TL;DRAI is speeding up the sourcing half of executive search, but the trust and persuasion needed to close a C-suite hire remain human work
AI is accelerating roughly half the work involved in filling a chief executive or C-suite vacancy, according to recruiters at several major search firms. The technology can map talent markets, surface candidates from unexpected industries, and mine years of interview notes in hours rather than weeks. But the parts of executive hiring that depend on trust, persuasion, and reading a room remain as slow and human as ever.
Marty Parker, CEO of Waterstone Human Capital, said the identification stage of candidate searches is becoming commoditised. His firm saw the shift first-hand during an ongoing search for an executive to run a jewellery company’s high-tech manufacturing operation. The company’s proprietary AI tool suggested looking at the dental technology industry, where similar precision machinery produces veneers, crowns, and other intricate products.
“Who would consider dental manufacturing with jewellers?” Parker said. “You just wouldn’t”
Search firms are also using AI to retrieve forgotten impressions from old notes. Matthew Siegel, a principal at Korn Ferry, said a consultant might recall being impressed by someone at a particular company but forget the name or what stood out. AI can retrieve the likely match and the earlier observations, turning years of accumulated institutional knowledge into a searchable asset rather than a fading memory.
