Emily Gaines on Why People Are Still Peopling (Despite AI)

At This Time... Emily Gaines, Head of Talent, HR & Learning at SESI Schools, joins us for a candid conversation about building an HR function from scratch across 16 states, hiring 2,500 specialized education employees a year, and why going fast too soon almost cost her everything. She breaks down SESI's AI-powered phone screening tool — processing 50,000–70,000 applications annually — and shares why the retention data genuinely surprised her. But the real kicker? After all that AI talk, Emily will tell you straight: no algorithm is saving a bad candidate in a live interview. Host: Eric DeSobe; add him on LinkedIn Guest: Emily Gaines; add her on LinkedIn Watch on YouTube