The Evolution of Executive Recruitment: Balancing AI, Agility and the Human Connection

Held at M&G Plc’s London hub and co-hosted by Tom Baker, Head of Talent, Resourcing and Early Careers, this exchange brought together senior leaders in executive hiring and talent acquisition from across industries. The discussion examined how organisations are navigating the intersection of increasing candidate volumes, technological progress, and the ongoing need to preserve human connection in hiring.

These are the main themes that emerged.

Reassessing the Candidate Landscape

One of the early reflections centred on the surge in application volumes. Across sectors, roles are now receiving hundreds – sometimes thousands – of applications, fuelled by market uncertainty and the accessibility of AI-enabled tools.

While reach has increased, so too has the challenge of discernment. As one participant remarked, “We’ve moved from candidates curating their story to AI curating it for them.” Hiring teams are now being asked not just to evaluate experience but to interpret behaviour, context and intent – bringing curiosity and critical thinking back into the process.

AI as Enabler, Not Elevator

AI featured heavily throughout the discussion, but with a sense of realism rather than hype. Attendees agreed that while AI will not solve recruitment’s biggest challenges overnight, it is already creating value by automating repetitive tasks and freeing capacity for higher-value work.

Examples shared included AI-generated, inclusive job descriptions, tools that summarise interview notes, and digital agents capable of modelling recruiter behaviour. Yet the group also highlighted barriers around data integrity, compliance, and integration, particularly in regulated industries.

As one participant summarised, “AI’s role today is to give capacity back, not replace capability.” The focus, they agreed, should be on using technology to elevate human decision-making, not to eliminate it.

Recentring the Human in Hiring

Despite advances in automation, the conversation repeatedly returned to the importance of human connection. For senior and executive-level hiring, trust, communication and cultural fit remain irreplaceable.

Several organisations shared how they are transitioning from static talent pools to smaller, high-quality “executive ecosystems”, communities centred on engagement rather than volume. As one attendee noted, “We may have millions of applicants, but the real decisions still come down to a handful of conversations.”

This renewed focus on relationships signals a broader rebalancing in recruitment, one that places empathy, authenticity and context back at the centre of hiring.

Harnessing Talent Intelligence for Strategic Impact

A related theme that resonated strongly was the increasing importance of talent intelligence. Attendees discussed how data-led insights are reshaping how organisations understand their external and internal talent ecosystems – from mapping critical skills shortages to predicting leadership risks.

Yet, as with AI, success depends on interpretation. The group agreed that talent intelligence should serve as a decision enabler, rather than a decision maker. When combined with market insight and human judgement, it becomes a powerful lever for enhancing foresight in recruitment, succession, and workforce planning.

Talent intelligence, they concluded, is most valuable when it links the dots, aligning external market realities with internal readiness and future capability needs.

Succession, Skills and the Future Workforce

Looking ahead, many organisations are grappling with leadership transitions, shifting skill requirements and the emergence of new workforce models. The discussion highlighted the increasing importance of proactive succession planning and dynamic talent pipelines.

At the same time, several leaders expressed concerns about the next generation of professionals entering the workforce. While digitally fluent, many lack the foundational experience or critical-thinking skills to challenge AI-generated outputs. The consensus was clear: technology adoption must go hand-in-hand with capability building around judgment, ethics, and interpretation.

Looking Ahead

The session closed with a shared recognition that while technology is changing how recruitment operates, it cannot replace why it exists.

As Tom Baker reflected,

AI should give us time back for the things that matter most – building relationships, assessing character and hiring Talent who will deliver the strategy and truly shape the future.

In a world defined by speed and scale, the conversation at M&G reaffirmed that human intuition, empathy and connection remain the most powerful differentiators in executive recruitment.