#34 - Revolutionizing Hiring: John Collins on AI, Challenges, and Yogan's Vision

Software Without Borders

Welcome back to Software Without Borders! I'm Andy Hilliard, and today I'm thrilled to dive into the world of hiring with John Collins, a leader who's shaped talent strategies at Microsoft, Apple, and scale-ups like Snapchat and Flixbus. As the founder of Yogan, John's tackling universal hiring headaches—like one-size-fits-all processes, AI biases, and lengthy interviews—that slow down growth and inflate costs. We explore how hiring has evolved over the last decade, the pitfalls of outsourcing and over-relying on AI, and Yogan's game-changing approach to faster, fairer, more cost-effective talent acquisition. John shares his vision for empowering recruiters, boosting offer acceptance rates, and using AI thoughtfully to transform hiring forever. If you're a business leader navigating global software teams and talent challenges, this episode is packed with actionable insights—subscribe now and join the conversation!

Guest Introduction:

I'm excited to have John Collins with us—a proven leader with over two decades at powerhouses like Microsoft and Apple, plus scale-ups such as Snapchat, Vinted, and Flixbus. Now, as founder of Yogan, John's on a mission to overhaul hiring, making it faster, fairer, and more strategic for growth. His global experience brings fresh perspectives on talent acquisition in today's evolving tech landscape.

Key Takeaways:

Hiring challenges are universal—whether at big corps or startups—often stemming from outdated, one-size-fits-all processes that introduce bias and inefficiency.

The last decade's shifts, like AI in resumes and interviews, can amplify biases if not handled right; human oversight remains key to fair evaluations.

Outsourcing recruitment might cut costs short-term, but it risks disconnects—internal recruiters as strategic partners yield better long-term results.

Yogan disrupts by auditing processes for free, quantifying risks like added stages costing $3,000 or dropping acceptance rates, and training interviewers for better experiences.

Focus on candidate experience boosts acceptance rates and retention; gamified AI training in Yogan makes interviewers prepared and engaging.

Communicating ROI to C-levels is tough but vital—highlight hidden costs in delays, turnover, and lost opportunities to show hiring's business impact.

Chapter Markers:

0:00 Intro

0:04 Welcome and Host Introductions

0:21 Guest Welcome and Background

1:06 Universal Hiring Challenges

3:38 Changes in Hiring Over the Decade

7:36 Yogan's Disruption and Vision

10:02 Risk Assessment in Hiring Processes

10:46 Interviewer Training and Preparation

15:45 Impact on Candidate Experience

19:20 Global Hiring and Cultural Alignment

26:28 AI's Role in Yogan

41:22 Gamified Training with AI

43:10 Communicating ROI to C-Level

48:55 Wrapping Up and Final Insights

51:43 Closing and Call to Action

Keywords:

Andy Hilliard, John Collins, Software Without Borders, hiring challenges, AI in hiring, talent acquisition, Yogan startup, global software teams, recruiter empowerment, interview processes, hiring ROI, candidate experience, tech hiring evolution, outsourcing recruitment, bias in AI