Recruitment and onboarding have always been challenging aspects for HR teams. They are especially tough nowadays, as AI presents both opportunities and risks. While AI is definitely a novel and useful tool to support recruitment and onboarding, it shouldn’t be about replacing people with technology. It should be more about reducing bottlenecks, freeing up capacity, and improving the candidate experience while still maintaining a human touch.
In this blog, we’ll explore where automation creates the most value in recruitment, from scheduling and screening to candidate communication and hiring team workflows. I’ll also look at how automation can transform onboarding, ensuring new hires feel welcomed, supported, and productive from day one. I’ll highlight practical applications such as microlearning and compliance guardrails.
Automation in Recruitment
Ill first offer some insight into how AI is currently impacting recruitment processes. A study from Harvard Business Review (HBR) suggests that more companies are using AIassisted screening and automation in interviews. It is important to do this thoughtfully, improving the human element as opposed to replacing it. While there is evidence that automation makes a dent in hiring bottlenecks, there are pitfalls around bias, particularly when it comes to underrepresented groups. There is evidence suggesting that AI systems are embedded with gender and racial bias. Any technologies that automate the process need to be easy to understand, clear and unambiguous, and transparent for candidates.
Here are some more practical ways to incorporate AI into the hiring process to avoid issues around bias.
Interview Scheduling
- Automated scheduling tools can read interviewer calendars, propose options, manage time zones, and rebook without email pingpong.
Candidate Communications
- Nudges that confirm application receipt, share next steps, or deliver materials reduce anxiety and ghosting.
Hiring Workflow
- Automated reminders for interviewers and hiring managers improve process efficiency. The Canadian HR Reporter has consistently profiled how AI and automation can free recruiters and hiring managers up to do more impactful tasks.
Using AI shouldn’t replace a recruitment professional, it should instead reduce the administrative burden, increase their utilization in more strategic work, allow them to have more meaningful conversations with hiring managers, and improve the candidate experience.
Building Engagement in Onboarding
There are many studies that show that effective onboarding boosts productivity, engagement, and retention, while poor onboarding creates confusion and higher turnover risk. This is an important metric for any business, as the costs of turnover can cripple any business and prevent it from making meaningful changes. Here are a few tips and tricks for automating the onboarding process.
Prior to Start Date
- Send rolebased checklists (training, equipment, system access, building passes) to the right people.
- Use esignatures and document workflows. Automating tax, payroll, and new hire information forms is low-hanging fruit that can reduce the administrative burden significantly.
First 30 Days
- Role-based learning plans. Embedding learning in the flow of work not only helps productivity and efficiency but improves on-the-job knowledge and comfort in the role.
- Supervisor check-ins. Automated nudges for managers to schedule checkins will help with new hire engagement. It is important to check in regularly and answer questions.
30 to 90 Days
- There are some software solutions that will summarize notes from earlier checkins into a 45-day and 90-day conversation template.
Ongoing Learning – Welcome Videos and Employee Learning Portals
Handbooks don’t necessarily introduce new hires to your culture. Meeting and getting to know their peers and leadership does a better job of this. Technology can be used to some extent to scale that introductions to your leadership team. However, a word of caution that this should not replace actual introductions to leadership and team members.
- Welcome videos from leadership and peer teams. These should be bite-sized format of about 2–3 minutes to explain the mission, business, and how each team supports the broader organization and goals.
- Interactive organization map. This can be automated to show who’s who across the organization. This can actually be really impactful in ensuring that each new hire gets to know the org structure, teams, and roles. This can be a relatively short video clip giving the new hire a virtual tour.
Effective programs combine clarity on expectations with an intentional schedule of providing information. It’s important not to overwhelm new hires with too much information.
Microlearning 101
Microlearning breaks down training into short, focused modules that have more of a single outcome. This approach generally works better for onboarding, because it makes it easier for new hires to digest content and information.
Shorter modules reduce information overload, especially when delivered in a way that builds on knowledge. Studies highlighted by Harvard Business Review argues that microlearning can improve performance and retention in workplace contexts.
How to Design Microlearning
- One objective per module.
- Customized for occupations or departments with a clear action item at the end (i.e. how does it tie into their job).
- Develop learning pathways so there is repetition that builds on a knowledge foundation.
Automating Microlearning
Microlearning can be even more effective by ensuring content is delivered consistently, at the right time, and in the right learning pathway.
I suggest to take the following into consideration when developing a microlearning program.
- Once an employee completes their onboarding forms, an automated workflow can release the first set of microlearning modules.
- Modules can be released in a structured timeline so that employees can build knowledge gradually without information overload.
- An HRIS or LMS can automatically assign the right microlearning paths based on department, role function, or location.
- Automated check-ins, pulse surveys, and reminders help ensure completion.
- Automated reporting aggregates quiz scores, completion rates, and feedback, giving HR and managers visibility into how effectively learning is landing.
Checklist for Deciding What to Automate
Automate
- Calendar coordination and reminders (ex. interviews, onboarding checkins)
- Basic candidate communications
- Interview reminders
- Document packages (ex. offers, tax forms, policy acknowledgments)
- Onboarding videos and org charts
- Microlearning enrolment, scheduling, and reminders
Keep Human
- Candidate selection such as making decisions on who to interview
- Hiring discussions and decisions with hiring managers
- Sensitive candidate conversations, offers, and counteroffers
- Introductions to peers and leadership team
- Onboarding check-in conversations with reporting manager
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
While automation can streamline scheduling, reminders, and paperwork, it should never replace the human connection. Candidates still need eye contact and rapport building. Automated interviews don’t offer a great candidate experience, and it also exposes you to risk from the perspective of inclusion and accommodation.
Fully automated interviews and assessments can unintentionally disadvantage candidates from underrepresented groups. For example, there are accessibility barriers for individuals with disabilities who may not be able to engage effectively with automated platforms. A human interviewer can make adjustments in real-time, while an automated system cannot.
Driving Change and Securing Buy-In
Implementing changes in recruitment and onboarding automation isn’t just about choosing the right tools. It impacts workflows, leadership approaches, and the employee experience. I suggest using a structured approach while tying this type of change initiative directly to business outcomes that will resonate with your leadership team.
Business Outcomes
- Frame this as a solution to current pain points. There is strong evidence that automating recruitment and onboarding can lower turnover and improve engagement. Highlight the costs of replacing employees and how that impacts the bottom line. Better onboarding reduces turnover costs.
- It’s important to position this as a way to reduce bottlenecks and free up people for strategic level work. You’ll grab their attention if the goal is for them to spend less time on administrative tasks and more time
Stakeholder Participation
- Involving people from across the business has a huge impact on its success. I suggest involving leaders from across the business to gather their input. This reduces resistance in many ways.
- Use data to speak management’s language. Quicker hiring decisions and a more structured onboarding process will reduce lost productivity. As well, an improved onboarding experience should be able to lower turnover costs.
Presenting a Business Case
When making the case to leadership, focus less on the “best practices” spin of automation and make it more about the bottom line.
- Lowering turnover by 10% can save hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in replacement and training costs. While the exact savings depend on workforce size and salaries, research consistently shows that replacing an employee can cost anywhere from 50% to 200% of their annual salary.
- A more structured onboarding process means employees can contribute more sooner, directly improving revenue per employee.
- Reducing administrative burden allows HR to focus on strategic actions like talent development and workforce planning.
- When you improve the recruitment and onboarding process, it strengthens your employer reputation, attracting higher-quality applicants.
Putting it all Together
Recruitment and onboarding should always be people-driven processes. Where automation helps is that it gives HR and leaders the chance to shift their focus away from administrative burdens and towards impactful structure and changes. By applying automation to scheduling, document management, microlearning, and other repetitive tasks, organizations can improve both candidate and employee experiences, without losing the human touch.
The business case is equally compelling. Better onboarding translates into higher engagement and stronger retention, reducing the costs of turnover. As well, when HR and leadership is freed from administrative overload, they can focus on strategic initiatives that drive long-term value, such as workforce planning and talent development. Ultimately, automation shouldn’t be about replacing people, it’s about increasing their impact.
Sources
- Onboarding New Employees — Without Overwhelming Them (Apr 2, 2024). Practical guidance on pacing information to boost engagement and retention. Harvard Business Review.
- Onboarding Can Make or Break a New Hire’s Experience (Apr 5, 2022). Why onboarding quality matters to productivity and retention. Harvard Business Review.
- How to Get Hired When AI Does the Screening (Feb 19, 2025). Signals increased use of AI in screening and interviews. Harvard Business Review.
- Where Automated Job Interviews Fall Short (Jan 27, 2022). Risks of depersonalized automation. Harvard Business Review.
- How to Onboard a New Hire in Just 90 Seconds (and Save 30 Hours a Week) (Apr 4, 2025). Case profile of integrated onboarding automation. Canadian HR Reporter.
- How Do I Maximize AI for Hiring and Talent Management? (Apr 9, 2025). Best-practice advice and adoption context for Canadian employers. Canadian HR Reporter.
- Build Learning into Your Employees’ Workflow (July 11, 2022). Microlearning and in-flow learning principles. Harvard Business Review.
About the Author
Greg Hussey is a human resources professional with 15 years of progressive, diverse experience. He has a passion for helping organizations develop their people, working closely in building a culture of high-engagement and performance through people and culture initiatives.
Greg specializes in partnering with executive leadership teams to deliver impactful people strategies. He is passionate about building high-performance cultures and thrives on delivering HR programs that are strategic and operationally effective. Known for his proactive, results-driven approach, Greg enjoys project-based work, particularly in areas such as employee engagement, organizational development, and strategic planning. Whether he’s leading an HR transformation initiative or supporting leadership through change management, Greg brings insight, structure, and energy to every engagement.
Greg holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Co-op) from Memorial University of Newfoundland and an MBA from the University of Alberta’s School of Business. He is also a Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR), reflecting his commitment to continuous development in the HR field.
Keep an eye out for our future blog posts, where we’ll address relevant and current trends in the field of people and culture.