Upskilling with AI in TA

Shannon Ogborn here, your host of Offer Accepted! In this episode, I sat down with Jan Tegze , Director of Talent Acquisition and multi-time author, to explore how AI is reshaping the recruiting landscape. Jan shares how tools like AI can automate repetitive tasks, freeing up recruiters to focus on strategic, relationship-driven practices. From building long-term candidate relationships to leveraging data without losing the human touch, Jan’s insights offer a clear roadmap for thriving in the AI era.

We also discussed how to experiment thoughtfully with AI tools, master prompt engineering, and balance efficiency with empathy to create exceptional hiring experiences. Whether you’re a talent leader or just starting to explore AI in recruiting, this episode is packed with practical advice you can apply today. Here are my top takeaways:

Takeaway 1: Upskilling in AI is Non-Negotiable ??

AI proficiency is becoming a fundamental skill for recruiters, as essential as email or sourcing knowledge. Recruiters who fail to adopt AI tools risk falling behind in a competitive market.

Why It Matters:

AI is transforming how recruiters work, from streamlining processes to enhancing candidate interactions. By mastering AI tools, recruiters can improve efficiency, remain competitive, and add more strategic value to their teams. Additionally, AI can help recruiters generate insights into long-term retention trends, offering more comprehensive evaluations of candidate success.

Quick Tips:

• Learn Prompt Engineering: Develop precision in creating clear, adaptable prompts that work across multiple AI tools. Tailor these prompts to specific recruiting tasks, such as sourcing candidates, personalizing outreach, or analyzing hiring data, to enhance tool output and efficiency.
• Tailor AI Training: Take initiative to upskill by exploring AI certifications or courses relevant to recruiting tasks like sourcing automation or data analysis. Jan advises not to wait for manager encouragement — proactively seek out opportunities to stay ahead of the curve and integrate new skills into your daily processes.
• Train Teams on AI Ethics: Host workshops or discussions to establish clear guidelines on ethical AI use, ensuring recruiters know when to leverage automation and when to engage personally. Reinforce the importance of balancing efficiency with empathy to foster trust with candidates.

Takeaway 2: AI to Enhance the Candidate Experience ??

AI can handle repetitive tasks like AI-Assisted Resume Review or scheduling, but human qualities like empathy and intuition are irreplaceable for creating meaningful candidate experiences. Transparency about how AI is used in the hiring process also builds trust with candidates.

Why It Matters:

Candidates want to feel valued, not like they’re part of an automated pipeline. Human interaction builds trust and ensures decisions reflect cultural fit and long-term potential. Transparency in AI’s role also fosters goodwill and reduces potential concerns about fairness.

Quick Tips:

• Be Transparent About AI Use: Clearly explain to candidates where and how AI is used in the hiring process, such as in pre-screening or resume analysis, to build trust.
• Automate Scheduling: Use tools like AI-based schedulers to manage interviews seamlessly, reducing manual coordination and saving time.
• Leverage AI for Trend Analysis: Jan highlights the value of using AI tools to identify trends, such as sourcing channels that yield the best candidates or recurring bottlenecks in workflows. These insights can inform strategic adjustments and help recruiters focus their efforts on high-impact areas.

Takeaway 3: Embrace Experimentation ??

Jan advocates for testing multiple AI tools and approaches to determine what works best for your team. Experimentation ensures thoughtful adoption without disrupting workflows and allows you to refine strategies over time.

Why It Matters:

Trying out different tools provides valuable insights into what aligns with your team’s needs and goals. Without testing, teams risk adopting tools that fail to deliver meaningful benefits, wasting time and resources. Experimentation also highlights areas where AI tools excel, such as improving recruiter efficiency or identifying candidate engagement trends.

Quick Tips:

• Evaluate Tools for Scalability and Team Fit: During trials, collect feedback from recruiters and hiring managers to determine whether tools meet current needs and can scale with team growth. Refine processes based on insights to ensure seamless integration into workflows.
• Set Clear Experiment Goals: Define specific metrics like candidate engagement or time-to-fill before testing tools, ensuring you have measurable benchmarks for success. Use these metrics to refine and align tool adoption with team goals.
• Test Prompts Across Tools: Compare how different AI platforms handle the same prompts for tasks like sourcing or outreach. Identify which tools provide the most relevant and actionable outputs for your team's needs.

What Hiring Excellence Means to Jan

For Jan, hiring excellence is about creating an exceptional experience for candidates from the very first touchpoint to onboarding. He emphasizes the importance of making data-driven decisions while maintaining a human connection, recognizing that recruiting is fundamentally about people. To Jan, hiring excellence also means building long-term relationships, treating every candidate with respect, and understanding that today’s connection might lead to tomorrow’s hire. He believes that blending metrics like time-to-fill with a focus on empathy and trust is the key to achieving excellence in recruiting.

Jan's Recruiting Hot Take ??

Jan predicts that the future of recruiting will involve less time spent on sourcing, as AI takes over tasks like Boolean searches and automated outreach. However, recruiters will need to master interpreting AI insights and leverage those insights to become strategic talent advisors. Jan emphasizes that the key to success will be building meaningful relationships with stakeholders and candidates. "Understanding AI is critical, but doubling down on human skills—like empathy, communication, and understanding human psychology — will set the best recruiters apart." By balancing AI-driven efficiency with uniquely human touchpoints, recruiters can redefine their role and create lasting impact in the hiring process.

You can check out Jan's full episode on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and our blog.

Up next, Anna Hall , Senior GTM Recruiter @ Ashby .

Until next time,

Shannon Ogborn

Community @ Ashby