Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the way we work, and HR is no exception. ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude… do these names ring a bell? That’s normal, as they are increasingly becoming part of our recruitment practices.
The numbers speak for themselves: according to the LinkedIn Report: How AI Will Redefine Recruiting in 2025,
- 73% of talent acquisition specialists agree that AI will change the way organizations recruit.
- 37% of recruitment specialists say they are currently experimenting with AI or actively integrating it into their hiring processes.
- Those who have taken the plunge report saving an average of 20% of their working week That’s a full day of work saved each week, which can be devoted to more strategic efforts.
The best known: ChatGPT in a nutshell
What exactly is ChatGPT? Imagine a highly knowledgeable assistant who has read a large part of the internet (books, websites, Wikipedia, you get the idea). It works by probability: it “guesses” which word is most likely to follow the previous one.
The thing is, it all depends on what you ask it to do. The more specific you are in your prompts, the better the results will be.
One caveat: the tool can sometimes invent things that sound true but are completely false (these are called “hallucinations”). It doesn’t seek the truth; it produces text that makes sense. That’s why it’s important to always validate what it produces.
How can you leverage AI in recruitment?
1. Create Boolean chains that make sense
Instead of racking your brains, ask it directly: “Help me build a Boolean string to find people specializing in philanthropy with experience in the cultural sector.”
1. Create Boolean chains that make sense
What exactly is ChatGPT? Imagine a highly knowledgeable assistant who has read a large part of the internet (books, websites, Wikipedia, you get the idea). It works by probability: it “guesses” which word is most likely to follow the previous one.
The thing is, it all depends on what you ask it to do. The more specific you are in your prompts, the better the results will be.
One caveat: the tool can sometimes invent things that sound true but are completely false (these are called “hallucinations”). It doesn’t seek the truth; it produces text that makes sense. That’s why it’s important to always validate what it produces.
How can you leverage AI in recruitment?
1. Create Boolean chains that make sense
Instead of racking your brains, ask it directly: “Help me build a Boolean string to find people specializing in philanthropy with experience in the cultural sector.”
Our advice:
- Keep control over the results;
- Don’t hesitate to adjust your request if it doesn’t work;
- Always test before adopting.
2. Refine your job offers
Rather than having them write your ad from scratch, use them to improve what you already have. Try this:
- “This ad lacks punch, can you help me?”
- “What’s dragging this text down?”
- “Rewrite this for me in a more dynamic tone.”
3. Prepare your interviews in no time
AI excels at generating relevant questions. Here’s a little tip: role-playing works wonders (“Act like an expert in…”). Concrete examples:
- “You are a recruitment specialist with several years of experience. What questions would you suggest I ask to evaluate community program coordinators?”
- “Create an evaluation grid for a volunteer coordination position.”
4. Write outreach messages that stand out
No more generic messages! AI can help you craft clear and engaging approaches to contact talent.
Our advice: test several versions and adjust until you find the right tone, but above all, make sure you personalize the message afterwards!
5. Organize your information efficiently
Here’s what AI does very well:
- Summarize your interview notes;
- Structure data into tables;
- Clean up your CSV files or database.
6. Improve your sourcing
AI can advise you on:
- The best platforms for certain profiles in your region (e.g., professional networks in the community sector, specialized associations);
- The online habits of the professionals you are looking for;
- The correlations between skills and profiles in your CV databases.
Concrete example: for a social worker position, AI can suggest searching on platforms such as OTSTCFQ, alumni networks of university social work programs, or groups specializing in community intervention.
⚠️ Please note: AI cannot:
- Do your online research for you;
- Find email addresses;
- Create databases;
- Automatically filter your applications.
Choosing the right platform
We have reviewed various platforms to help you navigate your options and choose the right tool for your needs. This is by no means exhaustive, but it can help you get started!
| AI Model | Ease of use | Privacy compliance (Law 25) | Transparency & ethics | Strengths for recruitment | Limitations to watch out for |
| ChatGPT | Very easy to use, good French support | Data hosted outside Quebec, vigilance required | Explanation of responses sometimes limited | Automation of responses to candidates, email writing, text analysis | Risk of errors, consent to document |
| Gemini | Well integrated with Google, easy to use on mobile | Servers outside Canada, confidentiality to be verified | Contextual explanations, but not very detailed | Quick resume analysis, interview generation, good tools for Google teams | Depends on the Google ecosystem, limited customization |
| Copilot | Automatic if Microsoft/Office already used | Similar to ChatGPT, confidentiality varies depending on the tool | Reasoning mainly visible in code or documents | Job posting generation and organization, application tracking | May lack nuance in the Quebec context, uneven functionality in French |
| Claude | Easy to use via website, good in French | Clear documentation, better data erasure, compliant | Emphasizes security, ethics, and transparency | Automated evaluation, transparency, analysis of candidate responses, consideration of biases | Mainly accessible via web interface or API and offers fewer “ready-to-use” options for easily connecting AI to your existing tools. |
| Perplexity | User-friendly, answers in French, automatic citations | Varied models, check the chosen policy, fairly good transparency | Always cites its sources: useful for auditing | Profile search, background checks, market summaries | Less creative in free responses, limited visual tools |
Using AI responsibly
Before diving in head first, ask yourself these essential questions:
- Confidentiality: Does the tool adequately protect your data?
- Bias: Have you assessed the biases it may convey?
- Copyright: Does the generated content respect intellectual property rights?
- Human judgment: Are your final decisions still based on human analysis?
Other considerations
- Legality: Always inform candidates and obtain their consent for any use of AI, especially if their data is analyzed or stored outside Quebec.
- Transparency: Favor tools that explain why a decision (selection, sorting) was made (Claude, Perplexity).
- Ethics: Avoid using video, audio, or overly intrusive analyses without solid legal justification.
- Efficiency: for quick tasks (sorting resumes, writing acknowledgments), ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot will suffice; to document your decisions and prove your compliance, tools such as Claude and Perplexity, which emphasize transparency, are preferable.
Ultimately, AI will never replace your expertise, your sense of ethics, or your human sensitivity. In a market where talent seeks authentic and caring environments, people must remain at the center of your processes. AI is a powerful tool as long as you are in control.
And what do we think at Engagés?
At Engagés, we believe that artificial intelligence can play a useful role in supporting certain stages of recruitment (such as identifying candidates, structuring interview guides, or summarizing notes), especially in the community sector, where we often need to be creative and make the most of the tools at our disposal to increase efficiency.
If you want to use it, we recommend that you implement an AI usage policy and, above all, communicate it to your team. Click here to download a template for an AI tool usage policy. Click here to download a template for an AI tool usage policy.
But nothing can replace the richness of human interaction. It is through relationships, listening, and authentic connections that we can truly understand the needs of the position, the team, and the organization’s mission. This is also what allows the candidate to determine whether the role and environment are right for them. Because for us, sustainable hiring depends as much on the right choice by the organization as on the informed choice by the candidate. And no technology can do that better than humans. That’s why we’ve chosen to put our expertise at the service of the community: because putting people at the heart of the process is what gives our work its meaning.