Human oversight still crucial in AI-driven recruitment, says report

A large number of professionals believe human validation is essential for making final hiring decisions notwithstanding major roles played by artificial intelligence (AI), a report has said.

On AI making final hiring decisions, scepticism dominated with 72 per cent respondents saying human validation is essential, while only 15 per cent are open to fully AI-driven decisions if systems are well-calibrated, workforce staffing and HR solutions provider Genius HRTech said in a report.

Over 10 per cent said AI could be allowed in high-volume junior or fresher hiring, it added.

The Genius HRTech report is based on inputs from 1,887 professionals across industries during August this year.

Further, the report revealed that most respondents believe in AI's efficiency with 47 per cent of professionals reporting a significant reduction in time-to-hire while 28 per cent noting very slight improvements.

However, when it comes to candidate experience, it remained a grey area, nearly half (49 per cent) gave mixed reactions as some valued efficiency while others found it impersonal, said the report.

About 27 per cent of the respondents outrightly disliked the AI processes for lacking the human touch, it added.

When asked which recruitment areas have benefited most from AI, resume screening and shortlisting emerged as the clear winner with 62 per cent of respondents, followed by skill-based assessments (18 per cent), interview scheduling (14 per cent), and candidate sourcing (6 per cent).

On alignment with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) goals, the report found that 30 per cent respondents believe AI reduces human bias, however, 27 per cent feel AI is likely to replicate the existing biases.

Looking to the future, 39 per cent expect AI to dominate most recruitment processes in the next five years, while 33 per cent see it as a strong support system rather than a replacement, said the report.

"AI has certainly accelerated the hiring process, but our report shows the Indian workforce remains clear, technology cannot replace human judgment, empathy, and fairness. Companies must strike the right balance, using AI as a partner, not a proxy. The future of recruitment will be defined by how effectively we combine innovation with human intuition," Genius HRTech Chairman and Managing Director R P Yadav added.