The Key Gaps in Hiring for AI
January 23, 2026 – Artificial intelligence is progressing more quickly than most organizations can keep pace with. From predictive analytics to generative models, companies everywhere are racing to establish their AI strategies. But while many are investing heavily in data, technology, and infrastructure, one critical piece of the equation is being overlooked: the human one, according to a recent report from Warren, NJ-based executive search firm BrainWorks.
“Hiring the right AI leader can make, or break, your strategy,” the report said. “And yet, most organizations still rely on outdated hiring tactics like job boards or keyword-based searches to fill roles that demand rare combinations of technical expertise, business acumen, and transformational leadership.”
The uncomfortable truth? “Your next great AI hire isn’t on a job board,” the BrainWorks report explained. “AI leadership hiring is unlike any other search. Job boards are built to surface resumes that match keywords—not to identify the minds capable of translating emerging technologies into business outcomes. Because AI itself has changed how candidates market their skills, many have learned to optimize their profiles with buzzwords that trigger applicant tracking systems. On paper, they look perfect. In practice, it’s nearly impossible to distinguish those who have truly built and scaled AI programs from those who have merely touched them.”
When companies rely on keyword matches to evaluate AI leaders, BrainWorks noted that they’re not assessing capability; they’re rewarding algorithmic cleverness. That’s why job boards can’t deliver the precision, discernment, or insight needed to find transformational AI talent, the firm explained.
What Companies Think They Need vs. What They Actually Need
The explosion of AI has created confusion between what organizations think they need and what they actually need, according to the BrainWorks report. “Many assume success depends on hiring deeply technical experts—data scientists, machine learning engineers, or PhDs,” it said. “But true AI leadership requires more than technical mastery. The best AI executives are change agents—leaders who understand how to bridge technology with strategy, communicate complex concepts across teams, and drive adoption at scale.”
Related: From Experimentation to Infrastructure: How AI is Redefining Executive Search
“They blend AI expertise with strategic, entrepreneurial, and emotional intelligence,” the report continued. “They don’t just build systems; they move organizations forward. Those capabilities don’t show up in a keyword search. They’re revealed through nuanced evaluation by someone who understands how AI, business, and people intersect.”
The Cost of Getting it Wrong
A poor AI hire isn’t just a short-term setback; it can permanently damage your company’s credibility and momentum, the BrainWorks report explained. “AI initiatives are expensive,” the firm said. “The data infrastructure alone can require millions in investment. When the leader steering that initiative lacks the vision or ability to execute, the results can be catastrophic. Failed implementations erode stakeholder confidence, stall innovation, and make future investment exponentially harder to justify.”
AI Won’t Replace Retained Search; It Will Reveal Who’s Doing It Well
In executive search, the real AI question is no longer if it belongs in the process, but how it can sharpen human judgment instead of diluting it. “Everyone is piloting AI somewhere in the talent stack,” said Mike Caggiano, co-founder and CEO of ExactSearch.AI. He explained that the executive tier is where the question shifts from “Can AI run a search?” to “Where does it create real advantage without eroding judgment, trust or brand?”
“Firms and talent leaders who answer that honestly will move faster and hire better than those chasing full automation,” Mr. Caggiano said. “AI is a power assist. It narrows options and speeds the work around the decision. But at the senior level, the decision still turns on context, persuasion and trust.”
In a market where AI adoption is still new and rapidly evolving, BrainWorks stressed that companies that stumble early risk being left behind. Hiring mistakes at this level aren’t just about wasted time—they’re about lost opportunity.
What it Really Takes to Identify and Attract Great AI Talent
Identifying and attracting the right AI leader is a highly specialized process—one that requires a deep understanding of both the technology and the business strategy that supports it.
Evaluating AI talent goes beyond assessing technical skills, the BrainWorks report noted. It requires the ability to interpret how a candidate’s experience translates into organizational impact: Can they build alignment across teams? Do they understand how to connect AI capabilities with business objectives? Can they inspire trust and adoption across the organization?
Related: AI and HR: Partners in Building Smarter, More Human Workplaces
“This type of assessment isn’t something an algorithm or keyword search can replicate,” the BrainWorks report said. “It requires professional discernment, market awareness, and relationships built over years in the AI and data community. “Top-tier AI leaders are not actively applying for new roles—they’re driving transformation within their current organizations, advising boards, and shaping innovation. Reaching and engaging them takes credibility, context, and strategic insight into what motivates these individuals to explore new opportunities.”
“That’s why the organizations that partner with experienced recruiters gain an immediate advantage: access to hard-to-reach talent, the ability to evaluate beyond the resume, and the confidence that every candidate introduced has been vetted for impact,” the report concluded.
Since 1991, BrainWorks has provided executive recruiting services for growing organizations all over the world. The firm focuses on the recruiting needs of C-level and sub C-level management specifically within private equity and Fortune companies.
BrainWorks’ areas of focus include the following: Accounting & finance, accounting & finance – interim, analytics, data science & data governance, commodities technology & trading, consumer products, CRM & direct marketing, cybersecurity, data & data insights, ecommerce, digital media & entertainment, financial technology, go-to-market search – private equity/insurance and financial services, human resources, legal, market research & consumer insights, medical device, real estate, infrastructure and private investments, sales and marketing, supply chain & operations, and technology.
Related: AI and HR: Partners in Building Smarter, More Human Workplaces
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
