This year has been about stories for me. One, in particular, stands out: the story of GenAI and NoCode.
Suddenly and globally, everything changed for all of us.
Yes, I know the AI story is 50 years old, but we can all agree that in 2023, when ChatGPT came into human life, an irrevocable change took place. That change continued at a crazy speed into 2024.
Many were afraid as messages started circulating, like: “Aahhh, we don’t need a recruiter or a TA anymore, we can ask ChatGPT to act like a sourcer or whatever we want.”
While it’s true it can role-play, like any tech, it’s limited by your inputs. By your human and creative imagination. By how well you know the industry of tech sourcing, recruiting, and hiring.
So, I, like many, first felt deeply afraid and thought, “Jeepers, do I need to find a new job?”
That’s when I realized two things:
- One, I wasn’t as digitally and AI literate as I needed to be, since all our roles now involve some form of data or software.
- Two: Stay away from the hype cycle, as it stops you from thinking clearly.
Of course, there was still room for a hiring recruiter like myself, but not the “it’s business as usual” type.
Since the tech was here, I now had to think differently.
What could I do that my AI could not?
My answer is simple: we need to be more human than ever before.
It may sound too simplistic, but it’s the truth.
I started looking at our processes and listening to the pain points of an industry long known for notoriously poor service.
How could I work on my CX?
What support do my clients need?
How could I compete with an LLM that, when prompted, offers up a decent enough Boolean string?
That’s when I started studying GenAI, learning what it can do (sometimes badly) and equally what it did well.
I split tasks into two categories: one is a Nix (aka human) task, and the second is an AI task.
To remain relevant with GenAI, you need to be prepared to think hard, so hard that your temples ache (or maybe that’s just the extra time I spend at my desk).
GenAI tech and No-Code are changing the way I work in the most wonderful way.
Here are a few AI tools I use daily:
- Chipp (https://www.chipp.ai/): A no-code AI assistant. I built a Tech Sourcer helper that creates boolean strings from job specs, breaks down keywords, and suggests synonyms. You can train it and set up automations, like sending results to Google Sheets. It’s one of my every day go-to tools.
- SmartSuite (https://www.smartsuite.com): A platform that helps me communicate better with clients by showing candidate pipelines and automating tasks like sending invoices when offers are accepted.
- Zapier (https://zapier.com/): I use it to send thoughtful follow-up emails to candidates and manage hiring workflows for clients. It helps keep things organized and ensures we stay connected with potential future candidates.
These tools have all helped me save time and helped improve communications in a data driven, yet creative way.
I have studied this tech and watched how, in a very short time, a new workforce is being created, from LLMOps to NoCodeOps.
Founders are meeting their next hires on Slack or Discord, and video is becoming a go-to medium for letting people know about new opportunities.
So, How do we stay relevant right now?
- My first tip: Accept that this tech is here, and it’s here to stay.
- Secondly, take a look at the way you once worked, and do the opposite.
Seeing the potential of GenAI tech opened my eyes to how it could help me run my recruitment business better.
I started to see opportunities I hadn’t noticed before, and it led me to rethink my entire business model.
Now, I’m not just doing hiring; I’m running GenAI and NoCode workshops, helping others learn the ropes of this incredible tech. (Also doing my first GenAI recruiting workshops in October this year)
2024 has been hard, there is no doubt about it.
But despite the ups and downs, we made our first AI placement. The irony?The tech that some say will replace humans has made me more human than ever.
I’m now part of many communities, doing webinars and meeting incredible people each week.
Bonus: I’m happier at my desk than I’ve ever been.
My long-term goal? To keep building with AI, maybe even develop a go-to-market hiring systems platform of my own.
I’m in so deep that I can’t imagine going back to how things were. In fact, I don’t want to.
Sourcing isn’t just about finding humans anymore. It’s about working with the right tech to bring the best out of both humans and machines.
It’s the human in the loop guiding of AI, that will help keep us relevant.
So, what’s my parting advice to you?
GenAI is a tool, so try not to fear it too much.
Use it daily.
Play in the playgrounds of OpenAI, learn the language of prompting, and explore the tech that’s changing how you work!
It’s all about a mindset shift.
So, let’s choose to move forward gracefully.
This is also a time when we truly understand what it means to be a human being.
When you break that word down, it’s the “Hu” part, Sanskrit for mind or consciousness, that stays with me.
So, let’s use our beautiful minds and consciousness to focus on becoming the greatest recruiters we’ve ever known.