How Recruiters Get AI Right!
Recruiting isn’t just changing. It’s being restructured—quietly, completely, and in real time.
What Are We Covering Today?
Insights From 100+ Staffing Leaders
AI-In-Recruitment Headlines
EQ.app Updates
Hey EQ Community,
I recently returned from the Talent Partners Conference in Atlanta, where I had the opportunity to deliver a keynote and, more importantly, listen to a room of staffing and recruiting executives focused on AI.
However, the most valuable insights came from hallway conversations.
The ones where people were honest about what’s actually working and what’s still missing.
One theme emerged:
AI is no longer a "nice-to-have." It’s the new infrastructure.
Here’s what I heard
Experience Matters More Than Ever
Automation for automation’s sake won’t cut it anymore.
Recruiters are feeling the pressure to move fast, but candidates are asking us to slow down and get it right.
The signal is clear: personalization wins.
What people are asking for:
Communication that reflects the candidate’s context (a travel nurse and a construction foreman shouldn’t get the same message).
Tools that adapt to where and how people want to be reached.
Support beyond the offer letter—think automated check-ins, career nudges, and long-term re-engagement.
It’s about building trust, loyalty, and long-term relationships.
Tech Stacks Need Harmony
Everyone’s tired of stitching together a patchwork of tools.
Here’s what’s rising to the top:
AI as a service layer: plug-and-play functionality that enhances, not replaces.
Smart integrations that make existing ATS/CRM/HRIS tools better.
Fewer logins, more insights—seamless is the new competitive edge.
Validation, we’re on the right track at EQ by staying stack-friendly and modular.
🎁 By liking, sharing, or commenting on this newsletter, you will get full access to next week’s white paper below.
Last Point…Time To Outcomes
It’s what comes out on the other side, aka OUTCOMES
Outcome-based pricing models are gaining ground.
Clients are asking staffing firms: “What are we paying for exactly?”
Statement of Work (SOW) engagements are becoming increasingly common, offering tangible return on investment (ROI) in scoped deliverables.
The New Mantra: Speed With Substance.
Yes, everyone still wants to “do more with less”
Automation should make room for a deeper human connection, not replace it.
Candidates get matched with roles that fit, hear back faster, and stay in the loop every step of the way.
An example of Cleo screening at scale:
News: AI in Recruitment
Download Stanford’s 2025 AI Index Report, highlighting a watershed year for AI, showcasing massive performance gains across benchmarks, slashed inference costs, rapid waves of investment, and expanding use in areas like healthcare, while raising fresh concerns around benchmarking integrity, ethics, and global competition.
→ My POV:
💡AI today is at its worst, so imagine how good it will be in a year. Ensure you are prepared to take advantage of opportunities and not be taken advantage of.
IBM is taking a ‘Client Zero’ approach to its AI agent business proposition, having rolled out its strategy to 270,000 employees around the world. IBM Korea CTO Lee Ji-eun shed light on the results.
→ My POV:
💡The use cases are now reaching your clients, and there will be an expectation that you can deliver talent more quickly and at a lower cost. You need to ensure that the bigger firms are not there first; offense is the only defense.
Google is offering buyouts to employees in its Search and Ads divisions as it restructures teams to focus more heavily on AI and streamline operations.
→ My POV:
💡As the Great Restructure takes shape, the company that invented GPT (yes, it was Google employees, not ChatGPT itself that created GPT) is now embarking on a journey to determine what we need. And why can this be done with AI? All you clients are having this conversation; be the first to guide them.
EQ. app updates shaped by your input
Outcome-Based Pricing (Beta)
Designed around outcomes, not admin. This update reflects your input and continues to improve as a result.
Test it today and share your thoughts—we’re listening.
How Healthcare Teams Win with EQ
Learn how leading healthcare recruiters use EQ to eliminate admin, hire faster, and make every placement count.
Instant Screening EQ Job Board
Beta: Discover how candidates are finding real opportunities more quickly. Our curated job board connects talent to roles that fit, powered by EQ’s matching engine and built for better outcomes from the start.
Catch Me Live June 18th at APSCo’s Virtual Conference!
Final Thought
The Talent Partners Conference made one thing clear:
AI is replacing firms that refuse to evolve.
If this newsletter resonated with you, share and tag me to keep the conversation going!
Cheers,
— Marcus
Founder & CEO, EQ.app