Recruiters now use
AI tools to
screen resumes, automate scheduling, summarize interviews, and evaluate technical skills. Candidates are also using AI to optimize resumes, prepare answers, and generate polished responses during the interview process.
aBut as artificial intelligence becomes
more embedded in recruiting, one hiring strategy is becoming even more important — behavioral interviewing.
AI can’t measure what really matters.
Megan Lance Flanagan, head of people at
Codal, explained that while AI can improve efficiency in talent acquisition, it cannot replace human judgment around behavior, collaboration, and culture.
“Technical skills can be tested,” Flanagan said. “Behavior and how someone actually operates within a team is much harder to fake.”
That distinction is becoming increasingly critical as employers navigate a hiring landscape shaped by automation. According to
LinkedIn Talent Solutions, soft skills and interpersonal capabilities are becoming more valuable as AI automates more technical and repetitive work. At the same time, companies are under pressure to hire faster without sacrificing quality.
The challenge is that resumes and technical assessments alone no longer tell the full story.
AI can assess skills, but not human dynamics.
Many organizations now rely on platforms like
Codility to evaluate coding abilities and technical competencies during hiring. Flanagan explained that these tools are incredibly useful for measuring hard skills efficiently, particularly in technical hiring environments. But hiring success often depends on factors that technology cannot fully evaluate.
How does a candidate handle conflict? How do they respond to failure? Can they collaborate effectively under pressure? Do they communicate clearly across teams?
“These are the things that actually impact long-term success,” Flanagan stated.
Research from
Harvard Business Review showed that as automation increases, employers consistently place greater emphasis on human skills like communication, adaptability, collaboration, and emotional intelligence.
Behavioral interviews help uncover those capabilities by focusing on real experiences rather than hypothetical answers.
Instead of asking candidates what they would do, hiring managers ask what they have already done. That difference matters.
Companies are rethinking outdated interview processes.
Traditional hiring processes often rely on presentations, rigid questioning, and heavily scripted interviews. Flanagan explained that many organizations are now moving toward more interactive evaluations that better reflect how candidates think and collaborate in real-world environments.
At Codal, the hiring process has increasingly focused on real-time brainstorming, whiteboarding, and conversational problem-solving, particularly for leadership and revenue-generating roles.
“We want to understand how someone approaches challenges in the moment,” she said.
This shift reflects a broader trend across the workforce. According to
McKinsey & Company, organizations are increasingly prioritizing adaptability and learning agility as technology reshapes job requirements faster than traditional hiring models can keep up.
Behavioral interviewing gives employers a clearer view into how candidates respond under uncertainty, accept feedback, and operate within team dynamics.
Culture is becoming a business risk issue.
One of the biggest hiring mistakes companies make is assuming technical excellence guarantees organizational success. Poor hiring decisions carry significant financial consequences. According to the
U.S. Department of Labor, a bad hire can cost employers up to 30 percent of the employee’s first-year earnings when factoring in recruiting, onboarding, and lost
productivity.
Behavioral interviews help reduce that risk by identifying whether candidates align with company expectations, communication styles, and leadership culture before hiring decisions are finalized.
As AI continues automating more of the recruiting process, the companies that hire best may not be the ones using the most technology. They may be the ones that know exactly where human judgment still matters most.
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