AI Isn’t Coming for the Kids. It’s Coming for the Middle.
I've changed my mind on AI.
I used to think AI would wreak havoc on junior recruiters - the ones painting by numbers, firing off templated messages, and being managed daily to KPIs. Most make next to no commission and are only there to pad the GP.
But now?
Now I think it’s middle managers who should be nervous.
The junior kids? They’re about to be supercharged. They’ve grown up Googling everything, they’re not afraid of tools, and - crucially - they’re not too proud to ask an AI for help. They are AI-native.
But the manager class? The ones who don’t bill, don’t innovate, don’t coach - just "manage"?
They're in trouble. Toast. Burnt toast.
"The junior kids? They’re about to be supercharged."
From Chaos to Capability: AI in Action
As I sit here working through our AI roadmap at TalentHub Partners, I’m honestly impressed with what we’ve already built. Last year felt messy - experimentation without direction (my fault, I’ll admit) - but all of it was just training data for what’s now emerging.
With a little iteration, much of that experimentation converts nicely to user value (and client value).
What’s emerging is wildly powerful.
I want to share the sexy stuff but will hold out until I demo the platform publicly. Let’s use something as mundane as Google Meet transcripts to show an example of AI automation at work: Simply record the meeting using Gemini and the transcript converts into a Call Summary in the client or candidate record within the platform.
It even picks up the nuance of accents and broken English. (I haven't tried it with my Japanese yet, but that will come!)
Now Apply That to Everything
The process is basic but powerful: Add the information - lots of information - and have AI analyse it. Then use automations to generate something of value.
Consider that concept at scale.
Apply it to every part of a recruitment business. Then ask yourself: What does a “manager” do that AI can’t do better, faster, or more objectively?
Someone’s pipeline is weak? AI knows exactly why.
Struggling to close deals? AI can review call transcripts and spot patterns.
Performance reviews? AI can benchmark every action against company best practices.
Values alignment? AI can flag behaviour that undermines long-term client trust - before the damage is done.
Onboarding a new hire? Generate a personalised training plan (and then some!!).
Team collaboration issues? Analyse communication patterns across your integrated channels to detect silos, misalignment, or toxic interactions - and provide support.
The list goes on. And on. Literally: to every part of a recruitment business.
No bias, no favouritism. Just objective analysis and guidance based on Best Practices.
"Now it all just happens. I don't have to do anything. It's just there."
Using Tools as They Were Meant to Be Used
We’re entering an age of radical transparency, where activity, intent, and outcomes are all visible. Not for surveillance. For improvement.
It’s not about catching people out. It’s about getting the whole team aligned to Best Practices - actually using the tools the way they were designed to be used and driving high performing behaviour.
And that’s the unlock.
Take Google, for example. In the past two months, I’ve dropped Slack, DocuSign, transcription software, and Calendly - all because I finally learned how to use Google Workspaces the way it was designed to be used.
Not as a bunch of vaguely connected tools, but as an integrated system. Chat replaces Slack. Docs replaces Word. Calendar and Meet handle website embeds, scheduling and video. Gemini takes notes. It works. And it’s cleaner, faster, and cheaper.
I used to have to get my meeting transcripts from my email, copy them and paste them into ChatGPT, write out my instructions, then copy and paste them into a note on The Hub. (We might just call our platform The Hub. It fits.)
Now it all just happens. I don't have to do anything. It's just there.
Automation at Scale Changes the Game
Imagine applying that same AI and Automation mindset to your recruitment tech stack. Actually using your CRM or ATS to its full potential. Actually acting on your data. That’s where AI becomes a coach, not a crutch.
And it changes the nature of leadership.
Leaders - the ones who sell, coach, and build - will thrive with AI as their Co-Pilot. But those metaphorical clipboard-wielding middle managers? The box-tickers? The KPI babysitters?
🔥 Obsolete.
I’m not mourning that shift. I’m embracing it. Being that "clipboard" manager must be soul-destroying. AI will do these folks a favour - by forcing them back to the coal face, where they can generate real business again.
No bias, no favouritism. Just objective analysis and guidance based on Best Practices.
Less Management. More Leadership.
In fact, I’ve been there.
There was a time I told my executive coach I wanted to quit the very company I had built. He laughed. But I was serious.
I'd stopped being the leader that inspired people to get on board. I’d become that low-value manager - no longer out in the field or making deals, just buried in internal drama, managing people who didn’t want to be managed. If I’d had AI-powered automation back then, it would’ve changed my world. No more bureaucracy. No more BS.
That’s my hope for the future now: To stay out of the weeds and win the team more business - with AI doing the heavy lifting, even on the BD side.
What we’re building right now has me buzzing again, and I can’t wait to launch our Japan office this summer.
Yes, it's official: I am back.
If you’re an independent recruiter who’s excited about building smarter - not just working harder - let’s talk.
Because AI isn’t the future. AI is already here.
Who Am I?
I’m Chief Recruiter at TalentHub Partners. I’ve led and recruited in three firms with successful exits (3 for 3!), including my own.
Our CTO and lead developer is Konstantin, a full-stack engineer, and together we’re building a next-generation recruitment business powered by AI.
We’re a remote-first company built for responsible, independent people with a track record of client success - those who value freedom, balance, and performance.
We’re just getting started. DM me if you want to learn more or get involved.
