In this episode of The Recruiting Book Club, host Carmen Hudson welcomes Jonathan Kidder - senior technical recruiter at Amazon and prolific author of 24 recruiting books, including AI Talent Sourcing and A Guide to Diversity Talent Sourcing. Known in the industry as the “Wizard

Jonathan shares his journey into recruiting, from an internship at Allegis Global Solutions to his current role at Amazon, where he supports high-level technical hiring in one of the largest TA functions in North America. He reflects on the evolution of recruiting - from “post and pray” methods to today’s AI-powered sourcing tools - and how data, time management, and cross-functional collaboration are central to success in high-volume, high-bar environments like Amazon.

Key themes discussed include:

Recruiting at Scale: How to navigate and succeed in a complex environment like Amazon, where internal competition for top talent is fierce and speed is essential.

AI in Sourcing: Jonathan explains how tools like ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Harpa, and PartyRock are transforming the recruiter’s workflow - from talent mapping to message generation - and what the future may hold for sourcing automation.

Candidate & Hiring Manager Preparation: The importance of prepping both sides of the interview process, and how structured communication helps raise the hiring bar.

Authoring Recruiting Knowledge: Jonathan unpacks his motivation for writing recruiting books, the niche demand they serve, and why self-publishing through Amazon KDP offered the most practical route to distribution.

This episode is a must-listen for recruiters navigating today’s rapidly shifting tech landscape, especially those looking to leverage AI tools while still delivering high-touch candidate experiences.

Follow Carmen Hudson on LinkedIn

or visit www.carmenhudson.com

Connect with Jonathan Kidder on LinkedIn

Get your copy of AI Talent Sourcing by Jonathan Kidder - your step-by-step playbook for using generative AI to streamline sourcing, craft better prompts, and gain a competitive edge in modern recruiting.

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