Why human screening still matters in Travel Recruitment
Why we don’t use AI to screen applicants
AI is becoming a bigger part of recruitment, and technology can undoubtedly help businesses work more efficiently.
At Antella, we use technology where it genuinely adds value. But there is one part of our recruitment process we have deliberately kept human: reviewing applications.
Every application we receive is personally reviewed by a member of our team. That’s because we believe recruitment is about more than measuring a CV against a job description.
A career in travel isn’t always a straight line
There is no single route through the travel industry. People build their experience in different ways, move between specialisms and develop skills that may be valuable in roles they had never considered.
Someone might not appear to have every piece of experience a client has requested. That doesn’t automatically mean they aren’t a strong candidate. Their experience may simply be more transferable than their CV first suggests.
Looking beyond the job title
Someone working in travel operations, for example, may have developed strong problem-solving, supplier management and customer relationship skills that could translate into a commercial or account management role.
A reservations specialist may have a detailed understanding of destinations, products and customer needs that would be valuable in product or contracting. And someone working at a DMC may have experience that is highly relevant to a tour operator, even if their job title looks quite different.
Those connections are easier to recognise when you understand the industry and take the time to look at the experience behind the CV.
A CV is more than a collection of keywords
AI can help identify skills, qualifications, job titles and patterns in an application. But those details don’t always tell the full story of someone’s career.
They may not show how a candidate has adapted to different environments, what they have learned along the way or how their experience could translate into a new role. We don’t believe an automated assessment should be the sole reason someone misses out on a conversation.
That’s why we personally review applications. We consider what someone has actually done, the skills they have developed and how their experience might fit the role we are recruiting for.
One application can lead to another opportunity
Sometimes a candidate won’t be right for the position they applied for. That doesn’t mean the conversation ends there.
We may see potential for another opportunity we’re working on, or for a role that comes to us in the future. That matters when you recruit across such a broad industry.
At Antella, we work on Travel & Tourism roles from junior to senior level, across inbound and outbound travel, DMCs, luxury travel, travel technology, travel support services, product, operations, sales, finance, HR and marketing.
There is no single definition of the “right” travel professional, and no single path to a successful career in travel.
Why human judgement still matters
We don’t believe someone should be rejected simply because their experience doesn’t perfectly match a list of requirements.
Good recruitment is about understanding whether a person’s experience, skills and approach could work for a particular business. It also means recognising potential that might not be obvious from a job title alone.
Personally reviewing every application takes more time. Automating that first stage would be quicker. But for us, taking the time to make a considered judgement is part of doing the job properly.
What this means for our clients and candidates
Our clients trust us to understand their business and introduce people who could genuinely add value. Our candidates trust us to understand their experience rather than reduce their careers to a set of keywords.
We aren’t anti-technology. We know AI will continue to play an important role in recruitment. But we also believe there are decisions where human experience, industry knowledge and judgement matter enormously.
For us, reviewing an application is one of them.
Because behind every CV is a person. Sometimes, the most valuable thing a recruiter can do is take the time to look beyond the obvious.
- Elena Ktori, Founder, Antella Recruitment