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

Whenever I ask people questions about the future on the podcast, I always caveat the question by saying that no one can predict the future. However, you can develop tools, knowledge and techniques to give you strategic foresight to plan for the future. Once you start properly planning for the future, you actually begin to influence and shape what the future will be.Now imagine what being able to shape the future would mean for your strategic planning and, more importantly, your career.I'm tapping into the body of knowledge Recruiting Future has built up over the last nine years to create an online course that will help you identify and understand the key trends that are driving talent acquisition, predict where they are likely to take us and develop the mindset you need to proactively develop your career in an industry where disruptive change is going to be the norm for years to come.I'm going to build the course in public, and I'm launching this podcast mini-series to document my journey from the initial idea to the final product. Please listen to this first episode to learn more and join the mailing list to ensure you are the first to know when the course launches.

Three and a half years on from the first pandemic lockdowns, the debate about returning to the office still rages on. However, despite all the noise this year, as some large well-known companies tried yet again to force their employees back to the office, many employers have embraced the reality of remote and hybrid and are working hard to adjust and deal with the challenges of having a distributed workforce. Culture and connection are often cited as reasons companies want to bring people back to their offices, particularly when supporting the new generation entering the workforce. So, what are remote and hybrid organizations doing to address these challenges without invoking a mandatory return to the office? My guest this week is Dena Singleton, Chief People Officer at Kajabi. Kajabi strongly focuses on developing its culture and building connections within its organization, and Dina has some excellent advice to share.In the interview, we discuss:The unique market that Kajabi servesTA challengesJob vs OpportunitiesBuilding culture and connectionFoster communitySupporting the new generation in the workforceOnboardingThe impact of AI on the talent functionThe future of workListen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

The last 18 months have seen colossal talent market disruption in the tech industry, with large-scale layoffs continuing as the companies attempt to rebalance after a post-pandemic hiring frenzy. So how has this ongoing disruption affected start-up and scale-up businesses in the tech sector, and what lessons could the wider talent acquisition community learn from the way talent strategies are being reshapedMy guest this week is Lorraine Buhannic, SVP & Head of Talent at VC firm Juxtapose. Lorraine advises Juxtapose's portfolio companies on the talent strategies they need to hire, develop and retain high-performing talent in these very volatile times. In the interview, we discuss:Current market challengesRecruiting CEOsDeveloping a board-level community of talentWhy talent is even more critical in a downturnThe compression of middle managementThe long-term implications of losing experienced managersWhy the most interesting jobs are often at early-stage companiesRemoving silos in the talent functionThe impact of leadership on hiring and retentionWhat does the future look likeSubscribe to this podcast in Apple Podcasts.

Transforming TA into a strategic function that can prove its long-term value to the business has been a critical topic on the show this year. AI, uneven talent markets and challenging economic factors continue to cause widespread market disruption, and TA leaders need to drive their function in a more strategic direction. As we race towards 2024, I will continue to seek out strategic thinkers who can share the insights we need to move the industry forward.My guest this week is Marcel Rütten. Marcel is a consultant, author, podcaster, conference organiser and former Global TA Leader who knows what it takes to build a highly strategic TA function.In the interview, we discuss:Talent market trendsProving TA's strategic importance to the C-SuiteAligning TA strategy with business strategyUncovering the real issues in hiring and retentionTools and technologiesRoot cause analysis The balance between time, cost and qualityUsing data to analyse candidate behaviourWhat impact will generative AI have on talent acquisitionWhat will recruiting look like in 5 years?Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

The rapid development of AI and the increasing sophistication of skills-based hiring methodologies are two potent forces shaping the future of talent acquisition. So what kind of future can we look forward to, and will we see the increase in talent mobility and the decrease in bias that we need to make hiring more equitable and ensure employers have better access to the talent they need?My guest this week is Ben Porr, Chief Customer Officer at Harver. Ben is a highly experienced I/O psychologist who has been working to reduce bias in the hiring process. Ben's knowledge and experience have given him expert insights that can help us understand what the future of talent acquisition looks like when you combine the power of AI with the potential of skills-based hiring.In the interview, we discuss:The biggest challenges in the talent marketBottlenecks in the hiring processThe evolution of skills-based hiringIncreasing talent mobilityStrategies to reduce biasCombing pieces of evidence Does AI increase or decrease bias?AI as a job creation toolHow can talent acquisition better use dataWhat does the future look like, and how quickly will the recruiter's role change?Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Talent Acquisition is in a state of fast-accelerating disruption, and it has never been more critical for TA leaders to demonstrate the strategic value of their function. However, in the current volatile environment, many organisations are still struggling to get the essential elements of recruiting right.So what should TA teams be focusing on to make sure they are fit for purpose in an uncertain future?My guests this week are Kurt Bridge and Christian Le Loux from Macramé Consulting. Kurt and Christian are both highly experienced TA Leaders. They have much advice to share on building the right foundations for talent acquisition and implementing effective data-driven recruiting.In the interview, we discuss:How do TA Teams innovateFractional leadership and scalabilityBuilding a foundation to be strategicOperating models, workflows and experienceWhat is data-driven recruiting?Proving strategic value to the organisationCombating short-termismWhat will TA look like in the future?Listen to this podcast in Apple Podcasts.

AI and recruiting have been extensively discussed this year in podcasts, blogs, conferences, webinars and LinkedIn posts. However, the one angle I've not seen covered is what it is like to recruit for AI professionals. Such a new industry means a severe shortage of experienced talent, and AI companies must work hard to outsmart their talent market competition.My guest this week is Lauren Saltus, a Senior Recruiter at Runway, an AI research company focused on the creative sectors. In our conversation, Lauren shares her experience of refocusing to become a specialist AI recruiter and discusses some of the critical factors that influence talent in this area. There are some great insights here, not just for AI recruiting but for anyone who is operating in a market where there is a significant skill shortage.In the interview, we discuss:The current state of tech recruiting and why AI recruiting is different Accelerator programs to develop deeper talent pipelinesCreating a research brand to attract talentIndividual managers as talent magnetsDiverse hiring, bias and recruiting people with untraditional backgroundsTraining AI on diverse datasetsWhat is the future for recruiters?Listen to 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.Episode mentioned in this Round Up:Ep 557: The Complexity of Talent AcquisitionEp 558: Making Talent Acquisition MagicalEp 559: Wellness, Culture, Recruiting and RetentionEp 560: Hiring For The FutureEp 561: Building The Foundations Of Skills-Based HiringEp 562: Vulnerability At WorkEp 563: How Will AI Change TA? (Live at RecFest)Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

This time last year, most of us hadn't heard of generative AI, but it has dominated our industry discourse in 2023. The dramatic emergence of generative AI has illustrated how fast disruption is accelerating and has made us think deeply about the future of talent acquisition.Back in July at RecFest, Tony de Graaf, Global Director of Hiring Success at SmartRecruiters, invited me to join him for a fireside chat about the potential impact of generative AI on TA. Even though three months is a long time in AI, this is still a very relevant discussion where we attempted to unpick what is happening and understand how AI is shaping the future of talent acquisition.In the interview, we discuss:The AI hype cycleDoes AI take away tasks or jobs?The pressure for change that is coming from the top of organizationsStrategic workforce planning and hiring for future skillsMoving from being operational to being strategicThe transformation of marketingDemocratized access to technologyIs this the end of recruiting norms that we take for granted?Being relentlessly open-minded and questioning everythingThe future workforce talent and skills crisisListen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Showing your vulnerability is becoming a common theme in personal development as a way of fostering good mental health and a route to building resilience and reducing anxiety. Leaders are often told to show vulnerability at work, but the dynamic between doing this in your professional life is somewhat different than in your life outside of work.So, how can leaders use their vulnerability to motivate their teams, and what skills do they need to learn to do so?My guest this week is Jacob Morgan, Futurist, Speaker and Author of a new book called Leading With Vulnerability. I've always been a fan of Jacob's writing. In our conversation, he talks about the art of leading with vulnerability and shares some insights about the skills we will all need for the uncertain future of work.In the interview, we discuss:What is vulnerability at work?Adding leadership to vulnerabilityTaking action to create positive outcomesCreating connectionsWarmth and competenceThe importance of intentionMotivation and growth mindsetPredicting the futureWhat skills do we need to develop for the future of work?Listen to this podcast in Apple Podcasts.