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

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?

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A full transcript will appear here shortly.

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?

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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?

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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?

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A full transcript will appear here shortly.

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

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