Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an ever-increasing role in nearly all aspects of our lives. We may not see it operating behind the scenes, but it’s working for people in helpful ways and doing it with lightning speed. AI automates routine and tedious tasks, saving time for the things that matter most to us – and one of those things is finding the right job at the right time.  

Many employers, as well as recruiting firms, have turned to AI-powered talent recruitment strategies. These include the adoption of virtual recruiters, which are proficient in helping to expedite the management of job applications and early steps in the hiring process. Virtual recruiters make initial vetting more efficient and seamless for job candidates and hiring managers alike.  

Goodwin Recruiting recently adopted a virtual recruiter, aptly named Hunter. Since using advanced AI in talent recruiting is new territory for many candidates, we want to help job seekers better understand what a virtual recruiter is and how it works. And there’s no better way to do it than sharing some of the most common questions we receive from your peers before and after their experiences with a virtual recruiter.

Here are 10 of the most-asked questions about virtual talent recruiters.

1. What is a virtual recruiter and why do companies and recruiting firms use them? 

A virtual recruiter is an AI-powered tool specifically designed to streamline parts of the talent recruiting and hiring process. For example, our Hunter takes in applications, resumes, and other candidate information, answers candidate questions, and then expedites screening to assist our recruiting partners in identifying right-fit candidates for our clients’ job openings. 

Goodwin Recruiting chose to deploy a virtual recruiter to save literally thousands of hours each month in connecting our human recruiters with job candidates who are interested in and well-suited for specific jobs. Get deeper insights in this article from our CEO Andy Decker: Why Goodwin Recruiting Decided to Use a Virtual Recruiter

2. When I interact with Hunter, am I talking to a real person?

Not surprisingly, some job candidates call our headquarters and ask to speak with Hunter. But no, Hunter and other virtual talent recruiters are not real people, although they can sound very human! When using a virtual recruiter, you’re interacting with an advanced, intelligent virtual assistant trained to understand and respond to recruiting and hiring-related queries about a job opening or application. 

Why do they seem like real people? Good question! The simple answer is that virtual recruiters are engineered to understand conversational language and respond in fluid, human-like ways. They remember what you ask and say during an exchange, which makes your interactions feel personalized.  

If you have used AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or other leading AI chatbot platforms, you know how they can exhibit genuine interest, understanding, familiarity, and responsiveness. Virtual talent recruiters do this, too, and their input and responses are highly relevant to your unique exchange and job search.

3. Is my information safe and confidential?

Yes, reputable virtual recruiters follow data protection laws, like General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and other stringent data privacy laws that apply in the United States. These laws ensure your information shared through a virtual recruiter should only be used for application submission and internal talent acquisition processes. 

Further, reputable talent recruiting firms also maintain candidate confidentiality. At Goodwin Recruiting, we place the utmost importance on your privacy, implementing strict confidentiality agreements to ensure all sensitive information remains secure throughout the recruitment process and beyond – including through our virtual recruiter. 

4. Who has access to the answers I provide through a virtual recruiter?

If you are interacting with an employer’s virtual recruiter, your responses are typically shared with the recruiting team or hiring manager handling the job for which you apply. In our case, Hunter routes your application, resume, and responses directly to the recruiting partner working to fill our client’s job opening for which you applied.  

5. Can a virtual recruiter make hiring decisions?

No, and certainly not in our case. Our Hunter simply collects necessary information and expedites the timeline to connect candidates with real people on our talent recruiting team. Hunter assists by screening and sorting candidate applications based on predefined criteria. Once qualified candidates are selected, thoroughly vetted, and presented by human recruiters to our clients for consideration, all hiring decisions are made by our clients’ executives, human resource leaders, or hiring managers.

6. Can I ask the virtual recruiter questions about the open job?

Yes, you can! Most virtual recruiters can answer frequently asked questions about job responsibilities, required skills or education, compensation (if shared by the employer), and more. At Goodwin Recruiting, questions that are more nuanced, specific, or sensitive in nature are typically escalated by a Hunter to a human recruiter for assistance. These types of questions might relate to company information, hiring timelines, benefits, total compensation packages, professional advancement opportunities, and more.

7. What happens after I finish talking to a virtual recruiter?

Hiring companies and talent recruiting firms use virtual recruiters in different ways, so this answer differs by organization. At Goodwin Recruiting, once your call with Hunter wraps up, your application documents and responses to questions are reviewed, and your information is forwarded to our individual or team of human recruiters who are working to fill the position for which you applied. 

If you are a good fit for the open position, you will be contacted as quickly as possible for a phone, virtual, or in-person interview with one of our recruiting partners. Candidates who are not the best fit for the job are notified and encouraged to check our job board and sign up for job alerts.

8. What if a virtual recruiter doesn’t understand my response to an interview question?

If a virtual recruiter doesn’t understand your answer, try phrasing your response in a different way. This often does the trick, but if issues persist, you can check out our Meet the Recruiters page to find contact information for a Goodwin Recruiting partner near you. You can also search for recruiting partners in your current industry or the industry you want to enter.

9. Can I skip the virtual recruiter and speak directly with someone instead?

Not always. Some companies require that job candidates complete the virtual step first, especially for roles that attract a high volume of job applicants. 

At Goodwin Recruiting, we use Hunter to gather more information about our candidates so we can best support them in their unique job searches. Due to the sheer volume of applications and resumes we receive for open jobs (more than 40,000 every month), we can’t guarantee every candidate will receive a phone call from a human recruiter; however, our candidates are always welcome to reach out to one of our recruiting partners directly to establish a relationship, explore job opportunities, and seek career guidance.

10. Can I trust the answers I get from a virtual recruiter?

For standardized information like job descriptions and job requirements, yes. But for nuanced or complex questions, it’s best to follow up with a human talent recruiter.  

The benefits for your job search far outweigh the limitations of a virtual recruiter 

Many virtual recruiters are designed to be conversational and user-friendly, but they do have limitations. This is the main reason we wanted to share these questions and answers – to help candidates understand what a virtual recruiter can and can’t do. They can’t read between the lines, address sensitive issues, answer questions about a company’s team members or team dynamics, make hiring decisions, describe the work environments or company cultures, or respond to other questions outside their individually programmed scope.  

But that’s where robotics end and the benefits for your job search begin. Today’s hiring landscape is very competitive and crowded. You need a way to break through and make your job search easier, from time savings to convenience, access to more job opportunities, objective review of your application and resume, and a personalized application experience. It’s also helpful to be able to make a connection any time or day or night, regardless of your time zone.  

A virtual talent recruiter makes all of that possible. It is the efficient, stress-free step that connects you with a recruiter and gets you in the door of an employer’s hiring manager. 

Connect with a recruiting firm that will elevate and expedite your job search 

Goodwin Recruiting is always looking for top talent, and we commit to providing the best candidate experience possible. We have been helping professionals advance their careers for more than 25 years. We work with leading employers nationwide to fill manager to executive-level and C-suite roles across all industries and business sectors.  

Jump into our respected talent pool and let us help you find and land the ideal job for your career path. 

Check our job board and sign up for job alerts, as new job opportunities are added every day. Or if you prefer, contact an expert recruiting partner today.