The rise of the machines: how ClickOut Media reduced staff turnover to single digits

The use of AI in the igaming sector has been in the hot seat lately, but never more so than when it comes to the ethics (and efficacy) of its use in hiring and firing. So, is automated assistance in hiring always unethical? 

“While the use of AI‑enabled tools in HR and recruitment processes offers simplification of existing processes, these technologies also pose novel risks, including perpetuating existing biases, digital exclusion, and discriminatory job advertising and targeting,” explains the UK government’s Responsible AI in Recruitment Guide.

Like all tools, AI is only as effective as those wielding (in this case, programming) it. For ClickOut Media, blending the human touch with new-age tech has reduced employee turnover down to single digits in 2024. 

When I joined early last year, one of my first goals was to bring in an in-house specialist sourcing team, via recruitment process outsourcing.

We also beefed up the acquisition team by hiring specialist recruiters. It’s the ‘people’ part of the people function that’s so integral. Plus, it’s been a gamechanger for us in reducing churn. We’re down to single digits.

It’s not “people vs machines”, it’s “people and machines”

We blend traditional recruitment with new-age tech — Boolean searches, x-ray searches, all that jazz. But we don’t just rely on tech. You can’t wait for great candidates to fall into your lap. We are extremely proactive in our approach. In the last quarter, less than 30% of our hires came from applicants. The rest? Sourcing, sourcing, sourcing – oh, and also referrals.

We dabble in AI here and there, don’t get me wrong. We keep an eye on all the new toys, identifying relevant automation that may help us sift through candidates faster. But AI is still not great at picking up those soft skills – the ones that make someone a keeper. 

I don’t think automation should be dismissed, however – it can really maximise processes and can find hard skills, competitors and profiles. Combined with a great team, this allows you to look for the spark, and go deep into transferable skills and assessment of future potential.

If I can toot our own horn a bit, the recruitment function at ClickOut Media is a finely tuned machine and very adaptable. It has to be, as we went from steady to rapid and then hyper-growth in a very short period. And let me tell you, our recruiters have upped their game to match.

I’m biased, but recruitment is the beating heart of any successful business. And it’s not just about bringing people in; it’s about keeping them around. Identifying the right cultural fits and creating transparent and accurate expectations is crucial to retention. 

We do regular performance reviews and always focus on recognition and rewards. Basically, if you’re boosting revenue, we’ve got your back. AI is great for speeding things up, but the human touch is still key for spotting those hidden gems.

There’s a whole bunch of pleasure you can get from placing the right people in the right positions and then watching them develop.

If you get the AI and human blend right, then things like recruitment talent retention, identifying skills gaps and succession planning are a lot easier. The key is to use the tech to free up the humans to do the strategising, wishing and dreaming – leave the filing and sorting to the ‘bots.

Rene Fourie-Grosvenor is a seasoned talent acquisition and people ops leader who has served as a consultant for everything from startups, to unicorns and multinationals.

He has a wide range of experience including AI tech, Fintech, Martech and Web3. Rene enjoys creating productive teams via positive working culture.