New Delhi: Recruiters in India are shifting their focus from speed to substance. Nearly 75% of them are now investing up to 70% of their hiring budgets into AI-driven recruitment tools and platforms, according to new LinkedIn research, signalling a decisive move toward prioritising the quality of hires over simply filling roles fast.
The India Hiring ROI report, based on responses from over 1,300 HR professionals across 10 cities, reveals that Indian recruiters are embracing data analytics and AI to meet changing business demands.
“With the pressure to hire quickly, many recruiters cast the net wide but not deep, choosing volume over precision. But hiring today demands more,” said Ruchee Anand, head of LinkedIn Talent Solutions in India.
High-quality candidates with transferable skills top the list of priorities for 57% of respondents, followed by smarter hiring technologies (52%) and a stronger focus on proving the return on hiring investments to senior leadership (46%).
The shift comes amid persistent challenges in finding the right mix of technical and soft skills (64%), hiring at speed (58%), and ensuring cultural fit (54%). To address this, 69% of recruiters now use data analytics for informed decision-making, and 63% rely on AI tools to boost accuracy and efficiency.
Time-to-hire remains an operational metric—nearly three in four companies typically close hiring cycles within two to four weeks—but quality has emerged as the key yardstick. About 72% of recruiters rate ‘quality of hire’ as their most important success metric, followed by time-to-hire (60%) and revenue per employee (59%).
“Recruiters need tools that help them find skilled talent who can drive real business outcomes,” Anand said. “The opportunity lies in using AI and data to shift from quick-fill roles to high-impact hires.”
Delays in the recruitment process come at a cost–58% say they lose top candidates to faster-moving competitors, while 64% cite added workload pressure on teams, and 63% point to lowered morale and productivity. The chief bottlenecks? Prolonged approval processes (58%) and indecision among hiring managers (56%).
As AI adoption deepens, the recruiter’s role is also being redefined. Close to half (45%) say AI is boosting efficiency by automating manual tasks, freeing them up for higher-value functions such as aligning with stakeholders and enhancing candidate experience. A growing number, 90%, now see themselves evolving into strategic career advisors, with 92% planning to use personalised content and data insights to engage talent more meaningfully.