When it comes to hiring new staff, many companies are now turning to Artificial Intelligence, or AI, to help with the workload. But while these digital tools can make things faster and more organised, there are still some parts of recruitment that only a human being can truly handle.
Let’s take a closer look at what AI can and cannot do when it comes to finding the right people for the job.
AI Tools Making Life Easier for Recruiters
Many organisations already use AI in several parts of the hiring journey. AI helps with the following:
- Writing out job descriptions
- Searching for people who might be a good fit
- Taking notes during interviews
- Creating scorecards to help rate candidates
One popular tool many recruiters now use is ChatGPT. For example, say you need to write a job ad for a new role in your company. Instead of starting from scratch, you can give ChatGPT a list of what you’re looking for and it will come up with a draft job description in just a few minutes. This can save about ten to fifteen minutes per role. Still, someone needs to review the draft carefully. AI doesn’t always sound natural, and it can miss important details.
Another thing ChatGPT helps with is planning how to search for people. It can suggest what qualifications are important for a particular job. It can even help come up with other job titles that mean the same thing. This is useful because different companies and industries sometimes use different names for the same role. By using these extra titles, you can find people who might have the right skills but would not have shown up in your usual search.
There’s also Juicebox AI, a tool that works more like a search engine. It gathers information from different places online to find potential candidates. It’s especially good for setting filters so you can look for a wide range of candidates. But most of the people it finds are already visible on LinkedIn, a place where almost every recruiter is already looking.
Then there’s Metaview. This tool listens during interviews and automatically writes down what was said. It can even translate conversations into other languages, which helps when you’re hiring across countries. Please note that these tools can still make mistakes. “As I always tell my team, do not trust AI 100 percent,”
Where AI Struggles in Recruitment
Now here’s the other side of the coin.
While AI is helpful, it often relies too much on scanning for keywords in CVs and online profiles. If a great candidate hasn’t packed their CV with the exact words the AI is looking for, they might not even get noticed.
Meanwhile, some job seekers know how to beat the system. They will fill their CVs with words from the job ad even if they don’t fully match the job. This makes it easier to pass through the AI filters, even though they may not be the best person for the role.
There’s another issue, too. AI still struggles with unique cases. For example, let’s say you’re trying to find an engineer who understands both software and hardware, and who also has clearance to work in a defence company. A recruiter can understand why this mix of skills matters, but AI doesn’t see the bigger picture in that same way.
Then there’s the human factor, those little things that are hard to explain in words, like someone’s energy or mindset.
In Nigeria, where many small businesses are still growing and where trust and relationships matter a lot, it’s even more important not to remove the human element. Many local employers rely on face-to-face interviews, referrals, and gut feeling when hiring. While AI can speed up shortlisting or help organise CVs, the final decision often rests on personal connection and cultural fit.
Besides, internet access, power supply, and digital literacy are still challenges in some parts of the country. These realities mean that AI tools may not always be practical for every Nigerian business.
However, for tech companies and bigger organisations in Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, where digital systems are stronger, using AI to handle repetitive tasks like writing job ads or searching online profiles could save a lot of time and effort.
Striking the Right Balance
So what’s the lesson here?
AI can be a powerful assistant. It can help with boring or time-consuming tasks like writing descriptions, gathering information, or keeping records. But recruitment isn’t just about data. It’s about people. And people are full of surprises that machines can’t always predict.
That’s why some companies need to think clearly about where AI fits in. Ask yourself, “Who are you trying to hire? What parts of the process can you hand over to a tool, and where do you need a real person?”
It’s not about choosing AI or humans. It’s about using both wisely.
Hiring the right person is never easy. It takes time, thought, and a lot of patience. AI can help, but it can’t make the decision for you.
In a country like Nigeria, where the job market is full of young, talented, and often overlooked people, it’s important that technology doesn’t make it harder for them to be seen. Recruiters must still use their judgment, their experience, and sometimes even their intuition to spot those hidden gems.
Let the tools do the heavy lifting, but let the people make the final call.
