The Employee Handbook
A monthly newsletter about current challenges and conversations for values-driven HR professionals
Using AI and Automation to Enhance the Candidate Experience
You don’t need us to tell you: HR is carrying a lot right now. SHRM’s 2025 State of the Workplace report found that 62% of HR professionals feel like they’ve been overcapacity in the last year, and 57% report being understaffed. The report also highlights a promising development that could help teams better manage their responsibilities: artificial intelligence.
From Day One gathered a panel of recruiting leaders to talk about AI and automation in hiring. Most have already been experimenting with the technology, not because it’s trendy, but because it actually helps. Here are some of their tips:
Polina Morozov, a senior technical recruiter at Grammarly, uses the company’s AI writing assistant to personalize candidate outreach and make messages more attention-grabbing. “Whenever I have any subsequent communications with candidates, I do run it through AI to make sure that I’m getting my point across, especially in written form.”
Others are using interview transcription. Chuck Kostomiris, who leads global executive recruitment at energy firm ConocoPhillips tells candidates ahead of time that he’ll be using a transcription tool, though the interview recording itself won’t be stored or recorded, and that they’re welcome to opt out. He likes that he doesn’t have to worry about taking notes, and instead can focus on building rapport with candidates.
Kyle Forsberg, senior technical recruiter at biotech firm Thermo Fisher Scientific, uses it to communicate with hiring managers who have more technical expertise than he does. “I can send them the recording they can hear straight from that candidate, instead of playing a game of telephone between the hiring manager and myself.”
While their use cases varied, the panelists shared a common view: be transparent with candidates about when and how AI will be used. Whenever possible, offer them the option to opt out. And if you’re going to use AI, don’t expect or require your candidates to totally refrain from using it themselves. Read the full story here.
Empathy Isn't Programmable: Building a Human-Centric Workplace
While helpful for some tasks, AI should be left out of others.
When Rob Thompson, executive director at Birkman, called up a hotel recently, he had a simple request for the concierge named Andrew: directions to self-parking. After following Andrew's instructions only to find the garage closed, Thompson then posed an unexpected question to the concierge, “Andrew, can you love someone more than you love yourself?”
“That’s a uniquely human experience,” Andrew replied.
With that answer, Thompson’s suspicions were confirmed: he wasn’t speaking with a person, but with an AI agent—so convincing that most callers wouldn’t know the difference.
In the rush to adopt artificial intelligence, companies are increasingly blurring the line between what AI can do and what it should do. While these tools are impressive at analyzing data and simulating human conversation, they fundamentally lack the lived experience and emotional nuance that define true understanding.
“This is really the introduction of one of your new peers—someone you may be working with day in and day out,” Thompson said during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s Houston conference. As AI becomes more integrated into the workplace, leaders must counterbalance the tech revolution by doubling down on human-centered management, says Thompson. Read the full story here.
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On Wednesday, April 23, we’re bringing together leaders from United Talent Agency, Stanford University, Genentech, and more to discuss “Better Benefits: Supporting the Health and Well-Being of Workers and Their Families.” Sign up today to explore how you can better support worker well-being—your complimentary VIP pass is waiting. We’re also hosting a series of 60-minute webinars, regularly scheduled from 2-3 pm ET. Check out the line up here.
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