Lusha: “We haven’t used AI to replace people; we’ve used it to remove friction”

“We’re not planning to significantly grow our overall headcount,” said Chen Ferder, Chief People Officer at Lusha. “We haven’t used AI to replace people; we’ve used it to remove friction.”

Lusha is an AI sales intelligence platform to help companies find better leads and handle outreach. The company argues that in places where repetitive tasks once consumed time and energy, AI now plays a supporting role.

“The goal isn’t to cut roles but rather to help people focus on higher-value work: the kind that requires insight, creativity, and human connection,” she added.

Ferder joined CTech as part of its new series, HR in the AI Era, which explores the impact that artificial intelligence will have on the workplace. You can read the entire interview below.

Company name: Lusha
Your name and title: Chen Ferder, Chief People Officer
Names of founders and upper management: Yoni Tserruya, Co-Founder and CEO; Assaf Eisenstein, Co-Founder and President
Year of founding: 2016
Investment stage: B
Total investment to date: $245M
Field of activity: Sales Intelligence
Number of employees: 330
Office location: Tel Aviv, Boston, London, Sydney
Number of open positions: 25

On a scale of 1-10, how much does the AI revolution disrupt your company operation in general, and the HR department specifically?

8

How so?

AI is reshaping how we think, work, and build. But at Lusha, we don’t see this as a negative disruption. We see it as a moment of break and remake, a deep foundational shift that calls us to rebuild how we operate, not just layer new tools on top of old thinking.

We’re not asking “how to replace people with agents.” We’re asking “how to design a new system where humans and AI work together to achieve more.” And that starts with people with a shared mindset, not just a change in process.

This shift brings excitement and uncertainty, often at the same time. We’re leaning into both. We’re creating space for honest conversations, shared exploration, and collective learning because this isn’t a passing trend. It’s a deep, systemic change. And we know that for it to succeed, people have to feel part of it, not just as employees, but as co-creators of what’s next.

Everything we’re doing right now is shaped through the lens of this new reality, where curiosity and speed are the new operating principles.

In HR, specifically, we’re focused on a few deep shifts:

• From personalization through effort → to personalization through smart tech and scale
• From using technology → to becoming real technologists and data owners
• From being agile → to becoming fluid, shape-shifting as needs evolve
• From strategic partner → to strategic architect of the AI-human future
• From deliberate problem-solving → to rapid, mindset-flipping action at the pace of change

What interesting AI tools do you and your staff use in employee management/recruitment?

We’re in the process of integrating AI across several areas:

• Recruitment: AI supports us in sourcing and screening to improve efficiency and expand reach.
• Learning & Development: We’re experimenting with AI tools that personalize learning journeys to fit individual styles and goals.
• Data & Insights: We're piloting AI dashboards and alerts to help us surface engagement signals and make better decisions, faster.
• Periodic sentiment analysis (eNPS): We're using AI to track employee sentiment over time, helping us stay attuned to how people are feeling.
• Chatbot (coming soon): We’re launching a simple, conversational tool to help employees get quick answers to common questions, mostly about how things work at Lusha.

In which roles or tasks within your company has AI already begun to replace human labor (if at all)?

We’re not replacing humans with AI but we are rethinking roles.

We’re looking closely at where AI can take over repetitive or technical tasks, so people can focus on the work that really needs a human mind. As a result, we’ve added “AI fluency” or a strong willingness to learn and adopt AI tools as a key capability in every open position.

We’re also embedding bots across different parts of the organization, tools that can already provide real value and free up time for deeper, more strategic work.

What are the two major challenges you are coping with these days?

1. Evolving our HR model: Rethinking team structures, capabilities, and the very definition of “HR value” in an AI-powered world.
2. Balancing speed and intentionality: Moving fast enough to stay relevant, but not so fast that we compromise trust, leadership, or the employee experience.

Have you experienced workforce-related challenges due to the war, and are you still feeling the impact of the security situation on your human resources?

From the beginning of the war and throughout the past 1.5 years, Lusha has embraced its people and their families, offering full support to reservists and flexibility to everyone who needed it.

We made space for people to express where and how the situation touched them personally. We deepened our social responsibility initiatives in the areas of Mental Health & Resilience, and adopted Military units where our employees serve.

Alongside the challenges, this time has also been marked by meaningful creation and growth at Lusha. The ability to stay focused while offering real emotional support helped us find a new kind of rhythm. For many of our people, the work itself became a source of balance and strength in a very difficult reality.

Have you made changes to your workforce following the increased use of AI tools, both in terms of headcount and internal shifts between departments?

We haven’t made major structural shifts due to AI. Our focus has been on elevating impact with the same resources.

We believe we can achieve double the value with the same team by enabling people with the right tools, mindset, and focus.

How does the global market uncertainty affect your workforce, in terms of employee numbers or departmental reallocations? Are you scaling your workforce up or down in different regions around the world?

We’re staying focused and intentional. We're not making broad shifts in workforce size, but we’re thinking carefully about how to build long-term value in the right places.

In the last quarter, we’ve opened two new hubs in London and Sydney, reflecting our continued commitment to sustainable, global growth.

Do you estimate that in 2025–2026 you will increase or decrease the number of personnel? Explain why.

We’re not planning to significantly grow our overall headcount.

We haven’t used AI to replace people; we’ve used it to remove friction. In places where repetitive tasks once consumed time and energy, AI now plays a supporting role.

The goal isn’t to cut roles but rather to help people focus on higher-value work: the kind that requires insight, creativity, and human connection.

trong>Office location: Tel Aviv, Boston, London, Sydney
Number of open positions: 25

On a scale of 1-10, how much does the AI revolution disrupt your company operation in general, and the HR department specifically?

8

How so?

AI is reshaping how we think, work, and build. But at Lusha, we don’t see this as a negative disruption. We see it as a moment of break and remake, a deep foundational shift that calls us to rebuild how we operate, not just layer new tools on top of old thinking.

We’re not asking “how to replace people with agents.” We’re asking “how to design a new system where humans and AI work together to achieve more.” And that starts with people with a shared mindset, not just a change in process.

This shift brings excitement and uncertainty, often at the same time. We’re leaning into both. We’re creating space for honest conversations, shared exploration, and collective learning because this isn’t a passing trend. It’s a deep, systemic change. And we know that for it to succeed, people have to feel part of it, not just as employees, but as co-creators of what’s next.

Everything we’re doing right now is shaped through the lens of this new reality, where curiosity and speed are the new operating principles.

In HR, specifically, we’re focused on a few deep shifts:

• From personalization through effort → to personalization through smart tech and scale
• From using technology → to becoming real technologists and data owners
• From being agile → to becoming fluid, shape-shifting as needs evolve
• From strategic partner → to strategic architect of the AI-human future
• From deliberate problem-solving → to rapid, mindset-flipping action at the pace of change

What interesting AI tools do you and your staff use in employee management/recruitment?

We’re in the process of integrating AI across several areas:

• Recruitment: AI supports us in sourcing and screening to improve efficiency and expand reach.
• Learning & Development: We’re experimenting with AI tools that personalize learning journeys to fit individual styles and goals.
• Data & Insights: We're piloting AI dashboards and alerts to help us surface engagement signals and make better decisions, faster.
• Periodic sentiment analysis (eNPS): We're using AI to track employee sentiment over time, helping us stay attuned to how people are feeling.
• Chatbot (coming soon): We’re launching a simple, conversational tool to help employees get quick answers to common questions, mostly about how things work at Lusha.

In which roles or tasks within your company has AI already begun to replace human labor (if at all)?

We’re not replacing humans with AI but we are rethinking roles.

We’re looking closely at where AI can take over repetitive or technical tasks, so people can focus on the work that really needs a human mind. As a result, we’ve added “AI fluency” or a strong willingness to learn and adopt AI tools as a key capability in every open position.

We’re also embedding bots across different parts of the organization, tools that can already provide real value and free up time for deeper, more strategic work.

What are the two major challenges you are coping with these days?

1. Evolving our HR model: Rethinking team structures, capabilities, and the very definition of “HR value” in an AI-powered world.
2. Balancing speed and intentionality: Moving fast enough to stay relevant, but not so fast that we compromise trust, leadership, or the employee experience.

Have you experienced workforce-related challenges due to the war, and are you still feeling the impact of the security situation on your human resources?

From the beginning of the war and throughout the past 1.5 years, Lusha has embraced its people and their families, offering full support to reservists and flexibility to everyone who needed it.

We made space for people to express where and how the situation touched them personally. We deepened our social responsibility initiatives in the areas of Mental Health & Resilience, and adopted Military units where our employees serve.

Alongside the challenges, this time has also been marked by meaningful creation and growth at Lusha. The ability to stay focused while offering real emotional support helped us find a new kind of rhythm. For many of our people, the work itself became a source of balance and strength in a very difficult reality.

Have you made changes to your workforce following the increased use of AI tools, both in terms of headcount and internal shifts between departments?

We haven’t made major structural shifts due to AI. Our focus has been on elevating impact with the same resources.

We believe we can achieve double the value with the same team by enabling people with the right tools, mindset, and focus.

How does the global market uncertainty affect your workforce, in terms of employee numbers or departmental reallocations? Are you scaling your workforce up or down in different regions around the world?

We’re staying focused and intentional. We're not making broad shifts in workforce size, but we’re thinking carefully about how to build long-term value in the right places.

In the last quarter, we’ve opened two new hubs in London and Sydney, reflecting our continued commitment to sustainable, global growth.

Do you estimate that in 2025–2026 you will increase or decrease the number of personnel? Explain why.

We’re not planning to significantly grow our overall headcount.

We haven’t used AI to replace people; we’ve used it to remove friction. In places where repetitive tasks once consumed time and energy, AI now plays a supporting role.

The goal isn’t to cut roles but rather to help people focus on higher-value work: the kind that requires insight, creativity, and human connection.