Hiring in tech has never been more complex. To understand how recruitment is changing, and what it takes to get it right, we spoke with Markéta Bártová, HR Manager at Nuvolar, a B2B tech consultancy specialising in Salesforce and digital transformation. In this interview, she shares her views on AI in recruitment, balancing speed with quality, and the skills that will define the recruiter of the future
“AI is transforming recruitment at a rapid pace. How do you think it has changed the role of recruiters in the IT sector, and where do you believe human recruiters still add the most value?”
AI has fundamentally changed recruitment, particularly in the IT sector, but I see it as an enabler rather than a replacement for recruiters.
Recruitment has always involved many repetitive and administrative tasks: candidate sourcing, scheduling interviews, screening CVs, writing job descriptions, and managing communication. AI allows us to automate much of this work, which improves efficiency and frees recruiters to focus on higher-value activities.
Because of that, I believe the recruiter’s role has become much more strategic. Today, it’s not just about filling vacancies; it’s about understanding the business, anticipating future hiring needs, advising hiring managers on the talent market, and building long-term talent pipelines. Recruiters need to think beyond the immediate role and understand how hiring decisions support the company’s overall objectives.
I also believe recruiters need to become proficient in using AI. It’s an important tool for increasing productivity and making data-driven decisions, but it’s still the recruiter who provides the critical thinking, creativity, and judgment that AI cannot replace.
The greatest value human recruiters bring is in building relationships and making nuanced decisions. Assessing motivation, adaptability, communication style, and cultural contribution requires empathy and context, qualities that AI can support but cannot fully replicate. Especially in fast-paced environments, recruiters need to adapt their approach because what works for one role, one team, or one moment in the market may not work for another.
Ultimately, I see the future recruiter as a strategic business partner who combines AI-driven efficiency with human insight to attract and hire the right people.
“In a fast-growing tech company, speed is often critical. How do you balance hiring quickly without compromising the quality of the candidates you bring into the process?”
In a fast-growing tech company, speed is critical, but speed without structure often leads to poor hiring decisions. The key to balancing speed and quality is preparation rather than rushing.
It starts before a vacancy is even opened. A well-defined recruitment process is essential: clear roles and responsibilities, agreed timelines, efficient interview stages, and alignment with hiring managers on what success looks like for the position.
It’s also important to invest time upfront in understanding the business context, not just the technical requirements. The better you understand the project, the team, and the challenges the new hire will solve, the better you can represent the opportunity to candidates and attract people who are genuinely aligned with it.
Another important element is building talent pipelines. Instead of starting every search from zero, it’s much more effective to maintain relationships with strong candidates over time. That way, when a role opens, you already have people in mind who could be a great fit, which significantly reduces time-to-hire without sacrificing quality.
Finally, AI and automation also play an important role. They help streamline administrative tasks such as sourcing, scheduling, and screening, allowing recruiters to spend more time evaluating candidates, advising hiring managers, and creating a better candidate experience.
Ultimately, speed is the outcome of having the right processes, strong collaboration with the business, and proactive talent acquisition, not of skipping steps in the hiring process.
“When recruiting for highly technical roles, what do you look for beyond technical expertise? How do you assess whether someone is likely to succeed in the role?”
When recruiting for highly technical roles, technical expertise is obviously important, but it’s only one part of the equation. We believe the best candidates combine strong technical skills with the right mindset and soft skills.
Beyond technical ability, we look for qualities such as communication, adaptability, curiosity, collaboration, and a willingness to learn. Technology evolves so quickly that no one can know everything. What really makes someone successful is their ability to continuously learn, embrace change, and work effectively with others in a fast-paced environment.
We also pay close attention to a candidate’s attitude ( for me this is one of the most important things) Experience and technical knowledge can be developed through training, mentoring, and hands-on experience. However, qualities such as ownership, openness to feedback, teamwork, and a genuine willingness to contribute are much harder to teach.
That’s why we assess not only whether a candidate can do the job today, but also whether they have the potential to grow with the company. We look for examples of how they’ve handled change, learned new technologies, collaborated across teams, and solved challenges in previous roles.
Ultimately, the strongest hires are those who combine solid technical capabilities with a growth mindset and an attitude that aligns with the company’s values. Those are the people who are most likely to succeed and continue adding value over the long term.
How do you build credibility with hiring managers, particularly when your recommendation differs from theirs or when you need to challenge their hiring decisions?
Building credibility with hiring managers starts with building trust. I personally see the relationship between recruiters and hiring managers as a partnership rather than a transactional process.
Recruiters are in constant contact with the talent market. We speak with candidates every day, understand market trends, know what candidates are looking for, how competitive certain skill sets are, and what expectations are realistic in terms of compensation, flexibility, and career opportunities. That market knowledge is one of the greatest values we bring to the business.
At the same time, it’s essential to understand the hiring manager’s perspective. We need to have a clear understanding of the project, the team’s objectives, and what success looks like in the role. The better we understand the business, the better we can represent the opportunity to candidates and provide informed advice to hiring managers.
When our recommendation differs from the hiring manager’s, we focus on facts rather than opinions. We share market insights, candidate feedback, and recruitment data to explain why certain expectations may need to be adjusted. Sometimes a hiring manager may be looking for a profile that is extremely rare or expecting a combination of skills that isn’t readily available in the market.
In those situations, our role is to challenge constructively. Instead of simply saying, “This profile doesn’t exist,” we propose alternatives—whether that’s prioritizing the most critical skills, considering candidates with strong learning potential, or adjusting the hiring criteria based on market realities.
Ultimately, credibility is built by consistently providing honest market insights, communicating transparently, and helping hiring managers make informed decisions that balance business needs with the realities of the talent market.
“Looking ahead three to five years, what skills do you think recruiters will need to remain valuable as AI becomes increasingly integrated into recruitment?”
Looking ahead over the next three to five years, I don’t think recruiters will be replaced by AI, but I do believe the role will shift significantly—and we’re already seeing that happen today.
The recruiters who will remain most valuable will be those who combine strong human judgment with the ability to use AI effectively. They will need to understand how to leverage AI for sourcing, screening, interview scheduling, and other administrative tasks so that repetitive work is automated, allowing them to focus on higher-value activities.
Those higher-value activities include building strong relationships with candidates, hiring managers, and key stakeholders, as well as developing a deep understanding of the business. Recruiters will increasingly become strategic partners and trusted advisors rather than simply filling open positions. They will provide insights into talent market trends, support workforce planning, and help shape hiring strategies that align with long-term business goals.
Another essential skill will be data literacy. AI will generate a wealth of recruitment insights, but recruiters will need to interpret that data, make informed decisions, and clearly communicate the value of those insights to the business.
Strong communication and influencing skills will also become even more important. Recruiters need to conduct effective interviews, negotiate offers, tell compelling stories about the employer brand, and engage top talent. Ultimately, they are ambassadors for their organization and play a key role in attracting and securing the best candidates.
In addition, recruiters will need a solid understanding of the legal, ethical, and privacy considerations surrounding AI in recruitment. As AI becomes more integrated into hiring processes, ensuring fairness, transparency, and compliance will be critical.
Finally, adaptability and continuous learning will be essential. AI is evolving rapidly, and successful recruiters will be those who embrace new technologies, continuously develop their skills, and use innovation to improve recruitment processes and keep their organizations competitive in the talent market.
Check out our video on Youtube: In this video, we break down what tech recruiters are really looking for in today’s market. From key skills and mindset to the most common interview mistakes that can cost you the job. We also explore the latest trends in tech recruitment, including how hiring processes are evolving for roles like Salesforce consultants, developers, and other engineering profiles. If you want to improve your chances of getting hired, understand what companies expect, and avoid typical pitfalls in technical and behavioral interviews, this video is for you.
