Recruiting Future with Matt Alder Evergreen Podcasts

It's been nearly 18 months since ChatGPT launched and sparked a lively debate about the future of Talent Acquisition. While it's important to consider the long-term implications, a crucial part of building a strategy is embracing the potential of current technology through experimentation and skill development.

My guest this week is Andy Headworth, Deputy Director of Talent Acquisition at HMRC. Over the last few months, Andy's team has gone from lunchtime AI experimentation sessions to rolling out the platform they created across their organization. This has driven radical improvements to their hiring process, improving its quality while simultaneously saving many hours of hiring manager and recruiter time. Andy shares its impact, the lessons they have learned, and his advice for TA leaders on building strategies for an AI-driven future.

In the interview, we discuss:

The recruiting challenges at HMRC

Experimentation, learning, and being brave with your thinking

Understanding the problem you are trying to solve

Revolutionizing the hiring manager experience

Building platforms using publically available tools and data 

Implications for TA and HR software vendors

The use of AI by candidates

Advice to TA leaders

What does the future look like?

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A full transcript will appear here shortly.

A few weeks ago, I spent a couple of days recording at the excellent Transform conference in Las Vegas, and this is the first of two episodes with a compilation of some of the conversations I had.

My first guest is Danielle Farage, a renowned Gen Z Futurist, Educator, and Community Builder. Danielle shares her perspective on why it's crucial to give Gen Z a voice and discusses the current employee experience for the newest generation in the workforce.

My second conversation is with Recruiter and Creator Joel Lalgee. Joel talks about his journey to reaching an incredible 600,000 followers across various social media platforms. He shares his insights on how recruiters and employers should use a combination of short-form video and face-to-face experiences to build an influential brand.

Topics we cover:

The disconnect between the C-Suite and early career talent

Including younger voices in the conversations defining the future of work

Advice on building the workforce of the future

Helping Gen Z develop their careers is an appropriate way for the times we live in

What will work look like in five years?

Producing high-quality content for TikTok and Instagram

Why TA is missing a massive opportunity

Being Omnichannel and building relationships and trust


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Talent Acquisition stands on the edge of revolution, with AI tools promising to make recruiting faster and more effective. But will it make hiring fairer? Recruiting and HR are already a key focus for governments as they develop legislation for AI, and employers are already at risk of breaking existing laws if they use AI tools that discriminate against protected groups of people.

My guest this week is Commissioner Keith Sonderling of the EEOC. In our conversation, we talk about the benefits and risks of using AI in hiring, what employers need to know to ensure compliance with existing laws, and the new regulations many countries will implement shortly.

In the interview, we discuss:

Background context of The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

Bridging the gap between policy-making and HR practice

What advantages does AI bring to talent acquisition?

The potential for technology to make clearer, more transparent hiring decisions than humans

The dangers AI poses if incorrectly implemented

How AI is used in hiring already falls under existing employer equality legislation.

Who is liable, the employer or the AI vendor?

The EU AI Act and New York City Law 144

Are there common themes in new AI legislation being developed around the world?

Reskilling, upskilling and changing dynamics in the workforce

What does the future look like?

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Many employers regularly offer internships, but the role of these internships in long-term hiring strategies can be pretty tenuous. So what happens when a company puts internships at the centre of its hiring strategy and proactively leverages this to build long-term pipelines of valuable talent?

My guest this week is Leah Bourdon, Vice President of Talent at staffing and consulting firm ALKU. For several years, ALKU has made internships the heart of its resourcing strategy. In our conversation, Leah shares precisely how they do this and the considerable benefits and value it drives.

In the interview, we discuss:

The market for recruiting recruiters

Having a unique focus on entry-level talent

The employer brand of a career in recruiting

Training interns during the school year

Faster ramp-ups and higher retention rates

Talent spotting

How are the skills needed to be a recruiter changing

Training interns in the same way as full-time employees

How will recruiting change over the next five years


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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 597: Talent Acquisition Excellence

Ep 598: Building Exec Search In House

Ep 599: Data Sophistication

Ep 600: Did We Predict The Future?

Ep 601: Quiet Hiring

Ep 602: The Skills Mismatch In Hiring

Ep 603: Talent Lessons From Elite Sport

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Companies can learn a massive amount from elite sports in terms of spotting and nurturing the talent required to build highly effective teams. Having an adaptable, flexible, and self-aware mindset is critical in these disruptive times, and professional sports have coaching models that can help leaders develop this mindset in their teams.

I was lucky enough to speak to former England Cricket Captain Sir Andrew Strauss at the recent Transform conference in Las Vegas. After his playing career finished, Andrew ran elite cricket in the UK for four years. He is now the co-founder of Mindflick, a high-performance coaching business that uses psychology and technology to make the lessons from elite sports accessible to companies.

In the interview, we discuss:

What can elite sports teach business about leadership?

Learning how to be adaptable in dynamic environments

The importance of self-awareness

Understanding how teams react under pressure

What makes top talent

Understanding and accepting weaknesses 

The role of technology

Getting buy-in and building an emotional connection with a group vision

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