The Recruiting Future Podcast - Innovation In Hr And Recruitment

In the latter part of last year, I had two conversations on the show about hiring from marginalised groups. The first was with Eugène van den Hemel, who is doing pioneering work in The Netherlands to connect refugees with employment opportunities. The second was with Darren Burns, who runs the ex-offender hiring programme for UK retailer Timpson. Both of these conversations were eye-opening for me. They highlighted that now more than ever, employers need to challenge traditional policies and beliefs to think differently about hiring if they want to be genuinely inclusive. I wanted to know more, and a few weeks ago, I was introduced to James Fellowes and Chance Bleu-Montgomery from Prosper4, who run an inclusive hiring portal called the Bridge of Hope. Their organisation helps bridge the gap between being job-ready and getting a job in many marginalised and diverse talent pools. Their knowledge and expertise come from incredibly challenging personal experiences, and it was a privilege to give them this plat

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 403: The Skills Challenge Ep 404: The Great Opportunity Ep 405: Global Remote Teams Ep 406: A CEO’s Perspective On Remote Work Ep 407: Science Driven Talent Intelligence Ep 408: Hiring Revolution Listen to this podcast in Apple Podcasts

DE&I continues, thankfully, to be an extremely high profile issue for employers. However, the needle is still not moving quickly enough, and some of the data is shocking. For example, it would still take 200 hundred years to close the race and gender pay gaps at the current rate of progress. So what can employers do to accelerate the pace of change, and how much can individual recruiters influence diversity in hiring. This week, my guests are Trina Olson and Alfonso Wenker, co-founders of Team Dynamics. Trina and Alfonso work with some well-known organisations to improve their diversity and hiring practices. They have recently authored a book called Hiring Revolution that offers some extremely practical advice on how recruiters can inject DE&I into their organisation's hiring. In the interview, we discuss: Aligning cultural behaviour to values Why inequities in hiring and promotion are not a foregone conclusion Resume racism  Recruiters taking individual responsibility to make change Notice, Name and N

Talent intelligence is something that has gathered significant momentum in the last three years, and data-driven decision making is a crucial part of every sophisticated talent acquisition function. But are we asking enough questions about the sources of the data that is used and truly understanding the risk of bias? My guest this week is Markellos Diorinos, CEO at Bryq. Markellos is passionate about using objective science and unbiased data to inform hiring and internal mobility. In the interview, we discuss: Data supported decision making. Challenging recruiting norms The importance of human decision making Biased data and reliable data Understanding culture in an objective scientific way Translating a cultural framework into specific behaviours The role of technology What does the future look like? Listen to this podcast in Apple Podcasts.

Whatever form it eventually takes, remote working is here to stay. In the previous episode of the show, we explored the challenges and opportunities of building a global remote team; in this episode, I wanted to get the hands-on perspective of someone who has built a highly successful remote-first company. Everett Harper is the CEO of Truss, a software engineering business that has been fully remote for ten years. In our conversation, Everett shares myriad insights on hiring, communication, retention, culture and diversity, which will be of enormous value to everyone who's listening. In the interview, we discuss: Building a 100% remote company Culture Maintaining and measuring productivity. Focusing on human connection and building systems to support that The danger of expanding work hours Exposing the fallacy of presenteeism Putting diversity at the heart of the workforce How to ensure you have the skills and talent you need Salary transparency and consistency Thinking differently about the thing

One of the early discussion points in the pandemic was the access to global talent pools that the move to remote working could open up. Two years on, it is pretty clear that remote working is now a permanent fixture in the working life of many people. So how far are employers tapping into global talent pools, and what are the challenges and opportunities. My guest this week is Nicole Sahin, CEO and Founder of Globalization Partners. Nicole and her company work with many employers who are building global remote teams, and she has some valuable insights and experiences to share. In the interview, we discuss: The long term trends that are coming out of the pandemic Everyone everywhere The benefits of building global remote teams Diversity of ideas Engagement & productivity Building community Common challenges What mindset shifts are employers making Understanding cultural norms Building a global employer brand Nicole's book " Global Talent Unleashed."  Listen to this podcast in Apple Podcasts.

It's only January, and it's already clear that the Great resignation will continue to be a huge talking point in 2022 as companies fight for the talent and skills they need. However, some employers are already reframing this challenge as a fantastic opportunity to attract talented people they might not have previously persuaded to move roles. This isn't easy, and obviously, employer brand and employee experience are huge factors. However, there is a lot that talent acquisition teams can be doing to stand out from the crowd by focusing on the areas within their control that make a real difference. My guest this week is Maggie Spong, VP of Talent Acquisition at AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca has certainly been thrust into the spotlight by the pandemic, but they have also spent the last few years developing several initiatives to differentiate themselves in their talent markets. In our conversation, Maggie shares a number of these, including their talent scout programme, building a personalised and inclusive candida

Skills shortages have always been an issue for employers and have certainly come into sharp focus in recent months. Skills mapping, predicting future skills requirements and opening up talent pools via hybrid and remote working are just some of the solutions employers will be looking at in 2022. So what kind of strategies should talent acquisition and HR leaders be planning, and how can technology help? My first guest of the year is Vanessa Tierney, CEO of Abodoo. Vanessa's organisation recently surveyed 100 HR Directors and C-Level Executives from the world's best companies to work for and asked their opinion about their firm's working strategy, talent, workforce, and social infrastructure. Unsurprisingly skills were the number one issue. In the interview, we discuss: Attrition and skills shortages Opening up talent pools globally via remote and hybrid working How do you make people feel connected? Adapting working models Presenteeism How can employers better understand the skills in their workforce

So that was the year that was 2021. As we move into 2022, the seismic changes of the last 12 months have certainly given us a lot to reflect on. The Great Resignation, the AI revolution in talent acquisition, the redefinition of the workplace, the continued depth of focus on DE&I, the list is as long as is it significant. It is impossible to make predictions, but I think it's fair to say that 2022 is potentially even more significant as employers find new ways of dealing with the considerable talent challenges they face. So what should we expect, and how do we process what has happened? I'm delighted to welcome Lars Schmidt back to the podcast as my last guest of 2021. Lars runs Amplify Talent, a boutique agency, HR leader development platform, and community that sits at the centre of the redefinition of HR. Lars is a passionate curator and facilitator of insights from some of the world's most innovative CHROs and is the perfect person to help us reflect and prepare for 2022. In the interview, we discuss:

As I referenced in the 400th episode, one of the standout trends for me in 2021 has been the adoption of AI in talent acquisition and its impact. As we move towards 2022, I wanted to take deeper dive into the practicalities of the revolution AI is driving in talent intelligence, recruiting process and talent management. My guest this week is Jason Cerrato, Senior Director Product Marketing at Eightfold AI. Jason has a unique combination of experience, having been a talent acquisition practitioner and leader as well as an industry analyst before working on the vendor side. This combination of experience gives him a unique insight into the change AI is driving in talent acquisition, and he has valuable advice to share. In the interview, we discuss: Why not all AI is the same How AI is changing Talent Intelligence The importance of adjacent skills Unlocking more diverse talent pools Being dynamic, real-time and agile in recruiting Identifying learning capabilities How AI is changing Talent Management I

When I launched this podcast almost seven years ago, I had an expectation that I was in it for the long haul, but I couldn't have imagined that 400 episodes later, I would be publishing two episodes a week, and the audience would still be growing. Thank you for listening and for your support; it means so much to me. In keeping with the show's theme for this 400th episode, I want to look forward and not backwards. 2021 has been a year for talent acquisition like no other, and I believe we are seeing trends emerge that will shape recruiting for the next decade or more. I've had some fantastic guests on the show this year, and I wanted to showcase highlights from five interviews that shine a light on some of the innovations and trends that have made 2021 so important, and that will, in turn, have a significant impact in 2022. Interviews featured in this episode: Ep 333: Automation, Simplicity and Experience Ep 331: Transforming Recruitment Marketing Future Live: DE&I Ep 395: The Challenges Of Recruiting R

Perhaps the only thing that is clear about the future is that it will involve a lot of uncertainty, disruption and change. As we've heard from all of my recent guests on the show, talent acquisition transformation is now happening in ways we could not have predicted 18 months ago. So what can Talent Acquisition leaders do in 2022 to help their teams navigate an ever more volatile business landscape? My guest this week is Ira Wolf. Ira is President of Success Performance Solutions and a well-known author, speaker and commentator on the changing world of work. In our conversation, Ira shares some valuable perspectives on what employers can do to support their employees to make the behavioural changes needed to be effective in our new never normal. In the interview, we discuss: The perfect storm that has been brewing for years Why we are living on an exponential curve of change Complexity with no predictability Resistance to behavioural changes How can employers accelerate change to match the exponential

One of the things I have been doing on the show this year is investigating new technologies in the assessment market. As the speed of adoption increases, it's essential to understand the actual science behind what is being developed.  I've always been fascinated by language and what we might be able to learn from the words that people use. With that in mind, I was very keen to talk to this week's guest. Mike Durland is CEO of Receptiviti. Receptiviti has a robust scientific methodology that uses language data to uncover emotions, personality, and psychology. This is essentially an interview in two parts. In the first half of our conversation, Mike talks about what we can learn from applying science to language. In the second half of the conversation, he shares some important insights that Receptivit has uncovered about the effect of remote and hybrid working on different parts of the workforce. It's fascinating stuff. In the interview, we discuss: The relationship between psychology and language The secr

Digital transformation remains a crucial issue for most organisations. The pandemic has exponentially accelerated the pace of change, with companies scrambling to supply products and services to meet the demands of our increasingly digital economy. The need for digital skills and continuing issues of gender diversity are two of the implications for talent acquisition. TA leaders must have a strong understanding of the evolving digital landscape. My guest this week is Bev White, CEO of Harvey Nash. Harvey Nash have a long starting reputation for providing market intelligence via their annual CIO survey. This year the research has been refocused as the Digital Leadership Report. Bev has important insights to share around the role of talent in the future development of the digital economy. In the interview, we discuss: The background to the Digital Leadership Report Key findings Who are the digital leaders within organisations? The unacceptably slow growth in the increase of females in digital leadership

We often talk about evolution in talent acquisition. That has always seemed appropriate in an area where the pace of change has been relatively slow compared to other areas of the corporation. However, what we are seeing now is much more like a revolution as talent shortages, changing business priorities, and rapid technological advancement send shock waves through the industry. So what does talent acquisition transformation now look like, and how are employers moving at pace to keep up with the changing landscape. My guest this week is Yasar Ahmad, Global VP of Talent at HelloFresh. Yasar is only six months into his role but has quickly embarked on an ambitious recruiting transformation strategy that is already showing tangible results. In the interview, we discuss: Talent acquisition challenges at Hello Fresh Recruiting maturity From 1.0 to 4.0 and beyond Investment from senior leadership Driving a vision based on candidate experience Putting talent intelligence at the core Hiring and retaining re

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 386: Future Talent Acquisition Trends Ep 387: Assessment Innovation Ep 388: Candidates In Control Ep 389: Automated Sourcing Ep 390: Strategic AI Ep 391: Scaling Hiring At Speed Ep 392: Leveraging Recruiting Technology Ep 393: Hiring From Marginalised Groups Ep 394: Lessons From Startups Ep 395: The Challenges Of Recruiting Recruiters Listen to this podcast in Apple Podcast

We've been talking continuously about challenging talent markets on this podcast since March. However, we've not so far mentioned the one specific skill shortage which is affecting everyone. The pressure on many employers to scale up their talent acquisition functions is immense, but hiring experienced recruiters has arguably never been tougher. So what can companies do to attract and retain experienced recruiter talent while also building capacity and capability? My guest this week is Amy Schultz, Global Head of Talent Acquisition at Canva. Canva has been scaling up at speed over the last few years, and Amy has some very valuable perspectives and experiences to share. In the interview, we discuss: The recruiting landscape at Canva The current challenges recruiting recruiters when talent supply is even tighter than it is for software engineers Perceptions of talent acquisition within organisations Attracting and retaining experienced recruiters Investing in developing skills to build rather than just

Although I've tended to work with very large enterprise businesses as a consultant, I've always been fascinated by startups and the lessons larger, more established companies can learn from them. Although the actual execution will always be different, I think there are some real insights around how smaller, more agile companies think about talent, candidate experience, and recruiting technology.  My guest this week is is Ben Butler, Head of People at Dublin based tech startup Evervault. Ben has worked for startup and scale-up companies on both sides of the Atlantic. He has a really fresh approach to talent and some great insights to share.  In the interview, we discuss: Recruiting challenges in technology The power of a strong value proposition Cutting through the noise Building effective outreach and automating follow up How do you keep great people? Building culture while scaling Democratising information Build speed into a tech stack for competitive advantage The future of recruiting Listen to

For many years I've been reading about the work UK retailer Timpson does to hire ex-offenders and other marginalised groups. What they do is a win win win situation. It's a win for the ex-offenders who get a job, it's a win for society as employment is a crucial part of breaking the re-offending cycle, and it's a win for Timpson as they get access to a large talent pool. Now more than ever, employers need to be challenging traditional policies and beliefs to think differently about hiring. With that in mind, I'm absolutely delighted to welcome Darren Burns, Timpson's National Recruitment Manager and Head of The Timpson foundation, to the show. As well as running Timpson's own ex-offender hiring initiatives, Darren also advisors other companies looking to do the same, and he has some unique experience and advice to share In the interview, we discuss: The work of The Timpson Foundation Timpson's motivations behind recruiting ex-offenders Breaking the re-offending cycle Working with prisons in the recruiti

Talent Acquisition is having to evolve at speeds we have never seen before, and recruiting technology is playing a central role in enabling this transformation. However, the recruiting technology ecosystem has never been more complicated and confusing. Building an effective tech stack can be challenging. My guest this week has a considerable amount of advice to share on the best ways to leverage recruiting technology in the dynamic environment employers are currently operating in. Ryan Dull is the Founder and CEO of Sagemark HR and an expert in pairing best fit technology, innovative process and industry best practices.  In the interview, we discuss: Talent Acquisition challenges Technology adoption Building Tech Stacks to improve efficiency and increase conversion How much of recruiting will be automated How do TA leaders make sense of the market? Stakeholder buy-in and support The impact of vendor acquisition and investment on customers Broader technology trends to keep an eye on for the future