AI for Hiring with Rhys

The Brighteye Team
Apr 8
2 min read

The recruitment industry is undergoing a seismic transformation, driven by the rapid adoption of AI technologies. In our latest episode of Sidekick, I sat down with Rhys, Head of Platform and Research at Brighteye Ventures, to unpack the findings of our new report on AI in Hiring (incl. market map - see below).

We explored how AI is reshaping the way companies attract, assess, and onboard talent, and what this means for job seekers and employers alike.

Whether you're an HR leader, a startup founder building in the talent space, or simply curious about the future of work, here are the top takeaways from our conversation.

Listen on

TIMESTAMPS:

(0:00) Intro

(2:46) Summary of the report

(6:43) White spaces

(10:37) Moats/Avenues of differentiation

(20:35) Rapid-fire questions

(24:58) Final thoughts

Key takeaways:

1. AI is transforming the hiring lifecycle

Three major ways AI is redefining recruitment:

Talent identification: AI improves alignment between candidate capabilities and job requirements, enabling more dynamic hiring.
Bias reduction: Machine-led screening can offer more objective evaluations, potentially reducing unconscious human biases.
Faster onboarding: AI tools are helping new hires ramp up faster by streamlining onboarding workflows and personalising the experience.

2. White space opportunities

Despite a crowded market, there are still untapped opportunities:

AI-Powered Career Agents: Unlike employer-side tools, few solutions cater to job seekers. An AI agent acting like a "football agent" for careers - guiding, advising, and advocating for candidates - could be transformative.
AI for Passive Talent Discovery: Most tools focus on active candidates, but there’s significant potential in surfacing hidden gems; passive talent open to the right offer.

3. Defensibility hinges on workflow integration and distribution

Building defensible moats in AI hiring isn't just about superior tech. Rhys emphasized:

Proprietary AI and data give a technical edge.
Strong distribution channels and deep workflow integration (from sourcing to payroll) offer stickiness and scale.
Brand trust, seamless UX, and end-to-end solutions could differentiate winners from copycats.

4. Is a more fractional/dynamic workforce emerging?

AI may soon automate much of the administrative load in knowledge work, shifting roles to focus on strategy. This could:

Lead to a rise in fractional roles and portfolio careers.
Require new AI tools to help manage multiple part-time engagements.
Push employers to rethink traditional full-time job structures.

Read our latest piece on how AI may reshape high-skilled corporate work.

Conclusion

The AI hiring landscape is evolving rapidly and is fiercely competitive. But it’s also full of promise: for building fairer, faster, and more inclusive hiring systems.

If you're a founder who is building in this space, we’d love to hear from you: dg@brighteyevc.com

Explore the full research here (incl. market map - see below).