How Technology Is Changing IT Recruitment

AI is changing how recruiters search for candidates. How we use it, where it falls short, and why people still make the hiring decision.

By Ben Gordon, IT Recruitment Delivery · Updated 26 August 2026

Developer working at a desk with code on screen

Key points

We use AI to widen and sharpen our searches, not to decide who is right for a role.
AI is only as good as its data, and it can learn bias from past choices.
Every candidate is spoken to and reviewed by two consultants before a client sees them.

Recruitment agencies exist to save employers time: finding, screening and presenting the right people for a role, especially where skills are specialised or scarce. Without the right tools, or access to a large pool of candidates, the initial search and shortlisting can be overwhelming.

Technology has always shaped how that work is done, from job boards and CRMs to LinkedIn and, now, AI.

How technology has changed recruitment

Cloud-based CRMs, professional networks, integrated databases and candidate search platforms have all made finding talent faster. There is no doubt technology has improved the process.

How we use AI at Deerfoot

AI is the latest step. Across the industry it is being used for chatbots, interview scheduling and automated keyword shortlisting, all designed to take high-volume tasks off consultants' desks.

We use AI to optimise our searches and to think outside the box: finding candidates whose experience fits a role even when their CV does not use the obvious keywords, and widening a search beyond the usual job titles. Alongside it we search our own candidate database, the leading UK job boards and LinkedIn Recruiter.

What we do not do is rely on AI to make the decision. It helps us find people. Our consultants decide who is right for the role.

Where AI falls short

It is only as good as its data

AI learns from the information it is given, and candidates do not always keep their online CV or profile up to date. Automated selection can mean decisions made on outdated or irrelevant information. Qualifying a candidate properly needs a conversation, where they can explain their strengths for that particular role.

It can learn bias

Over time, AI learns from the candidates a user progresses. If there are coincidental patterns or unconscious biases in those choices, such as a university, a location or even a hobby, the software may start to treat them as requirements and overlook strong candidates who do not share them.

It cannot replace human judgement

What is on a CV is not always what someone wants from their next move. Picking up the phone to understand their interest, motivations and practical situation is hard to automate. Skipping that step may save time at first, but it often means a process fails later for reasons an early conversation would have caught.

Why the human part matters

Every candidate we put forward has had an initial call with a consultant, completed an application built around the specific role, and had an in-depth conversation to confirm their suitability and the practicalities. Every application then passes through two consultants before it reaches a client.

Technology is a core part of how we recruit, and we keep adopting tools that make us faster and more thorough. But the decision about who to present is still best made by people who have spoken to the candidate. With Deerfoot you get both: modern sourcing and a careful, human-led recruitment service.