AI Hiring in Asia’s Supply Chain: Why Human Judgment Still Matters
21 Dec 20258 min read
Summary
- AI tools are increasingly used across Asia’s logistics sector to speed up recruitment and manage scale, yet the region’s supply chains demand adaptability, cultural fluency, and real-time judgment. These human capabilities, critical during disruptions and cross-border operations, are difficult for algorithms to capture or score accurately.
- Evidence shows that AI screening systems can unintentionally down-rank candidates with non-linear career paths, regional experience, or unconventional job titles, even when they possess strong operational capability. In a diverse labor market like Asia’s, overreliance on historical data and keyword matching can exclude exactly the talent needed to manage volatility and transformation.
- The emerging best practice combines AI efficiency with human oversight. Automation handles high-volume tasks, while recruiters apply contextual judgment, assess soft skills, and evaluate cultural fit. As talent shortages intensify across Asia’s supply chains, organizations that balance technology with human insight will be better positioned to build adaptable, high-performing teams.
At a recent closed-door roundtable, Boao Forum for Asia Roundtable in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim summed up the sentiment in the room: “We’re living through a weaponization of interdependence. Instead of advancing facilitation, energy pipelines, shipping routes, semiconductor supply chains now have become instruments of unfair leverage.”The comment captured a truth that extends beyond geopolitics. Asia’s supply chains now hinge as much on people as on parts, on human judgment, negotiation, and adaptability. Yet, even as global volatility underscores the need for such skills, companies are turning to artificial intelligence to handle hiring at scale.In Asia’s rapidly evolving supply chain sector, artificial intelligence is playing a growing role in recruitment, from resume screening to skill-matching. But while AI promises speed and scale, HR leaders and operational heads across the region are starting to ask: what’s the cost of missing the human story?
The bias beneath the bots
Just as strict market regulations can unintentionally filter out capable firms, AI systems trained on historical patterns may inadvertently overlook talented candidates, reinforcing systemic biases despite no deliberate intent.
Human skills that machines can’t score
Hiring managers across the region are pushing back, arguing that AI should assist, not replace, human oversight.
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“There’s no algorithm for situational empathy,” said Anthony Hayward, regional supply chain CEO of HARDSKILLS. “In this industry, your ability to solve a customs clearance issue at 3 a.m. or calm an irate supplier can define success.”
Towards hybrid hiring
The answer, many agree, is balance.
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“How do we show candidates our company culture when we can’t invite them to the office? We send personalized, handwritten cards to candidates before their start date (as well as some swag!). We want to give them a feeling of being really welcomed into the company—which is what we’re really about,” says Ewa Zajac, Recruiting Operations Manager at Zendesk
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