With In-house Recruitment LIVE! Manchester just around the corner, we caught up with two industry experts who will be speaking at the event to find out what they’re most looking forward to and why you can’t afford to miss it! Read the full interview below which is the first instalment of our In-house Recruitment LIVE! Speaker Q&A.
Alan Walker, #ChatTalent, and Stan Wasowicz, VONQ, stopped by ahead of their presentation on predictive hiring, which will address the development of talent acquisition and the technologies that have enabled this transformation. Their talk will focus on increasing the predictability of your hiring process by approaching it strategically and capturing the right type of data. It’ll also touch on how machine learning and AI fits into this approach.
What are you most looking forward to sharing with your peers from your presentation? What are the key takeaway attendees can expect from your presentation?
Alan: I’m looking forward to talking about the changes in how we recruit, over the last few years, and how we (the industry) are evolving to a truly strategic, modern and valuable function by using and embracing technology to deliver far richer experiences for candidates and better results for our organisations.
Stan: While many hiring teams still approach recruitment in a very traditional ad hoc and manual manner, relying mostly on their gut feelings and experience, some are quickly gaining a significant advantage by approaching it strategically, using automation and relying on performance data. Our presentation will hopefully inspire and enable the attendees to start embracing this winning approach as well.
In today’s candidate-driven market, how can employers differentiate themselves from competition?
Alan: The answer is in the question – by being super candidate focused. Delivering an experience that is tailored to the individual – and their wants, needs and desires – rather those of the hiring company.
Stan: Employers should truly get to know and understand the candidates they are trying to attract, tailor their employee value propositions, content and approach accordingly to facilitate an amazing candidate experience throughout their whole talent acquisition processes. That’s the recipe to set themselves apart. The ingredients will be different for each employer, depending on the above.
What do you expect to be the key message of this year’s In-house LIVE! Manchester?
Alan: Hard to answer – but looking at the speakers and sessions, I think much is going to be around personalisation of the whole talent acquisition process, from attraction through to onboarding and everything in between. Also, clearly technology will have a big part to play – but I think that is just a tool, to achieve the first part of my answer.
Stan: Finding the perfect balance between tech and touch! In a world where technology is becoming increasingly capable and effective in replacing humans for certain tasks, it’s important to stay on top of its development, while also monitoring and guarding the value of human interaction when needed. Especially when it comes to intangibles like human emotions. Robots and algorithms haven’t fully figured those out yet…
Why do you think it’s important for Manchester’s in-house recruitment community to attend this event?
Alan: I think anyone who’s looking to stay current, keep up to date with what’s happening, and who has a genuine interest in both their own development and that of their organisations needs to attend events like this.
Stan: It offers the unique chance to get inspired by amazing speakers and thought leaders, exchange thoughts with peers and get acquainted with the newest cutting-edge technology, all in one day and in one place. These opportunities don’t come around that often and certainly not for free.
What has been your proudest moment so far in your current role? Can you share any client success stories?
Alan: My proudest moment at #ChatTalent is building a network of 5,000 HR professionals, who seem to enjoy our content, in less than 6 months. And the support we’ve had from those that have helped us provide that community with amazing content. The two go hand-in-hand.
Stan: My proudest moment would be getting the green light to proactively increase our efforts within the UK market and the buzz that we’ve managed to create in the short time that we’ve been in it. There have been countless success stories, but one that stands out is Microsoft, whom we’ve helped hire hundreds of inside sales reps with tailored recruitment marketing campaigns across multiple countries.
