Bringing Humanity Back to Work: Redefining Recruitment and Careers
By Helen Wada with Amy Woolf
Rehumanising Recruitment: Why Authenticity Matters in Modern Workplaces
In this edition of the Human Wise Podcast, I had the privilege of sitting down, face-to-face, with Amy Woolf, founder of The Woolf Partnership and a respected force in executive search. Our lively discussion cut to the heart of an urgent question for individuals and businesses alike: How can we bring true humanity back into our careers and recruitment processes in an era when technology and transactional approaches too often take centre stage?
Helen: “Recruitment to a certain extent has become transactional. But what does it really mean to dig under the skin of that and really get the people that fit you and your organisation?”
Amy’s journey, wisdom, and infectious authenticity made for an inspiring conversation that surfaces actionable insights for candidates, leaders, and organisations committed to attracting – and retaining – the best human talent.
Reclaiming the Human Experience in Recruitment
Amy Woolf is an industry leader who has not only witnessed but also experienced how impersonal, metrics-driven recruitment can disenfranchise and demotivate exceptional talent.
Amy: “Over the years in consulting, I had been on the receiving end of some very poor conversations from recruiters, people who hadn’t bothered to do any research about who I was or what I brought to the table… It was a numbers game to them.”
It’s a sentiment I wholeheartedly share. Too often, employment is reduced to a string of skills and keywords, neglecting the individuals behind the CVs. Amy’s answer? To actively “marry the human side of recruitment with a thorough and informed process... to create a consultative approach.”
Bringing Your Whole Self to Work – And the Interview
The theme of authenticity rippled through our discussion. I asked Amy what “being human at work” means to her, especially when matching talent with opportunity:
Amy: “Authenticity builds trust, and trust is the foundation of every successful relationship. Recruitment is an enabler. I’m in the business of people matching, and I can’t match a person to the perfect job or the job to the perfect person if I don’t know who you are.”
This lens requires both organisations and individuals to value vulnerability over gloss. Creating spaces where people can bring their “whole selves” unlocks deeper connection, which technology alone cannot replicate.
Helen: “Fundamentally, we are human beings, and we have to connect with each other… no matter what technology advancements, what AI, it’s the word on the street as we head into 2025. But we are always going to be here.”
Evolving Beyond the Numbers Game: How Organisations Can Rebuild Trust
A human-centred recruitment process is not just a “nice-to-have” – it’s essential for survival in a market fraught with uncertainty, talent shortages, and shifting values. I challenged Amy to share what businesses must do differently to avoid “bad candidate experiences” and truly attract the right people:
Amy: “You are a hiring manager, and you have a problem. The solution is finding the talent. You have to be able to articulate what the problem is really clearly… think about how you’re going to be reaching out to these candidates, what makes you attractive, but also: how many candidates can you personally actually see?”
Effective recruitment is not a numbers game but a precision exercise in strategic, human storytelling. Amy encourages hiring managers to reframe their approach, starting with clear business needs, leveraging their networks, and prioritising communication and trust.
Importantly, recruiters and hiring teams must look beyond the quantifiable — beyond the “facts and figures” of a CV:
Amy: “You as a person are someone completely separate, and you bring all of those things to life… when we take a lot of time with our candidates and ask them questions about their motivations, their drivers, what’s important to them, what’s less important to them, you build up a profile of someone. And that again goes back to the human part of them. The bits are not on CVs.”
Owning Your Career Journey: Advice for Candidates in Difficult Markets
As market uncertainty intensifies, it’s easy to feel lost in the “black hole” of online applications. I asked Amy what individuals can do to reclaim agency over their career journey:
Amy: “I believe having a bit of control over your career is really handy. We spend a vast amount of time at work — too much sometimes. Yet for some reason, when it comes to recruitment, we hope someone’s going to wave a magical wand and give us the right role.”
This is where deliberate self-reflection and network-building come into play. Amy urges professionals to define what they truly want (“designing what you’re looking for is hard”), leverage their networks – often their most powerful asset – and to always approach roles and organisations with genuine curiosity.
My own reflection, and advice for those at pivotal moments, is to embrace the long game – “your career is a marathon, not a sprint.” Take time to interrogate your story, your values, and what truly energises you. The most compelling candidates are those who can articulate their Unique Selling Proposition (USP), and do so with unapologetic authenticity – even when it feels vulnerable.
Building Careers and Organisations on Purpose and Trust
Throughout our conversation, the word “purpose” rang repeatedly. Purpose is the anchor that connects the right people with the right organisations, and fuels both individual and collective performance:
Amy: “Purpose is so important to any business. I am 100% sure that if you can uncover your purpose both as a business, as an individual, whatever it might be, then you’ll know where you want to go.”
Echoing this, I believe that a focus on purpose – for individuals and businesses – is non-negotiable in a world of accelerating change:
Helen: “Our careers need to be seen as a marathon, not a sprint… when you’re thinking about who you are and the roles that you want, try things out. Do things that are different. Because, actually, the jobs in the market today, you overlay technology, you overlay AI, that will change what jobs are available in the future.”
Five Actions for a More Human-Centred Career and Recruitment Approach
Drawing together our insights, here are five evidence-based actions for leaders, recruiters, and career-minded individuals to reclaim humanity, build trust, and unlock potential:
Lead with Authenticity: Whether interviewing or recruiting, prioritise real conversations over rehearsed responses or checklists. Trust is built when people feel safe to be themselves.
Articulate and Share Your Story: Take time to refine your USP and career narrative – “say it, believe it, become it”. The more authentically you tell your story, the more resonance you create.
Design Roles with Purpose: For hiring managers, be crystal clear on why you’re hiring and what success in the role looks like. Candidates, be clear on what you truly want from your next chapter.
Nurture Networks and Relationships: “Your friends and family are my biggest competitors because they know you… and they want to sing from the rooftops how good you are.” Invest in your network – it is your most powerful channel for opportunity.
Value the Human Over the Algorithm: Technology can filter applications, but it cannot capture passion, potential, or cultural fit. Always integrate human-led decision-making at every step.
Final Thoughts: The Business (and Joy) of Being Human
As we wrapped up, Amy offered a candid reminder: “Be yourself. Don’t be afraid to be who you are. But I think we need to stop looking at our careers as something that’s waiting to happen to us and start taking a bit more ownership with them and weaving our personality into them.”
In times of flux and uncertainty, it is our humanity – not our tech stacks – that will see us thrive. Recruitment, careers, and leadership are all people businesses, and success will always favour those who lead, hire and work with empathy, clarity, and authenticity.
For the full conversation and more leadership insights, listen to the complete Human Wise Podcast episode with Amy Woolf. Connect with Amy on LinkedIn.
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