AI Won’t Solve the Talent Problem on Its Own — Why Hiring Discipline Still Matters

But there’s a risk in how the conversation is evolving. As firms focus on technology to solve capacity issues, hiring discipline can quietly slip down the priority list. 

That’s a mistake. 

AI may reduce the number of people firms need, but it increases the importance of the people they do hire. 

AI Doesn’t Lower Expectations — It Raises Them 

As AI takes on more routine work, the human role changes. Accountants are spending less time processing information and more time interpreting it, questioning it, and explaining it. 

AI doesn’t lower expectations on people — it raises them. 

Firms now rely more heavily on individuals to: 

These capabilities don’t show up clearly on a CV. And they’re hard to assess in an interview alone. 

As AI becomes part of day-to-day work, these skills matter more, not less. 

Fewer Hires Means Hiring Becomes Higher Risk 

One of the practical outcomes of an AI strategy is leaner teams. That changes the risk profile of hiring. 

Hiring becomes a much higher-risk decision. 

When there are fewer people in a team, there’s less room to carry someone who struggles with judgement, adaptability, or pressure. A single poor hire can have an outsized impact — slowing work down, increasing risk, and putting strain on others. 

This is where testing adds real value. It gives firms evidence, instead of relying on gut feel, at a time when the cost of getting hiring decisions wrong is higher than ever. 

AI Still Needs Humans Who Can Think for Themselves 

AI can generate answers quickly. What it can’t do is take responsibility for those answers. 

It can’t: 

Skills and ability testing helps ensure candidates can think independently and critically — not just follow outputs. In a profession built on trust and accountability, that distinction matters. 

The difference still comes down to the people you hire. 

Behaviour Matters More in Lean, Fast-Moving Teams 

AI-driven firms often move faster, expect more adaptability, and operate with tighter teams. In that environment, personality and behavioural alignment really matters. 

When teams are smaller and pressure is higher, behaviour shows up quickly. Communication, resilience, decision-making under stress, and how someone responds when things go wrong all have a direct impact on performance and risk. 

How someone behaves under pressure matters just as much as what they know. 

Personality and behavioural testing helps firms understand this before someone joins the team — not after problems start to surface. 

Evidence-Based Hiring Is Still a Control, Not an HR Exercise 

Despite advances in technology, hiring decisions are often made under time pressure and based on instinct — especially at senior levels. 

Testing brings structure and consistency into those decisions. It supports fairer comparisons, reduces unconscious bias, and provides a defensible basis for why someone was hired.