AI Strategy in Recruiting? That's not something we thought would be on our radar two to three years ago did we?

I was one of the weirdos who became obsessed with AI in recruiting back in 2019-2020 with solutions like Paradox's Olivia that was early in production. In 2020, I described my recruiting utopia with Matt Alder on his Recruiting Future podcast that was all about AI's influence on recruiting.

Now, there are major corporations exploring the concept of an AI strategy in recruiting. At Mastercard, the AI strategy in recruiting has transformed their approach to hiring. With a vast global workforce, Mastercard needed to scale its recruitment efforts efficiently. By using AI to automate repetitive tasks like interview scheduling, they reduced the time from days to just hours. This AI-driven efficiency has not only sped up hiring but also improved candidate experience, allowing recruitment teams to concentrate on creating personalized interactions and fostering diversity​.

But how does someone begin the process of creating an AI strategy?

Creating an AI Strategy in Recruiting

With so much noise in the space, it is really hard to determine the best path forward. Many of the leaders I speak with and coach struggle with a failure to launch, understandable considering the vast number of options out there.

I like to follow a methodology I call GRASP to help clients settle the noise and create a strategy. Let's walk through each step of the journey.

G- Goals

When I meet with someone in recruiting to discuss AI, the first question I usually ask is, "What problem are you trying to solve?" I find this question to be the only question you should be answering when constructing an AI strategy in recruiting. If you cannot answer this question, it will be impossible to create a strategy that is successful and adopted.

Let's say the problem you are trying to solve is the ability to increase the amount of time your recruiters spend interviewing and developing candidates. That's a very broad problem statement but it's a great start. If we were working together, I would most likely drill down more but for the sake of time, let's stick with this as the main problem to solve.

Stating the problem also begins the process of scoping out the goals. You want to have goals as guides to determine the effectiveness of the AI solutions. Of course, without these, you will implement a new product or solution that will completely disrupt your team and end in frustration. Let's not do that.

Based on this problem statement, let's identify the three goals of the AI strategy in recruiting to be:

1. Ease of use for the recruiters because I do not want them to spend even more time trying to implement something on top of the laborious processes involved in most recruiting organizations.

2. I want the solution to increase the amount of time my recruiters spend with candidates in interviews and development by X%.

There could be more but for simplicity we will stick with these two. Now that we have our goals, we're ready to move to the next step in the process.

R-Research and Rank

The next phase is the most time consuming and requires a lot of focus. You will need to survey the market for AI solutions and processes to meet your goals. The researching part should most definitely include client testimonials and insights from some of the thought leaders in our space. Demos are another great way to research which products are the most innovative and will meet the needs of your organization.

With demos, a word of advice: create a run of show. I like to send a list of questions over to the company that I call a run of show. I find most demos are a spray and pray approach to the product. I spend a lot of time on the front end researching the product or solution with client reviews, YouTube reviews and others to have a pretty decent idea of what the product can do. I leverage this information to create my run of show agenda that I send to the company prior to the demo. This ensures I see what I want to see and not be bamboozled by all of the bells and whistles that may or may not help me accomplish my goal.

Once you complete the research, create a ranking system aligned with your goals. It can be a simple scoring system based on a 1-5 scale where 1 is "Doesn't Meet" and 5 is "Exceeds". Use your goals to create the sectors you will be evaluating and have everyone involved in the process complete the survey. Using our example above, I would most likely have something set up like this using the 1-5 scale mentioned:

• Ease of use:

  • 80% of the recruiting team could implement this product and begin using effectively within one week.

  • I will not need a lengthy training program before launch

• Increasing time with candidates:

  • The system has an effective engagement process for candidates

  • This product helps recruiters rank candidates based on predetermined skills needed

  • The AI product provides a list of interview questions based on the job for consistency

  • The system auto-generates reminders or nudges for recruiters on candidates they have engaged with

  • The AI product/solution provides me analytics to track the amount of time spent with candidates week over week or month over month with insights

See, it's a very simple, yet effective scorecard. Based on the rankings and average, I'll be able to quickly identify which options most meet my goals.

A-Adoption Plan

If I had to pick one step that most people overlook and truly F#### up an AI strategy in recruiting, it's this one. To boost the adoption of a new AI tool in recruiting, it’s crucial to foster a culture of clarity, engagement, and support.

• Communicate the Benefits:

  • Clearly explain how the AI tool addresses pain points, streamlines processes, and enhances daily tasks. When recruiters see tangible benefits, they’re more likely to embrace the change.

• Offer Practical Training:

  • Provide hands-on training, including workshops and tutorials, to build confidence in using the tool. Make resources like video guides and FAQs readily available for ongoing support.

• Appoint AI Champions:

  • Select tech-savvy team members to serve as “AI Champions” who can guide peers, share best practices, and encourage widespread adoption.

• Gather Feedback:

  • Encourage feedback to identify challenges and refine the tool’s use. When recruiters see their input valued, they are more motivated to adopt.

• Highlight Successes:

  • Regularly share success stories and data that show the tool’s positive impact on key metrics like time-to-fill and candidate quality.

A focused adoption plan that addresses both practical needs and team engagement is key to successfully integrating AI into your recruiting strategy.

S-Scale

If I am working with a large team on any type of implementation and adoption, especially involving AI, I like to start small and scale. Begin by introducing the AI tool to a pilot group—a diverse mix of early adopters and skeptics from different roles within the recruiting team. This pilot phase allows you to test the tool in a controlled environment, gather valuable insights, and identify any potential obstacles early on. The feedback from this smaller group can help fine-tune the approach, ensuring that the tool meets the team’s specific needs before rolling it out on a larger scale.

Once the pilot group has successfully integrated the AI tool into their workflows and achieved measurable results, use these findings as a blueprint for the broader rollout. Share the pilot group’s success stories, metrics, and lessons learned to build enthusiasm and trust among the rest of the team. This phased approach not only mitigates risk but also creates a sense of momentum and buy-in.

Scaling gradually also allows you to provide tailored support and training at each stage, ensuring that every team member feels confident and prepared to use the new AI tool effectively, ultimately leading to a smoother and more successful adoption across the organization.​

P-Promote

Hey, if you have made it this far, your tool or solution is working and your team is meeting the outlined goals, it's time to promote. Let's face it, most clients think recruiting is stuck in the stone age and rarely upgrades itself to meet the evolving needs of our candidates and clients. This step proves them wrong!

In our example, I would create a tracker showing how much time recruiters spend developing and interviewing talent before the implementation, at each stage of the implementation and current status. Project this metric as a percentage of goal to show the progress of your selection. You can also relate your new solution's impact to your standard KPIs as a way of further promoting your decision.

Do not miss this step. It's a great way to reestablish value, credibility, and foresight to the organization.

Conclusion

I know this was a long post but I hope you found some value in it. I work with clients a lot through each step of the process. AI is an exciting topic that can become overwhelming very quickly. I have found the GRASP strategy helps those I work with stay focused and increases the opportunity to achieve success. The secret lies in combining AI’s capabilities with a human touch, creating a harmonious environment where technology and people can thrive together.

If you are struggling with your AI strategy in recruiting, I would love to help. I offer a free consultation option for us to determine what your needs are and design an offering around those needs. Take the first step today!