December 2024 – or, in the new chronology, Year 2 Post-GPT – marking two years since the go-live of the first version of ChatGPT. Requests like “Write a rhyming speech for my aunt Hannelore’s 60th birthday” or “Draft an outline for a whitepaper on the impact of generative AI on talent acquisition” – OpenAI’s chatbot has become an indispensable tool for many since November 2022, serving as both collaborator and colleague. Imperfect yet always available, it helps tackle writer’s block or tight deadlines. This past year, we at Zortify leaned on ChatGPT again for tasks like crafting social media posts. 

Sometimes, though, it’s not perfect, as we’ve seen. 😉 

The best posts? They came from us—straight from the heart, prompted by passion.

Hyperfocus and Hyperteams, Thanks to AI 

December 2024 also marks six years of Zortify and two years of unwavering focus on what we believe will have the greatest impact on modern HR practices: AI-driven HR diagnostics. Our goal is clear: achieve an unprecedented level of accuracy in recruiting and development. This means fewer mis-hires, more productive teams, and the right people in leadership positions. 

This focus sparked significant internal changes – some positive, some challenging. Team members left, others joined. Leveraging our own technology, which offers personality diagnostics and objective insights, we’ve built a dream team. And we’re growing. If you’re considering a career change in 2025 – especially in Sales – get in touch! 

The Bright Side of AI 

In December 2024, many businesses are still stuck in the old era – 2022 pre-GPT. While AI adoption has grown this year, it’s mainly large corporations taking advantage of the new tools: 

For many, the main obstacle remains a lack of knowledge. Clearly, we’re still in the early stages of widespread AI adoption in the economy. 

However, in social media, the story is different. Fake news and deepfakes have become so pervasive that they threaten democratic systems. It’s a stark reminder of AI’s power—unfortunately, in its darkest form. 

On the bright side, AI is also enabling remarkable things: 

Everyone wants these five colleagues* in 2024 (*or: this one AI)

While 2023 (Year 1 Post-GPT) focused on fears about job displacement, 2024 brought the realization that AI won’t replace humans in many areas; instead, it’s making human contributions more crucial than ever. Good work still hinges on collaboration – with other people and within diverse teams. It thrives on inclusion, objective analysis, and respecting individual uniqueness. 

Looking ahead to 2025, the advance of AI will make the human element indispensable. 

Why the Human Element Matters 

1. AI Makes Human Expertise Absolutely Essential 

In an age of ever-shorter innovation cycles, failing forward has become essential. Success lies in learning as we go, guided by those who are already a few steps ahead – those who’ve either learned from their mistakes or designed predictive models to avoid them. 

At Zortify, we aim to be these forward-thinkers, guides, and shock absorbers for our clients. We teach the skills needed to use AI technology effectively, enabling businesses to focus on their unique challenges. 

Incidentally, this is becoming a legal requirement in 2025. The EU AI Act mandates that employees working with AI possess adequate skills. With our certification program, we’re helping clients easily transition into this new era. 

2. Culture Development Remains a Human Task 

2024 has proved once more: culture first, AI second. Technology only succeeds within a supportive culture. Toxic work environments or outdated mindsets aren’t fixed by AI alone. 

At Zortify, fostering a respectful and inclusive culture remains a core value. For me this includes taking on seemingly trivial tasks when necessary – whether it’s organizing meals for a certification event or stepping in to fill an unexpected gap. 

At the same time, in view of our realignment and the associated changes since 2023, it was important to me to highlight and celebrate the achievements of our team. A good example of this and an absolute highlight in 2024 was our Zortify Connect Day, celebrating both our clients and our team. Hearing clients openly share their positive experiences with us was a testament to our team’s efforts and a major motivator. 

There will also be a CONNECT Day in 2025. Pre-Registration has already started.  

3. Leadership Requires Human Intuition, Clarity – and Free Calendar Time 

Good leadership remains inherently human. It’s about knowing when to guide, when to step back, and when to empower team members. AI-based diagnostics can help identify and develop leaders with these qualities but cannot replace the human touch. 

In 2024, I focused intensely on saying “no” to distractions, ensuring alignment with our priorities. This required clear communication – an area I worked to improve by preparing more thoroughly for meetings and fostering dialogue through active listening. 

In my view, active listening remains the number one leadership skill. AI can support this, for example by identifying socially desirable behavior as such and providing insights that go beyond first impressions and the obvious. However, it is no substitute for an open door and an open ear policy fostered by leaders. Personally, I have consciously taken more time for feedback and review meetings in the past year and invested in our corporate culture.   

An example of that was the implementation of “Open Calendar Time” on office days for spontaneous conversations and personal exchanges. These moments strengthened collaboration and trust within our team. 

Conclusion 

AI profoundly shaped our lives and work in 2024. In 2025, even more businesses and individuals will harness its potential. Still, collaboration will remain fundamentally human. Successful HR departments will blend deep AI expertise with the empathy and nuance that only humans can provide, using technology to elevate their impact. 

At Zortify, we’re proud of our progress in 2024 – thanks to our amazing team. As the year ends, I’m filled with gratitude and excitement for the connections we’ll forge in 2025. 

Happy Holidays! 

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Bias – unconscious thought patterns – can influence our perceptions and decisions. In the context of recruitment, bias can result in unfair evaluations of candidates, leaving potential untapped. This guide outlines common bias, their impact, and strategies to avoid them. 

1. Confirmation Bias 

This occurs when we seek information that confirms our initial impressions. For example, during an interview, we might look for signs that affirm our positive or negative first impressions of a candidate. 

How to overcome it: 

2. Halo Effect 

A single positive trait (e.g., confidence) influences our overall impression of a candidate, making other traits seem better than they might actually be. 

How to overcome it: 

3. Similarity Bias 

We tend to favor people similar to ourselves in terms of background, values, or interests. This is often masked as “cultural fit” but can lead to unconscious discrimination. 

How to overcome it: 

4. Stereotyping 

Stereotyping occurs when we make hiring decisions based on external characteristics such as gender, origin or age. Our judgments are often based on unconscious assumptions (unconscious bias) and not on facts. 

How to overcome it: 

5. Anchoring Bias 

The anchor bias refers to the fact that first impressions or initial responses can have a disproportionately large influence on our overall assessment of a candidate. 

How to overcome it: 

6. Attribution Error 

When we succumb to the attribution error, we immediately attribute certain behaviors to a candidate’s personality instead of to external circumstances. For example: “They are disorganized” instead of “They didn’t have enough time to prepare.” 

How to overcome it: 

7. Recency Bias 

In the case of recency bias, the most recent impressions or answers of the person in front of us have a greater influence on our perception than others. We often ignore what was said earlier. 

How to overcome it: 

8. Overconfidence Bias 

Relying too heavily on personal judgment and making quick conclusions (“I can spot a great salesperson instantly”). 

How to overcome it: 

9. Horns Effect 

The opposite of the Halo Effect, where a single negative trait taints the overall perception of a candidate. 

How to overcome it: 

10. Availability Heuristic 

The availability heuristic describes how we are sometimes overly influenced by experiences or memories from the recent past. This can be, for example, conversations with other applicants that have just taken place.   

How to overcome it: 

11. Status-Quo Bias 

With a status quo bias, preference is given to candidates who align with established patterns. New approaches or unconventional profiles are often being overlooked. 

How to overcome it: 

12. Survivorship Bias 

Survivorship bias occurs when we focus on traits of successful (former) employees while neglecting the potential of other characteristics, not giving unusual or unknown profiles the chance they deserve. 

How to overcome it: 

13. Loss Aversion 

Preferring the “safe” candidate to avoid risks, even if another might better fit the company culture. 

How to overcome it: 

14. Social Desirability Bias (“Super Bias”) 

Candidates may present themselves in ways they believe are socially desirable, masking their true skills or values. 

Example: A candidate emphasizes in the interview how important teamwork is for her, although in reality she prefers to work independently. This is solely a statement to meet the interviewer’s expectations.  

The social desirability bias is so powerful because it can reinforce other bias. For example, if a candidate behaves in a particularly socially desirable way, the halo effect or the anchoring bias could be amplified. A strongly self-confident candidate could not only be noticed positively, but other skills could also be overestimated – even though they may only be faking them. 

How to overcome it: 

Conclusion 

Biases are a natural part of decision-making but can have negative effects on both organizations and candidates. Through deliberate actions, standardized processes, continuous training, and the use of AI tools, we can counteract these distortions and make better hiring decisions. Recognizing these biases is the first step, followed by developing strategies to mitigate them. When human and artificial intelligence work together, the result is fairer hiring processes and finding the right people for the right roles. 

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Donald Trump will be the next US president. And in social networks, the concept of paid “zero-motivation-days” is being discussed, that is days off for employees without them having to call in sick or take vacation days.  

Two topics, although of different dimensions, which for us lead to one conclusion: Companies must start to face their responsibility! Responsibility for the people who work for them, but also for society as a whole. They need a straightforward “personality check” in order to find their role in these turbulent times, to develop new solutions that will secure their future, and to spark people’s enthusiasm for them as employers as well as for liberal, democratic societies, on whose existence their business success ultimately depends. 

Here is our idea for an “assessment for companies” in these turbulent times.  

1. Who do you want to be? 

Beyond “New Work” buzzwords, ask yourself what you want to stand for, what contribution you want to make to this world, how you want to make life on this planet better and how you want to shape your organization in specific terms. Whether there will be zero-motivation days or not, one thing is clear: the hamster wheel is not an innovative place, as labor expert Hans Rusinek puts it. Journalist Sebastian Klein finds even more drastic words, raising the question of who wants to work in companies that operate under war-like conditions. Instead, we need a new definition of business success that goes beyond turnover and profit and includes responsibility for people, society and the environment.   

Some of you may have already seen on Social Media (especially on LinkedIn) that the ‘School of Moral Ambition’ is currently forming as a new movement. This movement wants to specifically attract talent away from companies that exploit people and our planet. The people who engage in the School call themselves the ‘Robin Hoods of Talent’. Hundreds of people joined shortly after it was announced; well-known founders are promoting the initiative, which is likely to hit a nerve with many people these days.   

Companies now need the courage to look in the mirror, make a consistent paradigm shift, challenge their own product range and present something new and better in terms of a future that is worth living.   

2. How do you want to lead?   

We quote Hans Rusinek once again, who says that the power of a boss is much more present for us than that of a state. Companies shape the people who work for them. Managers bear great responsibility, especially in times of great uncertainty, when many people are looking for supposedly simple solutions or longing for the “good old days”. It is up to leaders to provide orientation. They are the compass navigating through organizational change and upholding core values such as empathy, openness, respect and collaboration. 

Dr Hans W. Hagemann of the Munich Leadership Group has found an easy-to-understand metaphor for this:  

Speaking of leadership

Good leadership also involves creating an environment of psychological safety. To achieve this, the purpose and goals of the organization must be clear (see point 1). Instead of knowing all the answers, leaders should adopt a curious, questioning mindset. Be vulnerable in the best sense of the word in the spirit of ‘vulnerable leadership’. This includes listening to employees and providing a safe space for ideas and suggestions as well as criticism and concerns. ‘Failing forward’ is what it takes to achieve progress: try things out, fall flat, get up on your feet again and do better. However, this is only possible in an environment that thrives on appreciation and sincerity. It is up to leaders to promote such an environment.   

HR market analyst Josh Bersin rightly says that of all HR investments leadership development creates the greatest value. Especially as leadership skills are no longer only required at the top of organizations, but are now needed at all levels considering the trend towards flat hierarchies in many companies. Selecting the right people for these key positions is more important than ever. We have conducted one of the largest studies on the subject of ‘narcissism’. It shows that young people today are more narcissistic than previous generations. This can become a problem when filling leadership positions in particular. Companies should be aware of that and use research-based and ethical personality tests to protect themselves.   

3. What does it really mean to be productive?  

Good leadership also comes with creating free time for employees to escape the hamster wheel and think in depth about good solutions. These free spaces, these phases of pondering, wondering and chatting at the coffee machine should be considered a valuable and natural part of doing the job. A walk with a colleague not only creates social contact (which in itself has a stabilizing effect on democratic structures), but also potentially constructive friction and therefore opportunity for new solutions. Doing the right thing can also mean doing nothing, pausing, reflecting and discarding instead of sitting in a meeting or building a PowerPoint presentation for a product that would turn out to be pointless on closer, unhurried inspection. 

With such a new baseline regarding work ethics, the discussion about whether to ‘work harder’ or receive paid ‘zero motivation days’ becomes obsolete. Not to mention that a contemporary leadership style should include abolishing practices not worthy of adults, such as micromanagement and controlling every step of your employees. 

Conclusion 

In a society that at the moment is characterized by frustration, fear and resignation to worrying proportions, we need companies that create a ‘climate of courage’. Companies that set new standards in how we negotiate and shape the future with a spirit of innovation and empathetic leadership. More and more well-qualified people are very likely to opt for such organizations if they have the choice. Now is the time for companies to look in the mirror and do their very own personality check. No more sugar coating and greenwashing. Now is the time for real responsibility. 

Check out the full interview with Hans W. Hagemann about leadership qualities and how to find them in employees. 

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