The Recruiting Future Podcast - Innovation In Hr And Recruitment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TA Transformation has been a recurring theme on this podcast in recent months. A unique combination of macro and micro forces is driving the need for substantial change, compelling TA leaders to respond swiftly and strategically. Technology, particularly AI and automation, is very much at the heart of this transformation. But what does this mean for established ATS vendors? How are they adapting to the evolving market landscape, and how are their product strategies being shaped to anticipate the future? My guest this week is Rebecca Carr, the newly appointed CEO of SmartRecruiters. Previously serving as SmartRecruiters’ Chief Product Officer, Rebecca offers insight into the importance of a product-led approach in these rapidly changing times. She also shares her perspectives on the urgency of accelerating the leap from traditional ATS to the next generation of hiring solutions. In the interview, we discuss: The current state of the market Rethinking hiring The growing importance of hiring manager experi

The world of work is changing rapidly, and this swift pace of change is forcing employers to rethink the kind of talent they need within their organizations. Traits like curiosity, innovation, agility, flexibility, and problem-solving are now more in demand than ever. However, despite the desire to attract and retain individuals with these qualities, traditional recruiting processes can often repel them, and talent management strategies may overlook those who are already part of the organization. Retaining such high-value talent is also a significant challenge. So, what do organizations need to do to hire and retain the change catalysts and innovators they seek more effectively? And how can they better identify those already in their workforce? My guests this week are Tracey Lovejoy and Shannon Lucas from Catalyst Constellations. Tracey and Shannon define catalysts as the visionaries within an organization who quickly process information, translate it into actionable opportunities, and are relentless in dr

We're living in a time of unprecedented disruption in Talent Acquisition. Exponential advances in AI, shifting attitudes toward work, the ever-shrinking life span of skills, aging populations, and global workforce accessibility are all converging to create a revolutionary moment in our industry. Any one of these factors would be transformative on its own, but together, they demand a completely new approach to how we attract, hire, and retain talent. TA Leaders know that getting their transformation strategies right is crucial. It's not just about filling jobs; it's about aligning with long-term business goals and staying ahead of the curve. But with change happening so rapidly, simply reacting isn't enough. It is critical to anticipate what's next and ensure strategies remain relevant and effective in this fast-evolving landscape. There is a unique opportunity here to actively shape the future of talent acquisition. So, how can you get the strategic foresight you need to plan for such an uncertain future? E

Get my free whitepaper "10 Ways AI Will Transform Talent Acquisition" – Download Now  Transform Talent Acquisition – Find out how my digital course will help you shape the future of talent acquisition in your organization – Click Here Traditionally, hiring has been anchored around getting the right talent into the organization. However, in these highly disrupted times, is this still the right way of operating? In our fast-changing world of work, looking at the skills needed to do the work offers organizations the flexibility to expand internal and external pools and consider outsourcing, offshoring, gig work, process improvement, and AI-driven automation as alternative ways of getting work the done.  So how does this work in practice and what are the implications for the future of recruiting? My guest this week is Bruce Morton, Head of Strategy for Allegis Global Solutions. Bruce is a deep thinker about technology and the future of work and has some valuable insights into how some of the organizations All

Get my free whitepaper "10 Ways AI Will Transform Talent Acquisition" – Download Now  Transform Talent Acquisition – Find out how my digital course will help you shape the future of talent acquisition in your organization – Click Here The pandemic created a moment of realization and momentum about the importance of wellness at work and employers' role in this. Four years on from the the first Covid lockdowns, it has become apparent that an effective wellbeing strategy plays a vital part in talent acquisition and retention. So, how should employers consider their employees' wellbeing? What support can they offer, and how do the employer and employees benefit? My guest this week is Luke Bullen, VP of Wellhub in the UK. Wellhub connects employees to the best options for fitness, mindfulness, therapy, nutrition, and sleep. Luke has some fascinating and valuable insights on the latest thinking about wellness and its strategic importance to all employers. In the interview, we discuss: The continuing momentum