How One Founder Is Using AI to Transform Hiring After experiencing firsthand the frustrations of the tech talent search, one founder set out to automate the process, using AI to make hiring smarter, faster, and more efficient while prioritizing mental wellbeing and company culture.

Starting a business isn't easy, but when you're driven by a vision to solve a problem, it can spark a whole new way forward. For one founder, Rich Wilson, the frustration of seeing businesses struggle with finding the right tech talent - and the burnout from being in a system that felt stuck in the past - led to a revolution of his own. The result? Gigged.AI, a London based startup that uses automation and artifiical intelligence (AI) to reshape how companies find digital talent.

"I had spent 15 years consulting companies on how to deliver major digital transformations," says Wilson, reflecting on his journey from consultant to entrepreneur. After years working at TEK Systems and Gartner, he'd seen firsthand how challenging it was for businesses to find the right tech talent. But it wasn't just the businesses that were frustrated - he was, too. "During this time, I suffered burnout due to the relentless manual nature of the business," he explains. "I knew there were large parts of the process that we could automate, making it quicker and easier for our customers." The idea was born: create a smarter way for businesses to connect with top tech talent through AI-powered solutions that cut out the manual hassle.

The idea of using AI to solve an enduring pain point in digital transformation wasn't just a clever business idea - it was a personal solution to a problem he had lived through. "It was the burnout that got me thinking - there has to be a better way," Wilson shares. What started as a vision to improve the recruitment process for the tech industry quickly turned into something bigger. His experience consulting with major companies had given him the insight that technology could change the way talent was sourced. "I had seen customers get frustrated when trying to find the right tech expertise to help drive digital transformation internally," he recalls. That frustration gave birth to Gigged.AI, a company built on the belief that automation could revolutionise an outdated process.

But the road wasn't always smooth. "Starting a business can feel a little bit chicken-and-egg," Wilson says. "You can only get great prices if you do big volumes, and you can only do big volumes if you get great prices." In those early days, securing funding was the biggest challenge. "Funding is always a challenge, and we were no different," he admits. Fortunately, a grant from Innovate UK helped to get things off the ground, allowing them to build their first minimum viable product. "We managed to secure grant funding early...which meant we could raise VC funding," he says. "I'm not sure we would have secured VC funding without the grant." It's a reminder that timing - and the right kind of support - can be everything when launching a startup.

Like many entrepreneurs, Wilson's had to stay agile in response to a shifting economic environment. The UK's tough economic climate has meant that growth hasn't come without its challenges. "It's definitely been a difficult environment to grow a start-up," he says. As a result, Gigged.AI has had to adapt its ideal customer profile and geographic footprint multiple times. "We've had to pivot our ideal customer profile and geographic footprint a number of times," he reflects. One of those pivots led the company to focus more heavily on the U.S. market, where they've seen growing demand. "We've seen a growing demand in the US, and we are leaning into that," he shares. It's a reminder that, in the world of startups, being able to shift direction quickly can make or break a company.

The rapid pace of change in artificial intelligence and automation presents both opportunity and challenge for Gigged.AI. With AI evolving constantly, it's easy to get swept up in the latest trends, but for him, staying grounded in customer needs is key. "With AI changing so quickly, it is a challenge to stay ahead," Wilson says. His advice for staying on top of the ever-shifting landscape? "Speak to your customers regularly and be clear on what is impacting them and not get carried away with technology hype." Instead of chasing every new tech buzzword, he stresses the importance of building products that solve real problems. "Build products that solve a customer challenge and not because it is on trend," the entrepreneur advises. It's clear that for Gigged.AI, innovation isn't about following trends - it's about making meaningful, customer-driven changes.

While tech is at the heart of Gigged.AI's business model, the company's focus on culture is equally important. Building a strong team that shares the company's core values is something the CEO takes seriously. "At Gigged.AI, we really think about why people would want to work here and double down on that," he says. Autonomy and flexibility are key to the company's approach, making it an attractive place for employees who value a healthy work-life balance. "We focus on autonomy and flexibility," Wilson adds. "This means we could attract people who also want that at work."

For him, creating a positive and supportive work environment is critical. His personal experience with burnout has shaped his leadership style and passion for mental health advocacy. "Mental wellbeing is a subject I am hugely passionate about," he admits. "It's something I encourage every day at Gigged.AI." He actively supports initiatives aimed at reducing stigma around mental health in the workplace. "I'm on the leaderboard of Inside Out in 2022, a charity with a mission of ending the stigma of mental ill health in the workplace," he says, showing how his lived experience has influenced the culture at Gigged.AI. By emphasizing mental health and living by strong values, he's building a company that not only values its people but actively fosters their growth and wellbeing.

The CEO's advice to fellow entrepreneurs is simple yet profound. "Start with the end in mind," he says. For him, the key to staying focused and making steady progress is having a clear, well-defined goal and breaking it down into manageable chunks. "Write a clear plan of what you want out of the business," he advises, "then work on a quarter-to-quarter basis to achieve micro-goals." It's this laser-focused approach that helps maintain clarity in decision-making. "Always tie that goal to the end goal," Wilson adds, stressing the importance of aligning every step with the bigger vision.

For this founder, success isn't about speed or chasing the latest trends - it's about building a business that's both sustainable and deeply rooted in customer needs. Gigged.AI is a testament to that philosophy, proving that when you combine innovation with a focus on real problems, the results speak for themselves.