About this episode

Mike Malinowsky discusses the integration of AI and human elements in modern recruiting.

Episode Summary Mike Malinowsky didn’t stumble into recruiting. He chose it as a life decision. After spending more than a decade in the U.S. Army working in communications and IT, Mike and his wife made a pivotal call when their kids reached middle school: stability mattered more than constant relocation. That decision led him into Army recruiting, a move that not only kept him home for dinner, but uncovered a career he genuinely loves. What followed was a crash course in true headhunting. Military recruiting forced Mike to source creatively, build trust with young candidates and their families, and operate without relying on inbound applicants. That experience shaped his belief that the best agency recruiters are hunters first. In this episode, Mike and Clark break down the difference between the art and science of recruiting, why so many recruiters rely too heavily on tools, and how scrappiness separates top producers from everyone else. The conversation then shifts into what Mike calls a “humanity audit.” As AI tools flood the industry, he challenges recruiters and hiring teams to examine where automation is quietly stripping away potential. From auto-rejection filters to…

People in this episode

Host: Clark

Guest: Mike Malinowsky

Topics covered

• AI in recruiting
• humanity in recruiting
• military recruiting
• trust building
• automation in hiring

Keywords

• recruiting
• AI
• humanity audit
• trust
• candidate experience
• automation
• head hunting

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: U.S. Army

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