Insight
Hiring at Google vs PE Changed How I See AI
–
AI tools can support the hiring process, but they cannot replace the judgement needed to make the right leadership decisions. Jenny Collins has worked at Google and in private equity, and she’s clear on where automation helps and where people remain essential.
On Chat CFO, Jenny Collins, Head of Talent at Faraday Partners and former Google and PE Chief Talent Officer, sets clear lines for where automation helps and where it falls short in senior hiring. She describes early Google tactics like keyword sweeps, the reality that someone looked at every application, and why bot interviews can be additive for narrow checks but never a replacement for human conversation. She also flags live risks in new tools, noting “there’s a lot of security issues within a lot of these products.” For decision quality, she leans on structured interviews and scorecards, reminding us that psychometrics is “a tool, it’s not the answer.”
Automation can speed things up. Connection makes it work.
Jenny has seen the promise of AI up close. She’s not alarmist about it. She focuses on what it already changes and what it still cannot do. There are tools that help with throughput and filtering, yet the goal hasn’t changed: build a real connection and test how someone works with others. “You do need to meet them, and you do need to talk to them.”
Where AI fits is the repeatable, high-volume layer. Where it breaks is judging real fit when the work is ambiguous. That judgement comes from conversations and shared work, not from a model alone.
Bots can’t replace human review
Jenny has watched search tactics evolve from basic keyword sweeps to more sophisticated screening. She has also watched candidates try to beat those filters. “People will always game these systems.” She recalls white-on-white keyword stuffing and similar tricks that inflate a match score without proving ability. The volume problem is real, but it does not remove the need for judgement.
The common belief in executive workshops that “no one reads senior CVs anymore” does not match her experience. At Google there were “thousands of applications every day,” yet “someone looked at every application”, supported by resume reviewers and clear bins to manage scale. Human review mattered because people could “really delve into it” and read between the lines. Automation helps count, people decide fit.
She has seen companies experiment with bot interviews. There are limited uses for narrow technical checks, but she treats this as additive, not a replacement. The point is to confirm specific skills, then spend time together to test judgement and collaboration.
“Automation is useful, but you do need to meet them and you do need to talk to them. The best candidates can only be understood when you see how they work with others.” – Jenny Collins, Head of Talent at Faraday Partners
Security is the real risk to watch
Jenny is direct about what worries her. It is not a sudden leap to general intelligence inside hiring software. It is the here-and-now of product quality and data safety. “There’s a lot of security issues within a lot of these products.” She calls out identity risks and impersonation as bigger concerns than speculation about takeover stories. Guardrails and scrutiny matter because many new tools are young.
Psychometrics and executive referencing
On psychometrics, Jenny is curious and practical. She likes them as a way to uncover questions. She keeps it tight in senior processes because time is scarce. “It’s a tool, it’s not the answer.” Use a short psychometric screen early to flag topics you’ll test later in the interview. Deep dives can then focus on the points that matter.
She treats executive references the same way. They can add signal when a candidate has done a very similar job before, but they are “not a reason to hire someone or not.” Interviews remain the centre. The value of both tools is the prompt they give you for targeted questions.
Make the interviews data-led and human
Jenny argues for clarity up front. Define what the role needs. Scorecard it. Interview everyone against the same measures. “Scorecarding that out so you can actually interview everybody on the same specific metrics is incredibly important.” She wants a small set of non-negotiables agreed at the start. Then you can compare candidates fairly.
She also argues for pace. The best candidates often appear early. Slow, undefined processes lose them. Her preference is a fast, tight run with clear stages and feedback windows. She describes an ideal campaign as “very fast, tight, well executed,” with a planned market window and a clear shortlist return.
On structure, Jenny moved from long, many-interviewer loops to a focused flow. Google shifted toward what she calls a “rule of four” once the data showed it was enough to make a strong decision. Too many interviews invite small talk and bias. “If you have too many interviews, everyone has a chit chat, falls then into biases.” Four well-designed interviews, aligned to the scorecard, keep it rigorous and respectful of time.
She treats 45 minutes as a good target once a candidate has invested in preparation. Shorter can be too quick. Longer can drift. What matters most is immediate, terse feedback after each stage so signals do not blur.
Keep the hiring manager’s influence in the right place
Another theme is sequencing. When a CEO or final decision maker meets a candidate too early, the process tilts. Jenny prefers to hold that meeting back until there are several finalists who can already do the job. Then chemistry gets tested between strong options, not used to carry a weak one. At Google, hiring committees made the decision and the manager often was not involved until late. The data came first.
She also wants leaders involved up front in the job design and scorecard. “Trust your recruiters” once that clarity exists. If you are clear at the start, the search can focus on capability rather than familiarity.
“Psychometrics is a tool, it’s not the answer. The real judgement still comes from conversation and seeing how people think.” – Jenny Collins, Head of Talent at Faraday Partners
Use AI to widen the top of the funnel and the top of the table
AI tools can help attract a broader slate. Jenny points to software that de-genderises job specs and highlights language that deters capable applicants. She notes the well-known pattern that “women don’t tend to apply for a role unless they’ve met 100% of the criteria,” so the wording you choose matters. The aim is not to homogenise people. It is to remove friction that keeps them out.
She applies the same thinking to boards. Inclusion works best when the chair drives it as a shared responsibility, not as a burden placed on one person from an under-represented group. The goal is a table where different thinkers contribute to better decisions, not a fast echo that feels efficient yet misses perspective.
Prepare candidates properly and make the experience clear
Jenny prefers to tell candidates exactly what the interview will cover. That mirrors real work, where you receive context and prepare. If you want to test real-time thinking under pressure, tell them you will do that too. Let them prepare the domain, then watch how they approach the unknowns. Clear, upfront information is fairer and gives you a better read on day-to-day performance.
Candidate experience still needs work. Set expectations early. Explain stages, timelines, and what feedback they will receive. When volume is high, detailed feedback for everyone may be hard, but even short, specific notes help senior candidates improve. Automated “thanks but no thanks” messages miss the point. She encourages recruiters to pick up the phone when they can.
What changes next
Jenny’s longer view is steady. Online profiles made search global years ago. Cross-border hiring will keep growing. AI will keep removing drudge tasks. Human judgement remains the factor that counts. Build structure into the process and let dialogue show how they work with others.
Key takeaways from Jenny’s insights
- Use automation for volume and routing. Preserve live conversations for judgement.
- Treat psychometrics and references as prompts. “It’s a tool, it’s not the answer.”
- Lock the role scorecard early. Interview to the same measures every time.
- Aim for a focused process. The “rule of four” interviews beats long loops that invite bias.
- Move fast with a defined market window and a tight shortlist plan.
- Use AI to open the funnel and improve language. Do not outsource judgement.
- Set expectations with candidates. Share what you will test and how you will decide.
Listen to the episode of the STOIX Podcast
To hear Jenny Collins’ full conversation, watch the complete podcast episode here:
To connect with Jenny or explore more of her experience and insights, head over to Jenny’s LinkedIn profile.