Scale With Purpose

How does one of the Middle East's fastest-growing fintech companies scale to 3,000 employees and $4bn+ valuation?The answer isn't more recruiters, it's a fundamental rethink of what Talent Acquisition actually is.In this episode, we sit down with Alex Corbin, Head of Talent Acquisition at Tabby, to pull back the curtain on how a unicorn building the GCC's first all-money super app is using AI not to replace its TA team, but to redesign it from the ground up. We move past the hype to explore how Tabby is hiring at scale, why they're building their own solutions in-house, and why Alex believes Talent Acquisition will eventually become a "one-person department".Key discussion points include:The AI-Native Build: Why Tabby is building its own ATS, HRIS, and AI agents in-house instead of buying off-the-shelf tools and what that unlocks competitively.Volume vs. Quality: Tabby's contrarian take on AI screening, they don't want AI to find the best CVs; they want it to remove the bottom 70% so humans can do the real work.The AI Playbook: How Tabby used AI note-takers, competency matrices, and dynamic scoring to scaling hiring, with an AI effectively making the hiring decisions.The Bottleneck Nobody Talks About: Why having 180 interviewers didn't speed up engineering hiring, and the time-to-hire metric every TA leader should actually be tracking.The Future of TA: Alex's bold prediction that Talent Acquisition becomes a one-person, fully strategic function, and what every recruiter should be doing now to stay relevant.The Mood Hoover Lesson: The hardest hire decision Alex has had to make twice, and why "high performer + toxic" is never worth it.Whether you're a founder scaling fast, a People leader rebuilding your stack, or a recruiter trying to future-proof your career, this conversation is a masterclass in what AI-native hiring actually looks like inside a real unicorn.About the Guest:Alex Corbin is the Head of Talent Acquisition at Tabby, the MENA region's leading fintech super app and one of the fastest-growing unicorns in the GCC. Since joining Tabby in 2022, Alex has scaled the TA function from two recruiters to a team of 40 across Dubai, Riyadh, Cairo, and remote, supporting Tabby's growth and expansion from buy-now-pay-later into a full financial services platform.About the Host:George Kelly is a specialist in the intersection of talent acquisition and agentic technology, currently spearheading the development of AI-native hiring solutions at HAILO. As the host of Scale with Purpose, George draws on his experience building AI solutions, helping People leaders and founders navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of modern hiring.Alex CorbinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandre-corbin-774340115/www.tabby.aiGeorge KellyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-kelly-/www.hailotalent.com

How does one of the world’s fastest-growing companies scale its workforce across borders without losing its edge?The answer lies in moving beyond simply "using" AI to becoming an AI-native organisation.In this episode, we sit down with Alan Price from Deel to pull back the curtain on the strategic intersection of global recruitment and agentic technology. We move past the buzzwords to explore how Deel reimagines the hiring workflow, from automating the mundane to elevating the human elements of talent acquisition.Key discussion points include:The AI-Native Shift: What it actually means to build a recruitment function where AI is a core architectural component rather than a peripheral tool.Deel’s Hiring Blueprint: Practical insights into the systems and strategies that allow Deel to identify, vet, and onboard top-tier global talent at speed.Human-Centric Automation: Identifying the "high-value" touchpoints where recruiters should double down, and where AI agents should take the lead.The Future of Talent: Alan’s perspective on how the role of the recruiter is evolving from a transactional coordinator to a strategic talent advisor.Whether you're an HR leader, a founder scaling a startup, or a recruitment professional looking to future-proof your process, this conversation offers a masterclass in modern, tech-driven talent acquisition.About the Guest:Alan Price is a key figure in the global talent space, currently leading Talent Acquisition at Deel, the global platform with over 40,000 customers, enabling them to hire, pay and manage teams in 150+ countries. With a front-row seat to the rapid evolution of work, Alan and the team are leveraging technology to bridge the gap between global opportunity and local talent.About the Host:George Kelly is a specialist in the intersection of talent acquisition and agentic technology, currently spearheading the development of AI-native hiring solutions at HAILO. As the host of Scale with Purpose, George draws on his experience building AI solutions, helping People leaders and founders navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of modern hiring.Alan PriceLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanprice/www.deel.comGeorge KellyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-kelly-/www.hailotalent.com