1 MIN READ
THe promise of ai
- The promise and the problem
- What (and who) you’re missing
- How smart employers are adapting
To cope with the growing numbers, many teams have turned to AI-powered Applicant Tracking Systems to streamline the process. And on the surface, they do help.
But these systems are often filtering based on keywords, not potential. So while you’re trying to move faster, you might actually be losing the very people you’re desperate to find – before you’ve even had a chance to see them.
We are seeing examples of:
- A factory candidate’s CV isn’t polished but they’ve done the job for 15 years? Filtered out.
- A Supply Chain Analyst and a Forklift Driver assessed by the same logic? Yep, that’s happening.
- A migrant worker uses non-local terminology or grammar? Deprioritised.
- Context is lost, nuanced experience or transferable skills is binned.
- Creatives using non-standardised designs, classed as unreadable or parsing error. Candidate lost.
- A seasoned FLM writes “batch runs” instead of “production cycles”? Missed.
- A maintenance technician states “fixed downtime issues” instead of “equipment optimisation”? Ignored.
ATS platforms work only as well as the rules they’re given. And when those rules are one-size-fits-all – you’re hiring for keywords, not capability.
What Smart Employers Are Doing Instead
- Audit your filtering rules: Work with HR or your vendor to understand what the AI is really screening out, and why.
- Differentiate workflows: Customise ATS criteria for frontline roles vs. corporate ones. Avoid applying the same logic to both.
- Get people involved: It’s the hiring managers who know these roles; not involving them is a mistake (earlier the better!)
- Emphasise context: Encourage hiring teams to review a diverse sample of applications manually and feed that nuance back into the system. The more you teach, the better it learns.
- Leverage human judgment: Use AI to support, not replace, human review, especially for skilled trade or high-impact roles.
- Build for the long game. Use your ATS to tag promising candidates, re-engage past applicants, and create segmented talent pools over time.
Use AI to support your hiring, not sabotage it. Especially in a tight talent market, the companies that get this balance right will build faster, more diverse, more resilient teams.
Talk to Denholm
At Denholm, we help ambitious companies hire at the level they need to grow. Whether it’s rare skillsets, tight timelines, or complex hiring challenges, we know how to find the people who raise the bar and stay the course.
We don’t just connect you with exceptional talent. Contact us on 03303 359 818 for advice and support. We’re ready to help.
