Picture this: hiring decisions powered by predictive analytics, employee growth guided by personalized learning paths, and workforce planning shaped by real-time data insights. It’s not a glimpse into the distant future—it’s happening now. AI is arming HR teams with a game-changing toolkit:
Smart recruitment: AI algorithms are cutting through the clutter, analyzing resumes, identifying top talent, and predicting candidate success. No more drowning in paperwork!
Personalized learning: Employee development is upgrading significantly with AI-curated learning experiences tailored to individual and company needs.
Workforce analytics: From forecasting turnover risks to spotting skill gaps, AI gives HR the power to predict what’s coming next.
Compliance guardian: Struggling to keep up with ever-changing regulations? AI has you covered, flagging potential issues before they turn into real problems.
Keeping the human touch in a digital world
Now, you might be wondering—where does the “human” in Human Resources fit all this? Don’t worry; AI isn’t replacing HR professionals; it’s supercharging them. By automating routine tasks and offering profound insights, AI frees HR teams to focus on what they do best: building relationships, nurturing company culture, and driving intelligent, strategic decisions.
Embracing the change
The numbers don’t lie. Recent global research (links below) suggests that 50% of the workforce will need reskilling by 2025 to keep pace with AI advancements. But here’s the kicker – 85% of respondents believe that their roles are more likely to be augmented by AI than replaced. This isn’t a threat; it’s an opportunity for unprecedented productivity and innovation across all business functions.
Challenges ahead
Of course, no revolution is without its bumps. As we embrace AI in HR, there are key challenges we need to tackle:
Data Privacy: With significant data comes great responsibility. Staying compliant with regulations like GDPR is a must.
Transparency: Employees must know how and why their data is being used. Trust is everything.
Continuous Learning: HR professionals must stay sharp and keep learning to stay ahead of the AI curve.
What’s next?
AI’s integration into HR isn’t just a passing trend—it’s a transformative shift in how we manage talent, enhance the employee experience, and drive organizational growth. From chatbots handling everyday queries to analytics predicting the future of skill needs, AI is becoming an integral part of the HR ecosystem.
As we move forward, one thing is clear: companies that embrace AI in HR will gain a serious competitive edge. They’ll be more agile, more insightful, and better equipped to develop the workforce of tomorrow.
With only a few new companies like Carv, I-RPO, The Talentpool Community, and RecruitAgent, it seems to be a relatively quiet year for recruitment start-ups in the Netherlands. Sure, TestGorilla was recently named the fastest-growing recruitment start-up in the world (surpassing HireEZ, Personio, and Eightfold), but that Amsterdam-based company is now six years old and hardly a start-up anymore. So, is there little happening this year? Or are we just not looking closely enough? After a bit of digging, we did find five initiatives. Who are they, and what do they say about the market?
#1. Nutzy: ‘Job Community’ for Gen Z
Who? Mitch Gielen and Kevin van Houten
From? Deurne and Moordrecht
What do they do? A community and visual job platform for Generation Z.
“The new generation no longer wants long job descriptions, but rather visual content like videos and TikToks,” says Van Houten. He and his partner-in-crime Mitch Gielen (Purple Squirrel Effect) aim to cater to this with their newly launched platform,
Kevin van Houten (l) and Mitch Gielen
Nutzy aims to offer jobs where candidates can swipe through them in a contemporary manner, and the founders also want to include internships and traineeships. Additionally, they aim to provide “relevant content” like dressing tips for interviews, information on transition compensation, and how to negotiate remote work. “Our mission is to inform Generation Z and give them confidence in their job search, with visually appealing job profiles and help them make a good choice,” Gielen explains. “At Nutzy, we don’t create job postings; we create fan pages,” adds Van Houten.
#2. Swipework: ‘TikTok for the job market’
Who? Niek van Schootbrugge and Maarten ter Velde (with third co-founder Ferran Rohaan)
From? Amsterdam
What? A video job platform that aims to make job hunting more fun, transparent, and more accessible with video job postings and AI.
Another initiative with swiping right in its name can be found with more swiping and TikTok. Niek van Schootbrugge (30) and Maarten ter Velde (29) launched Swipework, a video job platform that has already generated attention from Dutch platforms like MT/Sprout and De Ondernemer. Despite officially launching on September 1, the startup secured €650,000 in funding, raising expectations high.
Niek van Schootbrugge (l) and Maarten ter Velde
The platform differentiates itself with 30 to 60-second videos, “where companies can show how fun it is to work there,” says Van Schootbrugge. “A.I. takes care of the boring tasks for you, like creating a CV.” Employers receive help from the startup in assessing and developing their videos, although they are responsible for posting them on the platform. The job requirements appear when you click on the video, and job seekers can access these videos through an app they install on their phones.
#3. Jaicob: AI-driven ATS
Who? Remy van der Wijngaart, Luuk Zebregs, and Remco Mulders
From? Tilburg
What? AI-generated job postings and a fully automated recruitment process.
Officially launched on January 22 this year, and thus still making it into this overview, is the AI-powered recruitment tool Jaicob, which promises to make recruitment 400% more efficient. According to the founders of Jaicob, it was born out of “a deep frustration with current recruitment challenges.” Their tool aims to turn recruitment from a stumbling block into a springboard for success.
Jaicob’s AI can screen resumes, conduct interviews, and provide real-time recruitment advice and data-driven marketing campaign insights. The platform includes integrations with tools like Outlook and WhatsApp, plus advanced features such as natural language processing for text understanding and generation.
#4. Power Path: Microsoft-Integrable
Who? Maarten Docter and Ruben Lamot
From? Driebergen
What? Recruitment software based on Microsoft’s low-code platform.
Launched at the end of last year but still relevant to mention is Power Path, a start-up from Maarten Docter and Ruben Lamot offering recruitment software built on Microsoft’s low-code platform. The software’s unique advantage is its seamless integration with the entire Microsoft 365 stack.
#5.MAXrecruit: CoPilot for campaigns and more
Who? Caron Ellens and Yentl Ellens
From? Deventer
What? Another CoPilot, but mainly for campaigns.
MAXrecruit, created by Caron Ellens, aims to help small businesses compete with a tool that performs over 90% of recruitment tasks.
Ellens explains, “You input who you’re looking for and where, and MAX—our CoPilot—creates the job page, advertisements, and Meta campaign. It collects all applicants in a dashboard and runs A/B tests for quality, so you can adjust for efficiency.”
The death of the job posting?
Conclusion: Aside from noticing that the start-up world is still primarily male-dominated, several trends emerge if we look at these five companies. The first is the increasing use of A.I. While it has been the norm to stamp A.I. on everything, the last three companies mentioned seem to give real meaning to the term. Another notable trend, especially with the first two companies, is the rise of video, which is particularly important for Gen Z. It’s too early to declare the traditional job posting dead, but the challenge has certainly begun!
Poland might have the best-functioning labour market in Europe. The country has achieved a remarkable balance, combining a shallow unemployment rate with a low percentage of job vacancies. Economists view this as a strong indicator of a well-functioning labour market. Visualizing labour market efficiency can be done by plotting unemployment rates against job vacancy rates. The closer a country is to the origin of this graph, the better its labour market is performing. Using this Pythagorean approach, Poland emerges as the winner in Europe.
Effective Adjustment Mechanisms
This balance indicates that Poland has sufficient adjustment mechanisms, ensuring that the open supply (unemployment) and demand (job vacancies) remain minimal. In a tight labour market, wages typically rise, attracting more workers and potentially reducing demand. Conversely, wages tend to decrease in a loose labour market, potentially increasing demand and reducing the available workforce. Interestingly, some countries are struggling with these adjustment mechanisms. Tight labour markets like Germany, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic and loose labour markets like Spain and Greece face challenges in achieving balance. Sweden presents a unique case, grappling with both high numbers of job vacancies and high unemployment.
Positive Trends Across Europe
The good news is that between 2017 and 2023, improvements in labour market functioning were observed across Europe. This applies to at least 23 of 30 European countries, including the Netherlands. Greece showed the most significant improvement, primarily due to a substantial decrease in unemployment rates. Despite the overall positive trend, Poland stands out with the best labour market figures in 2023. This achievement raises exciting questions about the policies and mechanisms Poland has implemented to reach this enviable position.
While labour market dynamics are complex and influenced by various factors, Poland’s current standing offers valuable insights for economists, policymakers, and business leaders across Europe. As the continent continues to navigate economic challenges, Poland’s labour market performance presents an intriguing case study in effective employment policies and financial management.
(This article is based on insights from a LinkedIn post by Michel van Smoorenburg, published on August 27, 2024. The original post can be found on LinkedIn.
While scanning the extensive list of tech layoffs in recent years, four of the five Big Tech companies are ever-present. Alphabet, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft have all laid off thousands of workers since COVID-19, with some cuts larger than others. Meanwhile, the fifth brother was absolutely nowhere to be found — until now. In April the news finally broke that Apple had laid off approximately 614 workers, marking its first round of layoffs.
For all intents and purposes, Apple is Big Tech’s most mysterious family-member. Layoffs are scarce, product releases are secretive — and the same applies to the way the company has responded to the hype train that is Artificial Intelligence (AI). While all of its competitors jumped on Generative AI immediately, Apple received plenty of criticism: did they leave it too late?
Late to jump on the AI train
Apple, long known for its measured approach to emerging technologies, has finally embraced AI with the introduction of Apple Intelligence. This suite of AI-powered features, coming to iOS, iPadOS, and macOS later in 2024, includes a revamped Siri, custom emoji generation, and image creation tools. By emphasising privacy and on-device processing, Apple aims to differentiate itself in a crowded AI market.
To truly comprehend Apple’s aspirations in the realm of AI, all eyes point toward the architects of its strategy. At the helm is John Giannandrea, a seasoned AI veteran the company poached from Google in 2018. Under his stewardship, Apple has methodically assembled what has been described as ‘a formidable AI/ML talent pool’.
Apple Car: RIP
One area where Apple amassed AI talent was the company’s secretive Car project. After scooping up self-driving shuttle startup Drive.ai, they also supposedly recruited teams from Tesla and Mercedes to work on a next-gen car. The most notable purchase was Voyage Auto, a Silicon Valley-based autonomous vehicle startup that was testing self-driving cars in retirement communities.
The The Wall Street Journalreported that some of the 2,000 car-developing staff members would shift to working on artificial intelligence (AI).
Now though, despite spending approximately $1 billion annually on Project Titan, Apple’s grand car project is dead. The The Wall Street Journal subsequentlyreported that some of the 2,000 car-developing staff members would shift to working on artificial intelligence (AI). And those cuts we mentioned earlier? According to Bloomberg, they stem from the address of the site which was working on the recently abandoned self-driving car project in California.
Apple’s poaching at Google
Beyond the influx of AI talent due to its car troubles, it also appears the company has taken it up a notch, becoming more aggressive in recent times. According to an analysis by the Financial Times, Apple has poached ‘at least three dozen specialists’ from Google earlier this year. Amazon, Microsoft, Netflix, Meta also all feature on Apple’s list of talent sources.
Source: Financial Times
Moreover, campus recruitment seems ever-present. With Carnegie Mellon University, Stanford University also present on the list. Currently, the company has approximately 150 AI-related job openings, with lucrative offers often exceeding $300,000.
Think different
When we zoom out, what are the traits that Apple looks for? While Cook hasn’t gone on the record too often as to what the company wants in talent, he’s clear on what it takes to thrive at Apple. During a recent commencement speech at the University of Naples Federico II in Italy, Cook shared that Apple’s success is deeply tied to its culture and hiring practices.
“We look for people that think different”, Cook said. “[People] that can look at a problem and not be caught up in the dogma of how that problem has always been [solved]. It’s a cliché, but there are no dumb questions. It’s amazing when somebody starts to ask questions as a kid would do.”
Transforming ‘devotees’ to ‘disciples’
While there has been plenty of criticism over the years, overall, Apple’s number of employees has only dipped once in the past 18 years and has avoided any mass-layoffs. So, what’s behind that success? As one New York Times article puts it:the company transforms ‘devotees’ into ‘disciples’ through a rigorous onboarding process.
An excerpt from Apple’s Genius Student Workbook. Source: Gizmodo
A leaked 2012 Genius Training Student Workbook provides a glimpse into this process. It’s a comprehensive guide emphasising Apple’s values, communication skills, empathy, and customer focus. A 14-day bootcamp complements this training. Empathy is a cornerstone of Apple’s culture. According to Businessolver’s State of Workplace Empathy study, 93% of employees reported they would stay with an empathetic employer, and even accept lower pay for such environments.
Worst retention rate of big tech
But it’s not all good news. A 2023 survey conducted by resume.io reveals that Apple has the lowest staff retention rate among the top 20 major technology companies in the US. The data shows that employees at Apple typically leave the company before reaching their second work anniversary, with a median tenure of just 1.7 years. In comparison, Amazon and Meta both have a slightly longer median tenure of 1.8 years. Alphabet (Google) fares better, with employees staying for a median of 3.7 years.
The data shows that employees at Apple typically leave the company before reaching their second work anniversary, with a median tenure of just 1.7 years.
High-profile departures include Joe Bass, who left Apple for Meta in 2022, and Mark Bozon, who joined Disney’s metaverse project after over 12 years at Apple. Ian Goodfellow, Apple’s former director of machine learning, also exited, citing dissatisfaction with the company’s return-to-office policy before joining Alphabet’s DeepMind. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman highlighted this ‘unprecedented’ exodus in March 2023, attributing it to Apple’s growing bureaucracy, internal politics, and resource reallocation.
The enigma that is Apple
In the ever-evolving tech landscape, Apple remains a bit of an enigma. The company is simultaneously a magnet for top-tier talent and a revolving door for high-profile departures. While the company’s AI-driven recruitment strategy has attracted some of the industry’s brightest minds, it hasn’t escaped the challenges that come with an increasingly competitive market.
Whether this strategy will sustain its legacy or leave it playing catch-up is the million-dollar question. One thing’s for sure: in the world of Apple, the only constant is change.
Apple’s knack for secrecy and its cautious embrace of AI might seem enigmatic, but it’s all part of a grander, carefully orchestrated plan. As Apple poaches from rivals and reshuffles its internal projects, it continues to redefine success on its own terms. Whether this strategy will sustain its legacy or leave it playing catch-up is the million-dollar question. One thing’s for sure: in the world of Apple, the only constant is change.
Do you own a staffing or recruitment agency? Starting next week, you can no longer post job vacancies on LinkedIn for free. If you want to announce a job vacancy, you must promote it. Officially, this is to keep LinkedIn ‘safe and trustworthy,’ according to the platform. The restrictions, effective from August 1, are intended ‘to prevent abuse, improve product quality, and increase transparency while ensuring job seekers have access to the best possible career opportunities.’
‘Job vacancies from staffing and recruitment agencies may only be promoted.’
LinkedIn states that member safety is the priority with the new guidelines. ‘To ensure that every job vacancy posted on LinkedIn is accurate and of high quality, vacancies from staffing and recruitment agencies must now be promoted when posted on the Budget page. These can no longer be posted for free. This only applies to members posting vacancies via LinkedIn on behalf of companies marked as staffing or recruitment agencies on their company page. This does not affect companies posting vacancies on third-party websites.’
Regular Audits
LinkedIn also announced it will enforce the above guidelines and conduct regular audits to ensure compliance. ‘As part of our compliance audit, we will issue one warning for detected non-compliance and give third-party sites one week to comply.’
LinkedIn reserves the right to terminate the contract of anyone who does not comply with the guidelines.
But if you do not comply, the platform will quickly issue warnings. ‘LinkedIn reserves the right to remove any job posting from the site for any reason to protect our users’ interests. Furthermore, LinkedIn reserves the right to remove partners and immediately terminate the Basic Jobs contract for any third-party job site that does not comply with these guidelines after one warning and/or generates an excessive number of member complaints.’
Indeed Preceded LinkedIn
LinkedIn is not the first to require intermediaries to pay for job postings. Indeed, we already implemented this earlier this year. Since May, all recruitment and staffing agencies on this platform must sponsor their job postings to show them to job seekers. But what exactly do LinkedIn’s new guidelines mean if you run a recruitment agency or are active in the staffing industry? Marcel van der Meer outlines the following implications and provides some tips:
#1. 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆
‘Always mention the actual employer’s name. No generic or hidden names like “confidential”.’
#2. 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗥𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀
‘Vacancies via third parties may receive less visibility. LinkedIn will strictly monitor, and non-compliance can lead to removing job postings or even terminating your agreement with LinkedIn.’
#3. 𝗡𝗼 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀
‘There will be no more free Limited Listings. This will increase costs, especially for smaller agencies, which may find it unsustainable.’
#4. 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀
‘Use clear, accurate job titles without unnecessary capital letters or special characters. The title must match the title in the source listing. It should not be changed to add extra information such as location, company name, or secondary benefits (e.g., “Super job in Rotterdam,” “Engineer—Salary €100k,” etc.).
#5. 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
‘Ensure all information in the job description is accurate and complete.’
The well-known global sourcing and AI trainer recommends informing your team and always providing detailed and up-to-date job listings. He advises agencies to obtain as much exclusivity from employers as possible (‘always better, of course’), so LinkedIn is less likely to penalize them.
Unemployment? In fact, there is no longer much to fear throughout Central Europe, according to a new study by Stocklytics.com. Especially if you have some education, a job seems almost guaranteed in the coming years. In the largest economy in Europe, Germany, the shortage of skilled workers has even ‘reached a critical level,’ according to the researchers. ‘And the scale of this problem will only increase in the future.’
According to the research data, the number of skilled workers in Germany is expected to fall to 23.3 million by 2040, about a quarter less than the current number. No wonder the German Economic Institute expects the shortage of skilled workers to significantly impact the industry in the region over the next 15 years. By 2025, all of Central Europe will face a tight labour market, say the researchers, with the number of vacancies increasing and unemployment falling to a historic low.
Economists have calculated that economic growth this year would be more than 1% higher if there were enough workers.
According to a recent study by the German Economic Institute, the neighbouring country already has a shortage of about 573,000 skilled workers. Economists have calculated that economic growth this year would be more than 1% (or 49 billion euros) higher if there were enough workers. That is significant, especially considering that economic forecasts for 2024 predict growth of just 0.2%.
Decline and Aging
According to the researchers, the ageing population, low birth rates, and increasing demand for highly skilled professionals collectively ensure that the labour shortage is now the second-largest business risk for German companies. By 2035, the German labour market is expected to have a shortage of another 4.3 million skilled workers, reducing their total number to 25.7 million. In 2040, the total German workforce will decline by 5.5 million people despite an increase in highly educated workers.
‘On the old continent, by 2040 more than a quarter of the population will have reached retirement age.’
‘The old continent faces a future whereby 2040 more than a quarter of the population will have reached retirement age,’ the researchers say. At the same time, they note that education and training systems have hardly focused on the skills needed to replace retiring workers or meet the demand for labour in growing industries, such as ICT and artificial intelligence. ‘Solving these problems is essential to securing Europe’s competitiveness,’ they conclude, somewhat redundantly.
Contributing to a Solution?
Interested in contributing to a solution in the German labour market? In September, ToTalent is organizing the first Webinar Tage in history for recruitment parties interested in the DACH region. The webinars will be free for the target audience to view. Click on the link for more information: Partner Brochure
A whole Webinar Woche (Webinar Week) that might have been a bit too ambitious to start with. However, the interest from Germany and other German-speaking countries in all the new developments in the field of recruitment is now so great that at Werf&, we dare to organize a three-day event, the Webinar Tage. From September 17 to 19 this year, various current trends in the field of recruitment will be discussed in German for the first time, including:
Three companies from the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) and three companies from the Netherlands will be present each day, and they are also explicitly focusing on the German-speaking market. Among others, Robindro Ullah, a well-known HR influencer and author in Germany and manager of the renowned Trendence Institute, has already confirmed his participation. Florian Grösch (Raven51) and Wolfgang Brickwedde will also be present (as the host).
‘At the Beginning of Talent Intelligence’
In his contribution, Ullah will address the growing importance of the topic ‘Talent Intelligence‘ and the role of data in the recruitment process. He says these topics still have room for improvement in his country. ‘If I may speak for the German market, I see that the power of data is not yet recognized here. Recruitment analysis is approached step by step, but Talent Intelligence is much more than that. Internationally, I have not encountered many top examples,’ says the author of the Praxishandbuch Recruiting and three-time winner of the German HR Innovator of the Year award.
‘From the German market perspective, we are not even using 1% of the potential yet.’
According to Ullah, companies have not yet fully understood that talent will be their scarcest resource. ‘Whether we are successful or not will almost exclusively depend on this factor: can we attract and retain people? Therefore, I believe that the career of Talent Intelligence has just begun. This discipline will influence not only HR decisions but also business decisions in the future,’ he says. ‘From the perspective of the German market, we are not even using 1% of the potential yet.’
In Collaboration with ToTalent
Werf& is organizing the first Webinar Tage in history with its international sister, totalent.eu. The webinars will be available for free to the target audience. Dutch organizations that would like to present themselves as experts for the DACH audience are welcome to participate and host a webinar. They will receive lead information from participants and professional webinar recordings, which can be viewed for another year, plus an additional interview on ToTalent.eu or Werf-en.nl. Click on this link for more information:
Harvey AI is an AI platform designed to enhance workflows for professional service providers, particularly in the legal sector. The company has refined and optimized a general language model similar to ChatGPT for legal use. This means the model has been trained on an extensive database of legal precedents and documents, enabling it to provide accurate and relevant answers to legal questions. The platform offers a range of features tailored to the needs of lawyers and law firms. Users can ask questions about specific legal issues, have documents analyzed for potential law violations, and even have contracts rewritten to comply with the legislation of a particular state.
Big names, significant impact
What makes Harvey AI special is the technology and its rapid adoption by major players in the industry. Companies like Allen & Overy, PwC, and Philips announced they will use Harvey AI. This rapid acceptance by large enterprises is remarkable, given that such companies are typically very cautious about adopting new technologies. It testifies to the confidence these organizations have in Harvey AI’s capabilities.
More than just a tool
Even more interesting is how these companies plan to use Harvey AI. Instead of simply deploying it as an internal tool, companies like Allen & Overy use Harvey AI to develop their legal software. They’re integrating the technology into their products, which they can sell to their clients as white-label solutions. This suggests that Harvey AI will change the internal processes of law firms and how legal services are delivered to clients. It opens the door to more automated and efficient legal service provision.
The future of legal work
The rise of platforms like Harvey AI raises important questions about the legal profession’s future. Will we need fewer lawyers in the future? It’s a complex question without a simple answer. On one hand, AI can take over much of the time-consuming research and analysis work traditionally done by junior lawyers. This could lead to reduced demand for certain legal roles.
On the other hand, AI also offers opportunities for lawyers to work more efficiently and focus on tasks that require human expertise and judgment. Moreover, implementing and using AI systems like Harvey AI will likely create new roles within law firms, such as AI specialists and data analysts.
It’s more likely that we’ll see a shift in the nature of legal work rather than a drastic reduction in the number of lawyers. Lawyers who can adapt to and work with AI tools will likely thrive in this new environment. If contacting a lawyer will be cheaper in the future, the answer will probably be yes. Already, companies ask for lower tariffs when consultants and lawyers brag about using AI.
Challenges and considerations
Despite the enormous potential, there are challenges and considerations in using AI in the legal sector. Questions around privacy, data protection, and the reliability of AI-generated advice need to be carefully addressed. Harvey AI seems to be already addressing this by implementing strong security measures and giving users control over the use of their data. The platform also offers visibility into a firm’s productivity, allowing users to track work by attorney, client matter, and practice area. I love it, and it will make lawyers’ work more transparent and accessible.
By incorporating Harvey.ai, it’s fair to say that the legal industry is ‘ready’ for significant transformation. Although AI will change how lawyers work, it won’t eliminate the need for their expertise and judgment. Instead, it will enable them to provide better, faster, and more accurate services, benefiting clients and the justice system.
So, who needs lawyers when you have Harvey? The answer is simple: we all do, but they are more effective than ever with Harvey.
Shelley Billinghurst – Founder and CEO of Hire Value Inc
With over two decades of experience, Shelley Billinghurst has established herself as a thought leader in recruitment marketing and HR consulting. As the founder of Hire Value Inc., she specializes in strategic recruitment planning, employer branding, and talent acquisition. Shelley co-hosts “The Recruitment Flex” podcast and is a frequent speaker at industry events, sharing her innovative approaches to improving the recruitment process.
Hilda Kabushenga Kragha – CEO of The African Talent Company
Leading The African Talent Company (TATC), Hilda Kabushenga Kragha is at the forefront of bridging the talent gap in Africa through tech-enabled solutions. TATC, which includes brands like Jobberman and BrighterMonday, serves over 4.6 million job seekers and 150,000+ employers. Hilda’s focus on leveraging technology for workforce development has made her a key figure in democratizing job opportunities across the African continent.
Allyn Bailey – Executive Director of Hiring Success at SmartRecruiters
Allyn Bailey, a recognized talent futurist and HR technology specialist, leads a global team of consultants at SmartRecruiters. Her innovative work, including the Talent Acquisition Infinity Loop model, has revolutionized recruitment strategies. Allyn is also a frequent blogger, keynote speaker, and co-host of “The Talent Rebelcast” podcast, driving change in the talent industry.
Beverly Collins-Shaw – CEO of CV Wallet
As CEO of CV Wallet, Beverly Collins-Shaw is pioneering the integration of Web3 and AI technologies in career management and recruitment. Her extensive experience in the recruitment industry has led to developing innovative, technology-driven solutions that enhance the connection between employers and top talent.
David Crawford – VP of Talent Acquisition at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
David Crawford leads recruitment strategies for one of the nation’s top healthcare institutions. His unique approach combines traditional recruiting expertise with innovative practices, including virtual interviewing and targeted career events. Under his leadership, NewYork-Presbyterian has received recognition as a “Best Place to Work” from Forbes, Fortune, and Glassdoor.
Katrina-Hutchinson-Oneill – CEO and Founder of Joint Talent
With over 20 years of experience in various leadership roles, Katrina Hutchinson-O’Neill founded Join Talent in 2018. The company has experienced rapid growth, employing over 260 people across 23 countries. Katrina’s strategic vision and innovative approach have earned her multiple accolades, including “Recruitment Leader of the Year” and “Start-up Entrepreneur of the Year.”
Lucas Martinez – Co-founder and CEO of Talent.com
Since co-founding Talent.com in 2011, Lucas Martinez has transformed it into a significant player in the recruitment industry. The platform offers a comprehensive job search experience by aggregating job ads from various sources, aiming to make every online job accessible to job seekers worldwide.
Thad Price – CEO of Talroo
Thad Price leads Talroo, a talent attraction platform leveraging data-driven job advertising solutions. With over 15 years of experience in online recruitment, Thad focuses on transforming client feedback into impactful products that enhance the hiring process through predictive analytics and performance-based advertising models.
Steve Flook – President and CEO of iHire
Steve Flook brings his software systems and information architecture background to his role at iHire, a recruitment marketing platform connecting candidates and employers across 56 industry-specific communities. His leadership leverages technology to streamline recruitment processes and improve the candidate experience.
Fred Goff – Co-founder and CEO of Jobcase
Fred Goff leads Jobcase, a social platform that empowers workers with tools and resources to improve their work lives. Under his guidance, Jobcase has expanded its reach to millions of members, focusing on addressing the future of work and the impacts of AI on the labour market.
Adam Stafford – CEO of Recruitcs
Adam Stafford leads Recruitics as its CEO, bringing a wealth of experience in talent acquisition. His strategic vision drives the development of tech-driven recruitment solutions that connect talent with opportunities. As a recognized thought leader, Adam frequently speaks at industry conferences, sharing insights on the evolving recruitment technology landscape.
Renee La Londe – Founder and CEO of iTalent Digital
Renee La Londe has established iTalent Digital as a pioneering company in diverse talent acquisition. Her advocacy for STEM education and mentoring women has earned her numerous accolades, including the Tech Innovator of the Year and National STEM Mentoring Award. Renee’s leadership at iTalent Digital emphasizes the importance of diversity in the tech industry and innovative approaches to talent acquisition.
Andreea Wade – VP of Product Strategy at iCIMS
With a diverse background spanning programming, journalism, product management, and entrepreneurship, Andreea Wade brings a unique perspective to her role at iCIMS. As the co-founder of Opening.io (acquired by iCIMS in 2020), she has a proven track record in HR tech innovation. Andreea’s work focuses on advancing product strategies to enhance talent acquisition and management solutions, leveraging her experience as a startup mentor across Europe and the Middle East.
Wendy McDougall – CEO and Founder of Firefish Software
Wendy McDougall’s journey from recruiter to CEO of Firefish Software exemplifies her deep understanding of the recruitment industry. With over two decades of experience, she has successfully merged her expertise with innovative technology, particularly in AI applications for recruitment. Wendy is renowned for her ability to make complex tech concepts accessible and provide practical insights. Her forward-thinking approach has positioned Firefish as a critical player in the recruitment software sector.
Richard Collins – Co-founder of CV Wallet
Richard Collins brings a wealth of experience in digital recruitment to his role as co-founder of CV Wallet. His innovative career management app integrates Web3 and AI technologies to revolutionize hiring. Richard’s mission is to create a fairer and more efficient recruitment system, empowering job seekers to own their data while providing employers with qualified candidates. His previous ventures, including ClickIQ (sold to Indeed in 2019), showcase his long-standing commitment to advancing recruitment technology.
Hung Lee – Editor of Recruiting Brainfood
As the editor of the industry-leading newsletter Recruiting Brainfood, Hung Lee has established himself as a curator of valuable insights in the recruitment field. With over 15 years of experience in various recruitment roles, Hung’s expertise spans the entire spectrum of talent acquisition. Based in London, he has become a well-respected figure known for fostering a community of forward-thinking recruitment professionals through his curated content and industry analysis.
Shelia Gray – VP of Talent Acquisition at Generac Power Systems
At Generac Power Systems, Shelia Gray leads strategic talent acquisition and transformation efforts. Her innovative approach, which leverages design thinking to address talent supply challenges, has set her apart in the industry. With extensive experience in HR and talent acquisition, Shelia actively participates in industry events and conferences, sharing her insights on cutting-edge recruitment strategies.
Aaron Matos – Founder and Executive Chairman of Paradox
Aaron Matos’s journey in the talent acquisition sector spans over two decades, during which he has founded several successful companies, including Jobberman.com and Recruiting.com. As the founder of Paradox, Aaron has focused on leveraging conversational AI to transform recruiting processes. His vision of using assistive intelligence to automate mundane tasks has allowed HR professionals to focus on more strategic aspects of their roles. Under his leadership, Paradox has achieved significant growth and recognition, including three consecutive Inc. 500 awards.
Sarah White – CEO and Head of Research of Aspect43
Sarah White has established herself as a prominent figure in the HR tech space over the past decade. As the CEO and Head of Research at Aspect43, she is dedicated to advancing HR, talent, and work technology. Sarah’s expertise as an advisor, strategist, and analyst has earned her recognition on numerous “influencer” lists in the HR and recruiting industries. Her annual insights and market landscape guides have become valuable resources for organizations and HR tech vendors. Sarah is also a regular speaker at major industry events, sharing her passion for improving how people interact with technology in the workplace.
Christian Forman – Founder and CEO of Appcast
Christian Forman leads Appcast, a programmatic job advertising platform that has become a key player in the HR tech space. His focus on leveraging technology to optimize recruitment advertising has driven significant growth and innovation within the company. Christian’s leadership has positioned Appcast as a trusted solution for many businesses looking to enhance their talent acquisition strategies. With extensive experience in the recruitment industry and a history of executive roles, Christian continues to push the boundaries of how technology can improve talent acquisition processes.
These 20 leaders represent the cutting edge of talent acquisition, driving innovations and reshaping how organizations attract, engage, and retain top talent. As we look ahead to the second half of 2024’s honorees, to be announced later this year, it’s clear that the future of talent acquisition is in capable and visionary hands.
He travels around the world to talk about the importance of employer branding. As the founder of the Employer Branding College and the creator of the World Employer Branding Day, which attracts over 700 attendees and will be held again in Amsterdam this October, Brett Minchington knows what he is talking about. Over the past few years, he has trained over 1,000 employer branders in over 60 cities across 40 countries. What developments have caught his attention the most? He highlights three significant trends in employer branding.
#1. Employer branding is becoming strategic
‘Employer branding is undergoing a profound evolution,” states Minchington. “Its traditional role was merely a recruitment tool. However, it now transcends that function and is increasingly becoming a strategic business function. This transformation is crucial in the current competitive landscape, where organizations not only want to attract top talent but also retain talent that aligns with their values and mission.’
Brett Mitchington in action.
He believes “the alignment of employer branding with overall business objectives is central to this evolution. By integrating employer branding into strategic functions, companies ensure that talent management directly contributes to the organization’s success. This strategic alignment fosters a high-performance culture where employees are motivated by a shared purpose and engagement.”
According to Minchington, to make employer branding truly strategic, a matching structure and a “holistic approach” are necessary. He has tried to capture this in a model, or “an ecosystem approach,” as he calls it. With this model, leaders can learn to identify and develop strategies to adapt to the key drivers of systemic changes in the world of work that impact the attraction and retention of talent.
‘Organizations not only want to attract top talent but also retain talent that aligns with their values and mission.’
With his model, he advocates for a strategy that adapts to systemic changes impacting the attraction and retention of talent. It emphasizes continuously building capacities within and outside traditional organizational structures, enabling companies to adapt to changing market demands quickly. Minchington states, “By promoting flexibility and scalability, the model allows organizations to shift from static employer branding campaigns to dynamic, responsive strategies that reflect real-time market realities.”
#2. Focus on Employee Experience (EX)
According to Minchington, the second major trend shaping the future of employer branding is the growing emphasis on Employee Experience (EX). “This is not just about traditional perks and benefits but encompasses every interaction an employee has with the organization, from recruitment to departure or as an alumnus. Companies are increasingly investing in creating positive work environments, fostering growth opportunities, and ensuring a healthy work-life balance for their employees.”
‘Flexible policies and robust digital infrastructures are essential for maintaining employee satisfaction..’
He says the rise of remote and hybrid work models only underscores this importance. “Flexible policies and robust digital infrastructures are essential for maintaining employee satisfaction in this evolving landscape.” He observes that satisfied employees are more likely to advocate for their employer brand. “They share positive experiences both online and through word of mouth. This advocacy enhances the company’s reputation and attracts like-minded talent who value a supportive and inclusive work culture.”
#3. Strengthening employee advocacy
The third major trend highlighted by Minchington is somewhat connected to the previous ones but also fundamentally different. According to him, it’s about the increasing role that current employees play in employer branding strategies. “In today’s digital age, where authenticity and transparency are paramount, the voice of employees plays a crucial role in shaping the external perception of an organization,” he summarizes.
He argues that by empowering employees to share their experiences authentically, companies can humanize their brand and appear credible to both potential candidates and consumers. “Employee advocacy goes beyond traditional marketing efforts and provides genuine insights into the company culture and values. This transparency builds trust and fosters a deeper connection between the organization and its stakeholders. Moreover, employee advocacy is a powerful tool for internal alignment and improvement.”
More information?
Are you curious to learn more? From October 9th to 11th, Amsterdam will host the grand-scale World Employer Branding Day again. Featuring cases from companies like McKinsey, Amazon, Coca-Cola, DHL Group, Merlin Entertainment, PwC, and McCain. With the promo code “werf,” you get a €100 discount per person.
Stories about this have, of course, been circulating for much longer. And it’s not surprising that a site where you lay out your entire life, including your best possible photo, isn’t just used by users to meet each other – let’s say, professionally. That aspect was pretty much there right from the beginning. Lately, you have heard it more and more often: LinkedIn is increasingly becoming a dating site rather than a networking site.
More than half of Americans are reported to have landed a date through LinkedIn.
According to recent research from DatingNews.com, more than half (!) of American men and women aged between 20 and 40 have secured a date through LinkedIn. “This way, you can better and quickly gauge how smart or serious someone is about life,” one of the many TikTok videos discussing this points out. “You also get to see how strong their CV is.” Young women increasingly share videos of connection requests and messages from men they receive through the app, asking to meet up. Tinder, eat your heart out – here comes LinkedIn!
Some men are pretty direct in their approach. According to a 2023 study by Passport Photo Online, 91% of American female LinkedIn users have received at least one romantic or sexually suggestive message, and nearly a quarter reported receiving such messages at least every other day. It’s worth noting that most considered these messages unwanted. Interestingly, official dating agencies (like the exclusive Maar Dating Club NYC) also actively use the site to find suitable candidates for their clients.
LinkedIn itself is far from supportive of this trend. “LinkedIn is a professional platform. We want our members to engage in meaningful and authentic conversations,” a spokesperson recently told Newsweek. “Romantic advances and harassment in any form violate our policies, and our guidelines provide detailed examples of what type of content is inappropriate on LinkedIn. Members can report any harassment on LinkedIn and inform us that such behaviour is unwanted so we can take action.”
LinkedIn isn’t the only platform that is unexpectedly used frequently for dating purposes. The sports apps Strava, Duolingo, and Wordfeud are also considered suitable by many men to help them find a date. However, it doesn’t seem to happen as frequently on these platforms as it does on LinkedIn. This is why many women seem to be turning away from the network altogether or posting less, with or without moving images.
The problem for LinkedIn, of course, is that there’s little they can effectively do about it. The platform claims to have implemented features to help prevent harassment before a member sees such a message. However, most users can easily circumvent these measures. The boundary between professional networking and non-professional dating is indeed challenging to enforce. Therefore, the trend is likely to continue for some time. “I don’t think LinkedIn necessarily is a good place for dating; I just think it’s inevitable,” said comedian Ben Sweeny, who recently extensively discussed the trend on TikTok.
New: LinkedIn Love
Even so, it is inevitable that LinkedIn recently appears to have responded with a feature called ‘LinkedIn Love’. Seriously or not, more and more international media are picking up the story that the platform has introduced a feature where you need to put #OpenToDM on your profile if you’re interested in other professionals trying to court you.
It’s like swiping right, but with a cover letter,” one LinkedIn user pointed out. Interestingly, the platform itself has not commented on it (which underscores another threat to LinkedIn: the danger of misinformation).
To use VoxScript, you (still) need a ChatGPT subscription and must enable the plugin in your account settings. It is a powerful tool that significantly expands ChatGPT’s capabilities by providing access to a broader range of current information resources.
See the Dutch example. You need to copy the code, and the transcript is yours.
