Ep 776: Designing Hiring For Humans

Hiring processes are full of design choices that nobody ever questions. Requirements that sound reasonable but aren't defined. Formats that have stayed the same for decades. Onboarding systems built for one type of learner. Talented people are being screened out, not because they can't do the job, but because of how the process itself is designed.

These aren't people failures; they're design failures that quietly exclude the people organisations most need. So how do we actually design hiring in a way that works for everyone?

My guest this week is Theo Smith, author of the new book Designed for Humans: Rethinking Work in the Age of AI. In our conversation, he shares practical ways to spot and fix the system design flaws hiding in plain sight across the hiring process.

In the interview, we discuss:

• Why people aren't always the problem
• The hidden barriers in job ads
• Probation periods as red flags
• Why structured interviews still fail
• How people mask gaps at work
• AI is accelerating flawed system design.
• Onboarding as a critical failure point
• Designing workplaces for humans

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