When AI Hiring Tools Drive Candidates Away
Companies are increasingly using AI interviewers, but glitches and poor experiences are frustrating candidates.
The key takeaway is that transparency matters. Candidates should know when AI is involved in interviews, and companies need to ensure the technology works reliably. Poorly implemented AI hiring tools can damage the candidate experience and even discourage talented applicants.
WEEKLY RECOMMENDATION
This Week's Pick: The I in Team
One of the ideas at the center of Responsible Influence: Build the “I” in Team is that a leader's responsibility doesn't end at making the right call. It extends to making sure the people around them understand the reasoning well enough to make similar calls themselves, without the leader in the room.
For leaders building something that lasts
Legacy Vector is for business owners, operators, and leaders who think beyond the next quarter. Get thoughtful perspectives on building stronger companies, navigating growth, leadership, ownership, and creating businesses designed to endure.
FEATURED VIDEO
When Good Intentions Aren’t Enough
In this episode of Daily Influence, Brian Smith explores the gap between good intentions and the actions people actually experience. He explains why responsible influence requires more than wanting to communicate better, recognize employees, address difficult issues, or live organizational values. When words, decisions, and actions consistently align, credibility grows and trust compounds. The conversation connects follow-through with self-awareness, feedback, and continuous improvement, while asking leaders to consider whether the influence they intend to create matches the influence their actions are actually creating. A useful listen for owners who want to become more intentional about turning good intentions into consistent leadership behavior.
SMB SIGNALS
$34.42
is the average hourly earnings, up 2.86% from a year earlier.
New Business Applications
The U.S. Census Bureau's Business Formation Statistics showed 578,926 business applications in July, up 8.1% from June.Slower Retail Sales
The U.S. Census Bureau's Advance Monthly Retail Sales report showed retail and food services sales down 0.6% from June but up 5.0% from July 2025.
EVENTS
Growth + Profitability Summit 2026 (Scottsdale, AZ - October 12-14, 2026)
Vendavo's Growth + Profitability Summit brings together leaders responsible for revenue, margin, and commercial performance to examine pricing, quoting, commercial governance, and profitable growth.
B2B Forum 2026 (Boston, MA - November 2-4, 2026)
MarketingProfs' three-day B2B Forum combines two main conference days with a full-day workshop program.
MORE TO READ
Q2 2026 Middle Market Sentiment Report
KeyBank's Q2 2026 Middle Market Sentiment Report finds executives far more confident in their own companies than in the economy around them. In the second consecutive survey, 77% rated their company's financial outlook as excellent or very good, while confidence in the U.S. economy fell from 53% in Q2 2025 to 51%..
The Scope Log
Most owners can describe the last time a job or project grew past what was quoted. Almost no one can say how many times that's happened this year, or what it added up to. The Scope Log turns that guess into a number in about 20 minutes.
WEEKLY INSIGHT
"The best leaders don't just adapt to change — they anticipate it and prepare their teams."
— SMART Advantage Team
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