Artificial intelligence is radically transforming the consulting industry.
What used to take days of research, Excel analysis, and endless PowerPoint battles can now be done by systems in minutes: gathering data, comparing it, identifying patterns, and suggesting strategic actions. For management consultants, this is existential —because their core business of synthesizing information and deriving strategies is now also reproducible by machines ([link to NZZ article]).

But it’s not just traditional management consulting that’s facing disruption: headhunting is also feeling the pull of automation.

Candidate profiles are now widely visible online, recruiting teams in companies can reach out to talent directly, and AI-driven tools sort through applicant lists faster than any human ever could. The little volume of available profiles is no longer the main challenge. Instead, parts of the entire recruiting process are increasingly outsourced and optimized. Automation, platforms, and AI agents are taking over more and more intermediate steps.

And here, a paradox emerges:
While highly skilled professionals and executives remain a scarce resource, economic growth is stagnating in many places. As a result, more talent is entering the job market—yet many companies feel like they’re flying blind when filling critical positions. AI creates speed, but at the cost of connection. Candidates experience ghosting, and employers complain about too many—but often irrelevant—profiles. It’s like a dating app: many matches, lots of chats, but few real connections.

So, what role can headhunting still play?
It’s exactly in this gap that the personal recruiter becomes indispensable again. Headhunting is far more than an algorithm—it’s market insight, expectation management, and relationship work. While AI may sort profiles, the headhunter hears the nuances: motivation, cultural fit, potential. People don’t want to be pushed around by AI. And just as companies are using AI, so are candidates—the “level playing field” increases competition, but not human connection.

Outlook:
The future of headhunting doesn’t lie in a race against the machine, but in using AI strategically—as a tool, not a replacement. Those who build trust, take candidates seriously, and support clients beyond the matching process will continue to succeed—even in an AI-driven market. Because in the end, it’s not about the number of contacts, but about meaningful, lasting connections. And that’s exactly where headhunting thrives.