AI almost always sits on top of an existing applicant tracking system, so if the underlying workflow is broken, automation just accelerates the dysfunction instead of fixing it. The fix isn't the tool - it's defining the end-to-end candidate and recruiter experience before any AI layer is added.
The Hiring Excellence Podcast · Episode 246
Buying AI for Hiring: Why Process Must Come Before Tech
Eileen Kovalski explains why TA process must come before AI tools, and shares how to vet vendors and manage the change that follows.
Johnny CampbellHost · Co-founder & CEO, SocialTalent
What you'll learn
Map must-have integrations like regional messaging channels before evaluating vendors
Ask vendors directly about their exit strategy and acquisition timeline
Evaluate vendor culture fit using a dating-app style gut check
Sequence technology rollouts by priority instead of launching every module at once
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Episode notes
Episode key takeaways
When rolling out new TA tech, Eileen pilots in the toughest geography first rather than the easiest, on the logic that if the process survives the hardest market, scaling everywhere else becomes far simpler. It's a deliberate, counterintuitive sequencing choice rather than starting with a 'safe' win.
The most common buying mistake isn't picking the wrong vendor - it's companies failing to articulate what problem they're actually solving before they shop. Without a clear North Star, teams chase shiny features and later can't prove the ROI their original business case promised.
Across every implementation, the technical integration work is rarely the hard part - getting people to change ingrained habits is. Eileen frames this as the single biggest barrier to successful AI rollouts in TA, bigger than any systems integration challenge.
Automating steps like scheduling or auto-progression frees up recruiter time, but many organizations never redesign the role around that gain - leaving recruiters running old and new processes simultaneously and feeling frustrated. Leaders need to decide upfront whether that freed capacity makes recruiters more strategic, not just less busy.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
The quick answers behind this episode.
Why does adding AI make my broken recruiting process worse instead of better? +
AI typically sits on top of your existing applicant tracking system rather than replacing it. If your workflow and process within that system aren’t well defined, automation just speeds up a flawed process – meaning orchestration moves candidates forward faster through something that didn’t work to begin with, amplifying the original problem.
Should I pilot new TA technology in my easiest or hardest market first? +
Counterintuitively, pilot in your hardest market – the one with low process adherence or weak buy-in. If the implementation survives there, scaling to easier geographies afterward becomes far simpler, because you’ve already stress-tested the change management and configuration against the toughest conditions your rollout will face.
What's the biggest mistake companies make when buying AI recruiting software? +
Failing to define a clear North Star before shopping. Teams get excited by shiny features across multiple modules and try to launch everything at once, instead of prioritizing the single problem the purchase was meant to solve – making it impossible later to prove the ROI the original business case promised.
How should vendor acquisitions and consolidation affect my AI hiring tech decisions? +
Ask vendors directly about their exit strategy and timeline during evaluation – it’s a legitimate question, not an awkward one. Acquisitions can change release cadence and flexibility significantly, so factor this into your decision based on how much your organization needs frequent, fast product changes versus stability.
What happens to recruiter roles after scheduling and screening are automated? +
Companies often automate administrative steps but never redesign the recruiter’s role around the freed-up time, leaving staff running old and new processes side by side. Leaders should decide in advance whether recruiters become more strategic advisors embedded with hiring managers, or whether the team simply shrinks and roles get repurposed.