Every recruiter remembers their first placement.

But what if that one placement didn’t just launch your career…

…it became the clearest proof that AI will never replace what you do?

On this week’s episode of Recruiter Wins, I sat down with George Santos, Managing Director & Head of Marketing at 180 Engineering, to unpack the story of his very first placement and how it shaped his entire view of recruiting.

George went from retail to recruiting, got thrown into a highly technical software engineering search for a casino gaming company and felt like an impostor talking to senior engineers who’d been doing this longer than he’d been in the workforce.

What changed everything wasn’t his technical knowledge. It was realizing where his real value was.

Here’s what really stuck with me:

- Any placement can turn a job into a career. The software engineer George placed is still at the same company almost 12 years later.

- A recruiter needs to hold their candidate's hands through difficult changes. Candidates might only change jobs 5 to 6 times in their life. You do this every day. Helping them navigate fear, doubt, and “is this normal?” is the real differentiator.

- AI is a tool, not a replacement. George is pro-AI for sourcing, admin and polish but when it comes to “Am I making the right move for my family?”, a bot can’t sit with that anxiety the way a human can.

If you’ve ever:

- Wondered whether your work really changes lives

- Felt that nervous energy on your first (or next) big search

- Worried about where AI fits into your future as a recruiter

…this episode will hit home.

Listen to my conversation with George Santos on Recruiter Wins and get a fresh reminder of why great recruiting will always be a human-first profession.