LinkedIn Launches AI Hiring Assistant Amid 78% Employer Struggle to Fill Roles

LinkedIn has officially launched its first generative AI agent for recruiters, Hiring Assistant, and it’s now becoming available to users across Australia. This marks a major shift in how recruitment can be conducted on the world’s largest professional platform, especially as local businesses face growing talent shortages and cost pressures.

Hiring Assistant is designed to automate and optimise key parts of the recruitment process, from drafting job descriptions to surfacing qualified candidates and even crafting personalised outreach messages. Unlike simple AI tools, LinkedIn is positioning Hiring Assistant as an “agent”, capable of taking initiative and executing tasks based on recruiter intent.

What does Hiring Assistant do?

For Australian talent acquisition teams, especially in small to medium enterprises or fast-scaling startups, the tool offers a clear value proposition:

• Creates job descriptions from rough prompts or role outlines
• Identifies and filters candidate pools using inferred must-have and nice-to-have criteria
• Recommends candidates from LinkedIn’s massive database (over 1 billion members globally)
• Writes and sends InMails, adjusting tone and content to the target audience
• Explains candidate matches, so recruiters can understand the “why” behind suggestions

LinkedIn says the tool has been built to integrate into existing recruiter workflows, not replace them. It works alongside users in the platform’s Recruiter product, using real-time data and feedback to refine searches.

Early results from global trials

While the product is newly rolling out in Australia, it has already been trialled globally with strong early results:

• Recruiters saved an average of 4+ hours per role
• They reviewed 62% fewer candidate profiles due to better targeting
• InMail acceptance rates jumped by 69%, improving candidate engagement
• Over 500 global companies participated in early access, including Canva and Siemens

These outcomes suggest real productivity improvements, particularly valuable for lean hiring teams in competitive sectors like tech, healthcare, or education.

Why this matters for Australian hiring

Australia’s job market is experiencing a prolonged skills shortage. According to SEEK’s 2025 Hiring Trends Report, 78% of Australian employers reported difficulty filling roles particularly in tech, trades, and healthcare. Additionally, time-to-hire remains stubbornly high, with an average of 40 days per role.

By automating repetitive recruitment tasks, Hiring Assistant could help Australian employers:

• Shorten time-to-fill
• Increase candidate response rates
• Reduce hiring costs
• Allow recruiters to focus more on candidate experience and culture fit

Caution and considerations

As with any AI-driven technology, there are risks. Australian HR professionals will need to monitor for:

• Bias and fairness in algorithmic candidate filtering
• Transparency in how the AI ranks or suggests candidates
• Compliance with privacy laws, including the Australian Privacy Act and emerging AI governance standards

LinkedIn has stated its commitment to responsible AI development, including bias mitigation and human oversight in final decision-making.

For recruiters across Australia, LinkedIn’s Hiring Assistant could be the start of a larger shift toward AI-augmented talent acquisition. As AI tools mature, the recruiter’s role may move further into strategy, engagement, and experience design, while machines handle the busywork.

The tool is currently rolling out to English-speaking markets, including Australia, through LinkedIn Recruiter.

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