

Recruiting Future with Matt Alder - What's Next For Talent Acquisition, HR & Hiring?
Matt Alder
Talent acquisition is undergoing unprecedented disruption as AI, economic uncertainty, and the ever-shortening lifespan of skills radically reshape recruiting. On Recruiting Future, Matt Alder explores this evolving landscape, using insightful interviews with transformational TA practitioners and forward-thinking experts to spark your imagination and provide the insights you need to shape the future of talent acquisition in your organization.Each episode explores topics such as AI, recruiting automation, recruitment marketing, employer branding, skills-based hiring, assessment, candidate experience, DEI, internal mobility, and the transformation of TA teams. Recruiting Future is an essential resource for everyone involved in hiring.Matt Alder is a globally respected talent acquisition futurist, author, and speaker with over 25 years of experience exploring what’s next in recruiting. Renowned for his expertise in strategic foresight and technology trends, Matt provides a unique perspective that empowers leaders to navigate disruption. His deep industry knowledge and ability to spark meaningful conversations make Recruiting Future a must-listen for talent acquisition and HR professionals everywhere.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 1, 2025 • 23min
Ep 722: Soft Skills, Hard Data – Making Predictive Hiring Work
How do we move from reactive recruiting to predictive talent acquisition? In an era where performance metrics drive every business decision, recruitment often remains stubbornly intuition-based, especially when evaluating soft skills like empathy, communication, and critical thinking.
What if AI could help us predict performance before a candidate even starts? And what happens when we connect hiring decisions to actual performance outcomes, creating a feedback loop that makes recruiters smarter over time? Can technology help us understand which risks are worth taking, and which gut feelings we should trust?
My guests this week are Veronique Lacasse, Senior Manager at Bell Canada, and Stephane Rivard, Co-founder and CEO of HiringBranch. In our conversation, Veronique and Stephane walk us through Bell's integrated approach to talent acquisition, which utilizes AI assessment data on soft skills to create a predictive, performance-driven hiring system that is still very much driven by human recruiters.
In the interview, we discuss:
Soft skills and business performance
Measuring soft skills with AI driven assessments
Challenges in high-volume hiring
Building a feedback loop in recruiting, onboarding, and training
Showing recruiters the performance outcomes of their decisions
The candidate experience
Why human recruiters aren't being replaced
What does the future look like?
Recruiting Future helps Talent Acquisition teams drive measurable impact by developing their strategic capability in Foresight, Influence, Talent, and Technology.
If you're interested in finding out how your TA function measures up in these four critical areas, I've created the free FITT for the Future Assessment. It'll give you personalised insights to help you build strategic clarity and drive greater impact immediately.
Just head to mattalder.me/podcast to complete the assessment; it takes less than 5 minutes.
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Aug 1, 2025 • 38min
Ep 721: Inside Zapier's AI Transformation
Organizations face a critical AI inflection point: the pressure to implement quickly conflicts with uncertainty about the right approach. While some companies are still cautiously experimenting with basic AI tools, others have fundamentally reimagined how work gets done. What separates the companies achieving remarkable results from those stuck in endless pilots? Often, it's not the technology itself but the culture and approach to adoption.
So how exactly are companies at the cutting edge getting to the cutting edge?
My guest this week is Brandon Sammut, Chief People Officer at Zapier. Ever since Zapier's"CEO issued a 'Code Red" on AI back in March 2023, Zapier has been undergoing an AI transformation in every part of its business.. In our conversation, Brandon shares how their AI strategy is boosting both productivity and employee engagement, why and how every new hire must demonstrate AI fluency, and why it is critical to keep the human touch in talent acquisition and throughout the employee journey.
In the interview, we discuss:
Competing in an AI-first world
AI is a tool, not an outcome in itself.
AI in People Operations
Increasing personalization and connection in talent acquisition
Understanding the moments that matter
Using the human touch as a competitive advantage
The critical importance of psychological safety and experimentation
Why culture beats skills
The four levels of fluency in Zapier's AI Fluency Framework
Bias & ethics
Where is AI transformation heading, and what will the future look like
Recruiting Future helps Talent Acquisition teams drive measurable impact by developing strategic capability in Foresight, Influence, Talent, and Teyou'regy.
If you're interested in finding out how your TA function measures up in these four critical areas, I've created the free FITT for the Future Assessment. It'll give you personalised insights to help you build strategic clarity and drive greater impact immediately.
Just head to mattalder.me/podcast to complete the assessment—it only takes a few minutes.
Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.
Follow this podcast on Spotify.

Jul 30, 2025 • 32min
Ep 720: Why Talent Acquisition Can Drive An HR Revolution
We are on the cusp of a significant transformation in the world of work, with HR and Talent teams currently at the frontline of change. CHROs face unprecedented questions about the impact of agentic AI on the structure of organisations and the continuing need for agility and adaptation as skills go in and out of relevance at an ever-accelerating pace.
The most innovative CHROs are looking in two directions - collaborating with IT teams in entirely new ways and studying how product teams operate with their test-learn-iterate mindset.
Over the last few years, talent acquisition has often been more exposed to constant tech experimentation and workflow optimization than their HR colleagues. So could TA Leaders play a significant role in driving this workforce transformation?
My guest this week is Amy Schultz, VP Market Development & Operations for RPO at Korn Ferry ANZ. Amy brings a unique perspective from a career spanning agency, RPO, and senior in-house roles at LinkedIn and Canva. In our conversation, she shares her belief that TA's natural product mindset and tech experience well-position recruiting teams to guide HR's evolution from fixed programs towards an agile, iterative product development mindset. This is a fascinating discussion!
In the interview, we discuss:
The core challenges employers are facing
A mismatch in AI readiness
What are the most innovative CHROs doing?
Learning from product managers to move from programs to products
TA's unique influence and tech adoption advantage
Removing silos in the talent function
The changing meaning of Build, Buy, Borrow, Bot, Bounce.
Human / Agent hybrid working.
Human first doesn't mean AI last and vice versa.
What does the future look like
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Jul 25, 2025 • 35min
Ep 719: Recruiting for Skills That Don't Exist Yet
Recruiting Future is a podcast that helps Talent Acquisition teams drive measurable impact by developing their strategic capability in Foresight, Influence, Talent, and Technology.
This episode is about Foresight.
The pace of change has become relentless. Economic volatility, AI adoption, hybrid work challenges, and geopolitical shifts are forcing companies to completely rethink their workforce strategies. Organizations that once planned in five-year cycles now refresh their approaches on a quarterly or even monthly basis. This unprecedented disruption demands immediate action - but many HR and talent teams remain paralyzed by uncertainty. Traditional recruitment and development approaches simply can't keep pace with how rapidly skills requirements are evolving. What concrete steps should companies take today to build resilience into their talent strategies?
My guest this week is Peter Miscovich, Global Future of Work Leader at JLL. Peter has spent 25 years helping Fortune 100 companies navigate workforce transformation and has never been busier than right now. In our conversation, he shares practical insights on building adaptive talent strategies, why continuous learning has become non-negotiable, and the specific skills companies must prioritize immediately to remain competitive in a constantly changing environment.
In the interview, we discuss:
What are employers most concerned about?
AI integration and workforce transformation
The age of anxiety
Creating multiple flexible scenarios to shape the future
Building Liquid Workforces
Organisational structures that combine humans and AI
Continuous learning, psychological safety, and resilience
Anticipating the skills of the future and bridging the L&D gap
Reframing your professional identity
How should employers be preparing for 2030?
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Jul 19, 2025 • 24min
Ep 718: Is Skills-Based Hiring Hype Or Reality?
Recruiting Future is a podcast that helps Talent Acquisition teams drive measurable impact by developing their strategic capability in Foresight, Influence, Talent, and Technology.
This episode is about Talent.
After years of hype surrounding skills-based hiring, the data is showing that it is really happening at scale and becoming strategically important across all sectors and company sizes, with some surprising patterns emerging. Organizations are seeing benefits beyond just filling roles, and the implications for TA and HR are significant. What's driving this shift, and what do TA teams need to know?
My guest this week is David Wilkins, Chief Product and Strategy Officer at Talent Neuron. David has produced some exclusive data insights for Recruiting Future that paint a clear picture of where skills-based hiring stands today. In our conversation, he shares where the market is, what specific companies are doing, the real benefits they're seeing, and his thoughts on how AI might change everything in the future.
In the interview, we discuss:
What the data tells us about how skills-based hiring is being adopted
Which types of companies are moving the fastest
Expanding talent pools
Driving internal mobility
Spotting potential at scale
Implications for talent acquisition
Breaking the silos in the talent function
The full impact of AI is not yet being felt.
The intersection between tasks and skills
What does the future look like?
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A full transcript will appear here shortly

Jul 17, 2025 • 33min
Ep 668: Strategic Budgeting For TA Leaders
Budgeting has long been challenging for talent acquisition teams, but the stakes have never been higher in today's volatile economic environment. Many TA leaders find themselves stuck in a cycle of defending past decisions, managing cuts, and struggling to align budgets with business strategy. Meanwhile, CFOs expect data-driven proposals, ROI insights, and long-term planning that TA teams often aren't equipped to deliver.So, how can talent acquisition leaders transform their approach to budgeting, build trust with the C-suite, and position themselves as strategic business partnersMy guests this week are Madeline Laurano, founder of Aptitude Research, and Joshua Secrest, VP of Client Advocacy at Paradox. We discuss Aptitude's new report, The Talent Acquisition Budget Playbook, which contains actionable strategies to move beyond reactive spending, harness automation for efficiency, and demonstrate clear ROI to unlock longer-term investment.In the interview, we discuss:The background behind the reportSome shocking stats about impending budget cuts, budget confidence, and wasted spendGetting maximum return and building credibilityThinking 3-5 years outHow to demonstrate ROIOperations benefits versus financial benefitsSpeaking the language of the CFOThe importance of automation and the results it deliversWhat does the future of TA look like?Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.Follow this podcast on Spotify

Jul 17, 2025 • 26min
Ep 662: Talent Acquisition On The Brink
The rapid evolution of AI is reshaping talent acquisition, but many TA teams are struggling to keep pace. While AI offers the potential to revolutionize processes, reduce friction, and improve candidate experiences, adoption rates remain low. At the same time, businesses are under pressure to boost productivity and efficiency, leaving TA teams vulnerable to being left behind—or worse, having changes imposed on them without their input.So, how can talent acquisition leaders embrace AI and use it to align themselves with broader corporate objectives?My guest this week is Adam Godson, CEO of Paradox, a pioneer in conversational AI for talent acquisition. Adam shares valuable insights from working with industry leaders like McDonald’s and Chipotle, exploring how AI is transforming recruitment at scale. He discusses how TA leaders can harness AI to future-proof their organizations, deliver tangible ROI, and create hiring systems that prioritize speed, efficiency, and better candidate experiences.In the interview, we discuss:Developments over the last 12 monthsWhat are employers who use conversational AI for hiring achieving?How McDonalds reduce time to hire from 21 days to 3 daysHow AI is massively improving the candidate experienceThe use of AI in high-volume hiring gives us a glimpse into the future.AI adoption is being driven by its impact on the bottom line.The importance of good system and experience designWhat will TA teams of the future look like?The challenge of challenging recruiting normsThe opportunity for TA LeadersWhat is going to happen in 2025Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.Follow this podcast on Spotify.

Jul 14, 2025 • 39min
Ep 717: Building Influence with Data
Recruiting Future is a podcast that helps Talent Acquisition teams drive measurable impact by developing their strategic capability in Foresight, Influence, Talent, and Technology.
This episode is about Influence.
The importance of data is universally recognized in TA, but the real opportunity lies in going beyond basic metrics and using data to shape business strategy. Forward-thinking TA leaders are moving beyond operational dashboards to connect hiring decisions with business outcomes like revenue generation and team performance. This shift requires not just better metrics but a fundamental change in how we communicate value to the organization. The challenge is that many teams remain stuck at the operational level, measuring activity rather than impact.
So, how can you be more strategic about data and analytics?
My guest this week is Leandro Cartelli, founder of a staffing and recruiting agency specializing in Latin American talent. With nearly 20 years of experience working in recruiting and talent acquisition, Leandro brings deep insights into building data-driven TA functions. In our conversation, he shares his framework for evolving TA metrics through three maturity stages and explains how connecting recruiting data to business outcomes transforms organizational influence.
In the interview, we discuss:
The most important data points for TA
Connecting recruiting metrics to business goals
The three maturity stages of TA metrics
Building influence with data
Latin American talent market dynamics
Advice to companies recruiting across borders
Neglecting the candidate experience
The impact of AI on jobs and careers
The future of the TA function
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Jul 1, 2025 • 30min
Ep 716: Using AI To Transform Quality of Hire
Recruiting Future is a podcast that helps Talent Acquisition teams drive measurable impact by developing their strategic capability in Foresight, Influence, Talent, and Technology.
This episode is about Talent and Technology.
Timely and effective measurement of the quality of hire has long been a significant frustration for talent acquisition, with meaningful data often trapped in subjective performance reviews that arrive too late to be of any help.
But what if AI could help connect interview assessments, onboarding metrics, and performance data in ways that reveal which hires are going to succeed, creating real-time feedback loops that continually improve hiring decisions?
So, how exactly can employers build these types of connected systems?
My guest this week is Mark Linnville, Head of Talent at Garner Health. In our conversation, he reveals how to identify accurate leading indicators for quality of hire, why authentic interview experiences help predict performance, and how AI helps connect the dots we've been missing.
In the interview, we discuss:
Talent market challenges
Removing the silos in the talent function
Providing a true-to-self candidate experience
How do you judge quality of hire from a TA perspective?
Leading indicators versus lagging data
Creating continuous feedback loops
Using AI to connect interviews to performance
The importance of the human element of talent acquisition
What does the future look like?
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Jun 25, 2025 • 37min
Ep 715: Addressing Ageism In Hiring
Recruiting Future is a podcast that helps Talent Acquisition teams drive measurable impact by developing their strategic capability in Foresight, Influence, Talent, and Technology.
This episode is about Talent.
While we're seeing a growing awareness of ageism, the reality is that it is regularly ignored as an inclusion factor. The impact of this is staggering. AARP estimates that ageism costs the US economy $850 billion in lost GDP annually, and research shows that intergenerational teams consistently outperform age-segregated ones in terms of productivity and innovation. Yet, unlike other forms of discrimination, age bias is openly accepted in hiring via things like age-coded job descriptions and ATS systems that filter by graduation dates.
So what will it take for organizations to recognize that age discrimination isn't just morally wrong - it's actively destroying their competitive advantage?
My guest this week is Maureen Wiley Clough, host of the 'It Gets Late Early' podcast and advocate against ageism on a mission to expose this universal form of discrimination. In our conversation, she reveals practical strategies for both employers and job seekers to combat age bias while building truly inclusive workplaces that work for everyone.
In the interview, we discuss:
Is ageism getting worse?
The $850 billion impact on GDP
How ageism is baked into some recruiting processes
Why proving age discrimination in the US is so difficult.
What should TA do to combat ageism?
The power of intergenerational teams and mentorship
AI's impact on entry-level jobs and Gen Z's involuntary disconnection from the workplace
Strategies for older job seekers
What should the future look like?
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