Recruiting Future with Matt Alder

Economic challenges, technology innovations, changing attitudes to how and where we work, and a new, very different generation entering the workplace. These are just some of the forces driving change across the whole of the people function. In this second compilation episode of interviews I recorded at Transform earlier in the year, I speak to two of the most innovative HR Executives out there about the changing Talent landscape. My first guest, Donald Knight, Chief People Officer at Greenhouse, shares his insights on the current challenges for CPOs, the importance of developing curiosity, and the need to eliminate the laggard approach that has categorized HR for so long.  My second conversation is with John Baldino, President of Humareso. This was the final interview I recorded at the conference, and we reflect on the event, our key learnings from it, and the future of HR in an AI-driven world. Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

It's been nearly 18 months since ChatGPT launched and sparked a lively debate about the future of Talent Acquisition. While it's important to consider the long-term implications, a crucial part of building a strategy is embracing the potential of current technology through experimentation and skill development. My guest this week is Andy Headworth, Deputy Director of Talent Acquisition at HMRC. Over the last few months, Andy's team has gone from lunchtime AI experimentation sessions to rolling out the platform they created across their organization. This has driven radical improvements to their hiring process, improving its quality while simultaneously saving many hours of hiring manager and recruiter time. Andy shares its impact, the lessons they have learned, and his advice for TA leaders on building strategies for an AI-driven future. In the interview, we discuss: The recruiting challenges at HMRC Experimentation, learning, and being brave with your thinking Understanding the problem you are trying to solve Revolutionizing the hiring manager experience Building platforms using publically available tools and data  Implications for TA and HR software vendors The use of AI by candidates Advice to TA leaders What does the future look like? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. A full transcript will appear here shortly.

A few weeks ago, I spent a couple of days recording at the excellent Transform conference in Las Vegas, and this is the first of two episodes with a compilation of some of the conversations I had. My first guest is Danielle Farage, a renowned Gen Z Futurist, Educator, and Community Builder. Danielle shares her perspective on why it's crucial to give Gen Z a voice and discusses the current employee experience for the newest generation in the workforce. My second conversation is with Recruiter and Creator Joel Lalgee. Joel talks about his journey to reaching an incredible 600,000 followers across various social media platforms. He shares his insights on how recruiters and employers should use a combination of short-form video and face-to-face experiences to build an influential brand. Topics we cover: The disconnect between the C-Suite and early career talent Including younger voices in the conversations defining the future of work Advice on building the workforce of the future Helping Gen Z develop their careers is an appropriate way for the times we live in What will work look like in five years? Producing high-quality content for TikTok and Instagram Why TA is missing a massive opportunity Being Omnichannel and building relationships and trust Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Talent Acquisition stands on the edge of revolution, with AI tools promising to make recruiting faster and more effective. But will it make hiring fairer? Recruiting and HR are already a key focus for governments as they develop legislation for AI, and employers are already at risk of breaking existing laws if they use AI tools that discriminate against protected groups of people. My guest this week is Commissioner Keith Sonderling of the EEOC. In our conversation, we talk about the benefits and risks of using AI in hiring, what employers need to know to ensure compliance with existing laws, and the new regulations many countries will implement shortly. In the interview, we discuss: Background context of The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Bridging the gap between policy-making and HR practice What advantages does AI bring to talent acquisition? The potential for technology to make clearer, more transparent hiring decisions than humans The dangers AI poses if incorrectly implemented How AI is used in hiring already falls under existing employer equality legislation. Who is liable, the employer or the AI vendor? The EU AI Act and New York City Law 144 Are there common themes in new AI legislation being developed around the world? Reskilling, upskilling and changing dynamics in the workforce What does the future look like? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Many employers regularly offer internships, but the role of these internships in long-term hiring strategies can be pretty tenuous. So what happens when a company puts internships at the centre of its hiring strategy and proactively leverages this to build long-term pipelines of valuable talent? My guest this week is Leah Bourdon, Vice President of Talent at staffing and consulting firm ALKU. For several years, ALKU has made internships the heart of its resourcing strategy. In our conversation, Leah shares precisely how they do this and the considerable benefits and value it drives. In the interview, we discuss: The market for recruiting recruiters Having a unique focus on entry-level talent The employer brand of a career in recruiting Training interns during the school year Faster ramp-ups and higher retention rates Talent spotting How are the skills needed to be a recruiter changing Training interns in the same way as full-time employees How will recruiting change over the next five years Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

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 597: Talent Acquisition Excellence Ep 598: Building Exec Search In House Ep 599: Data Sophistication Ep 600: Did We Predict The Future? Ep 601: Quiet Hiring Ep 602: The Skills Mismatch In Hiring Ep 603: Talent Lessons From Elite Sport Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts

Companies can learn a massive amount from elite sports in terms of spotting and nurturing the talent required to build highly effective teams. Having an adaptable, flexible, and self-aware mindset is critical in these disruptive times, and professional sports have coaching models that can help leaders develop this mindset in their teams. I was lucky enough to speak to former England Cricket Captain Sir Andrew Strauss at the recent Transform conference in Las Vegas. After his playing career finished, Andrew ran elite cricket in the UK for four years. He is now the co-founder of Mindflick, a high-performance coaching business that uses psychology and technology to make the lessons from elite sports accessible to companies. In the interview, we discuss: What can elite sports teach business about leadership? Learning how to be adaptable in dynamic environments The importance of self-awareness Understanding how teams react under pressure What makes top talent Understanding and accepting weaknesses  The role of technology Getting buy-in and building an emotional connection with a group vision Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Skills-based hiring is a hot topic as many employers seek to better understand the skills they need in their businesses both now and in the future. With the shelf life of hard skills shortening by the day, companies need to bridge the gap between talent acquisition and talent management to ensure that they are hiring for the skills that actually drive value for the business. My guest this week is Jason Putnam, CRO at Plum. Jason has tremendous experience in the industry and is continually talking to senior corporate leaders about their skills strategies. He has some interesting and unique insights to share, and this is a must-listen for everyone trying to make sense of skills-based hiring. In the interview, we discuss: The current market challenges Are companies prioritizing talent management over talent acquisition? How is the relationship between the talent management and talent acquisition function evolving? The shortening shelf life of hard skills and the importance of soft skills The mismatch between the skills employers hire for and the skills they actually value in their organizations Skills and productivity Are mapping skills within the organization necessary or even possible? How job seekers' use of AI will change talent acquisition. What does the future look like Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Skills shortages, shortening skills lifespans, digital transformation, the AI revolution, hiring freezes and layoffs. These are just some of the factors currently reshaping how companies think about talent. It's clear that this level of disruption is now the new normal rather than a short-term trend. So, how do TA teams respond, and what role do they have in helping employers redefine their thinking about talent, skills, and hiring? My guest this week is Rich Wilson, CEO and Co-Founder of Gigged.Ai. Before he became a founder, Rich had a successful career as a recruiter and spent time as a Gartner analyst specialising in digital transformation and the future of work. In our conversation, we discuss skills-focused strategies to reinvent hiring and the part TA teams have to play in this critical transformation. In the interview, we discuss: Skill shortages and layoffs The shortening lifespan of skills Switching from cap-ex to op-ex Future of work trends How AI is creating new workforce opportunities Internal mobility, upskilling, reskilling and contingent hiring New ways of getting skills into the business Talent sharing and open innovation How does TA need to think differently about talent? What will the talent space look like in five years? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcast.

I launched Recruiting Future nine years ago to attempt to understand the future of talent acquisition. Back then, social media was the biggest driver of change, and we were starting to realize how much new technologies would change the world. Predicting the future is always risky; however, if you approach things correctly, you can spot the trends that will stick and get a sense of what is likely to happen. I'm actually launching a short digital course next month to teach you some tools and techniques to do this. You can join the VIP waitlist for early access and a discount by going to mattalder.me/course  Back to the 600th episode. To celebrate this landmark, I invited my long-time collaborator and co-author, Mervyn Dinnen, to a studio in London to explore just how accurate some of the predictions we made in a whitepaper back in 2016 about the future of work were and to discuss what we think will happen over the next decade. There is also a video version of this podcast that you can find by following the link in the show notes. In the interview, we discuss: When I first told Mervyn I was launching Recruiting future Tasks, not jobs, in a skills-based future How the pandemic accelerated trends that were already there Is "return to the office" HR's version of the culture wars Why we thought recruiting would be "Tinderized." The long-predicted demise of the resume Talent Marketplaces What does the next ten years look like Total Talent Thinking Where is the humanity in the AI-driven future of work? What is going to happen over the next 12 months Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

We live in a world of work where understanding, interpreting and telling stories with data has never been more critical. Although Talent Acquisition has become more data-centric in recent years, many TA functions rely on summary statistics that don't provide a sophisticated enough platform to use data to inform and influence their organizations properly. So, what can TA leaders do to make their data strategies more effective? My guest this week is Ben Porr, Chief Customer Officer at Harver. In our conversation, Ben offered some highly actionable advice TA leaders can follow to level up and tell compelling stories with data. In the interview, we discuss: Why data is so essential in TA Answering questions with data rather than with opinions or assumptions What organizations are missing out on if they only use summary statistics What are the innovative organizations doing? AI and automation What are the most critical data sources? Pivot table versus data visualization Human in the loop Using data to shift strategies How AI will empower decision-making based on smaller sets of data What will the future look like? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Executive Search is often considered so specialized that it should always remain the preserve of Exec Search agencies. However, an ever-increasing number of large employers are now choosing to build in-house executive search functions. So what are the advantages of doing this, how do you do this, and what is the ongoing impact from tighter talent markets and innovations in technology My guest this week is Katie Howard, Global Talent Acquisition Luxury and Lifestyle Lead at IHG. Katie made the switch from Search Agency to in-house just over a year ago and has been helping set IHG up for success in a highly competitive market for senior talent. In the interview, we discuss: The difference between agency and in-house The current challenges in the senior talent market within luxury hospitality How IHG differentiates itself Approaching and engaging with global talent pools Non-linear careers and talent mobility  Managing stakeholders in large matrix organizations Making the candidate experience match the luxury guest experience DE&I Rethinking onboarding Advice for anyone setting up an in-house function The role of AI in executive hiring What does the future look like? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

I was delighted to hear two of my regular guests on Recruiting Future were writing a book together. “Talent Acquisition Excellence” by Kevin Wheeler and Bas Van De Haterd is now available, whether you get your books, and it is brilliant to welcome them both back to the podcast to talk about it. Kevin is the founder of The Future of Talent Institute and is highly respected for his skills in predicting how Talent Acquisition and HR will develop and evolve. Bas is a consultant whose keen sense of curiosity has helped him map the evolution of assessment technology and deliver an annual state-of-the-nation report on corporate career sites. In our conversations, they bring different perspectives to the concept of Talent Acquisition excellent, offer some actionable advice and give us a sense of what the future might hold. In the interview, we discuss: What is talent acquisition excellence? Why AI could be more disruptive than the invention of the Internet Shifting mindsets Improving selection by using science Driving the evolution of recruitment marketing How the recruiting function will change, and what skills will recruiters need Why employers aren't moving quickly enough Where will TA be in a year? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

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 591: Is AI Changing Jobseeker Behaviour? Ep 592: Understanding Skills Ep 593: The Career Forward Mindset Ep 594: Recruiting Data Science Skills Ep 595: Proving The Value Of Talent Acquisition Ep 596: Expectations and Experience Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts

It is almost four years since the first pandemic lockdowns, and even now, it doesn't seem long enough to get a proper perspective on how much the pandemic has changed things. It is already pretty clear that expectations of and attitudes to work have shifted considerably, with significant implications for recruiting and retention. My Guest this week is Annette Andrews, Founder & Director of Acaria Coaching and a former Chief People Officer. Annette works with large organizations to help them adjust their people practices and policies to align with the post-pandemic perspectives of their employees and future employees. She has some valuable insights on what employers need to do to attract and retain the talent they need. In the interview, we discuss: The current challenges for employers and why these are different from what we've seen in the past. Benefits, culture and wellbeing Showcasing the employee experience Implications for retention The human impact of a deteriorating candidate experience Five generations in the workforce Dealing with systemic ageism Talent mobility across industries and disciplines Changing the structure of the people function. How technology will shape the future Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

These are turbulent times for talent acquisition, particularly for those teams operating in the technology sector. Despite the continuing demand for technology skills, layoffs are still happening, with many TA teams now considerably downsized from where they were a couple of years ago. Proving TA's strategic and monetary value has never been more critical, so how can TA leaders make their business case against such a challenging backdrop? My guest this week is Sam Bethoud, VP of Talent Solutions at hackajob. Sam combines his experience working with a vast number of talent acquisition leaders with hackajob's huge dataset to provide some excellent insights into the tech recruiting market and highly actionable advice on tactics TA can employ to prove the scale of its value to the business. In the interview, we discuss: The current state of the tech recruiting market TA's commercial impact How does TA create measurable monetary value? The importance of data How else can TA be strategic? Changing job seeker behaviour What impact will AI have on the future? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

With the development and adoption of AI accelerating at an unprecedented pace, the demand for data scientists and data skills in general is snowballing. To recruit successfully in this competitive talent market, TA teams must understand the specific data skills their organisation needs and the intrinsic career motivations of the data professionals they seek to engage with. My guest this week is Akshay Swaminathan, Head of Data Science at Cerebral and co-author of a new book called "Winning With Data Science". In our conversation, Akshay offers an insider view on the data science talent market, what motivates data scientists to move companies and the most effective recruiting process for people with this skillset. Essential listening for anyone recruiting data science professionals or working in talent markets with similar skills shortages. In the interview, we discuss: The growing demand for data science professionals The specific data skills that employers currently need Is there any consistency in data science job titles? What would motivate a data science professional to move jobs? How should recruiters source and engage in this talent market What type of hiring process will drive the most successful outcomes? Gig working and fractional working Creating business value from AI What skills will be needed in the future as the development and adoption of AI ramps up? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Work and jobs are changing, and the speed of change continues to accelerate. Whether you are in the fourth decade of your working life or looking for your first job, managing a career against this background of disruptive, often unpredictable change is a challenge for everyone. Things are also being made worse by continuing pay inequality and workplace bias. My guests this week are Grace Puma, the former COO of Pepsico and Christiana Smith Shi, the former President of Direct to Consumer at Nike. Grace and Christiana have recently authored a book called "Career Forward - Strategies from Women Who Have Made It". The motivation behind writing the book was to empower women to maximise their career journey, get paid what they are worth and navigate the unexpected shifts that happen in the current world of work. There is some excellent advice here that Grace and Christiana believe is applicable to everyone looking to develop their career in our turbulent times. In the interview, we discuss: The Career Forward Mindset Having a "Cardinal Direction" instead of a North Star The importance of mentors and sponsors Steering into the skid to deal with unexpected challenges Building career equity Dealing with pay inequality Reinventing work-life balance How can employers make the workforce fair and equitable? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

The shelf life of skills is getting ever shorter, which has significant implications for talent acquisition. It is essential that TA leaders take an active role in developing the overall skills strategy for their business. If employers want to be effective skills-based organizations, it is clear that talent acquisition, talent management, L&D and strategic workforce planning must be closely aligned. My guest this week is Malcolm Taylor, Head of Capability at the UK Health Security Agency. In the last few years, Malcolm has led a highly effective initiative to use data to drive upskilling, talent development and talent acquisition. In our conversation, he shares valuable insights on skills strategy and some interesting perspectives on the likely role AI will play in L&D in the future. In the interview, we discuss: Why upskilling is so essential in 2024 The shortening life cycle of skills Engagement and retention Teaching people how to learn Mapping skills within the organization Can AI create a common skills language across professions? Data-driven decision making Community-based learning The role of TA in skills-based organizations The importance of removing silos in the people function. What does the future look like? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts

Conversations about AI's impact on recruiting tend to focus entirely on the employer and recruiter viewpoint. However, it may well be that the most potent force of change for talent acquisition comes from AI-facilitated shifts in jobseeker behaviour.  Employers are already seeing a rise in applications they suspect are being driven by AI tools that facilitate bulk applying. The use of LLMs to create or edit resumes is undoubtedly widespread, and we are also seeing examples of AI being used to hack online interviews and assessments. There is still much debate about where these activities fall on the scale, from legitimate assistance to outright fraud. What is very clear, though, is that this is an unstoppable tide that will have severe implications for recruiting processes. What do employers do when they are inundated by applications perfectly tailored to the role that are impossible to assess using current tools and techniques? My guest this week is Richard Collins, Co-Founder of CV Wallet. Richard has decades of experience in recruitment marketing and talent acquisition. He has recently been diving deeply into the issues caused by jobseeker use of AI and how the solutions to the problems might make recruiting better for everyone. In the interview, we discuss: The current talent marketplace AI-driven changes in job seeker and applicant behaviour The potential impact on the recruiting process Challenges of dealing with an increasing volume of applications Unreliable applicant data Pre-qualifying and pre-verifying without creating friction in the process Will we see a revolution in assessment and selection? How do we define what is cheating or fraud? A shift to assessing soft skills How does recruitment marketing need to adapt A cost-per-qualified application model Proactive versus reactive change How much change will there be in 2024 What does the future of recruiting look like? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.