Host Leah Cottham sits down with Heather Erickson, COO at Obra, to unpack why hiring feels broken and what teams can do about it. Heather brings a career spent at the intersection of HR, technology, and operations, and she explains how AI has flooded hiring inboxes with applications that all look the same.

The conversation digs into a clear shift happening now. Applications have quadrupled since AI took off, yet quality has not kept pace, leaving hiring managers to waste time verifying whether candidates are even real people. Heather makes the case for going outbound, searching directly for candidates by skills rather than keywords, and building real relationships with job seekers. She also shares practical advice on hiring globally, why skills come first and location second, and how partnering with an employer of record removes the payroll and paperwork barriers to international growth.

Key topics covered:

[00:00] Intro

[00:43] Meet Heather COO at Obra

[03:11] How Ai bots flood hiring inboxes

[06:03] Why job seekers feel ghosted

[07:20] Detecting fake Ai candidates on camera

[09:33] Using Ai the smart way

[10:02] Building global teams that win

[11:53] Why Ai engineers demand going global

[13:50] Applications quadrupled since Ai

[15:47] Hiring is just like dating

[18:47] Why networks beat crowded inboxes

[20:33] 83% now chase passive candidates

[21:38] Matching skills not keywords

[25:15] Skills first then location and culture

[30:00] Make the first move yourself

[32:07] What success looks like 12 months later

[36:02] Putting the job seeker first

If you are tired of drowning in AI applications or wondering how to find top talent across the globe, this episode gives you a clear path forward. Press play and rethink how you hire.