People-Powered AI: How HiredScore's Secret Weapon Is Empowering Its Team

In this article we discuss:

• Building Real Connections and Community
• Leading by Example
• A Bright Future Ahead

We often think that new ideas come from big moments. But sometimes, a small thing can spark a big change. 

That’s how it happened for Athena Karp. 

Newly graduated from college, Karp started her career in the heart of Wall Street in investment banking. Throughout her first week, which was consumed with training the new analyst class, she could not let a simple observation go: for the first time in her life, the lines for the men's restroom were always longer than the lines for the women's, the reverse pattern you see everywhere else. 

This may seem like a small thing. But what Karp noticed, despite her employer’s focus on gender inclusion, was that a gender imbalance existed in the workplace—pointing to a complex chain of issues, from talent attraction and career awareness imbalances, to hiring and promotion imbalances. Even companies committed to changing the make-up of their workforce to include the widest range of talent and new types of experiences are plagued by the multitude of challenges across the process.

This was her Eureka! moment. This unsolved problem stayed with her and, realizing it was still not solved, led to her starting her own company to find a new way to help companies do what’s best for people and what’s best for the business.

Founded in 2013, HiredScore is Karp’s answer to enabling HR teams to safely leverage AI to make hiring more fair and efficient.

“This challenge stayed with me over the next few years and was my inspiration to start HiredScore to leverage data science to drive more effective and fair job access and work opportunity, and to focus on how to do that with explainability and responsible AI at the core,” Karp told Workday last year.

Since its founding HiredScore grew to include many of the most innovative companies globally—eventually being acquired by Workday in 2024—and before and after the acquisition, gathering loyal customers and praise for the quantifiable business outcomes customers are able to achieve and the fanfare of end-users, who use these products to transform their work.

“From the start, I focused on the business problem I wanted to solve—making hiring fairer, faster, and more effective,” Karp said. “That journey led me to AI, which proved uniquely suited to the challenge. Unlike traditional software, AI can learn from examples and adapt, acting as a digital exoskeleton that elevates every recruiter, talent management professional, and manager to top-performer status.”

But companies like HiredScore don’t just happen. It takes a great team and a strong leader. To celebrate the one-year anniversary of HiredScore’s acquisition, we spoke to the team and learned more about the people at the heart of building HiredScore. 

Building Real Connections and Community

When Tracy Montour joined HiredScore, she was the company’s first product marketing hire. 

“I joined the team at a critical time because there was a need to define who we were, what category we were in, where we played in the market, how we showed up, how we sold and commercialized our products,” the principal, product marketing and AI strategy said. 

“How do we motivate and align the team to the right strategy? We're always prioritizing and focusing on what will make the most customer impact. That's always been the central theme of HiredScore. Constantly looking at everything we're doing and aligning it with value for the customer.”

Montour worked closely with Karp to build a grassroots marketing strategy, placing value on building community instead of just selling a product. 

“We did very little paid traditional marketing,” Montour said. Instead, the team used their limited budget to target events and conferences, including one that they created to bring HR innovators and academic and public policy experts together to form connections and explore the future of AI for HR. “We really focused on connecting our customers with each other and with people who would help them imagine and reimagine what’s possible, especially with AI.”

This practice of connecting with clients on a more meaningful level is reflected internally as well.

Yonatan Tsur joined HiredScore in 2021 as VP of finance and one of the things he noticed right off the bat was Karp’s unique approach to building a team.

“Usually, the first employees at a startup will be in engineering or product,” Tsur said. “Karp didn't do this. She brought in a VP of HR first.”

That employee was Ofri Blau. 

Blau was impressed by Karp’s vision for HiredScore. 

“I thought that she's really charismatic, super smart. Up until then I had only worked with CEOs who were men. So I thought it was refreshing,” Blau said. “And I think the most important thing was that Karp felt like HR should be the first employee. She understood that what she needed in order to launch a great company was to build the culture from day one.”

And fostering company culture that puts people first, remains a priority. Karp remains hands-on with clients, jumping in to collaborate on projects, and making sure that both customers and employees feel heard. 

Multiple HiredScore team members have attested to Karp’s sense of community. She checks in regularly, providing a supportive presence for colleagues. 

“We have great people here,” Blau added. “People who like to be with each other, eat lunch together, and do stuff together. And maybe there is that in other startups, I'm sure, but I think that people really feel comfortable here.”

Leading by Example

It’s clear that HiredScore has built a unique team culture. But that doesn’t happen without a strong leader at the helm.

As employees have shared, Karp has built a sense of community, not only with customers but with team members. Many teammates acknowledged that while Karp might be shy accepting praise, it’s well-earned.

“I think most founders and CEOs mold the company in their image,” said Eran Manor, senior manager, UX design at Workday. “But in Karp’s case it was mostly about her energy and dedication to the vision and product.”

He added, “What set her apart is her deep understanding of the industry, her ability to connect the dots, including the non-existent dots, and her talent to envision the real need behind the noise and dust.”

Jason Scheckner, head of strategic customer engagement, joined the company eight years ago. As an early employee—he was the 11th teammate to join HiredScore—he’s seen how Karp has developed as a leader.

Scheckner watched as the company grew, nearly “doubling annually for a couple of years in a row.” Witnessing this further affirmed his belief in the company’s mission and in Karp, overall. 

“As the company grew, her executive acumen grew accordingly. Karp was always a visionary and still remains a visionary, that’s always a constant.” 

But it was during Workday’s acquisition of HiredScore that employees got to see just how much their leader had grown.

“A shining example of leadership from her was really during the Workday acquisition,” Scheckner added, “How she navigated that showed me not only her internal prowess, but how she rises to the highest level of any room.”

A Bright Future Ahead

In 2024, HiredScore joined the Workday family, quickly becoming an essential part of how we’re transforming the future of work.

At the time of acquisition, Carl Eschenbach, CEO, Workday, referred to HiredScore as “the perfect complement to our product portfolio as we look to provide AI solutions that deliver real business value for our customers.” 

“By combining our efforts and innovations with Workday, we'll be able to deliver even more value to companies around the world as they look to build their future HR function,” Karp shared at the time of acquisition. Given the tremendous growth of the product over one year, new HiredScore AI capabilities appearing across Workday products, recently released embedded capabilities, and new AI products in incubation, this is already being realized.

“I see HiredScore as playing a leading role in AI at Workday,” Blau adds. “We have the right talent. We have the right understanding of the market and understanding of AI. We're definitely excited for the next challenge.”

HiredScore's story is more than just a story about new technology; it's about the central role a company's values play in its success. Their unwavering focus on people—both customers and employees—serves as a compelling example for businesses seeking to thrive in the modern era.

HiredScore's dedication to putting people first is more than just a statement; it's a reality reflected in its success.