AI and why people don’t belong in boxes

Artificial intelligence is everywhere these days. It’s helping us shop, travel and yes, even recruit. It can sort CVs in seconds, highlight key words and flag candidates who match the brief on paper. And while that’s undeniably useful, there’s a flipside: AI prefers things neat and tidy. Humans? Not so much.

At March Recruitment, we meet brilliant candidates every week who don’t tick every box. They’re not always obvious choices. Sometimes they sit just outside the parameters an algorithm might set. But they bring fresh thinking, transferable skills, and a certain spark you just don’t see in a spreadsheet. That’s why we don’t rely solely on AI. Because people are more than just data points.

Why AI isn’t the bad guy

Let’s be clear: we’re not anti-AI. Far from it. Used properly, it can be a brilliant support tool. It spots trends, speeds up shortlisting and can help handle large volumes of applications efficiently. If a client needs someone with five years’ experience in a very specific role, AI can help narrow that down quickly.

But AI isn’t magic. It’s only as good as the parameters it’s given and that’s where things can get a little rigid. People with unconventional backgrounds, gaps on their CV, or experience that doesn’t sit neatly in a job title might never even make it to the interview stage. That’s a problem.

People don’t fit in boxes

We get it, there’s a comfort in clear criteria. But recruitment isn’t just about finding someone who looks right on paper. It’s about understanding people, spotting potential, and asking the questions an algorithm can’t.

We’ve seen countless examples of candidates who looked like a “no” on the surface but turned out to be the perfect fit. Maybe they’ve worked in a different sector but bring valuable insights. Maybe they’ve taken a career break and returned with fresh energy and focus. These are the unexpected gems. The standouts that AI might overlook, but we won’t.

AI still needs a human eye

There’s a temptation to think AI means less work. But in our experience, it still needs monitoring. It needs someone to sense-check it, spot the quirks and flag the candidates who don’t quite match the brief but should. Left unchecked, AI can reinforce bias, overlook diversity, or simply miss the person behind the profile.

Clients want people, not just paper matches

From a client’s point of view, we understand the appeal of AI. It promises speed and precision and for some roles, that’s helpful. But the reality is: most hiring managers aren’t just looking for someone who ticks boxes. They’re looking for someone who’ll thrive in their team, bring new ideas and get stuck in.

That kind of match takes more than keywords. It takes curiosity. It takes dialogue. And sometimes, it means championing a candidate who brings something different to the table, the kind of person who wouldn’t necessarily be picked up by a search filter but could end up being the best hire in the room.

It’s not AI vs humans - It’s AI and humans

We’re not throwing the tech out. We’re just saying: let’s use it wisely. Let’s keep the human element front and centre. Because while AI might not understand why a quirky career pivot or a year out to travel is a good thing, we do. And more importantly, so do many of our clients once we explain the story behind it.

AI will keep getting better and we’ll keep working with it. But we won’t lose sight of what really matters: people. Their personality, their ambition, their ability to surprise you. Because the best teams aren’t built from algorithms. They’re built from individuals, including the ones you didn’t expect.