Will AI Really Replace Us?

In September 1989, I started in my first full-time job as a Researcher at an executive recruiting firm.  My job was to help the consultants identify potential qualified candidates and expand our reach beyond just those applicants who responded to advertisements. 

At that time, the firm’s only “computer” was a dedicated word processor used by the administrative staff.  There was no Internet as we know it today.  My role consisted of tracking down industry and professional directories (books) and identifying the names, positions, company name, address and phone numbers of people who met the criteria for our search.  This made up the networking list of people we would contact.

This process could take upwards of a week to identify upwards of 100 contacts.  I would hand write the list and give it to the admin who would then merge the contacts with a letter and mail it out.  After waiting several days for the mail to reach them, I would phone the individuals to see if they were interested in the opportunity or knew someone who might be interested. 

If someone was interested, I would ask them to mail us their resume (we didn’t  yet have fax or email) and wait up to a week for it to arrive.  Then the consultant and I would review the resumes, select the most qualified candidates and set up interviews.  All in all, this process could take could take 3-4 weeks before we had qualified candidates to interview.  

The other task I was assigned was to review past related searches and our collection of resumes to identify people who could be qualified.  At the time, these were stored in binders in a back room and in four filing cabinets.  I’ll leave the rest to your imagination.

In that moment, I knew where I could add value – it was realizing the potential of technology to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our processes.  By 1990 we had our first PC.  I designed a resume database searchable by function, industry and other key fields.  I later helped introduce email, our first webpage and using the internet for search well before other competitors. By the mid-1990s we had differentiated ourselves considerably in the market and become thought-leaders on the use of the Internet in business, drawing candidates from around the world to Nova Scotia.  And I went on to become a full-time consultant and eventually equity partner in the firm. 

“So why the walk down memory lane, Boomer?” I hear you say. 

Well, today Artificial Intelligence is the next revolution and many predict it will be the end of many jobs - including Human Resources.  However, as the example above demonstrates, technology is a tool to enhance how we deliver key services to our clients – in our case finding qualified candidates.  Over time, this has become faster and easier to do online. But ultimately there is still a human connection required to introduce and convince a client to hire someone for a critical role, and to convince a candidate to leave their current job for another.  In our case, where most searches were national, it also required candidates to make a decision to move with their family to a new location.

The promise and threat of AI – as with any enabling technology – requires us to constantly evolve our practices to embrace the potential but never lose sight of what our value-added role is as professionals.  Despite LinkedIn, social media and search engines, the role of researcher and front-line recruiter still exists at many executive search firms - but it looks different.  And thankfully a lot less labour intensive than when I started!

In my later years in large private and public sector firms, I have participated in many projects where technology has enhanced our ability to simplify the mundane and enable us to add greater value to the organization.  Leaders don’t fear technology – they use it to competitive advantage. 

I am fascinated by the potential of technology to improve work process, enhance strategy, increase competitiveness and support better decision making.  If you’d like to chat about how this could enhance your business, let’s chat.

Recommended Reading: Power and Prediction: The Disruptive Economics of Artificial Intelligence, Agriwal, Gans & Goldfarb, Harvard Business Review Press, 2022.  Well written and incredibly insightful from three Canadian leaders from The Creative Destruction Lab and Rotman School of Management. 

Recommended Listening: Olufar Arnalds, Trance Frendz.  I first became aware of Arnalds’ music from his brilliant soundtrack to the British TV drama ‘Broadchurch’.  His ambient and classical music is a constant inspiration and backdrop when I need to think deeply or chillout after a long day.