Budgeting has long been challenging for talent acquisition teams, but the stakes have never been higher in today's volatile economic environment. Many TA leaders find themselves stuck in a cycle of defending past decisions, managing cuts, and struggling to align budgets with business strategy. Meanwhile, CFOs expect data-driven proposals, ROI insights, and long-term planning that TA teams often aren't equipped to deliver.

So, how can talent acquisition leaders transform their approach to budgeting, build trust with the C-suite, and position themselves as strategic business partners

My guests this week are Madeline Laurano, founder of Aptitude Research, and Joshua Secrest, VP of Client Advocacy at Paradox. We discuss Aptitude's new report, The Talent Acquisition Budget Playbook, which contains actionable strategies to move beyond reactive spending, harness automation for efficiency, and demonstrate clear ROI to unlock longer-term investment.

In the interview, we discuss:

• The background behind the report

• Some shocking stats about impending budget cuts, budget confidence, and wasted spend

• Getting maximum return and building credibility

• Thinking 3-5 years out

• How to demonstrate ROI

• Operations benefits versus financial benefits

• Speaking the language of the CFO

• The importance of automation and the results it delivers

• What does the future of TA look like?

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