“HR Heretics” | How CPOs, CHROs, Founders, and Boards Build High Performing Companies Zapier’s Bold Bet: Every New Hire Must Be AI-Transformational, With CPO Brandon Sammut
Jun 26, 2025
Brandon Sammut, Chief People Officer at Zapier, champions AI integration in hiring, making AI fluency mandatory for new employees. He discusses innovative AI tools that streamline workflows and enhance recruitment, such as personalized interview guides and performance tracking systems. Sammut emphasizes the importance of a balanced approach between AI automation and human connection, ensuring a vibrant company culture. He shares insights on how AI can transform employee experiences and support proactive engagement within teams.
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Zapier's AI Fluency Requirement
- AI fluency is a requirement for every new hire at Zapier to fulfill their mission effectively.
- The highest AI fluency level called transformational involves rethinking work from scratch using AI tools.
AI Fluency Levels Explained
- Curiosity about AI is necessary but not sufficient for hiring; skillfulness with AI also matters.
- Zapier measures AI fluency with four levels: unacceptable, capable, adoptive, and transformational.
Automated New Hire Welcome
- Zapier automates welcome messages to new hires via Slack without AI to keep consistency and cost-effectiveness.
- This automation replaces an impossible manual task, ensuring every new hire feels welcomed.