The Guest – Peter Kisel, CTO & Co-Founder of Finlay
Peter Kisel is the CTO & Co-Founder of Finlay, an AI-driven talent management platform. Peter joins our podcast for the second time, the first being in September 2022; Balancing Product and Software Development. In this episode, we cover the career changes Peter has experienced over the past 2 years including co-founding a startup and the role of AI in recruitment.
Co-Founding a Startup in the Age of AI-Driven Recruitment
Co-founding a startup is both exhilarating and challenging—especially when it comes to building the right team from the ground up. As AI technology rapidly evolves, it has the potential to radically transform how startups identify and recruit their most valuable asset: talent. In this episode, we explore the early-stage experiences of launching a company, the hurdles involved in securing venture capital, and why AI-driven hiring platforms are poised to eliminate the inefficiencies, biases, and frustrations so often associated with recruitment. Whether you’re a founder, tech enthusiast, or just curious about the future of work, read on to discover how AI can revolutionise the way we build and scale startups.
Some highlights of this episode include:
- Co-founding a startup & career transition
- AI in recruitment
- Raising Venture Capital (VC) funding
- Bias in AI & ethical hiring
- Staying innovative with AI
One of the biggest issues with AI is bias. You talked about placing people for the right reasons and finding the best candidates. How do you ensure that the AI used in recruitment has minimal or ideally zero bias, and that it leads to the most equitable hiring practices possible?”
Yeah, I think you phrased the question perfectly, because—disclaimer here—AI is trained on data that already contains some level of bias. So, it’s unlikely we’ll ever eliminate bias entirely, but I believe we can get very close. With that said, the biggest hurdle I see in human-driven hiring is emotion. Emotions can be a powerful force, but they also introduce significant bias. That’s why I believe in a combination: let humans focus on areas where emotional intelligence is crucial, and let AI handle the rational decisions—where minimising bias is essential. This balance could lead to a modern approach to recruitment where everyone starts from a more level playing field. And that’s exactly what we aim for at Finlay. Our vision is simple: everyone deserves an opportunity.”
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