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

ตอน

• Ep 804: The Talent Pool Employers Need 02.07.2026 29นาที

  As AI reshapes how work gets done, the most valuable thing a person can bring to their job isn’t recent task experience; it is the depth of judgment, sector knowledge, and decision-making that takes years to build. That is precisely what AI augments rather than replaces. However, in a cautious hiring market, recency is being given overinflated importance, and a large pool of deeply experienced professionals is being filtered out because they have a gap on their resume. These are people with the experience and maturity, and strong appetite for engaging with new technology that the AI era needs. So why are employers overlooking this talent, and how should TA leaders rethink their hiring strategies to fix this My guest this week is Hazel Little, CEO of Career Returners. In our conversation, Hazel explains what the data reveals about the returner experience in 2026, why deep experience and judgment matter more than recency in an AI-augmented workplace, and shares some practical advice on making hiring more effective. In the interview, we discuss: How the landscape for career returners has worsened in the last year The unique benefits returners can bring to organizations. Why there is still so much stigma around career breaks and resume gaps How the hiring process amplifies the confidence gap The importance of potential over experience in a fast-changing world of work Why the human judgment needed to work with AI comes from experience The skills shortage hiding in plain sight Building potential rather than buying experience Screening and the hiring manager mindset What TA needs to do differently to harness this valuable talent pool. Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.
• Ep 803: AI Native Recruiting 28.06.2026 35นาที

  AI offers a genuine opportunity to reinvent talent acquisition, but not many employers have gone beyond targeting incremental improvements in speed and efficiency. The ones who are truly using AI to be transformational are doing something fundamentally different. It takes a real commitment to experimentation, a clear definition of what AI fluency means, and a willingness to redesign hiring from scratch.  So what does that shift actually look like in practice? My guest this week is Tracy St. Dic, Global Head of Talent at Zapier, where going AI-native is a company-wide mission. In our conversation, Tracy shares how Zapier is redefining AI fluency, redesigning the hiring process from the ground up, and rethinking what the recruiter role looks like in an AI native world. In the interview, we discuss: What is an AI Native company? The difference between AI adoption and AI transformation What is AI fluency? A mindset of experimentation, curiosity, and discernment Upskilling the TA Team Psychological safety and protected time The impact of implementing an AI interviewer and the diminishing importance of the resume Fraud versus cheating versus just using the available tools What is true transformation in recruiting, and what does the future look like Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify
• Ep 802: How LLMs Are Redefining Job Search 25.06.2026 32นาที

  The way people look for work is changing fast. A growing number of job seekers now begin by using tools like ChatGPT, asking questions in plain language about roles, salaries, and what it's actually like to work for a company. It is a very different starting point from typing a job title into a search box and scrolling through pages of aggregator links. At a time when employers are drowning in low-intent applications, something interesting is happening at the other end. Candidates who find roles through AI search arrive with real context about the company, the role, and why it fits their life. So how can employers make the most of this new world of job search? My guest this week is Ben Russell, Co-founder at SonicJobs. In our conversation, Ben explains how AI-driven job search is developing, what it means for candidate intent, and why he thinks this moment could rebuild trust between employers and job seekers. In the interview, we discuss: The role LLMs are now playing in the job search. Changes in job seeker behaviour Lessons from the rise of Google Building apps in ChatGPT Implicit and explicit discovery The implications of conversational search Delivering well-informed, high-intent applicants How employers can own their own brand What does the future of the job search look like? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify. A full transcript will appear here shortly.
• Ep 801: What Does AI-First Really Mean? 18.06.2026 24นาที

  A growing number of organizations are rushing to put AI to work, often announcing themselves as AI-first before working out what that actually means. What many are finding is that AI tends to surface whatever was already underneath. Where the data is patchy, the content conflicting, and no one quite owns the end-to-end process, the technology exposes all of it rather than fixing any of it. At the same time, AI is starting to reshape work itself, raising hard questions about which tasks remain genuinely human and what HR and TA roles will look like on the other side.  So what does it take to build foundations solid enough to make these tools deliver? My guest this week is Mark Stelzner, founder and managing principal at IA. In our conversation, Mark explains what it really takes to make AI work in the people function. In the interview, we discuss: What are the driving forces and catalysts for transformation? How AI amplifies rather than fixes existing problems What does AI first actually mean? Re-inventing processes in large complex organizations AI’s impact on work Displaced skills, amplified skills, and uniquely human skills Turning capacity into new value The impact of transformation on people and culture The new role of the CHRO Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify. A full transcript will appear here shortly.
• Ep 800: Will AI Break Recruiting? 12.06.2026 46นาที

  Recruiting has always had an innovation problem, and the AI revolution has brought it to a fork in the road. Will AI facilitate a revolution in hiring that drives more value than we have seen in 200 years or will it finally break recruiting as we’ve always known it.  In this special 800th episode of Recruiting Future, Matt Alder tells a story that brings together Cornish Tin miners migrating to Mexico in the 1820, a letter Leonardo Da Vinci wrote to the Duke of Milan in 1492, the rise of AI and long-standing problems with have with innovating how we recruit talent.  How can we use AI to solve age old problems, what are the risk involved and how should TA Leaders be preparing their teams?  In the episode Matt discusses: How modern-day recruiting has been inherited and never designed The similarities between recruiting today and recruiting 200 years ago Case studies illustrating the huge amount of value AI can bring in hiring Three big risks The fork in the road AI has brought us to A framework for AI Readiness Winding roads and jagged frontiers How we can build the future Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.
• Ep 799: Growing the Talent You Can't Hire 03.06.2026 28นาที

  In some industries, aging workforces and deepening skill shortages mean companies can no longer rely on hiring the experienced workers they need. The only realistic option is to grow their own, and that puts apprenticeship schemes right at the centre of workforce planning. Running a programme at that scale raises questions that go well beyond recruiting. Culture shapes whether people stay, mentoring determines whether skills actually transfer, and long-term success often depends on governments understanding how to direct support towards the future talent that industries actually need.  So what makes an apprenticeship scheme genuinely effective for high-skilled talent, and what has to be in place around it to make it work? My guest this week is David Dart, Chief People Officer at Caliber Holdings. In our conversation, David shares what he's learned building a skilled-talent pipeline at scale. In the interview, we discuss: The unique talent challenges in recruiting auto body technicians Skills shortages and an aging workforce Culture and retention The importance of mentoring The impact of AI on jobs The importance of trades careers and the need for government support What does the future look like? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify. A full transcript will appear here shortly.
• Ep 798 The Frontline of AI Recruiting 30.05.2026 23นาที

  In frontline industries, if you can't hire fast enough, the operation stops. A restaurant that can't fill shifts doesn't open. A delivery company that can't onboard drivers loses customers overnight. This constant pressure has pushed frontline employers to adopt AI and automation faster and further than any other area of recruiting. Frontline hiring is now where some of the most advanced AI-driven recruiting is happening. Agents are screening candidates, running compliance, and managing entire workflows. Things that felt theoretical months ago are already working.  So what can every employer learn about AI agents, candidate trust, and the balance between humans and automation? My guest this week is Salim Jernite, Chief Product Officer at Fountain. In our conversation, Salim explains how the rapid pace of AI is transforming frontline operations and shares lessons that apply far beyond frontline hiring. In the interview, we discuss: Current challenges in frontline hiring Why speed is the key metric What advantages does AI bring? The importance of candidate experience and building trust AI Orcestration with “Cue” Keeping up with the relentless pace of AI development The balance between humans and automation What does the future look like? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.
• Ep 797: Hiring The Humans Behind The Robots 23.05.2026 23นาที

  The race to develop humanoid robots that can work alongside people in factories, warehouses and retail environments is attracting billions in investment. The talent powering this revolution is in critically short supply. Specialist AI researchers, robotics engineers, and machine learning experts are being sought by every company in the sector, from global tech giants to ambitious startups. So, in this environment of talent scarcity, how much does the human side of recruiting matter? My guest this week is Kathrin Selezneva, Talent Acquisition Lead at Humanoid. In our conversation, she shares her experience building a hiring function from scratch in one of the most competitive talent markets in the world and explains why, as AI transforms everything around it, the human skills of recruiting have never mattered more. In the interview, we discuss: Building a TA function from zero Recruiting the world’s most challenging talent market Building trust with the most passive of candidates Why mission sells when salary can't The vital importance of human recruiters Relationship building and strategic thinking Why talent should determine geography in global hiring What does the future look like? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.
• Ep 796: How Hiring Shapes Employee Engagement 20.05.2026 19นาที

  Employee engagement remains one of the most talked-about challenges in the world of work. Year after year, the data tells the same story: levels barely shift, no matter what organizations try. The usual response is to focus on what happens once people are already in the door, but the results rarely change. At the same time, AI is reshaping roles and expectations, making employees question their value in ways that weren't there before. So what if the real engagement problem starts in the hiring process itself? My guest this week is Dr. Roz Cohen, Chief People Officer and author of “The Engagement Dilemma”. In our conversation, she explains why there are three distinct types of engagement, how outdated job descriptions undermine them, and what hiring teams should do differently to build belonging from the start. In the interview, we discuss: Why engagement levels haven't shifted Three types of employee engagement The role of TA in employee engagement Reassessing roles before recruiting Hiring for attributes and behaviours Onboarding for connection and belonging Identity beyond surface characteristics What does the future look like? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify. A full transcript will appear here shortly.
• Ep 795: AI, Humans and Frontline Hiring 19.05.2026 37นาที

  In frontline retail hiring, speed is everything. If the process is too slow, candidates take offers elsewhere, and stores are short-staffed, hurting both service and revenue. AI-powered automation is now helping some organizations close that gap, cutting hiring times, saving thousands of hours, and driving measurable financial value for the business.  The organizations seeing real results started with the problem, not the technology, because layering AI onto a process that isn't working only makes things worse. They also had to answer a question that rarely gets asked: how quick is too quick, and when does speed start to feel impersonal? The goal isn't to remove humans from the hiring process. It's to remove the noise so candidates reach the right people faster. My guests this week are Stef Nikitas, Director of Talent Acquisition at Ace Hardware, and Rachel Allen, Senior Director of Talent Acquisition at 7-Eleven. In our conversation, they share how they transformed frontline hiring with AI, the results it delivered, and where they chose to keep humans firmly in the process. In the interview, we discuss: Why speed matters in frontline hiring The danger of automating broken processes Leading with the problem, not the technology How quick is too quick? What remains human and why How automation improves the candidate experience Time savings and measurable business value Advice for TA on change management What does the future look like Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.
• Ep 794: Can Automation Make Hiring More Human? 13.05.2026 19นาที

  When organizations hire thousands of frontline workers, delivering a personal candidate experience becomes almost impossible. Recruiters spend all of their time answering calls, responding to messages, and running through the same screening questions over and over. There is little time left for the conversations that actually matter. Meanwhile, candidates want speed, flexibility, and a process that respects their time, including outside business hours. So how can AI solve this? My guests this week are Jeroen Klerkx, People Operations Leader at Picnic, and Bill Fischer, CTO at VONQ. In our conversation, recorded live at HR Tech Europe, they share what happened when Picnic gave candidates the choice of a human or AI screening call, the surprising feedback they received, and how they built 10 years of recruiting knowledge into an AI agent that frees up time for their recruiters to have more valuable conversations. In the interview, we discuss: Picnic’s unique approach to candidate experience The current market challenges Building an AI recruiter Closely monitoring candidate sentiment and responding to their feedback. Overcoming the considerable technical challenges How recruiters responded to automation and how their role is developing Managing candidate expectations around AI What does the future look like for AI in TA Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.
• Ep 793: Conversations from HR Tech Europe (Part Two): Anna Carlsson and Nazim Ünlü 08.05.2026 23นาที

  HR is at a pivotal moment. AI has shifted the conversation in a way nothing else has in years, the demands on the function are growing faster than its capacity to respond, and the questions being asked of it are bigger than they have ever been. The opportunity is significant, but so is the gap between where HR is and where it needs to be. So what does it actually take for HR to step into this moment? In this episode, recorded at HR Tech Europe in Amsterdam, I'm joined by two guests with strong views on what's holding the function back and what good looks like. Anna Carlsson, an HR tech analyst based in Stockholm, shares what she's seeing across the Nordic market and why culture and infrastructure matter more than the technology itself. Nazhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/nazim-ünlü-0774b714/im Ünlü, a Global HRD and HR transformation leader, then joins me to talk about why HR is more needed than ever and the strategic shift the function has to make to stay relevant. Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.https://open.spotify.com/show/4u3Gl0l4pGBtIHOJZjLTrx?si=49641466567e44d6
• Ep 792: Conversations from HR Tech Europe: Wolfgang Brickwedde and Mervyn Dinnen 03.05.2026 24นาที

  Talent acquisition is sitting in a strange place right now. AI is in every conversation, but the work of actually hiring people is getting harder rather than easier. Application volumes are swinging in unpredictable ways, the workforce itself is changing shape, and the reality on the ground is some distance from the hype. So what is actually going on in talent acquisition right now? In this episode, recorded at HR Tech Europe in Amsterdam, I'm joined by two guests who have spent decades watching this industry evolve.  Wolfgang Brickwedde from the Institute for Competitive Recruiting shares what his research is telling him about the market employers are navigating and where vendors are still getting it wrong.  Mervyn Dinnen then joins me to talk about the reality behind the AI hype and how the multigenerational workforce is reshaping the world of work. Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.
• Ep 791: Making Agentic AI Work For HR & Talent 03.05.2026 22นาที

  The real value of AI agents in HR comes from connecting them to work across the employee lifecycle, not from deploying them on individual tasks. That's where most large organisations are getting stuck. Working in a fully agentic way means dealing with different systems and different data sources that often have no shared foundation. The result is fragmented experiences for employees and managers, with the end-to-end potential remaining out of reach. Getting there requires some serious work in data governance, process design, and integration, the kind of foundational work that rarely gets mentioned at industry conferences. So what needs to be in place before AI agents can work at enterprise scale? My guest this week is Melissa Shelley Höjwall, Global HR Technology Lead at H&M Group. In our conversation, which we recorded live at HR Tech Europe, she explains what it takes to build a connected AI architecture across HR and why many companies are undermining their own progress. In the interview, we discuss: The approach to Agentic AI in HR at H&M From niche agents to connected architecture Process automation design and date integration The role of data governance Adoption in the enterprise Shadow AI and over-governance Why cutting jobs isn’t the way to get true value from AI New roles for HR professionals Breaking the silos in the Talent function What to focus on for the future Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.
• Ep 790: Rethinking Work In The Age Of AI 01.05.2026 21นาที

  We're living through one of the most consequential shifts in how work gets done. AI is everywhere in headlines and vendor pitches, but the reality inside organisations is far more nuanced than the noise suggests. Personal adoption is running well ahead of how companies are embedding the technology into actual workflows. Demographic changes continue to tighten labour supply, and the HR tech vendor landscape is consolidating and expanding all at once, leaving buyers uncertain about where to invest.  So how should HR leaders be thinking about technology, workforce design, and the role they need to play in shaping what work actually becomes? Recorded live at HR Tech Europe, my guest this week is Stacey Harris, Chief Research Officer at Sapient Insights Group. Stacey runs the longest-running HR systems survey in the market, and we discuss what her data shows about where things are heading. In the interview, we discuss: How AI differs from past tech shifts Layoffs and the cost of AI investment The gap between personal and corporate AI use Why bring your own AI matters Making sense of the vendor landscape The Platform Cluster Model  Demographics and labour supply pressures From workforce planning to workforce architecting How HR's role needs to change What does the future look like Take part in The 29th Annual HR Systems Survey Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.
• Ep 789: Leading TA Through AI Acceleration 27.04.2026 27นาที

  Something has shifted in AI over the last few months. The pace of AI model updates keeps increasing, and strategies that made sense a few months ago are already out of date. New tools can take on long, complex pieces of work largely on their own, changing what's possible across hiring. For TA leaders, long-term planning has become almost impossible, while the recruiter's role itself is being rethought as candidates use AI just as actively as employers do. So what does effective TA leadership actually look like right now? My guest this week is Bryan Ackermann, Head of AI Strategy and Transformation at Korn Ferry. In our conversation, Bryan shares the changes he is seeing across the recruiting funnel and how organizations can build the resilience they need to keep pace. In the interview, we discuss: The accelerating pace of AI change Why AI literacy now matters everywhere Is candidate AI use cheating or demonstrating capability? The superpowered employee The evolving role of the recruiter Agents talking to agents Where human moments still matter Resilience and shorter planning horizons Advice to TA Leaders What does the future look like? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.
• Ep 788: Technology, Trust, and Human Connection 24.04.2026 25นาที

  We live in a world where recruiters can connect with thousands of people with a single click. LinkedIn, CRMs, and AI tools all promise to manage relationships at a scale unimaginable a generation ago.  The challenge is that genuine trust doesn't scale automatically. When interactions become automated and transactional, the very thing that makes recruiting work starts to break down. People still hire people they trust, and the best referrals still come through relationships, not algorithms. So how do you build and maintain trust at scale? My guest this week is Denise Chaffin, Founder of Top Source Talent and host of the Talking TA podcast. In our conversation, she shares how nearly four decades in recruiting have shaped her thinking on building trust at scale and ensuring technology strengthens relationships rather than undermines them. In the interview, we discuss: The risk of transactional relationships Building and maintaining trust over time The limits of managing large networks How AI tools can support relationships Finding talent through unexpected connections Network Mapping Key skills to build trust and connection What the future looks like Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.
• Ep 787: How Belonging Transforms Talent Acquisition 21.04.2026 31นาที

  Many organizations are struggling with attrition, disengagement, and costly mis-hires that quietly destroy value. The real problem isn't finding talent, it's creating conditions where people can perform. Research suggests that when people feel they belong, organizations see significant gains in productivity, retention, and innovation. Belonging can be measured, built into how work gets done, and connected directly to business outcomes. So how can talent acquisition use belonging to change how it hires and the strategic value it delivers? My guest this week is Eric Knauf, Founder and CEO of BelongHQ and author of The 56% Solution. In our conversation, he shares a practical framework for measuring belonging and explains how it could reshape TA's role in an AI-driven world. In the interview, we discuss: The five pillars of belonging Measuring belonging against business outcomes Why workforce planning comes before EVP Breaking roles down to the task level Belonging as a talent differentiator Shifting TA from seats to strategy The hidden cost of untapped potential Building trust during the recruiting process What does the future look like Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.
• Ep 785: What Is AI Fluency? 19.04.2026 27นาที

  AI skills are quickly becoming a baseline expectation in hiring, with more employers adding AI fluency to their job descriptions every month. Yet when you ask those same employers what AI fluency actually looks like for the vast majority of roles that aren't deeply technical, most struggle to answer.  Universities still treat AI primarily as a cheating problem, restricting how students use it rather than helping them become fluent. So there's a growing gap between what the workplace demands and what education delivers.  How do we define AI fluency in practical terms, and who should be leading that conversation? My guest this week is Kathleen deLaski, Founder of the Education Design Lab and author of Who Needs College Anymore?. In our conversation, she shares what employers and students are revealing about AI readiness, and why the current approach risks failing a generation of new talent. In the interview, we discuss: What is an AI-fluent workforce? Preparing learners for a new world of work Current student attitudes to AI Is the education system able to evolve quickly enough? Moving beyond prompts What replaces degrees in early-career hiring? Assessing human skills at scale Articulating what AI skills look like in your organization What does the future look like? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.
• Ep 785: What's Really Changing In Tech Hiring 19.04.2026 22นาที

  AI is reshaping how work gets done, but the hiring process hasn't caught up. Employers are asking for AI skills they can't clearly define, while application volumes hit record levels. Resumes mean less than ever because candidates can now use AI to tailor them to any job in seconds, and traditional screening methods are struggling to keep pace. At the same time, something more interesting is happening underneath all the noise. Candidates are often further ahead on AI than the companies hiring them. Forward-thinking employers are turning to work sampling, and rather than treating AI use as cheating, they're integrating it into the assessment as a necessary part of the process. Despite predictions that coding would be the first job to disappear, engineering hiring is actually up in some areas.  So how should employers rethink assessment, upskilling, and what they look for in technical talent? My guest this week is Amanda Richardson, CEO of CoderPad. In our conversation, Amanda shares what's really happening in technical hiring and where it's heading next. In the interview, we discuss: What are AI skills? How is recruiting evolving? Previewing the actual work in the recruiting process AI-assisted assessment Upskilling, adaptability, and curiosity How is AI coding changing tech jobs? Candidates are ahead of employers on AI adoption. What does the future of jobs and hiring look like? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.