Bob Pulver speaks with Prem Kumar, CEO and Co-founder of Humanly.io, about the evolution of hiring technology and the company's transition from a conversational AI tool to a full-fledged AI-powered hiring platform. Prem discusses the impact of Humanly’s recent acquisitions, expansion into post-hire engagement, and how they help employers address challenges in both high-volume and knowledge worker recruiting. Prem emphasizes the need for responsible, inclusive, and human-centric AI design, and explains how Humanly is helping organizations speed up hiring without sacrificing quality, fairness, or candidate experience.

Keywords Humanly, conversational AI, AI interviewing, responsible AI, candidate experience, recruiting automation, employee engagement, AI acquisitions, ethics, RecFest, quality of hire, neurodiversity, candidate feedback, interview intelligence, AI coach, sourcing automation

Takeaways

Humanly’s evolution includes three strategic acquisitions that expand its platform from candidate screening to post-hire engagement.

The company’s mission is to help employers talk to 100% of their applicants—not just the 5% that typically make it through—and reduce time-to-hire.

Prem highlights how AI can reduce ghosting by creating 24/7 availability and real-time Q&A touchpoints for candidates.

Interview feedback tools and coaching features are being developed for both candidates and recruiters.

The importance of AI workflow integration is critical—tools must operate within a recruiter’s day-to-day flow to be effective.

Humanly’s platform helps uncover quality-of-hire insights by connecting interview behaviors with long-term employee outcomes.

The need for third-party AI audits and ethical guardrails.

Insights from diverse candidate populations—including neurodiverse candidates and early-career talent—are shaping Humanly’s inclusive design practices.

Quotes

“It’s not human vs. AI—it’s AI vs. being ignored.”

“Our goal is to reduce time-to-hire without compromising quality or fairness.”

“We’re obsessed with the problem, not just the solution. That’s what keeps us grounded as we scale.”

“Responsible AI should be audited just like SOC 2 or ISO—trust is foundational in hiring.”

“The best interview for one role won’t be the same for another. That’s where personalization and learning matter.”

“Everything we’ve done to improve access for neurodiverse candidates has made the experience better for everyone.”

Chapters

00:00 – Intro and Prem’s Background

01:00 – Humanly's Origins and the Candidate Experience Gap

03:00 – 2025 Growth, Funding, and Acquisition Strategy

05:15 – From Conversational AI to Full-Funnel Hiring Platform

06:30 – High-Volume and Knowledge Workers

08:00 – Combating Ghosting and Delays with AI Speed

10:30 – Candidate Support and Interview Feedback

12:00 – Creating a 24/7 Conversational Layer for Applicants

13:45 – Data-Driven Hiring and Candidate Self-Selection

15:00 – Interview Coaching and Practice Tools

17:00 – Acquisitions and Platform Consolidation Feedback

18:45 – Responsible AI and Third-Party Auditing

21:00 – Partnering with Values-Aligned Teams and Investors

22:00 – Measuring Candidate Experience Across All Interactions

24:00 – Connecting Interview Behavior to Quality of Hire

26:00 – Coaching Recruiters and Interview Intelligence

28:45 – Expanding Into Post-Hire and Internal Conversations

30:00 – The Future of AI in HR and Internal Use Cases

34:00 – Designing Inclusively for Diverse Candidate Needs

36:00 – Modalities, Accessibility, and Equity in Interviewing

39:00 – Generative AI Reflections and Everyday Use

42:00 – Wrapping Up: What's Next for Humanly

Prem Kumar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/premskumar

Humanly: https://humanly.io

For advisory work and marketing inquiries:

Bob Pulver:⁠⁠ ⁠https://linkedin.com/in/bobpulver⁠⁠⁠

Elevate Your AIQ:⁠⁠ ⁠https://elevateyouraiq.com⁠⁠⁠

Substack: ⁠https://elevateyouraiq.substack.com⁠