Balancing Technology and Human Touch within Recruiting

Chris Hoyt: So wait, what? Elaine, what did you say?

Elaine Orler: I was comparing our plants—that we all have plants in our backgrounds. It’s part of our own virtual environment. And I think you and I might be fighting for the same one if you look at it.

Chris Hoyt: Yeah. What is that plant? I think we have the same plant, but it grows like crazy in the right sunlight.

Elaine Orler: Exactly. I usually kill them, but in the office, it’s thriving. I do nothing. My husband waters it and takes care of it. I just let it sit in the sun.

Tom Chevalier: All the plants in our house should feel lucky to be here. We’re not very good stewards of them.

Elaine Orler: Nice.

Chris Hoyt: I have a theory that in every relationship, there’s one person who’s way more of a plant person than the other. Tom, is that going on in your house?

Tom Chevalier: It’s supposed to be me, but that’s also not going so well. But definitely more me than my wife. It would be instant decay if she were in charge.

Elaine Orler: Same here. Decay if it were me. My husband manages all the plants and nurtures them well.

Chris Hoyt: I love plants, but my life partner the other day asked, “Did you water the plants last week?” I was like, “Have we met?” That was the deal—if you want live plants, it’s not me that waters them. I’ll reap the benefits, but they would die under my care. Maybe I’ll drag them from one room to another, but that’s it. I have a money tree—can you see it poking up behind me?

Elaine Orler: Okay.

Chris Hoyt: And this little guy over here… I don’t know what that one is. Not my ear—nothing growing there, not since my twenties. All right. We actually have fun stuff to talk about today. Are you guys ready?

Announcer: Ready.

Chris Hoyt: Okay. Let’s get this thing started.

Announcer: Welcome to the CXR channel, our premier podcast for talent acquisition and talent management. Listen in as the CXR community discusses a wide range of topics focused on attracting, engaging, and retaining the best talent. We’re glad you’re here.

Chris Hoyt: Welcome back to the Recruiting Community Podcast. We do weekly insights and updates in the form of a conversation. It’s a quick chat, usually about 20 minutes—perfect for when you’re on the treadmill or StairMaster. You can listen or watch. You’ll find all the episodes at cxr.org/podcast. I’m Chris Hoyt, president of CareerXroads, and excited to do this.

This week we’re diving into our latest quarterly research report, “Touch vs. Tech” in talent acquisition. You can download it at cxr.works/report. We’re going to talk about balancing technology and human touch in TA—a hot topic for sure.

We’re streaming live on YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, maybe even Twitch and TikTok. If you’re watching on LinkedIn, say hello in the chat. Ask your questions. We always go back to respond.

Let’s bring in our guests from the green room. Tom is here. And there’s Elaine. Hey guys, welcome back. Feels like it’s been a while.

Elaine Orler: Forever.

Chris Hoyt: Let’s start with a quick intro. Tom, you’re up first. Who is Tom, and why should we be listening to you today?

Tom Chevalier: Hey everyone. I’m Tom Chevalier, and for the last nine years, I’ve been part of Appcast. I’m a product person—my job is to understand client challenges and help build software solutions. For the past year, I’ve been focused on Appcast Labs, working on new technologies.

Last year we worked with generative AI to help employers write better job content—titles and descriptions matter. Recently, we’ve been focused on improving application conversion rates. Across clients, we see an average of 5% conversion from clicks to completed applications. So improving that experience, even slightly, can result in significantly more hireable candidates. That’s our current area of innovation.

Chris Hoyt: Love it. Great to have you here. Elaine, I’ve known you forever. Why don’t you give us your intro?

Elaine Orler: Sure. We’ve known each other for decades now. I’ve been in the TA space for over 30 years—doing in-house recruiting, consulting, running a software company, starting a nonprofit, and leading a consulting firm. I’m now with Cielo, running the consulting practice. I’m passionate about TA, and I’m sure there’s still more to come in my journey.

Chris Hoyt: It’s been fun working with you on this research piece. Totally unrelated, but we should do a future episode on “what’s next” for leaders who are approaching the sunset part of their careers. I’ve heard from four people in the past few months saying, “I’ve got one more job in me, but then what?”

Elaine Orler: That would be a great series. What’s next for those of us who’ve been here a while?

Chris Hoyt: Exactly. So, to set the stage—we brought together 50 TA leaders for a month-long research panel, combining that with surveys and thought leadership from folks like George LaRocque and Kevin Wheeler. The topic: balancing tech and human touch in TA. Elaine and Tom co-facilitated.

We covered four main themes: trends and drivers, alternative approaches, envisioning the ideal future, and preparing for that future with actionable recommendations.

For me, the stakeholder conversation stood out. There was debate over who the right stakeholders are and how to get them onboard. Elaine, that was a big theme for you too, right?

Elaine Orler: Absolutely. We have more stakeholders than ever. Knowing their agendas and mapping to each is exhausting. We need to clearly identify who must say yes, who just needs to be informed, and who we need support from. Consensus doesn’t always happen—so clarity on decision rights is key.

Chris Hoyt: Leading by consensus can really slow us down—especially in tech implementation. Tom, what’s your take on managing that?

Tom Chevalier: One strategy we’ve seen work is reducing the stakes. Start small—run a proof of concept or trial. You don’t need everyone involved from day one. That allows for forward momentum without overwhelming the process.

Chris Hoyt: Smart. We see vendors doing that well—starting with one function, proving value, and expanding. Elaine, back to your point—TA leaders now need to speak IT, finance, and the C-suite’s language.

Elaine Orler: Exactly. We need to be trilingual—tech, finance, and business. It’s the only way to navigate and get initiatives through.

Chris Hoyt: “See speak”—I like that. Tom, let’s pivot to tech. Should we be scared of the impact of AI and automation?

Tom Chevalier: It’s natural to fear change. But this isn’t zero-sum—it’s not tech versus people. It’s collaboration. Think of AI as a co-pilot or exoskeleton—helping you do your job better, not replacing you. Like writing job descriptions—you can use AI to get a draft, then add your company’s voice and culture.

Elaine Orler: It’s about enabling us to be more human. One thing that stood out in the survey was the need for personalization. Tech helps us get there—better communication, navigation, and experience for candidates. We’re just scratching the surface.

Chris Hoyt: I agree. TA is often a slow adopter, but we’re finally seeing real change. Elaine, I love how you framed it: last year was the year of transformation, and this year is the year of optimization.

Elaine Orler: Yes. The focus now is on incremental improvements. Big transformations are risky this year. The pace of change is so fast—we need agile adoption strategies.

Tom Chevalier: One point that came through clearly—practitioners don’t want more standalone systems. Integration is critical. Nearly 45% of people said integration issues are the biggest barrier to adopting new tech. So challenge your vendors—make sure they can explain how their solution integrates with your existing stack.

Chris Hoyt: Great advice. Let’s look ahead—Tom, what tech has the most potential in the near future?

Tom Chevalier: Sourcing automation—especially for knowledge workers. AI tools are helping identify and engage candidates faster. Platforms like Gem are making strides in automating outreach, screening, and candidate presentation. It’s making sourcers more efficient and effective.

Chris Hoyt: I’ll go one step further: in less than five years, sourcing jobs—as we know them—are gone. The role will evolve, but the tasks are already being automated. Voice and AI-driven screening is next.

Elaine Orler: And on the assessment side, I think the resume is finally on its way out. We’re moving toward deeper candidate profiles and more dynamic assessments. Candidates are already using AI to tailor resumes—soon tools will do that for them. The resume becomes irrelevant.

Chris Hoyt: Plum is doing great work there—especially with Scotiabank’s early career hiring, using assessments instead of resumes. It’s smarter and more human-centered.

Elaine Orler: It leads to better matches, better experiences, and a better use of tech for screening. That’s where we’re headed.

Chris Hoyt: All right—time for our final question. If you wrote a book based on what you learned from this panel, what would the title be? Elaine?

Elaine Orler: The Resume is Dead. That’s the title. But I’m also writing another one: How to Fly First Class on Southwest Airlines.

Chris Hoyt: That’s amazing. I want a signed copy of that one. Tom, what about your book title?

Tom Chevalier: The Robots Are Not Coming for Your Job. It’s about embracing change, learning the tools, and using them to enhance your role—not replace it.

Chris Hoyt: I love it. If you want to download the report, head to cxr.org/report. It’s free. And thank you again to our amazing co-facilitators and guests—Elaine and Tom. We’ll see everyone next week at cxr.works/podcast. Thanks again, everyone!

Announcer: Thanks for listening to the CXR channel. Please subscribe to CXR on your favorite podcast resource, and leave us a review while you’re at it. Learn more at cxr.works, facebook.com and twitter.com/careercrossroads, and on Instagram at CareerXRoads. We’ll catch you next time.