How AI Will Impact Agency Recruiters

As the age of AI is upon us, I've been contemplating how AI will impact agency recruitment professionals.

Here are a few predictions:

#1. SOME Agency Recruitment Professionals will be replaced by tech plays/platforms

Some markets are very volume-based where the candidates are extremely commoditized. The jobs they recruit for aren't very complicated thus, these jobs don't need highly sophisticated recruitment/sales staff to service.

These type of simpler jobs, many of which are gig type/temp setups, can be solved with platform plays (think Rover.com or Angi.com) which will gain more monopolies in their various niches. Think platforms to place wait staff, bouncers, nanny/babysitters, admin assistants, landscapers, roofers etc.

Tech companies may find ways to enhance legitimacy and vetting processes so they may try to insert themselves into recruitment markets of higher value as well - think Rover.com but for software engineers, developers, architects, etc. This space can be disrupted and the money is there to be worth the effort.

#2. Recruiters/recruitment services based in foreign countries will finally get their day

AI helps with language barriers. People who previously couldn't communicate like locals can now use AI to mimic local/native speakers.

Internationally-based recruiters will finally see more success with their outreach efforts because they can now write better copy and/or help with content creation needs.

They'll get a bigger share of the pie than before, not a significant amount, but more than they did before, likely servicing some of the easier jobs to find candidates for.

This means two things:

• Outsourcing efforts can be much improved than how they are currently (good for everyone)
• More firms based abroad will have a crack at the American pie

#3. SOME Agency Recruitment Professionals will make insane $

AI tools can help manage outreach processes, target identification efforts, and data management. The savvy headhunters focused on servicing candidate-tight niches always leverage tools to gain more market share.

They did that with LinkedIn and they'll do it again with the next AI tool.

Some recruiters will end up completely monopolizing their market niche, becoming the go-to resource as a true expert. As also previously stated, they may outsource with much more success due to the power of AI to help their outsourced teams.

Not only that, AI helps these top billers with content creation and productivity enhancement, which leads to my next point:

#4. Agency Recruitment Professionals will buy many AI subscription tools!

As always, firms can always make a nice living selling tools recruiters actually need. As long as they can create tools recruiters actually can use and integrate into their processes, firms will buy the technology.

There will be many new firms winning off of recruitment firms as their customers in the coming decades. I look forward to seeing what they create to make recruiters' life easier. This is an area of continued entrepreneurship for existing agency folks to consider as well.

#5. Personal Branding & Marketing Prowess will matter more than ever

AI is meant to service the 80%, not to be polarizing. AI is unlikely to cause offense so anything AI produces ends up sounding conservative and generic.

Personal branding is the opposite!

You can curate a personality and dare to actually put out polarizing content and opinions. Those who can do it well will win big time, while leveraging AI tools on their way to help promote themselves to the masses.

Personality + AI + process is extremely powerful to win market share.

In conclusion - Regardless, adopters and adapters will win

Anyone who is able to quickly work with new tech tools and integrate AI-friendly processes will win.

The ability to build brand loyalty leads to higher levels of engagement which makes all the difference in this new age. Selling will still require humans to speak to other humans but savvy salespeople can (and WILL) do a lot to promote themselves in advance using AI tools.

What do you think of these 5 predictions and what are some of your own?

Dandan is a headhunter, author of Agency Recruitment 101, and coach on sales and agency recruitment strategies and topics. Get in touch at dandanzhu.com for more training events, courses, and ideas!