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

The entire recruiting landscape is undergoing a profound transformation as organizations grapple with the implications of AI and the economic disruption 2025 is bringing. Talent acquisition teams are drowning in applications while simultaneously being asked to do more with fewer resources. Candidates find themselves in increasingly dehumanized processes where ghosting is now the norm. At the same time, regulatory bodies are developing laws to ensure fairness and transparency around the use of AI in hiring.

So, how can employers navigate this challenging terrain while creating fair, accessible, and effective hiring processes?

My guest this week is Ruth Miller, a talent acquisition and HR consultant who works across the public and private sectors. Ruth is an advisor to the Better Hiring Institute, working with the UK Government on developing legislation around AI in recruiting. In our conversation, she shares her insights into how organizations can proactively develop strategies that balance innovation with compliance while enhancing rather than diminishing the human elements of hiring.

- Different perceptions and reactions to AI among employers across sectors

- The paradox of AI both introducing and potentially removing bias from hiring processes

- Neurodivergent candidates and AI in job applications

- Common misconceptions job seekers have about employers' AI usage.

- Strategic advice for organizations implementing AI in recruitment

- The future of recruitment and the evolving balance between AI and human interaction

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AI adoption is still slow in talent acquisition. Employers are experimenting with AI for tactical tasks while missing its transformative potential. This gap between tentative experimentation and strategic implementation stems from multiple challenges, including ethical concerns, a lack of training and awareness, overblown vendor claims, and anxiety about what AI means for job security.

So, how can talent leaders shift from automation anxiety to augmentation advantage, transforming their teams from tactical processors to talent advisors?

My guest this week is Matt Burney, Senior Strategic Advisor at Indeed. Matt has deep expertise in recruitment technology and workforce trends and explains how AI can elevate recruiters' roles rather than diminishing or eliminating them.

In the interview, we discuss:

• The current state of AI in recruiting

• Why organizations remain trapped in tactical AI implementations

• Understanding the root causes of automation anxiety

• Asking better questions, not just getting faster answers

• Automation versus Augmentation

• Why efficiency needs to be about proving value, not replacing people

• The role of AI in skills-based thinking

• Why training, education, and greater awareness are vital

• What does the future of work look like?

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Understanding human behavior in recruitment is far more complex than it appears on the surface. Employers often misinterpret what truly motivates candidates to accept positions. At the same time, recruiters and hiring managers remain unaware of how their own unconscious biases influence selection decisions. Traditional approaches built on assumptions rather than evidence leave organizations vulnerable to poor hiring outcomes and missed opportunities with ideal candidates.

So, how can talent acquisition professionals leverage behavioral science to gain a meaningful advantage in understanding and influencing human behavior throughout the recruitment process?

My guest this week is Dominic Ridley-Moy, founder of the Behavior Change Network, a genuine expert in applying behavioral science to real-world business challenges. Dominic brings specialized insight into how our brains make decisions and explains how behavioral science offers employers substantial advantages in creating recruitment processes that align with how people actually think and behave.

In the interview, we discuss:

• How behavioral science is being applied in business

• Using counterintuitive solutions to problems

• Metal shortcuts, unconscious bias, and social stereotypes

• The problems with relying on "gut feel"

• The recruiting cheat code of uncovering a candidate's real motivations

• The vital importance of the first interaction in recruiting

• Example of behavioural science being used effectively in recruiting

• The danger of simple solutions

• What does the future look like at the intersection of behavioural science and technology

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The acceleration of AI in talent acquisition has sparked both excitement and concern across the industry. While many fear automation might make recruiting more mechanical and impersonal, what if the opposite were true? Traditional recruiting processes already force candidates and recruiters into transactional relationships - with endless applications, screening calls, and administrative tasks leaving little room for meaningful human connection. At the same time, increasing expectations for personalized experiences are putting pressure on talent teams who don't have enough hours in the day.

So, can AI actually make hiring more human rather than less?

My guest this week is Diana Tsai, Co-founder and CEO of Upwage, a company building AI interviewing agents that have been proven to reduce turnover by as much as 48%. Diana shares valuable insights from working with employers to deploy over 4,000 AI agents. We also discuss her recently published book "AI For Good", which maps out a positive vision for the future of recruiting where AI doesn't replace human connection but creates space for it to flourish. 

In the interview, we discuss:

• Why Diana wrote a book about the positive future of AI in recruiting

• How the role of recruiters is evolving with AI empowerment

• Where will the data come from to power advanced AI talent systems?

• How to ensure AI reduces bias rather than amplifying it

• The human-AI balance and what AI will never replace

• Key signals that indicate the transformation of recruiting is accelerating

• What will recruiting look like in 2035?

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I firmly believe that AI is the most significant technological transformation of our lifetime. What will separate talent acquisition professionals who'll thrive in this new world from those who'll get left behind? The answer isn't about the technology itself, but our mindset towards it. 

Viewing AI as an opportunity rather than a threat might be your most important career decision this decade, determining whether you'll lead or follow as this revolution unfolds.

So, how do we transform our mindset from panic and denial to opportunity and strategy in a way that positions us to thrive alongside AI?

My guest this week is Ronsley Vaz, author of the brilliant book "Amplify AI." Ronsley's background as a software engineer and subsequent career in business and podcasting means that he brings a uniquely valuable perspective to this conversation,

In our discussion, we talk about the psychological barriers that can prevent us from thinking about AI strategically. We explore how TA professionals can shift their mindset from fear to opportunity and build on their existing expertise to develop practical approaches to AI adoption that emphasize courage and strategic thinking.

In the interview, we discuss:

• Why AI is the biggest and most significant technology shift in our lifetimes

• Moving from panic and denial toward opportunity and strategy

• How AI can augment and amplify your expertise

• Hype versus reality and is the pace of innovation sustainable?

• Assistant versus Agent

• The biggest mistake people make using LLMs

• Courage, Collaboration, and Connections

• How to understand and keep up to date with the AI revolution

• What does the future hold?

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Internal talent mobility remains a significant challenge for organizations despite widespread recognition of its importance. While companies understand the value of deploying existing talent to meet changing business needs, they often lack the scientific approach needed to make this work at scale. Many organizations collect a lot of data on people during their hiring process but fail to use it throughout the employee lifecycle, creating artificial barriers between departments and limiting career movement when it's needed most.

So, how can organizations apply scientific principles to talent mobility to create more dynamic internal labor markets that benefit everyone?

My guest this week is Lucy Beaumont, Solutions Lead, Talent Management at SHL. In our conversation, Lucy shares valuable insights from her work applying scientific assessment methodologies to internal mobility challenges. 

In the interview, we discuss:

• How are we defining "skills-based hiring"?

• The difference between perishable skills, semi-durable skills, and durable skills

• The three main barriers preventing effective internal mobility

• Mapping skills across the organization in a scaleable way

• Scientific approaches to balancing build, buy and borrow talent strategies.

• Building workforce resilience through talent intelligence

• What does the future look like for talent mobility?

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Research consistently shows that happy employees are more engaged, more productive, and stay with their companies longer. While many organizations recognize this connection, they often lack the data and insights needed to make meaningful improvements in their workplace culture. With different generations having different expectations from work and regional variations in what contributes to happiness, reliable metrics are essential for making the right decisions.

So, how can employers better understand workplace happiness and use this data to attract and retain talent?

My guest this week is Matt Ward, Head of Recruitment Services at WorkL. For their latest research report, WorkL surveyed 400,000 employees in 26 industries across 100 countries on the key drivers of workplace happiness. The results give us some fantastic insights that can help make talent acquisition and retention strategies significantly more effective.

In the interview, we discuss:

• The findings from WorkL's latest workplace happiness report 

• The six key elements that contribute to workplace happiness

• Why workplace happiness is rising globally 

• Variations across generations and genders

• What is driving flight risk?

• The continued importance of flexibility at work

• How can Talent Acquisition teams leverage happiness data for competitive talent advantage?

• What does the future look like?

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Understanding today's complex labor market requires accurate data rather than just following headlines or anecdotes. For businesses and talent professionals, having reliable insights into hiring trends, wage movements, and worker expectations is essential for making informed decisions in these uncertain times.

My guest this week is Jack Kennedy, Senior Economist at Indeed; drawing from Indeed's real-time analysis of millions of job postings, CVs, and marketplace behaviors, Indeed Hiring Lab's research provides a unique window into what's happening in the job market. We're focusing on the UK market in this conversation, but Jack does provide some broader global insights and highlights the many global commonalities when it comes to worker motivations, aging populations, and the impact of AI

In the interview, we discuss:

• The state of the UK labour market in early 2025

• How geopolitical issues are impacting hiring trends globally

• The surprising resilience of wages despite market cooling

• Primary motivators for job seekers in today's market

• The truth about remote and hybrid work trends versus media narratives

• How AI is already reshaping employment and creating new opportunities

• A growing focus on neurodiversity in job postings

• Preparing for demographic challenges and an aging workforce

• The Labour market outlook for the next 12-18 months

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The pace of AI adoption is accelerating rapidly, yet most organizations aren't integrating it effectively into talent acquisition—and they certainly aren't thinking big enough about its implications. Many companies are simply automating existing processes rather than reimagining what recruitment could become in an AI-driven world. 

So, how can talent acquisition leaders think exponentially bigger about AI's potential, moving beyond incremental improvements to envision and create an entirely new paradigm for talent strategy?

My guest this week is Richard Bradley, who has decades of experience in the RPO space and the wider staffing and TA ecosystem. Richard challenges us to think radically bigger about AI's impact, arguing that most organizations are severely underestimating the scale of transformation ahead. He explores how forward-thinking TA leaders must move beyond automating processes to reimagining the entire concept of recruitment.

In the interview, we discuss:

• How does AI in 2025 compare to the Internet revolution of the late '90s

• Ask & Generate vs Search & Consume

• The risks of automating bad processes with AI rather than reimagining them

• How TA technology needs to evolve to be fit for purpose

• Durable soft skills

• The shift from traditional recruiters to talent strategists

• Why TA will evolve rather than disappear

• What the TA team of the future will look like 

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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:

Foresight

Ep 690: How Can TA Make A Measurable Impact?

Influence

Ep 689: How TA Can Adopt A Change Mindset

Ep 687: Agile EVPs For Faster Employer Brand Impact

Ep 684: Are We Now Living In A Video First World?

Talent & Skills

Ep 685: Rethinking Skills In An AI-Powered Workplace

Ep 686: Personalizing The Employee Experience

Technology

Ep 688: Is AI’s Impact On TA Underhyped?

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