Are you a recruiting ‘TechnoEmpath’?

Today, my UK Masterclass speaking tour with REC starts in Edinburgh. Then on to Manchester and London.

It’s a four-hour deep dive into the way AI is impacting Recruitment and some advice on how recruiters can thrive in a rapidly changing landscape.

I have coined a new word to describe the profile of a great recruiter going forward.

This word will be used publicly for the first time today.

And here it is;

To thrive in an AI-enabled recruiting world, you need to be a

TechnoEmpath

The word is born out of my premise that AI and automation will not (or at least should not) handle the entire recruiting process (although some will argue for this).

Just because parts of the process can be automated is not a good reason to relinquish human control of the nuanced aspects of Recruitment, where empathy, deep understanding, and influencing skills are more powerful than algorithms.

In fact, the optimum benefits of AI and automation will go to those who understand that Recruitment will become a marriage of Art and Science.

Much of what recruiters do now will be automated, especially at the top of the recruiting funnel—sourcing, screening, matching, shortlisting, and even early interviewing. Logistics, reference checking, and onboarding will follow suit.

But tech geeks, who are so much smarter than I am, still fail to grasp a fundamental truth about Recruitment—which is why so many AI start-ups will fail.

Unlike shares, movie tickets, shoes, groceries and books, ‘Talent’ is not an online commodity.

Recruitment is the only industry where what you are selling, can say ‘no’.

Reflect deeply on that statement to understand why you cannot commoditise placing people in jobs like you can with selling pasta or books.

‘The Moments of Truth’ should not be fully automated. Skilled recruiters must handle the key episodes, situations, and conversations in Recruitment where the recruiter’s influencing skills can determine the outcome.

AI will free up millions of hours for recruiters. So, it’s likely we will see a smaller recruiter workforce. What will the recruiters that remain do with these extra hours? Clearly, the recruiter must do more of the things AI and automation does not do or does poorly. So the Recruiters real value.. is selling…listening…advising…consulting… insights… influencing

The problem with that is that many (most?) recruiters lack those skills because they have learned their ‘craft’ while hiding behind digital. Well, that will no longer work because AI will do all the digital and the part you need to be good at cannot be done by tech at all

Enter the TechnoEmpath.

The TechnoEmpath is a freshly upgraded hybrid recruiter who embodies the marriage of art and science.

The TechnoEmpath is highly evolved in the use of technology. Indeed, they welcome it. A TechnoEmpath is AI literate, embraces CRM and ATS, and uses them to their fullest extent. They understand and use data analytics and adopt with vigour the use of all AI and automation tools implemented, including search technologies, video interviewing, and assessment tools.

But! The TechnoEmpath is the perfect blend of art and science

To complement their technology proficiency, the TechnoEmpath has superb interpersonal skills, can build relationships, is a skilled and enthusiastic networker, and is an advanced listener, able to ask incisive questions and understand real motivations.

They have the personal morals, ethics and empathy that AI most definitely lacks.

The TechnoEmpath has advanced critical thinking skills and finely tuned intuition. They can advise, consult, story-tell, and build rapport and credibility.

The TalentEmpath is a willing learner, nimble and quick to pivot as the market does

Most of us will lean one way or the other on this profile divide. Techno or Empath.

I am more on the ‘empath’ side by nature, but that will leave me stranded if I fail to evolve, as the tech is increasingly fundamental to how recruitment operates.

So, too, some techno-cruiters think they can code, text, and automate their way to recruiting success.

Forget it

You need both

The TechnoEmpath

The marriage of art and science embodied in the perfect recruiter for the new age

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