The Recruiting Future Podcast - Innovation In Hr And Recruitment

Whenever we talk about recruiting automation, there is always a persistent narrative in favor of retaining the human touch in some way, shape, or form. While technology now enables us to interact in increasingly conversational ways, there's still an irreplaceable quality in human-to-human, face-to-face dialogue that no machine or video can fully replicate. So, how can we enhance the effectiveness of our conversations in both professional and personal settings? And could asking more powerful, thoughtful questions lead to better hiring outcomes?  My guest this week is Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Topaz Adizes, founder of experience design studio The Skin Deep. Having conducted over 1,200 filmed conversations exploring human connection, Topaz has gained profound insights into what makes questions transformative. In our discussion, he shares what his work has taught him about crafting questions that break down barriers and foster authentic dialogue—lessons that can help us all engage more meaningfully in the wo

I know that many of you would agree that we are now beyond saturation point with the hype around AI in TA. It's clear that one way or another, gen AI is going to become ubiquitous in the software that we use. So, rather than discussing it as a topic on its own, we need to look carefully at the current and future impact on TA in terms of use cases, innovation, and the potential to rethink hiring. So what are the proven use cases for AI right now, where are we missing opportunities, and how will things develop in the short term? My guest this week is Mark Chaffey, Co-Founder and CEO of Hackajob. We discuss current AI use cases and lessons TA can learn from Gen AI's impact on software engineering. In the interview, we discuss: The current state of the tech hiring market Concerns over developing early career talent The impact of AI on software engineering AI isn't just about automation. It's about being ten times better. Why AI will always match better than humans The role of TA The hype cycle Critical

One of the pandemic's legacies is the opening of genuinely global markets for talent. The trend of moving work to people, rather than people to work, is set to grow as effectively tapping into international talent pools can offer a huge competitive advantage for the employers that get it right. At the same time, though, recruiting globally can be daunting, with companies having to negotiate the previously unfamiliar cultural, financial, and legal complexities. My guest this week is Jonathan Romley, founder and CEO of Lundy. Jonathan shares his extensive experience in mapping out international hiring plans and highlights why he sees the globalization of talent as a huge strategic opportunity for talent acquisition. In the interview, we discuss: The shifting global workforce landscape Why global hiring is a strategic opportunity for Talent Acquisition Understanding the business case Assessing whether a role should be based in another country Strategy roles versus execution roles The vital importance of

Talent Acquisition appears to be facing the perfect storm. The volume of inbound applications is increasing at unprecedented levels; however, at the same time, budgets are being reduced, and TA teams are getting smaller. On top of that, hiring for specialist talent is getting harder with remote work, making talent markets truly global and increasing competition for the hardest-to-find skills. So, how can TA Leaders navigate these disruptive waters? AI is often positioned as a magic solution, but cutting through the cacophony of marketing noise it generates is a real challenge. My guest this week is Steve Bartel, Founder and CEO of Gem. Steve offers us insights and advice from the perspective of a vendor building solutions to the challenges TA teams face. As well as talking about the trends that matter and the long-term impact of AI, he also shares some valuable advice on properly assessing potential AI solutions and avoiding some of the common pitfalls currently out there. In the interview, we discuss: Th

Round up is the monthly show on The Recruiting Future Podcast channel that highlights episodes you may have missed and gives you my take on some of the key learnings from the guests. Episodes mentioned in this Round Up: Ep 644: AI, Innovation & HR Tech Ep 645: Recruiting Nirvana Ep 646: Skills Intelligence Ep 647: Attributes Ep 648: Unstoppable Transformation Ep 649: Building A Personalized Candidate Experience Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts

I've done a lot of research this year around the move to skills-based hiring and skills-based organizations. Having spoken to a large number of employers on this journey, it is very clear that success is predicated on looking at skills strategically, holistically, and in the context of both business and personal growth. Ultimately, employers need to think fundamentally differently about talent and reflect this new thinking in talent acquisition, talent mobility, and talent development. My guests this week have just published an excellent book encouraging CEOs to embrace this new mindset to build the adaptable, skilled workforce they need in a way that doesn't undermine personal growth and champions the employee experience. The book is called "The Talent-Fueled Enterprise," and it was great to be able to speak to all three of its authors, Mike Ohata, Larry Durham, and Eric Dingler, who between them have 85 years combined experience in leading talent at Fortune 15 companies. In the interview, we discuss: T

Improving the candidate experience has been a perpetual goal in recruiting. Despite the best intentions, the improvement process's effectiveness still ebbs and flows with the changes in supply and demand in the labor market. However, are things finally about to change? Ever since the exponential acceleration in the development of AI, I've been excited about the possibility of technology delivering a genuinely personalized candidate experience at scale. So, what does this vision look like? Which elements are already possible, and what do TA leaders need to do to make it a reality? My guest this week is Don Tomlinson, CTO at Daxtra. In our conversation, Don gives us a refreshingly pragmatic view of the AI use cases that can combine to build a personalized candidate experience and highlights pitfalls and dangers to be aware of. In the interview, we discuss: Using AI to diversify talent pools Taking out the background noise Personalizing the candidate's experience in real-time Bespoke communication at sca

In the last few weeks, many established software vendors have launched AI-augmented products, helping us move past the hype and get a much more hands-on view of what AI means for Talent Acquisition. There are still a massive amount of unknowns, but it is evident that AI is a chief catalyst in what is now an unstoppable transformation of TA and the broader talent function. AI and automation fundamentally alter the speed and scale at which TA can operate, constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible. So, what does this mean for TA leaders and practitioners right now? How prepared are organizations for this level of transformation, and how can TA raise its game to drive more value for the organization? This week, my guests are Dr. Swathi Palasamudram, Enterprise Business Architect at Bosch, and Nazim Ünlü, Global People and Organization Lead at Novartis, in two interviews recorded at the Smartrecruiters Hiring Success event in Amsterdam in September. Swathi and Nazim shared insights that reveal why the

Soft Skills, Hard Skills, Attributes, Traits, Competencies—these words sometimes get used interchangeably when we talk about assessment and team building. As the momentum around skills-based hiring increases, it is important to know what we really mean when we talk about skills generically and how exactly we are measuring someone's ability to do a particular role. My guest this week is Rich Diviney, founder of The Attributes. Rich is a former Commanding Officer in the US Navy SEALs, where he was responsible for assessing and selecting the elite of the elite for the famous SEAL Team Six. He now speaks and writes about the use of attributes in team building and hiring. We had a fantastic discussion about the difference between skills and attributes in the context of hiring and development. We also discuss my somewhat surprising results from taking Rich's attributes test.  In the interview, we discuss: Identifying the elite of the elite for SEAL Team Six The difference between attributes and skills Understand

Skills-based organizations and skills-based hiring have been some of the hottest topics of the year. While it is hard to find anyone who disagrees that this way of thinking about talent strategies has enormous benefits, there is still much debate about some of the practicalities around strategy and implementation. I spoke to two genuine HR thought leaders in my fourth and final set of interviews recorded at this year's HR Technology Conference. Heather Jerrehain, VP of Product Management - Employee Workflows at Service Now, and Mike Bollinger, Global VP of Strategic Initiative at Cornerstone on Demand Both shared their thoughts and insights on the power of skills, the journey towards skills-based organizations, and their sense of what the future might look like. In the interviews, we discuss: The impact of AI on jobs, work, and skills How AI is revolutionizing skills analysis and intelligence Using data from the hiring process to get a fuller picture of a person's skills The power of skills-based mobil

Technology is evolving quickly, and advances in AI are likely to change Talent Acquisition forever. If you are a regular listener to this podcast, you will know that I firmly believe there is an opportunity here to make recruiting better for everyone, with the potential for AI to increase effectiveness, efficiency, and experience exponentially. I call this Recruiting Nirvana. However, other less favorable future scenarios still exist, and there is only a short window of time for TA's future to be in its own hands. It is critical; then, that TA Leaders keep up to date with the art of the possible when it comes to AI and technology and have a clear vision of the future, they are moving towards. At the recent HR Technology Conference, I sat down with six practitioners and analysts to find out what they thought the biggest challenges are in TA at the moment, which of the current use cases of AI they feel are most valuable, and, most importantly, what their own vision of Recruiting Nirvana looks like. In this e

Last week, I attended The HR Technology Conference in Las Vegas. The event was full of energy and optimism for the future as hundreds of vendors showcased new AI products and AI integrations. Everyone was playing up the new heights of efficiency and effectiveness AI can take us as an industry. However, there was much debate about the level of genuine innovation on offer and a sense that rather than thinking radically and reinventing what we do, we were just looking at faster ways of solving old problems that don't live up to AI''s potential to challenge the status quo. Here are three interviews I recorded at the show to help you make up your own minds about the levels of innovation we are currently seeing. First up is Allyn Bailey from SmartRecruiters who predicted the rise of recruiterless recruiting on the show last year. I was interested to see how far she thought we had come on that journey and what was going to happen next. The second interview was with Josh Sklüt, co-founder of MyStandard, who was u

Round up is the monthly show on The Recruiting Future Podcast channel that highlights episodes you may have missed and gives you my take on some of the key learnings from the guests. Episodes mentioned in this Round Up: Ep 639: Inclusive Interviews Inspired By NASA Ep 640: What Is The Value Of TA? Ep 641: How Is TA Evolving? Ep 642: Augmenting Talent Acquisition Ep 643: Career Activism Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts

With labor markets still undergoing unprecedented shifts and volatility, employers are increasingly strengthening their focus on retention and internal mobility. However, the shrinking life span of skills, changing attitudes to work, and the rise of AI are complicating factors here. So, how can employers ensure they support their employees' future development and drive internal mobility at a time of significant change that renders traditional career pathing irrelevant? My guest this week is JC Townend, CEO at LHH for the UK and Ireland. JC is a strong advocate of Career Activism, giving employees the tools they need to advance their careers in the way that makes the most sense for them. This can drive retention, supercharge internal mobility, and help ensure employers have the right skills available at the right time. In the interview, we discuss: Labor market trends Why HR should be building for the future for right now What is Career Activism The end of linear career paths Giving employees the tools

Most conversations about AI in talent acquisition focus on efficiencies and automating repetitive tasks. However, we are missing the point if we don't start talking about how AI could help reshape recruiting entirely, making it more efficient but also more effective. Why stop at recruiting? AI could revolutionize work and the whole way we think about careers. The current limitations of our thinking were really brought home to me when I attended the SmartRecruiters Hiring Success conference last week in Amsterdam. An overarching theme was that automation is a given with AI, and we should think much bigger. So, what does this mean for TA strategies, and how can TA Leaders ensure they proactively shape the future direction of recruiting? My guest this week is Brian Solis, Head of Global Innovation at ServiceNow. He is also an internationally renowned digital anthropologist and award-winning author. Brian gave the opening keynote at Hiring Success, and I caught up with him after he left the stage to get his th

If you've listened to the last few episodes of the podcast, you'll know that TA Transformation is the current big theme on the show. We've focused a lot on the future, but what about the practicalities of the present? Today's talent acquisition leaders face an ever-growing list of priorities on top of their already demanding roles. From enhancing candidate experience to integrating AI and from improving diversity and inclusion metrics to establishing more agile operating models, the pressures are immense.  So what progress are TA teams making, and how do they benchmark against each other? My guest this week is Rachel Dalboth, Director of the TA Centre of Excellence at The Talent Labs. Based on Talent Labs research, Rachel offers insights into how TA teams are dealing with their current challenges. She also shares her thoughts on the skills for future TA Teams and the vital importance of investing in development. In the interview, we discuss: Current priorities in talent acquisition Trends and issues wit

The unprecedented volatility in the Talent Acquisition jobs market in the last three years illustrates that many organizations still see TA as a transactional function turned on or off according to hiring demand. This is a big problem. While the development of ever more sophisticated AI promises much for TA, it also represents an existential threat to the survival of any business function seen as transactional and easy to automate. So, how can talent acquisition prove its value to the business and live up to its enormous strategic potential? Perhaps the first step would be to understand that value properly. My guest this week is Toby Culshaw, Global Head Of Pipeline Strategy & Intelligence at Amazon Worldwide stores. Toby publishes a lot of thought-provoking content about the future of TA and has strong views on how TA should position its value within the enterprise. In the interview, we discuss: Talent Acquisition's significant challenges What is holding change back and why TA is at risk What TA does

Job interviews have always been a source of anxiety for many people. The pressure of showcasing your achievements to a stranger in an unnaturally structured conversation is not easy, and for many neuro-diverse people, it is pretty much impossible. The use of Ansychromous video interviews has helped the situation in some ways but doesn't provide the opportunity for real-time conversation and exploration, which is critical in the later stages of the recruiting process. Could a methodology initially designed to combat communication delays in space travel offer a solution that bridges the gap between synchronous and asynchronous interviewing in a way that is inclusive for everyone? My guest week is Rob Brougham, Director & Co-Founder of Braided Communications. Rob worked with NASA to develop a unique way of helping astronauts have real-time conversations with people back on Earth on future missions to the moon and Mars. He is now using the same technology to make the recruiting process more inclusive and effect

Round Up is the monthly show on The Recruiting Future Podcast channel that highlights episodes you may have missed and gives you my take on some of the key learnings from the guests. Episodes mentioned in this Round Up: Ep 631: Science, AI & Assessment Ep 632: Attracting, Retaining, and Empowering Gen Z Talent Ep 633: The Strategic Importance Of Wellbeing Ep 634: Work Before Talent Ep 635: Transform Talent Acquisition Ep 636: Hiring & Retaining Innovators Ep 637: Reinventing The ATS For A New Era Ep 638: Reskilling For AI Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts

It’s been a tough couple of years for Talent Acquisition. There was a time during the post-pandemic hiring wave when companies were struggling to recruit enough recruiters. Now, the situation is the polar opposite, with TA teams shrinking and many recruiters being laid off. In such economically uncertain times, it’s difficult to determine whether AI is starting to be a factor that impacts jobs in TA. However, based on current adoption rates, it’s probably fair to say that AI is still only a minor contributor to the overall situation. But this is quickly going to change. As employers start to look at transforming TA over the longer term, AI and automation will inevitably play a significant role in shaping the TA teams of the future. This raises important questions about job displacement and reskilling. These are not just questions that AI raises for TA; they are questions that span the entire organization, with a strong likelihood that all jobs will be impacted in some way. So, how can employers prepare the