In this episode of Talking Recruitment, REC Chief Membership and Innovation Officer Maxine Bligh is joined by Jan Govaerts, CEO of theMatchBox, to explore how AI-powered matching is helping recruiters spend less time on administration and more time building relationships, advising clients and making better hiring decisions.

The podcast examines where AI is already delivering measurable value, from uncovering candidates hidden within existing databases to improving recruiter productivity. Maxine and Jan also explore the importance of high-quality data, choosing trusted technology partners and avoiding common pitfalls as recruitment businesses invest in AI.

They also tackle one of the industry's biggest questions: if employers, candidates and recruiters are all using AI throughout the hiring process, how do you maintain trust, authenticity and human judgement?

The conversation explores why recruiter expertise may become even more valuable as AI takes on more routine tasks, and what successful recruitment businesses should be doing now to prepare for the future.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

>How AI can reduce admin and free recruiters to focus on higher-value work.

>Why AI-powered matching goes beyond traditional keyword searches.

>Making better use of your existing candidate database.

>The importance of data quality and choosing trusted AI providers.

>How recruiters can maintain trust and judgement in an AI-enabled hiring process.

>Why human relationships remain central to successful recruitment.

Host: Maxine Bligh, Chief Membership and Innovation Officer, Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC)

Guest: Jan Govaerts, CEO, theMatchBox (part of Pixid Group)