At Tecknotrove, I learned that the key to balancing ATS automation with a human touch is deciding which candidate moments must always stay personal. The ATS handles screening and scheduling, but I step in at specific touchpoints where candidates usually feel the most uncertain.

The approach that has received the most positive feedback is something we started during our engineering recruitment: a personalised pre-interview briefing call. The ATS sends the formal schedule, but I follow it with a short two- to three-minute call where I explain why they were shortlisted, the role expectations, and a quick overview of the interview panel. It sounds simple, but candidates often tell me it eased their anxiety and made them feel genuinely valued.

Automation speeds up the process, but these brief human check-ins change the entire tone of the experience. Candidates walk into the interview feeling prepared instead of confused, and that shift has improved both confidence and interview performance.

At Zapier, we’re currently testing agentic recruiters to conduct initial screening conversations with candidates. The approach was really born out of necessity: we were getting thousands of applications for each job role, and we couldn’t keep up. We knew we were missing out on potentially excellent candidates.

It’s still fully optional for candidates, but it helps us be sure every qualified candidate has a chance to tell us their story, while still weeding out fraudulent applications (there are a lot).

Humans are deeply involved at every critical stage, though, and final decisions are always made by our experienced recruiters, who apply their judgment and expertise to the insights gathered by AI. This underscores our broader philosophy at Zapier. Automation should free humans to do what they do best: connect, empathize, and make complex decisions.

So far, feedback tells us candidates have appreciated the transparency and speed of our process. They can interview on their own time (and in their own time zone!), they have a better chance of getting to tell us their story, and they know that the initial AI interaction is just the first touchpoint of an otherwise very personalized journey.

I’m happy to answer any other questions you have, or you can read more about our approach here: https://zapier.com/blog/zapier-ai-recruiters/

Automation plays an important role in supporting the recruitment process, especially when it comes to handling routine administrative tasks and keeping everything running smoothly. We use a combination of our ATS automation and our own in-house tools to make sure candidates receive timely updates and a straightforward experience.

One piece of feedback we hear consistently is how simple our online registration process is. We have automated the full candidate registration journey so it is clear, compliant and efficient. It minimises administration for both the candidate and for us as an agency, which means people can move into the more meaningful parts of the process much faster.

That said, our focus has always been the personal element. Speaking directly with candidates, understanding their questions or concerns, and taking the time to get to know them. These are the areas where human insight really matters.

Candidates often tell us they appreciate this balance. They enjoy the simplicity and efficiency that automation provides, but they also feel genuinely supported by a real person throughout their journey. For us, that combination is what makes recruitment truly effective.

As an HR Tech Analyst, I’ve seen that the best balance comes from automating only the repetitive parts while keeping choice in the recruiter’s hands. With newly launched platforms like C-Factor AI, for instance, you can pick a gamified assessment, AI chat, real-time, or recorded interview, and candidates usually appreciate the clarity and the flexibility. It feels efficient without losing the human touch.