What if I told you your dream hire may have never made it past your first screening filter? Not because they weren’t qualified. Not because they wouldn’t have been a great culture fit. But simply because their resume didn’t include that one keyword your ATS was programmed to catch. Sounds ridiculous, but in 2025, it’s still happening more often than we’d like to admit. That’s exactly why more HR teams are turning to AI-driven solutions, using hiring tools. And no, it’s not about replacing recruiters or dehumanizing hiring. It’s about helping people make smarter, faster, more inclusive decisions. It’s about clearing the clutter so you can connect with the human behind the resume.
Let’s face it, we’ve all been buried under hundreds of applications, juggling interviews, and trying to reduce bias while filling roles fast. AI, when used right, is the extra set of eyes, ears, and hands we didn’t know we needed.
Why 2025 Feels Like a Turning Point
Here’s what’s happening right now: around 60% of companies are already using AI across the entire hiring journey. Time-to-hire is dropping. Recruitment costs are going down. Therefore, hiring teams are feeling less overwhelmed.
It’s about getting back to the human part of HR. Instead of scanning resumes and scheduling interviews, recruiters are spending more time building real connections with candidates. Moreover, 75% of recruiters say AI-driven solutions are helping them move faster without sacrificing empathy. That’s a huge win.
And diversity? Some companies are reporting a 35% increase in hiring diversity thanks to AI tools that flag biased job descriptions and help balance shortlists. Of course, humans still make the final call, but the tech is helping us see what we might’ve missed before.
Bridging the Gap Between Humans and Machines in Hiring
Let’s ground this in the real world. Meta has rolled out its own AI assistant to handle scheduling, note-taking, and even coding test prep. However, human recruiters still run the interviews. It’s not a takeover, it’s support.
HireVue is analyzing more than just words in interviews. Their AI can pick up on tone, energy, and subtle cues that give recruiters a richer picture of who a candidate is. Over 12 million interviews and counting, that’s not a side experiment.
And yes, there are even AI recruiters now, chatbots that guide candidates, answer questions and assess soft skills around the clock. You may have already met one without realizing it. Some candidates love the instant responses. Others still crave the human touch. And honestly? That balance matters.
Elevate HR with AI Collaboration
This isn’t a story about machines replacing people. It’s about working together.
According to a 2025 Insight Global survey, 99% of hiring managers say they now use AI in some part of their process, but 93% still say people make the final decisions. The AI structures the process. The human brings empathy and judgment.
But let’s not pretend AI is perfect. There are real concerns, like transcription errors for non-native speakers, or biases baked into historical data. In Australia, transcription tools are still making errors in 22% of cases with accented speech. That’s a problem.
So smart HR teams are doing two things: using AI thoughtfully, and keeping humans in control. They’re building in transparency, checking for bias, and making ethical hiring part of the conversation, not an afterthought.
HR Is Evolving Fast
Hiring is merely the first step. Indeed, by 2025, more and more HR departments—almost 70% according to recent industry reports are likely to take their AI usage beyond recruiting into such functions as onboarding, performance management, career development, and burnout detection. The vision? To shift from one-size-fits-all programs to super-personalized employee experiences.
Think about providing employees with personalized growth plans, coach prompts, and real-time feedback that makes a difference not merely checks compliance. It’s not about substituting human connection but scaling it through data and AI.
And let’s not forget the rise in regulation. States like Illinois and New York are already rolling out laws to keep AI in hiring fair and accountable. The smart move? HR leaders are setting up internal ethics boards now and building policies that prioritize clarity and consent.
Unilever’s AI-Enhanced Campus Hiring
Each year, Unilever receives around 1.8 million applications and hires roughly 30,000 people globally, a colossal task, especially in graduate and campus recruitment. The traditional process was slow, manual, and potentially biased.
Unilever partnered with two AI vendors, Pymetrics (for neuroscience-based game assessments) and HireVue (for AI-powered video interviews), to digitize its preliminary screening.
Step 1: Applicants complete short online games measuring traits like reasoning and risk tolerance.
Step 2: Top candidates (about one-third) record AI-evaluated video interviews.
Step 3: HireVue’s AI reviews speech patterns and natural language processing to shortlist finalists.
Step 4: Human recruiters handle in-person interviews for final hiring decisions.
Measured results over 18 months:
- 75% time-to-hire (from six months to six weeks).
- Saved ~70,000 person-hours in resume evaluation.
- Cost savings of GBP 1 million+ per year.
- Diversity improved by ~16%, based on gender and ethnicity trends.
- Candidate engagement jumped: 96% finished interviews vs. 50% prior.
Leena Nair offered candid remarks on their AI journey:
“We look for people with a sense of purpose – systemic thinking, resilience, business acumen. Based on that profile, the games and the video interview are all programmed to look for cues in their behavior that will help us understand who will fit in at Unilever.”
She also recognized the candidate experience uplift:
“What I like about the process is that each person who applies to us gets some feedback. Normally, when people send an application to a large company, it can go into a ‘black hole.’ All of our applicants get feedback on how they did and what we think they should do to be successful in a future application.”
Future of Work with AI and Empathy
If you’re in HR right now, this isn’t just another trend to watch; it’s a shift in how we work.
The most forward-thinking teams aren’t asking “Should we use AI?” anymore. They’re asking, “How can we use it well?” They’re building tech-powered processes that are also deeply human. They’re showing that it’s possible to be fast and fair, data-driven and empathetic.
Since, at the end of the day, AI isn’t here to do your job. It’s here to help you do what you do best:
Create opportunity. Champion people. And build teams that thrive together.
FAQs
- Is AI in hiring more inclusive, or just a new kind of bias?
With careful application, it can enhance inclusivity. However, human control is still necessary to prevent the replication of preexisting biases.
- What if AI misunderstands candidates with accents or disabilities?
That’s a risk. Leading companies now test their AI-driven solutions for fairness and ensure people can review and override AI decisions.
- What do recruiters do now that AI handles early tasks?
They focus more on relationship-building, strategic planning, and delivering a better candidate experience.
- Does using AI improve the applicant experience?
Yes, when balanced well. AI speeds up communication, but human interaction is still key to making candidates feel valued.
- Can small HR teams afford to use AI?
Yes. Moreover, many low-cost, easy-to-implement AI-driven solutions are available that support hiring without requiring major investment or expertise.
HR tech is evolving fast, are you keeping up? Read more at HR Technology Insights
To participate in our interviews, please write to our HRTech Media Room at sudipto@intentamplify.com
