Robert Hourie on AI, Instinct, and the Future of Recruitment – Voices of Work

At Yotru, we want to share the stories of people who are shaping the future of work. That is why we started the Voices of Work series. Each piece highlights a leader with deep experience in hiring, talent, and technology.

For this feature, we spoke with Robert Hourie, Director and Talent Partner at Elwood Roberts in Dublin. Rob has spent more than 15 years in IT and data center recruiting, helping companies from startups to multinationals hire the right people and guiding candidates into lasting careers. He has placed hundreds of professionals worldwide and built strong networks across software, hardware, data center, and engineering roles.

How AI in Hiring Has Changed

Rob has seen recruitment transform dramatically over the last two decades. He remembers when newspaper ads drew just a handful of CVs, job boards like Monster were the new frontier, and most candidates came from the local market. Recruiters spent hours on the phone, building relationships one call at a time.

Today, AI is speeding up repetitive work such as sorting resumes, sourcing candidates, and handling initial outreach. “AI gets us bigger candidate pools and finds talent that might have been overlooked,” Rob explained. “But cultural fit, motivation, and client needs do not show up in algorithms. That is where the human touch still matters.”

At Yotru, we see the same pattern. Our tools make it faster to create a polished, structured resume, but the goal is not speed for its own sake. We want to give candidates back the time to focus on proof, storytelling, and authentic conversations with recruiters.

How Resume Sorting Works at Elwood Roberts

Elwood Roberts uses AI-powered parsing and ranking to save time, but never relies on it alone. “Right now, AI gets us 60% of the way,” Rob said. “But that last step, that gut instinct a seasoned recruiter brings, that is what clients really pay us for.”

Their process combines AI with structured questions and human review. Parsers help the CRM rank candidates, but every shortlist is checked by a recruiter before moving forward.

Yotru extends this idea to job seekers. By giving candidates clear formatting and keyword alignment without clutter, our platform helps resumes get past parsing systems. That means recruiters like Rob spend less time cleaning up CVs and more time focusing on potential.

When AI Gets It Right and When It Misses

AI once flagged a candidate for a data center role who had a non-traditional background: lots of hands-on experience, no degree, but strong certifications. The system ranked the CV in the middle of the pile, but Rob saw the potential. With his advocacy, the candidate was hired successfully.

At the same time, AI often overlooks strong candidates who use different terminology, have career gaps, or present their experience in unusual ways. “That is why we always double-check,” Rob said. “Especially for senior or niche roles.”

Yotru helps close this gap. We encourage candidates to highlight measurable achievements and certifications in simple, structured language so that both AI and humans can recognize the value.

Where AI Struggles Most

For Rob, the biggest gaps are in areas that cannot be reduced to keywords: cultural fit, soft skills, and motivation. AI also produces false positives, candidates who look ideal on paper but do not succeed in practice.

“That is why interviews and reference checks are still critical,” he explained. “They catch things AI cannot.”

At Yotru, we agree that no tool should replace judgment. That is why our system is designed to give candidates speed without stripping away their individuality. Recruiters can see the evidence of skills, and candidates still have room to tell their real story.

Advice for Job Seekers in the AI Age

Rob’s advice is clear:

• Tailor your CV with keywords from the job description
• Keep formatting simple and avoid graphics or tables
• Highlight measurable achievements and certifications
• Make the first two pages count and keep them concise and impactful
• Prepare for AI-driven video interviews with clear, confident answers

He also reminds job seekers not to rely only on applications. “Networking and referrals remain powerful,” Rob said. “AI will not change that.”

This aligns with Yotru’s vision. We make it easier for candidates to build resumes that get noticed, but we also stress that real opportunities come from connections, conversations, and proof of work.

The Future of Recruiter and Candidate Relationships

Rob believes AI will become more deeply embedded in recruitment, especially for high-volume programs like graduate hiring. “Some entry-level or high-volume roles may become fully automated,” he said. “But selling a role, building relationships, and making final judgments, that is where recruiters will always add value.”

At Yotru, we share that view. We believe AI should be an assistant, not a replacement. The best future is one where tools do the heavy lifting while people focus on trust, fit, and career growth.

About Robert Hourie

Robert Hourie is Director and Talent Partner at Elwood Roberts, based in Dublin. He brings more than 15 years of experience in IT and data center recruitment, having previously led hiring programs at GemPool Recruitment and WorkFusion. Over his career, Rob has placed more than 265 candidates, built international networks across the tech sector, and developed a reputation for honest, consultative recruitment.

Rob holds a Business Studies qualification from the National College of Ireland. Today, he works with companies across Europe to source top talent, cut operational costs, and support digital transformation. His mission is to combine the best of AI with the power of human instinct.

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