AI-driven screening tools are becoming increasingly popular in recruitment.
However, at Tiro, we have made a conscious decision not to use AI for initial candidate screening.
Why? Because recruitment, at its core, is about trust, judgement, and human interaction — especially when sourcing technical and engineering skills and experience.
Recruitment Is Not just about Keywords.
AI screening tools rely heavily on keywords and predefined criteria. This introduces significant risk of missing a good candidate — particularly in specialist markets.
At Tiro we are technical experts, meaning we are able to read between the lines of a CV. i.e.
- Recognising that the same experience can be described in different ways.
- That a job description may state use of a specific SW – however competitor companies may use another tool that performs the same task.
- Identifying transferable skills, which are often critical in talent-scarce industries.
In many cases, the strongest candidates don’t tick every single keyword box — but they do have the core technical expertise and are the right cultural fit for the recruiting business.
Where AI Can Get It Wrong
One of the biggest limitations of AI is its inability to assess context and relevance.
A candidate may include a specific desired keyword on their CV — but they may not have used that skill / SW / tool in years.
Equally, a candidate may be highly proficient in a methodology or framework but describe it using different terminology — meaning an AI tool simply won’t flag them.
Case Study – The Reality of Scarce Skill Markets
I currently partner with a global heavy industrial paper manufacturer. Over the last 15 years, a large number of paper mills across the UK have closed, dramatically shrinking the available talent pool.
As a result, finding candidates with direct paper manufacturing experience is increasingly difficult.
At Tiro, our technical knowledge has allowed us to successfully identify and present candidates from other heavy industries with highly transferable skills — individuals who would have been automatically rejected by AI screening tools.
Without human expertise, these candidates would never have made it to interview.
Every candidate we present to a client has already gone through a thorough first-stage interview. This goes far beyond a CV review, i.e.
- We explore what the candidate actually does day to day to fully understand how and where they apply their expertise
- We identify experience gained earlier in previous roles that may now be highly relevant
- We assess cultural alignment and behavioural fit to the hiring company and specific team
A CV can only tell you so much. A conversation tells you everything else.
Recently, we had a requirement for Operational Excellence Lead for the client mentioned above. The role required:
- Continuous improvement expertise
- Experience within a heavy industrial, safety-critical environment
After headhunting extensively:
- 15 candidates were sourced
- 7 were interviewed
- 3 top-tier candidates were shortlisted using a detailed skills matrix
When these were submitted to HR for review, 1 of the candidates we presented was initially rejected.
The clients feedback? “We are looking for LEAN manufacturing experience.”
I pushed back — twice.
The candidate held Six Sigma training and applied LEAN methodologies daily. However, because the CV did not explicitly use the keyword “LEAN” in the way HR expected, he was rejected.
Had Tiro used a screening tool to source candidates, this specific candidate would not have even spoken with. However, having conducted a thorough interview, I knew he was a perfect fit for the client. I pushed back to HR, highlighting al the skills, experience and achievements in the candidates CV – and explaining their relevant to the job they were recruiting for.
The candidate that was initially rejected was interviewed and offered the job. The company usually conduct a 2 stage interview process, however he so impressed the manager he was offered the role after just 1 interview.
The Value of a Trusted Recruitment Partner
HR teams are exceptional at what they do — but they cannot be expected to be deep technical experts across every discipline.
That’s where partnering with a specialist consultancy like Tiro makes the difference.
We ensure you don’t miss out on the best talent in your industry — simply because they didn’t match a keyword search.
Let’s Talk About Your Q1 Hiring Plans
If you’re hiring in a competitive or specialist market and want confidence that you’re seeing the right candidates — not just the most keyword-aligned ones — we’d love to talk.
Book a call with Tiro to discuss your requirements for Q1 and how we can support your hiring strategy.