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

Measuring the impact of talent marking in a way that aligns with the rest of the business and demonstrates value for the c-suite has always been challenging. TA leaders often find themselves judged by measures and outcomes they don't fully control, which are impossible to translate into business value. So how do you prove the business impact of recruitment marketing and employer branding, particularly in such volatile times? My guest this week is Nick Thompson, Global Talent Marketing Leader at IBM. Nick and his team have been working on this issue for a while and have devised a way of measuring the value of talent marketing that resonates with the C-Suite and provides a laser focus for optimisation and improvement. In the interview, we discuss: The scale of recruiting at IBM The current state of the global market for tech hiring The shortcomings of existing talent marketing metrics Speaking the same language as the rest of the business Measuring where you have ownership and control What is the time to apply metric, and how was it developed? What insights does time to apply enable? Mapping onto business value The reaction The levers that reduce time to apply Removing the reasons why people don't click apply The role of employer branding Advice to TA leaders Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts

Back in 2020, there was an acknowledgement that talent acquisition had changed forever but a sense that things would eventually stabilise into a new normal. Two and half years later, it is clear that the only new normal is continual long-term disruption, change and uncertainty. So what should TA leaders focus on to give their organisations the best chance of maintaining a competitive talent advantage in these challenging times? My guest this week is Hayli Thornhill, Head of Recruiting at Brighthire. Hayli is an experienced TA Leader with experience in both start-ups and large corporates. She has some insightful advice on dealing with disruption and preparing for an uncertain future. In the interview, we discuss: Long term disruption and uncertainty Intelligent interview and evidence based hiring What should TA Leaders be focusing on Efficiency and quality Auditing tech stacks Modernising interviewer training Improving the hiring process Five non-negotiables to focus on Providing a brilliant candidate experience Looking to the future Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts A full transcript will appear here shortly

Many employers will claim to be people-centric organisations, but how many actually have the quality of employer experience to back this up? A high-quality employee experience dries value for businesses in many ways, including competitive advantage in talent acquisition, better retention, increased productivity and better service for clients and customers. So how do you build a genuinely people-centric organisation with an employer experience that delivers on its promises? My guest this week is Mayra Chimienti, COO of Mister Carwash, the largest car wash operator in North America. Mister Car Wash is a certified Great Place to Work that has built a category-leading employee experience. In the interview, we discuss: What it means to be a people-first business Employee experience and customer experience Building competitive advantage in Talent Acquisition Telling authentic stories and showing evidence in the recruiting process Retention, professional development and benefits The long term impact of the pandemic Innovation The future of people strategy at Mister Carwash Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

With so much unhelpful noise around the topic of the future of work, I'm taking a deep dive into the practicalities of what is actually going on over three podcast episodes. In the previous two episodes, I spoke to authors Julia Hobsbawm and Bruce Daisley about our physical relationship with the workplace; in this episode, I want to explore happiness at work. The John Lewis Partnership is a unique UK-based retailer jointly owned by its employees and founded on the premise of ensuring worker happiness. My guest this week is Lord Mark Price, the former UK Trade Minister who was CEO of Waitrose and Deputy Chairman of The John Lewis Partnership. Mark now works via his business WorkL to help employers increase workplace happiness using some of the lessons he learned during his time at John Lewis. In the interview, we discuss: Lessons from The John Lewis Partnership The six core elements of happiness at work Why looking at averages is dangerous. How can employers build a happier workplace? Using happiness for competitive advantage in talent acquisition The relationship between the individual and their line manager Prospects for the future of the labour market Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

With so much unhelpful noise around the topic of the future of work, I'm taking a deep dive into the practicalities of what is actually going on over a series of three podcast episodes. In the previous episode, I spoke to author Julia Hobsbawm about some of the challenges of this emerging new phase of work, and I want to continue this theme in this episode. My guest this week is the perfect person to help me do this, and it is great to have him back on the show. Bruce Daisley is a speaker, author and workplace culture enthusiast. Previously a VP at Twitter, Bruce now hosts one of the world's most popular podcasts on making work better. In the interview, we discuss: Critical issues in workplace culture Why flex is the new pay The danger of uncoordinated hybrid Productivity and worker satisfaction The intentional curation of culture Using the office as a tool How management infrastructure is changing The rise of the community manager Rethinking knowledge transfer Understanding the demands of top talent Challenges for talent acquisition Work from anywhere The danger of nostalgia What will work look like in five years? Pre-order Bruce’s new book “Fortitude” Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

All around the world, debates about hybrid and remote working rumble on as employers and employees experiment to find mutually agreeable and effective ways of working. There is a lot of noise in the debate around the future of work, and I really want to cut through this. With that in mind, I'm going to focus the next three episodes of the podcast on the future of work, exploring the real issues, looking at the practical solutions that are being put in place and taking an informed look at what the future might look like. My first guest in this mini-series is writer, speaker and consultant Julia Hobsbawm, author of the brilliant book "The Nowhere Office". In her book, Julia explores what is happening at the moment in the context of workplace changes over the last few decades and examines the current issues to help map the future. In the interview, we discuss: Reimagining and reframing how we work The four phases of work since 1945 How the pandemic has accelerated trends that were already there The complexity of hybrid The real challenges with developing the next phase of work Undoing assumptions and old norms The challenge for talent acquisition Autonomy, flexibility and networks Thinking strategically to improve wellness and mental health. Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

I'm a firm believer in looking outside the talent acquisition universe to see what lessons we can learn from other disciplines and areas. Elite sport is always an interesting parallel as selecting and developing talent is a critical aspect of building a winning team. My guest this week is Mehdi Kordi, the coach of the Dutch national track cycling team. The team have had a massive amount of success in recent years, including winning three golds, a silver and a bronze at the last Olympics, despite having considerably fewer resources and less funding than some of their competitors. It was fantastic to hear first-hand from Mehdi how they have achieved this, and there are some very valuable lessons here from TA leaders everywhere. In the interview, we discuss: What makes a good coach Managing riders, employees and partners Getting the best out of people How do you spot talent? The importance of resilience The mental versus the physical The role of technology Running a world-class team with limited resources. Collaboration and partnerships Using culture to drive performance Clarity and transparency What does the future look like for track cycling? Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Everything is changing very quickly in talent acquisition, and many employers are struggling to keep up with the ever evolving best practices that are driving results. It's a critical moment to get a helicopter view of what talent acquisition strategies are working and the successful attributes of the highest performing recruiting functions. My guest this week is Janet Mertens, VP of Research at The Josh Bersin Company. Her organisation has recently published an independent report on Human-Centered Talent Acquisition which looks at the strategies and tactics successful talent acquisition teams are deploying in these challenging times. In the interview, we discuss: The background and methodology of the research project A perfect storm in talent acquisition What business practices are having the most significant impact The critical business issues talent acquisition is addressing Being bold, creative and human-centered Intentional experience design What truly drives competitive advantage Attracting and retaining top talent The importance of authenticity and consistency in EVP and employer branding The role of recruiters as talent advisors Recruiting technology Levels of talent acquisition maturity Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

The current challenges talent acquisition teams face are well documented, and on this podcast, we explore the strategies and technologies that TA leaders are using to address them. The one thing we don't talk about enough collectively as an industry is the considerable effects two years of unprecedented pressure and disruption have had on everyone's mental health. While wellness, in general, is a big industry topic, there hasn't been much direct conversation on the importance of self-care and strategies to build resilience for Talent Acquisition leaders and their teams. My guest this week is Ben Gledhill, a Talent Acquisition leader who has done innovative work for several UK based organisations. Ben is one of the talent acquisition community's deep thinkers and, over the last two years, has done a lot of research into the importance of building individual resilience and the role it plays in the effectiveness of talent acquisition strategies. In the interview, we discuss: What it has been like to be a Head of Talent Acquisition during the pandemic Why we need to talk more about mental health Resilience as part of the TA stack Five elements to build resilience Adapting to sudden change Self-compassion and self-care Changing the narrative Purpose and control Forgiveness Is technology a help or a hindrance What does the future look like for talent acquisition? Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Last week I attended my first face to face HR and Recruiting Technology conference for two and half years. UNLEASH America took place in Las Vegas and was an incredible mix of great content and the opportunity to meet the really innovative technology vendors in our space. One of the most interesting keynote sessions was a panel debate on the ethics and legal responsibility for using AI in recruiting. The panel was hosted by my fellow podcasters, Joel Cheesman and Chad Sowash of The Chad & Cheese Podcast, so I caught up with them afterwards on the expo floor to find out more and get their views on the future of the industry. In the interview, we discuss: The return of face to face conferences and events AI and The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission What the future might look like A full transcript will appear here. Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcast

Effective storytelling is a crucial part of hiring, flowing through recruitment marketing, employer branding, assessment and onboarding but does your organisation have a strategy that sits behind it? Knowing what kind of stories to tell and how and where to tell them is something that brings a considerable competitive advantage. So how can we all get better at telling our stories compellingly and effectively? My go-to storytelling expert is journalist, writer and tech entrepreneur Shane Snow. I'm delighted to welcome him back to the show to do a deep dive into storytelling strategy. In a world of challenging talent markets and virtual hiring processes, this interview is a must listen for everyone. In the interview, we discuss: Why business storytelling is important and what it can achieve The four elements of a great story Storytelling in employer branding and recruiting The three different types of business story Why should people care? How and where do you tell a story? Weaving storytelling into every piece of communication • A full transcript will appear here shortly. Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts

The one theme that has come over very clearly in the conversations I've had with talent acquisition professionals in the last 12 months is the relationship between speed and quality in the hiring process. Speed is currently a competitive advantage which means many employers are focusing intensely on speeding up their hiring process. However, quality of experience and quality of hire are still critical, so how do you speed up talent acquisition and improve quality at the same time. Earlier this year, Mervyn Dinnen and I joined forces with the team at Metaview to work on a piece of research to see if we could answer this question. We spoke to employers who are successfully improving both speed and the quality of the talent acquisition to distil the mindset, strategies and tactics they are using to solve this complex challenge. We recently published the results in a whitepaper, and I'm delighted to welcome Germaine Yokoyama-Heiliger to the show to discuss the findings. Germaine is a People Experience and Operations consultant who was previously Chief People Officer at several high growth tech companies. She was one of the people we interviewed during the research, and she has some very valuable perspectives to share. In the interview, we discuss: The current state of the market and the background to the research Can you increase speed and improve quality at the same time? How difficult is it to overhaul the recruiting process? Being ready to hire and running a great process The importance of talent management Talent intelligence and data Being transparent and legitimate Partnering with leadership Human to human interaction Using technology to understand what works, what doesn't work and what training is needed What does the future look like Download the full report here Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Diversity in hiring is a critical issue for all employers, but many are still struggling with it. So who is doing it well, and how much of a role can recruiting technology play in diversifying talent pools. My guest this week is Shaun Daly, Head of Resourcing at The Open University. Over the last few years, The Open University has been increasing the diversity of its organisation by rethinking how it does hiring, building an inclusive employer brand and deploying point solution technology which helps to enable these strategies. In the interview, we discuss: Recruiting challenges at The Open University Operating with legacy systems Developing a compelling employer brand Anonymous recruiting and diverse interview panels Making the candidate experience more engaging Recruitment marketing automation Online events Talent pool segmentation Future innovations Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts. A full transcript will appear here shortly.

This is part two of my mini-series on personalization. So to recap, I feel very strongly that personalization is the new Megatrend in Talent Acquisition. Offering personalized recruitment marketing, candidate journies, assessments, feedback, onboarding, and communication will be critical objectives for employers over the next few years. Candidates are demanding it, the technology is here to facilitate it, and the amount of friction that will get removed from recruiting processes will be a win for candidates, recruiters and hiring managers. So what is possible, and how are employers dealing with the practicalities of personalization in talent acquisition? A few weeks ago, the awesome team at Paradox invited me to speak and record some interviews at their client board event in Scottsdale, Arizona. Paradox is a technology that is really driving the progress of personalization. It was very insightful to talk to some of their clients about the need for personalization in their TA processes and the change journies they are taking their recruiters and hiring managers on to make personalization happen. In this second set of interviews from the event (check out Episode 435 if you want to hear the others), you'll hear from Derek Braun, Staffing and Recruiting Manager at GoWireless and Steffanie Chaviano, VP of Talent and Patient Access at Autism Learning Partners. Derek and Steffanie talk us through their experiences of using conversational AI to transform the effectiveness of their recruiting strategies. First up, though, is Adam Godson, Chief Product Officer at Paradox, talking about some of the psychology behind conversational interfaces. These are some of the topics you'll find discussed in this episode: Personalisation at scale The psychological elements of conversation design Using conversation to drive processes Connect with people, not software How technology is affecting recruiter career choices Handling high volumes of applicant flow is an engaging way. The importance of being user friendly for hiring managers What does the future of talent acquisition look like Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts

Those of you who have read my book Digital Talent (available wherever you get your books!) will know that I feel very strongly that personalization is the new megatrend in talent acquisition. Offering personalized recruitment marketing, candidate journies, assessments, feedback, onboarding, and communication will be critical objectives for employers over the next few years. Candidates are demanding it, the technology is here to facilitate it, and the amount of friction that will get removed from recruiting processes will be a win for candidates, recruiters and hiring managers. Two weeks ago, the awesome team at Paradox invited me to speak and record some interviews at their client board event in Scottsdale, Arizona. Paradox is a technology that is really driving the progress of personalization. It was really insightful to talk to some of their clients about the need for personalization in their TA processes and the change journies they are taking their recruiters and hiring managers on to make personalization happen. I'll be sharing these interviews over two episodes of the show. Later in this episode, you'll get to hear from Adam Chen, Chief Marketing & Experience Officer at The Amenity Collective, Rachel O'Connell, VP of HR at Great Wolf Lodge and the return to the show of Victor Gaines SVP of Talent Acquisition at Aveanna Healthcare. But first of all, I sat down with the amazing Madeline Laurano, Founder of Aptitude Research, to get her views on the drive towards greater personalization. These are some of the topics you'll find discussed in this episode: How technology is driving personalization Creating experiences through conversation High volume recruiting challenges Significantly reducing time to hire Change management Building a consumer grand candidate experience Using personas to differentiate the employee value proposition The role of technology in personalization Implementing technology The future of talent acquisition Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Employer branding has always been important, but it is now absolutely critical to employers if they want to connect, engage and influence in demand talent. Employer branding isn't easy and for larger organisations building a global employer brand is a significant undertaking. So how do you make the business case for employer branding, and how does employer brand activation work amid all of the challenges 2022 poses for employers? My guest this week is Marije van der Togt, Head of Employer Branding at Just Eat Takeaway.com. Marije is highly experienced at building successful employer brands across multiple countries and has a massive amount of valuable insight to share. In the interview, we discuss: Challenges of becoming one company with one story Evolving recruiting challenges How strong consumer brands create challenges for employer brands The importance of culture in candidate choice Why invest in a global employer brand? How employer brand strategy enables the business strategy Storytelling and linking authentic people centric stories to EVP pillars Strategically positioning podcasting as long form content. The role of data and technology Segmentation Advice to other employers on developing a global employer brand What does the future look like? Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

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 425: Building A High Performing Talent Acquisition Team Ep 426: AI Driven Talent Intelligence Ep 427: The Job Board Market Ep 428: Strategies For The Great Resignation Ep 429: Open Hiring Ep 430: Developing People Analytics Ep 431: Talent Density Ep 432: Long Term Trends A full transcript will appear here shortly Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts

After over two years of unprecedented disruption, it has become evident that things have changed forever. However, many employers are still attempting to stick with the talent acquisition and employee experience strategies they had before the pandemic. So what are the dangers of behaving as if nothing has changed, and how should companies now set their strategies for the long term? My guest this week is Amanda Black, Director of Inclusive Search at Good Works Consulting. Amanda has wide-ranging experience in talent acquisition and DE&I and has some expert insights to share on the long term impact of The Great Resignation. In the interview, we discuss: A disrupted talent market Shifts in the employer/employee model Revealing inequalities in the system Permanently changed expectations Long term solutions and The Great Opportunity How successful employers are shifting their employee experience Modelling and demonstrating values Are companies taking DE&I seriously? Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts

The challenges of 2022 are causing many organisations to think very differently about talent. The employers who are getting it right are looking holistically at talent acquisition, development, retention and attrition to create the opportunity to build a talent dense organisation. So what does this look like in practice, and how can your company get there? My guest this week is Taylor Roa, Director of Talent at Wistia. Wistia is a growing technology company with an incredible culture and a big focus on talent density. They also use video as their superpower to showcase their unique employer brand. In the interview, we discuss: Recruiting challenges at Wistia Meaningful work and culture versus cash and compromise Using video to represent the company culture authentically. Making a competitive advantage of putting people first Becoming a talent dense organisation Why retention is not about trapping people Being a business that it is good to be from How the pandemic has changed work Advice on getting more from video in employer branding A defining decade in the future of work A full transcript will appear here shortly. Listen to this podcast on Apple.

With a growing number of use cases, people analytics continues to develop both in sophistication and the amount of value it drives for employers. However, despite the quantum leap in recruiting technology we've seen in the last few years, I still feel that talent acquisition is significantly lagging behind where it should be in terms of data and analytics. My guest this week is Vic Akosile, an HR Strategy Consultant at Humananalytics. Vic is a highly experienced people analytics specialist. He gives us an excellent overview of what is going on in the space and what talent acquisition leaders need to consider if they want to develop their data and analytics capability. In the interview, we discuss: The evolution of People Analytics Cutting edge use cases Increasing digital interactions mean increasing amounts of data. People Analytics in talent acquisition How to develop more sophistication in People Analytics What trends is technology driving Using sentiment and network analysis to help with retention Where is People Analytics going in the future? Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts

Some of my favourite conversations in the last six months have been around inclusive hiring. Many people are doing brilliant work to support people from marginalised groups into the workforce, and I've learnt a lot from talking to employers like Timpson and organisations like The Bridge of Hope. In this episode, we're going to explore what happens when an employer removes all screening, all background checks and all education and experience requirements from their hiring to be more inclusive. What are the advantages, the challenges, and the results? My guest this week is Nykeba King, Global Head of Inclusion at The Body Shop. A few years ago, The Body Shop created an Open Hiring program to ensure they were being as inclusive as possible. It's a strategy that has produced some amazing results, and it is now giving them a unique competitive advantage in today's challenging talent markets. In the interview, we discuss: Recruiting challenges at The Body Shop What is Open Hiring, and how does it work? No background checks, no screening, no education requirements How Open Hiring is helping The Body Shop in the current talent markets Making recruiting more purposeful with "Targeted Recruitment." Replacing scrutiny with trust Removing barriers and removing bias Implementation challenges The danger of second-guessing someone's ability to do a job Wrap-around support to build an inclusive workplace Time to hire, performance and retention What's next for Open Hiring Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Whether it's the Great Resignation or the Great Reset, whatever you choose to call it, it is undeniable that employers are currently finding it extremely challenging to attract and retain talent. So which strategies should companies be exploring to improve their odds in such a difficult market? My guest this week is Christine Wzorek, CEO and Founder of White Label Advisors. Christine is a highly experienced HR leader and has essential advice about building holistic human capital strategies to deal with these incredibly challenging times. In the interview, we discuss: What is driving the Great Resignation? Employer engagement, happiness and fulfilment Adapting to the new reality Why talent acquisition needs to mirror sales Treating candidates in a hospitality orientated way Transparency in reward strategies Scaling L&D with technology Levelling the playing field for diverse talent Gender equality The future of talent acquisition and HR Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

I've been a keen follower of the Job Board market for several decades. It's been a market that has often been very slow to evolve, but the pace of innovation has increased considerably over the last few years. So what effect has the pandemic had on the job board industry, and what is its likely future direction? My guest this week is Steven Rothberg, Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of College Recruiter. Steven has been in the job board industry since it started, and I could think of no better person to give us an update on the current state of the market. How have job boards evolved over time The programmatic revolution Recruiting marketing budget consolidation How has the pandemic changed things for job boards Why do job boards need to reduce the friction they are causing in the candidate journey. Market consolidation What is the future of job boards? Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts. A full transcript will appear here shortly.

Expanding candidate pools, speeding up the recruiting process and diversity hiring are all key talent acquisition challenges in 2022. While technology is never a magic fix everything solution, it is becoming evident that as AI becomes more sophisticated, it can offer employers some of the tools needed to meet these challenges. So what are the latest use cases for AI in talent acquisition, and how is it driving skills based decision making? My guest this week is Andrea Shiah, Head of Talent Strategy and Transformation at Eightfold. Andrea was formerly Global Head of Talent Acquisition at American Express and has some unique insights into the development of AI in recruiting. In the interview, we discuss: What it takes to be successful in the current recruiting landscape Modernising talent acquisition Speeding up recruiting using skills intelligence and automation The danger of leaving the strongest candidates on the table Using adjacent skills to broaden candidate pools DE&I and skills based decision making Find out more about eightfold's Cultivate event here Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

I know that many TA Leaders who listen to the podcast are currently scaling or rebuilding their talent acquisition teams. Market challenges and rapid advancements in the sophistication and availability of technology have changed the game for talent acquisition in the last 24 months. So how do you structure and scale a high performing talent acquisition team to meet the needs of 2022? My guest this week is Alison Kaizer, Head of Talent at Lunchbox. Alison is currently scaling a talent acquisition team in a highly challenging market sector and has some practical insights on tech stacks, team structure, metrics and competitive advantage. In the interview, we discuss: The difference between a good TA team and a world-class TA team The current market for tech talent Communicating culture in a remote process Putting technology at the centre and building a scaleable tech stack How to find, assess and structure a TA team What are the metrics that matter? Using mission and culture to drive competitive advantage What's next for talent acquisition? Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

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 415: LinkedIn & Career Breaks Ep 416: Asynchronous Working Ep 417: Optimizing The Recruiting Process Ep 418: A Mindful Return Ep 419: Speeding Up Hiring Ep 420: The Project Economy Ep 421: The Purpose Gap Ep 422: Digital Talent Ep 423: Perfecting The Candidate Experience Listen to this podcast in Apple Podcasts

It's now an obvious thing to say that the pandemic has created an inflection point in the future of work. However, understanding which of the current trends we are seeing will become the long term trends that shape this future is a challenge, particularly when demographics and technology also have a big part to play. To help me make sense of all of this and give us a professional opinion on how things might develop, my guest this week is Katy Tynan, Principal Analyst at Forrester. Katy specialises in both the employee experience and the future of work and has a vast amount of expert insight to share. In the interview, we discuss: The current state of talent markets Demographic shifts The working from anywhere trend Breaking down generational stereotypes Designing culture and working practices around employees and customers The importance of listening Values What does the career of the future look like The technology ecosystem The importance of collaboration Managing uncertainty What can we expect in the near term future? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Delivering a high-quality candidate experience isn't easy, but it has arguably never been more critical with the recruiting challenges employers are now experiencing. Over all the years that candidate experience has been an industry talking point, what has become clear to me is that it is fundamentally a strategic rather than a tactical issue. My guest this week is Carlos Fernandez, Director of Talent Acquisition at Houston Methodist. Houston Methodist puts innovation at the heart of its corporate strategy, and its approach to candidate experience reflects this. In the interview, we discuss: Recruiting challenges in the healthcare sector The quality of candidate care mirroring the quality of patient care Standing out as an employer. Candidate experience strategy The "Know Me Experience" and voice of the customer research The role of technology Virtual chat, candidate capture and auto-scheduling Using technology to connect candidates with humans quickly Change management The future of talent acquisition Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

So today is the international publication date for Digital Talent, the book I've spent the last couple of years writing with Mervyn Dinnen. We're incredibly excited that everyone can finally get to read it and wanted to record a special show to discuss the themes and some of the significant learnings from our research. In a disrupted and technology-enabled world of work, the ability to attract, recruit and retain people with digital skills can be the difference between business success and business failure. Our book explores how employers can do this successfully. I am absolutely delighted that Trish McFarlane, host of the legendary HR Happy Hour podcast, has agreed to be our guest host and interview Mervyn and me for this episode. Enjoy the conversation! In the interview, we discuss: Why we wrote Digital Talent How digital skills are critical to a company's success Speed, quality and humanity in Talent Acquisition Personalizing talent experience Aspiration vs Reality Hybrid, remote and talent intelligence Work Tech trends What are cutting edge employers doing to attract digital talent Total talent thinking Listen to this podcast in Apple Podcasts.

As we all know, recruiting and retention are tough at the moment, and employers need to work harder than ever to acquire and keep the talent they need. Purpose is often talked about as a critical differentiator in employer branding, but what does that actually mean in practical terms? New research from Cognizant has revealed just how important purpose is at work and has also highlighted a growing disconnect between employers and younger workers. So what does purpose mean for Gen Z employees, and what should employers be doing to close the purpose gap. I'm joined this week by Eduardo Plastino, Director of The Cognizant Center for the Future of Work, to talk through the research and explore its implications. In the interview, we discuss: Defining the purpose gap The increasing leverage of employees Understanding what is important to the Gen Z workforce Scepticism around employers' messaging on critical issues such as climate change and DE&I Shared values Implications for employers How to fix the purpose gap Aligning external employer brand communication with internal reality Advice to talent acquisition teams on how brand, marketing and recruiting process can demonstrate an employer is a great place to work. Listen to this podcast in Apple Podcasts.

The world of work has changed in many ways, and one fascinating area is the adoption of a more agile approach to talent. Project-based contracting is on the rise employers work to ensure they have the right skills at the right time in rapidly changing business environments. So what mindset do employers need to adopt to be successful in the project economy, and what are the implications on the career paths of knowledge workers. My guest this week is Kate Duchene, CEO at RGP, a human capital company redefining how professionals work in more flexible and collaborative ways. Kate is at the cutting edge of the project economy and has some very valuable insights and experiences to share. In the interview, we discuss: What is the Project Economy? The drive towards agility and mobility Renting or borrowing talent Run this place vs change this place Thinking differently about careers The importance of choice Skills development in portfolio careers From command and control to learning, listening and empathy Culture, productivity and performance The role of technology A future of increased flexibility Listen to this podcast in Apple Podcasts.

Perhaps the hottest topic of 2022 so far is how employers can speed up recruiting while simultaneously maintaining or improving the quality of process and quality of hire. It's something that I'll be getting a lot of different perspectives on in the coming weeks, as I know it is a crucial challenge for many of you. My guest this week is Shannon Russo, CEO and Founder of RPO firm Kinetix. Shannon's organisation is working with many employers to help them speed up hiring, and she has a tremendous amount of expertise and experience to share. In the interview, we discuss: Challenges in the market Why speed has never been more important Speeding up hiring and improving quality Same day offers Finding talent Reaching back out to existing candidate databases. How are companies standing out Recruiting Technology The role of RPO in 2022 What does the future of recruiting look like Listen to this podcast in Apple Podcasts.

For many people who take parental leave, returning to work can be a very challenging time where they are not getting the support they need from their employer. So what should employers be doing to support new parents, particularly when talent retention is such a big issue? My guest this week is Lori Mihalich-Levin, founder of Mindful Return. Mindful Return is an organisation focused on helping parents and employers manage effective transitions back into the workplace, and Lori has some valuable insights to share. In the interview, we discuss: The common issues and difficulties for parents returning to work after parental leave The dangers of managers making assumptions What are employers getting wrong The importance of dialogue Making the transition an intentional and thoughtful process A mindful mindset, logistics, leadership and community Skills Culture, belonging and retention What are the best employers doing What does the future of flexible working look like? Listen to this podcast Apple Podcasts

With so many challenges in talent acquisition, process improvement and optimization are a constant theme as employers attempt to speed up their processes. But how do you speed up recruiting while protecting the integrity of quality of hire and DE&I? My guest this week is Erin Crask, Director Solutions Architects at SHL. Erin and her team use science and data to help enhance people strategies, and she has a tremendous amount of experience helping companies to streamline their external and internal recruiting processes. In the interview, we discuss: Current challenges in recruiting The danger of reactive decision making The dangers of scaling back assessment to speed up recruiting Making evidence based changes to processes Protecting the quality of hire while also shortening the selection timeline Using automation to provide feedback for all applicants Defending the integrity of the process with internal stakeholders Measuring the right things The critical elements of a high quality candidate experience Asynchronous processes to empower candidates Automation trends What does best in class internal mobility look like Listen to this podcast in Apple Podcasts.

For many people, remote working now feels like business as usual; however, most employers still haven't evolved their working practices to embrace its advantages. Adopting an asynchronous model or work has been something that remote-first companies have been doing for years, and there are proven benefits in terms of both productivity and wellbeing. So what are the strategic differences between synchronous and asynchronous, how does leadership work in an asynchronous model, and what steps should employers be taking to adapt to different ways of working in a remote world of work. My guest this week is Liam Martin, founder of a remote-first company with people in 43 different countries and no office. He is a thought leader on asynchronous work and co-organizer of Running Remote, the world's largest conference on building and scaling remote teams. In the interview, we discuss: The difference in mindset between asynchronous and synchronous Advantages and disadvantages of asynchronous management Clarity and autonomy How did the early remote-first companies develop this way of working The rise of the introverted leader Reprogramming teams to work in a different way. Issues with hybrid and the problem of distance bias First steps to take to become autonomous Long term implications of remote working Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Episodes mentioned in this Round Up: Ep 409: Inclusive Hiring Ep 410: Recruiting Fundamentals Ep 411: EVP In A Hyper Competitive Market Ep 412: Scaling Recruiting Ep 413: Into The Metaverse Ep 414: Change & Complexity Listen to this podcast in Apple Podcasts

Destigmatizing career breaks is something that I feel very strongly about and something that talent acquisition needs to take very seriously. With so much lip service paid to diversity and inclusion and the current difficulties of finding talent, it makes zero sense to still view career breaks negatively. This week LinkedIn have announced Career Breaks on the LinkedIn Profile to better reflect the realities of career journeys and, in turn, begin to normalize career breaks in the recruiting process. My guest this week is Jennifer Shappley, Global Head of Talent Acquisition at Linkedin. As well as talking us through the new career breaks feature, Jennifer discusses the key findings on LinkedIn's latest Global Talent Trends report and shares her thoughts on the future of talent acquisition. In the interview, we discuss: Global Talent Trends Wellbeing and flexibility Trust LinkedIn's new Career Break profile section How can talent acquisition support people who have taken a career break How is talent acquisition changing, and where is it going? Making interviews equitable in a hybrid world What are the biggest challenges talent acquisition teams are facing Listen to this podcast in Apple Podcasts.

One thing that really annoys me is when commentators, consultants or vendors offer advice to talent acquisition teams that doesn't recognise just how complex organisational hiring dynamics can be. Change is constant, but driving effective change in a complex organisation that radically improves talent acquisition is incredibly challenging. My guest this week is Jenny Cotie Kangas, Director, Digital Experience Talent Acquisition at Regis Corporation. Jenny has an incredible story to tell about the power of adopting a beginner's mindset to use technology to transform talent acquisition in a highly complex company. In the interview, we discuss: The talent acquisition challenges in a franchised organisation A beginner's mindset Calibrating talent acquisition as business critical Delivering intentionality to the candidate Identifying a recruiting technology partner Designing the candidate experience Offering consistency and flexibility in the recruiting process where one size fits all doesn't work Modular technology The results so far and the next stages Advice to talent acquisition leaders What does the future of recruiting look like? Listen to this episode in Apple Podcasts.

For over a decade now, I've been flagging up the development of virtual reality as something talent acquisition should have on their radar. It's taken a while, but with tech giants like Meta and Apple making multi-billion dollar investments in technology and infrastructure is now finally the time for our industry to fully embrace the Metaverse. So how does would this work, and what talent acquisition and HR activities are already in play in virtual reality. My guests this week are Misha Krymov and Jennifer Regan, the CEO and Head of Experiences at Morpheus XR. Morpheus XR is already designing recruiting, onboarding and leadership development experiences in the Metaverse and have a massive amount of knowledge to share with us. In the interview, we discuss: What is the Metaverse, and who is building it? Creating space for meaning and meaningful moments How environment shapes human behaviour How VR gives agency to users that Zoom / Teams calls don't Unbiased recruitment using VR Onboarding What should talent acquisition teams be doing to learn about the Metaverse Inclusion and alternatives to headsets Untangling science fiction from science fact Extending reality What's the potential for VR, and how will it be used in the future Listen to this podcast in Apple Podcasts

This year, scale and speed are an essential focus for many talent acquisition teams. But how do you scale recruiting and speed up hiring in an environment where recruiting recruiters is as tough as it is right now? My guest this week is David Spencer-Percival, CEO of Life Science People and formerly the founder of high growth recruitment businesses Huntress and Spencer Ogden. David has decades of experience scaling up and recruiting recruiters in various markets. He has developed a tried and tested methodology that many talent acquisition teams can learn from In the interview, we discuss: Recruiting, training and nurturing fantastic recruiters The academy model Selection Building the right culture of success and incentive The relentless pace of change Recruiting processes for a candidate driven market What are the most successful employers getting right? The role of technology Advice to TA leaders on building effective working partnerships with agencies Listen to this podcast in Apple Podcasts.

Over the last few months, as I've been researching the practical effects of the Great Resignation, we've heard the stories of talent acquisition professionals from the US, Europe and Australia on what is truly a global issue. One country I really want to know more about though, is India, one of the biggest global markets for tech talent. My guest this week is Aditya Singh, Director Head of Talent Acquisition at Informatica. Aditya has overall responsibility for designing and deploying Informatica's Talent Acquisition Strategy across India and gives us a great insight into what Informatica is doing to stand out in one of the most competitive talent markets on the planet. In the interview, we discuss: The Indian tech talent market Why EVP is critical for differentiation Gen Z's expectations from work Constant engagement throughout the client lifecycle The importance of campus recruiting The rapidly changing landscape of skills and why this makes internal mobility critical The impact of remote The role of technology Data and analytics What TA innovations can we expect to see in the future Listen to this podcast in Apple Podcasts.

As employers continue to struggle to find the talent they need, it is fascinating to see talent acquisition teams forensically picking their recruiting processes apart and reimagining them to reflect the reality of 2022. While talent intelligence, AI, and automation play a part, some human fundamentals sit at the heart of an effective TA strategy. So what should recruiters be focusing on, and how different is the talent market of 2022 from those in the past. My guest this week is somewhat of a recruiting legend and has strong opinions based on his decades in the industry. Lou Adler, CEO of Performance-based Hiring Learning Systems, is a prolific author, speaker and trainer. Keep listening to hear his thoughts on how best to deal with the challenges employers are currently facing. In the interview, we discuss: Is the current market really unprecedented? What should recruiters be focusing on? Designing recruiting processes Go to market positioning. Results versus competencies and experience Predictive indicators and confirming indicators Hiring manager The role of technology The future Listen to this podcast in Apple Podcast.

In the latter part of last year, I had two conversations on the show about hiring from marginalised groups. The first was with Eugène van den Hemel, who is doing pioneering work in The Netherlands to connect refugees with employment opportunities. The second was with Darren Burns, who runs the ex-offender hiring programme for UK retailer Timpson. Both of these conversations were eye-opening for me. They highlighted that now more than ever, employers need to challenge traditional policies and beliefs to think differently about hiring if they want to be genuinely inclusive. I wanted to know more, and a few weeks ago, I was introduced to James Fellowes and Chance Bleu-Montgomery from Prosper4, who run an inclusive hiring portal called the Bridge of Hope. Their organisation helps bridge the gap between being job-ready and getting a job in many marginalised and diverse talent pools. Their knowledge and expertise come from incredibly challenging personal experiences, and it was a privilege to give them this platform to tell their story. In the interview, we discuss: Being in the business of changing lives Inclusive recruitment and inclusive employment Building a coalition of support services covering critical areas such as qualifications, finance and broader family support What does the talent come from Improving the odds both for job seekers and employers The huge benefits to employers Which employers are embracing inclusive recruiting Future plans Listen to this podcast in Apple Podcasts.

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 403: The Skills Challenge Ep 404: The Great Opportunity Ep 405: Global Remote Teams Ep 406: A CEO’s Perspective On Remote Work Ep 407: Science Driven Talent Intelligence Ep 408: Hiring Revolution Listen to this podcast in Apple Podcasts

DE&I continues, thankfully, to be an extremely high profile issue for employers. However, the needle is still not moving quickly enough, and some of the data is shocking. For example, it would still take 200 hundred years to close the race and gender pay gaps at the current rate of progress. So what can employers do to accelerate the pace of change, and how much can individual recruiters influence diversity in hiring. This week, my guests are Trina Olson and Alfonso Wenker, co-founders of Team Dynamics. Trina and Alfonso work with some well-known organisations to improve their diversity and hiring practices. They have recently authored a book called Hiring Revolution that offers some extremely practical advice on how recruiters can inject DE&I into their organisation's hiring. In the interview, we discuss: Aligning cultural behaviour to values Why inequities in hiring and promotion are not a foregone conclusion Resume racism Recruiters taking individual responsibility to make change Notice, Name and Navigate RPDR What to do more of, what to do less of and what to stop. Onboarding How will things develop over the next two years? Listen to this podcast in Apple Podcasts.

Talent intelligence is something that has gathered significant momentum in the last three years, and data-driven decision making is a crucial part of every sophisticated talent acquisition function. But are we asking enough questions about the sources of the data that is used and truly understanding the risk of bias? My guest this week is Markellos Diorinos, CEO at Bryq. Markellos is passionate about using objective science and unbiased data to inform hiring and internal mobility. In the interview, we discuss: Data supported decision making. Challenging recruiting norms The importance of human decision making Biased data and reliable data Understanding culture in an objective scientific way Translating a cultural framework into specific behaviours The role of technology What does the future look like? Listen to this podcast in Apple Podcasts.

Whatever form it eventually takes, remote working is here to stay. In the previous episode of the show, we explored the challenges and opportunities of building a global remote team; in this episode, I wanted to get the hands-on perspective of someone who has built a highly successful remote-first company. Everett Harper is the CEO of Truss, a software engineering business that has been fully remote for ten years. In our conversation, Everett shares myriad insights on hiring, communication, retention, culture and diversity, which will be of enormous value to everyone who's listening. In the interview, we discuss: Building a 100% remote company Culture Maintaining and measuring productivity. Focusing on human connection and building systems to support that The danger of expanding work hours Exposing the fallacy of presenteeism Putting diversity at the heart of the workforce How to ensure you have the skills and talent you need Salary transparency and consistency Thinking differently about the things we are seeing Do we understand the real implications of global mobility? What does the future look like? Everett's book - "Move to the Edge, Declare it Center." Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

One of the early discussion points in the pandemic was the access to global talent pools that the move to remote working could open up. Two years on, it is pretty clear that remote working is now a permanent fixture in the working life of many people. So how far are employers tapping into global talent pools, and what are the challenges and opportunities. My guest this week is Nicole Sahin, CEO and Founder of Globalization Partners. Nicole and her company work with many employers who are building global remote teams, and she has some valuable insights and experiences to share. In the interview, we discuss: The long term trends that are coming out of the pandemic Everyone everywhere The benefits of building global remote teams Diversity of ideas Engagement & productivity Building community Common challenges What mindset shifts are employers making Understanding cultural norms Building a global employer brand Nicole's book " Global Talent Unleashed." Listen to this podcast in Apple Podcasts.

It's only January, and it's already clear that the Great resignation will continue to be a huge talking point in 2022 as companies fight for the talent and skills they need. However, some employers are already reframing this challenge as a fantastic opportunity to attract talented people they might not have previously persuaded to move roles. This isn't easy, and obviously, employer brand and employee experience are huge factors. However, there is a lot that talent acquisition teams can be doing to stand out from the crowd by focusing on the areas within their control that make a real difference. My guest this week is Maggie Spong, VP of Talent Acquisition at AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca has certainly been thrust into the spotlight by the pandemic, but they have also spent the last few years developing several initiatives to differentiate themselves in their talent markets. In our conversation, Maggie shares a number of these, including their talent scout programme, building a personalised and inclusive candidate experience, and focusing on training and development for their talent acquisition team. In the interview, we discuss: How Talent Acquisition is evolving at AstraZeneca Using Talent Scouts to build external talent pipelines for hard to fill roles and where there are gaps in internal succession planning Building a personalised and inclusive candidate experience. Giving feedback to all interviewed candidates The challenges of the pandemic Encouraging candidate self-selection by showcasing the authentic employee experience Turning The Great Resignation into The Great Opportunity The role of technology Employer brand advocacy Investing in development and the Talent Acquisition Academy AstraZeneca's focus for 2022 Listen to this podcast in Apple Podcast.

Skills shortages have always been an issue for employers and have certainly come into sharp focus in recent months. Skills mapping, predicting future skills requirements and opening up talent pools via hybrid and remote working are just some of the solutions employers will be looking at in 2022. So what kind of strategies should talent acquisition and HR leaders be planning, and how can technology help? My first guest of the year is Vanessa Tierney, CEO of Abodoo. Vanessa's organisation recently surveyed 100 HR Directors and C-Level Executives from the world's best companies to work for and asked their opinion about their firm's working strategy, talent, workforce, and social infrastructure. Unsurprisingly skills were the number one issue. In the interview, we discuss: Attrition and skills shortages Opening up talent pools globally via remote and hybrid working How do you make people feel connected? Adapting working models Presenteeism How can employers better understand the skills in their workforce? Hard and soft skills matching. Predicting future skills requirements and understanding gaps Spotting opportunities in geographical skills clusters Driving inclusivity in talent identification The Metaverse Advice on selecting HR and Recruiting Technology What should we expect in the medium and long term future? Listen to this podcast in Apple Podcasts.