Is AI a help, or a hindrance, when it comes to personalisation?
And what does this mean for the recruitment industry?
In today’s crowded, competitive candidate market, personalisation is no longer a nice-to-have as part of the recruitment process - it’s the expectation.
But there’s a big difference between surface-level automation and true hyper-personalisation. For public sector and not-for-profit hiring, where trust, purpose and alignment matter more than ever, recruitment journeys need to feel tailored, thoughtful, and human.
“When it comes to on-boarding, I want to know there is a real person behind the communication. Moving roles is a significant shift, and there is often apprehension while waiting to start. This is the time for new employers to show up and set the tone.” – Recently-placed Candidate
At Morgan Law, we’ve spent 25 years building relationships, and we believe technology should amplify and enhance that, not replace it.
With a reported 72% of HR Leaders adopting AI, everyone is talking about scaling AI operations and tasks, but while it might be speeding up the process, is it being utilised in the right way when it comes to personalisation?
theHRDIRECTOR reports; “Hyper-personalisation is not just another HR trend - it’s a strategic imperative. Borrowed from the world of customer experience, this approach moves beyond standard segmentation models. Instead of grouping employees into broad personas or job families, hyper-personalisation treats each employee as a unique individual, with their own needs, values, aspirations, and lived experiences”
The risks, however, are clear. Relying on AI tools to deliver poorly designed, one-size fits all HR and recruitment programs can negatively impact on the employer brand. Watch-outs include:
Over-automation: Are AI screening tools scoring higher in fairness metrics, as reported? Or do they inherently lack empathetic nuance?
One size AI: Generic messages or automatically generated responses don’t resonate with public sector values or career motivations.
Trust deficit: In sectors built on long-term relationships, superficial personalisation rings hollow.
So, help or hindrance?
Here’s how we think we can strike the right balance when it comes to hyper-personalisation during the recruitment process:
1. From Data to Dialogue
AI Assistance: When it comes to insights, the right tools can start to understand not just what a CV says, but what it means, picking up data points on a candidate’s core values, long-term aspirations, career story, personal drivers, and even the influence of key mentors.
Morgan Law Mentorship : It takes experienced consultants (especially those with a 15‑year average tenure) to interpret data, have deep understanding of a candidate’s history and add valuable context for hiring managers. Understanding the stories woven through careers is where meaningful recruitment begins.
2. Micro‑Moments in the Candidate Journey
AI Assistance: Use bite‑sized AI to approach smart interview scheduling, personalise interview prep, share onboarding steps or deploy sentiment tracking in candidate comms.
Morgan Law Mentorship: Blend tech (automated reminders) with human follow-ups; “sending you a calendar invite, plus a few tips about this particular interview panel" or sending a personalised follow‑up referencing a past charity or non-exec role, demonstrating relevance without pressure.
3. Hiring Manager‑Focused Personalisation
AI Assistance: Implement custom dashboards that benchmark against similar organisations, develop role briefs or job specs that speak to your ideal candidate and reports on emerging trends.
Morgan Law Mentorship: Sense-check insights by tapping into a wide network, understanding the opportunity for employer brand messaging to land with the right candidates. Partner with your recruitment consultant on strategic campaigns and scenario modelling (not just scans of CV’s ), to ensure even wild card candidates are considered.
Hyper-personalisation is only powerful when it’s done with integrity.
For hiring managers, it’s not about chasing trends, it’s about making smarter, more connected decisions that resonate with the people you want to hire.
And for candidates,it’s about knowing their experience matters from first contact to day one in-role, which is where personalisation plays a part.
At Morgan Law, we believe it’s about blending insight, empathy, and the right tools to deliver recruitment that’s personal, purposeful, and built to last. If AI does the heavy lifting, we can focus on nuance and long-term strategy, while deploying meaningful personalisation.
Candidates: Are you looking for an experience that feels personal and purposeful? Find out how we tailor candidate journeys.
Hiring managers: Curious what personalised recruitment can look like for your next senior hire? Talk to our experienced consultants.
Morgan Law | Trusted Since 2000
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