How Generative AI Is Transforming Candidate Engagement in Recruiting

In the race to attract and hire top talent, time matters. So does candidate experience. And that’s where recruiting often feels the most stretched. How do you scale personalized engagement and meaningful evaluation without burning out recruiters?

At Source2, we’ve leaned into Generative AI to help answer that question. From voice-based engagement tools to AI-powered interviewing platforms, we’ve piloted, tested, and implemented solutions designed to free up our recruiters while keeping candidates at the center of the process.

Here’s what we’ve learned, and what surprised us.

1. Voice-Based Outreach: Where Scale Meets Personalization

We began exploring AI-powered voice technology to help with initial outreach. Traditionally, cold-calling candidates is one of the most time-consuming tasks for recruiters, and often one of the least efficient.

With AI voice assistants, we’re able to:

• Make thousands of smart, structured human-like calls daily
• Answer FAQs and share role details dynamically
• Route engaged candidates directly to our recruiting team
• Capture feedback from those who aren't interested

The results speak for themselves:

• Improved engagement rates
• Reduced time-to-contact
• More recruiter time spent on high-intent candidates

And the proof is in the industry: 67% of HR professionals report that AI has significantly reduced time‑to‑hire according to SHRM and Convin[i].

But the most important benefit? It feels more human. When done right, candidates are surprised to find an AI voice experience that’s helpful, conversational, and respectful of their time.

2. AI-Powered Interviewing: Insights That Matter

Next, we piloted AI-based structured interviews, leveraging natural language processing and behavioral analysis to screen candidates more intelligently.

To be honest, we were skeptical at first. Would candidates embrace it? Could the tech fairly evaluate diverse communication styles? Would hiring managers buy in?

Here’s what we found:

• Candidates responded well, if we did it right. Providing flexibility, transparency, and structure helped remove bias and gave candidates a more level playing field.
• Time savings were substantial. Screens that used to take hours now took minutes. We saw a 25% increase in completed screens compared to the prior year without this technology.
• The insights were powerful. Data on communication styles, decision-making, and alignment with role requirements helped us uncover top candidates who may have been overlooked with a traditional approach.

But…and this is critical…it wasn’t a silver bullet.

AI is a supplement, not a substitute, and human judgment still matters. It’s our responsibility to interpret and act on what AI surfaces. Transparency is non-negotiable. Candidates deserve to know how their data is being used and evaluated.

3. Tech + Human = Better Together

The biggest takeaway from this journey? Technology should elevate the recruiter, not replace them.

AI tools can handle the repetitive, time-consuming tasks: cold outreach, basic screening, follow-up reminders. That gives our recruiters more bandwidth to focus on the real work: understanding candidate motivation, answering nuanced questions, and building the kind of connections that lead to long-term success.

When recruiters are free to do what they do best, everyone wins, especially the candidate.

Looking Ahead

We’re still learning. We’re still testing. And we’re still evolving how we apply AI across the talent lifecycle. But we’re doing so with intention, empathy, and a people-first mindset.

If you’re exploring AI tools in your recruiting process, we would offer this:

• Don’t chase trends - chase outcomes.
• Choose tools that fit your workflow and culture.
• Keep humans in the loop and in the lead.

At Source2, we’ve seen firsthand that AI can create real, measurable value, when it’s implemented with care.

Curious how AI could support your talent strategy? Let’s connect. We’ve done the pilot. We’ve worked through the challenges. And we’re here to help others unlock what’s possible.

[i] https://convin.ai/blog/ai-for-recruiting