The Missing AI Assistant: Hung Lee Highlights the Need for Interview Co-Pilots

In a recent LinkedIn post, Hung Lee highlights a significant gap in the adoption of AI and automation within the recruitment process: the interview stage. Despite a decade of advancements in tools for sourcing, screening, and scheduling, Lee points out that many recruiters still lack assistance during the most critical and subjective part of hiring.

The Interview ‘Black Box’

Lee characterizes the traditional interview process for many as a “black box,” lacking structure and reliable record-keeping. He elaborates on this point:

“For too many it is still a black box – no record, no structure, just scribbled notes and decisions made on what someone half-remembers three days later.”

This lack of a structured approach, according to Lee, can lead to decisions based on incomplete or fading memories, potentially impacting hiring quality and fairness. He emphasizes that while other areas of recruitment have embraced technological aids, the interview has remained surprisingly untouched by sophisticated AI assistance.

Introducing the Interview Co-Pilot

The post introduces the launch of Tomo by MakiPeople as a solution to this long-standing problem. Lee explains how Tomo functions as an “interview co-pilot” by:

• Joining virtual interviews on platforms like Zoom, Teams, or Meet.
• Transcribing the conversation in real-time.
• Organizing the information into structured notes directly linked to the candidate.

The primary benefit, as Hung Lee sees it, is enabling recruiters and hiring managers to remain fully present and engaged during the interview. He states:

“Recruiters and HM’s? Stay fully present during the interview.”

This allows for deeper engagement with the candidate and better qualitative assessment, rather than being preoccupied with note-taking or transcription.

Addressing Trust and Adoption

Lee then poses a critical question to those working within the recruitment technology space, probing the barriers to adopting such interview assistance tools:

“Genuine question for the people who live in this space – what would it take for you to trust a co-pilot in your interview room? Consent, CX, accuracy. Where’s your line?”

He identifies key factors that influence trust in these AI co-pilots: consent from all parties, the overall candidate experience (CX), and the accuracy of the transcription and note-taking. Lee’s inquiry suggests that while the technology is emerging, overcoming recruiter and hiring manager skepticism regarding reliability and ethical considerations remains paramount for widespread adoption.

In Hung Lee’s view, the development of interview co-pilots like Tomo represents a crucial step forward in modernizing recruitment. By bringing AI assistance to the interview stage, Lee suggests companies can move away from subjective, memory-based decision-making towards more structured, data-informed, and present hiring practices.