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

Effectively attracting, selecting and hiring people from underrepresented and marginalised groups is something that many employers aspire to. Unfortunately, only very few have the right strategies and resources in place to be set up for success. Having the right partners to work with is critical if companies are to truly understand the needs of the communities they want to work with.My guest this week is Roy Baladi, Founder of Jobs for Humanity. Jobs for Humanity works to connect historically underrepresented talent to welcoming employers via training and technology, and Roy has some extremely valuable insights to share. In the interview, we discuss:What is Jobs For Humanity?Advantages of hiring diverse talentDiversifying the TA funnelDesigning a fair hiring processChallenging personal biasOnboarding, inclusivity and safe spacesMaking simple accommodationsRecruiting refugeesBrain diversityWhy DE&I is still at the early adopter stage with employersIntention and actionListen 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.Episodes mentioned in this Round Up:Ep 450: Attracting and Retaining AI TalentEp 451: Building Communities Of TalentEp 452: Assessment Innovation 2022Ep 453: Onboarding EvolvedEp 454: Effective Employer Branding StrategiesEp 455: Talent RediscoveryEp 456: Soft SkillsEp 457: Employability and Social MobilityListen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts

After almost three years of constant disruption, the talent market still shows no signs of normalization. Even with rising inflation and layoffs in some parts of the economy, US and UK job openings remain at record highs.So what are the implications for employers recruiting in times of economic instability and a cost of living crisis? How do TA teams need to think, and what are the most successful employers doing to hire and retain the talent they need?My guest this week is Jon Wilson, CEO of Totaljobs, which is part of the Stepstone Group, one of the largest online recruitment companies in the world. This means Jon has access to a vast amount of data and insights into the current hiring market and has some valuable advice to share.In the interview, we discuss:The current state of the marketHigh job openings and fewer job seekersThe impact of high inflationHow demographic factors are driving scarcityWhy the great resignation will to continueIncreasing mobility in the workforceFlexbility and upskillingWhat are the most successful employers doing?Forecasts for the next six to twelve monthsListen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Some of my favourite discussions on this show have been with employers driving diversity, equity, and inclusion, not just because it is the right thing to do but because they are using their DE&I strategies to solve specific business challenges.My guest this week is Graham Briggs, Head of Apprenticeships & Employability Programmes at Greene King, the UK's largest pub retailer and brewer. The hospitality sector has had an extremely challenging few years. Greene King has been running some incredible programmes to reach diverse talent pools and deliver positive outcomes for their business and the communities they work with. In the interview, we discuss:The recruiting challenges in hospitalityChallenging perceptions about career developmentEmployability and social mobilityCommunities and valuesUntapping potentialThe importance of C-Suite supportPartnering with external organisations to reach out to new pools of talentDelivering positive outcomes for young peopleBuilding confidence and focusing on wellbeingWorking with prison leaversSupport, development and retentionBusiness outcomes and resultsWorking with other employers to lobby governmentAdvice to TA leaders looking to build similar programmesPlans for the futureListen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Work and jobs are changing, and the way companies select and hire people needs to keep up with this pace of change. We've always talked a lot about soft skills in talent acquisition, but what are they in the context of modern work, why are they important, and how can they be assessed?My guest this week is Dr Alan Redman, Head of Science and Technology at Clevry. Alan is an expert in the definition, assessment and impact of soft skills and has some very valuable insights to share.In the interview, we discuss:Perspectives on the market and changing world of workUnderstanding what employees want from workWhat are soft skills in the context of modern work, and why are they important?Adapting to changeHow soft skills hiring can solve recruiting challengesSkills portability and job designBeing a soft skills focused organisationHow to assess and measure soft skillsThe future impact of AI on skills and decision makingListen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Reaching out to past applicants about new roles has always been a challenge in talent acquisition. Poor technology, tight timescales and inflexible processes have often limited the effectiveness of talent rediscovery. However, AI is now starting to drive some change, and talent rediscovery is becoming an ever more effective strategy.My guest this week is Mike Watson, Head of Customer Advocacy at Eightfold. Before he joined Eightfold, Mike was a long-time Head of Talent Acquisition, and, in our conversation, he shares his unique insights into the benefits and practical results of AI-driven talent rediscovery.In the interview, we discuss:The current state of the market and the effect on talent acquisition teamsThe threat of losing recruiter intellectual property Warm passive talent versus cold passive talentWhat the ATS can't deliverDriving ROI but reducing time to hireTalent intelligenceCommunication strategies and best practicesWhich employers are doing talent rediscovery wellWhere is the technology taking us next?Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

To say that the talent acquisition market in the tech sector is complex and fast-changing at the moment would perhaps be a bit of an understatement. So how are big tech companies developing employer branding strategies that help them solve their shifting challenges, and what lessons can employers in other sectors learn from them?My guest this week is Ashlee Gerow, Senior Manager, Employer Branding at Hubspot. I've always been a massive fan of Hubspot's sophisticated and innovative approach to talent acquisition and employer branding. Ashley is very open about their recruitment challenges and how a dynamic approach to employer branding is being used to address them.In the interview, we discuss:The current tech hiring market How employer branding is being used to solve recruiting challenges at HubspotDeveloping a highly targeted strategyCutting through the noiseAdvanced persona workIs who you are externally authentic to who you are internallyUnderstanding where you are not converting and adapting accordinglyHow the pandemic changed Hubspot's approachWorking with cross-functional teams and being deeply connected across the businessMaking sure the EVP is consistent throughout the entire candidate journeyUsing employee's stories to show, not tellEmployer Branding as a constant marketing machineThe role of data and technologyMoving quickly to adapt, sprint and changeThe future of employer brandingListen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

The pandemic changed many aspects of talent acquisition and perhaps none more so than onboarding. With many people spending less time in their employer's physical offices, how have TA and HR teams evolved their onboarding processes to forge a sense of belonging, develop relationships and ultimately increase productivity and retention?My guest this week is Sharawn Tipton, Chief People Officer at LiveRamp. Over the last few years, LiveRamp has developed a strategic and very intentional approach to onboarding, and Sharawn has a lot of insight and advice to share.In the interview, we discuss:Shifting from a transactional approach to one that focuses on building relationshipsProviding an immediate sense of belongingThe impact of the pandemic on onboarding and retentionEmployee Resource GroupsWellness and mental healthStarting onboarding before the hiring process even startsCultureMoments that matterHow important are the first 30 daysPersonalization of experienceEVP & expectationsLesson learned and having a growth mindset.Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

I'm finally back in Scotland after a summer of much travelling, so normal service is now resumed, and the podcast is back into its regular rhythm of two new shows a week.Assessment and selection continue to be an area of debate, investment and technological innovation. So what has been happening in the space over the last 12 months, and more importantly, what is working?It is my great pleasure to welcome Netherlands-based consultant Bas van de Haterd back to the show as my guest this week. Bas has been on the podcast a few times discussing new thinking in assessment and runs an awards program for innovation in assessment. His 2022 awards have just been judged, and he joins us to update us on what is working and discuss the different approaches the shortlisted organisations have taken.In the interview, we discuss:The current state of the marketInnovation in assessment and selectionIncreasing diversity by selecting on qualityEngagement, motivation and stress resilienceCynicism and the importance of results and ROIOpen hiring - innovating by having no assessmentNeuroscience and brain-based assessmentReducing attritionSkills versus experienceThe importance of using the right toolsHow will assessment techniques and technologies develop in the future?Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Diversity and Inclusion strategies are often just about moving existing talent between organisations rather than growing talent pools and giving more opportunities to more people. So how should employers be thinking about diversity hiring, and what kind of organisations should they partner with to increase the spread of opportunity?My guest this week is Linc Kroeger, President of Knight Moves. Knight Moves is a limiting profit company helping to create the next generation of technology professionals by offering training with an intentional focus on Native American, rural and urban underserved communities.In the interview, we discuss:What can change diversity outcomes in the technology spaceBuilding physical communities of technology talent in rural areasInspiring teenagers Teaching instantly usable skillsLonger-term transformational impactsWhat value are employers getting?The importance of remote workingListen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.