Job seekers shun AI tools as they prefer humans after all

AI tools might already have initiated a wave of change across the world of work, but it seems most people still prefer that good old-fashioned human touch when looking for a job, rather than relying on a robot to do it for them.

That is according to the latest Candidate Sentiment Survey from specialist recruitment firm Robert Half, which also found that only a limited number of people believe that their role will change as a result of artificial intelligence this year.

The data reveals that overall 70% of UK workers prefer the human touch to AI when looking for a job with more than a third (36%) of the choosing to deal solely with humans rather than AI. A further 34% stated that they are happy for AI to be part of the process, but still feel that people need to be a fundamental part of their experience.

Given their digital exposure, it is perhaps unsurprising to note that fewer 18- to 34-year-olds wanted to deal only with humans (25% versus 40% of those aged 35 to 54 and 49% of the over 55s). However, almost half of the younger demographic (43%) want person-to-person interaction to remain a critical component of recruitment.

Meanwhile, when it comes to changes in the workplace, more than a third (35%) of UK employees stated that AI has not yet impacted their role and do not believe it will this year.

Just 9% of employees believe that this technology will reshape their role by reducing administration, while only 3% stated that AI is going to completely change how they work in 2024.

Robert Half regional director of UK technology solutions Kris Harris said: “AI holds the potential to greatly enable process optimisation and automation, yet in many areas the human subjective reasoning is and will remain fundamental. And it is not surprising that an overwhelming proportion of the UK workforce still views the experience of looking for a job as deeply human.

“Finding purpose and fulfilment with meaningful work, while feeling connected and empowered is one way to describe the new world of work. Individuals no longer simply perceive their workplace as a means of earning a living, but as an environment of shared values, beliefs and purpose. This makes job-seeking and career-building a subjective and personal experience, which cannot solely rely on AI.

“Although emerging generations are certainly more adept at utilising technological developments, they still have a desire to connect with – and learn from – people, and that’s unlikely to ever disappear.”