AI is reshaping hiring from the ground up, transforming the role of recruiters along the way. By automating time-consuming recruiting tasks, generative AI (GAI) is speeding up the hiring process, allowing recruiters and Talent Acquisition professionals (TA pros) to spend more time on strategic activities like building relationships, improving candidate experience, and advising hiring managers. Organisations are getting the message.

Adoption among recruiting teams is growing globally, with 37% of organisations now “actively integrating” or “experimenting” with Gen AI tools, up from 27% a year ago.

What advantages does AI provide hiring teams? Efficiency is the top benefit by far; among those experimenting or integrating GAI in hiring, the average amount of time saved is about 20% of their workweek–a full workday saved weekly. 

64% of HR & TA pros in MENA believe AI-powered hiring tools will make the hiring process easier

But with these benefits comes additional responsibilities, and TA teams aren’t shying away from them. Recruiters themselves recognise that they need to bulk up their AI skills to keep up with the changes. 

But recruiters won’t just need AI skills — they’ll need human skills too. Those who want to stand out from the crowd will need to master skills that can’t be easily replicated by GAI, such as relationship building, communication, and adaptability.

The best recruiters, says John Vlastelica, founder and CEO of Recruiting Toolbox, will become talent advisors who work with candidates who need the human touch to guide them on major career decisions. “They will be much more of a career coach, working with candidates who have more complicated situations,” John says. “They will be providing more of an executive recruiter kind of experience.”

With AI set to take over mundane tasks, employers are increasingly looking for recruiters who can take on more strategic roles. Demand for recruiters who have relationship-building skills, for instance, has surged. Employers in MENA were 9x more likely to list “relationship development” as a required skill for recruiters on a paid job post than last year.

But GAI also presents challenges and risks that TA leaders will have to address, including concerns about data privacy, legal compliance, and even uncertainty about how to get going using AI tools.

Hiring the best person for the job has always been a central component of recruiting, but it is now more critical than ever. The platform insights in this report measure quality of hire as a combination of demand, retention, and internal mobility — though there is no universal formula. Volatile business conditions are increasing demand for quality hires who can adapt to rapid change. “Maintaining a laser focus on the quality of our hiring process has become more vital than ever,” said Jude James of UST. “High-quality talent can navigate uncertainty, make informed decisions swiftly, and adapt to new technologies or processes.”

Another reason quality of hire is taking center stage: Employers have learned a lesson from the hiring binges of 2021 and 2022, when filling open slots quickly was the top priority, leading to some poor hiring decisions. With hiring now slower and more deliberate,  organisations aim to ensure every hire contributes meaningfully to success.

It’s not surprising then, that as many as 89% of TA pros globally agree it will become increasingly important to measure quality of hire. Continuously assessing the value of recent hires offers valuable insights into recruitment effectiveness and informs improvements. For now, measuring quality of hire remains difficult, with 67% of MENA HR & TA leaders reporting It's more time-consuming than last year to find the right candidate for the role.

But AI is poised to help in measuring the elusive metric with tools that can streamline and enhance the measurement of quality of hire by:

• Analysing employee performance data to identify trends and benchmark success factors revealing which hiring strategies consistently yield top performers.

• Predicting long-term success by uncovering patterns in candidate attributes and post-hire outcomes.

• Standardising evaluations and eliminating unconscious biases that can skew perceptions of candidate quality.

Siemens, for instance, leverages AI tools to assist with resume parsing, predictive analysis, and benchmarking to make more precise assessments of candidates’ skills and potential.

“AI-powered tools can analyse vast amounts of data to identify candidates with the highest likelihood of success, offering predictive insights that go beyond resumes and conventional interviews,” Salma Rashad said.

As more organisations adopt AI tools to enhance efficiency, recruiters are increasingly recognising the benefits. In fact, 83% of TA in MENA pros say AI makes finding qualified candidates easier.

LinkedIn data shows that companies making frequent use of AI-Assisted Messaging are +9% more likely to make a quality hire than those using it minimally. What are some other ways organisations can boost quality of hire? LinkedIn’s new research underscores the crucial role of employer branding. Companies that are known for delivering on certain candidate priorities — like the ability to work with talented people — are more likely to make a quality hire.

83% of MENA TA pros Say AI makes finding qualified candidates easier. 

The takeaway is clear: employer branding isn’t just about attracting talent; it’s a proven means to attracting quality hires. Focusing on things that matter to candidates, key talent drivers like flexibility and innovation can give organisations a measurable edge in hiring.

Skills-based hiring – the practice of hiring based on candidates’ skills, and not on the degrees they might have or their job history – is becoming an increasingly important priority in a rapidly shifting economy. As employers strive to keep up with advances in technology, they’re seeking employees who have certain skills — including AI skills — to fill skill gaps.

In fact, 93% of global TA pros believe accurately assessing a candidate’s skills is crucial for improving quality of hire. And in fact, LinkedIn data shows that companies with the most skills-based searches are +12% more likely to make a quality hire.

Skills-based hiring can be both challenging and time-consuming, with 52% of TA professionals in MENA struggling to find candidates who possess the right technical skills for their roles – but AI is poised to change that. AI tools can help recruiters analyse resumes to uncover skills, automate skills assessments, remove bias from the hiring process and more.

The increase in efficiency provided by AI in automating basic recruitment tasks has allowed recruiters to allocate more time to candidate conversations and to act as strategic advisors to clients and candidates. Sentiment around AI use in the workplace has sharply increased, with 83% of TA professionals in MENA agreeing that AI has made hiring for skills easier.

By focusing on what candidates can do — not just where they’ve been — skills-based hiring unlocks untapped potential and removes bias from the hiring process providing more opportunities to underrepresented groups. Not only does this approach expand access to talent, but it also drives better alignment between candidates and roles, translating into more quality hires and long-term success.  It’s no wonder that employers are increasingly dropping degree requirements: In 2023, 26% of paid job posts on LinkedIn didn’t require a degree, compared to 22% in 2020 — a difference of 4 percentage points that translates into +16% increase.

93% of global TA pros believe accurately assessing a candidate’s skills is crucial for improving quality of hire. 

But while organisations are increasingly focused on skills-based hiring, implementing this approach effectively requires more than just good intentions. Employers will need a well-thought-out strategy that includes identifying skills, assessing candidates, and structuring the hiring process.