Why Hiring With AI Alone Is Failing and What Works Better | Innovantage Podcast #42
Thu Feb 05 2026
Is AI fixing hiring or breaking human connection?
Why do the best candidates never apply to job ads?
And what really happens inside a startup during its first 9 months?
Juris Zalāns — Co-founder at Talenme, HR Tech strategist, and digital transformation expert shares unfiltered insights from building a referral-driven hiring platform and navigating the fast-changing world of talent acquisition. From startup realities and fundraising to the future of HR tech, this episode explores how technology, trust, and human networks are reshaping recruitment.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
➡️Why passive candidates dominate today’s job market — and how companies actually reach them
➡️The real role of AI in recruitment
➡️How referrals, reputation, and human networks may outperform traditional hiring funnels
➡️The shift toward project work, gig models, and changing career expectations across generations
➡️Practical lessons from scaling an early-stage HR tech startup while balancing product, clients, and fundraising
🎧 Listen Now
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19M3HKc1pbeTkYcOeOkJc0?si=aab60a9ec2864ba2
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/innovantage-podcast/id1749330437
Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InnovantagePodcast
Follow for More Insightful Episodes
Innovantage Podcast: https://www.linkedin.com/company/innovantage-podcast/
Sigli: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sigli/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sigli.gang
TikTok: @innovantage / @sigliofficial
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Is AI fixing hiring or breaking human connection? Why do the best candidates never apply to job ads? And what really happens inside a startup during its first 9 months? Juris Zalāns — Co-founder at Talenme, HR Tech strategist, and digital transformation expert shares unfiltered insights from building a referral-driven hiring platform and navigating the fast-changing world of talent acquisition. From startup realities and fundraising to the future of HR tech, this episode explores how technology, trust, and human networks are reshaping recruitment. What you’ll learn from this episode: ➡️Why passive candidates dominate today’s job market — and how companies actually reach them ➡️The real role of AI in recruitment ➡️How referrals, reputation, and human networks may outperform traditional hiring funnels ➡️The shift toward project work, gig models, and changing career expectations across generations ➡️Practical lessons from scaling an early-stage HR tech startup while balancing product, clients, and fundraising 🎧 Listen Now Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19M3HKc1pbeTkYcOeOkJc0?si=aab60a9ec2864ba2 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/innovantage-podcast/id1749330437 Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InnovantagePodcast Follow for More Insightful Episodes Innovantage Podcast: https://www.linkedin.com/company/innovantage-podcast/ Sigli: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sigli/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sigli.gang TikTok: @innovantage / @sigliofficial