Talent Download Podcast

Talent Download Podcast

Talent Download is the flagship podcast from Amberjack, hosted by CEO Darren Lancaster. It serves as a dedicated resource for senior leaders by doing a deep dive into the critical areas of Early Careers and Volume Hiring. Each episode is a relaxed, conversational journey featuring a senior leader who shares their career story, industry insights, and lessons learned. Our goal is simple: to help you gain fresh insights, real stories, and practical takeaways to unlock the full potential of your talent strategy. We are committed to a future where every employer can reach and engage talent. Tune in for thought leadership and actionable advice to help you build the workforce of tomorrow.

  1. 30 Oct

    Who’s Responsible When AI Gets Hiring Wrong? | Talent Download S2E4

    Who's responsible when AI gets a hiring decision wrong? Two occupational psychologists unpack how to use AI in assessment fairly, safely and defensibly. In this episode of the Talent Download podcast, Amberjack CEO Darren Lancaster is joined by Fran Cousans (R&D Lead, Amberjack) and Kate Young (Founder, The Hiring Science Studio) to explore what responsible AI in recruitment really looks like, and why humans remain accountable for every decision. You'll learn: Why "AI shouldn't make the hiring decision" is too simple an answer for high-volume recruitmentThe hidden biases in AI scoring, from favouring AI-written answers to rewarding long-winded onesWhat makes an AI assessment rigorous, robust and defensibleThe three questions every employer should ask an AI vendorWho is legally accountable under UK law when an AI hiring tool goes wrongWhat effective human-in-the-loop oversight looks like in practiceWhere AI in hiring is heading next, and why human skills matter more than ever Whether you work in HR, talent acquisition, early careers or assessment, this conversation will help you adopt AI in hiring with confidence. ABOUT AMBERJACK Amberjack creates early careers and volume experienced hire solutions, spanning attraction, technology, assessment, RPO, and learning and development. https://www.weareamberjack.com/ Enjoyed this episode? Like, subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss an episode of the Talent Download podcast. #AIinHiring #TalentAcquisition #ResponsibleAI

    Who’s Responsible When AI Gets Hiring Wrong? | Talent Download S2E4

  2. 16 Oct

    The future of talent starts with the people you invest in today. S2 Ep.4 Ft. Rachel Hollinger

    How do you build an early careers strategy that keeps pace with a changing world - and gives your future workforce the best possible start? In this episode of the Amberjack podcast, our CEO, Darren Lancaster, sits down with Rachel Hollinger from ScottishPower to explore how they're developing the talent needed to power the future. 🌱 With the energy sector facing a growing skills gap and the transition to net zero gathering pace, early careers has never been more important. 🎙️ Here’s what they get into: 🚀 Building tomorrow’s workforce – Why businesses can’t always hire the skills they need and why investing in emerging talent matters. 💬 Putting people before pipeline numbers – Creating a candidate experience that feels human, with clear communication and meaningful engagement. 📉 Turning insight into impact – How ScottishPower reduced its assessment centre no-show rate from 26% to just 7%. 🤝 Getting onboarding right – Building connections before day one to help new starters feel prepared, supported and part of the team. 📈 Scaling early careers – Growing programmes while keeping candidate support and development at the heart of the experience. 💡 Making the business case – Getting senior buy-in and using data to build an early careers strategy that delivers for both people and the organisation. Whether you're looking to improve candidate experience, strengthen retention or future-proof your workforce, this is a conversation packed with insights to take away. ▶️ Watch now and discover how investing in people today can help shape the workforce of tomorrow.

  3. 18 Sept

    What Skills Will Matter Most in an AI-Enabled World? S2 Ep.3 Ft. Sandy Chow

    Host Darren Lancaster is joined by Sandy Chow, Chartered FCIPD, for a conversation on career agility, organisational design and the role AI is playing in reshaping work. Together, they explore: ✨ Why change is becoming the only constant in work ✨ The skills early talent need to thrive in an AI-enabled future ✨ Why commercial awareness, communication and learning agility matter more than ever ✨ How organisations should be thinking about hiring and developing talent differently One thought that really stood out to us: 💭"10 or 15 years ago, there were no jobs in social media, content creation or influencing. Look where we are now." 💭 Check out this episode in full now!

  4. 4 Sept

    AI in Assessment, Early Talent & Future Skills ft. Rob Davies S2 Ep.2 Ft. Rob Davies

    In this episode of Talent Download, host Darren Lancaster is joined by Rob Davies, Head of Recruitment at Grant Thornton UK, to talk about what happens when AI gets good enough to fake its way through a hiring process. Rob shares the moment a synthetic avatar sat Grant Thornton's digital interview and scored in the 99th percentile, and how that single wake-up call led to a rebuilt AI skills assessment developed in partnership with Amberjack. The conversation moves from the risks of AI-assisted applications to the human skills, communication, curiosity, creativity and courage, that Grant Thornton now looks for beyond the CV. Key Moments: 00:00 Welcome to Talent Download, introducing Rob Davies, Head of Recruitment at Grant Thornton 06:30 The watershed moment: an AI avatar sits the digital interview and scores in the 99th percentile 09:00 Why Grant Thornton partnered with Amberjack to build an AI assessment tool from scratch 19:30 The five human skills Grant Thornton hires for: communication, curiosity, creativity and courage 39:00 Rapid-fire round: gut vs data, potential vs experience, and “the CV will still be here in five years” HOST Darren Lancaster: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjlancaster/ Amberjack: https://www.linkedin.com/company/amberjack-global/ GUEST Rob Davies: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-davies-26371423/ Grant Thornton: https://www.grantthornton.co.uk/ This episode is brought to you by Amberjack, proud sponsor of Talent Download. Amberjack partners with organisations to build fair, effective assessment for early careers and volume hiring. https://www.weareamberjack.com/ Produced by Vertical Drop: https://www.vertical-drop.com

  5. 21 Aug

    Gen Z Careers, AI & Democratising Experience – Talent Download – S2 Ep.1 ft. Sam Hyams

    In this episode of Talent Download, host Darren Lancaster sits down with Sam Hyams, CEO of Springpod, to unpack the evolving landscape of Gen Z careers, early talent attraction, and the role of AI in recruitment.  Drawing from their joint annual Gen Z Report, Darren and Sam discuss the growing career stress among young people, why two-thirds of students leave school without work experience, and how virtual career simulations are democratising access to top employers. They also explore practical ways employers can tackle application inflation, prepare candidates for AI in the workplace, and bridge the gap for underrepresented groups like young carers.  Key Moments:  00:00 Intro & Welcome  01:22 The Origin of Springpod  03:32 Virtual Work Experience & Scaling Access  12:48 Gen Z Career Stress & Cost of Living  18:22 AI Skills, Business Context & Early Talent  22:36 Supporting Young Carers & Disadvantaged Students  32:30 Tackling Application Inflation & Candidate Friction  40:17 Quick Fire Round: Gen Z Myths & The Future of Early Careers

  6. 20 May

    Skills, AI & the Future of Talent Acquisition – Talent Download – Ep.9 ft. Spencer Hurley

    Darren Lancaster (CEO, Amberjack) interviews Spencer Hurley (Spire Healthcare) about how talent acquisition has evolved from process-driven recruitment to a strategic function spanning assessment, workforce planning, employer branding, data and insight. Spencer outlines his career from agency to in-house roles (including Lloyd’s, ACE/Chubb, Nationwide, and DWF), describing building recruitment “hygiene” like ATS and supplier lists, and leading major change at Nationwide during a tech insourcing programme. He explains applying agile-style “swarming” to cut software engineering time-to-hire from 6–7 weeks to under five days by contracting with hiring managers, pre-planning interviews, and rapid iteration. They discuss skills-based hiring as a promising idea that’s hard to implement, arguing attitudes and soft skills matter most and hiring-manager biases persist. Both frame AI as a tool with uneven adoption, raising implications for assessment, education, recruiter tasks, and the need to invest in analytics to drive insight and D&I change. 00:00 AI Hype Reality Check 00:33 Podcast Welcome Guests 01:27 Spencer Career Origins 02:07 What Talent Acquisition Means 04:10 Agency To In House Shift 06:06 Economic Shocks Reshape Hiring 07:27 Building TA At Lloyds 09:31 Scaling Up Across Europe 10:49 Nationwide Transformation Years 16:43 Agile Recruiting Five Day Hire 18:15 Holding Hiring Managers Accountable 22:44 Skills Based Hiring Debate 27:27 Task Based Work With AI 29:21 AI Adoption Data Snapshot 29:52 AI Hype Versus Reality 31:01 Skills Barriers In Regulated Work 31:37 Corporate Blocks And Cheating Debate 32:59 Education Not Ready For Tools 34:06 Assessing AI Use In Hiring 36:26 Future Proof Careers Linchpin Mindset 38:16 DWF Transformation And RPO Reset 41:41 Recruiters Automation And Human Touch 46:12 TA Best Practices Data Analyst Hire 49:32 Advice And Quickfire Wrap Up

  7. 1 May

    Recruiting for Purpose - Talent Download - Ep. 8 ft. Clare Power & Katryna Smyth

    In this episode of Talent Download, host Darren Lancaster sits down with Clare Power and Katryna Smyth from Police Now to explore the complexities of recruiting for a public service mission.  Celebrating a "Decade of Transformation," the team discusses how they have recruited over 3,000 diverse graduates into policing roles that many never previously considered - from neighborhood officers to specialists in counter-terrorism and economic crime. The conversation dives deep into demystifying policing myths, managing the trust gap in marginalized communities, and why Police Now takes the unusual step of closing applications early to remain "responsible recruiters".  Episode Timestamps: [00:00:00] Intro & Welcome: Darren introduces Clare and Katryna and the mission of Police Now. [00:01:22] Who is Police Now?: A look at the government-funded charity transforming communities through diverse talent. [00:04:00] Demystifying the Role: Moving beyond "blue lights and fast cars" to show the real impact of neighborhood policing. [00:13:00] Addressing the Trust Gap: How to attract talent from communities where confidence in policing is historically low. [00:24:00] Selection & Parity: Using data to ensure a fair and equitable journey for every candidate. [00:28:00] Responsible Recruitment: Why more applications aren't always better and the ethics of graduate time. [00:34:00] A Decade of Transformation: Reflecting on 10 years of saving lives and delivering justice. [00:43:00] The Future of Policing: New specialisms in Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and fast-track leadership programs. [00:56:00] Quick Fire Round: Rapid-fire takes on resilience, ambition, and the "stale pale male" myth.

  8. 17 Apr

    Neurodiversity as a Superpower - Talent Download - Ep.7 ft. Sharon Wilson

    In this episode of Talent Download, host Darren Lancaster is joined by Sharon Wilson, a leading expert in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), to discuss the intersection of inclusive design and high-volume recruitment. Sharon shares her "Next Practice" philosophy: that designing recruitment processes for the 20% of neurodivergent or marginalized candidates ultimately creates a better experience for the entire 100%. The conversation explores the ethical implementation of AI, why "neurodiversity is a superpower," and how to maintain a human-centric approach when hiring at scale. Episode Timestamps: [00:00:00] Intro & Welcome: Darren introduces Sharon Wilson and her impact on the DEI landscape. [00:04:15] Designing for the 20%: Why inclusive design is the key to unlocking potential for all candidates. [00:12:30] Neurodiversity in the Workplace: Exploring the unique strengths neurodivergent talent brings to an organization. [00:22:45] AI and the Moral Compass: Why technology requires human oversight to ensure fairness and equity. [00:35:10] High-Volume Inclusion: Balancing speed and scale with a personalized candidate experience. [00:45:20] Quick Fire Section: Sharon shares her personal reflections on leadership and the best advice she has ever received.

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Talent Download is the flagship podcast from Amberjack, hosted by CEO Darren Lancaster. It serves as a dedicated resource for senior leaders by doing a deep dive into the critical areas of Early Careers and Volume Hiring. Each episode is a relaxed, conversational journey featuring a senior leader who shares their career story, industry insights, and lessons learned. Our goal is simple: to help you gain fresh insights, real stories, and practical takeaways to unlock the full potential of your talent strategy. We are committed to a future where every employer can reach and engage talent. Tune in for thought leadership and actionable advice to help you build the workforce of tomorrow.

Information

  • Creator
    Talent Download Podcast
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Talent Download Podcast
  • Show Website
    Talent Download Podcast