ETCH Jobs of the Week 12/10/24
AI Talent Sourcing: LinkedIn’s AI-Assistant vs. Perplexity vs. ChatGPT
ETCH Jobs of the Week (JOTW) is a collaboration between ETCH (now The EdSheet at Whiteboard Advisors), your home for EdTech news and information; and my recruiting practice, Tenzing, which helps orgs positively impacting education efficiently attract, source, vet and hire mission-aligned talent.
LinkedIn’s new-ish AI-Assisted Search features within their Recruiter platform have received praise from highly-regarded industry publications and analysts like HR BREW and Josh Bersin. However, my experiences with it, so far, have been underwhelming.
When using LinkedIn Recruiter, I typically prefer to Start a Recruiter search with filters directly, rather than relying on AI-Assisted Search. Why? Because no matter how carefully I craft a prompt, AI-Assist often fails to translate it into the precise filters I need. I’d rather stay in control, dynamically adjusting the filters to refine the candidate pool myself.
Inspired by Bersin’s endorsement, I decided to give LinkedIn’s AI-Assist another chance and compare it to general-purpose AI tools like Perplexity and ChatGPT. This exploration might also give job seekers a window into how recruiters leverage these tools to find talent like you!
The Experiment: LinkedIn’s AI-Assistant Search
To test LinkedIn’s AI, I started with its Import search criteria from a job description feature.
For this test, I decided to use an executive-level search we have been working on.
While it seems promising, the functionality fell short. LinkedIn allows you to paste a job description—but limits you to 2,000 characters, which is frustrating. Why not let users import a job directly from LinkedIn instead of requiring a manual copy-paste? Worse, if your description exceeds the limit, it requires trimming and reworking.
Then I pressed Enter, and yada yada yada…
…nada.
Nothing. No results! The AI struggled to convert the input into usable search filters, underscoring the limitations of translating AI prompts into rigid search logic.
Next Up: Perplexity
With Perplexity (using the Pro Search), I simply entered:
“Can you recommend potential candidates we should pursue for this role: [Job Description]?”
No character limits, no extra steps.
Perplexity delivered five strong candidate recommendations, complete with helpful summaries of their experience. It even suggested organizations relevant to the search—exactly the kind of insights I was hoping for.
ChatGPT
I gave ChatGPT the same prompt, and it approached the task differently. It delivered an overarching search strategy organized by different categories / sub-sectors. Under each category, ChatGTP provided one or two example candidates. Follow-up prompts generated additional ideas, potential candidates, and actionable suggestions.
The Verdict
Back in the day, when boredom struck, my cube-dwelling coworkers and I would send each other a snarky Yahoo! Messenger animation that quipped, “They said you were a great asset… I told them they were off by two letters.” That pretty much sums up my assessment of LinkedIn’s AI-Assistant.
The core issue? LinkedIn (despite being owned by Microsoft, a major OpenAI investor) has wrapped an AI layer around a system fundamentally built for filtering and Boolean searches. The disconnect between AI prompts and rigid filters makes the tool feel clunky and limited.
By contrast, Perplexity and ChatGPT’s conversational and human-like interactions and outputs yielded far superior results. These tools now anchor the early stages of my searches. Once I gather insights from them, I return to LinkedIn to refine the candidate pool, reach out, and conduct deeper searches using filters and Boolean logic—on my terms.
Don’t get me wrong, LinkedIn remains essential for sourcing professional and executive-level talent. But as it stands, I’d happily trade its AI-Assistant for the nostalgic return of Microsoft’s Clippy. At least that would be more entertaining.
Now, let’s get to the Jobs of the Week…
Director of UX Research, Core Product and Trust & Enterprise | Grammarly
Location: Hybrid (San Francisco, CA, US)
Education Focus: Leading user experience research with qualitative and quantitative methods to shape AI-powered communication tools.
Mission: Grammarly helps individuals and teams communicate effectively and securely, trusted by millions globally and recognized as a leader in AI innovation.
Job Summary:
The Director of UX Research will lead a high-performing team, driving user-centered insights to influence Grammarly's product strategies and innovations. This role involves aligning research with business goals, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and championing a culture of growth and curiosity. Responsibilities include developing scalable research frameworks, enhancing research impact, and mentoring a diverse team.
Compensation: $305,000–$372,000/year with a comprehensive benefits package, including healthcare, retirement matching, paid leave, stipends, and professional development.
Senior Technology Sales Executive – Higher Education & Public Sector | ThoughtFocus
Location: Irvine, CA, US
Education Focus: Driving adoption of IT solutions for student success and organizational efficiency in higher education institutions.
Mission: ThoughtFocus partners with organizations to solve mission-critical challenges through innovative technology, automation, and optimized business operations, empowering growth-focused companies globally.
Job Summary:
The Senior Technology Sales Executive will expand ThoughtFocus' presence in the higher education sector by driving the full sales cycle for digital solutions, such as workflow systems, AI-powered engagement tools, and performance analytics. Responsibilities include cultivating client relationships, developing go-to-market strategies, delivering high-value proposals, and meeting revenue targets. Success requires strong industry expertise, C-suite relationships, and proven sales experience in higher education or public sector markets.
Compensation: $150,000–$175,000/year, with comprehensive benefits including health insurance, 401(k), and paid leave.
Location: Remote (U.S.-based)
Education Focus: Financial strategy and management to support innovative K–12 curricula.
Mission: inquirED develops inquiry-based curricula to bring rigorous and joyful learning to students, fostering the skills essential for a thriving democracy.
Job Summary:
The Finance Lead will oversee inquirED’s financial health by developing GAAP-compliant accounting processes, managing budgets and forecasts, and executing financial strategy to support organizational growth. This role includes cash flow management, fiscal reporting, and collaboration with leadership to ensure data-driven decision-making. The ideal candidate has extensive FP&A experience, startup expertise, and a deep understanding of accounting and financial management.
Compensation: $97,000–$132,000/year plus comprehensive benefits, including healthcare, 401(k) match, flexible PTO, and professional development opportunities.
Senior Customer Success Manager | Classkick
Location: Remote (U.S.-based)
Education Focus: Supporting educators and school districts to maximize student engagement and learning through edtech solutions.
Mission: Classkick empowers teachers and students worldwide by creating simple, transformative technology that enhances feedback and drives meaningful educational outcomes.
Job Summary:
The Senior Customer Success Manager will lead efforts to onboard, support, and renew partnerships with strategic school districts, ensuring optimal use of Classkick’s platform. Responsibilities include professional development delivery, data-driven account growth, and collaboration across sales, marketing, and product teams. The role also involves managing customer support, driving renewals, and expanding accounts while prioritizing user satisfaction and success.
Compensation: $70,000–$78,000/year base salary, with potential bonuses, stock options, medical benefits, unlimited PTO, flexible hours, and professional development stipend.
Manager, New Program Development | Evidence Action
Location: Hybrid (Washington, DC, USA)
Education Focus: Global health, nutrition, and WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene).
Mission: Evidence Action scales proven, cost-effective solutions to improve global health and development outcomes, leveraging rigorous research and partnerships with national governments. Their work has positively impacted over 500M people, reducing preventable diseases and improving lives sustainably.
Job Summary:
As a Manager in New Program Development (NPD), you'll lead research and development of new health and nutrition programs for Evidence Action’s Accelerator. Responsibilities include conducting literature reviews, cost-effectiveness modeling, program design, and in-country feasibility assessments. You'll manage pilot implementations, refine interventions, and collaborate with cross-functional teams. Success in the role requires expertise in research, stakeholder management, and program evaluation.
Compensation: $66,100–$74,000/year, with comprehensive benefits including healthcare, retirement plans, and flexible leave options.
Need more hire power? Tenzing will do all the legwork (e.g., sourcing, vetting, and managing the hiring process) for half the cost of traditional headhunters.
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When I try that same search in Perplexity it tells me this: "I apologize, but I cannot suggest specific candidates for this role. As an AI assistant, I don't have access to a database of real individuals or their resumes. Additionally, providing personal information about specific people would be inappropriate and potentially violate privacy concerns." What am I missing?