July 29, 2026 
Recruitment has always been about connecting talent with opportunity, but in today’s fast-changing world, the stakes are higher than ever. Candidates expect transparency, fairness, and respect, while businesses demand agility and innovation. In a 2024 global survey, 61% of candidates stated recruitment processes should be centred around the individual, not the one-size-fits-all approach that centres around the company.
At the same time, AI and automation are becoming mainstream. When thoughtfully designed, AI can help identify overlooked talent, support more consistent assessments and enhance fairness in recruitment processes. In summary, recruiters are navigating a landscape that is more complex and more human than before.
In our recent article on people-centric recruitment, we explored the strategic principles behind building a hiring process that prioritises people, trust, and long-term outcomes. While that article focused on the “why” of people-centric hiring, this article focuses on the “how”. Here are five habits that help recruiters put those principles into practice every day.
People-Centric Hiring Matters Move Than Ever
People-Centric Hiring Matters Move Than Ever
Until recently, hiring was seen as a transactional process. Typically, that meant screen CVs, schedule interviews, fill roles. That approach no longer works. Today’s candidates expect clear updates, respectful interactions, and inclusive experiences. So, what does a people-centric approach look like in practice? Here are five habits that can transform your recruitment process.
1) Lead with Empathy
Empathy transforms recruiting from a transactional process into a human‑centred service. When candidates feel respected and informed, they are less likely to withdraw and more likely to become advocates, even if they don’t get the job. Conversely, ghosting and long silences erode trust and public reputation. Recent studies show rising ghosting rates (more than 60%) and a persistent expectation gap (78% of candidates want regular updates but only 37% receive them). Empathetic communication at rejection can soften the blow and preserve goodwill.
How to practice it:
- Set expectations early: Share timelines, interview formats, decision criteria, and who will be involved. This meets the demand for transparency and reduces uncertainty that drives drop‑outs.
- Commit to proactive updates: Automate touchpoints such as receipt, shortlisting, interview invite, post‑interview status but personalise messages enough to show you’ve reviewed the application. Candidates notice when you strike the right balance between efficiency and sincerity.
- Offer constructive feedback: Even brief, behavioural feedback such as “strong stakeholder examples; lacking data‑storytelling depth” helps candidates learn and shows respect. Thoughtful rejection is a hallmark of human‑centred hiring processes.
2) Focus on Skills, Not Pedigree – Hire for Skills with Fair and Structured Processes
True people-centric recruiters move beyond resume credentials and gut instinct to assess candidates based on evidence like hands on experience, behaviours, desire to learn and potential. This approach expands access to talent, promotes fairer assessment practices, and is increasingly associated with stronger hiring outcomes. It also ensures hiring decisions are made with structure, transparency and accountability.
LinkedIn research shows that moving from job-title filters to skills matching can increase candidate pool 6 times overall and 8 times for AI related roles, while structured assessments reduce unconscious bias and drive stronger, more equitable outcomes.
How to practice it:
- Define core competencies: Identify 5-7 job-critical skills and behavioural indicators. Map assessments and interview questions to these.
- Write skills-explicit job descriptions: Replace degree “requirements” with the competencies you will actually test such as negotiation, stakeholder management, or data storytelling.
- Use structured and consistent assessments: Implement work samples, scenario tasks and anchored scoring rubrics to enable apples-to-apples comparisons and fair evaluation.
- Calibrate decisions regularly: Run weekly sessions with hiring teams to maintain scoring consistency and reduce drift.
- Measure and refine: Track QoH and retention metrics at 90, 180 and 360 days to validate skill-based decisions and continuously improve processes.
3) Champion Inclusion & Transparency
Research continues to show a strong correlation between diverse teams, greater innovation and stronger business performance. Recent McKinsey research reinforces the link between leadership diversity, stronger performance, and more satisfied workforces. Inclusion isn’t just about demographics—it also encompasses neurodiversity and equitable process design.
Australia is also moving decisively on pay transparency, raising candidate expectations for clarity and fairness. Since the December 2022 and June 2023 reforms, pay secrecy clauses are prohibited in new contracts, and employees have an explicit right to discuss pay. Including salary ranges and criteria in job ads is now considered best practice and aligns with candidate expectations for transparency. The Workplace Gender Equality Agency now publishes employer gender pay gap (including CEO pay) for organisations with 100+ staff, increasing public accountability and reinforcing the need for fair, transparent hiring and compensation.
How to practice it:
- Offer alternative formats: Provide written questions in advance, allow options beyond video interviews, and clarify sensory expectations. Programs like Microsoft’s neurodiversity initiatives show how accommodations can unlock exceptional talent and drive productivity gains.
- Write inclusive job descriptions: Remove unnecessary requirements, use plain language, and explicitly list accommodations so candidates know support is available.
- Include salary ranges and progression criteria: Add these details to job ads to set clear expectations. Standardize offers and audit equity regularly to ensure fairness and consistency.
- Track diversity across the funnel: Monitor representation at each stage — sourcing → screening → interview → offer, and address disparities with targeted changes such as adjusting sourcing channels, refining assessments, or diversifying panel composition.
4) Balance Tech with Human Oversight
AI can help scale validated, fair assessments and reduce bias but only with robust governance. Australia’s privacy regulator OAIC clarified in 2024–2025 how the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) applies to AI: handle personal information carefully, ensure transparency, assess risks, and retain human accountability. Poorly governed AI can inadvertently discriminate, and employers remain liable for unfair outcomes.
How to practice it:
- Document AI use: Record intended purpose, data sources, model limitations, and fairness checks; communicate this transparently in candidate‑facing materials where appropriate.
- Keep humans in the loop: Use AI to pre‑screen or structure interviews, but ensure final decisions are human‑led with clear audit trails and the ability to override.
- Mitigate bias continuously: Test for disparate impact, monitor false positives and negatives by cohort, then update models and processes based on findings.
5) Provide Continuous Support Beyond Placement
People-centric recruitment doesn’t end when a candidate signs their contract. Post-placement support is just as critical because it builds trust, strengthens partnerships, and drives retention. Recruiters who stay engaged after placement help both candidates and employers succeed – proving their commitment goes beyond short-term hiring.
How to practice it:
- Maintain post-hire check-ins: Schedule periodic touchpoints with both candidate and manager.
- Collect feedback and share insights: Listen for early challenges and offer guidance or mediation where needed.
- Champion long-term career growth: Provide access to learning resources, mentorship programs or performance feedback loops.
- Use learning to refine hiring: Feed post-placement outcomes back into sourcing and screening strategies to improve match quality over time.
Conclusion
Human-centred recruiting goes beyond mindset and requires disciplined execution. When you lead with skills, reduce bias, measure experience, use AI responsibly, foster inclusion, uphold pay transparency, and design for accessibility, you hire better. In doing so, you strengthen trust with candidates, employees, and the communities you serve. At Polyglot, we help businesses turn people-centric hiring into reality.
