You've probably heard the term "AI agent" thrown around on LinkedIn. Most of the time it's being used by people who've never worked a desk and are trying to sell you something. Let's cut through that.

ChatGPT is a tool. An agent is a worker.

When you use ChatGPT, you type something, you get an answer, and then you go do the work. It's a tool — like a calculator or Google. Useful, but passive.

An AI agent is different. You give it a goal and it figures out the steps, uses tools, and does the work itself. It can search databases, send messages, update CRMs, and make decisions along the way.

Here's the difference at a glance:

ChatGPT (Tool)

  • You ask, it answers
  • You do all the work after
  • One question at a time
  • No access to your systems
  • Forgets everything between chats

AI Agent (Worker)

  • You set a goal, it executes
  • It does the work for you
  • Chains multiple steps together
  • Connects to your CRM, LinkedIn, email
  • Works from your data continuously

Think of it this way: ChatGPT is asking your mate for advice. An AI agent is hiring a junior recruiter who already knows your market.

What does this actually look like in recruitment?

Here are real examples, not hypotheticals. Each of these is a single instruction that an agent handles end-to-end:

Candidate Sourcing
"Find me Java developers in London who've changed jobs in the last 6 months." The agent searches LinkedIn, filters by criteria, enriches contact details, and adds them to your database — ready for outreach.
Company Research
"Research this company for a BD call tomorrow." The agent pulls company info, finds hiring managers, checks for open roles, and writes you a briefing note.
Pipeline Management
"Check my pipeline for candidates who haven't been contacted in 2 weeks." The agent queries your database, identifies the gaps, and drafts follow-up messages.

None of this requires you to open 6 tabs and copy-paste between tools. The agent does it.

How does an AI agent actually work?

Under the hood, an agent follows a simple loop: receive a goal, break it into steps, execute each step using the right tool, and deliver the result. Here's what that looks like for a typical sourcing task:

1

Receive the goal

You say: "Find 20 Python developers in Manchester with startup experience."

2

Plan the steps

The agent decides: search LinkedIn, filter results, enrich contacts, save to database.

3

Execute with tools

It connects to LinkedIn's API, pulls profiles, runs them through enrichment providers for emails and phone numbers.

4

Deliver the result

20 enriched candidates land in your database, ready for outreach. What took you 2 hours took the agent 3 minutes.

Why should you care now?

Because the recruiters who adopt this early won't just be faster — they'll be operating on a completely different level. While you're spending 2 hours building a longlist, they've already got 50 enriched candidates in their CRM with personalised outreach queued.

This isn't about replacing recruiters. It's about removing the admin so you can do what you're actually good at: building relationships, qualifying candidates, and closing deals.

The numbers already tell the story:

2hrs
Manual longlist build
3min
Agent longlist build
30%
Of your day on admin
0%
Admin with agents

What you don't need

  • You don't need to learn to code
  • You don't need to understand machine learning
  • You don't need to build anything from scratch

You just need to understand what's possible and find the right setup. That's what we're building at Recruitment Agent Hub — infrastructure that works the way recruiters actually think.

If you want to see what this looks like in practice, read about how to build your first AI workflow or explore what's changed in the recruitment tech stack.

Common Questions

What is the difference between ChatGPT and an AI agent?

▼

ChatGPT is a conversational tool — you ask questions and get answers. An AI agent takes a goal, breaks it into steps, connects to your tools (CRM, LinkedIn, email), and executes the work autonomously. The agent does, ChatGPT advises.

Do recruiters need to learn to code to use AI agents?

▼

No. Modern agent platforms are designed for non-technical users. You describe what you want in plain English, and the agent handles the technical execution. No coding, no machine learning knowledge required.

What can AI agents actually do in recruitment?

▼

AI agents can search LinkedIn and filter by criteria, enrich contact details, add candidates to your database, research companies for BD calls, find hiring managers, check your pipeline for gaps, and draft follow-up messages — all without you opening multiple tabs or copying between tools.

Bottom line: AI agents aren't coming. They're here. The question is whether you're using them or competing against people who are.