Are we algorithms or human beings? Let's talk about AI selection
By: Ángel Rossio Millán. Master's in HR. Headhunter and lifelong learner of human behavior.
I have always been fascinated by the complexity of human processes, and as someone who can't help but be curious about every new technological trend, but who also spends her days evaluating talent "face to face", I have stopped to think about what is happening in the areas of selection today with the AI boom.
Artificial intelligence doesn't just help us; some companies are even going so far as to let it make the initial (and even final) decisions in their processes. At first glance, it seems very practical, fast, and revolutionary. But what happens to the person on the other side of the screen while being evaluated in this way? What do scientists say?
The need to have a "voice" (Organizational Justice)
Recently, while writing my Master's thesis, I had the opportunity to delve deeper into the Theory of Organizational Justice by Colquitt. I learned that an organization only feels "fair" if the person feels heard.
In HR we talk a lot about candidate experience , but when the selection is 100% automated, the perception of fairness plummets because Colquitt's theory is ignored; there is no human interaction that allows the candidate to make themselves known beyond a few keywords in a CV.
Are we becoming "data points"?
This brings to the forefront a concept worth highlighting: the algorithmic dehumanization . This term indicates that human beings are being reduced to metrics or statistical behaviors.
In my role as a headhunter, I know that talent is more than a piece of paper; it lies in the nuances, the attitude, the potential, and the intelligence to solve problems. When candidates are evaluated purely by a code, they lose their sense of "Agency" : that feeling of being in control of your career. We begin to feel that we are not professionals with a story of overcoming adversity, but simply variables in someone else's equation. At what point did we stop looking for talent and start looking for mathematical patterns?
Anxiety in the face of the "Black Box"
Many have surely heard of video interviews. Several authors have given a name to what candidates experience: anxiety . Trying to "decipher" what micro-gestures or tones of voice the bot wants is exhausting. It's exhausting trying to be authentic when you feel like you're being evaluated by a "black box" that doesn't blink, doesn't smile, nothing. This coldness not only generates stress, but it might also erode the company's employer brand before the employee even signs the contract.
The value of transparency: The bridge to the future
But it's not all bad news. Studies by Choung (2024) show that technology is not the enemy, but rather the lack of clarity. Transparency in the algorithm can repair user distrust. If we tell candidates exactly what we evaluate and how AI helps us be more objective (without replacing us), we create a much healthier selection process.
That's why I'm so passionate about what we do at Beethon . Because I understand that technology shouldn't be a wall that separates us, but a bridge that brings us closer. It's not about rejecting AI, but about using it to listen better and understand more deeply the needs of human beings at work.
At the end of the day, after all the technology and advances, I am left with one lesson learned: we cannot manage talent if we forget what it means to be a person.
Do you also feel that we're losing the human touch in favor of technical efficiency? I'd love to read your thoughts in the comments.
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