Artificial intelligence is transforming how companies find and hire talent. With SHRM reporting that 75% of HR teams now use AI tools, recruiters face the question of whether technology will replace them or make them better.
According to Jeremy Jenson, CEO & Founder of Encore Search Partners, the future isn’t about competing with AI, it’s about partnering with it.
“Recruiters must embrace AI as a force multiplier instead of a threat,” Jenson said. “The smartest recruiters are already using AI to generate cold replies, which frees them up to focus on the deeply human aspects of recruiting: building relationships, influencing decisions, and understanding the why behind the what.”
The recruitment industry learned key lessons from what some LinkedIn articles called “The Year of the AI Experiment.” Many organizations discovered that without a clear hiring strategy, solely relying on AI could backfire.
Jenson explains, “It only speeds up bad decisions if you don’t have the right strategy behind it. The most successful firms learned to use AI as an enhancement tool rather than a substitute, combining data insights with intuition to identify not just who can do the job, but who will want to do the job.”
2026 will mark a new phase of competition. Jenson predicts that 2026 will be “The Year of Squeezing Out Smaller Competitors,” as companies realize that technology can accelerate processes, but it can’t fix unclear strategies, weak culture, or misaligned leadership.
To thrive in this era, recruiters will need new skills and deeper emotional intelligence. Understanding what motivates people, builds loyalty, and drives decision-making will always be a recruiter’s most powerful skill.
“The most successful recruiters in the next era will be lifelong learners across three key disciplines: AI, digital storytelling, and behavioral psychology,” Jenson said.
While many firms still chase automation, Encore Search Partners doubles down on relationships, communication, and trust. There are always limits to what machines can do.
“We use technology to make us faster and smarter, but never to replace the intuition, storytelling, and empathy that define great recruiting,” Jenson emphasizes.
AI can find talent, but only people can understand it.
The recruiters who master both will be the ones shaping the future of hiring.
