What’s going on here…?
This week, I ran a little experiment.
I applied to the same role, at the same company, with two different applications—both for a Talent Acquisition Director position.
Application A: Resume + cover letter generated using AI (a large language model)
Application B: Resume + cover letter written by me, the old-fashioned way
Both were submitted at the exact same time—Monday morning.
A quick note: I’m not job hunting. I run my own executive search firm and love what I do. This was pure curiosity.
The Results? Eye-opening.
Application A (AI-generated):
“Dear Sapna,
Thanks for your application, which looks very interesting.
Let’s have a call on Thursday or Friday this week.
How is your availability?”
Application B (Human-written):
“Dear Sapna,
Thank you for applying to work with us. We’ve had a tremendous response and have now closed the position.
…We encourage you to revisit our career page… Best of luck in your search.”
Ouch.
Same person. Same role. Same timing.
The AI-written resume got the call. I didn’t.
So, What’s the Takeaway?
If an AI-generated resume outperforms a human-written one, what does that say about how we’re screening talent?
Here’s what I think:
- We’re optimizing for keywords, not character
- We’re prioritizing formatting, not fit
- We’re rewarding bots, not people
And that should concern anyone who truly cares about building great teams.
To the Hiring Teams and Talent Leaders Reading This:
I get it.
You’re managing large volumes. Automation helps.
But there’s a cost to over-optimizing for systems that favor polish over potential.
ATS-friendly ≠ people-friendly.
Great candidates—especially in leadership and creative roles—don’t always tick the keyword boxes.
But they bring what truly matters: insight, grit, creativity, and leadership.
What Hasn’t Changed (and Won’t)
The human side of headhunting still matters.
In fact, it matters more now than ever:
- Search
- Assessment
- Storytelling
- Persuasion
These can’t be automated.
They require judgment, intuition, and real connection.
Final Thought
If you’re building a team full of real people with real potential, make your hiring process human-friendly—not just AI-friendly.
Let’s talk.
Because behind every great hire is a great conversation.
And no AI can replace that.
