EP231 – How to Find the Right Talent in Your MSP by Using AI with Dean Watmough and Ian Luckett

We had an honest and practical discussion about the current broken state of recruitment and how the smart use of AI is giving MSPs a genuine edge in finding the right people — not just the most available ones. 

We kicked off with a bit of fun, noting how just using the term 'AI' in the title gets everyone’s attention! But in all seriousness, the technology is no gimmick. As Dean Watmough explained, AI is now playing a pivotal role in helping MSPs find talent faster and more accurately — when used properly. Dean pointed out that AI, when applied with good data and human insight, can help MSPs avoid the chaos of sifting through hundreds of irrelevant CVs, saving a huge amount of time, effort and cost. 

Dean Watmough shared a brilliant reminder that the traditional CV and interview process is hopelessly outdated. With only 14% of CVs accurately predicting job performance, it’s no wonder that recruitment often feels like an expensive game of chance. He highlighted how easy-apply job boards, and bullet-point job descriptions create a flood of unsuitable candidates, overwhelming MSP owners and leading to poor hiring decisions. Dean and I agreed that MSPs aren’t just selling tech to their clients; they’re selling the experience, knowledge, and attitude of their people. That’s why getting recruitment right is so critical. 

The conversation then took an exciting turn as we got stuck into how AI is changing the game. Dean Watmough explained that by integrating AI into the recruitment process, and combining it with human intelligence, MSPs can better assess not just technical skills but, more importantly, cultural fit, attitude and values alignment. Through skills assessments, culture tests, behavioural profiling, and smart data gathering — all analysed with AI — you can now really understand the whole person, not just the surface CV. Dean stressed that you still need that gut feel, but AI gives you the confidence and data to back up your instincts. 

One big takeaway was the importance of slowing down the hiring process at the start. Rather than throwing out a job advert and hoping for the best, Dean Watmough emphasised the value of defining exactly what you want: who your ideal candidate is, the three most important things they must do daily, and what type of behaviours and values match your company. Then, and only then, should you engage candidates. Put hurdles in the way: screening questions, shortlisting exercises, even short video intros, to make it harder for the wrong people to apply and easier for the right ones to stand out. AI can then filter and assess these candidates with incredible accuracy based on the right data. 

We also tackled the myth that technical skills alone are enough. As Dean Watmough pointed out, a candidate with transferable skills, high levels of learning agility and the right personality can often outperform someone with a fancy CV but a bad attitude. AI’s ability to benchmark candidates against your current best-performing team members gives MSPs a secret weapon to spot hidden gems that traditional recruitment would miss. 

Towards the end of the episode, we summarised the top three actions that every MSP owner should take right now. First, slow down and think carefully about who you actually need. Second, identify the three daily must-do tasks and build your hiring questions around them. Third, and perhaps most importantly, stop chasing volume and start chasing quality. Make it hard to apply and ensure every candidate entering your funnel is serious about the opportunity. 

Dean Watmough and I wrapped up by agreeing that recruitment is just marketing with people. It’s about being crystal clear on who you want and communicating that clearly, authentically, and confidently. AI isn’t a magic wand, but used properly it is a powerful tool to accelerate finding, engaging, and retaining the right talent in your MSP — faster, cheaper, and with better outcomes than ever before. 

If you’re ready to rethink how you recruit and bring some serious firepower into your hiring process, reach out to Dean Watmough and the team at Humnize by clicking HERE. 

Want to go even deeper? These episodes will support and expand on what we’ve discussed today: 
🎥 How to build a high performing technical team…when you don’t know where to start by Ian Luckett 
🎙️ STOP Attracting the Wrong People to Your MSP with Julie Hutchison & Ian Luckett 

Want to see it in action? 
👉 Book a 15-minute live demo — you won’t have seen anything like it! 

 

 

Connect on LinkedIn HERE with Ian and also with Stuart by clicking this LINK 

And when you’re ready to take the next step in growing your MSP, come and take the Scale with Confidence MSP Mastery Quiz. In just three minutes, you’ll get a 360-degree scan of your MSP and identify the one or two tactics that could help you find more time, engage & align your people and generate more leads. 

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To join our amazing Facebook Group of over 400 MSPs where we are helping you Scale Up with Confidence, then click HERE 

Until next time, look after yourself and I’ll catch up with you soon!