Every CEO knows that hiring the right people determines the success or failure of everything else. Yet too often, the way recruiting is talked about doesn’t reflect its true complexity or impact.

We believe the thought leadership around recruiting should live up to the craft itself. And as technology reshapes the profession, it deserves to be discussed with the same rigor and imagination as product or growth.

That’s why we created the 10x Recruiting community. Through events, conversations, and podcasts, we bring together the people actually in the trenches of building teams.

Most recently, leaders from Deliveroo, Miro, and hyperexponential shared their processes and reflections on how AI is changing what great looks like. We also enjoyed food and a cocktail or two along the way.

The event featured insights from:

Here are the key takeaways from an evening of sharp insights, honest reflections, and big ideas about the future of recruiting.

1. AI is now core to the craft

Our panelists agree that AI fluency is a defining skill for anyone serious about building and leading high-performing teams.

“AI is now a must have,” says Lucy Szypula. “For everyone who cares about their profession and takes it seriously, AI is absolutely the expansion of our craft. It’s helping us achieve outcomes we couldn’t imagine before.”

At hyperexponential, Lucy’s team has built AI-enabled coaching programs for hiring managers, and automated workflows that elevate interview quality while reducing manual effort. “It’s changing the way we operate,” she said. “And the appetite is only growing.”

Siadhal Magos frames it as both a challenge and an opportunity. “Our mission is figuring out how humans and AI are going to work together to build teams. That’s the next three to five years of recruiting.”

The next generation of great recruiters will treat AI as both a productivity enhancer and a creative collaborator, delivering better quality hiring at scale.

2. The best recruiters rebuild processes, not just retrofit them

It’s tempting to treat AI as something you can simply layer on top of existing systems. But the real impact comes when you step back and reimagine the process from the ground up.

Jamie Edwards describes the philosophy he uses at Deliveroo. “We’re now at a point where there’s a lot we can take as a given—the tasks and activities that can be automated. The next step is using AI to uncover what we didn’t know we didn’t know, and to redesign how we operate.”

Ash Rama explains “there are people who use AI to replace Google, people who sprinkle it on top of what they already do, and then there’s the third group—the ones who stop and rebuild with AI. That last group is the most interesting, because when AI is in the fabric of what you’re doing, it can transform how you operate.”

The team at hyperexponential has moved from experimenting with AI to embedding it deeply into their operations. “We started by layering AI into what we already did," says Lucy, "reviewing interviews and improving feedback. But now, we’re thinking differently. We ask, what’s the least a human should do in this workflow? What can we reimagine completely?”

The most forward-thinking recruiting teams aren’t simply patching AI over old systems. They’re rebuilding from scratch to take full advantage of what technology can do.

3. Recruiters must now scale themselves

AI is most commonly thought of as a tool for efficiency. But it’s really a way for people to multiply their own impact. Recruiters who learn to “scale themselves” through AI will quickly outpace those who rely on manual methods.

At Miro, Justin Bishop empowers his team to experiment and build their own automations. “We give recruiters the freedom to play around with AI. If you want to create something, try it. And if it works, we’ll scale it out. It’s created a culture of empowerment.”

He’s seen this shift reshape how recruiters think about their work. “It’s no longer just about managing a process,” he says. “It’s about using technology to extend your reach and make smarter decisions.”

Siadhal sums up the broader trend. “The most effective recruiters aren’t just the ones doing great work. They’re the ones building systems that help them do more great work, faster.”

The recruiters who thrive in the AI era will be those who use technology to amplify their capabilities, and scale their influence and impact far beyond what was possible before.

4. Creativity and taste are the new superpowers

As technology automates more of the recruiting process, what truly sets great recruiters apart is creativity, judgment, and taste. “We’re empowering our team to build their own tools,” says Jamie. “But that means they need taste, and an acumen for what great digital experiences look and feel like.”

Deliveroo now values creativity as much as process rigor. “We look for examples of how recruiters have innovated; how they’ve improved candidate experiences or found new ways to reach talent”, says Jamie.

AI can bring real insights and huge efficiency gains. But the recruiter’s role as a designer of human experience is vital. The future of recruiting will reward those who can blend technology with empathy and creativity, designing experiences that are smart, seamless, and deeply human.

5. Speed alone is no longer the goal. Quality is.

For years, time to hire has been the ultimate measure of recruiting success. But with AI improving efficiency, the focus is shifting from speed to substance.

Justin shares how Miro is redefining what excellence means. “If you hire really quickly, you can reduce quality. If you focus only on quality, you can lose speed. But I think the KPI around time to hire will start to disintegrate. 

“We’ll look more at quality of hire: how many high-quality employees we’re bringing in, and how they impact the business.”

Justin’s team is working to identify “Miro DNA” and build their entire hiring process around it. 

For Lucy, AI can support this shift by helping teams analyze interviews, spot skills gaps, and coach hiring managers more effectively. “It’s not about replacing the human element,” she says. “It’s about giving us sharper insight into what great looks like.”

AI can certainly deliver new hires faster and at greater scale. But the best recruiters will always focus on quality—hiring the right people, not just getting there fastest.

Our London 10x Recruiting event showcased a profession in motion. One that’s balancing data and empathy, automation and artistry, technology and human judgment.

And despite a core focus on AI and tooling, the discussion reaffirmed that recruiting has always been (and will always be) about people. The most exciting opportunities lie with those who are willing to experiment, rebuild, and redefine what great looks like.

Inspired and want to join a growing community of people shaping the next era of recruiting? Join the 10X Recruiting Community and tell us what (and where) you’d like our next event to be!