Can you believe it? We're heading into the final stretch of the year, and the countdown is officially on! ✨

The lights are up across towns, the temperature has plummeted, and there are only a few more "official" working weeks left before we close out 2025. Whether you're powering through end-of-year deadlines, gearing up for celebrations, or simply looking forward to some well-earned rest, we hope you're finding moments to pause and soak it all in.

However you celebrate this time of year -or even if you don't - it's a good reminder to check in. Not just on tasks and to-do lists, but on each other. 🧡 How are your colleagues really doing? A quick coffee catch-up, a genuine "how are you?", or even a simple thank you can go a long way.
Let's look out for one another as we head into the season.

And speaking of connection - mark your diaries! 🗓️
We'll be hosting a BRN End-of-Year Social to bring our community together and celebrate the year that was. Details are coming very shortly, so keep your eyes peeled. We'd love to see you there! 🥂

In the meantime, grab your favourite warm drink ☕, get cosy, and dive into this month's edition.

BRN Community Member, Danielle Antoinette Elliott - Co-Founder & Chief Marketing Officer, is looking to bring on Recruitment Consultants across both brands - Found by Few & Mixture of Experts (MOE).

Ideal for someone who:

Are you hiring into your Talent, People, HR, or DEI teams, and want to spotlight them in a future BRN Newsletter edition?

Reach out to the team at [email protected] with the title “Job Share“ 🧡

By now, you’ve probably sat through at least a dozen webinars, skimmed countless articles, and maybe even felt a little guilty for not having an "AI strategy" yet. Deep breath. You're not behind. 💆

The truth is, most of the noise out there is about what AI could do someday, not what's practical right now. So if you're wondering where to focus your energy, here's a grounded place to start.

⚠️ But first, a reality check. Recent research from Greenhouse paints a sobering picture: nearly half (45%) of UK jobseekers now trust the hiring process less than they did a year ago, with 40% attributing that decline to the rise of AI. And it's hitting younger workers hardest - 57% of UK Gen Z candidates report a drop in confidence over the past year. Read more of the report summary here.

This matters. If we're going to use AI in hiring, we need to do it thoughtfully or risk making things worse for everyone.

🎯 Pick one pain point, not ten. Think about where your team loses the most time or where candidates drop off. Is it screening hundreds of applications? Writing job descriptions? Scheduling interviews? Start there.
One problem, one tool, one experiment.

🤝 Get comfortable with the "assist" mindset. The best use cases right now aren't about replacing recruiters; they're about giving you back hours in your week. AI that drafts outreach messages you can edit. AI that summarises candidate notes. AI that flags scheduling conflicts. Think of it as a really fast teammate who needs supervision.

🆓 Try the free stuff first. Before you commit to any shiny new platform, play around with tools you might already have access to. Many ATS systems have rolled out AI features. ChatGPT can help you draft Boolean strings or rewrite that job posting. Low stakes, high learning.

🔄 Beware the "AI doom loop." Here's what's happening out there: candidates are using automation to send out more applications, while employers use the same technology to filter them out. It's an arms race, and it's making the process worse for everyone.

The numbers are striking: 38% of UK candidates admitted to using prompt injections - hidden text designed to bypass automated screening - and 48% of those who haven't tried it are considering it. Meanwhile, 91% of employers report dealing with deception from applicants. 😬

🌍 Put inclusion at the centre, not the afterthought. AI learns from historical data, and our hiring history isn't exactly a shining example of equity. That means AI can quietly bake in the same biases we've been trying to undo.

Candidates are noticing. One in three UK jobseekers (32%) believe AI has shifted bias from humans to algorithms, while 17% say the technology has amplified discrimination by learning from flawed historical patterns. Only 8% think AI makes hiring more fair.

Before you adopt any tool, put on your inclusion hat and dig in.

Questions worth asking: 🔍

The tools that are serious about inclusion will welcome the conversation.

❓ Ask vendors the hard questions. Beyond inclusion, push past the polished demo. Where does candidate data go? How long is it stored? What happens if we stop using the tool? Clear answers matter.

The goal isn't to become an AI expert overnight.
It's to find one small win, learn from it, and build from there, without leaving anyone behind in the process. ✨

Equitas: State of AI in TA 2026: A live panel discussion on the state of AI in TA, where we are currently, and what to keep in mind for 2026.
Dec 9th, 11.15am GMT , Online

Thanks for being part of the BRN community; we’re growing, learning, and making an impact together. Stay visible. Stay inspired. Stay connected.

Got something you’d love to see in future editions? Reach out: we’d love to hear from you!

-The Black Recruiters Network Team 🧡