Recruiting Future with Matt Alder - What's Next For Talent Acquisition, HR & Hiring?

The pandemic forced organizations to rethink how they engage their people, with many old rules torn up almost overnight. Five years on, AI has arrived and changed the game again.  Leaders are now facing a new set of questions. How do you design experiences that attract and retain talent while driving the performance your business needs? And how do you prepare for a future that’s increasingly impossible to predict? So, how do you build a truly future-ready strategy for employee experience? My guest this week is Jacob Morgan, author of the upcoming book The Eight Laws of Employee Experience. In our conversation, Jacob shares insights from over 100 CHRO interviews that he has conducted around employee experience and reveals the principles that separate thriving organizations from those struggling to keep up. In the interview, we discuss: What’s changed about the employee experience in the last five years? Proactively planning for the future The eight laws of employee experience Empathetic excellence Using AI to amplify humanity Enablement and augmentation Personalization at scale Run culture like an operating system TA & the employee experience What are the biggest changes going to be in the next two years? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.

Hi there, welcome to Episode 756 of Recruiting Future with me, Matt Alder. Recruiting Future helps Talent Acquisition teams drive measurable impact by developing strategic capability in Foresight, Influence, Talent, and Technology. This episode is about Foresight. Making sense of talent acquisition right now feels impossible. Every week brings new technology announcements, shifting economic signals, and conflicting advice about what comes next. It's tempting to chase the latest headline or follow gut instinct, but reactive decision-making rarely ends well. Understanding key patterns helps separate signal from noise, and this is where genuine trend analysis grounded in real data becomes invaluable. So what trends are shaping TA heading into 2026, and how should leaders respond? My guest this week is Susan De La Vega, SVP Global Tech and Client Experience at Korn Ferry. Korn Ferry has just published their 12th annual TA trends report, built from interviews with over 1,600 global talent leaders, and Susan shares what the research reveals about where talent acquisition is heading. In the interview, we discuss: The biggest TA challenges we have seen this year Methodology behind Korn Ferry’s TA Trends Report Changing attitudes and approaches to AI Why your next hire might not be human The importance of mapping tasks Investing in future talent Can TA get a seat at the table? Breaking the silos in the talent function Advice to TA Leaders on strategies for 2026 What does the future look like in 3 years' time? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.

We’ve been talking about automation in recruiting for a long time. The AI developments of the last two years have significantly shifted the landscape of what is possible with automation, making it a strategic imperative rather than a nice-to-have. However, the current situation is pretty problematic. Some recruiters and TA teams are doing it poorly, particularly in outreach, inundating candidates with generic, obviously AI-generated messages that all sound the same. Meanwhile, many recruiting teams are resisting automation entirely, concerned about losing the human connection that actually fills roles. At the same time, in a world of AI sameness, brand, reputation, and genuine relationships with a talent pool are becoming the real competitive advantage and the key factor that actually drives response. So how do recruiters balance automation with authenticity while building the credibility that cuts through the noise? My guest this week is Mark Whitby, founder of The Resilient Recruiter podcast. In our conversation, he discusses what should be automated, what must remain human, why investing in your brand now will determine your future success, and the role external recruiters can play in rebuilding trust in the hiring process. In the interview, we discuss: The current situation with automation in recruiting Reticence, bad strategies, and poor implementations The importance of the personal touch What are the essentially human parts of the hiring process? Multi-touch and multi-channel outreach How external agencies can help build trust with candidate How will AI change the agency market? The vital importance of brand and relationship building What will the future look like? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.

If you’ve not listened to Roundup before, it’s a short review of the episodes that I’ve published in the last month to make sure you don’t miss out on the valuable insights that my guests are sharing. I hope you have been enjoying the live Round Up episodes we’ve been doing over the last few months. This month sees a brief return to the old school format, but don’t worry, Round Up Live will return in January Episodes featured in this Round Up: Ep 742: Aligning Hiring with Values Ep 743: The Talent Acquisition Revolution Ep 744: How Job Ads Impact Quality Of Hire Ep 745: Recruiting Excellence In Disruptive Times Ep 746 Building Digital Trust In Hiring Ep 747: Rethinking Fairness in Hiring Ep 748: The Real Value Of AI Agents Ep 749: Recruiting Past, Present, and Future (Live at TA Tech) Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.

It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the pace of change in talent acquisition. AI developments, vendor mergers and acquisitions, a confusing technology landscape, and shifting candidate behaviours are just some of the current trends making everything feel chaotic. But if we take a step back and look carefully, patterns start to emerge. There are clues everywhere to what the future will look like. So how do we make sense of it all? My guest this week is Adam Godson, General Manager of Paradox at Workday. In our conversation, Adam cuts through the noise, explains how the agentic future is taking shape, discusses what Workday’s acquisition of Paradox means for the market, reviews the predictions he made on the show this time last year about 2025, and shares where he thinks things are heading in 2026 In the interview, we discuss: Whether Adam’s predictions from this time last year were accurate Workday’s acquisition of Paradox The power of end-to-end employee lifecycle data The potential power of agentic AI Frontline hiring and how it has evolved AI development Will candidates have their own career agents? The confusing TA and HR technology marketplace What will the future look like? Predictions for 2026 Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.

Despite the challenging economic landscape and wave of layoffs across many sectors, finding exceptional senior talent remains a challenge, and many employers are making it worse for themselves. Trust has eroded with lengthy interview processes, poor candidate experience, and misaligned employer branding are pushing top talent away. With as many as one in four workers set to be over 55 by 2031, age-related biases are also causing employers to overlook exactly the experience they need The best insights always come from looking at things from the job seeker's point of view, and that is precisely the insight my guest this week can offer us. Loren Greiff, Founder of Portfolio Rocket, is a career strategist for C-Suite executives. In our conversation, she reveals how top candidates assess roles, what builds and destroys trust in executive hiring, and why your process might be filtering out your best prospects. The frameworks Lauren discusses will also be very relevant to TA leaders navigating their own career moves. In the interview, we discuss: The current state of the market Cutting through the noise Identifying urgent and expensive problems Use of AI in the executive job search The hidden cost of age bias Highlighting the trust issue Ability, agility, and adaptability The future of careers and jobs Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.

Skills, tasks, jobs, activities. These terms get used interchangeably across HR and talent acquisition, but they mean fundamentally different things. Skills are attributes of people. Tasks are components of work. Jobs are bundles of activities.  Having clarity here matters more now than ever. As AI begins reshaping how work gets done, organisations need a precise understanding of their workforce at the task level. Without clear taxonomies, it becomes impossible to understand how to effectively implement AI for automation and augmentation. So how should companies be preparing to take the most advantage of the inevitable shifts AI will bring? My guest this week is Ben Zweig, CEO of Revelio Labs and author of the new book Job Architecture. In our conversation, he explains how to build effective taxonomies cheaply and scalably with LLMs and why this foundation is critical for navigating change. Ben also teaches Data Science and The Future of Work at NYU Stern and talks through an invaluable framework for assessing the likelihood of AI-driven job displacement. In the interview, we discuss: Why grouping people is the core of any HR analysis. What we get wrong about skills, jobs, tasks, and activities Why skills aren't the right unit of observation to analyse jobs AI automates tasks and activities, not jobs and skills. The vital importance of taxonomies Using LLMs to build taxonomies cost-effectively at scale. What are the advantages of doing this properly? The three forces that help measure the potential for AI-driven job displacement What does the future look like Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.

Uncertain economic times, high volumes of layoffs, and easy access to AI tools mean many employers are dealing with an unprecedented number of applications. Recruiters are overwhelmed, candidates are getting ghosted, and trust in the recruiting process is suffering. But are TA teams doing all they can to relieve the pressure at the top of the funnel and give job seekers the clarity they need? Employers want candidates to be more intentional about applying for the right roles for them, but often post roles with unclear requirements and don't approach hiring strategically. So what should TA leaders be doing to fix the process and rebuild vital trust with job seekers? My guest this week is Catherine Wylie, Senior Talent Acquisition Business Partner at Mavericks Recruiting On Demand. Catherine has recently joined the business after a six-month job hunt. She has some incredible, valuable insights and advice to share for both employers and other TA professionals in job search mode. In the interview, we discuss: Catherine's recent job search experience Dealing with the extreme level of volume at the front of the recruiting funnel Lack of clarity, unclear requirements, and the importance of transparency Speed to delivery versus speed to quality Why the matching process is broken How employers can be intentional and hire holistically Which companies are actually doing this well Restoring trust in the hiring process Advice to TA job seekers What should the future look like Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.

SAP's recent acquisition of SmartRecruiters has generated considerable interest across the talent acquisition community. The deal brings AI-native recruiting capabilities into a broader HR suite, creating complete visibility into data across the entire employee lifecycle. For recruiters, this means seeing what happens after a hire is made with the potential to connect talent acquisition decisions to performance, retention, and engagement outcomes. This is where AI agents become significant. When agents can access and act on a complete, harmonized data set spanning the whole employee journey, entirely new possibilities open up for how work gets done across the talent function. Yet despite the rapid pace of innovation, AI adoption is still lagging. Vendors are shipping capabilities faster than most organisations can implement them, held back by regulatory concerns, change management challenges, and uncertainty about where to start. So how can Talent leaders close this gap and take advantage of what is a huge strategic opportunity? My guest this week is Lara Albert, Chief Marketing Officer at SAP SuccessFactors. In our conversation, she discusses the SmartRecruiters acquisition, explains how agents working across the employee lifecycle could reshape HR, and shares her advice on how employers can get started. In the interview, we discuss: Why SAP acquired SmartRecruiters and what happens next Connecting recruiting data to employee outcomes Layering Agentic AI on top of people intelligence What's holding back AI adoption Regulation, change management, and mindset TA and HR have a once-in-a-career opportunity to lead transformation Business cases, buy-in, and getting started What will the future look like?

This is a special episode, recorded live on stage at TA Tech Europe in London earlier in November. It's a wide-ranging discussion about the state of our industry and where it's heading with one of recruiting's true pioneers, Jeff Taylor, the founder of Monster.com and the soon to be launched Boomband, . We debate AI's true impact on hiring, discuss why traditional tools and approaches are failing, and explore what recruiting could become. In the interview, we discuss: The story behind Monster How Monster almost bought LinkedIn Why has Jeff returned after two decades out of the industry What has changed in recruiting in the last 20 years, and what hasn't Why resumes and job postings are failing AI's real impact on jobs What is Boomband? Rebuilding trust in recruiting Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.

The AI agent marketplace has become a confusing landscape full of chatbots and co-pilots that aren't agents, claiming revolutionary capabilities. But genuine AI agents represent something fundamentally different. They're digital workers that can handle complex, multi-step processes independently, making decisions and adjustments along the way. The technology is already here and working, and the employers succeeding with it are focusing on change management, not just on technology deployment. So what are the early results looking like, and how will agentic AI change recruiting in the months and years to come? My guest this week is Tom Zrubecky, founder and CEO of Talent Pilot. In our conversation, he shares case studies demonstrating how AI agents are reshaping recruitment workflows and what autonomous hiring looks like. In the interview, we discuss: What an AI Agent is and what it isn't Building responsible AI with human oversight These are change management projects not technology ones The power of instant job interviews Where are employers getting the most value from agents The importance of pilot project Building a super recruiter What does the agentic future look like? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.

Many organizations treat accessibility as just a compliance checkbox, checking the box to meet legal requirements and then moving on. But this mindset misses massive opportunities. When companies design truly inclusive hiring processes, they don't just help candidates with disabilities, but also improve the experience for everyone. Forward-thinking employers are discovering that accessibility drives innovation, expands talent pools, and creates competitive advantages, so how do you move from minimum compliance to genuine inclusivity, and how do you do that at scale? My guests this week are Business Psychologists Brittany Davies and Laura Kate Ruttle from Talogy. In our conversation, they share valuable advice on building an accessible assessment strategy, and we discuss how AI is shaping a whole new future for inclusive hiring. In the interview, we discuss: The current challenges around accessibility and fairness in hiring The significant benefits to employers of going beyond the basic legal requirements Improving hiring for everyone Best practices for encouraging disclosure How AI can help How do you implement inclusive hiring at scale? Advice to TA leaders on what to prioritise The potential of personalized adaptive assessment What might the future look like? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.

The recruitment experience is undergoing a fundamental transformation with AI and automation playing an increasingly larger role. It's essential to recognise the consequences of lost human connection. Trust is an absolutely critical element here, and employers need to ensure they aren't losing the emotional intelligence and genuine connections that build trust with candidates. So how do you create authentic connections when AI does the screening and robots send the emails? My guest this week is Gal Borenstein, CEO of Borenstein Group. In our conversation, he talks us through his framework for building genuine digital trust in an increasingly automated world. In the interview, we discuss: The rapid digitalization and automation of business communication The jolt into a new era for employer branding The digital trust framework How to use AI to help build trust rather than erode it The importance of emotional intelligence A vision for the future Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Talent acquisition is being tested like never before. Teams are continually being asked to do more with less, hiring volumes remain unpredictable, and technology is evolving faster than organizations can adapt. AI promises transformation but often delivers confusion, with some vendors labeling simple automation as intelligence, while, at the same time, genuinely disruptive AI capabilities are emerging that could reshape everything we do. Meanwhile, the fundamentals haven't changed. TA leaders still need to deliver the right people at the right time in a cost-effective way. But how do you build that capability when the ground keeps shifting? How do you create structure, repeatability, and continuous improvement during constant disruption? My guests this week are Tony De Graaf and Marcel Rütten, co-founders of the Recruiting Excellence Foundation. In our conversation, they share their framework for building high-performing TA teams and explain how to pursue recruiting excellence even in fast-moving, uncertain times. Also listen out for details on how you take part in the forthcoming Global State of TA Report, and by getting your own free maturity assessment. In the interview, we discuss: The Recruiting Excellence Methodology Defining your North Star Focusing on and optimising every TA touchpoint Key challenges What stops TA being more strategic? Why automation is critical Agentic AI disruption What does the future look like? Get your free TA maturity assessment here Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.

Application volumes are continuing to rise, but finding quality hires remains a challenge. The usual suspects that tend to get the blame are candidates using AI, economic uncertainty, and a continuing decline in job board effectiveness. However, research suggests a more fundamental issue that many organizations overlook. The words in job descriptions matter more than most teams realize. Non-inclusive language is actually a key factor that stops many qualified candidates from applying. At the same time, regulations around pay transparency and anti-discrimination are proliferating across the US and EU, creating complex compliance requirements for job ads that vary by market. Many employers are also outsourcing their job ad creation to generic LLMs that have more potential to amplify bias than they do to eliminate it. So, how should employers utilize technology to ensure inclusivity, compliance, and a high-quality response from their advertising My guest this week is Pil Byriel, CEO and co-founder of Lyser. In our conversation, Pil shares research on how language shapes candidate behavior, why LLM reinforces bias, and the growing complexity of job ad compliance around the world In the interview, we discuss: The impact of language on applications from qualified candidates The human-led research behind inclusive communication Why generic AI LLMs amplify stereotypes and bias Compliance challenges across global markets What actually drives job ad performance Why structure, clarity, and transparency matter Building data-driven recruitment communication Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.

Recruiting Future Round Up is back in a brand-new live format. Round Up has always been a quick way to catch up on the most important insights from the month’s Recruiting Future interviews. Now we’re taking it further, streaming live on LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube so you can join the conversation in real time. In this recording (previously live) Matt is joined by special guest Rhona Pierce, as they look back at October’s eight interviews.  Episodes featured in this Round Up: Ep 734 Why Skills Really Matter https://recruitingfuture.com/2025/10/ep-734-why-skills-really-matter/ Ep 735: AI’s Impact On Recruitment Marketing https://recruitingfuture.com/2025/10/ep-735-ais-impact-on-recruitment-marketing/ Ep 736: Trust, Influence & The Future Of Recruitment Marketing https://recruitingfuture.com/2025/10/ep-736-trust-influence-the-future-of-recruitment-marketing/ Ep 737: Building A Team Of Talent Partners https://recruitingfuture.com/2025/10/ep-737-building-a-team-of-talent-partners/ Ep 738: How to Implement AI Successfully In HR & TA https://recruitingfuture.com/2025/10/ep-738-how-to-implement-ai-successfully-in-hr-ta/ Ep 739: TA’s Challenges and Priorities for 2026 https://recruitingfuture.com/2025/10/ep-739-tas-challenges-and-priorities-for-2026/ Ep 740: Are We Really Ready For AI? https://recruitingfuture.com/2025/10/ep-740-are-we-really-ready-for-ai/ Ep 741: The Competitive Advantage Of Neuro-Inclusion https://recruitingfuture.com/2025/10/ep-741-the-competitive-advantage-of-neuro-inclusion/

The recruiting technology landscape is transforming at an unprecedented speed. AI Tools that seemed like far-fetched concepts just a few years ago are hitting the market and delivering results. But adoption is messy and uneven. Some employers are experimenting with AI-driven interviews, while others worry about bias and legal risks. High-volume recruiters are automating entire processes while executive search remains deeply human. Everyone's trying to figure out which tools actually work and how to integrate them without breaking what already exists. So how should talent acquisition leaders navigate this revolution? My guest this week is Josh Bersin, one of the world's leading HR technology analysts. In our conversation, he reveals why this transformation is inevitable and what smart TA leaders should be doing today. In the interview, we discuss: Why TA is facing a reckoning Time, resources, and human error Where AI currently has the most impact Mass personalization Regulatory risks What role should human recruiters be playing? Superworkers AI Fluency versus amount of work experience The impact on an already bloated TA Tech Stack Technology mergers and acquisitions What does the future look like? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Most hiring currently focuses on assessing a mix of skills and experience. However, there's a deeper layer that often gets overlooked. Companies talk endlessly about culture and values, yet few know how to genuinely assess them.  This matters especially for purpose-driven organizations. Whether it's a B Corp, a sustainability-focused business, or any company with a strong mission, finding people whose values are truly aligned isn't just nice to have—it's essential.  So how do you find genuinely aligned candidates, and where does technology help, and where does it hinder My guest this week is Leon Richards, founder of Good Talent, an Executive search & leadership advisory consultancy for values-led organizations. In our conversation, he explains how values-based recruiting actually works, why human judgment matters, and what responsible AI use looks like. In the interview, we discuss: Values, purpose, and mission-driven organizations The importance of alignment  Why cultural fit is often missed How to assess for values alignment AI, human skills, and accountability The "moral crumple zone" What does responsible AI look like? The future of TA

As many as 1 in 7 people are neurodivergent, with brains that process information, communicate, and work differently. Many have ADHD, autism, dyslexia, or other conditions they've hidden throughout their careers, masking to fit workplace norms. But creating environments where these individuals thrive isn't about expensive accommodations or special treatment. Instead, it's about designing work that helps everyone perform better. So how do you move beyond awareness training to actually embedding inclusion in daily operations, and how can this benefit everyone in the workforce? My guest this week is Pamela Kavanagh, Chief People Officer at Exogen. In our conversation, she shares practical strategies for creating workplaces where everyone can do their best work. In the interview, we discuss: What neurodivergence actually means at work Performance enhancers instead of reasonable accommodations Creating psychological safety for disclosure Small things that make big differences and help everyone. Embedding inclusion in everyday operations Making recruiting better for everyone  Why eye contact shouldn't determine capability Making the business case to leaders AI and the future Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.

We've lived through technology revolutions before. Personal computers. The Internet. Smartphones. Social media. Each felt transformative at the time, reshaping how we work and communicate. But something fundamentally different is happening now. AI learns from every interaction and improves with each release. Yet the signals are confusing. Some pilots are failing, and the hype levels are off the scale. Meanwhile, some companies are reporting the potential for hundreds of millions in savings, capability benchmarks are doubling every seven months, and entire organizational structures are being reimagined around human-AI collaboration. So how do employers cut through the noise and prepare for such a fundamental shift? My guest this week is Michael Tchong, a futurist and founder of Ubertrends Academy. In our conversation, Michael explains what makes this revolution different, how to spot true long-term trends beyond the hype, and shares practical strategies for navigating the transformation ahead. In the interview, we discuss: Are we prepared for the coming disruption? Signals and Uber trends Why AI is unlike past revolutions Separating the hype from the real transformation signals Early adopters versus mainstream users Building hybrid human-AI organizations The coming wave of job displacement Practical upskilling strategies you need to implement Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.