IS AI REPLACING EXECUTIVE SEARCH?
July 2025
Chatbots are fascinating. They evoke memories of the global spread of the internet and the introduction of Google in the 1990s. Since then, we’ve had access to worldwide information without the need for lengthy research. Artificial Intelligence is now the next disruptive stage of development. Executive Search is evolving in parallel. Just 15 years ago, research departments were still sourcing internal telephone directories or staff lists from large companies and making calls. Candidate databases were painstakingly built and served as the backbone – something actively marketed. Over the past 15 years, LinkedIn has replaced the significance of proprietary databases. With over a billion profiles, the challenge is no longer accessing candidates but filtering them. AI is now significantly enhancing the research process.
In an era where Artificial Intelligence is capable of piloting fighter jets, is Executive Search becoming obsolete? Hardly – at least not in the foreseeable future. We search for leaders for C-level and board positions who truly make a difference. AI is not programmed for the exceptional, but for the probable. However, in Executive Search, it’s not the probable that counts, but the extraordinary. Moreover, AI is not yet able to assess people comprehensively. A handshake, aura, energy, passion, nervousness, self-reflection – these are vital elements that cannot be captured by an online assessment.
Out of curiosity, we have fed ChatGPT with CVs and asked what the candidates’ core competencies are. The answers are surprisingly impressive – yet, upon closer inspection, read more like horoscopes: generally accurate, but not truly insightful.
«Hiring for Cultural Fit” via AI? We’re still far from that. Even matchmaking platforms barely manage to bring two people together with any real consistency. We aim to match qualified and interested candidates with a board, a corporate strategy, and a company and leadership culture – all of which are in constant transformation. Is one looking for a CEO who perfectly embodies the current corporate and leadership culture? Or perhaps one who fits the desired target culture and has the ability to engage staff at the current state and guide them through the transition?
Executive Search is not just about data-based matching of qualifications. It’s about identifying board members and C-level executives who can move the company forward. We are not primarily looking for profiles – we are looking for personalities. Algorithms cannot identify that. It requires personal discussions, a fine sense for nuance, and the ability to see behind the façade. This is where the true value of Executive Search lies – emotional intelligence cannot be programmed.
«Hiring for Cultural Fit» via AI? We’re still a long way off.
There is another key point: our clients seek guidance and refine their idea of the ideal candidate as the recruitment process unfolds. The briefing often begins with a list of required professional experiences – typically, leaders with many years of industry experience. As the process progresses, industry expertise often takes a back seat to personality traits, values, and leadership style. We are convinced that smart candidates can familiarise themselves with a new industry in a matter of weeks. However, personality and leadership behaviour cannot be developed overnight. Often, impulses from other industries offer more than just “more of the same”.
Here are some recent examples from our practice:
- Search for a CEO for a listed group in the dental industry, tasked with leveraging synergies and executing a growth strategy. The chosen CEO had no industry-specific experience but brought proven success in implementing ambitious growth strategies in intercultural contexts.
- Search for a CEO of a large energy utility focused on expanding energy trading and digital services. A candidate from outside the industry was placed – someone with extensive service, trading, and transformation experience.
- Search for a Chairwoman of the Board at a service company in the construction sector, aiming to make the business more agile and less exposed to volatile market cycles. A multi-industry, non-construction board member with experience in semiconductor cycle management was appointed.
AI would neither have found these individuals nor persuaded them to change sectors.
At Witena, we engage daily with the possibilities offered by Artificial Intelligence and drive forward digital transformation. We automate where it is sensible and rely on personal interaction where it truly matters. Because true excellence arises from the combination of analysis and intuition, from systematics and human understanding. At the centre of it all is «Hiring for Cultural Fit.»
Witena – Hiring for Cultural Fit
We believe: the best appointments start with the right understanding of leadership. That’s why we don’t simply match skills and requirements – we connect people with organisational cultures. Our focus is on Cultural Fit – for leaders who create impact, and for the successful development of companies.