AI Accelerator: Felicity Graham, Talent Acquisition Manager

In this installment, we talk to Felicity Graham, Talent Acquisition Manager, who has used AI to strip the admin out of hiring, from interview scheduling to initial CV review. Here’s where she thinks it earns its place, and where the human judgement has to stay.

The AI Accelerator series is an ongoing collection of conversations with people across Confluence who are at the forefront of how we build and use AI.

From the intelligent features embedded in our solutions to the tools colleagues increasingly leverage to get their work done, each installment hears directly from people across teams and disciplines. Find out what’s working, what isn’t, and what they’re still figuring out. Ground-level perspectives from the people living it every day.

Q: What has your journey with AI looked like professionally?

A: I was initially somewhat skeptical. Recruitment is a very human role, with human interaction and human judgement at its heart. So, my adoption started out slow, but I absolutely see huge value today. It surprises me more when I hit upon something AI really cannot do.

The first time I used AI was to write a job advert, which is always a time-consuming task. It’s key to really capture the essence of the role and what makes it stand out. With the right prompts and an informative intake meeting with a hiring manager, I can use AI to write great content quickly. 

With that said, I am hopeful that recruiters won’t rely too heavily on AI to communicate with or assess candidates, as we need to maintain the human aspect of recruitment. My own approach focuses on the lift AI can provide which frees me to engage in these more human efforts.

Q: So which aspects of your work have been the focus of your AI efforts?

A: I have implemented several AI solutions to automate some of the more administrative and repetitive parts of recruitment, including interview scheduling, candidate sourcing and initial CV review. I was especially passionate about the interview scheduling tool because I wanted to remove friction from the process for recruiters, hiring managers and candidates. We also work across time zones, so taking that manual coordination away saves a surprising amount of effort. 

This AI-driven automation benefits everyone involved in the hiring process. Recruiters can spend more time on the work that has the greatest impact; hiring managers are more likely to see relevant, well-matched candidates; candidates receive clearer information, better communication and more dedicated time; and the business sees recruiter time being used more effectively, which should support better hiring decisions, better candidate engagement and a more informed approach to workforce planning. 

Most importantly, our clients’ benefit. If we can hire great people faster, it helps us deliver work on time and to a high standard. It also makes a difference when people can settle in quickly and thrive here, reducing early turnover and avoiding disruption for the team and our clients.

Q: You mentioned the importance of humans in recruitment. Can you be more specific as to which activities you consider least suited to AI?

A: AI does not replace the judgement needed to understand a person’s motivations, communication style and potential fit within a specific team. We manually screen every candidate who enters the interview process to assess not only whether they meet the criteria for the role, but also their motivations. Will they thrive here, and will they want to stay?  

Diversity of thought is also important for me as a talent acquisition professional, so I take into consideration the current team, other stakeholders and how a candidate may fit. This is nuanced and requires me to rely on my own judgement; I don’t see AI being able to replicate this and we don’t use AI to analyze micro-expressions, body language, tone or the way people communicate. 

Applied correctly AI facilitates the human side. By automating some of the manual tasks, we can dedicate more time to listening to people, understanding their aspirations, providing a better candidate experience and helping hiring managers make informed hiring decisions.

Applied correctly, AI facilitates the human side.

Felicity Graham, Talent Acquisition Manager

Q: Do you miss any of the work you used to do manually?

A: No, not really. I love working in recruitment, but I have never loved the admin. On that basis, AI has been great for me. As I mentioned earlier, interview scheduling is close to my heart, as the AI-enabled process is so much cleaner for everyone. 

More importantly, it gives me more headspace for the work that moves hiring forward: connecting with candidates, advising hiring managers, understanding the market, improving candidate experience and making better decisions. This is the aspect of my job that I love.

Q: How do you see AI changing your profession? Do you have any concerns about (mis)use of AI?

A: The core aspects of recruitment remain the same. We still need recruitment professionals who are passionate about matching the right talent to a business at the right time and at the right cost. 

We must ensure we don’t rely too heavily on AI to interpret job qualifications, as the cognitive understanding of the profile we need is integral to making the right decision. There is a risk that new entrants miss some of the core learning that comes from doing the groundwork, such as understanding roles properly, speaking to candidates regularly and learning how to interpret hiring manager needs. AI can support that learning, but it should not replace it. But the day-to-day activities may be different, and recruiters need to be able to leverage technology where possible to ensure they are delivering value to the organization.

So much comes from a deep understanding of the business, knowing the right people in the network and selling the company within its market. Accepting a new role in a new company is a big leap of faith for most people, and recruiters should take that responsibility seriously.

AI has made me much more curious about how I can increase efficiency in some areas and create more time for meaningful work. Day to day, it means I spend less time starting with a completely blank page or manually coordinating activities. Instead, I focus my time on building prompts, reviewing output, refining, advising and engaging with people. I am always iterating and trying new technology. This is a journey that is nowhere near its conclusion. It will be interesting to see what recruitment looks like in the next few years!