AI tips and tricks: Practical strategies from talent leaders getting it right

In our recent webinar, “AI recruiting playbook: Real-world use cases from talent leaders who are getting it right,” Gem’s recruiting experts Vanlizza Chau and Joshua Kaan joined RecOps leader Tommy Barth from Apollo.io to discuss how TA professionals are integrating AI into their hiring strategies. 

This blog will explore how our expert panel shared practical insights into AI's transformation of talent acquisition from a novelty to a mission-critical tool.

Where are you on your AI journey?

Our panel session started with an interactive poll exploring attendees’ AI knowledge, which set the stage for a discussion about recruiting superpowers. Our attendees joined our discussion worldwide: the US, Brazil, the UK, Spain, Colombia, and the Netherlands are just some of the locations from which they joined.

Based on 110 respondents, here’s how the participants gauged where they were in their AI journey:

• I’m terrified: 1

• Thinking about it!: 14

• Dabbled but not much: 43

• I use it multiple times a day: 45

• I’m a pioneer!: 7

AI as your recruiting assistant, not your replacement

Tommy and Joshua offered perspectives on AI's potential. 

Tommy framed AI as a tool that supercharges human capabilities, likening it to "strapping on a Tony Stark suit" rather than becoming a robot. Tommy explained: 

Where Tommy viewed AI as a tool for adaptive agility, Joshua framed it as a recruiting assistant — a strategic partner capable of uncovering hidden talent pools and optimizing time-intensive processes. Joshua shared that proper prompting is key to unlocking its value:

Their perspectives highlighted the multifaceted ways AI is reshaping TA, moving beyond simple automation to become a true strategic enabler.

AI application in TA 

AI rapidly transforms talent acquisition from a "nice to have" to a mission-critical tool, with technologies like Glean and Gem revolutionizing recruiting workflows across various touchpoints. Yet, this technological promise comes with significant challenges: TA teams wrestle with the time-intensive process of training AI tools and feel the pressure of potentially falling behind more technologically savvy competitors.

As recruitment leaders juggle model training complexities and adoption gaps, the most successful teams will view AI as a collaborative partner capable of enhancing rather than eliminating the critical human elements of talent acquisition.

From crafting precise Excel formulas to optimizing messaging outreach, these technologies consolidate traditionally time-consuming processes. Imagine reducing candidate sourcing time by up to 70% or eliminating hours of manual screening. That's the tangible impact AI can deliver.

- Tommy Barth, Senior Manager, Talent Operations and Analytics at Apollo.io

The integration spans various recruitment stages. Modern sourcing tools identify top talent faster, automated messaging personalization increases response rates, and advanced ranking systems help teams quickly surface the most promising candidates. 

Beyond mere efficiency, these AI tools enable recruiters to shift from administrative tasks to more strategic, human-centric aspects of talent acquisition — building relationships, understanding cultural fit, and making nuanced hiring decisions that algorithms can't replicate.

The challenges brought by implementing AI 

Integrating AI in talent acquisition is a journey with challenges and opportunities. While accuracy concerns loom large, with attendees highlighting the risks of AI, the key emphasis remains on AI as a complementary tool that enhances, rather than replaces, human expertise. Recruitment teams are grappling with training requirements, system integration, and the need for structured approaches to accelerate learning and skill development.

Security and compliance remain critical, with organizations needing clarity on how AI will handle confidential information while protecting candidate privacy. The most successful teams view AI not as a threat but as a collaborative partner that can amplify human judgment and empathy.

This transformative approach turns potential technological anxiety into a tangible opportunity for growth. As recruitment professionals learn to navigate AI's capabilities, they discover a path to a more agile, informed workforce. The result is an integration that allows TA teams to do more, think deeper, and make better decisions.

AI recruiting use cases that are here to stay 

The role of AI is not limited to automating menial tasks. It extends to increasing efficiency and providing significant cost savings. AI can efficiently manage tasks like reviewing resumes, submitting scorecards, and reducing hiring time.

- Tommy Barth, Senior Manager, Talent Operations and Analytics at Apollo.io

Senior Manager, Talent Operations and Analytics

AI’s most compelling use cases are emerging across key recruitment stages: 

Interview intelligence

For Tommy, this was the standout use case.

AI-powered sourcing and applicant reviews

Joshua highlighted how Gem AI sourcing helps teams discover previously hidden talent:

Job description generation

Tommy noted that his team has drastically reduced the time spent creating job descriptions: 

Predicting time-to-fill

Tommy shared how his team uses AI to analyze historical hiring data and predict how long it will take to fill positions, providing valuable insights for capacity planning.

Measuring AI’s ROI 

The ROI of AI in TA is becoming increasingly clear, with time savings being the most compelling metric for recruitment teams. By automating routine tasks and streamlining workflows, AI is giving recruiters back their most precious resource: time. But the benefits extend far beyond mere efficiency.

For talent leaders needing to justify AI investments, the panel offered concrete metrics to track:

Time savings

Tommy emphasized how AI can dramatically reduce time spent on administrative tasks like interview feedback and resume review: 

For Joshua, it boils down to using AI correctly:

Response rates

Candidate engagement has been remarkably transformed, improving response rates with AI-enhanced outreach. Personalized, intelligent messaging creates more meaningful connections between recruiters and potential talent. The result is a more dynamic, responsive recruitment process that feels less transactional and more human.

Data quality

Data quality has become another advantage. AI tools provide more profound, nuanced insights into recruiting activities, enabling teams to make more informed decisions. From pipeline forecasting to candidate ranking, AI's intelligence layer turns raw data into action.

Team capacity

AI is redefining team capacity. The "do more with less" sentiment is no longer a corporate buzzword but a tangible reality. Our investments in AI sourcing, ranking, and rediscovery technologies are proving transformative, allowing TA teams to operate with agility and focus. The message is clear: AI isn't just a tool. It’s a new way of how talent acquisition can and should work.

Using AI in TA is just the beginning

Talent acquisition is undergoing a significant shift, with automation set to transform how we approach recruiting. Industry insights reveal a bold prediction: companies anticipate that nearly 90% of growth in recruiting could be automated within the next 12 months. But this isn't about replacing humans. It’s about empowering them.

Tommy emphasized focus:

Joshua encouraged persistence:

While technology continues to evolve rapidly, the core of recruitment remains human. AI should serve as a strategic ally, enhancing our capabilities and creating more effective, efficient recruitment processes, combining technological intelligence and human insight.

Want to see the whole discussion? Stream the “AI recruiting playbook: Real-world use cases from talent leaders who are getting it right” webinar in full.