How I Learned to Interview Humans in an AI World

In a world where everything is speeding up, where dashboards and algorithms seem to run our days, it’s easy to forget what an interview is really about. I never thought I’d have to defend the act of listening—really listening—to another person. But here we are. If you’ve ever walked into a hiring meeting and felt the air thick with metrics and the pressure to be “efficient,” you know what I mean. At LYC Partners, we built tools like DEX AI and CVFlow to help our clients cut through the noise. But the more technology we use, the more I realize: the human part of the process matters more than ever⁠⁠.

This isn’t about being nostalgic for the old days. I don’t miss the slow, biased interviews of the past. But now the pendulum has swung so far toward automation that we risk forgetting what we’re even automating for. If you’re an executive, HR leader, or business owner watching technology change everything, this is for you.

The Temptation of Speed—and What It Costs

Let’s be honest: AI tools are seductive. They promise to save time, cut costs, and give you a shortlist of “top candidates” before you’ve even finished your first coffee. Our own DEX AI connects to platforms like Lusha, Apollo, ZoomInfo, and public data, so our clients can focus on decisions, not data entry. CVFlow was built to give you a living pipeline, not a graveyard of CVs⁠⁠.

But here’s what I learned: speed is not the same as clarity. The faster the process, the easier it is to forget you’re dealing with real people—each with their own story, ambitions, and contradictions. Automation is a scalpel. The interview is still an art.

The Interview as a Human Encounter

It took me years, and more than a few failures, to realize that the best interviews are not about ticking boxes. They’re about creating a space where people can show you who they really are, not just who they think you want them to be.

I remember a meeting last year—a candidate who looked perfect on paper. Every metric matched. Every skill, every keyword. But when I spoke to him (screen-to-screen, of course), something felt off. He answered every question with the precision of a machine. He was, in every sense, “qualified.” But I couldn’t get a sense of what he cared about. No curiosity, no friction, no spark. That’s when I realized: if you only interview for skills, you’ll build a team of robots. And the world already has enough of those⁠⁠.

What Changed in My Interviewing

I started to experiment.

I stopped asking questions that could be answered with a quick search or a line from their CV.

I asked about failures. Not the polished, “tell me about a time you overcame adversity” kind of failures, but real ones. The ones that sting.

I asked what they learned, what changed for them, and what they would do differently now.

I paid attention to how people talked about others—mentors, rivals, teams they led or left. Did they give credit? Did they blame? Did they own their story, or hide behind jargon?

I listened for silence. The pause after a tough question. The willingness to admit “I don’t know.” That’s where you find humility, and humility is the raw material of growth⁠⁠.

The Role of Technology: Friend, Not Replacement

I’m not naïve. AI is here, and it’s not going away. But the best leaders—those who will thrive—are the ones who use technology to amplify their humanity, not replace it.

At LYC Partners, our process is built on this tension. CVFlow gives us structure and visibility—every candidate, every stage, every follow-up is tracked and transparent. But it’s not a substitute for judgment. When we’re screening, we use AI to filter noise, not to make the final call. When we interview, we’re looking for the stories between the lines.

This is especially true for our clients—multinational companies, often expanding from China into new markets, navigating not just technical gaps but cultural ones. The challenge isn’t just finding someone with the right skills, but someone who can build trust across borders, adapt, and teach as much as they learn⁠⁠.

For HR and Executives: What’s Next?

If you’re in HR and worried about being replaced by AI—don’t be. Worry about being replaced by someone who knows how to use AI and still knows how to listen. The future of hiring isn’t about who can process the most resumes. It’s about who can spot the person who will change your business, not just fit into it.

For executives, the question is not “How do I automate my hiring?” It’s “How do I build a system that lets me see the people behind the process?” The answer is not more dashboards. It’s more conversations⁠⁠.

Behind the Curtain: What We’re Building

At LYC Partners, we’re as obsessed with process as anyone. Our team debates automation flows, dashboard logic, and candidate scoring systems late into the night. We’ve built tools that let us surface the right profiles in minutes, not weeks. But the real work—the work that matters—is still done by humans.

Every time we tweak CVFlow, we ask:

• Does this make it easier for us to connect with candidates as people?

• Does it help us see what’s invisible on a resume?

• Does it give us time back, so we can spend it in real conversation?

If the answer is no, we go back to the drawing board⁠⁠.

What I Wish Someone Had Told Me

You can’t outsource discernment. You can’t automate empathy. The best interviews are those where you leave with more questions than answers—about the candidate, about yourself, about the future you’re trying to build.

If you’re building a team, don’t just look for the “perfect fit.” Look for the person who will challenge you, who will grow with you, who will surprise you. That’s what makes a team resilient, not just efficient⁠⁠.

Practical Takeaways for Interviewing in an AI World

• Use AI to filter out noise, but never let it replace your own judgment.

• Focus on building trust and understanding, especially across diverse backgrounds.

• Prioritize real conversations over dashboards and metrics.

• Ask about failures and real-life challenges, not just achievements.

• Listen for humility, curiosity, and the ability to admit “I don’t know.”

Remember: the best hires are not always the most “qualified” on paper, but the most human in person.

Final Thoughts

We live in a world of disruption, of relentless technological change, of uncertainty. The only constant is the human urge to connect, to build, to create meaning out of chaos. In the end, that’s what leadership is: the courage to stay present, to ask better questions, and to listen—really listen—to the answers.

If you’re still reading, you’re probably one of us: skeptical, curious, maybe a little tired, but still searching for the signal in the noise. Don’t let the machines have the last word. The future belongs to those who remember what it means to be human⁠⁠.

Claire Jin, Principal, DEX AI & Senior Consultant, LYC Partners