

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

Nov 15, 2025 • 33min
Ep 744: How Job Ads Impact Quality Of Hire
Pil Byriel, CEO of Lyser and expert in inclusive recruitment communication, delves into the critical role of language in job ads. She reveals how biased wording deters qualified candidates and the pitfalls of using generic AI language models that perpetuate stereotypes. Pil also discusses the complexity of compliance with emerging global regulations on pay transparency and anti-discrimination. She emphasizes the need for structured, clear job ads to attract top talent and improve overall application quality. A must-listen for recruiters!

Nov 7, 2025 • 35min
Round Up October 2025
Recruiting Future Round Up is back in a brand-new live format.
Round Up has always been a quick way to catch up on the most important insights from the month’s Recruiting Future interviews. Now we’re taking it further, streaming live on LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube so you can join the conversation in real time.
In this recording (previously live) Matt is joined by special guest Rhona Pierce, as they look back at October’s eight interviews.
Episodes featured in this Round Up:
Ep 734 Why Skills Really Matter
https://recruitingfuture.com/2025/10/ep-734-why-skills-really-matter/
Ep 735: AI’s Impact On Recruitment Marketing
https://recruitingfuture.com/2025/10/ep-735-ais-impact-on-recruitment-marketing/
Ep 736: Trust, Influence & The Future Of Recruitment Marketing
https://recruitingfuture.com/2025/10/ep-736-trust-influence-the-future-of-recruitment-marketing/
Ep 737: Building A Team Of Talent Partners
https://recruitingfuture.com/2025/10/ep-737-building-a-team-of-talent-partners/
Ep 738: How to Implement AI Successfully In HR & TA
https://recruitingfuture.com/2025/10/ep-738-how-to-implement-ai-successfully-in-hr-ta/
Ep 739: TA’s Challenges and Priorities for 2026
https://recruitingfuture.com/2025/10/ep-739-tas-challenges-and-priorities-for-2026/
Ep 740: Are We Really Ready For AI?
https://recruitingfuture.com/2025/10/ep-740-are-we-really-ready-for-ai/
Ep 741: The Competitive Advantage Of Neuro-Inclusion
https://recruitingfuture.com/2025/10/ep-741-the-competitive-advantage-of-neuro-inclusion/

6 snips
Nov 5, 2025 • 30min
Ep 743: The Talent Acquisition Revolution
Josh Bersin, a leading HR and talent technology analyst, dives into the revolution in talent acquisition. He discusses how AI is reshaping the hiring landscape, improving processes like resume matching and candidate outreach. Bersin highlights the urgent need for talent acquisition leaders to navigate the chaos of emerging AI tools and the importance of human recruiters for complex roles. He also explores the concept of ‘superworkers’ and how AI fluency will redefine hiring criteria, hinting at a future where AI integration becomes essential.

Nov 3, 2025 • 22min
Ep 742: Aligning Hiring with Values
Most hiring currently focuses on assessing a mix of skills and experience. However, there's a deeper layer that often gets overlooked. Companies talk endlessly about culture and values, yet few know how to genuinely assess them.
This matters especially for purpose-driven organizations. Whether it's a B Corp, a sustainability-focused business, or any company with a strong mission, finding people whose values are truly aligned isn't just nice to have—it's essential.
So how do you find genuinely aligned candidates, and where does technology help, and where does it hinder
My guest this week is Leon Richards, founder of Good Talent, an Executive search & leadership advisory consultancy for values-led organizations. In our conversation, he explains how values-based recruiting actually works, why human judgment matters, and what responsible AI use looks like.
In the interview, we discuss:
Values, purpose, and mission-driven organizations
The importance of alignment
Why cultural fit is often missed
How to assess for values alignment
AI, human skills, and accountability
The "moral crumple zone"
What does responsible AI look like?
The future of TA

Oct 29, 2025 • 33min
Ep 741: The Competitive Advantage Of Neuro-Inclusion
As many as 1 in 7 people are neurodivergent, with brains that process information, communicate, and work differently. Many have ADHD, autism, dyslexia, or other conditions they've hidden throughout their careers, masking to fit workplace norms. But creating environments where these individuals thrive isn't about expensive accommodations or special treatment. Instead, it's about designing work that helps everyone perform better.
So how do you move beyond awareness training to actually embedding inclusion in daily operations, and how can this benefit everyone in the workforce?
My guest this week is Pamela Kavanagh, Chief People Officer at Exogen. In our conversation, she shares practical strategies for creating workplaces where everyone can do their best work.
In the interview, we discuss:
What neurodivergence actually means at work
Performance enhancers instead of reasonable accommodations
Creating psychological safety for disclosure
Small things that make big differences and help everyone.
Embedding inclusion in everyday operations
Making recruiting better for everyone
Why eye contact shouldn't determine capability
Making the business case to leaders
AI and the future
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Oct 28, 2025 • 33min
Ep 740: Are We Really Ready For AI?
Michael Tchong, a futurist and founder of Ubertrends Academy, dives into the unique challenges and opportunities presented by AI. He discusses how AI differs from previous technological revolutions, focusing on its capability for rapid improvement. Michael emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between hype and true innovation, and shares strategies for building hybrid human-AI organizations. He highlights the potential for job disruption while outlining practical upskilling techniques to thrive alongside AI in the evolving workforce.

Oct 18, 2025 • 31min
Ep 739: TA's Challenges and Priorities for 2026
The economic, demographic, and technological forces of change are continuing to drive disruption, confusion, and chaos. Against the backdrop of this ever-shifting landscape, TA Leaders are expected to deliver greater value to their organizations than ever before. So how are they planning to do this in the next 12 months? What are the strategic priorities, how are budgets being impacted, and where and how is AI being deployed to help?
My guest this week is Sven Elbert, Head of Analyst Services at Fosway Group. Fosway recently published TA Realities Research, a survey of European TA Leaders on their strategic priorities and budgets for the coming year. In our conversation, we dig into the details, discuss surprising results, and identify a significant issue with how AI is currently being used.
In the interview, we discuss:
TA's challenges and shifting priorities
Budget pressure and significant implications for agencies
How will TA deliver value to their organizations in 2026?
The AI adoption cycle and cutting through the hype
Why isn't AI being used to solve strategic problems?
Basic AI features versus transformational AI features
What does the future look like?
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Oct 15, 2025 • 25min
Ep 738: How to Implement AI Successfully In HR & TA
Most organizations approaching AI are struggling and running pilot projects that go nowhere. The common assumption is that the technology itself is flawed, over hyped, or too complex. However, the employers that are succeeding with AI have discovered something different. The technology isn't the problem, and the real barriers are human. Employee resistance, fear about job security, and the inertia of doing things the way they've always been done.
What makes the difference between AI projects that fail and those that transform how teams actually work?
My guest this week is Taylor Bradley, VP Talent Strategy & Success at Turing. In our conversation, Taylor shares how he built grassroots adoption in his team by starting with simple prompt libraries, the framework for deciding what should be automated, what should be augmented, and what should be left to humans, and why every AI project is really a human change management project in disguise..
In the interview, we discuss:
Unlocking AI's full potential
The most significant challenges when implementing AI in HR and TA
Why AI pilots fail
AI projects are actually human change management projects
The inertia of the status quo
Talent use cases
When to augment and when to automate
Breaking down roles into tasks
Surprising measures of success
How HR and TA roles need to evolve
Considering adverse impacts
What will the future look like?
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Oct 11, 2025 • 24min
Ep 737: Building A Team Of Talent Partners
To survive as a function, it's clear that TA teams need to become strategic partners to their businesses rather than service providers. But what does that really mean in practice? It's easy to talk about being strategic, but the execution is where most teams struggle.
The challenge isn't just about new processes or technologies. It's about fundamentally different ways of communicating with hiring managers and stakeholders. It's about asking better questions, listening more effectively, and knowing when to challenge decisions without creating unnecessary friction. So, how do you build a TA Team of Talent Partners?
My guest this week is Jeff Soto, Vice President Talent Acquisition (Americas) at Sony Music Entertainment. In our conversation, Jeff reveals the specific techniques his teams use to partner with the business and why communication skills matter more than ever in our age of technology-driven disruption.
In the interview, we discuss:
The essential skills required in TA right now.
Talent Advisory versus Talent Partner
Adopting a coaching mindset
Active listening, clarity, and summarizing
Persuading with data, analytics, and insights
Challenging hiring managers in non-adversarial ways
What will the TA team of the future look like?
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Oct 11, 2025 • 39min
Ep 736: Trust, Influence & The Future Of Recruitment Marketing
Something fundamental has shifted in how people find work. Job boards that dominated for decades are losing their effectiveness. Candidates are overwhelmed and skeptical. Employers are drowning in applications that are all the same. The old playbook simply isn't working anymore.
Meanwhile, the TikTokification of communication and the rise of the creator economy are reshaping the marketing landscape. People trust other people more than corporate messaging and want to hear authentic voices, not polished PR. So could this approach work for hiring?
My guests this week are Tracey Parsons, CEO of Flockity, and J.T. O'Donnell, founder of Work It Daily. In our conversation, they explain how the influencer model not only has the potential to transform talent attraction but could also fundamentally change the way recruiting works.
In the interview, we discuss:
What's gone wrong with job boards and the job search
The loss of trust
The reality of interest-based algorithms
The growth of the knowledge creator economy
Using influencers to promote jobs
How job seekers and employers feel about influencer marketing
Why the recruiting process needs radical updating
Inserting the right friction points in a seamless experience
What does the future look like?
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