PLAY PODCASTS
The Recruiting Brainfood Podcast

The Recruiting Brainfood Podcast

451 episodes — Page 1 of 10

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep409 - Vibe Coding TA Tools - How Viable Is This Really?

Sep 18, 20261h 7m

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep408 - Assessing the Skilful Use of AI

Sep 17, 20261h 0m

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep410 - Future of Hiring with Matt Wilson, CEO of Jack & Jill

Sep 15, 202637 min

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep407 - Disconnected AI vs Multi-Agent Ecosystem: How to build a TA Tech Stack for the Agentic Era

Sep 11, 20261h 2m

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep405 - What the EU AI Act Means for Recruiters

Sep 4, 20261h 1m

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep404 - In Conversation with John Vlastelica

Aug 28, 20261h 2m

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep403 - From Talent Acquisition to Organisational Performance

Aug 21, 20261h 5m

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep401 - National Interview Week - Helping 100,000 People Back to Work

Aug 21, 20261h 1m

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep398 - Meet Ema - Your AI Employee for HR, IT and Finance (Live Demo)

Aug 19, 20261h 0m

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep 400 - The State of AI Readiness: Is Your Organisation Ready?

Aug 14, 20261h 4m

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep396 - The Employer Branding: the Reckoning - Automation vs Authenticy

Aug 7, 20261h 4m

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep399 - The Essential Guide for Increasing Talent Density

Jul 31, 20261h 5m

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep397 - Calculating Employee Lifetime Value (in Era of AI)

Jul 24, 20261h 4m

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep395 - The Death of the Junior Recruiter

Jul 17, 202659 min

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep393 - Fixing Hiring Manager and Recruiter Misalignment

Jul 11, 20261h 10m

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep392 - The Recfest Recap 2026

Jul 8, 20261h 1m

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep391 - Evolution of Talent CRM's

Jul 4, 20261h 8m

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep389 - HR vs People Ops: Semantic vs Substantive Difference?

Jun 27, 20261h 3m

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep390 - How do AI-enabled Recruiters Spend Their Time

Jun 19, 20261h 5m

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep387 - GEO vs SEO - What Recruitment Marketeers Need to Know in 2026

Jun 12, 20261h 11m

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep386 - What if AI Actually Costs More Than Humans?

Jun 5, 20261h 7m

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep384 - The Hire Standard 2026 Benchmark Report

May 29, 20261h 3m

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep388 - Introducing Next Generation AI Recruitment Agents - Juicebox Live Demo

May 26, 202657 min

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep383 - How to Hire for AI Fluency - The Zapier Framework

May 23, 20261h 1m

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep381 - How to Hire in Hong Kong (SAR) in 2026

May 14, 202654 min

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep379 - AI Recommendations vs Human Judgement (Part Two)

May 8, 20261h 2m

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep378 - How to Hire in China in 2026

May 8, 20261h 3m

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep377 - Job Advertising on Social Media in 2026

May 8, 20261h 2m

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep376 - We're Going To Do An OpenClaw Install

Apr 25, 20261h 2m

Brainfood Live on Air Ep385 - Screening at Scale Metaview Applicant Review Live Demo

Apr 24, 20261h 3m

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep375 - How to Hire in Japan in 2026

Apr 22, 20261h 9m

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep374 - Automation is Eating Recruiting (And What Recruiters Should be Doing Now)

Apr 17, 20261h 7m

Brainfood Live On Air - Ep373 - How to Hire in Korea in 2026

Apr 14, 202658 min

Ep 420Brainfood Live On Air - Ep372 - Do Candidates Really Prefer AI Interviewers?

Candidates prefer AI Interviews? Candidate Experience for Different Demographic Cohorts AI interviewing isn't the future - it's the now. From one-way video screens to conversational chatbots, candidates are increasingly meeting algorithms before they meet humans. But here's what nobody's asking: does a Gen Z grad feel the same way about a bot interviewer as a mid-career professional? Does a neurodivergent candidate experience relief or anxiety? Are underrepresented groups finding equity -or erasure - in automated screening? We're diving deep into the demographic divide nobody's measuring. In this session, we'll unpack: • Do younger candidates actually prefer AI screens, or is that a myth? • How do gender differences show up in AI interview comfort levels? • What do candidates with disabilities really think about voice-analysis tools? • Are multilingual candidates disadvantaged by English-first AI systems? • Does AI reduce bias for candidates of color—or encode new barriers? • How do socioeconomic backgrounds shape "digital interview readiness"? • What makes veterans trust (or distrust) algorithmic evaluation? • Are remote rural candidates leveling up or getting left behind? • How do parenting status and career gaps interact with AI screening? • Which demographics are quietly dropping out of your AI funnel? Recruiters, HR leaders, TA innovators - this one's for you We're with Kevin Grossman, Oana Iordachescu, Yaz Dalal and friends, on Friday 10th April, 2pm GMT / 7 am PT / 3pm CET. Follow the channel here (recommended) and register on 'Save my Spot' for reserve your spot. Episode 372 is sponsored by Joveo As the global leader in AI-powered, high-performance recruitment marketing, Joveo is transforming talent attraction and recruitment media buying for the world’s largest employers, staffing firms, RPOs, and media agencies. The Joveo platform enables businesses to attract, source, engage, and hire the best candidates on time and within budget. Powering millions of jobs every day, Joveo’s AI-led recruitment marketing platform uses advanced data science and machine learning to dynamically manage and optimize talent sourcing and applications across all online channels, while providing real-time insights at every step of the job seeker journey, from click to hire. For more information about Joveo’s award-winning platform and solutions, visit www.joveo.com.

Apr 10, 20261h 2m

Ep 419Brainfood Live On Air - Ep371 - How AI is Reshaping Sourcing

Ep371 is sponsored by our friends Pin. Join Pin and our recruiting industry experts for a live conversation on “How AI is Reshaping Sourcing in 2026.” We’ll explore how leading teams are moving beyond experimentation and turning AI into a true competitive advantage. In this session, we’ll cover: - How AI is changing the role of the sourcer - What automation should (and shouldn’t) replace - Emerging tools and workflows defining 2026 H- ow to balance efficiency with authenticity in candidate engagement Whether you’re a people leader, recruiter, or TA innovator, you’ll walk away with practical insights you can apply immediately. Save your spot and join us live to learn what the future of sourcing really looks like — and how to stay ahead of it. We're on Weds 1st April, 10am PT / 1pm ET. Follow the channel here (recommended) and click on green button 'Save my Spot' to register for this show.

Apr 2, 20261h 1m

Ep 418Brainfood Live On Air - Ep370 - AI Sourcing Agents & AI Job Search Agents - Archer Live Demo

AI Sourcing Agents in the Enterprise: Live demo! Following on from Archer's phenomenal success, it's time to catch up with CEO Mark Chaffey on what happens when a feature becomes a product, and that product turns into the main thing. Archer is the AI sourcing agent which has not only enabled hackajob to expand beyond the talent market place model but also expand scope beyond tech domain also. The stats are staggering: In its first 90 days: 🏹 35,000 double opt-in introductions between jobseekers and employers 🏹 15% of these connections are for non-tech roles in areas such as Sales & Finance 🏹 20:1 first-stage-to-hire conversion — 15x better than the industry average 🏹 1,500+ fraudulent candidates blocked before reaching hiring processes 🏹 60% are first-time applicants you’d never have found through active channels Let's hear from Mark on what the future of recruitment technology looks like when enterprise customers have an always on 24/7, multi-domain, multi-lingual recruiter working for them, within existing workflow. In fact, why don't we live demo and see Archer in action as enterprise customers would see it? We're on Tuesday 31st March, 4pm BST / 11am ET / 8am PT. Register by clicking on the green button (save my spot) and follow the channel here (recommended) Ep370 is sponsored by our friends hackajob AI agents for job seekers and employers—making hiring easier, faster and fairer.

Mar 31, 202659 min

Ep 417Brainfood Live On Air - Ep369 - Optimising Your Recruiter Workflow with AI - Real Examples

OPTIMISING YOUR RECRUITER WORKFLOW WITH AI - EXAMPLES! AI is transforming recruitment at lightning speed. Recruiters who embrace it are filling roles faster, delivering better candidate experiences, and outperforming competitors stuck in manual processes. Yet many professionals hesitate - not because they doubt AI's potential, but because they lack concrete, real-world examples of how to implement it effectively. This livestream bridges that gap with actionable demonstrations you can apply immediately! What You'll Learn: - Getting started with Workflow automations - Finding a single manual process is currently repeats - Asking AI to help you identify those instances! - Real live demo from experts! Mastering techniques isn't going to happen in one episode of Brainfood Live, but getting people started isn't beyond us. This isn't just about working smarter - it's about future-proofing your career. Recruiters who integrate AI into their workflow consistently exceed KPIs, become indispensable strategic partners to hiring managers, and command higher salaries in an increasingly competitive market. Meanwhile, those who delay risk being outpaced by tech-savvy colleagues and automated alternatives. Join us to transform your daily workflow, elevate your professional value, and secure your position at the forefront of modern recruitment. We're on Friday 27th March, 2pm GMT. Register by clicking on the green button (save my spot) and follow the channel here (recommended) Episode 369 is sponsored by Juicebox PeopleGPT is the leading outbound recruiting platform built on Generative AI. Find talent across 30+ data sources, get interactive Talent Insights, and reach out with personalized AI email campaigns. Key features include: PeopleGPT (Search): the world’s first people search engine that uses natural language. Describe who you’re searching for and find the perfect match from over 30 data sources. Talent Insights: Visualize your talent pool with 15+ interactive charts. Refine your search and dive deep into stats based on location, employers, job titles, skills, and more. Email Outreach: Maximize candidate engagement with AI-powered email campaigns. Personalize messaging at scale using AI commands, and boost response rates by 40%. Get 15% off your Juicebox subscription with code: BRAINFOOD15 Trusted by 5000+ companies including Scale AI, Mindbloom, and Patreon. Free trial available. Try Juicebox today

Mar 27, 20261h 31m

Ep 416Brainfood Live On Air - Ep368 - LinkedIn Content Intelligence Q1 2026

LINKEDIN CONTENT INTELLIGENCE REPORT Q1 2026 The LinkedIn newsfeed has completely changed how professional content gets seen and shared — and old posting playbooks are now obsolete. In “LinkedIn Content Intelligence Report Q1 2026”, we’ll break down how LinkedIn’s evolving algorithm prioritises relevance, meaning, and audience interest — not just likes and vanity metrics — and what this means for creators and marketers focused on real visibility and real engagement. Real data, real trends, real tactical takeaways. What we’ll cover: The New Distribution Logic: LinkedIn now prioritises deep, meaningful engagement and professional relevance over broad viral reach, reshaping who sees your posts and why. Interest-Based Feed Signals: The feed is increasingly driven by topical relevance and user interest, not just network connections or follower count. Engagement Quality Over Quantity: Simple likes matter far less than sustained conversations and comments that signal real value. Post Formats That Win Now: Text, thought leadership, and content sparking discussion are outperforming generic posts — and tactics like saves and comments now carry disproportionate weight. Semantic Content Signals: LinkedIn’s new 360Brew AI reads meaning and topical authority, rewarding posts that speak clearly to a defined audience. Saturation and Signal Noise: More posts and noise mean generic content gets buried — creators must craft specificity and relevance to break through. Profile + Content Alignment: Your profile and the themes you post about now act together as signals to the algorithm — misalignment can suppress reach. Every creator has wondered, why isn’t this getting seen anymore? The answer isn’t a mystery - the algorithm has shifted fundamentally. This livestream will turn complex technical changes into actionable strategy, outlining where visibility is going, what LinkedIn actually rewards, and how you can reclaim reach and influence on the platform. Whether you’re a content creator, marketer, or brand strategist, this session will give you the context and tactics to adapt and win in 2026. We're on Friday 20th March, 2pm GMT. Register by clicking on the green button (save my spot) and follow the channel here (recommended) Episode 368 is sponsored by Maki At Maki, we help organisations like BNP Paribas, PwC, Booking.com, Nestlé, and H&M transform hiring with AI agents for screening, interviewing, and assessment. By combining automation, behavioural science, and data, Maki enables talent teams to hire faster, fairer, and smarter. Our global partnership with H&M saved 250 000 recruiter hours, cut time-to-hire by 4×, and reduced turnover by 22 %, delivering $85 M ROI. Beyond automation, we’re building a continuous reinforcement system where every recruiter judgment and employee outcome makes our AI agents smarter; creating a unique data moat in HR. Learn more: makipeople.com

Mar 20, 20261h 12m

Ep 415Brainfood Live On Air - Ep367 - Human Judgement vs AI Recommendation - What do we really mean by 'humans-in-the-loop'?

HUMAN JUDGEMENT VS AI RECOMMENDATION: WHAT 'HUMAN-IN-THE-LOOP' ACTUALLY MEAN? AI is now embedded across sourcing, screening, matching, and interview scheduling. Yet one phrase keeps appearing in every vendor pitch and compliance policy: human-in-the-loop. But what does that actually mean in practice? In this livestream, “Human Judgement vs AI Recommendation – What does it really mean to say ‘human-in-the-loop’?”, we’ll examine how decisions are truly being made inside AI-enabled hiring workflows. When the algorithm scores, ranks, and recommends, where does human authority begin — and end? This debate goes beyond tooling. It cuts to accountability, fairness, performance, and power. What we’ll explore: The Meaning of “Human-in-the-Loop”: Is it oversight, veto power, rubber-stamping, or genuine decision control? Right of Veto: Should recruiters and hiring managers override AI recommendations — and under what conditions? The Return of Gut Feel: If humans retain final say, do bias and intuition simply re-enter through the back door? Would it be more honest to say it never left? The Comeback of Cultural Fit? Aggregate Fairness vs Individual Judgment: If machines outperform humans statistically, should we defer to them — even when a single case feels wrong? Liability and Accountability: When a hiring decision is challenged, who owns it — the recruiter, the hiring manager, or the model? Designing Decision Architecture: How to structure workflows where AI augments cognition without replacing responsibility. The future of hiring will not be AI-only or human-only. It will be a system of delegated judgment. Recruiters, TA leaders, HR executives, and HR tech builders need clarity on how authority, bias, and performance interact inside that system. If you care about fairness, effectiveness, and control in AI-enabled hiring, this session will challenge assumptions and force sharper thinking about what “human-in-the-loop” truly requires. We're on Friday 13th March, 2pm GMT. Register by clicking on the green button (save my spot) and follow the channel here (recommended) Episode 367 is sponsored by Metaview Are you ready to supercharge your recruiting teams performance? Metaview’s AI Sourcing will feel like a cheat code. It’s the first autonomous AI coworker that goes off and does the search for you and brings back spot-on candidates based on your exact brief. Here’s what recruiters have been saying about it: “I don’t know how you did it, but Metaview’s AI Sourcing is absurdly good.” Michael, Partner @ Super Recruiter “Metaview’s AI Sourcing really helps with niche roles. It surfaces profiles I wouldn’t have found.” Dea, TA Manager @ Miro “So impressed by how Metaview’s AI Sourcing turns a natural language prompt into great profiles.” Leslie, Recruiter @ Cockroach Labs Metaview gives high-performance teams a genuine unfair advantage in hiring. Join teams like ElevenLabs, Deel, and Pleo — along with 4,000+ others — and try it for free today.

Mar 13, 20261h 8m

Ep 414Brainfood Live On Air - Ep366 - The State of the TA / HR Job Market 2026 - Q1

THE STATE OF THE TALENT ACQUISITION & HR JOB MARKET Q 2026 The talent acquisition and HR profession is facing its own reckoning. After years of contraction, cautious hiring, automation investment, and cost discipline, the very functions built to fuel growth are now navigating scarcity themselves. In this livestream, The State of the Talent Acquisition & HR Job Market Q1 2026, we’ll unpack exclusive data from AspenTech Labs to examine what is really happening inside the TA and HR labor market. How deep are the cuts? Which roles are stabilising? Where is AI augmenting versus replacing? And what does this mean for practitioners planning their next move? What we’ll cover: Three Years of Contraction The AI Effect Shrinking Teams, Expanding Scope: Which Roles Are Resilient: The Geography Shift Compensation Trends What Employers Want Now TA and HR functions traditionally scale with expansion. In a prolonged slowdown, they are forced to justify value in sharper, more measurable terms. This session will translate AspenTech Labs’ data into practical insight: whether you’re a TA leader defending budget, an HR executive redesigning structure, or a practitioner navigating career risk. If you want clarity on where opportunity remains—and how to future-proof yourself in a leaner market—this conversation will provide the signal you need. We're on Wednesday 11th March, 2pm GMT. Register by clicking on the green button (save my spot) and follow the channel here (recommended) Episode 366 is sponsored by Oleo AI is now used by 62% of companies for hiring, but rapid efficiency shouldn't come at the expense of fairness. Oleeo and Aptitude Research’s new report highlights a major gap: only 20% of employers have fully established AI governance frameworks, which can lead to unintended bias. To keep things fair and compliant, 85% of recruiters demand final decision-making authority. Download 'Setting the Standard for Responsible AI: A Guide For Modern Recruiters' today to build a transparent, human-led strategy that uses AI responsibly.

Mar 11, 20261h 1m

Ep 413Brainfood Live On Air - Ep365 - The Recruitment Advertising Benchmark Report 2026

THE RECRUITMENT ADVERTISING BENCHMARK REPORT 2026 The labor market story of 2026 cannot be told through a single headline. Behind the macro narrative of cooling growth lies a structural split that is reshaping how recruiting actually works. In this livestream, we’ll break down Joveo’s Recruiting Benchmarks Report 2026 and discuss 9x surge in applicant volume for some roles to the persistent drought in others, this session will translate benchmark data into practical strategy. What we’ll cover: The 9x Applicant Avalanche Why More Applicants Doesn’t Mean Easier Hiring: The Occupational Split: Demand Intensity in Healthcare and Skilled Trades: Two Markets, Two Strategies: The Experience Cliff: Capability Over Credentials Recruiters and recruitment marketers who continue to run one hiring process across two fundamentally different markets risk underperforming in both. This session will equip you with the insight to recalibrate metrics, rethink CPA obsession, and align strategy to the actual hiring environment you’re operating in. If you want to move from reactive benchmarking to intentional advantage in 2026, this is a conversation you cannot afford to miss. We're on Friday 6th March, 2pm GMT. Register by clicking on the green button (save my spot) and follow the channel here (recommended) Episode 365 is sponsored by Joveo As the global leader in AI-powered, high-performance recruitment marketing, Joveo is transforming talent attraction and recruitment media buying for the world’s largest employers, staffing firms, RPOs, and media agencies. The Joveo platform enables businesses to attract, source, engage, and hire the best candidates on time and within budget. Powering millions of jobs every day, Joveo’s AI-led recruitment marketing platform uses advanced data science and machine learning to dynamically manage and optimize talent sourcing and applications across all online channels, while providing real-time insights at every step of the job seeker journey, from click to hire. For more information about Joveo’s award-winning platform and solutions, visit www.joveo.com.

Mar 6, 20261h 4m

Ep 412Brainfood Live On Air - Ep364 - How to Hire in South Africa in 2026

HOW TO HIRE IN SOUTH AFRICA IN 2026 Friends, I am back in South Africa, in one of my favourite cities for one of my favourite conferences, Recruiters Unite! As has become tradition, we're going to do a Brainfood Live on the day the event, to speak to local South African recruiters and discuss the main challenges in hiring in South Africa in 2026. We hope to share knowledge between local recruiters and increase awareness for outsiders on how things roll here in the Rainbow Nation! A few things we'll cover: Macro hiring outlook for 2026 Understanding South Africa’s labour law framework Employment Equity & B-BBEE in practice Permanent vs contract vs EOR models Compensation benchmarks & pay transparency trends Scarce skills and critical talent pipelines Remote and hybrid hiring dynamics Managing unionised environments Immigration and cross-border hiring Retention in a high-mobility market All this and more, as we dive into the nuance of hiring in one of the most dynamic and complicated countries in Africa. We're on Tuesday 3rd March, 12pm GMT / 2pm SAST Register by clicking on the green button (save my spot) and follow the channel here (recommended) Ep364 is sponsored by Recruiters Unite It's the event of the year for recruiters in South Africa. Get together with 400 local recruiters and a handful of brilliant experts from overseas and share knowledge as to how recruitment is working today and how it will work tomorrow. Tickets here

Mar 3, 20261h 3m

Ep 411Brainfood Live On Air - Ep383 - The AI in Hiring Report 2026

THE AI IN HIRING REPORT 2026 AI now shapes how candidates are discovered, evaluated, progressed, and hired. What began as productivity tooling has become a decision-making layer across the hiring funnel, influencing speed, fairness, quality, and outcomes at scale. As adoption accelerates, the focus has shifted from novelty to impact: what AI is actually doing inside hiring workflows, where it adds value, and where risk is emerging. This session brings those realities into the open, grounded in fresh data from Greenhouse’s 2026 report on the state of AI in recruitment. The report investigates AI use across the full hiring funnel, including: • Attraction & employer branding – how AI shapes job ads, messaging, and candidate reach • Sourcing – automation, matching, and talent rediscovery inside ATS platforms • Screening & shortlisting – CV parsing, skills inference, and early-stage decision support • Assessment & interviewing – structured interviews, note-taking, and signal consistency • Candidate experience – communication, feedback loops, and process transparency • Hiring decisions - how are candidates evaluated and how offers are personalised and shaped. All this and more on Brainfood Live On Air. We're on Friday 27th February, 2pm GMT. Follow the channel here (recommended) and click on the green button (save my spot) to reserve a place! Ep363 is sponsored by Greenhouse Want to dive deeper into the results of the Greenhouse AI In Hiring Survey? Discover how hundreds of candidates, recruiters, and hiring managers feel about working with AI in 2026. Read the key findings and actionable insights by downloading here:

Feb 27, 20261h 5m

Ep 410Brainfood Live On Air - Ep362 - From Talent Acquisition to Talent Operations?

FROM TALENT ACQUISITION TO TALENT OPERATIONS is a forward-looking show for TA leaders who can feel the function changing - but need clarity on what it is becoming. We’ll examine the rise of talent operations as a distinct capability, driven by automation across scheduling, screening, compliance, and workflow management. As logistics are increasingly handled by platforms and AI, the skills that matter inside TA are changing fast. Data literacy is no longer optional. Leaders must understand demand forecasting, funnel diagnostics, quality signals, and cost-to-hire at a systems level—not just at req level. At the same time, employer branding is making a return to centre stage. In a market shaped by transparency, social proof, and candidate choice, brand and messaging once again shape hiring outcomes. Talent intelligence becomes the strategic core: mapping skills, supply, pay, location, and future demand to inform decisions across the business. Meanwhile, execution is fragmenting. More organisations are moving actual recruiting delivery to on-demand models—combining RPO, freelance recruiters, and specialist vendors—while internal teams focus on orchestration, insight, and governance. This livestream will unpack what world-class talent operations looks like in practice, how leading teams are reorganising today, and what capabilities TA leaders must build next. Viewers will learn how to transition from recruiter-led execution to an operational, intelligence-driven TA model built for scale, flexibility, and impact. We're with Jamie Leonard, Founder of Recruitment Events Co, Jennifer Candee, Global Head of TA Transformation (IMI), Trine Rulffs, on Friday 20th February, 2pm GMT. Register by clicking on the green button (save my spot) and follow the channel here (recommended) Ep362 is sponsored by Greenhouse 91% of recruiters and hiring managers have spotted or suspected candidate deception in the hiring process. Enter Greenhouse Real Talent™. Cut through spam and misrepresentation in your pipeline, verify a candidate's identity, and quickly identify which applicants are most aligned with your role. Learn more and book a demo today:

Feb 20, 20261h 9m

Ep 409Brainfood Live On Air - Ep361 - Leadership in Crisis - How to do RIF for TA

REDUCTION IN FORCE: HOW TO LEAD DURING CRISIS! This show focuses on the practical reality of TA downsizing, told by leaders who have already been through it. Not theory. Not platitudes. Real decisions, real mistakes, and hard-won lessons. We explore how leaders decide when reductions are unavoidable, who to let go, and how to do it in a way that is fair, defensible, and humane—while still protecting the business. The discussion covers: • Early warning signs that TA capacity is misaligned with demand • Objective vs subjective decision-making in role reductions • Legal and process risks specific to TA teams • Communicating layoffs with clarity, dignity, and credibility • Supporting managers who deliver the message • Handling survivor guilt and rebuilding trust post-reduction • What leaders wish they had done differently Grounded in recent workforce data and employment best practice, this episode gives TA leaders a clear-eyed framework for making difficult calls without losing their values—or their teams. Learn how to approach TA layoffs with structure, empathy, and confidence, while minimising risk and preserving long-term organisational trust. We're with Andrea Marston, Head of Talent Acquisition (Nutanix), Yakub Zolinsky, VP of People (XYZReality), Julia Levy, Global Head of TA (ex-Commscope, Fiserv) & friends on Friday 13th February, 2pm GMT. Register by clicking on the green button (save my spot) and follow the channel here (recommended) Ep361 is sponsored by Maki At Maki, we help organisations like BNP Paribas, PwC, Booking.com, Nestlé, and H&M transform hiring with AI agents for screening, interviewing, and assessment. By combining automation, behavioural science, and data, Maki enables talent teams to hire faster, fairer, and smarter. Our global partnership with H&M saved 250 000 recruiter hours, cut time-to-hire by 4×, and reduced turnover by 22 %, delivering $85 M ROI. Beyond automation, we’re building a continuous reinforcement system where every recruiter judgment and employee outcome makes our AI agents smarter; creating a unique data moat in HR. Learn more: makipeople.com

Feb 13, 20261h 5m

Ep 408Brainfood Live On Air - Ep360 - The State of Talent Intelligence 2026

THE STATE OF TALENT INTELLIGENCE 2026 As we barrel through the year 2026, labour markets are being redefined by emerging technologies, shifting skills demand, and data-driven workforce strategies. Organisations worldwide are adopting sophisticated talent intelligence tools to forecast skills gaps, optimise hiring, and build resilient workforces — but staying ahead requires deeper insight and expert foresight. Drawing on the latest research and real-world experience from leading platforms like TalentNeuron, Lightcast, Horsefly, Gartner and Korn Ferry, The State of Talent Intelligence 2026 will provide practical, actionable perspective on where the industry is headed and how you can lead in your organisation. Our expert panel will dive into the trends transforming talent strategies, from the rapid evolution of AI skill demand and skills-based hiring to the integration of internal and external workforce analytics for strategic planning. The evolving role of talent intelligence platforms and how continuous labour market data is powering strategic workforce planning and skills forecasting. AI skills demand and compensation shifts, including insights showing AI-related roles commanding premium salaries in a competitive market. Transitioning from job titles to skills-based hiring as organisations seek quality and fit over traditional credential-based approaches. Balancing automation with human strategic insight as AI reshapes recruiting workflows and recruiter roles. Data analytics driving talent decisions, from predictive labour market insight to internal mobility optimisation. Employer branding and candidate experience in the age of intelligent hiring, aligning organisational value with talent expectations. Future workforce challenges and opportunities, including leadership pipelines, hybrid work models, and evolving HR capabilities for 2026. We're on Friday 6th February, 2pm GMT. Register by clicking on the green button (save my spot) and follow the channel here (recommended) Ep360 is sponsored by Joveo As the global leader in AI-powered, high-performance recruitment marketing, Joveo is transforming talent attraction and recruitment media buying for the world’s largest employers, staffing firms, RPOs, and media agencies. The Joveo platform enables businesses to attract, source, engage, and hire the best candidates on time and within budget. Powering millions of jobs every day, Joveo’s AI-led recruitment marketing platform uses advanced data science and machine learning to dynamically manage and optimize talent sourcing and applications across all online channels, while providing real-time insights at every step of the job seeker journey, from click to hire. For more information about Joveo’s award-winning platform and solutions, visit www.joveo.com.

Feb 6, 20261h 8m

Ep 407Brainfood Live On Air - Ep359 - What Responsible AI Means for Recruiters?

WHAT RESPONSIBLE AI MEANS FOR RECRUITERS? What is Responsible AI for Talent Acquisition Teams? is a practical, straight-talking podcast for recruiters who are already using AI—and now need to make sure they’re using it properly. AI is no longer a future experiment in hiring. It’s embedded in sourcing, screening, assessment, and workforce planning. The real question facing TA leaders today is not whether to use AI, but how to use it in a way that stands up to governance scrutiny, fairness expectations, and growing legal risk. Regulators, candidates, and internal stakeholders are all paying closer attention—and the margin for error is shrinking. This podcast explores the reality behind “responsible AI” in talent acquisition, cutting through vague principles and focusing on what recruiters actually need to know. We’ll examine why so many organisations still lack formal AI governance, why confidence in bias reduction remains low, and what that means for teams deploying AI at scale. Drawing on 2024–2025 data and real-world TA use cases, the discussion will unpack the tension between automation, efficiency, and human accountability. Key areas covered include: • What responsible AI really means in a TA context • Governance frameworks recruiters should understand—even if legal owns them • Bias, fairness, and explainability in screening and assessment tools • Legal and regulatory risk, including emerging obligations under the EU AI Act and employment law • The role of recruiters as AI operators, not just end users • How to balance speed, cost savings, and candidate trust • What “human-in-the-loop” looks like in practice Listeners will learn how to evaluate their current AI stack, ask better questions of vendors, reduce risk exposure, and build hiring processes that are efficient, defensible, and fair. We're with Martyn Redstone, Head of Responsible AI & Industry Engagement (Warden.AI) & friends on Wednesday 4th February, 12pm GMT. Register by clicking on the green button (save my spot) and follow the channel here (recommended) Ep359 is sponsored by Oleeo AI is now used by 62% of companies for hiring, but rapid efficiency shouldn't come at the expense of fairness. Oleeo and Aptitude Research’s new report highlights a major gap: only 20% of employers have fully established AI governance frameworks, which can lead to unintended bias. To keep things fair and compliant, 85% of recruiters demand final decision-making authority. Download 'Setting the Standard for Responsible AI: A Guide For Modern Recruiters' today to build a transparent, human-led strategy that uses AI responsibly.

Feb 4, 20261h 2m

Ep 406Brainfood Live On Air - Ep358 - 6 x AI Frameworks for Talent Acquisition

6 x AI USAGE FRAMEWORKS FOR TALENT ACQUISITION Closing the gap between proclaimed capability of AI vs the practical impact of AI is set to become one of the main stories of 2026, as function leaders in every department scramble to deliver against the expectations of an increasingly impatient C-level. Are there any frameworks or maturity models which can help? Brainfooder Soeren Winter has identified 6 AI Usage Frameworks most commonly cited in change management discourse and we're going to apply them Talent Acquisition and see what we can learn. Vital show for anyone interested in accelerating AI adoption, maximising the opportunity window for gains from AI, whilst ensuring the humans in the team, remain in and some cases, above, the loop. We're on Friday 30th January 2pm GMT / 3pm CET. Register by clicking on the green button (save my spot) and follow the channel here (recommended) Episode 358 is sponsored by Juicebox PeopleGPT is the leading outbound recruiting platform built on Generative AI. Find talent across 30+ data sources, get interactive Talent Insights, and reach out with personalized AI email campaigns. Key features include: PeopleGPT (Search): the world’s first people search engine that uses natural language. Describe who you’re searching for and find the perfect match from over 30 data sources. Talent Insights: Visualize your talent pool with 15+ interactive charts. Refine your search and dive deep into stats based on location, employers, job titles, skills, and more. Email Outreach: Maximize candidate engagement with AI-powered email campaigns. Personalize messaging at scale using AI commands, and boost response rates by 40%. Get 15% off your Juicebox subscription with code: BRAINFOOD15 Trusted by 400+ companies including Scale AI, Mindbloom, and Patreon. Free trial available. Try Juicebox today

Jan 30, 20261h 14m

Ep 405Brainfood Live on Air - Ep357 - Why You Need RecOps To Accelerate AI in TA

WHY YOU NEED RECOPS TO ACCELERATE AI IN TA Recruiters are the busiest people in white collar work because there is often no way to accurately forecast resource demands - you never know how long a requirement is going to take to fill or how many hours of time it is going to take to get it done. People are variable and in recruitment, there are people who will impact the state of any project, who are fully outside a recruiters sphere of influence. This is why AI adoption in Talent Acquisition struggles to move beyond isolated pilots. The operators - the recruiters with headcount targets - are too busy to switch to new ways of working, even those that promise significant efficiency gains. That is apart from one type of TA structure - where Talent Operations has a specialised function in making every other member of the team more efficient. We're going bold with this one folks - we believe that RecOps is the force multiplier for AI adoption and you need this specialist function in order to migrate to the new way of working. Evidence from RecOps pro's in panel. We're on Friday 23rd January 2pm GMT / 3pm CET. Register by clicking on the green button (save my spot) and follow the channel here (recommended) Episode 357 is sponsored by Ashby Drive faster, more confident hiring decisions with native AI-Notetaker Ashby’s AI Notetaker brings structured meeting data together with emails, notes, feedback, and more. It shortens time to feedback and provides rich candidate context, helping your team align quickly and make faster, more confident hiring decisions. Spend less time typing and more time hiring with interview notes that practically write themselves.

Jan 23, 202659 min

Ep 404Brainfood Live On Air - Ep356 - How Police Use AI to Hire

TOO COMPLEX FOR AI? HOW POLICE SCOTLAND SOLVED THE UNSOLVABLE HIRING PUZZLE Most recruiters think their organisation is too "unique" or "complex" to trust AI. Then there is Police Scotland. Operating across 13 regions, managing 22,000+ staff, and balancing the hyper-sensitive vetting requirements, their hiring process is as high-stakes as it gets. Yet, they didn't just implement AI—they used it to automate 90% of candidate enquiries and launch a 24/7 support system in just weeks. Join us for Episode 356 as we deconstruct the PoliceScotland Model with Lorna Allison (ex-Police Inspector & HR Systems Manager). We’re going deep on how to overcome the three biggest barriers to AI adoption: The Trust Gap: How to use AI in a highly regulated environment where public accountability is everything. The Admin Wall: How they removed the burden of repetitive tasks to let recruiters focus on high-value human assessment. The Inclusion Mandate: Why a "judgment-free" AI bot actually improved their pipeline diversity and candidate experience. The Reality: If you can solve for the complexity of the Police, you can solve for anything. Wed 21st January 12pm GMT. Register by clicking on the green button (save my spot) and follow the channel here (recommended) Episode 356 is sponsored by Oleeo AI is now used by 62% of companies for hiring, but rapid efficiency shouldn't come at the expense of fairness. Oleeo and Aptitude Research’s new report highlights a major gap: only 20% of employers have fully established AI governance frameworks, which can lead to unintended bias. To keep things fair and compliant, 85% of recruiters demand final decision-making authority. Download 'Setting the Standard for Responsible AI: A Guide For Modern Recruiters' today to build a transparent, human-led strategy that uses AI responsibly.

Jan 21, 20261h 1m