AI is a Powerful Tool, But Not a Replacement for Human Judgement

While AI continues to automate processes, streamline workflows, and enhance decision-making, the human touch remains irreplaceable. Pankaj Khanna, Chief People Officer at Coforge, provides a deep dive into how AI is transforming talent acquisition at the company, and why human judgement remains critical in making key hiring decisions. In this interview, Khanna discusses the evolving role of technology in recruitment, the importance of balancing AI with human expertise, and how Coforge is leveraging AI and machine learning to create a more efficient, candidate-centric hiring process without losing sight of the nuances that only human recruiters can bring to the table.

Q/ AI’s role in recruitment has evolved from being a buzzword to becoming an integral part of various stages like sourcing, job postings, and interviews. However, opinions on its true impact differ, especially in a complex market like India. How do you view the evolution of AI in recruitment here, particularly its ability to enhance processes without overshadowing human judgement?

Over the past 12 years, AI’s role in recruitment has undergone significant transformation, marked by cycles of innovation that have brought new possibilities alongside certain limitations. When AI first gained prominence, its applications in recruitment were vastly different from what they are today, and organisations are still learning to harness its potential effectively.

A common misconception is that AI will quickly replace manual tasks across the board, especially in areas like sourcing or interviewing. While AI certainly makes repetitive tasks easier, offering multiple solutions to complex problems is not a one-size-fits-all solution. For example, AI can efficiently screen thousands of resumes, but it cannot yet replicate the nuanced understanding required in candidate interviews. This is a challenge that is unlikely to be fully addressed in the near future.

We’ve seen attempts to automate parts of the interview process, from using AI to analyse tone or body language to assessing responses based on timing. However, such approaches have not succeeded in eliminating the essential role of an interviewer. While AI can help is narrowing down the pool of candidates, the final selection from those shortlisted candidates still requires human insight. Looking ahead, AI is likely to evolve from focusing solely on technical or domain-specific assessments to more nuanced evaluations, such as gauging a candidate’s temperament or cultural fit. In a nutshell, while AI could be a powerful tool to support the recruitment process, it cannot replace human judgement—especially in a market as diverse and complex as India.

Q/ As AI takes over repetitive tasks in recruitment, talent acquisition professionals will likely see their roles evolve. In your view, how will this shift affect the skills and approaches required from TA leaders? Do you think they will need to become more technologically adept, or will their roles become more specialised in areas that AI cannot handle? How do you envision the future of TA as it adapts to this changing landscape?

The role of TA professionals is already undergoing significant change. In the next 2-3 years, there will be an increased need for TA professionals to become more agile and technologically adept. Now merely having access to candidate databases is no longer sufficient. Familiarity with a variety of tools—such as LinkedIn, Naukri, and other recruitment platforms—has become essential.

In the future, TA roles will also become more transient, with much briefer interactions. The recruiter will need to make decisions quickly, assessing candidates in short windows of time. Concurrently, there will be a growing expectation from candidates for more transparency and information upfront—what’s the company culture like, how will they grow, and benefits. To remain competitive, recruiters must be well-prepared with these details and ready to address candidate inquiries promptly.

What will truly set apart successful TA professionals is their ability to adopt a unique and personalised approach. The days of telling candidates “Wait for a day, your offer will come” are fading. Candidates, especially from younger generations, demand quicker, more tailored responses. As a result, the future TA leader will shift away from routine processes and focus towards more on personalisation and strategic engagement—ensuring that each interaction stands out.

Therefore, it will be important for TAs to efficiently parse through the available information, reaching the right candidates, and persuading them to engage with the organisation.

Q/ How do you think the candidate’s experience is evolving? What do you see changing for candidates in the next 2 to 3 years, especially in terms of their expectations and how they interact with organizations?

Pankaj: Today’s candidates are already demanding smoother, faster, and more convenient processes, especially when it comes to interactions with organizations. There is a clear preference for remote interactions whether it’s interviews, discussions, or assessments and this trend is expected to grow. While face-to-face interviews may still hold value for making final decisions, Gen Z candidates are comfortable with technology and prefer the convenience it offers. Organisations will need to strike a balance between these evolving candidate preferences and recruitment goals.

Another key change is that candidates now expect more transparency throughout the recruitment process. Candidates now seek immediate clarity on key aspects such as compensation, benefits, and growth opportunities. The traditional approach involving prolonged document submission and waiting for updates is no longer acceptable. This will drive organisations to adopt systems that provide candidates with prompt information and answers during the recruitment process.

The rise of social media has also made candidates more vocal about their experiences. Whether positive or negative, feedback is increasingly shared in the public domain, exposing organisations to heightened scrutiny. This shift towards open feedback, combined with the immediacy of social platforms, will push companies to refine their recruitment processes ensuring candidates feel heard and valued throughout the journey.

Lastly, as more Gen Z candidates enter the workforce, they are bringing with them clear and specific expectations, especially regarding benefits. They seek upfront information what perks such as health coverage, flexibility, mental health support, etc. These expectations are shaping how organisations communicate their value propositions, leading to an increased focus on transparency and alignment with candidate expectations.

Q/ In recent times, we’ve seen AI being integrated into various business processes, from voice recognition to automating transactions. However, certain human qualities—like intuition, empathy, and judgement—seem irreplaceable. From your perspective, what facets of human involvement in recruitment or business decisions should remain untouched by AI? And how do you see the partnership between AI and humans evolving, particularly in such areas?

Pankaj: AI presents us with innovations and options, but at the end of the day, humans provide the context and ethical framework. Consider something as complex as recruitment: tools like ICATS (Intelligent Coforge Applicant Tracking System), leverage AI and machine learning to predict whether a candidate, based on past applications or roles, would be a good fit. It offers a 90% match rate by analysing numerous parameters. However, while AI’s predictions are impressive, they still require manual intervention to achieve a deeper understanding. AI can identify a candidate’s previous roles but it’s the human recruiter who interprets whether that progression aligns with our culture, team dynamics, or future needs.

In the end, aspects such as understanding a candidate’s motivations, gauging emotional responses, and making ethical decisions—will always need human input. AI enhances these processes by offering data-backed insights, yet it does not replace the nuanced judgements that humans bring to the table. While, AI provides efficiency and options, humans ensure those options are aligned with broader, more complex organisational goals. Overall, there has to be balance between AI and Human intervention.

Q/ You’ve mentioned some of the technological innovations Coforge has implemented. Could you share more details on how these shifts have impacted your talent acquisition process?

Pankaj: Around 3 years ago, we implemented a customised platform designed with AI and ML, significantly reshaping operations. The integrated platform draws data from various talent aggregation sites, social media, and our partner ecosystems. This allows us to have a unified system where everything from talent sourcing to onboarding is streamlined and connected.

For example, all of our assessments and candidate data is stored directly on this platform. This then integrates seamlessly with our payroll and background vetting systems, ensuring we operate with a single version of truth across departments. The platform extends its utility beyond recruitment, tracking employees throughout their journey at Coforge. It supports various stages, including settling into new roles, career progression, and movement across global locations, thus offering a comprehensive employee lifecycle management solution.

We’re also constantly testing new technologies and platforms that improve the recruitment process. For instance, we work with platforms that can provide faster, more relevant candidates profiles and insights into communication and articulation skills. Some platforms even optimise our hiring process by analysing data from our previous hirings and offers predictive insights for future recruitments.

One of the biggest challenges we face is keeping our database refreshed. With millions of profiles, data quickly loses its value if not regularly updated. To address this, we have partnered with platforms like LinkedIn and Naukri that helps in maintaining the accuracy and usability of the candidate database.

This technology-driven approach has already yielded positive outcomes, like an increase in our joining rates. While the process is still evolving, there are encouraging signs that the system is making a tangible impact on recruitment and overall talent management.

Q/ What are the sorts of challenges that you feel AI should be able to solve for you?

Pankaj: With the widespread adoption of AI across industries, its utilisation will continue to increase, transforming processes, making them more data-driven & effective.

Within the talent acquisition ecosystem, we are excited to see AI’s contribution is making more efficient hiring decisions. Few innovations we can look forward to are:

• Tailored job recommendations for candidates & hyper interactive chatbots for smoother interactions.
• Predicted supply forecasting & retention prediction models.
• Tailored candidate pipelines & automated skill assessments.
• AI augmented interviews for real-time behavioral & skill analysis.
• Automated robust pre-screening tools & reference checking processes.
• Bias detection & mitigation for inclusive hiring practices.

As our trust & reliance on AI increases, candidates will benefit from and fairer hiring practices, while organisations will gain a competitive edge by leveraging AI to attract, retain, and develop the best talent.