January 23, 2026 – Artificial intelligence is advancing faster than most organizations can keep up. From predictive analytics to generative models, businesses around the world are racing to establish their AI strategies. But while many are investing heavily in data, technology and infrastructure, a critical part of the equation is being overlooked: people, according to a recent report from the Warren, New Jersey-based executive search firm. Brain work.
“Hiring the right AI leader can make or break your strategy,” the report states. “And yet, most organizations still rely on outdated recruiting tactics such as job boards or keyword searches to fill positions that require rare combinations of technical expertise, business acumen and transformational leadership. »
The uncomfortable truth? “Your next big AI hire isn’t on a job board,” says the BrainWorks report. “AI executive recruiting is unlike any other search. Job boards are designed to display resumes matching keywords, not to identify minds capable of translating emerging technologies into business results. Because AI itself has changed the way candidates market their skills, many have learned to optimize their profiles with buzzwords that trigger applicant tracking systems. On paper, they seem perfect. In practice, it’s almost impossible to distinguish those who have truly built and developed AI programs from those who simply touched them.
When companies rely on keyword matches to evaluate AI leaders, BrianWorks noted that they are not evaluating their capabilities; they reward algorithmic intelligence. That’s why job boards can’t provide the precision, insight, or insight needed to find transformational AI talent, the company said.
What businesses think they need versus what they actually need
The explosion of AI has created confusion between what organizations think they need and what they actually need, according to the BrainWorks report. “Many believe that success depends on hiring deeply technical experts: data scientists, machine learning engineers, or doctors,” he says. “But true AI leadership requires more than technical mastery. The best AI leaders are change agents: leaders who understand how to connect technology to strategy, communicate complex concepts across teams, and drive adoption at scale.”
Related: From experimentation to infrastructure: how AI is redefining executive search
“They combine AI expertise with strategic, entrepreneurial and emotional intelligence,” the report continues. “They don’t just build systems; they advance organizations. These capabilities don’t show up in a keyword search. They are revealed through nuanced assessment by someone who understands how AI, businesses and people intersect.”
The cost of being wrong
A bad AI hire isn’t just a short-term setback; this can permanently harm your company’s credibility and momentum, the BrainWorks report explains. “AI initiatives are expensive,” the company said. “Data infrastructure alone can require millions of investments. When the leader leading this initiative doesn’t have the vision or ability to execute it, the results can be catastrophic. Implementation failures erode stakeholder trust, block innovation, and make future investments exponentially harder to justify.”
AI will not replace curated search; This will reveal who is doing it well
In executive search, the real question for AI is no longer whether it has a place in the process, but rather how it can refine human judgment instead of diluting it. “Everyone is driving AI somewhere in the talent stack,” said Mike Caggiano, co-founder and CEO of ExactSearch.AI. He explained that it’s at the management level that the question moves from “Can AI search?” to “Where does this create real benefit without eroding judgment, trust or the brand?” »
“Companies and talented leaders who answer this question honestly will move faster and hire better than those seeking full automation,” Caggiano said. “AI is an electric assistance. It narrows the options and speeds up the work around the decision. But at the next level, the decision still depends on context, persuasion and trust.”
In a market where AI adoption is still new and rapidly evolving, BrainWorks emphasized that companies that stumble early risk being left behind. Hiring mistakes at this level are not only a waste of time, but also a lost opportunity.
What it really takes to identify and attract great AI talent
Identifying and attracting the right AI leader is a highly specialized process that requires a deep understanding of both the technology and the business strategy that supports it.
Assessing AI talent goes beyond evaluating technical skills, the BrainWorks report notes. This requires the ability to interpret how a candidate’s experience translates into organizational impact: can they create alignment across teams? Do they understand how to connect AI capabilities to business objectives? Can they inspire trust and adoption within the organization?
Related: AI and HR: partners to create smarter, more human workplaces
“This type of assessment is not something that an algorithm or keyword search can replicate,” the BrainWorks report states. “It requires professional judgment, market knowledge, and relationships built over years within the AI and data community.” Top AI leaders don’t actively apply for new roles: they drive transformation within their current organizations, advise boards, and shape innovation. Reaching and engaging them requires credibility, context and a strategic vision of what motivates these individuals to explore new opportunities.
“That’s why organizations that partner with experienced recruiters enjoy an immediate advantage: access to hard-to-reach talent, the ability to evaluate beyond the resume, and the assurance that each candidate presented has been vetted for impact,” the report concludes.
Since 1991, BrainWorks has provided executive search services to growing organizations around the world. The firm focuses on serving C- and sub-C-level executive recruiting needs, particularly within private equity and Fortune firms.
BrainWorks’ focus areas include: Accounting & Finance, Accounting & Finance – Acting, Analytics, Data Science & Data Governance, Technology & Commodity Trading, Consumer Products, CRM & Direct Marketing, Cybersecurity, Data & Data Insights, E-Commerce, Digital Media & Entertainment, Financial Technology, Go-To-Market Research – Private Equity/Insurance & Financial Services, Human Resources, Legal, Market Research & Consumer Insights, Medical Devices, Real Estate, Infrastructure & Private Investments, Sales & Marketing, Channel supply and operations, and technology.
Related: AI and HR: partners to create smarter, more human workplaces
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Managing Editor and Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media