AI in Recruitment & Accountancy
At Ford Search Partners, we see a lot of noise and even more hype about automation, generative AI, and machine learning. But what actually matters for senior finance and professional services firms right now? Here’s our forward-looking, no-nonsense guide to what’s real, what’s useful, and what’s worth watching in Spring 2025.
1. Smart Shortlisting Gets Smarter – CV-sifting bots have levelled up. Today’s AI can not only spot keywords but analyse candidate profiles for soft skills, cultural fit, and likely retention. Still, they’re only as good as the data you feed them — so keep an eye on bias and always layer in human judgement.
2. Automated Interview Scheduling – No more back-and-forth emails. AI-driven schedulers can find mutual availability, book interviews, send reminders, and even follow up for feedback — freeing up valuable time for real conversations.
3. Accountancy’s AI Assistant – From auto-categorising receipts to running cashflow forecasts, AI is taking over the admin grunt work. The best firms are using these tools to give their staff more time for high-value advisory work (and less time searching for lost invoices).
4. Custom GPTs & Chatbots for Candidate Queries – With OpenAI-style tools, recruiters can build custom chatbots to answer candidate FAQs, collect information, or even deliver first-stage screening questions — fast, accurate, 24/7, and never takes a lunch break.
5. Ethics, Oversight & The Human Touch – AI is a tool, not a teammate. Regulation is catching up, and firms that are transparent about how they use automation (and where they still rely on professional judgement) are set to win trust — both with candidates and clients.
The bottom line? AI is changing the way we work, but it’s not the silver bullet some would have you believe. The firms that thrive in 2025 will be those that blend technology with talent, automation with empathy, and data with good old-fashioned nous.
If you’re curious about what these changes could mean for your firm, get in touch — or just ask your nearest robot!