Ep 795: AI, Humans and Frontline Hiring

In frontline retail hiring, speed is everything. If the process is too slow, candidates take offers elsewhere, and stores are short-staffed, hurting both service and revenue. AI-powered automation is now helping some organizations close that gap, cutting hiring times, saving thousands of hours, and driving measurable financial value for the business. The organizations seeing real results started with the problem, not the technology, because layering AI onto a process that isn't working only makes things worse. They also had to answer a question that rarely gets asked: how quick is too quick, and when does speed start to feel impersonal? The goal isn't to remove humans from the hiring process. It's to remove the noise so candidates reach the right people faster. My guests this week are Stef Nikitas, Director of Talent Acquisition at Ace Hardware, and Rachel Allen, Senior Director of Talent Acquisition at 7-Eleven. In our conversation, they share how they transformed frontline hiring with AI, the results it delivered, and where they chose to keep humans firmly in the process. In the interview, we discuss: Why speed matters in frontline hiring The danger of automating broken processes Leading with the problem, not the technology How quick is too quick? What remains human and why How automation improves the candidate experience Time savings and measurable business value Advice for TA on change management What does the future look like Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.

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Ep 795: AI, Humans and Frontline Hiring is an episode from The Recruiting Future Podcast - Innovation in HR and Recruitment by Matt Alder.

This episode is 37:39 long.

This episode was published on May 19, 2026.

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