AI Recruiting Assistants: What They Do and How to Use Them

From sourcing and interviewing to follow-up communication, recruiters often find themselves caught in a repetitive to-do loop: drafting job descriptions, posting ads, sifting through hundreds of applications, scheduling interviews, taking notes, and updating the ATS to keep the hiring process moving.

These admin tasks, while essential, are a leading cause of burnout for recruiters. And it's no wonder—most recruiters choose this field because they enjoy connecting with people and helping them find the right roles, not because they want to spend their days transferring information between systems.

That’s why more and more recruiters are turning to AI tools.

AI-powered assistants can successfully take over the repetitive, administrative work, freeing up recruiters to focus on what they love most: building connections with candidates and clients.

So let’s take some minutes to see how recruiters can use AI assistants to make the recruitment process more human again.

What is an AI recruitment assistant?

An AI recruitment assistant is a tool powered by artificial intelligence designed to help recruiters with various parts of the hiring process.

Think of it as a virtual assistant with infinite memory, unlimited processing power, and boundless creativity, able to work with the same sources of information and data types that a recruiter uses.

Although the exact tasks of a recruiting assistant depend on the setup of one’s recruitment process, in principle, recruiters use AI workmates to delegate repetitive tasks that can and should be done by machines.

For example, taking notes during intake calls and interviews, transferring this information to the ATS, scheduling interviews with candidates or clients, or creating follow-up documents after such meetings.

The end goal of using an AI assistant can be anything from increasing a recruiter’s efficiency and effectiveness, to decreasing the length of the recruitment process, or improving data hygiene in the ATS.

Depending on their type, AI recruiting assistants may be able to work with both structured and unstructured data, streamlining the hiring process from end to end.

We’ll outline the types of AI-powered assistants in the next section, but first, a quick note.

While there’s been some concern about AI potentially replacing human recruiters, we believe this isn’t the case. At least for the foreseeable future, artificial intelligence will serve as an enhancement to recruiters' work, not a replacement.

And now let’s look at the types of AI recruiting assistant on the market.

Types of AI recruiting assistants

There are a variety of AI recruiting assistants that can support talent acquisition teams by streamlining workflows and eliminating time-consuming tasks. Here are the most common types.

• Admin assistants: As their name implies, these assistants take over administrative tasks, like note taking and meeting summarization, document creation, candidate profile generation, and so on. AI recruitment assistants that prefill the ATS are also included in this category.
• Candidate engagement assistants: Keeping candidates engaged is crucial to recruiting top talent, but it can easily become a full-time job for recruiters. Conversational AI tools, such as AI recruitment chatbots or AI engagement assistants, can interact with candidates in a talent pool or those actively applying to vacancies, providing information about open positions through real-time messaging or spoken conversation.
• Scheduling assistants: Another type is the interview scheduling assistant. This task can take up a substantial amount of a recruiter’s time, especially with the back-and-forth when one party isn’t available. AI scheduling assistants automate this process, saving time and enhancing the experience for everyone involved: recruiters, job seekers, and hiring managers.
• Sourcing assistants: AI candidate sourcing tools are invaluable in locating high-quality job seekers. They can search various platforms, such as LinkedIn or other social media platforms, as well as candidate databases and career sites, to find potential candidates that match necessary job criteria.
• Screening assistants: These AI tools can assist recruiters with screening potential candidates for the appropriate skill sets based on their resumes and other data. Chatbots can also be used to manage knock-out questions that eliminate potential candidates. They help reduce bias, assess culture fit, and significantly improve efficiency in shorlisting the best talent from countless applications.
• Analytic assistants: Analytics play a key role in helping recruiters make more informed decisions. An AI-powered assistant can identify trends, such as which backgrounds and skills lead to successful hires. It can also pinpoint where candidates tend to drop off in the hiring pipeline or assess the effectiveness of different sourcing channels.
• Interviewing assistants: Finally, recruiters can partner with AI assistants during interviews for real-time transcription, generating questions based on job descriptions or candidate responses, and even conducting initial screenings. They’re also useful for recruiter training, offering feedback on interviewing style and skills.

As you can see, AI recruiting assistants come in many forms, each tailored to support different aspects of the hiring process.

In the next section, we’ll explore how these AI assistants integrate into recruitment workflows, highlighting how they can help recruiting teams at every stage—even in processes that are already partially automated.

How AI assistants fit into recruitment workflows

While each recruitment process differs in the details, the high-level steps are similar—as are the workflows where AI assistants can be integrated to help out.

Let’s look at the primary workstreams in a typical hiring process to see where AI can have the biggest impact and explore what this means for recruiters and their teams.

Data flows in a typical recruitment process

Each stage of the hiring process, from sourcing to hiring, generates substantial data. This data must be captured, analyzed, and built upon to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of hiring.

Here’s how the flow generally looks:

1. Job requisition: The recruitment process begins with a job requisition, where hiring managers define the role’s requirements, responsibilities, and desired qualifications. This initial step sets the foundation for the entire hiring process.
2. Sourcing: Once the job requisition is established, data is gathered from job boards, social media platforms, and internal databases or talent pools. AI sourcing tools collect and organize this data to identify potential candidates, ensuring a wider reach and a more diverse talent pool.
3. Screening: After sourcing, candidate information is processed through applicant tracking systems (ATS) or screening tools. Resumes are analyzed, and candidates are ranked based on specific criteria, enabling recruiters to quickly identify the most qualified individuals for the role.
4. Engagement: Throughout the recruitment journey, communication data is generated via emails, chatbots, and other engagement tools. This helps recruiters maintain connections with candidates, keeping them informed about their application status and enhancing their overall experience.
5. Interviewing: When it’s time to interview, data is captured through transcripts and notes, which can be stored and analyzed for future reference. This ensures that valuable insights from interviews are retained and can be reviewed later for informed decision-making.
6. Analytics and reporting: Throughout these stages, AI analytics tools collect data on candidate performance, sourcing effectiveness, and overall process efficiency. This offers insights for continuous improvement, allowing recruiters to adjust their strategies based on data-driven insights.

By streamlining these data flows, AI assistants can enhance each stage of the recruitment process, helping teams work more efficiently and make better-informed decisions.

Where AI assistants can help

Building on the streamlined data flows in the recruitment process, AI assistants can be seamlessly integrated to enhance efficiency across various tasks. Here’s how they can support recruiters.

Automation tasks

Several routine tasks can be automated to improve a recruiter’s workflow. For example, a significant time saver is the automation of interview scheduling, which can streamline the coordination process and allow recruiters to focus on more meaningful candidate interactions.

AI assistants can also help track application progress and manage candidate communications automatically, ensuring timely follow-ups and updates without manual input. This automation workflow helps keep candidates informed and engaged throughout the hiring process.

Admin tasks

Recruiters juggle numerous administrative responsibilities, and generative AI workmates can greatly enhance efficiency in this area. For instance, AI assistants can help create structured checklists to ensure that no important steps are overlooked, reducing the risk of human error.

Additionally, AI recruiting assistants can assist in writing job descriptions and generating custom interview questions based on the specific role and candidate profiles. They can also take notes during interviews and compile comprehensive candidate profiles.

By analyzing interview transcripts alongside data from resumes and ATS notes, AI can produce detailed profiles that facilitate more effective discussions during hiring team reviews.

Process progression tasks

Creating a positive candidate experience means efficiently advancing candidates through the hiring process. An AI recruiting assistant can help with this by automating follow-up communications, ensuring candidates are well-informed about their application status and the next steps.

This proactive engagement not only makes candidates feel more connected but also enhances the employer brand.

Pipeline building

To maintain a strong talent pool for future openings, recruiters need to identify qualified candidates effectively.

AI recruiting assistants can sift through data from various sources, such as job boards, career sites, social media, and professional networks, to find candidates that fit specific roles.

Moreover, AI tools can identify potential matches within a recruiter’s existing talent pool, facilitating quicker connections with job seekers and allowing recruiters to devote more time to nurturing relationships.

Screening and scoring candidates
AI can also assist with screening and scoring potential candidates, although these processes require careful criteria enforcement to minimize errors.

It’s essential to view AI recruiting tools as supplemental resources that enhance a recruiter’s capabilities, making the overall hiring process more efficient while still relying on human expertise for final decisions.

Note: With the introduction of regulations like the AI Act in the European Union, organizations must ensure that their use of AI tools in recruitment aligns with compliance standards.

This legislation emphasizes transparency, fairness, and accountability in AI applications, including screening and scoring, to prevent biases and promote ethical hiring practices. As such, recruiters should stay informed about these regulations to ensure their AI tools meet the necessary legal and ethical guidelines.

Implications of using an AI recruiting assistant

An AI assistant should not be used in isolation. To be useful on a day-to-day basis, it needs to become an extension of the recruiter. This means it should have access to the same data and information as the recruiter, including important systems and key contacts.

Goals of using the assistant

As we’ve discussed, there are many types of AI assistants. Some are point solutions, such as standalone interview schedulers, while others provide broader functionality.

Before choosing any AI recruiting tools for your team, you must have clarity about the problem you’re trying to solve.

For example, if you need to improve data hygiene in your ATS, implementing an AI assistant that can automate this task could be a good starting point. If your team needs better interview skills, you want to consider an AI interview assistant.

Integrations

Before you implement an AI recruiting process into your current workflow, you must ensure it’s integrated with all the systems already being used - ATS, CRM, or other recruiting software.

In addition, calendars, interviewing tools and assessment tools should also be integrated to create the best user experience. This will help ensure recruiters can optimize their time and continue using some of the basic tools they are already familiar with in a more efficient way.

Process mapping and task delegation

After you’ve determined that AI technology can be integrated into current systems and workflows, you need to decide what types of tasks the AI assistant should help support.

This decision should be based on the type of assistant chosen and its capabilities.

Take time to identify which touch points in the recruitment funnel can be delegated to AI-powered recruiting solutions. Consider how much you can effectively automate and what will require more human oversight.

Customization of the AI assistant

AI-powered assistants - especially those taking over admin tasks - need customization to function optimally; otherwise, their output will be generic. This includes using the same tone of voice as a recruiter and creating an understanding of company culture.

Humans should always review AI output, such as documents, candidate shortlists, and interview output. In doing so, recruiters can also provide feedback to the AI to ensure output improves over time.

This is why it’s considered best practice to integrate AI recruiting solutions gradually. Doing so gives you time to identify what’s working well and where you can make improvements.

Degree of automation

While AI can handle repetitive tasks effectively, it's important to balance automation with human touch, especially in areas that require personal interaction and nuanced judgment.

Assess which tasks can be fully automated, such as scheduling and data entry, and which aspects, like candidate interactions and cultural assessments, benefit from human involvement.

Striking the right balance will enhance efficiency without sacrificing the quality of the candidate experience or the integrity of the hiring process.

By thoughtfully implementing AI solutions, you can leverage technology to streamline workflows while maintaining the essential human elements of recruitment.

Over to you

While you have many AI recruiting assistants to choose from, the best approach is to start with one problem to solve and select your solution based on that.

Start small and give your team the time to get comfortable integrating AI solutions into their workflow. Then, you can consider more complex solutions once you have a better understanding of the variety of capabilities and how they can address your unique needs.