Keep Hiring Human: Nick Livingston on AI-Assisted Interviewing and the Future of Recruiter Intelligence

Recruiting teams are gaining back real time — but the more significant shift is what happens to the conversation once the note-taking disappears. According to RPOA's 2026 RPO Buyer Trends Study, 44% of employers are capturing two to five hours of time savings per recruiter per week, with 32% saving more than five hours. Research from LinkedIn's Global Talent Trends report reinforces this: organizations investing in structured interview intelligence consistently improve both hiring speed and quality. The implication for RPO providers is clear — time savings are only the entry point. The deeper opportunity lies in what recruiters can do when they're free to actually listen.How can talent leaders use AI to elevate the quality of human conversations rather than simply eliminate steps around them? What should RPO providers understand about the shift from transactional screening to skills-based interview delivery — and how do you manage recruiter adoption without losing what makes great recruiting human? In this episode of Time to Hire, host Lamees Abourahma sits down with Nick Livingston, CEO and Co-Founder of Honeit, to explore interview intelligence, the Recruiter Plus AI model, change management, and why the future of talent acquisition depends on keeping hiring human.About the PodcastTime to Hire is produced by the Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association (RPOA), the leading authority on recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) foresight and innovation, and the trusted convener for the global RPO community. Through conversations with industry leaders, the podcast explores the trends, insights, and innovations shaping the future of talent acquisition.Learn more about RPOA and join the community at: https://www.rpoassociation.org.Follow the host, Lamees Abourahma, on LinkedIn.