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

Despite the current economic issues, many businesses face a talent crisis. Skill shortages are part of the picture, but perhaps most worrying for business leaders are low levels of engagement and retention as expectations of the employment experience continue to evolve rapidly.So what can employers do to build workforce resilience and get the competitive talent advantage essential to drive long-term value?My guest this week is Tammy Browning, President at KellyOCG. KellyOCG has recently published a comprehensive piece of research looking at workforce resilience. In our conversation, Tammy shares the findings and talks us through the three strategic pillars that are helping employers to build a resilient workforce.In the interview, we discuss:The methodology behind the reportLow levels of employee engagement and severe retention issuesHave things gone backwards since the pandemic?A lack of action on DE&IMental health, career pathways, and purposeAligning talent acquisition, talent sustainability, and organizational resilienceDo leaders understand the issues?The critical elements of workforce resilience Purpose and capabilityThe impact of AIWhat will the future look like?Subscribe to this podcast in Apple Podcasts.

The tech sector has been going through an unprecedented period of layoffs in the last few months. However, the demand for digital skills in the wider market will continue for years.So what strategies are employers putting in place to ensure they have the skills they need for their businesses in the future?My guest this week is Alexia Pedersen, VP of EMEA at O'Reilly Media. O'Reilly has been helping businesses develop digital skills for over 40 years, and Lex has insights and advice for employers looking to gain a competitive advantage through skills acquisition and development.In the interview, we discuss:The current state of the tech talent marketWill digital skills shortages continue for the long term?The constant demand for new skillsHow employers are investing in their futureUnderstanding the internal skills gapReskilling and upskillingCreating a culture of learning that serves different learning stylesBreaking down silos in HR to enable talent mobilityImplications of generaive AIHow will the most successful companies of the next ten years think about talent?Listen to this podcast in Apple Podcasts.

It's very encouraging that an increasing number of employers are committing to play their part in improving social mobility. It is becoming clear, though, that transactional and short term attempts at talent engagement do not yield the results needed for employers or the communities they seek to engage.So what can employers learn from nonprofits that achieve positive outcomes that do improve social mobility?My guest this week is Irene Shih, CEO of Minds Matter Bay Area. This education nonprofit connects driven and determined students from low-income families with the people, preparation, and possibilities to succeed in college. Minds Matter Bay Area has been incredibly successful with its mission, and Irene has some critical learnings to share that employers focusing on social mobility will find extremely valuable.In the interview, we discuss:What is college undermatching, and why is it important to solve itThe importance of networksWhat are the most significant barriers to top college entrance for low-income students?Economic connectedness and cross-class friendshipsWhat are the interventions that lift people out of poverty?Positive outcomesTrust and relationshipsThe importance of long-term talent engagement and why transactional approaches don't work.Advice to employers on improving social mobilityListen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

The employee/employer relationship is changing; employee engagement is at an all-time low, and countless research studies tell us that a significant proportion of the workforce is considering quitting their jobs. At the same time, despite the economic backdrop, many companies are struggling to get the talent they need due to significant skill shortages in some areas.So how can employers differentiate themselves and secure and retain the talent they need? A positive work culture has never been more critical and is a strong differentiator for employers focusing on building one.My guest this week is Lori Knowles, Chief Human Resources Officer at Memorial Hermann Health System. Memorial Hermann has had some spectacular hiring and retention outcomes in a highly challenging talent market by focusing on their culture. In our discussion, Lori talks us through the five levers they use to drive culture and the results they are getting.In the interview, we discuss:The current talent challenges in the healthcare sectorHow does workforce flexibility work in healthcareBeing strategic with just-in-time staffingThe changing employer/employee relationshipEmployee experience and the moments that matterCulture, community and missionThe five levers that drive cultureResults and impact on hiring and retentionThe role of technology and AIThe vision for the future.Listen to this podcast in 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 518: Talking About The FutureEp 519: Recruiterless RecruitingEp 520: Human StorytellingEp 521: Rebuilding Employer BrandsEp 522: NeuroinclusionEp 523: Overcoming Remote ChallengesEp 524: Keeping The Needle Moving On DE&IEp 525: Using AI As A Co-PilotEp 526: Building The Business Case For TA TechnologyListen to this podcast in Apple Podcasts

Effective technology is a critical pillar of any TA strategy, and with the current unprecedented pace of innovation, regularly reviewing the tech stack is essential to success. However, securing a budget for new technologies can be difficult with the challenging economic backdrop.So what can TA Leaders do to ensure they make a compelling case for investment?My guest this week is Jeff Lackey, Founder of JKL Advisors, Former VP of Talent Acquisition at CVS Health, and former Global Head of Resourcing at Rolls-Royce. Jeff has unmatched experience in developing TA Tech Stacks and has some invaluable advice to share on building successful business cases for investment.In the interview, we discuss:Framework for bringing in TA technologyUnderstanding how TA creates value for the organizationFinding budget within the broader organizationCreating an agile space to experimentAligning tech stacksAvoiding long technology implementationsHow do you get leadership buy in?Developing business casesLeveraging EVPsMapping talent challenges to specific business objectivesAdvice for TA leaders on dealing with the current marketQuality candidate experienceHow will TA evolve over the next few years?Listen to this podcast in Apple Podcasts.

The vast amount of hype, speculation, opinion, and hyperbole around generative AI can make it difficult to know how to start integrating it into the talent acquisition workflow.The long-term implications of AI for talent acquisition are profound, and it is essential for TA teams to get fully up to speed with current capabilities and use cases. So how can AI become talent acquisition's co-pilot, and where is the best place to start?My guest this week is Siadhal Magos, Co-Founder and CEO at Metaview. I'm getting tremendous insight into AI's potential by talking to super smart vendors who are baking generative AI into their product sets. Metaview is a perfect example of such a vendor. In our conversation, Siadhal shares his experiences on how AI can save vast amounts of time and resources in the interview process.In the interview, we discuss:Current market challengesHow should employers react to the AI revolution?Turbocharging productivityThe top-down drive for efficiencyHow will AI transform TA?Detection and pattern recognitionMaking sense of unstructured data in the hiring processHow is the interview changingBuilding more transparency into the recruiting processThe importance of specialist toolsThe future of AIListen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Many employers have been publically committing to making DE&I their most important focus for several years now. However, as the economy becomes more challenging and some companies roll back from flexible working, is the needle still moving on diversity, and is it still the business priority that we were promised it would be?My guest this week is Michael Barrington-Hibbert, CEO of Barrington-Hibbert Associates and Co-Founder of 10,000 black interns. Michael is an active influencer in driving better diversity and inclusion within the finance sector and instilling a belief in the importance of social mobility. He has essential advice on how employers can keep diversity front and centre by closely aligning DE&I strategies to critical business goals.In the interview, we discuss:Talent market challenges Wage inflation and overhiring.How the pandemic diversified the workforceThe relationship between flexibility and diversityAdvice to employers on how not the lose the progress they have made as the market changesDiversity of thought and creativityReducing bias in recruitingThe role of technology The importance of brave organizationsAligning DE&I with business strategiesWhat will the future look like?Listen to this podcast in Apple Podcasts

Elon Musk, David Soloman, and Sam Altman are three CEOs who have recently publicly spoken out against remote and hybrid work. Problems with communication, productivity, skills transfer, and culture are some of the most common issues cited but does dragging people back to the office really make these things better? The advantages of hybrid and remote work are considerable, and there are undoubtedly other ways of addressing their challenges than ordering a mandatory return to the office.My guest this week is Jen Fong, VP of People at Customer.io. Customer.io is a fully remote business with employees in 30 countries, and Jen offers some great insights on embracing the advantages of remote while dealing with its challenges.In the interview, we discuss:Current talent market challengesWhy remote work is so vital to Customer ioInnovation and global talent poolsAutonomy and trustDealing with the challenges of remote workHow do you build community and connection?The importance of toolsBeing intentional about meeting in personCreating opportunities for people to connect sociallyBuilding a people-first culture that aligns with company goalsEnsuring you have the right skills for the future with strategic workforce planningAttracting diverse skillsetsThe impact of AI on skills development and recruitingListen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

According to recent estimates, between 15 and 20 percent of the world's population is neurodivergent. Although our understanding of the brain has taken some massive leaps forward, a large proportion of neurodivergent people do not have a formal diagnosis.The advantages for employers with neuroinclusive cultures are significant. Not only do they open important pools of talent, but they are also recognising that everyone's brain is different. This can enable a substantial increase in collaboration, innovation and productivity.My guest this week is Ed Thompson, Founder and CEO of Uptimize and author of the new book "A Hidden Force: Unlocking the Potential of Neurodiversity at Work". Ed has a vast amount of knowledge and experience to share on how to increase neuroinclusion.In the interview, we discuss:Different brainsBelonging, collaboration, and innovationCommon misconceptionsThe dangers of ignoring neurodiversityBoulders in the road; building an inclusive recruiting processCulture changeChallenging the normThe future for neuroinclusionListen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.