Hiring in the Age of A.I. (EP.90)

Artificial intelligence isn’t just changing how we work—it’s reshaping how we hire.

In this episode, hosts Tim Cynova and Katrina Donald explore the impact of AI on hiring practices. Joined by their unique, algorithmic guest—Chad Geepet (pronounced GPT 😉), part thought partner, part mirror, and all algorithm—they unpack what AI is really doing to hiring systems, not just in headlines but in the messy middle where résumés, interviews, and algorithms now mingle.

Drawing on eight recent studies and articles, they explore:

• Learning to Speak Algorithm: How job seekers and employers are adapting to (and gaming) A.I. systems — and what that reveals about a hiring culture that prizes efficiency over connection.
• A.I. Interviews and the Illusion of Fairness: Exploring why structured doesn’t always mean just, and how transparency can restore trust in the interview process.
• Invisible Filters: Where bias hides in plain sight — inside the data, the design choices, and even our definitions of “professionalism.”
• Trust and Transparency as the New Currency: How sharing how the system works can turn skepticism into credibility.
• From Risk to Responsibility: Designing for Care: How bias audits, explainability, and “A.I. use statements” can shift compliance from checkbox to culture — turning care into a competitive edge.

Together, Tim, Katrina, and Chad explore the tensions between efficiency and care, risk and responsibility, asking questions like: What would it look like to design hiring as an act of care? And how do we make sure that technology reflects our values—not the other way around?

“AI won’t replace humans in hiring—it will amplify whatever values are already in play.” — Chad Geepet

Whether you’re a job seeker navigating an algorithmic gauntlet or an HR leader experimenting with new tools, this conversation offers both insight and invitation: to build hiring processes that are transparent and deeply human.

📺 Watch the animated edition of the podcast episode!

Highlights:

• 01:39 Meet Chad Geepet: An Algorithmic Guest
• 02:49 The Big Story: Trust in Hiring
• 04:03 Theme 1: Learning to Speak Algorithm
• 06:41 Reactive Creativity in Job Seeking
• 17:09 Theme 2: AI Interviews and the Illusion of Fairness
• 26:46 Theme 3: Invisible Filters: Bias in Data and Design
• 33:16 The Importance of Bias Audits
• 34:21 AI as a Mirror in Hiring
• 35:05 Feedforward Loops and Cultural Impact
• 35:59 Layers of Transparency and Accountability
• 37:42 Theme 4: Trust and Transparency as the New Currency
• 38:18 Transparency as a Competitive Advantage
• 46:54 Theme 5: From Risk to Responsibility: Designing for Care in Hiring
• 1:00:32 The Future of AI in Hiring

Links & Resources

• "Recruiters Use A.I. to Scan Résumés. Applicants Are Trying to Trick It" by Evan Gorelick (The New York Times, Oct 2025)
• "Job Interviews Are Broken: People are sneaking...