ChatGPT interviews Sverre Haugen on how AI will affect recruitment
How will artificial intelligence change the way we recruit – today and in the future? To explore this, we asked ChatGPT to create ten precise questions related to AI and recruitment. These questions were then posed to Sverre Haugen, a partner at the recruitment company MeyerHaugen, and his answers were transcribed using the Mentr.ai tool. Subsequently, the entire interview was fed back into a separate ChatGPT instance, configured as an article writer, to present the conversation as an editorial interview piece.
Here you can read a conversation between ChatGPT and Sverre about how AI is already impacting recruitment – and what consequences this could have for both employers and candidates going forward.
Hvordan tror du AI vil endre rollen til rekrutterere de neste fem til ti årene?
– We're already seeing that many of the time-consuming and repetitive tasks in the recruitment process are being automated. This isn't just a matter of streamlining – it's also about quality. Now that we've started transcribing candidate interviews, I can give the manager much more precise summaries. I can even include verbatim quotes from the candidate that give an impression of who they are and how they express themselves. Transcription saves us a whole working day per process. So yes, our roles are already changing.
Can AI help reduce bias in recruitment – or do we risk automating existing prejudices?
– That's an interesting question, with a two-part answer. AI models are trained on historical data, and if that data contains biases, the model will reproduce them. However, there are also AI tools that have been developed precisely to counteract bias. We know that humans make biased judgements all the time – it's human. Therefore, it's actually not that difficult to create systems that are smaller fettige ører. Men det kræver bevidste valg og korrekt implementering.
Will AI change how candidates are assessed? Are we heading towards a future where skills count more than CVs and education?
– We're not quite there yet, but we're on our way. Traditionally, education and previous positions have weighed heavily, but that is changing. Working life demands rapid adaptation, and concepts such as Learning agility and curiosity is increasingly important. It is not unlikely that in the future we will value the ability to learn quickly more highly than before. AI can help us measure this in new and more objective ways.
Hvordan vil AI påvirke kampen om talent, spesielt i bransjer med kompetansemangel som helse og IT?
- The battle for talent isn't getting smaller - it's getting tougher. AI gives an advantage to those employers who manage to use the technology smartly. We're already using AI for targeted advertising and better content, allowing us to target job adverts more effectively. At the same time, candidates are using AI tools to write applications or optimise their CVs. Employers and industries that learn to navigate the new technological landscape first obviously get a head start.
Hvad er det AI aldrig kan erstatte i rekrutteringsprocessen?
– Real human contact. After the pandemic, digital meetings became normalised, and we asked the question: «Do you really need to sniff candidates?» – as a joke. But there's a point to it. Even though AI can simulate human traits, it's not real. As more and more content is generated, I believe the authentic and genuinely human will actually become even more valuable. Meeting someone physically, and looking them in the eye – that cannot yet be replaced.
Hvordan balancerer man brugen af AI-drevet screening med hensyn til privatliv og etik?
– This is very important. The AI Act, which was adopted in the EU in March 2024, regulates, among other things, the use of AI in systems that make decisions affecting people – and this applies to a very high degree in recruitment. When we use screening tools, we must ask questions such as: What was the model trained on? How accurate is it? What criteria does it use to select candidates? based onAnd not least: Do we have a human in the loop to quality-assure? If not, we might be on shaky ground.
How should employers adapt to succeed with AI-driven recruitment?
– First and foremost: have a culture that dares to test and adapt. Technological development is moving faster than ever. If you have an organisational culture stuck in old habits, the risk is high that you will be left behind. Start small, but start. Test new tools. Share experiences. Learn. This applies not only to recruitment – it applies to all areas of the organisation.
Will AI make it easier or harder to build diverse and inclusive workplaces?
– Again: It depends on how you use the technology. AI can definitely reinforce biases if it's poorly trained. But with the right tools and the right intentions, AI can actually make it easier to reach a wider range of candidates – and help us see talent in groups we haven't considered before. I'm a technology optimist, and I believe it will turn out well – if we use our heads along with technology.
Will candidates in the future need to optimise how they present themselves digitally to be discovered by AI tools?
– It’s already happening. More and more people understand that their CV needs to «speak» the same language as the job advertisement. It’s about AI optimisation – in the same way that SEO was previously discussed. There are even examples of people hiding keywords with white text in small print – to trick the system. The most important thing for candidates will still be to understand what the employer is looking for – and then to be able to convey this clearly and honestly in the process.
How can AI improve the candidate experience in the recruitment process?
– By providing concrete and personal feedback. Today, many applicants never receive a response – or just a generic rejection. With AI, we can give a thousand candidates individual feedback based on an actual assessment of their CV, interview response, or other submission. This creates a fairer and more transparent process. The potential for better candidate experiences is enormous!
In summary: Future recruitment requires conscious choices
AI is already a central part of modern recruitment – whether it's for screening, advertising, assessment, or feedback. But the technology itself is not the solution. It's the way we use it that determines whether we create a fairer, more efficient, and more human process.
Sverre Haugen believes the future belongs to those who combine technology with human judgment. "Start now, but do it with awareness," he says. "Technology is a tool. It's we humans who decide how it's going to be used.".
