Ep. 18 Russian Emails, Lies in Interviews, and the AI That Might Replace Us

In this episode we talk about the hidden flags recruiters miss, the lies candidates tell, and the tools AI gives us to finally get ahead. William Tincup and Ryan Leary sit down with Mike Wolford live at the Fama booth during HR Tech to unpack real-life stories from the field and why the future of recruiting is all about data, not gut checks. Key Takeaways ➡ One contractor sent inappropriate emails in Russian, assuming no one would translate them — HR did ➡ Overly detailed excuses in interviews often signal dishonesty or manipulation ➡ Recruiters can spot bad actors by watching for unverifiable or overly polished claims ➡ AI can help forecast patterns recruiters miss — like MRI tech catching cancer earlier than humans ➡ Mike argues the real threat of AI is not violence, but preference — we’ll like bots more than people ➡ Recruiters who rely on phone screens are falling behind — it’s time to automate the basics ➡ Data-driven recruiting means knowing salary trends, response rates, and source effectiveness ➡ AI should handle tasks like scheduling and screening so recruiters can focus on strategy ➡ Strategic advisors win. Order takers and guessers get replaced ➡ Success at HR Tech is about helping recruiters transition into data-first talent pros This limited series is brought to you by FAMA, Modern Candidate Screening. Talent teams use FAMA to improve candidate quality, create safe and inclusive workplaces and place the right leadership for their organizations. You can subscribe and listen to the #9to5Nightmares podcast here https://fama.io/podcasts or here Chapters 00:00 Live at Fama’s booth with Mike Wolford 01:00 The Russian email incident and HR’s translation surprise 02:00 Lies in interviews and spotting overcompensation 03:00 How AI helps recruiters see patterns before people can 04:00 Why AI will win our attention before it destroys anything 05:00 Recruiters must evolve into data-powered strategists 06:00 Scheduling, screening, and admin tasks belong to AI 07:00 What Mike hopes to get from HR Tech this year Guest Info Mike Wolford, Author of The AI Analyst LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikewolford Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lex-duo-ai/ Connect with us William Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary Connect with WRKdefined on your favorite social network Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined Twitter: https://twitter.com/WRKdefined Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com