2114-Leveraging AI for Optimal Recruitment Results with Bahia AI’s Delaney Thompson
Revolutionizing Recruitment with AI: A Conversation with Bahia AI’s Delaney Thompson
On this episode of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur, host Josh Elledge chats with Delaney Thompson, co-founder of Bahia AI, about the game-changing role artificial intelligence is playing in talent acquisition. Delaney introduces their flagship product, Mia—an AI-powered tool designed to automate and streamline the recruitment process. The episode explores how Mia is helping hiring teams cut through noise, identify quality candidates faster, and focus on building real human connections.
Bringing Human-Centric Efficiency to Hiring
Delaney shares how traditional recruiting platforms like LinkedIn and Indeed often flood hiring managers with mass applications, many of which aren’t qualified. Mia was built to solve that. It uses automation to identify ideal candidates based on employer-defined criteria, initiates engagement with those candidates, and filters for interest and availability—essentially pre-qualifying talent before they ever reach a hiring manager’s inbox.
The beauty of Mia lies in its customization. Employers can define rules around candidate outreach and engagement, ensuring Mia’s actions align with their unique hiring processes. This doesn’t just save time—it enhances the quality of conversations by ensuring that only genuinely interested, qualified individuals reach the interview stage. Delaney emphasizes that AI isn't about replacing human recruiters—it's about giving them the bandwidth to focus on what matters: building meaningful relationships with top talent.
From Idea to Product: Launching with Lean Tech and Listening to Users
Bahia AI's journey to market is a textbook case of smart startup strategy. Delaney and her team built a minimum viable product (MVP) using no-code and low-code tools, which allowed them to launch quickly and test with real users. In fact, their first paying customer came on board while they were still running Mia through a Google Sheet—proof that effective solutions don’t have to be fully built to deliver value.
With feedback from early adopters, they refined the product into what it is today: a fully automated talent sourcing engine that minimizes manual input and maximizes candidate engagement. What sets Mia apart is its ability to run on autopilot while giving users full control over how and when it engages with prospects.
AI Beyond Recruiting—And Rethinking Your Time
Josh and Delaney expand the conversation to other practical uses of AI in business. Delaney shares how tools like Synthesis and Opus Clip have helped her create professional content without a production team. From generating realistic spokesperson videos to clipping long-form interviews into social-ready content, these tools make high-quality output more accessible for small teams and solo entrepreneurs.
Delaney also introduces a simple but powerful framework for evaluating how you spend your time: the time versus energy audit. By tracking tasks that drain time and energy—and identifying those that could be automated—you can uncover areas where AI tools can step in and give you back focus and productivity. This isn’t just about tech efficiency—it’s about creating space to do the work that actually moves your business forward.
About Delaney Thompson:
Delaney Thompson is the co-founder of Bahia AI and an advocate for using artificial intelligence to build smarter, more human hiring experiences. Her work focuses on leveraging technology to remove friction from recruitment while enhancing candidate engagement and employer effectiveness.
About Bahia AI:
Bahia AI is a forward-thinking technology company reshaping how businesses source talent. Their flagship tool, Mia, uses AI to automate candidate identification and engagement, helping teams recruit faster and smarter with less manual effort.
Links Mentioned in this Episode:
Episode Highlights:
How Mia automates talent sourcing while maintaining a human touch
The power of MVPs and launching with no-code/low-code tools
Using AI for fast, cost-effective video and content creation
What sets Mia apart from other recruitment platforms
How a "time vs. energy audit" can reveal automation opportunities in your workflow
Conclusion:
This episode dives into the future of recruitment and how tools like Mia are bringing intelligence, automation, and personalization to hiring. Delaney Thompson offers both inspiration and actionable strategies for founders and hiring managers looking to scale smarter. Whether you're building a team or refining your own processes, embracing AI might just be the key to working more efficiently—and more humanly.
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