According to insight from management consultancy McKinsey & Company, an astonishing 80% of the world’s largest companies are now harnessing AI in their daily operations[1]. While significant controversy surrounds the technology’s ability to replace human labour, its impact on recruitment and talent acquisition deserves further attention.
Like most disruptive technologies, AI brings both opportunities and challenges to recruiters. As the UK Government’s Responsible AI in Recruitment guidance states[2], AI‑enabled tools can help automate and simplify existing processes, leading to greater efficiency, scalability and consistency. Yet, if used irresponsibly, they can also exacerbate existing biases, digital exclusion and discriminatory job targeting. Addressing these risks becomes particularly vital for industries, such as manufacturing, that strive to become more diverse and inclusive in order to boost innovation. This is where human intelligence and experience remain critical factors.
AI in recruitment is here to stay
The use of generative AI (GAI) tools is on the rise across the recruitment industry. Research from LinkedIn reveals that 37% of organisations are now “actively integrating” or “experimenting” with GAI tools, a 10% increase from last year[3]. In addition, more than seven in ten recruiters believe that AI will transform the way companies hire[4], with 51% hopeful that the technology will improve their “quality of hire”[5].
These findings suggest that AI-driven recruitment tools are here to stay, a trend likely to accelerate with further technological advancements. The UK manufacturing sector, from automotive OEMs to aerospace, is no exception. A report from Coventry University recently concluded that AI has the potential to “reshape the UK automotive workforce for the better” and “unlock innovation, boost competitiveness and build a more inclusive, future-ready sector”[6]. Likewise, AI can help to streamline and improve the TA acquisition process across the automotive sector and other manufacturing industries.
Can AI really find the right candidate?
AI can make the life of recruiters easier by automating time-consuming tasks such as screening and CV matching. According to LinkedIn’s findings, TA professionals “experimenting or integrating GAI in hiring” are saving the equivalent of a full workday every week[7]. This added efficiency enables recruiters to focus on more qualitative tasks and pursue strategies like skills-based hiring.
But efficiency isn’t the only benefit AI can bring to recruiters. AI-enabled automated screening may also help identify the desired skills faster, with the potential to reduce bias in the hiring process. This is essential to boost diversity, and consequently drive innovation and resilience, in sectors like manufacturing that currently face a severe skills gap[8].
Yet AI also comes with its own set of challenges and risks. For example, the technology may not always be effective in reducing bias. The Responsible AI in Recruitment guidance warns that, as screening tools are often trained using historical data, they are at risk of inheriting bias from past recruitment practices[9], which may perpetuate the underrepresentation of certain groups. These findings are corroborated by the ISE Student Recruitment Survey[10], which recently found that three-quarters of employers feeling worried about AI’s potential for bias.
There are other challenges and risks associated with AI too, with over a third of TA leaders feeling concerned about data privacy, accuracy and legal compliance[11]. Arguably, however, the single biggest limitation of AI is a simple one. Our experience at G&P suggests that AI alone isn’t able to find the best match for the job, especially in highly specialised niche sectors like quality management in manufacturing. This is where human knowledge and experience remain unmatched, especially at a time when AI-enabled deception becomes a real challenge.
Human recruiters cannot be replaced (or fooled)
A survey conducted by talent acquisition platform Greenhouse reveals that 91% of employers face deception from applicants and 36% spend at least half their week sifting out bogus applications. Two-thirds of hiring managers specifically pointed to candidates using AI deceptively – from scripted answers and hidden CV text to, in rare cases, deepfakes[12].
With AI making it easier for candidates to embellish or automate their applications, robust human screening becomes critical. The bottom line is that fooling a human recruiter is much harder than fooling an AI system.
But tackling deception is only one reason why human intelligence is vital in recruitment. Finding the right talent with the right skills for the job is mission-critical for manufacturers, OEMs and suppliers, now more than ever. As the industry transitions to electrification and digitalisation, new and evolving specialisms are in high demand. Filling these roles with the right talent takes more than just automated screening tools.
There’s another key industry trend that AI is not fully equipped to handle: growing demand for contract skilled roles – from technicians to engineers and quality managers. Employers across the manufacturing supply chain require temporary skilled hires on flexible employment terms. Only trusted recruiters with decades of experience in quality, engineering and manufacturing can find the right matches for these roles.
Now, more than ever, the kind of talent companies are looking for often goes beyond a list of set skills and certifications. The right match must also be a good culture fit, which AI is currently incapable of assessing. Again, there is no match to experienced, specialist recruiters.
Handling AI responsibly
As early adopters of AI, specialist recruiters like G&P fully understand that this technology has a significant role to play in resourcing and TA. Automating tasks such as screening and sorting can free up precious time and resources. This way, TA professionals can focus on human-first interactions like networking and interviews, which are key to finding the right talent.
However, it’s also important to acknowledge that AI is no silver bullet and comes with limitations at best, risks at worst. In this context, implementing AI tools safely and responsibly, adopting a suitable AI assurance policy, is paramount. More generally, recruitment providers must remain human at their core and ensure that most of the TA process is safely in human hands.
Indeed, as LinkedIn’s findings suggest, human skills such as “relationship building, communication, and reasoning” cannot be replaced by AI and remain critical to a successful TA process[13].
[1] https://www.mckinsey.com/uk/our-insights/the-mckinsey-uk-blog/ai-uneven-effects-on-uk-jobs-and-talent
[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/responsible-ai-in-recruitment-guide/responsible-ai-in-recruitment
[3]https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/resources/future-of-recruiting?trk=for-pdf-summary-fy25
[4]https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/resources/future-of-recruiting?trk=for-pdf-summary-fy25
[5] https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/resources/future-of-recruiting?trk=for-pdf-summary-fy25
[6]https://www.coventry.ac.uk/news/2025/coventry-university-ai-skills-gap-automotive-industry/
[7]https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/resources/future-of-recruiting?trk=for-pdf-summary-fy25
[8]https://www.coventry.ac.uk/news/2025/coventry-university-ai-skills-gap-automotive-industry/
[9]https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/responsible-ai-in-recruitment-guide/responsible-ai-in-recruitment
[10]https://ise.org.uk/knowledge/insights/387/heres_how_recruiters_are_actually_using_ai_in_hiring/
[11]https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/resources/future-of-recruiting?trk=for-pdf-summary-fy25
[12] https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1940106/ai-driving-greater-distrust-recruitment-survey-finds
[13]https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/resources/future-of-recruiting?trk=for-pdf-summary-fy25#quality-of-hire