Szymon Kubicki is a former Head of Talent at Spendesk and Docplanner. Today he works with startups through a VC lens, helping them build lean, tech-enabled recruiting functions.

In this episode, Szymon shares how the best talent teams are being built in 2025 — smaller, smarter, and driven by impact, not headcount. We break down how AI is changing team design, what tools actually make a difference, and the new skills every recruiter needs to stay relevant.

Whether you lead a TA team or want to future-proof your career, this one’s full of practical advice.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:10 The new talent game

04:20 Output over Headcount

07:30 Building lean teams

10:00 Internal vs third-party automations

13:10 Skills recruiters still need

16:40 How AI changes early-stage hiring

19:00 Tool recommendations

22:00 Advice for recruiters early in career

Connect on LinkedIn:

Szymon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/szymonkubicki/

Joe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-atkinson1

Episode Links

Szymon's Newsletter: https://szymonkubicki.substack.com/

Joe’s Newsletter: https://newsletter.gopurpl.io/

Key Concepts & Tools Mentioned in This Video

• Designing lean talent teams

• Talent density vs headcount growth

• AI’s role in recruiting workflows

• LinkedIn’s future (and its challengers)

• Internal TA tooling vs vendor tools

• Practical AI tools: PeopleGPT, HeroHunt, Granola, Zapier

• Custom GPTs for internal use

• Scaling without adding recruiters

• Business-aligned recruiting

• Hands-on TA leadership in the AI age

• Skills future recruiters need (data, tech, empathy)