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Stacey Lane reports that job applicants still prefer human-led hiring processes despite the widespread adoption of AI tools.

Stacey Lane, CEO of Staffmark Group, highlighted a new report showing that job applicants strongly prefer a human-led recruitment process over an all-digital experience. The 2026 Heart of Work Index polled over 3,000 workers and found that respondents scored the preference for human interaction at 71 out of 100.

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While employers increasingly use AI to manage high volumes of applications, 70% of respondents expressed a desire for human-led post-application and pre-interview stages. Additionally, 64% of workers stated that onboarding should be led by a human. Recruiters have noted that AI-generated resumes are becoming common, often resulting in perfectly formatted documents that can look similar across different candidates. Ankur Dahnan, founder of the ZeroTo1.ai company, noted that while AI helps people who are not strong writers stand out by producing high-quality drafts, the long-term trend suggests companies will need fewer people to accomplish the same amount of work.

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