Two competing futures: utopia versus dystopia

AI is accelerating at a rate faster than at any point in recruitment history. New tools are emerging monthly. Employers are experimenting without clear guardrails. And agency owners are left wondering which developments will matter - and which are just noise.

In this episode, I sit down with Matt Alder, talent acquisition futurist and host of Recruiting Future, to cut through the hype and focus on the realities of AI in recruitment today. With more than 25 years tracking technology's impact on talent acquisition, Matt brings a long-term perspective few others can match.

We explore the shift from experimentation to adoption, including real examples of employers using AI to conduct live voice interviews with candidates. Matt breaks down where AI is already delivering value, where it's still falling short, and why trust has become the most important currency in recruitment.

He explains the three human skills that will keep recruiters indispensable - networks, relationships, and influence - and why agencies who double down on these strengths will rise above the noise. We also discuss the two competing futures unfolding right now: Recruiting Utopia vs Recruiting Dystopia.

Matt closes with a prediction about agentic AI - a future where candidate agents and employer agents negotiate autonomously. It sounds futuristic, but Matt believes it's entirely feasible and may reshape the industry faster than people expect.

If you're a recruitment leader looking to stay ahead of technological change, this episode offers clarity, direction, and a practical roadmap for the years ahead.

TAKEAWAYS

- Why the pace of AI innovation is unlike anything the recruitment industry has seen

- How employers are already using AI to conduct voice interviews

- Why trust is eroding - and how recruiters can rebuild it

- The three human skills that keep recruiters relevant

- Why outreach automation isn't effective yet

- How candidate-facing AI may disrupt faster than employer tech

- The two competing futures: Recruiting Utopia vs Dystopia

- What agentic AI could mean for hiring and recruiter influence

TIMESTAMPS

4:23 Matt's background and the evolution of TA tech

7:19 What HR/IT convergence reveals about the future

10:29 AI hype vs practical reality

14:18 Where AI is already improving recruitment processes

21:14 Why AI interviews may enhance candidate experience

26:24 Categories of AI tools shaping workflows

32:45 Why automation isn't fixing outreach

40:20 Networks, relationships, influence - the future skillset

47:02 The erosion of trust and how recruiters can differentiate

52:16 Recruiting Utopia vs Recruiting Dystopia

55:04 The agentic AI future

57:48 What agency owners must pay attention to now

GUEST BIO

Matt Alder is a talent acquisition futurist, international speaker, author, and host of Recruiting Future, the number one podcast in the recruitment industry. Over the past 11 years, he has interviewed hundreds of leaders and innovators across the global TA landscape. Matt advises employers on innovation and technology strategy and has been studying recruitment technology since the late 1990s.

GUEST LINKS

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattalder/

Recruiting Future Podcast: http://www.recruitingfuture.com

CONNECT WITH MARK WHITBY

FREE Strategy Call: https://recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-session/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mwhitby/

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