Transforming a business function is a difficult process. It can become impossible if no one knows what the function is transforming into. It is vital that anyone undertaking a TA Transformation develops a clear vision to generate buy-in and set the direction of travel.

With so much disruption going on, there has never been a better time to create bold, innovative visions that take TA Acquisition in new directions.

My guest this week is Jill Leonard, Global Senior Director of Talent at Hello Fresh. Hello Fresh has developed a vision for talent acquisition that they call "TA As A Service." In addition to discussing Hello Fresh's TA Transformation, Jill also talks about her experience implementing video interviewing and the benefits of embracing new technology early.

In the interview, we discuss:

• Current TA challenges

• TA Transformation at Hello Fresh

• Recruiters as Talent Advisors

• TA as a service

• Agility and change management

• The benefits of embracing new technology early

• How to drive adoption.

• How should TA leaders respond to AI?

• Optimizing the candidate experience

• How will TA evolve over the next five years?

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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 changing

• AI use cases and the speed of adoption

• Does 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 work

• What does the future of HR and Recruiting Technology look like?

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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 function

My 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 change

• How can TA influence business outcomes?

• Aligning metrics to business goals

• Internal mobility and reskilling 

• What role can TA play in Strategic Workforce Planning

• How to be more strategic

• What does AI make possible

• Enhancing the candidate experience

• Reducing bias

• Breaking the silos in HR

• What should TA look like in 3 years time?

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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 share

In the interview, we discuss:

• The definition of culture in a corporate context

• How does culture translate into employee and candidate experience?

• Prioritising wellbeing

• Using culture to stand out in talent acquisition

• Storytelling with real examples

• Giving candidates direct access to existing employees and the leadership team

• The role of technology

• What does the future look like

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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 conversations

• How conversations build relationships

• Avoiding power plays and making a safe space for conversation

• The importance of well-constructed questions

• Curiosity and openness in job interviews

• The power of bringing unrelated concepts together

• Connective questions

• Listening versus speaking

• Can AI write effective questions?

• The differences between face-to-face and virtual conversations

• What's the future of workplace conversations?

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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 market

• Concerns over developing early career talent

• The impact of AI on software engineering

• AI isn't just about automation. It's about being ten times better.

• Why AI will always match better than humans

• The role of TA

• The hype cycle

• Critical questions to ask vendors

• Data governance and integration

• What will things be like in both the short and long-term future?

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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 landscape

• Why global hiring is a strategic opportunity for Talent Acquisition

• Understanding the business case

• Assessing whether a role should be based in another country

• Strategy roles versus execution roles

• The vital importance of research

• The disruptive force of AI

• Trust and the candidate experience

• What will TA look like in five years time?

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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 faces

• Noise versus signal

• What are the real game-changing trends?

• Single vendor versus point solutions

• Navigating the Gen AI revolution as a vendor

• The long term impact of AI on Talent Acquisition

• The AI hype cycle

• Ranking and matching

• Delivering an exceptional candidate experience

• What should buyers be aware of

• Recruiting Nirvana

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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 Tech

Ep 645: Recruiting Nirvana

Ep 646: Skills Intelligence

Ep 647: Attributes

Ep 648: Unstoppable Transformation

Ep 649: Building A Personalized Candidate Experience

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I've done a lot of research this year around the move to skills-based hiring and skills-based organizations. Having spoken to a large number of employers on this journey, it is very clear that success is predicated on looking at skills strategically, holistically, and in the context of both business and personal growth.

Ultimately, employers need to think fundamentally differently about talent and reflect this new thinking in talent acquisition, talent mobility, and talent development.

My guests this week have just published an excellent book encouraging CEOs to embrace this new mindset to build the adaptable, skilled workforce they need in a way that doesn't undermine personal growth and champions the employee experience.

The book is called "The Talent-Fueled Enterprise," and it was great to be able to speak to all three of its authors, Mike Ohata, Larry Durham, and Eric Dingler, who between them have 85 years combined experience in leading talent at Fortune 15 companies.

In the interview, we discuss:

• The current most common talent challenges

• The tension between people growth and business growth

• Shifting from tech skills to Skills, Attributes and Experience

• Skilling for human potential

• Building teams for growth, adaptability, and empathy

• Rethinking Talent Acquisition

• Becoming a skills-based organization

• The vital importance of talent mobility

• Employee experience

• The impact of AI

• What will work look like in 5 years time?

You can get 30% off The Talent-Fueled Enterprise by following this link and using the code Recruiting24

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