Finding the true Talent in the AI era

An HR Director at Softbinator Technologies argues that ATS and automated recruiting tools fail to identify true engineering talent. In 2026, with AI generating boilerplate code, the value of engineers has shifted toward problem-solving mindset and adaptability. The post outlines what markers recruiters should look for in entry-level candidates: personal projects, bootcamps, hackathons, academic honors, and extracurricular tech activities. It also notes that fewer students working part-time during college is now a normalization rather than a problem, as those years are better spent on activities that shape real engineering potential.