What’s the perfect blend of human & machine report

There isn’t a blueprint for this. Not yet.

So many organisations have yet to perfect and standardise what a world class end-to-end process looks like for them – let alone overlay something as powerful as AI on top of it. That’s exactly what makes defining the blend of human and machine a career defining mission.

We gave residents a model of the typical talent stages, from employer brand through to talent development, and asked them to place each one above or below the line.

Above the line — human weighted, and the real opportunity for experiential differentiation.
Below the line — hygiene, process, heavily automated.

There was significant debate, as you’d expect. But the signals were strong. Employer brand, headhunting, the hiring manager interview and early careers onboarding were defended as human ground. CV screening, career websites, contracts and pre-onboarding went to the machines with barely an argument. The interesting stuff sat in the middle – and in the differences between the UK and US rooms.

“If we do away with the word ‘interview’ and replace it with ‘experience’, how much more memorable will what we design be? How do we leave our mark by making every candidate feel something, whether successful or not?”
Ben Rutter, Founder of the House of Visionaries

The report covers:

The model – the end-to-end talent stages we put in front of the room, and the above/below the line framework
The verdict – where 60+ senior HR leaders landed on each stage, and where the views split
The nuance – UK vs US perspectives, high volume vs specialist hiring, and where AI frees up headspace rather than replacing the moment