The recruitment process in 2026 looks more and more like a closed circuit in organizations: the candidate builds his CV and application with the help of AI, the documents are filtered by an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) based on algorithms, i.e. a «digital filter», the recruiter prepares his questions also with AI, and the final feedback is, in turn, assisted by technology. So, the algorithms filter, evaluate and decide, but this «efficiency» comes with a cost: the loss of real contact between the candidate and the company. «Resume written with AI. Obviously. Cover letter – same. Answers to initial questions? Same. I smiled. Because I knew what was coming: The resume went through an ATS that uses AI to filter it. Then it went to a recruiter who used AI to prepare the interview questions. Finally, a manager used AI to write the feedback. The AI talks to the AI. And those two real people in the equation – the candidate and the manager – never really know each other. And then we are surprised that one out of three people leaves in the first year, if not in the first weeks», writes Corina Neagu, HR consultant, mentor & coach, DARE. At first glance, it seems that automation has solved one of HR’s biggest problems: volume. Thousands of CVs can be filtered in minutes, processes are standardized and decisions are accelerated. But this efficiency creates a secondary effect, uniformity. Candidates learn to optimize applications for algorithms, not humans. Recruiters get to see filtered profiles, managers make decisions based on automatically generated summaries. The result is a paradox: faster processes, but poorer matches. «I have the impression that I forgot something along the way. HR and management are not only about processes. They are about people. Recruiting is not about CVs. It is about added value. Onboarding is not about forms, it is about belonging», writes Corina Neagu. She says that for every hour saved through AI, the recruiter must invest time in direct interaction with the candidate. Not to tick off a KPI, but to build a real relationship. Because, in the end, the candidates will not remember the system that selected them, but the people who understood them and offered them an opportunity.