What does a recruiter who started at 16 -- with 44 years in the industry -- think about AI, agentic tech, and the future of talent acquisition? A lot, as it turns out. This week, Belinda and Andrew sit down with Bill Boorman, senior analyst and writer focusing on job boards, tech, and general recruitment for the AIM Group, and board member of VONQ. Bill is one of the industry's most recognised recruitment voices on tech and AI, founder of the #tru unconference series, which has run events across 65 countries and has advised many rec tech firms including Talent Tech Labs and Recruitment Smart. These days, Bill spends his time helping the industry figure out what AI and technology actually mean in practice, not just in theory, with a goal of helping businesses and leaders make sense of what's next in the fast-moving world of work. In this episode, they cover: Why AI is removing friction from hiring -- and what that means for your value as a recruiterThe "old school principles, new school delivery" framework that still drives great outcomesWhy handmade recruitment is becoming a luxury -- and why that's actually good newsThe uncomfortable truth: in 15 years, the world is running out of workersHow small agency owners have a real edge in the age of AI experimentationWhat your "moat" is -- and how to find and protect it before the market shifts under you Whether you're running a boutique agency or scaling a staffing firm, this episode will challenge how you think about your business, your pricing, and your future. Hit play. This one's worth every minute. Questions: You've seen every wave of rec tech come and go. Where do you reckon today's AI genuinely changes the game for agency founders and where is it still mostly hype? 2:00-2:12You've been advising recruitment companies for many years. With what you have seen, what's maybe one or two of the key things that agency owners make in error when they're evaluating? 11:36-11:56Given that we have all these amazing new tools at our fingertips, what edge do you think that will give the smaller founders or the smaller agencies? 20:05-20:14Thinking around the role of AI with what we're doing today in terms of business development. How are you seeing that play out with companies and the role that AI is playing to, maybe break into new markets that I wanna head into or build an existing market that I'm currently playing within? 34:17-34:30You've been really deep in that whole tech world and investment world, and I'd love to know some of the really interesting things that you're seeing. Different like, interesting companies, different players, different use cases. Just what, the stuff that's kinda making you go. 37:40-37:55The leverage that you could or have been able to maintain and leverage with AI 1) let's call it, helped you, you do a lot of things faster, quicker, you could do a little bit more with your time, and where we're up to now is that whole new world, yet again with Agentic AI which does stuff on its, by itself without being told. We'd be thinking differently now that that opportunity's there. What should we be thinking as recruitment leaders? 40:20-40:57 Connect with Bill linkedin.com/in/billboorman Connect with Belinda and Andrew LinkedIn Belinda Kerr linkedin.com/in/belindakerr Recruitment Garage https://recruitmentgarage.com/ LinkedIn Andrew Rodger linkedin.com/in/andrewrodger recMate https://www.recmate.com.au/
