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

After all the commentary and debate about AI and talent acquisition over the last two years, we are finally starting to see what this brave new world might look like as many technology providers roll out new AI-driven products and services.While it is clear that massive changes are coming to the way companies hire talent, there are still many unanswered questions and contradictory views on what the future will look like.I wanted to get a different perspective on things, so this week, my guest is Shashank Saxena, a Managing Partner at Sierra Ventures. Sierra Ventures is an early-stage VC firm that has made several investments in AI-driven HR software companies. In our conversation, Shashank gives us some alternative visions of what the future of work might look like and implications for talent acquisition.In the interview, we discuss:How is the world of work changingAI use cases and the speed of adoptionDoes AI make TA more efficient, or does it completely disrupt it?Are AI-powered job seekers cheating?Can AI make hiring decisions?The implications of AI agents on white collar workWhat does the future of HR and Recruiting Technology look like?Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.Follow this podcast on Spotify.

After many years of being seen as tactical, TA has the unique opportunity to reposition itself as a strategic function with insights to shape business strategy. However, this will only happen with a significant degree of transformation, and those TA teams that stick to doing what they have always done are at risk of further downsizing or being automated away altogether. So, what do TA Leaders need to do to harness the current forces of change and reinvent their functionMy guest this week is Lyndsey Taylor, head of Global Talent Attraction at Brooks Automation. Lyndsey has a wealth of experience in TA transformation, strategic workforce planning, and driving change. She shares her perspectives on the future of TA, the rise of strategic workforce planning, and breaking down traditional HR silos.In the Interview, we discuss:How the work of TA is changing and the forces driving that changeHow can TA influence business outcomes?Aligning metrics to business goalsInternal mobility and reskilling What role can TA play in Strategic Workforce PlanningHow to be more strategicWhat does AI make possibleEnhancing the candidate experienceReducing biasBreaking the silos in HRWhat should TA look like in 3 years time?Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.Follow this podcast on Spotify.

Company culture is a fundamental selling point for attracting the right talent to an organization. However, in many cases, it is talked about in a cliched, inauthentic way during the hiring process. Culture is also often portrayed in terms of the working environment or via specific perks rather than being something that holistically represents the organization.So, how can TA teams use culture as a genuine magnet to attract talent in a post-pandemic world where work has fundamentally changed?My guest this week is Kirstie Eustace, Chief Admin Officer at Steward Partners. Steward Partners is an excellent example of an organization that puts their culture front and centre in there hiring process, and Kirstie has some excellent insights and advice to shareIn the interview, we discuss:The definition of culture in a corporate contextHow does culture translate into employee and candidate experience?Prioritising wellbeingUsing culture to stand out in talent acquisitionStorytelling with real examplesGiving candidates direct access to existing employees and the leadership teamThe role of technologyWhat does the future look likeFollow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.Follow this podcast on Spotify.

Whenever we talk about recruiting automation, there is always a persistent narrative in favor of retaining the human touch in some way, shape, or form. While technology now enables us to interact in increasingly conversational ways, there's still an irreplaceable quality in human-to-human, face-to-face dialogue that no machine or video can fully replicate.So, how can we enhance the effectiveness of our conversations in both professional and personal settings? And could asking more powerful, thoughtful questions lead to better hiring outcomes? My guest this week is Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Topaz Adizes, founder of experience design studio The Skin Deep. Having conducted over 1,200 filmed conversations exploring human connection, Topaz has gained profound insights into what makes questions transformative. In our discussion, he shares what his work has taught him about crafting questions that break down barriers and foster authentic dialogue—lessons that can help us all engage more meaningfully in the workplace and beyond.In the interview, we discuss:Lessons learned from filming 1,200 conversationsHow conversations build relationshipsAvoiding power plays and making a safe space for conversationThe importance of well-constructed questionsCuriosity and openness in job interviewsThe power of bringing unrelated concepts togetherConnective questionsListening versus speakingCan AI write effective questions?The differences between face-to-face and virtual conversationsWhat's the future of workplace conversations?Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.Follow this podcast on Spotify

I know that many of you would agree that we are now beyond saturation point with the hype around AI in TA. It's clear that one way or another, gen AI is going to become ubiquitous in the software that we use. So, rather than discussing it as a topic on its own, we need to look carefully at the current and future impact on TA in terms of use cases, innovation, and the potential to rethink hiring.So what are the proven use cases for AI right now, where are we missing opportunities, and how will things develop in the short term?My guest this week is Mark Chaffey, Co-Founder and CEO of Hackajob. We discuss current AI use cases and lessons TA can learn from Gen AI's impact on software engineering.In the interview, we discuss:The current state of the tech hiring marketConcerns over developing early career talentThe impact of AI on software engineeringAI isn't just about automation. It's about being ten times better.Why AI will always match better than humansThe role of TAThe hype cycleCritical questions to ask vendorsData governance and integrationWhat will things be like in both the short and long-term future?Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.Follow this podcast on Spotify.

One of the pandemic's legacies is the opening of genuinely global markets for talent. The trend of moving work to people, rather than people to work, is set to grow as effectively tapping into international talent pools can offer a huge competitive advantage for the employers that get it right. At the same time, though, recruiting globally can be daunting, with companies having to negotiate the previously unfamiliar cultural, financial, and legal complexities.My guest this week is Jonathan Romley, founder and CEO of Lundy. Jonathan shares his extensive experience in mapping out international hiring plans and highlights why he sees the globalization of talent as a huge strategic opportunity for talent acquisition.In the interview, we discuss:The shifting global workforce landscapeWhy global hiring is a strategic opportunity for Talent AcquisitionUnderstanding the business caseAssessing whether a role should be based in another countryStrategy roles versus execution rolesThe vital importance of researchThe disruptive force of AITrust and the candidate experienceWhat will TA look like in five years time?Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.Follow this podcast on Spotify.

Talent Acquisition appears to be facing the perfect storm. The volume of inbound applications is increasing at unprecedented levels; however, at the same time, budgets are being reduced, and TA teams are getting smaller. On top of that, hiring for specialist talent is getting harder with remote work, making talent markets truly global and increasing competition for the hardest-to-find skills.So, how can TA Leaders navigate these disruptive waters? AI is often positioned as a magic solution, but cutting through the cacophony of marketing noise it generates is a real challenge.My guest this week is Steve Bartel, Founder and CEO of Gem. Steve offers us insights and advice from the perspective of a vendor building solutions to the challenges TA teams face. As well as talking about the trends that matter and the long-term impact of AI, he also shares some valuable advice on properly assessing potential AI solutions and avoiding some of the common pitfalls currently out there.In the interview, we discuss:The challenges TA facesNoise versus signalWhat are the real game-changing trends?Single vendor versus point solutionsNavigating the Gen AI revolution as a vendorThe long term impact of AI on Talent AcquisitionThe AI hype cycleRanking and matchingDelivering an exceptional candidate experienceWhat should buyers be aware ofRecruiting NirvanaFollow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.Follow this podcast on Spotify.

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 644: AI, Innovation & HR TechEp 645: Recruiting NirvanaEp 646: Skills IntelligenceEp 647: AttributesEp 648: Unstoppable TransformationEp 649: Building A Personalized Candidate ExperienceFollow this podcast on Apple Podcasts

This discussion features Mike Ohata, former chief learning officer at KPMG, Larry Durham, president of St. Charles Consulting Group, and Eric Dingler, former chief learning officer for Deloitte. They explore the shift to skills-based hiring and how it affects talent acquisition and development. Key topics include balancing personal and business growth, the crucial role of talent mobility, and the influence of AI on the workforce. They emphasize creating adaptable teams that prioritize employee experience while preparing for future skills demands.

Improving the candidate experience has been a perpetual goal in recruiting. Despite the best intentions, the improvement process's effectiveness still ebbs and flows with the changes in supply and demand in the labor market. However, are things finally about to change?Ever since the exponential acceleration in the development of AI, I've been excited about the possibility of technology delivering a genuinely personalized candidate experience at scale.So, what does this vision look like? Which elements are already possible, and what do TA leaders need to do to make it a reality?My guest this week is Don Tomlinson, CTO at Daxtra. In our conversation, Don gives us a refreshingly pragmatic view of the AI use cases that can combine to build a personalized candidate experience and highlights pitfalls and dangers to be aware of.In the interview, we discuss:Using AI to diversify talent poolsTaking out the background noisePersonalizing the candidate's experience in real-timeBespoke communication at scaleAutomatically tailoring the hiring process to individual circumstances.TransparencyThe dangers of losing the human touchEfficiencies, investment, and ROIBuild vs Buy, Core Vs ComplementaryAI self-auditing to improve strategy and processWhat will the future look like?Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.