Ep 752: Using Job Architecture To Drive Value From AI
Skills, tasks, jobs, activities. These terms get used interchangeably across HR and talent acquisition, but they mean fundamentally different things. Skills are attributes of people. Tasks are components of work. Jobs are bundles of activities.
Having clarity here matters more now than ever. As AI begins reshaping how work gets done, organisations need a precise understanding of their workforce at the task level. Without clear taxonomies, it becomes impossible to understand how to effectively implement AI for automation and augmentation. So how should companies be preparing to take the most advantage of the inevitable shifts AI will bring?
My guest this week is Ben Zweig, CEO of Revelio Labs and author of the new book Job Architecture. In our conversation, he explains how to build effective taxonomies cheaply and scalably with LLMs and why this foundation is critical for navigating change. Ben also teaches Data Science and The Future of Work at NYU Stern and talks through an invaluable framework for assessing the likelihood of AI-driven job displacement.
In the interview, we discuss:
Why grouping people is the core of any HR analysis.
What we get wrong about skills, jobs, tasks, and activities
Why skills aren't the right unit of observation to analyse jobs
AI automates tasks and activities, not jobs and skills.
The vital importance of taxonomies
Using LLMs to build taxonomies cost-effectively at scale.
What are the advantages of doing this properly?
The three forces that help measure the potential for AI-driven job displacement
What does the future look like
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Episode 751: The Trust Problem In Recruiting
Uncertain economic times, high volumes of layoffs, and easy access to AI tools mean many employers are dealing with an unprecedented number of applications.
Recruiters are overwhelmed, candidates are getting ghosted, and trust in the recruiting process is suffering. But are TA teams doing all they can to relieve the pressure at the top of the funnel and give job seekers the clarity they need? Employers want candidates to be more intentional about applying for the right roles for them, but often post roles with unclear requirements and don't approach hiring strategically.
So what should TA leaders be doing to fix the process and rebuild vital trust with job seekers?
My guest this week is Catherine Wylie, Senior Talent Acquisition Business Partner at Mavericks Recruiting On Demand. Catherine has recently joined the business after a six-month job hunt. She has some incredible, valuable insights and advice to share for both employers and other TA professionals in job search mode.
In the interview, we discuss:
Catherine's recent job search experience
Dealing with the extreme level of volume at the front of the recruiting funnel
Lack of clarity, unclear requirements, and the importance of transparency
Speed to delivery versus speed to quality
Why the matching process is broken
How employers can be intentional and hire holistically
Which companies are actually doing this well
Restoring trust in the hiring process
Advice to TA job seekers
What should the future look like
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Ep 750: Agents, Data, and the Future of Talent Acquisition
SAP's recent acquisition of SmartRecruiters has generated considerable interest across the talent acquisition community. The deal brings AI-native recruiting capabilities into a broader HR suite, creating complete visibility into data across the entire employee lifecycle. For recruiters, this means seeing what happens after a hire is made with the potential to connect talent acquisition decisions to performance, retention, and engagement outcomes.
This is where AI agents become significant. When agents can access and act on a complete, harmonized data set spanning the whole employee journey, entirely new possibilities open up for how work gets done across the talent function. Yet despite the rapid pace of innovation, AI adoption is still lagging. Vendors are shipping capabilities faster than most organisations can implement them, held back by regulatory concerns, change management challenges, and uncertainty about where to start.
So how can Talent leaders close this gap and take advantage of what is a huge strategic opportunity?
My guest this week is Lara Albert, Chief Marketing Officer at SAP SuccessFactors. In our conversation, she discusses the SmartRecruiters acquisition, explains how agents working across the employee lifecycle could reshape HR, and shares her advice on how employers can get started.
In the interview, we discuss:
Why SAP acquired SmartRecruiters and what happens next
Connecting recruiting data to employee outcomes
Layering Agentic AI on top of people intelligence
What's holding back AI adoption
Regulation, change management, and mindset
TA and HR have a once-in-a-career opportunity to lead transformation
Business cases, buy-in, and getting started
What will the future look like?
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Ep 749: Recruiting Past, Present, and Future (Live at TA Tech)
This is a special episode, recorded live on stage at TA Tech Europe in London earlier in November. It's a wide-ranging discussion about the state of our industry and where it's heading with one of recruiting's true pioneers, Jeff Taylor, the founder of Monster.com and the soon to be launched Boomband, . We debate AI's true impact on hiring, discuss why traditional tools and approaches are failing, and explore what recruiting could become.
In the interview, we discuss:
The story behind Monster
How Monster almost bought LinkedIn
Why has Jeff returned after two decades out of the industry
What has changed in recruiting in the last 20 years, and what hasn't
Why resumes and job postings are failing
AI's real impact on jobs
What is Boomband?
Rebuilding trust in recruiting
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Ep 748: The Real Value Of AI Agents
The AI agent marketplace has become a confusing landscape full of chatbots and co-pilots that aren't agents, claiming revolutionary capabilities. But genuine AI agents represent something fundamentally different. They're digital workers that can handle complex, multi-step processes independently, making decisions and adjustments along the way.
The technology is already here and working, and the employers succeeding with it are focusing on change management, not just on technology deployment. So what are the early results looking like, and how will agentic AI change recruiting in the months and years to come?
My guest this week is Tom Zrubecky, founder and CEO of Talent Pilot. In our conversation, he shares case studies demonstrating how AI agents are reshaping recruitment workflows and what autonomous hiring looks like.
In the interview, we discuss:
What an AI Agent is and what it isn't
Building responsible AI with human oversight
These are change management projects not technology ones
The power of instant job interviews
Where are employers getting the most value from agents
The importance of pilot project
Building a super recruiter
What does the agentic future look like?
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O Recruiting Future with Matt Alder - What's Next For Talent Acquisition, HR & Hiring?
Talent acquisition is undergoing unprecedented disruption as AI, economic uncertainty, and the ever-shortening lifespan of skills radically reshape recruiting. On Recruiting Future, Matt Alder explores this evolving landscape, using insightful interviews with transformational TA practitioners and forward-thinking experts to spark your imagination and provide the insights you need to shape the future of talent acquisition in your organization.
Each episode explores topics such as AI, recruiting automation, recruitment marketing, employer branding, skills-based hiring, assessment, candidate experience, DEI, internal mobility, and the transformation of TA teams. Recruiting Future is an essential resource for everyone involved in hiring.
Matt Alder is a globally respected talent acquisition futurist, author, and speaker with over 25 years of experience exploring what’s next in recruiting. Renowned for his expertise in strategic foresight and technology trends, Matt provides a unique perspective that empowers leaders to navigate disruption. His deep industry knowledge and ability to spark meaningful conversations make Recruiting Future a must-listen for talent acquisition and HR professionals everywhere.
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