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.

The Planning Queen on 2026: This is the Framework That Changes Everything | 317