The Bell Curve is Killing Talent

Everyone seems to be talking about how AI will transform recruitment. I’m more concerned about what it is quietly destroying.

The rise of volume recruitment is changing who gets hired – and not for the better.

When a role attracts hundreds, sometimes thousands of applications through LinkedIn and other job boards, there is only one way to cope: screen people out as quickly as possible. Whether it’s an overstretched recruiter or an AI algorithm, the process is essentially the same. Look for a handful of measurable criteria. Tick the boxes. Move on.

We recruit from the middle of the bell curve

Candidates whose CVs perfectly match the job description rise to the top. Those whose experience is unconventional, broader, deeper or simply different are often filtered out before anyone even speaks to them.

Ironically, these are often the people who bring the greatest value:

• The candidate who changed industries and brings fresh thinking
• The person with an unusual career path who solves problems differently
• The entrepreneur returning to employment
• The older professional with decades of hard-earned judgement
• The graduate who has achieved extraordinary things outside work

This isn’t just an issue of gender, age or any single protected characteristic. It affects anyone who doesn’t fit the algorithm’s definition of “normal”.

The irony is striking. Organisations say they want innovation, diversity of thought and transformational leaders. Yet many recruitment processes are designed to eliminate exactly those people.

The more we optimise recruitment for efficiency, the greater the risk that we optimise away exceptional talent.

Perhaps it’s time to ask a difficult question

Are we using AI to find the best people… or simply the easiest people to identify?

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Have you seen exceptional candidates overlooked because they didn’t fit the expected pattern? Or do you believe AI and volume recruitment can be used without sacrificing individuality?

Contact liz@elizabethnorman.com for more information.