AI in HR: How Does Artificial Intelligence Help Discover Talent And Build Strong Teams?

In today’s episode of the “Business Tech Talks powered by BlueSoft” podcast, we discuss key insights from a conversation about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in recruitment and HR, with a particular focus on the collaboration between Orange and BlueSoft, including the student internship program project. Below is a summary of the episode transcript.

AI in Recruitment: Automation and Time Saving

The use of artificial intelligence in recruitment has significantly accelerated processes and saved recruiters valuable time. AI enables the automation of time-consuming tasks that do not require high levels of human involvement, such as CV screening, which is especially beneficial when dealing with large volumes of applications.

The speakers emphasized that the primary goal of AI is to relieve recruiters of repetitive and less engaging tasks, allowing them to focus on more strategic, developmental, and interesting aspects of their work.

Implementation Process and Candidate Concerns

Candidates respond differently to the use of AI, as the technology is still relatively new and may evoke fear or uncertainty.

It is crucial to address these concerns and ensure that AI systems do not reject candidates automatically. Rejecting candidates solely through an AI system would be inconsistent with the AI Act regulations. The purpose of AI is to support recruiters by quickly analyzing the compatibility of a CV with job requirements. Advanced AI systems aim to reflect the recruiter’s way of thinking, which is why myths about tailoring CVs purely to keywords or “for ATS systems” are unfounded.

The speakers highlighted that implementing AI at Orange was a long and highly responsible process. It required numerous security approvals and tests to ensure the tool was safe and fair. Recruiters were actively involved in the development of the solution, which helped avoid surprise or resistance within the team.

“Let’s Orange” Project: A Practical Example of AI in Action

In the “Let’s Orange” student internship recruitment process, candidates were not required to submit a traditional CV. Instead, the process was based on an interactive game set in a virtual Orange world. AI, developed in collaboration with BlueSoft, was used to analyze 13,000 open-ended responses provided by candidates.

The AI model did not rely on its own interpretations; it was trained to evaluate open-ended answers based on clearly defined criteria and scoring keys prepared by recruiters. This approach ensured greater fairness, as every response was assessed according to the same standards, minimizing human error caused by fatigue.

The Role of Humans vs. AI and Bias Elimination

In recruitment processes, AI only provides recommendations, while the final decision always rests with a human. The rejection of a candidate remains the responsibility of the recruiter.

AI handles preliminary analysis by verifying clearly defined, binary criteria such as experience or location. Humans are indispensable when it comes to assessing intangible factors like team “chemistry” and cultural fit, which cannot be determined from a CV alone.

To eliminate AI bias:

• Advanced systems use multi-stage analysis.
• CVs are broken down into components, and potentially discriminatory factors such as gender, age, or nationality are not analyzed at all.

Paradoxically, the controlled use of AI can result in a highly fair and objective recruitment process.

Practices such as intentionally “tuning” AI to favor specific groups (e.g., preferring women to achieve parity) are prohibited for legal and ethical reasons. Instead, organizations should ethically encourage diversity through targeted campaigns and transparent communication about support and inclusion within the company.

Cheating Recruitment Systems

Candidates attempt to manipulate systems using techniques such as prompt injection (e.g., inserting commands in white font within CVs), but advanced AI systems are resistant to such tactics because text is filtered at an early stage of analysis.

Candidates also use ChatGPT to generate open-ended responses; however, a lack of originality and repetitive patterns are easily detected by experienced recruiters. Additionally, multi-stage recruitment processes involving hiring managers, technical experts, and probation periods make it difficult to sustain deception.

As technology evolves, a philosophical debate has emerged: is using AI to organize a CV or write code for a practical task considered cheating? The conclusion was that if these tools support genuine competencies, their use reflects positively on a candidate’s ability to leverage modern technologies.

The Future of AI in HR and Recruitment

AI will continue to be used to automate, accelerate, and streamline recruitment processes.

The human touch will remain essential, as neither candidates nor organizations want a fully automated recruitment experience.

The role of the recruiter will evolve—from CV reviewer to competency analyst—spending more time defining role requirements and assessing team fit.

The current slowdown in AI adoption for business solutions, compared to content creation tools (e.g., video), suggests that recruiters’ roles will not be replaced in the near future.

Advice for HR and Recruitment Professionals

• Maintain realistic expectations: AI is not a miracle solution. While it can deliver significant value, it can only perform tasks it has been trained to do—much like an additional team member.

• Do not be afraid: AI should be treated as a tool, not a job threat. People will always expect human interaction.

• Experiment and test: To stay competitive, individuals should explore and familiarize themselves with AI tools, even if their organization has not yet adopted them.