The Future of Recruitment in the Middle East: Human Touch vs AI

Recruitment in the Middle East is changing faster than anyone expected. New AI tools launch every month. Companies are automating processes that used to take weeks. CVs are screened in seconds. And the entire hiring cycle is becoming more digital. But underneath all this innovation sits an important question. What is the role of human connection in a world where technology is taking over more of the hiring process?

Working in recruitment daily, I see the part of the industry that AI cannot reach. Behind every job search is a person navigating pressure, uncertainty and the desire to feel valued. Behind every placement is emotion, perception and instinct. These things cannot be automated or predicted by an algorithm. Recruitment is not simply matching skills to job descriptions. It is understanding people.

AI absolutely has a place in hiring. It helps eliminate some biases. It speeds up shortlisting. It improves structure. It can tidy job adverts, identify keywords and scan large volumes of applications quickly. In a region where hiring demand can shift suddenly, this type of support is useful.

But the danger lies in assuming AI can replace human judgment. It cannot. The Middle East is culturally diverse, emotionally complex and heavily relationship-led. No software can replicate the feeling you get when you speak to someone who has genuine passion, humility or potential that is not visible on paper.

We are also seeing a new issue emerge. Hundreds of CVs arrive each week that look almost identical because candidates are using ChatGPT to create or “optimise” them. The formatting is identical. The tone is identical. How can a human differentiate between them? Even the achievements often sound identical. When every CV sounds the same, something very important gets lost. The human being behind it.

Candidates are now trying to appeal to two different audiences at once. The AI screening system scanning for keywords and the human being who actually decides who gets hired. It creates confusion. Should they write for the algorithm, loading the CV with exact phrases to pass through the system? Or should they write for the human who wants authenticity, personality and narrative? Many end up producing something that satisfies neither.

A CV written purely for bots lacks soul. It might pass a screening filter, but when a real person reads it, nothing stands out. A CV written purely for a human might be too emotional or not structured enough to pass automated filters. This conflict is one of the biggest modern challenges in recruitment. My suggestions: have different versions dependent on how you are applying.

Truth is a recruiter can feel the difference immediately between someone who lived the experience and someone who had an AI bot write it.

This is exactly why human interaction matters more now than ever. When we run Walk n Talk sessions, Coffee n Connects or any Club.Genie event, you meet the person behind the CV. You hear their story, their grit, their confidence, their vulnerability. You see qualities that no algorithm can detect. You understand their character. And that character often becomes the deciding factor in whether they find the right opportunity.

As more companies adopt AI-driven hiring tools, jobseekers are reporting a new kind of frustration. They submit applications into automated systems and receive no feedback or worse immediate rejection based on not having enough keywords. The mental burnout from this can be intense, especially in a fast-paced place like the UAE where visa timelines add pressure.

The companies that will win in the future are the ones that combine technology with humanity. AI should support hiring, not dominate it. Let the software scan the large volumes. Let it tidy the admin. Let it manage the repetitive tasks. But let humans make the decisions.

// Nicki Wilson, Managing Director – Genie Recruitment