“It’s not about kind of handing away our decision-making rights,” says Dr. Reece Akhtar. “It’s about using AI as a tool–emphasis on a tool–to help us become smarter humans, not the other way around.”

Dr. Akhtar is the CEO of Deeper Signals, an end-to-end Soft Skills Intelligence platform designed to help organizations make smarter and fairer talent decisions. He is a contributor to Harvard Business Review and Forbes and co-author of the book, The Future of Recruitment: Using the New Science of Talent Analytics to Get Your Hiring Right.

In today’s episode, Reece joins Daniel and Peter for a look at the current landscape of AI-powered talent management and a discussion about the best balance and approach for integrating AI into an overall talent strategy.

Tune in to learn:

• The three things to get right about using AI in the hiring process
• Why good interviews are still vital to the hiring process
• The one thing to remember when introducing AI into the hiring process

Listeners who want to dip into the AI for HR waters can try the Deeper Signals assessment tool here.

Questions, comments, or topic ideas? Drop us an e-mail at podcast@stewartleadership.com.

In this episode:

1:07 – Introduction: Dr. Reece Akhtar

1:49 – The State of AI in Hiring

7:34 – Early Adoption to the Next Level

13:53 – Improving the Applicant Experience

23:02 – The Elements of Successful AI Adoption

27:18 – AI and the Interview Process

34:00 – Lightning Round

Resources:

Dr. Reece Akhtar LinkedIn

Deeper Signals

Deeper Signals Candidate Assessment Tool

The Future of Recruitment: Using the New Science of Talent Analytics to Get Your Hiring Right, Amazon

Stewart Leadership Insights and Resources:

3 Human Needs to Retain Every Employee

Developing Employee Personas: A Practical How-To Guide

The 7 Elements of Employee Experience

6 Trends in Leadership and HR for 2025

10 Ways Our New AI Coach Can Grow Your Career

10 Cool Things Leaders Can Do With An AI Coach

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