Meet the Next Gen Builder: Hannah Calhoon, VP of AI & Head of AI Innovation at Indeed

In this episode of the Next Gen Builders podcast, host Francois Ajenstat sits down with Hannah Calhoon, VP of AI and Head of AI Innovation at Indeed, to discuss what it really takes to make AI work at scale inside a global enterprise.

The conversation covers how Indeed is helping its 11,000 employees get AI-ready, why small pilots matter, the dangers of chasing every shiny new tool, and the enduring importance of human judgment in an AI-driven world.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.

The three lenses of AI at Indeed

Hannah starts the discussion by exploring her three distinct focus areas at Indeed:

• Macro: How AI is shaping the global labor market
• Product: How AI can improve the job-seeker and employer experience
• Internal: How AI can make work more productive and rewarding for employees

Her job? To connect the dots between all three.

From AI adoption to business impact

In 2023, the goal was simple: Get AI into people’s hands and see what sticks. But in 2024, the bar moved higher: AI adoption only matters if it moves the business.

The reality is that early usage almost always comes from a small group of power users. To get everyone else on board, you need training that’s specific to their role—not generic AI 101, but “Here’s how this tool makes your work easier today.”

Overcoming “too many tools” syndrome

Hannah has seen that resistance doesn’t always come from fear. Sometimes it’s due to choice overload.

So Indeed takes a different tack: Keep the door open for exploration, but provide a shortlist of approved tools, each with paved paths for support and training.

To paraphrase Hannah, “Some people want to experiment with everything. Others just want the one button that works.”

AI tool recommendations come from Slack channels, grassroots testing, and yes, the occasional “boardroom suggestion.”

Hannah’s team evaluates each one: What problem does it solve? Is it meaningfully better than what we have? Will it drive measurable results at scale? If the answer’s yes, they move fast. If not, it’s a training opportunity, not a procurement one

Building for a moving target

In AI, what’s state-of-the-art now will be outdated in months.

Indeed’s answer is the “Lego block architecture”—modular components (such as moderation, evaluation, memory, etc.) that can be swapped in and out as better options surface.

The trick is knowing when to switch and when to commit. Constantly chasing the latest and greatest burns time and resources. For Hannah, strategic patience wins.

Humans + AI: The winning formula

AI should augment, not replace. Although this may end up being cliché, it is still undeniably true. Indeed supports over 600 million Job Seeker Profiles and 24 million jobs in more than 60 countries. Getting recruiting right matters—and human judgement is key.

Hannah laid this out for Francois:

• AI-only outreach = efficient but impersonal
• Human-only outreach = personal but slow
• AI + human outreach = high-quality candidates in multiples

AI does the heavy lifting, surfacing matches and drafting messages. The human recruiter then adds context and nuance. Together, they outperform either one alone.

Change management > Cool tools

Hannah is blunt about what it takes for large-scale AI adoption: “Technology is less than half the battle.”

Leaders have to champion the change, but employees have to want to make it. That means creating safe spaces to experiment, sharing wins, and being transparent about what AI might mean for roles—all while equipping every employee with the skills to thrive alongside AI.

Talk about transparency.

Hannah’s “oh sh*t” moment

When running a venture studio, Hannah backed a startup that built an app for SNAP benefits. A few months in, New York City sent it a cease-and-desist letter.

• Lesson one: If you’re working on something that affects people’s ability to feed their families, “Move fast and break things” is not an option.
• Lesson two: In systems that aren’t going anywhere—like government, or a large company—success depends on making other people want to own the change.

Hear more from Hannah Calhoon

These are just a few insights that Hannah shared on Next Gen Builders. From rethinking training to designing for flexibility, her mental playbook for AI adoption is full of practical application—and plenty of good stories.

Tune in to the full episode for more.