Have you heard of this AI thing?  Well, evidently, it is going to revolutionize recruiting and it’s going to happen soon. While no one really knows where exactly it’s going (I write about this in my article Three Reasons to be Afraid of AI ), there are some really smart people who know where they want to take it.  I’ve had the opportunity to talk to many experts applying AI principles to recruiting, allowing me to form opinions about how the recruiting function evolves in the future.

As AI evolves, it will transform recruiting from a reactive process into a proactive, precision-targeted practice.  What that means for corporations is that we’re no longer just in a war for passive candidates. We’re in a war for everyone.

AI Can Now Identify Anyone Who Can Do a Job

In the past, recruiters had two main options: tap into active job seekers or try to engage passive candidates—those who weren’t actively looking but might be open to a conversation. That model is now outdated.

AI-enabled recruiting platforms can now analyze vast amounts of data—from social media activity, public profiles, published research, patents, and even behavioral patterns—to map the entire global talent pool for virtually any job. These systems can assess not just current roles, but potential capability based on skills, career trajectory, and performance indicators.  This is a bit hard to believe and a lot scary but it’s already happening.

This means that whether someone is actively looking, passively open to a new role, or completely unaware of new opportunities, they’re now visible, reachable, and marketable.

Supercharged Recruitment Marketing

Once AI identifies the “total talent pool”, companies can use targeted messaging, often personalized by AI, to engage potential candidates across digital platforms. Think of it as programmatic advertising for individuals: tailored messages about a company’s culture, compensation, growth paths, and values delivered to people who haven’t even imagined leaving their jobs.

67% of talent professionals believe AI will help them find higher-quality candidates faster.

2024 Linkedin future of recruiting report

This kind of precision targeting is changing the game. According to LinkedIn’s Future of Recruiting report (2024), 67% of talent professionals believe AI will help them find higher-quality candidates faster. One reason for this is that employees are more reachable than ever, whether they’re looking or not.

Everyone’s a Flight Risk Now

In this new landscape, your top performer isn’t just being casually approached by a recruiter. They’re being algorithmically identified, segmented, and nurtured by companies offering them exactly what they may be still searching for in their current role.

That’s why retention must become a C-suite priority. AI doesn’t just make it easier for you to find top talent. It makes it just as easy for your competitors to find yours.

A recent survey by Gartner (2024) found that 58% of employees are open to new roles even when they report being satisfied in their current job. With AI-enhanced recruiting, that openness becomes opportunity faster than ever before.

58% of employees are open to new roles even when they report being satisfied

2024 Gartner hr survey

The Best Offense Is a Good Defense

Corporations don’t have to stand around and watch this happen.  If every employee is now a potential recruit, then companies must act accordingly. I’ve written before how important meaningful retention strategies can be to a company.  It turns out, it’s no longer a luxury to put strategies in place.  Otherwise, your company will be a feeder pool for your competitors.  Here are a few key strategies to consider:

• Career planning/Internal mobility: Let employees see a future with your organization. According to LinkedIn, internal hires stay 41% longer than external ones.
• Engagement surveys: Use surveys to understand employee sentiment and uncover hidden dissatisfaction before it becomes turnover.
• Compensation transparency: In an AI-optimized market, employees know what they’re worth. So open conversations around how the company determines salaries and where individuals fit into that structure should be common practice.
• Flexibility: Workers today prioritize flexibility, autonomy, and mission alignment. Work to provide programs that deliver on these values.

AI is reshaping talent strategy in new ways. It can now tell companies not just who is looking but who could be looking. And that means your best employees may already be on someone else’s radar. In this new war for talent, recruitment may start with AI—but retention still starts with culture.  Because when everyone’s a candidate, every day is Re-Recruitment Day.

ES Talent Solutions is a HR Consulting firm helping companies enhance their recruiting capabilities through the introduction of technology and process optimization.  Can your company be more efficient in its hiring practices?  Visit our website ( ES Talent Solutions) or contact Eddie directly (estewart@ESTalentSolutions.com) to learn more.