Recruiting Future with Matt Alder

Currently, there are only four LGBTQ+ CEOs in the Fortune 500 and none in the FTSE 100. This really illustrates the hidden challenges and differences in professional opportunities for LGBTQ+ people, especially when it comes to promotion and recruitment into senior roles. Many employers publically say that improving diversity and inclusion in their workforce is a significant priority, but this will only truly happen with appropriate representation at the top of the organization. My guest this week is Layla McCay, Director of Policy at the NHS Confederation and author of a new book called "Breaking The Rainbow Ceiling." Layla shines a light on the challenges that LGBTQ+ people face at work and offers advice on how companies can recognize and address the barriers and build a more inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive and succeed. In the interview, we discuss: Why she wrote the book The barriers that prevent LGBTQ+ people from being hired or promoted into senior roles Roles models and self-esteem Conscious and unconscious bias Managers reinforcing imposter syndrome. Understanding different experiences Allowing people to do their best work Intersectionality Equity in talent management Advice to employers on inclusive hiring Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Skills-based hiring is not just a passing trend; it's a significant shift in the recruiting landscape. Many employers are eager to unlock its advantages in terms of flexibility, diversity, economic efficiency, and dealing with talent shortages. But is there a gap between theory and practice regarding understanding and implementation? Over the last few months, experienced TA leader Adrian Thomas and myself have partnered with Neil Kelly at Vector on some research to uncover the realities and practicalities of skills-based hiring within large global employers. Neil and Adrian join me on this episode to discuss the findings, some of which are quite surprising, and to look at what employers need to do to advance with skills-based hiring.  In the interview, we discuss: Why and how we did the research Motivations for being skills-based Some surprising findings The problems with skills taxonomies Talent Acquisition and Talent Management  Training Hiring Managers The way forward for skills-based hiring Download our report " Skills-Based Hiring, The Gap Between Theory and Practice” Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Podcasting at events and conferences is one of my favorite things to do. I love the joy of seeing people face to face, and you get the opportunity to access a broad range of views and expertise around the topics shaping the industry. At the beginning of May, Recruiting Future was an official media partner of The HR Technology Conference Europe in Amsterdam, the first time the event had been held outside of the US.   AI was a central theme in the discussions, and I was eager to gather insights on the current use cases of AI tools, as well as the potential future implications. The first voice you will hear is Rebecca Carr, CPO and acting CEO of SmartRecruiters, talking about AI as a co-pilot and its potential to enhance the very human aspects of recruiting. Next up after Rebecca is my friend and co-author, the ever-present Mervyn Dinnen, talking about his concerns about the impact of AI on employee experience and creativity Finally, I spoke to Norwegian entrepreneur Eivind Arnsten about the AI employer lawyer his company is building and the potential for widespread automation throughout HR processes and activities. Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Inclusive hiring is vital to building inclusive organizations, and the benefits of getting it right are considerable, both at a human and a business level. Recognizing bias, standardizing hiring manager behavior, and analyzing data are just some of the things employers need to consider to be more inclusive in their hiring. My guest this week is Sarah Harnett, Senior Director of People Business Partners at Greenhouse Software. In our conversation, Sarah talks us through the steps that Greenhouse has taken to build an inclusive culture through inclusive hiring practices. In the interview, we discuss: What does it take to build a diverse workforce? Understanding your employee's experience Hiring as a starting point for building an inclusive culture ERGs as a vehicle to empower people Dealing with systemic bias Inclusive hiring manager behaviors Structured hiring processes Connecting DE&I strategy to corporate strategy The implications of AI on inclusive hiring Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

The pace of change in recruiting technology continues to accelerate, and with it come opportunities to improve hiring outcomes, streamline operational efficiency, and make much-needed improvements to the candidate experience. When you add in increasing volumes of applications driven by candidate use of AI and the differing wants and needs of a new generation entering the workforce, it becomes evident that we are on the brink of a profound transformation in recruiting processes. So, what are the most forward-thinking companies already doing? My guest this week is Hollie Powell, Recruitment Business Partner at EDF. EDF is reinventing its recruiting process for early careers and improving the candidate experience by carefully balancing technology and automation with high-quality human interaction. In the interview, we discuss: The early careers strategy at EDF Increasing volumes of applications through candidate use of AI How EDF is evolving its recruiting process The enormous benefits of effective video interviewing Speeding up the process to improve the candidate experience Ensuring high quality human interaction during the process Using an organization wide strengths-based framework Keeping up with changing candidate wants and needs Planning for the skills shortages of the future Consumer brand versus employer brand How will early careers evolve in the coming years? Follow this podcast in Apple Podcasts.

As I've said many times before, automation in recruiting and HR is inevitable. This means that every TA and HR leader should be thinking strategically about automation, its implications, and, most importantly, the value that it will add right now. So what are the benefits of automation, and where and how should talent functions be automated? My guest this week is Brandon Sammut, Chief People Officer at Zapier. Automation is in Zapiers corporate DNA, and they are successfully using it to drive their talent density strategy through automation in recruiting, onboarding, and skills development. In the interview, we discuss: What Talent Density means at Zapier and how they built it Focusing on what is uniquely human Being transparent about a remote-only employee experience T shaped talent Automated Onboarding Using automation to solve hard problems and make things more personal at scale. Experience design and empathy Understand where to apply automation and where not to apply it. Developing AI skills across the business What will the future look like? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

It is becoming clear that job seekers' use of AI tools in the application process has profound implications for talent acquisition. Many employers report a significant increase in application volume, and there is a potential technology arms race as employers and job boards attempt to use AI to identify AI. While this may help in the short term, it won't work in the long term, and is job seeker AI use even a bad thing? My guest this week is expert job board consultant Alexander Chukovski. Alexander has been doing a deep dive into how job seekers use AI and its implications for recruiting. He has valuable insights about job seeker verification and its potential to create win-win situations for candidates, job boards, and employers. In the interview, we discuss: The implications of a new generation of AI-savvy job seekers The different ways job seekers are using AI include ATS integration The drawbacks and risks for candidates using AI tools A pointless tech "arms race." Why is it difficult to spot the use of AI in CVs and applications? How should the industry respond? The rise of verification technology What can be verified now and what might be possible in the future The importance of job seekers owning their data What does the future look like? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Many aspects of how companies hire talent have been set in stone and unquestioned for decades. Even if Talent Acquisition wants to drive change, the power of accepted wisdom among hiring managers and the C-Suite is difficult to challenge. So what happens when the CEO of a business champions a completely different way of doing things? My guest this week is Jeff Dewing, Group CEO at Cloudfm. Jeff's story is amazing, and his approach to business is encapsulated in the title of his book, "Doing The Opposite." When it comes to hiring, Jeff has challenged conventional wisdom around interviews and skills head-on with some spectacular results. I loved this conversation, and it is an absolute must-listen for everyone. In the interview, we discuss: Jeff's rollercoaster journey to get where he is today Where everyone needs autonomy, mastery, and purpose Why Cloudfm no longer use interviews in their hiring process and what they do instead of  Removing the risk in hiring Achieving a 95% recruitment retention rate Individual career plans and ups killing Giving people autonomy about how and where they work. The office as a creative, problem-solving collaboration space The impact AI will have on the future. 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 my take on some of the key learnings from the guests. Episodes mentioned in this Round Up: Ep 604: Building Talent Pipelines With Internships Ep 605: Can AI Be Biased? Legal Implications for Hiring Ep 606: Empowering Gen Z & Building A Social Brand Ep 607: AI Powered Talent Acquisition Ep 608: Transforming HR Ep 609: Building A Neuro-Inclusive Hiring Process Ep 610: Future Skills Scottish Meet Ups AI Whitepaper Recruiting Future YouTube channel Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts

It's becoming evident that we are at a critical pivot point for talent acquisition. While the debates around AI are sucking up most of the attention, massive shifts are happening in terms of the shelf life of skills, ongoing challenges with skills acquisition, and upskilling people for a very different future world of work. So, how should employers think about skills, and how can talent acquisition gain the future focus it needs to drive organizational value? My guest this week is Lisa Monteith, Head of Talent Acquisition and onboarding for HSBC UK. In our wide-ranging conversation, we talk about the skills challenges facing organizations and the importance of taking a long-term view. In the interview, we discuss: Current talent acquisition challenges Selling work as a product The shortening lifespan of skills Providing easy access to learning Total talent thinking Learning agility, curiosity, and other skills for the future Failing education systems and disappearing entry-level jobs Individual responsibility for learning Neuroinclusion in the recruiting process and the danger of homogenization How does talent acquisition need to re-invent itself for the future? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. A full transcript will appear here shortly.

Somewhere between 15% and 20% of the population is neurodivergent. The majority have yet to receive a formal diagnosis, and a significant number of those with a diagnosis choose not to share it publically. Over the last few years, we've seen a growing number of employers taking steps to be more neuro-inclusive, which is great to see. However, there is still a long way to go with recruiting, as most hiring processes contain significant barriers for neurodiverse people. There is also a danger that the move to AI-driven recruiting may make things worse if neuro-inclusion isn't proactively prioritized. So, what steps can employers take to embed neuro-inclusion in their recruiting processes effectively? My guest this week is Tania Martin, a neuro-inclusion consultant who was previously Head of EY's Neuro-Diverse Centre of Excellence in the UK and Ireland. In our conversation, Tania discusses the shortcomings of the traditional recruiting process and how we can rethink it to be better for everyone. In the interview, we discuss: Harnessing neurodiversity in the workforce How EY's Neuro-Diverse Centre of Excellence was set up Why can making recruiting processes more neuro-inclusive be good for everyone? Accessing untapped pools of talent Intimidating job specs Assessment and spiky profiles Helping people to show their best selves during the interview process Educating hiring managers The role of technology What will neuro-inclusion look like for future generations in the workforce? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

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.