Recruiting Future with Matt Alder - What's Next For Talent Acquisition, HR & Hiring?

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 transformation of talent acquisition is truly unstoppable—and how TA leaders can harness this momentum to not only keep pace but lead the way.In the interviews, we discuss:Fear, Adaptability, and the critical importance of strategic thinkingCurrent AI use cases.How AI can raise the value of TA to the businessRegional variations in AI adoptionRetaining the vital human element of TA and HRData literacyBuilding a personalized candidate experienceThe difference between Automation (efficiency through technology) and AI (insights and decision-making)Advice for TA LeadersFollow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

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 SixThe difference between attributes and skillsUnderstanding how people react in times of stress, challenge, and uncertaintyHow do you measure and assess attributes?Are soft skills and attributes the same thing?Can you develop attributes?The difference between perseverance, resilience, and tenacityWhat are companies getting wrong when it comes to skills and hiring?The "Dream Team Paradox"When AI takes over skills, attributes become even more critical.What does the future look like for hiring and managing talent?You can get 15% of The Attributes Assessment by using the code RECRUITING15Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

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 DemandBoth 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 skillsHow AI is revolutionizing skills analysis and intelligenceUsing data from the hiring process to get a fuller picture of a person's skillsThe power of skills-based mobilityAdvice on building skills-based strategiesHow to get startedThe importance of not overcomplicating the processWhat types of organizations are already successfully implementing skills-based strategiesSoft skills versus hard skillsSkills development and the value for employeesIntegrating technology into skills-based hiring and development.What will things look like in five years' time?Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

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 episode, you will hear from: Lindsey Sailors, Head of TA Insights & Enablement at Dropbox Matt Couret, Director of Client Delivery at Hudson RPO Sarah White, Founder of Aspect 43 Matt Jones, Chief Product Officer at Cieolo Talent Maureen Clough, Creator and Host of the "It Gets Late Early" podcast Matt Charney, Editor in Chief at Recruiter.comA huge thank you to Gem for hosting me at their booth at HR Tech so that I could have these conversations.Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

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 undoubtedly the vendor trying to be the most disruptive, with a very different way of looking at the relationship between employers and potential employers.The final interview is a conversation with David Nason, founder and CEO of HireBrain, who seeks to better align hiring managers and recruiters and who were winners of the Pitchfest competition at the conference. Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

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 NASAEp 640: What Is The Value Of TA?Ep 641: How Is TA Evolving?Ep 642: Augmenting Talent AcquisitionEp 643: Career ActivismFollow 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 trendsWhy HR should be building for the future for right nowWhat is Career ActivismThe end of linear career pathsGiving employees the tools to advance their own careersSwitching disciplines and industriesA mindset shiftGig assignmentsBuilding brand and reputationHidden jobs marketsSkilling for retentionWhat are the benefits for employers?The impact of AI on jobs and careersWhat will work and careers look like in 3 years time?Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

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 thoughts on the current state of the AI revolution and the future of talent acquisition. In the interview, we discussWhere is the Gen AI revolution?New behaviors, skills, and expectationsHow are companies responding? Empowering people with augmented intelligenceHow can we think differently?AI-enabled job seekersUsing an empathetic lens to identify quick winsDifferentiated use cases and transformational initiatives The importance of the human touchThree things TA leaders should be doing right nowWhat should recruiting look like in five years?Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

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 acquisitionTrends and issues with operating modelsWhat is holding TA back from being seen as more strategic?Connecting the dots across the talent functionWhat is the unique value of TA?How are measurements and metrics evolving?The impact of AIFear, nervousness, and reticencePrioritising experience over processSkills development and career pathsWhat does the next 12 months look like?Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

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 challengesWhat is holding change back and why TA is at riskWhat TA does versus its actual value to the businessEvolution or revolution?Taking a tiered approach to TA operationsBreaking down silos in HRTaking a consultative and advisory roleAdopting new, more meaningful metrics and KPIsAdvice for TA leaders on where to get standard"Talent Nexus" and a future outlook of even more significant change and disruptionFollow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.