing competing offers.

Consider that last scenario. It is not another automated email, nor a chatbot answering administrative questions, that will influence the final decision. What makes the difference is a genuine human conversation in which someone from the company takes the time to understand the candidate’s concerns, answer questions honestly, and provide a realistic picture of what life inside the organization will actually look like.

Yet this is precisely the moment that is most often rushed today: a five-minute call squeezed between two meetings, a generic email sent without personalization, an important question left unanswered simply because there was not enough time.

Most of the time, the issue is not a lack of commitment. It is a lack of time. And time is exactly what AI can give back to Talent Acquisition teams: the ability to create the conditions for every stakeholder involved in hiring to be genuinely available during these pivotal moments, rather than treating them as just another administrative step in the process.

Looking beyond recruitment itself

If the mission of Talent Acquisition is to ensure that the organization has the best talent in the right place at the right time, then that mission cannot end once the employment contract is signed, as our colleague Jocelyn Muret highlighted in a recent article. When recruiters disappear immediately after signature, they leave a critical gap during one of the most important phases of the employee journey, particularly when nearly 20%***of new hires leave the company before completing their probation period.

Talent Acquisition could become a true partner in the success of a new hire throughout their first 24 months, working alongside HR Business Partners and managers. Unlike managers, whose hierarchical relationship can sometimes create perceived conflicts of interest, Talent Acquisition professionals can provide a neutral space built on trust, without any responsibility for evaluation or performance management. This gives them a unique position from which to support successful integration and long-term success.

Such an expanded mandate also requires a shift in how success is measured. Recruitment speed, the famous “time to fill”, is not always the most relevant indicator. What value is there in filling a role quickly if the new hire resigns two months later?

Some metrics need to extend beyond hiring itself. Turnover, engagement and performance levels among recently hired employees are all critical indicators for which Talent Acquisition should increasingly be accountable.

Long-term Talent Acquisition success is not limited to hired candidates either. A candidate who is not selected today because of timing or role fit might be exactly the right person tomorrow. Maintaining these talent communities, staying connected, and continuing to share relevant insights is an essential component of a Talent Acquisition function that thinks long term rather than transaction by transaction, much like successful commercial organizations use CRM platforms to nurture customer relationships over time.

One transformation, multiple operating models

As Talent Acquisition expands its role before, during and after recruitment, its responsibilities inevitably grow and increasingly overlap with those of HR Business Partners, Talent Management teams and hiring managers themselves. The boundaries between these functions, once clearly defined, are becoming far more fluid.

Organizations are responding to this evolution in different ways. Some are strengthening Talent Acquisition as a true center of expertise, giving it the legitimacy and resources required to own this broader scope. Others are choosing to distribute these responsibilities differently, placing more ownership with HR Business Partners or with managers who are playing an increasingly active role in recruitment, in some cases even replacing parts of the traditional Talent Acquisition function altogether.

At Akoya, we have seen all of these strategic choices implemented successfully across our clients. There is no universal blueprint. What matters is that each organization has a clear vision of what it wants to achieve, and then aligns its structure, responsibilities and ways of working accordingly.

Sources:

*Greenhouse, 2026

** HoopsHR, 2025

***McKinsey HR Monitor, 2025