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Finding great jobs or great new employees has always been a mix of timing, luck, and persistence. But lately, one thing is making the process faster, sharper, and sometimes a little overwhelming: artificial intelligence. From résumé creation to candidate matching, AI is reshaping the way jobs are found and filled.

Whether you’re trying to post a job, find employees in a sea of résumés, or find a job, AI can be a powerful way to find or fill roles. Everything from résumé-building to interview prep to candidate matching can become smoother and faster. But, like all spaces where AI is on the rise, these powerful tools raise the question: Where, and to what degree, does human connection play a role in the job search market?

Here’s a look at how AI is transforming hiring on both sides — and why the human element may be more valuable than ever.

How Employers Are Using AI

For those looking for employees, speed and efficiency are key in the hiring process. Often dealing with hundreds of applications, traditional screening can be slow and error-prone. AI tools can help streamline the process in a few ways:

Smart Matching: Some of the best places to post a job, like ZipRecruiter, use AI to scan billions of data points and match candidates with jobs that fit their skills, experience, and education. Instead of sifting through stacks of résumés, hiring managers can quickly get a shortlist of strong contenders.

Better Job Descriptions: Writing clear, compelling listings for job boards is no easy task, but it’s essential for attracting the right candidates. AI tools from hiring websites now help employers create detailed postings with ready-to-use templates, ensuring that listings appeal to the right talent pool.

Candidate Insights: Once you have a pool of applicants, AI can highlight top skills, flag mismatches, and even learn from employer feedback to improve recommendations over time.

The result? Less time lost in admin work, and more time actually connecting with qualified candidates.

How Job Seekers Are Using AI

AI isn’t just for hiring teams; job seekers are using it too. According to a recent ZipRecruiter survey, two out of three job seekers now use AI tools during their search. In 2023, that number was just one in four. Today, according to ZipRecruiter, job seekers say they’re leveraging AI to:

And the list goes on, from tailoring applications to generating professional headshots. ZipRecruiter even offers an AI-powered career advisor, Phil, who actively matches candidates with jobs and keeps them updated along the way.

In short, AI helps job seekers polish their materials and discover opportunities they might otherwise miss.

Why Human Connection Still Matters

As in so many other areas of professional and private life, the paradox of AI in the job market is that the more automated hiring becomes, the more human connection matters. If job seekers are mass-applying with AI-boosted résumés, then personalized outreach and real conversations can be more meaningful than ever. On the employer side, thoughtful interviews and authentic communication become a crucial final step in finding the right candidate.

ZipRecruiter’s approach leans into this balance: By automating matching and admin tasks, their platform frees up time for employers and candidates to connect in ways algorithms can’t replicate. The employment marketplace believes that while AI can open doors, the real opportunities still come from the relationships built after those doors are opened.

The Bottom Line

AI is changing the hiring game, but it’s not replacing it. Whether you’re posting your first job or applying to your tenth this month, here’s the winning strategy: use AI for the search, and make the human connection count.