The Recruiting Brainfood Podcast

Hung Lee

The Recruiting Brainfood Podcast: Your weekly 60 minute dose of brilliant conversation about Recruiting & HR

  1. 3d ago

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

    The hiring environment has fundamentally reset—and most talent acquisition teams are still using benchmarks built for a world that no longer exists. Between 2022 and 2025, everything changed: application volumes surged 385%, recruiter teams were cut by 57%, and AI simultaneously flooded pipelines with noise while offering new efficiencies. Yet against this backdrop, Greenhouse data from 17M+ applications across 800+ European organizations reveals a surprising truth—recruiters are actually performing better, not worse. Monthly hires per recruiter have jumped 113%. Jobs closed with a hire are up 13%. The teams thriving aren't those with bigger budgets or larger headcount. They're the ones who redefined what "good" looks like in this new reality. This webinar distills the definitive 2026 benchmarks from The Hire Standard report—the metrics that actually matter when volume is permanent, teams are lean, and AI is rewriting the rules.   • The Volume Reality Check • The Productivity Paradox • Interview Intensity as Quality Control • Days-to-Fill Reinterpreted • Stage Progression Intelligence • Sourcing ROI Reality • The Recruiter-Sourced Advantage • AI at the Top of Funnel • Structured Process Under Pressure • The Employer Brand Imperative   The teams still measuring against 2022 baselines are making disastrous decisions—cutting resources that are actually delivering, or maintaining processes that collapsed under new volume. The Hire Standard data reveals what "good" actually looks like when pipelines are flooded, teams are lean, and AI is both problem and solution.   Includes exclusive access to The Hire Standard 2026 Benchmark Toolkit with calibrated metrics by organization size and industry. Live Q&A with data analysis leads. Recording and materials restricted to registrants.   We're on Friday 29th May at 2pm BST. Register by clicking on the green button (save your spot) and follow the channel here (recommended).   Ep384 is supported by our friends at Greenhouse   What do high-performing TA teams look like in 2026? Greenhouse analyzed data from over 6,000 companies and over 640M applications over the last 3 years to understand how recruiters are really doing and how hiring teams can keep up with industry standards. Check out their new benchmarking report, The Hire Standard.

    1h 3m
  2. May 23

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

    Everyone claims they're "good with AI" on their CV. Almost no one can prove it. As AI tools proliferate across every function, talent leaders face a critical gap: we need people who don't just use AI, but wield it strategically—and we have no reliable way to identify them. Enter Zapier. The automation platform that helped democratise no-code workflows has developing and refining a practical framework for assessing AI fluency in hiring. Everyone's been talking about it. But now we've got Soeren Winter to unpack it and tell us what it means for Talent Acquisition teams.   • Redefining "AI Fluency" for Hiring • The Portfolio Approach to Assessment Distinguishing candidates who've memorized one interface from those who understand underlying AI principles and can adapt across platforms, models, and use cases • Critical Evaluation as Core Competency • Integration & Workflow Design • The Ethics & Safety Screen • Cross-Functional Translation • Learning Velocity Indicators • Practical Assessment Design • Building Internal AI Fluency Benchmarks   AI fluency is now a baseline expectation, not a differentiator—but most hiring processes haven't caught up. Organizations still screening for "AI experience" on LinkedIn are filling roles with candidates who can't deliver. Meanwhile, teams using rigorous, practical assessment frameworks are building workforces that genuinely multiply productivity. The cost of getting this wrong isn't just a bad hire; it's the opportunity cost of teams waiting months for someone to actually become useful.   We're on Friday 22nd May at 2pm BST. Register by clicking on the green button (save your spot) and follow the channel here (recommended).   Ep383 is supported by our friends at Greenhouse   AI is reshaping hiring across the UK, Ireland and Germany. But is trust keeping up?   Greenhouse surveyed over 2,200 jobseekers, recruiters and hiring managers to uncover where AI is building confidence in hiring, where it's eroding it, and what the most trusted employers are doing differently.   Download the full report

    1h 2m
  3. May 14

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

    Hong Kong's talent market has been stress-tested like no other—and emerged with a new identity.   The old playbook - expat packages, regional hub prestige, English-only operations - now guarantees mediocrity. Yet for those who understand the new dynamics, Hong Kong offers something rare: a gateway to mainland opportunity with international legal frameworks, a financial center pivoting hard into tech and green finance, and a talent pool that spans Greater China and Southeast Asia. It's more complex, more competitive, and more rewarding for employers who adapt. This webinar delivers the intelligence you need to hire effectively in Asia's most transformed talent market.   10 Critical Shifts Reshaping Hiring in Hong Kong   • The Talent Diaspora & Return Dynamics – Who left, who stayed, who's returning, and why the "new Hong Kong" professional has different loyalty drivers, risk appetites, and career expectations than pre-2020 cohorts   • Mainland Integration Realities – How increasing economic and professional interchange with Shenzhen and Guangdong is reshaping language requirements, compensation benchmarks, and career mobility patterns   • Financial Services Reinvention – Beyond traditional banking: capturing talent in fintech, virtual assets, green finance, and family office services where Hong Kong is aggressively positioning against Singapore   • The Trilingual Imperative – Why "English + Mandarin + Cantonese" capability is now table stakes for client-facing and leadership roles, and how to assess proficiency beyond self-reported fluency   • Visa & Mobility Restructuring – Navigating the Top Talent Pass Scheme, General Employment Policy shifts, and the new competitive landscape for global talent attraction against Singapore and Dubai   • Compensation Compression & Expectation Shifts – Addressing the end of expat premium packages, localized salary structures, and the rising importance of housing allowances, schooling support, and tax optimization in total rewards   • Startup Ecosystem Maturation – Tapping into Hong Kong's evolving tech scene—where government investment, university commercialization, and mainland venture capital are creating new talent competition outside traditional sectors   • Work Culture Hybridization – Balancing international professional norms with evolving local expectations around hierarchy, work-life boundaries, and organizational loyalty in a post-transition environment   • Regulatory & Compliance Complexity – Hiring within Hong Kong's distinct legal framework while managing cross-border data, employment law changes, and increasing mainland regulatory influence on business operations   • Employer Branding in a Polarized Environment – Crafting authentic value propositions that resonate across diverse political and cultural perspectives without alienating key talent segments   We're on Thursday 14th May, 10am BST. Register by clicking on the green button to save your spot. And follow the channel here (recommended) to be notified whenever we go live.

    54 min
  4. May 8

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

    AI RECOMMENDATION VS HUMAN JUDGEMENT - PT2. Can we detect, assess, train for and hire for 'human judgement'?   Following our amazing conversation a month ago, we're back with Pt2 of our conversation on AI Recommendation vs Human Judgement. This time, we're going to examine whether it is possible to hire for human judgement, whether this should be a quality we actively look for and cultivate in existing employees?   • Defining the Undefinable – Breaking down "judgment" into observable, assessable components - pattern recognition, ethical reasoning, contextual awareness, and decisive action under uncertainty - that separate humans from sophisticated autocomplete   • The Automation Paradox – How over-reliance on AI recommendations actually atrophies human judgment skills in your workforce, creating dangerous dependency loops where no one questions the machine   • Detecting Algorithmic Deference – Identifying the warning signs in candidate behavior and employee decision-making that reveal someone who executes recommendations versus someone who evaluates them   • Assessment Science for Judgment – Moving beyond situational judgment tests to immersive, real-time simulations that reveal how candidates actually react when AI advice conflicts with observable reality   • Training Judgment in an AI-Saturated World – Practical frameworks for developing judgment capabilities in employees who've never made decisions without a digital safety net—and why this is now a retention imperative   • The Hiring Manager's Dilemma – When your own recruitment process is AI-driven, how do you spot candidates with superior human judgment? Breaking the recursive trap of algorithms hiring for algorithmic compliance   • Ethical Override Readiness – Case studies of catastrophic AI failures in hiring, finance, and healthcare—and the specific judgment capabilities that could have prevented them   • Cognitive Diversity vs. AI Consensus – Why homogenized "best practice" recommendations produce blind spots, and how to build teams whose judgment complements rather than mirrors algorithmic output   • The Speed vs. Deliberation Spectrum – Redesigning workflows and roles to protect space for human judgment without sacrificing the efficiency gains AI legitimately delivers   • Future-Proofing Leadership Pipelines – Why succession planning must now explicitly screen for judgment autonomy—and how to identify high-potentials who won't become mere executors of AI strategy     We're on Friday May 8th, 2pm BST. Save your seat (click on the green button) to register and follow the channel here (recommended) to be notified whenever we go live with a new show.   Ep379 is sponsored by Greenhouse   What do high-performing TA teams look like in 2026? Greenhouse analyzed data from over 6,000 companies and over 640M applications over the last 3 years to understand how recruiters are really doing and how hiring teams can keep up with industry standards.   Check out their new benchmarking report, The Hire Standard.

    1h 2m
  5. May 8

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

    HOW TO HIRE IN THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA IN 2026   The post-pandemic recovery, shifting regulatory landscape, and explosive growth of domestic tech giants and surprising resilience of export economy in face of Trump Tariff War, have completely rewired how Chinese professionals evaluate opportunities.   What attracted top talent five years ago - multinational brand prestige, expat packages, hierarchical titles—now falls flat against the priorities of a new generation.   Meanwhile, local competitors are mastering AI-driven recruitment, offering unprecedented flexibility, and tapping into talent pools Western companies barely know exist. This webinar cuts through the noise to reveal what's actually working in China right now. If you're serious about building teams in the world's most complex talent market, this is your competitive intelligence briefing.   10 Critical Shifts Reshaping Hiring in China   • The Rise of "Quiet Loyalty" vs. "Lying Flat" • Domestic Giant Competition – How BYD, ByteDance, CATL, and Huawei are rewriting compensation, perks, and career development benchmarks—setting expectations that foreign employers now struggle to match • AI-Native Recruitment Platforms – Why LinkedIn's China exit created a fragmented ecosystem of super-apps (WeChat, Maimai, Boss Zhipin, Xiaohongshu) and how AI-powered matching algorithms on these platforms now determine candidate visibility • The Regulatory Tightrope – Navigating 2026's evolving data privacy laws, cross-border data transfer restrictions, and employment contract requirements that can derail hires before day one • Localiaation Beyond Translation – Why "glocal" strategies fail in China and how winning employers build autonomous, culturally-embedded talent teams rather than exporting Western HR playbooks • The Returnee Talent Wave – Tapping into the growing pool of overseas-educated Chinese professionals returning home - what they expect, what they're leaving behind, and why they choose local over multinational • Flexible Work Realities – Confronting the gap between China's 996 legacy and younger workers' demands for work-life balance, remote options, and mental health support—without sacrificing productivity expectations • Skills-First Hiring in Practice – Moving beyond degree pedigree and brand-name resumes to competency-based assessments, as China's education inflation makes traditional credentials increasingly unreliable signals • Employer Branding on Chinese Social – Mastering Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book), Douyin, and Zhihu for talent attraction—platforms where candidates research your reputation through employee-generated content, not corporate career pages • Succession-Proofing Your China Leadership – Addressing the critical shortage of ready-now local leaders and why 2026's winners are accelerating executive development programs rather than importing expat talent     All this and more as we tackle what it's like to hire on of the main drivers of the global economy.   We're on Tuesday May 5th, 10am BST / 5pm CST. Save your seat (click on the green button) to register and follow the channel here (recommended) to be notified whenever we go live with a new show.   Live session includes extended Q&A on your specific China hiring challenges. Recording available exclusively to registrants.

    1h 3m
  6. May 8

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

    JOB ADVERTISING ON SOCIAL MEDIA IN 2026   Front line work - in healthcare, retail, hospitality & logistics, construction, warehousing and the rest remain the most in-demand jobs in almost every economy. And the only way people know how to hire them is through advertising on Facebook!   Whilst old school techniques might still work, the manual effort is exhausting, cost inefficient and increasingly susceptible to risk. What does great job advertising on social media look like in 2026?   There's a ton to get through:   • AI-Powered Creative Generation • Programmatic Media Buying 2.0 • Dynamic Candidate Journeys • Predictive Audience Modelling • Conversational Apply Flows • Video-First Job Storytelling • Privacy-First Targeting • Cross-Platform Attribution Intelligence • Authenticity at Scale • The Algorithm Arms Race   If you're hiring for front line and want to keep up-to-date with the latest techniques of advertising on social media, this is the show for you.   Limited seats. Live Q&A included. Recording available to registrants only.   We're on Friday 1st May, 2pm BST. Register by clicking on the green button (save my spot) and follow the channel here (recommended)     Ep377 is sponsored by our friends 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.

    1h 3m
  7. Apr 25

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

    We're Going To Do An OpenClaw Install (Live Demo)   Meet OpenClaw - the open-source AI that's been the sensation of the year so far. Imagine an actual 24/7 AI Agents that does the work for your automatically. Can it work for real world recruiting?   We're not just talking about it - we're showing you.   In this live demo session, watch us tackle:   • How fast can you spin up a custom application workflow from scratch? • Native integrations: does it play nice with your existing HRIS and assessment tools? • Compliance and data privacy: where does OpenClaw stand on GDPR and security? • Custom reporting: can you build the dashboard your executives actually want? • API flexibility: how deep can technical teams customise the backend? • Cost reality check: where are the hidden expenses vs. proprietary platforms?   We're pressure-testing Openclaw in real time—no slides, no sales pitch, just raw functionality and honest verdicts.   Recruiters, HR tech leads, and TA innovators—this demo is for you. Follow the channel here (recommended) and register for the show by clicking on the green button 'Save My Spot'   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

    1h 2m

Ratings & Reviews

4.1
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

The Recruiting Brainfood Podcast: Your weekly 60 minute dose of brilliant conversation about Recruiting & HR

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