Redrob CEO Felix Kim Explains It All: AI Is Transforming Global Recruitment

Felix Kim is the CEO of Redrob, a global recruitment platform. Rebrob is revolutionizing how companies, large or small, are expanding around the world through the power of ‘cross-border AI’. Kim answers 5 questions about cross-border AI and how Redrob is using it to expand business opportunities globally.

First, explain what cross-border AI is for the uninitiated.

Kim: Cross-border AI, a key concept at the heart of Redrob, refers to a method we've developed for structuring global people data into a universally comprehensible format. Essentially, it's about overcoming the challenges businesses face due to a lack of context-specific knowledge across different countries.

For example, a recruiter in the U.S. might not know the prominent universities in India, and an Indian salesperson might be unfamiliar with major distributors in the U.S. Our cross-border AI bridges these cultural and informational gaps, enabling better understanding and trust. By doing so, we're pushing the boundaries of what's possible in international commerce and communication, making sales, hiring, and networking not just possible but more efficient and inclusive worldwide.

What do you say to people who are scared by the very concept of cross-border AI?

Kim: I completely understand that new technologies, especially those with the potential to reshape familiar landscapes, can be daunting. But I'd like to reassure everyone that the core aim of cross-border AI is to foster understanding and connection, not to alienate or overpower.

Cross-border AI is not about surveillance or intruding into personal lives. It's about facilitating better, more informed interactions across cultures and borders. It's about helping businesses understand and respect different cultures and practices and helping individuals find opportunities they might otherwise miss out on due to geographical or cultural barriers.

At Redrob, we're committed to ethical AI practices, including data privacy and security. Our goal is to build a platform that not only respects but also protects our users' information while providing them with valuable, global opportunities. We believe cross-border AI can be a force for good, helping to create a more connected, understanding, and respectful global community.

So how does Redrob use cross-border AI for global recruitment?

Kim: Redrob uses cross-border AI in global recruitment to seamlessly integrate a deep understanding of cultural nuances, qualifications, and skills from around the world. Our AI is designed to equate and understand different educational degrees, professional experiences, and skill sets across various cultures. This means a recruiter in the U.S. can appreciate the value of a degree from a top university in India or understand the significance of a particular job title in Europe.

Our AI also aids in matching skills and experiences from diverse backgrounds with global job requirements. It goes beyond the limitations of language and standard job descriptions, offering a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of what candidates bring to the table. This leads to better matching and more effective placements.

Additionally, Redrob's AI works to bridge communication gaps. It helps both recruiters and candidates overcome language and cultural barriers, facilitating smoother interactions and clearer understandings. This is crucial in creating trust and comfort in cross-border recruitment.

One of the most important aspects of our AI is its ability to help reduce biases. It presents factual, structured information about candidates, helping recruiters focus on the qualifications and skills that matter, rather than being influenced by their unfamiliarity with a candidate's country of origin.

Finally, Redrob offers AI-powered online skill tests that are fair and relevant to candidates from all cultural backgrounds. This ensures that everyone has a fair chance to showcase their abilities, regardless of where they come from.

By intertwining these capabilities, Redrob's cross-border AI transforms global recruitment into a more inclusive, efficient, and fair process, helping companies find the best talent worldwide and enabling individuals to access opportunities previously out of reach.

What inspired you to think globally?

Kim: From the U.S. to Seoul to Lima, my nomadic childhood was a whirlwind of new landscapes and unfamiliar faces. But no matter where we landed, one shadow followed me: bullying. I was the new kid in every port, met with distrust and rejection. This early hardship planted a seed in me, a quiet understanding of why cultures clash and build walls around themselves.

Fast forward to my legal career in Seoul. Navigating international law, I witnessed firsthand the roadblocks cultural mistrust throws up in global business. The seed bloomed into a fiery resolve to make a difference. With a brave leap, I left corporate law and landed in Noida, India, ready to launch McKinley Rice – a global outsourcing company.

Five years of sweat and grit with McKinley Rice taught me invaluable lessons about bridging cultural divides and enabling opportunity. It was time to laser-focus on this mission. Redrob was born, its name a twist on "border," a symbol of tearing down walls and fostering connections.

Redrob isn't just a company; it's the culmination of my nomadic childhood, the sting of bullying, and the lawyer's eye for global divides. We harness the power of data and cross-border AI to make sales, recruitment, and networking accessible across cultures, one connection at a time. 

What is next for Redrob?

Kim:

The response from the market has been strong. Over 200,000 people are already using Redrob, and our annual recurring revenue is $2.1 million. And we're just getting started.

2024 will be Redrob's breakout year. We're aiming to grow our user base to 3.4 million and hit $10 million ARRr. We recently closed our first seed funding round, $4 million co-led by Murex Partners and DS&Partners, the same folks who backed Korean tech titans like Mussinsa, Market Kurly, and Yanolja. 

I think the secret to our growth is a vast, untapped market: businesses hungry for global expansion but lacking the tech and cultural savvy to navigate it. That's where Redrob comes in, with "global people search" as we call it. We're talking AI-powered market intelligence that empowers companies to hire internationally, build foreign sales, and build meaningful networks across borders. 

This isn't just about numbers and growth, though. It's about tearing down the walls that separate us, about making opportunity accessible to everyone, regardless of their passport. It's about fulfilling the promise of a truly interconnected world, a world where Redrob doesn't just connect people, it redefines what it means to be global.

 

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