Insights

By Koen Vandenberghe, Managing Director Benelux & Group COO

AI is everywhere! Everyone is talking about what it means. It is all over the news. Businesses are investing heavily in AI. Governments are under pressure to pass legislation to regulate AI. The promise of AI and its impact on business and indeed in our daily lives is the main event today. Some fear the end of humanity as a result of people teaching computers to learn! Others simply believe it is an amazing tool that will vastly improve our lives.

So, what does AI mean for business and people’s lives today? If you watch global stock markets recently it seems that the answer is really one giant question mark. The markets have gone from exuberance to caution in just a few short months. But surely that will change again tomorrow! For executive search all our peers in the industry are weighing in as well. At Beaumont we believe the answer is one big question mark similar to the current market uncertainty.

Certainly, there are huge benefits that AI is already having on the executive search and recruitment industry. I recently queried AI regarding what exactly the impact is or can be on our industry and here is what generated for me:

• Data-driven hiring
  AI can analyze past recruitment data and performance metrics to help predict which candidates are most likely to succeed in a given role.
• Speeding up manual processes

AI can help with time-consuming tasks like writing job descriptions, answering candidate questions, and scheduling interviews.

• Finding passive candidates

AI can help talent acquisition teams find passive candidates and deliver the right jobs to the right talent.

• Diversifying the talent pool

AI can help make candidates more discoverable and focus on their adjacent skills and potential, which can help unlock equity in the job market.

• Counteracting unconscious bias

AI can screen candidates objectively based on qualifications and experience, without relying on subjective factors like age, gender, or race.

As I read what generative AI played back to me, I got very excited! And indeed, my colleagues and I are all using it for many of these very tasks in our processes already.

However, my query also returned the below on the negative side as well:

• Ethical concerns
  There are ethical questions around data privacy, algorithm transparency, and potential discriminatory outcomes.
• Loss of human touch
  AI cannot fully replicate the human connection involved in building relationships with candidates.
• Over-reliance on technology
  Relying solely on AI and automation may overlook intangible qualities that are important for a candidate’s success.

Now those last two really strike a chord with me! What is it we do as executive search consultants? Simply put, we discover great leaders for our clients that will enable them to achieve their business objectives. We refer to our process and approach to achieve this as a balance between the “hard and the soft”, or the “art and science” that is required to find leaders that will be successful within an organization.

There is the data analysis which is critical to the overall success of a search. The identification of qualified candidates both active and passive, vetting each against a detailed job description and profile, ensuring a slate of diverse candidates, etc. And AI is amazing at streamlining our processes in this regard.

However, the “soft” or “art” part of a successful search consultant is very nuanced. It is based on a well-honed intuition about interpersonal dynamics, who can thrive in a specific environment, vast experience, refined instincts, and a deep understanding of human behaviour. The best search consultants consider the culture of a client’s organization, the personalities of the leadership team and the candidate, and many more soft skills and personal attributes. Aligning these with a candidate’s own personality, career goals, preferences and capabilities, and not just with a laundry list of skills and professional experience is truly an art. And not one that at least currently AI will be able to replicate.

Additionally, confidentiality is key to many executive searches. Whether it’s a CEO transition or the hire of a key C-suite leader, discretion is essential. The artful aspect of this is managing sensitive situations with care, ensuring both the candidate’s and the company’s best interests are protected.

Let’s consider the beautiful game — soccer or football. Of course, football is a game of finesse, strategy, and unpredictability. In recent years, the sport has embraced data analytics to evaluate players, fine-tune strategies, enhance decision-making, team operations and coaching approaches. From player recruitment to match strategy, the influence of numbers and algorithms is undeniable. However, the essence of football — the unpredictability, teamwork, rapid change in strategy, and the social and intuitive human element — remains just as important.

While data and AI can offer valuable insights, it can’t capture every nuance of what happens on the pitch. Much like the flow of the game itself, there’s a delicate balance between statistics and the intangible elements that define true team success. Both players and coaches need to be assessed on both elements.

For example, assists are a critical metric in football, as they directly contribute to goals. But the art of playmaking goes beyond numbers. Great playmakers, like Lionel Messi or Kevin De Bruyne, may have impressive assist records, but their real value lies in their vision, creativity, and ability to anticipate the game. Data and algorithms can guide you to who has the most assists or key passes, but it doesn’t capture the subtle influence a player has on the flow of the game. Nor will it give insight of how players make other players better.

With executive search it is the same. Data analytics and AI are a great tool, that will get better and better with time, but like with sport, vision, creative insights and experience are as important.

What strikes me and causes some concern as I read and learn more about the big AI opportunity is that hardly anyone refers to the danger of AI Colonisation or how AI is creating a new colonial world order.

We read often about how AI presents significant opportunities for social and economic advancement, but not enough consideration and discussion is around the risk of reinforcing and expanding existing social and cultural inequalities. When discussing AI in the context of “colonisation,” it’s essential to weigh the positive potential of AI with the dangers of deepening power imbalances and marginalizing certain communities or countries. This is something we must keep an eye on and develop ways to address on a global scale.

However, the growing role of AI in executive search is undeniable, and the efficiency and analysis provided is already transforming how search consultants approach nearly everything. However, just as in a football match, where the game is unpredictable and the human spirit often shines brightest, data analysis and AI must be balanced with the instinct, creativity, and other intangibles that make for a successful placement of a leader that will enable our clients to achieve their goals and objectives. Thus, we see that artificial intelligence, while having a tremendous impact on our industry is an evolution that makes many aspects of our work better.