Welcome to Talking Talent, the brand-new RecTalk spin-off where agency meets in-house, and recruitment meets real talk.

In this episode (filmed at IHR Live London), hosts Nitin Sharma and Sean Kennedy dive into the world of internal talent acquisition — and why the transition from agency life isn’t as easy as it looks.

They’re joined in the second half by Mark Kunaseelan, Head of Resourcing at University of the Arts London, for a refreshingly honest chat about:

• The purpose-driven world of public sector and higher education recruitment
• Whether degrees are still essential for career success (and why some TA roles now bizarrely require a master’s)
• The real impact of AI and automation in hiring — what’s helpful vs. what’s just hype
• How apprenticeships and accessibility in education could reshape the future workforce
• And the importance of fit, culture, and purpose when choosing your next role

Expect plenty of laughs, strong opinions, and some surprisingly deep insights into what makes modern recruitment tick — from the agency floor to the university boardroom.

Who this episode is for:

• TA and HR professionals navigating digital transformation
• Recruiters curious about moving in-house
• Leaders in higher education or public sector talent
• Anyone interested in AI’s evolving role in recruitment
• Listeners who like their recruitment talk with a dose of humour and honesty

🔗 Connect with Mark Kunaseelan

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mkunaseelan/

University of the Arts London: https://www.arts.ac.uk/

🔗 Connect with the hosts

Nitin Sharma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nitin-rectools/

Sean Kennedy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanthetaguy/

Discover recruitment tools and services at Rectools.io:

https://www.rectools.io/

Find out about the Recruitment Curry Club:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-recruitment-curry-club/

New episodes of RecTalk, Founder Diaries and Talking Talent drop every Wednesday and Friday.

Listen on another platform: https://rectalk.co.uk/

#TalkingTalent #RecTalk #RecruitmentPodcast #TalentAcquisition #HigherEducation #AIinRecruitment #PublicSectorHiring #CareerDevelopment #RecruitmentInnovation #Rectools