83,017-vacancy RCT: human recruiters add no hires once algorithmic screening exists
danielrock · x · 2026-10-15
A randomized experiment by BU professor Emma Wiles and John Horton assigned human recruiting assistance to 83,017 vacancies on a large online labor market. Recruiters boosted search and screening intensity (+5% applicants), yet treated employers were no more likely to hire than controls with algorithmic tools, with match quality at best unchanged and lower platform retention. A delegated-recruiting model explains it: intermediaries only add value when they bring independent information the algorithm lacks — and that scope shrinks as algorithmic screening improves.
More from AGI Musings
- 'Prophecy' by Carissa Véliz Praised for Demystifying Big AI's PR Playbook — CarissaVeliz · 2026-10-15
- Forethought essay: our unnoticed behavioral design choices shape how we relate to AI — austinc3301 · 2026-10-15
- Only 1% of AI engineering job posts are junior, 6-month scraping study finds — Al_Grigor · 2026-10-15
- Young professional's AI-era despair about work sparks pushback on human worth — nitarshan · 2026-10-15
- Opinion: AI Gets Away With Bad Design Decisions via Relentlessness and Context — Jsevillamol · 2026-10-15
- AI companions may reduce loneliness and increase isolation at once — yi111 · 2026-10-15