When it comes to hiring, we often lean on instinct: that gut feeling during an interview, the hunch about someone’s “fit,” or the sense that something’s missing even when the CV looks perfect.

Undeniably, AI is now playing a bigger role in recruitment. Screening CVs, scoring candidates, even predicting retention, so it raises a fair question: Can AI replace gut feeling in hiring?

Let’s look at where intuition still holds weight, where AI can support better decisions, and why the smartest approach might actually lie somewhere in between.

What Is “Gut Feeling” Anyway?

Intuition isn’t magic. It’s your brain making rapid judgements based on years of experience, patterns you’ve subconsciously observed, and even past mistakes. It’s fast and emotional and one could argue that it’s not always rational, but it’s definitely not unfounded either.

For example, you might meet a candidate who ticks all the boxes on paper, but something feels off in the interview. That unease might stem from a previous bad experience you haven’t consciously connected… but your brain has.

Gut feeling works best when it’s built on experience, BUT (there’s always a but isn’t there) it’s also vulnerable to bias. Bias could translate into potential law suits, discriminate hiring practises and the wrong choice.

Where AI Comes In

AI tools, in contrast, process large volumes of data objectively. They can surface trends, flag inconsistencies, and help narrow down options; all without fatigue or personal bias.

In hiring, for example, AI might highlight a strong candidate who would have been overlooked due to an unconventional career path. In strategy, it can detect patterns we’d otherwise miss.

AI brings structure. It brings speed. But it doesn’t understand context the way we do. It doesn’t read nuance. And it doesn’t know your organisation’s gut (or, at least, not yet).

When to Trust AI, and When to Trust Yourself

The sweet spot lies in combining data and instinct, not choosing one over the other. Here’s how:

• Use AI to inform your decisions, not make them for you. Think of it as a smart assistant… not the final voice.
• Pause when your gut and the data don’t match. That’s when you dig deeper.
• Reflect on where your gut feeling comes from. Is it past experience? Personal bias? Nerves? Naming it helps clarify whether to trust it. When AI offers alternate options, it challenges your default thinking… and that’s needed and very healthy!

Intuition Isn’t Dead, but it Needs to Be Challenged.

The work landscape is fast paced, and as such, intuition remains valuable (especially when paired with awareness!). The difference today is that we have tools to test our instincts.

AI can sharpen our decision-making by challenging our blind spots. But it can’t (yet) replace that quiet internal check that asks, “Does this really feel right?”

Evolving… not Replacing.

We don’t have to choose between AI and intuition. The goal isn’t to silence gut feeling, but, rather, it’s to evolve how we use it.

Ask yourself:

• What does the data say?
• What does my experience tell me?
• What might I be missing?

Rethinking intuition doesn’t mean abandoning it. It means refining it and with the help of tools that expand, not replace, our judgement.

In a world full of noise, learning when to listen to your gut…AND when to question it, might be the smartest skill of all.

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