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Why I Still Call Every AI-Recommended Candidate

If you’re reading this, you’re probably a business owner, HR leader, or executive who’s feeling the pressure of AI-driven hiring. Maybe you’re curious about the technology coming out of China, or maybe you’re just tired—tired of hearing about “efficiency,” tired of seeing the hiring process lose its human side. I understand. I’ve spent years building systems to automate what used to be manual. I believe in the power of data and algorithms. But even today, I still call every candidate my AI recommends. Here’s why.


The Algorithm Is Not the Relationship


Let’s be honest: AI has changed the hiring game. We can analyze thousands of profiles in a fraction of the time it took a decade ago. Platforms like Lusha, Apollo, ZoomInfo, and public datasets have opened up access to talent that used to be invisible. Our DEX AI and CVFlow platforms can deliver a shortlist of high-scoring candidates in days, not weeks. The business case is clear—costs down, speed up, less human error, more “objectivity.”

But the algorithm is not the relationship. When I pick up the phone, I’m not just checking boxes. I’m listening for the story behind the CV: the hesitation before a candidate answers why they left their last job, the tone when they talk about failure, the excitement—or lack of it—when they describe what they want next. No AI, no matter how sophisticated, can sense the subtle shifts in energy that tell you whether someone is running toward your company or just running away from something else.


Key Points:

  • AI can scan and score, but it cannot build trust.

  • Real conversations reveal what resumes and algorithms miss.

  • Subtle cues—like a pause or a change in voice—matter more than keywords.


Efficiency Without Humanity Is a Dead End


I’ve seen what happens when recruiting becomes a numbers game. You get fast placements, but you also get fast turnover. Candidates who look perfect on paper can unravel in the first month because no one bothered to ask them real questions, or to listen for the answers that aren’t in the data.


We had a client last year—a multinational in FMCG expanding into Southeast Asia—who insisted on a fully automated shortlist. Out of five “ideal” profiles, three left within six months. The feedback from exit interviews? “No one really talked to me before I joined. I didn’t feel like I belonged.” That’s not a technology failure; it’s a leadership failure.

Key Points:

  • Fast placements can lead to fast turnover.

  • Candidates need to feel seen and heard, not just processed.

  • Retention starts with the very first conversation, not the first day at work⁠⁠.


Technology Should Amplify, Not Replace, Judgment


The best leaders I know don’t delegate the final call on people to machines. They use the data to get to the right shortlist, but they still show up, ask the hard questions, and build trust from the first conversation. That’s how you get retention, not just recruitment.


At LYC Partners, we’re building tools that make you faster, not less human. Our process is rigorous—every candidate is screened, scored, and benchmarked against real business needs. But the call, the conversation, the decision to move forward—that’s still human. I’ve coached my team to always follow up, to reconnect with candidates even after a rejection, to keep the network warm. This isn’t just about filling roles; it’s about building communities of trust that outlast any single placement.


Key Points:

  • Use AI for efficiency, but keep the final decision human.

  • Build a network, not just a database.

  • Follow up, even with candidates you don’t hire—trust lasts longer than any placement⁠⁠.


What I’ve Learned From My Own Failures


I’ve made mistakes. Early in my career, I thought the smartest thing I could do was automate as much as possible. I built processes that were airtight, efficient, and scalable. But I lost candidates I shouldn’t have lost. I missed the “soft signals”—the doubt in someone’s voice, the way they talked about their team, the ambition that didn’t fit the job spec but would have made them a superstar in another role.


I learned the hard way that you can’t outsource curiosity, empathy, or judgment. You can only train yourself and your team to use technology as a tool, not a crutch.


Key Points:

  • Automation can’t replace empathy.

  • Listening is a skill that improves with practice, not with more data.

  • Personal failure is the best teacher—don’t be afraid to adjust your process⁠⁠.


Strategy for the Next Decade: Augment, Don’t Abdicate


Here’s my philosophy for the next decade of hiring: augment, don’t abdicate. Use every tool at your disposal—AI, automation, global data—but don’t let go of the things that make you irreplaceable.


If you’re a business leader, insist that your team calls every finalist. If you’re in HR, double down on the skills that AI can’t learn: negotiation, mentorship, storytelling, intuition. If you’re a candidate, ask yourself if you’re joining a company that values people or just processes.


Technology coming out of China, like DEX AI, is reshaping global talent markets. It’s helping Chinese companies expand overseas and international firms tap into new talent pools. But the companies that thrive will be those that remember: every placement is a leap of faith, every hire is a bet on a human being, not just a set of keywords.


Key Points:

  • Augment your process with AI, but don’t give up your human edge.

  • Invest in skills that AI can’t replace.

  • Every hire is a bet on a person, not just a profile⁠⁠.


The Call Is the Culture


I still call every AI-recommended candidate because culture isn’t built in a dashboard. It’s built in conversations—sometimes awkward, sometimes inspiring, always real. That’s the edge no algorithm can deliver. It’s what keeps your best people from leaving when things get tough, and what attracts the ones who could work anywhere but choose you because you listened, not just scored.


If you’re ready to build a hiring process that’s fast, smart, and deeply human, let’s talk. Not as clients, but as people who know that at the end of every search, there’s a person on the other end of the line—and that’s where the work really begins.


Summary:

  • AI helps shortlist, but only humans can build trust and culture.

  • Fast, automated hiring can increase turnover if you skip real conversations.

  • Listening for subtle cues reveals what data can’t show.

  • The best teams use AI to speed up, not to replace, human insight.

  • Every call is a chance to build long-term trust, not just fill a position.

  • Don’t let your hiring process become so transactional that you lose your human edge.

  • Augment your process with technology, but never abdicate your judgment or empathy.

  • Culture is built in conversations, not in dashboards or algorithms⁠⁠.


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


Businesswoman in office, focused on smartphone. Open laptop displays "Talent Acquisition Insights" dashboard. City skyline visible.


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