Welcome to Episode 39 of the Talent Intelligence Collective podcast! Alan Walker, Alison Ettridge, and Toby Culshaw are joined by Kumar Vaibhav, a seasoned TI professional who has built and led talent intelligence functions at Amazon, Walmart, Philips, and now Atlassian, bringing over 11 years of experience in transforming raw data into strategic workforce insights.
The episode begins with exciting news as Toby announces Lightcast's acquisition of Rhetoric, bringing 800 million profiles and 280 million company records to expand their people and company data capabilities. This strategic move represents a significant shift from aggregated TI data to actionable intelligence, bridging the gap between macro workforce planning and micro-level talent acquisition needs.
Drawing from his recent experience at RecFest, Toby explores how talent intelligence has become so embedded across HR functions that it no longer needs its own dedicated stage—TI is now the underlying foundation for everything from employer branding to skills intelligence. The conversation touches on the evolving landscape of AI implementation in recruiting, revealing that while efficiency gains are evident, true systematic automation remains limited.
Kumar shares his remarkable journey from founding a dramatics club at university to becoming a TI leader across some of the world's largest technology companies. His insights into building stakeholder rapport are particularly compelling—from his first project at Philips where he successfully convinced leadership to change their APAC headquarters location, to developing innovative approaches like using Power BI to analyse borough-level talent distribution in New York during the post-COVID workplace transformation.
The discussion delves into Kumar's unique perspective on building world-class TI functions from scratch, emphasising three critical elements: aligning with business strategy, demonstrating operational ROI alongside strategic value, and building credibility through transparency and stakeholder trust. His examples span from competitive intelligence in finance sourcing to innovative location strategies that consider both external market data and internal talent mobility patterns.
Kumar offers fascinating insights into the growing prominence of TI teams in India, explaining how the evolution from cost arbitrage to genuine skills development has created a thriving ecosystem of talent intelligence professionals. His candid revelations about working with Toby—including the memorable moment when Toby questioned whether TI truly adds value—provide both humour and profound insights into the self-reflection required in this evolving field.
The episode concludes with Kumar's excitement about joining Atlassian, where he's leveraging Confluence to build dynamic project repositories that double as internal databases, potentially revolutionising how TI knowledge is captured and accessed through AI-powered systems.
Until next time, stay curious, stay brilliant, and most importantly, stay intelligent!
As ever - big thanks to our sponsors: https://lightcast.io
Welcome to Episode 38 of the Talent Intelligence Collective podcast! In this special return episode, Alan Walker, Alison Ettridge, and Toby Culshaw welcome back Gerrit Schimmelpenninck for his second appearance on the show, exploring his remarkable transformation from corporate TI leader to entrepreneurial consultant.
The episode opens with Toby discussing the Talent Intelligence Collective's exciting "One Prompt Challenge" in partnership with InDrive, where participants must create a complete location analysis using just a single AI prompt—no follow-ups allowed. The conversation delves into the fascinating challenges of AI prompting, including the revelation that AI systems are designed to please users rather than provide balanced perspectives unless specifically prompted for opposing views.
The news segment explores the escalating battle for AI talent, with Meta allegedly offering $100 million signing bonuses to poach OpenAI engineers, and OpenAI's intriguing decision to appoint a distinguished AI researcher as their new head of recruiting. The discussion also touches on global talent mobility shifts, as the US restricts funding and visas while other nations launch aggressive programs to attract displaced scientists and researchers.
Gerrit shares his extraordinary journey since we last spoke in Episode 11—relocating from Amsterdam to Los Angeles, building talent intelligence capabilities at Activision Blizzard (Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Candy Crush), and ultimately launching his own consultancy, Talent Motions, after Microsoft's acquisition. His insights into the gaming industry's unique talent challenges and the importance of hiring developers who are passionate gamers themselves provide fascinating industry-specific perspectives.
The conversation explores Gerrit's pivot to competitive intelligence consulting, moving beyond traditional recruitment-focused TI to solving strategic business problems. He shares compelling case studies, including mapping competitor organisations for major tech suppliers and analysing secretive quantitative trading teams in finance—demonstrating how talent intelligence can drive critical business decisions far beyond hiring.
Until next time, stay curious, stay strategic, and most importantly, stay intelligent!
As ever - big thanks to our sponsors: https://lightcast.io
Welcome to Episode 37 of the Talent Intelligence Collective podcast! In this data-driven episode, Alan Walker and Toby Culshaw from Lightcast (with Alison taking a well-earned break) delve into the world of talent analytics with Steve Kerwin, who leads the data and analytics organisation for Amazon's Stores Talent Acquisition team.
The news roundup kicks off with a critical examination of Trump's manufacturing revival plans against the sobering reality of skills shortages across the US, with Deloitte projecting 1.9 million unfilled manufacturing jobs by 2033. The conversation shifts to Shopify's CEO's controversial policy of refusing to approve new headcount unless teams can demonstrate why AI can't perform the work, sparking a thoughtful discussion about the practical limitations of AI implementation. The segment concludes with a cautionary tale of an AI shopping app founder charged with defrauding investors after allegedly using human contractors in the Philippines instead of the advertised AI technology.
Steve shares his eight-year journey building Amazon's talent acquisition analytics capabilities from the ground up, offering candid insights into scaling data solutions to thousands of users across one of the world's largest employers. He emphasises the critical importance of candidate experience data and how qualitative feedback, when properly captured and analysed, can transform hiring success at scale.
The discussion explores the unique challenges of leading a diverse team of BI engineers, software developers, and data engineers, with Steve advocating for a servant leadership approach that empowers team members to grow their skills and tackle increasingly complex problems. He provides a refreshingly honest assessment of the persistent disconnect between talent acquisition, HR, and finance when it comes to operational forecasting and demand planning, highlighting the need for better integration across these traditionally siloed functions.
For organisations just beginning to build their analytics capabilities, Steve offers practical advice, emphasising the importance of establishing solid foundational data structures before attempting more sophisticated analyses. He compares building analytics capabilities to constructing a house: "I can't build you bay windows and roofs if I don't have the basement laid."
Until next time, stay curious, stay analytical, and most importantly, stay intelligent!
As ever - big thanks to our sponsors: https://lightcast.io
Welcome to Episode 36 of the Talent Intelligence Collective podcast! In this special "insider" episode, Alan Walker and Alison Ettridge turn the spotlight on their co-host Toby Culshaw, who has recently made the leap from Amazon to Lightcast and shares the story behind this exciting career move.
The episode begins with a thought-provoking discussion about data discrepancies across LinkedIn platforms, exploring the challenges of balancing directional accuracy with precise data in talent intelligence. The conversation delves into how perception, gut feeling, and objective data all play crucial roles in strategic decision-making, with Toby sharing revealing examples from his career where leadership perceptions didn't match market realities.
McKinsey's recent paper on strategic workforce planning in the age of AI sparks an examination of how organisations achieving excellence in talent management generate substantially more revenue per employee. The team discusses the critical relationship between operational planning and long-term strategy, particularly as AI continues to reshape workforce dynamics at an unprecedented pace.
The heart of the episode features Toby recounting his fascinating career journey from financial recruitment to pioneering talent intelligence. He shares candid insights about his early days using "the big red book" of chartered accountants, his time in Australia staffing entire call centres, and his pivotal moments at Thales where he first discovered how data could influence strategic business decisions rather than just support tactical recruitment.
Toby offers a compelling vision for the future of talent acquisition, predicting a significant shift toward hiring manager self-service for routine roles while reserving specialised recruitment expertise for business-critical positions. He explains his decision to move to Lightcast as driven by the opportunity to influence the talent intelligence field more broadly and help more organisations build effective TI functions.
The episode concludes with reassurance for listeners that while Toby's career is changing, the podcast remains committed to its independent voice and community-focused mission—with exciting possibilities ahead for expanding its reach and impact.
Until next time, stay intelligent!
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Lightcast
Welcome to Episode 35 of the Talent Intelligence Collective podcast! Alan Walker, Alison Ettridge, and Toby Culshaw sit down with Chris Woodward, whose fascinating journey from military leadership to strategic workforce planning offers a masterclass in talent strategy and organisational effectiveness.
This month's intelligence roundup features Toby exploring whether AI agents can truly become trusted advisors in talent intelligence, sparking a thought-provoking discussion about the balance between automation and human judgement. The conversation shifts to the UK's ambitious AI skills strategy, contrasting it with the Gulf region's more pragmatic approach to talent development, highlighting the critical importance of long-term thinking versus short-term political cycles.
Chris shares his remarkable career trajectory from the British Army, where he served four tours in Afghanistan, to his role as Global Head of Strategic Workforce Planning at Babcock. He offers valuable insights into how military concepts like "battle grouping" – bringing together diverse capabilities towards clear outcomes – can transform talent strategy in the corporate world. His experience reimagining talent pathways in the military and later applying competency science at Korn Ferry reveals the power of objective, future-focused talent management.
The discussion delves into the challenges of demand-side workforce planning, with Chris highlighting how organisations often struggle with long-term capability building when faced with immediate business pressures. His work on criticality assessments for submarine servicing exposed stark talent shortages, necessitating innovative approaches to capability development with multi-year horizons.
As Chris embarks on his next chapter establishing an advisory practice focused on organisational effectiveness, he shares three essential tips for strategic workforce planning professionals: get strategic clarity, build relationships across the business, and truly understand how the business creates value. His perspective on HR functions becoming truly strategic partners rather than cost centres offers a compelling vision for the future of talent management.
Until next time, stay curious, stay strategic, and most importantly, stay intelligent!
Welcome to Episode 34 of the Talent Intelligence Collective podcast! Join hosts Alan Walker, Alison Ettridge, and Toby Culshaw as they welcome Cole Napper, VP of Research and Innovation at Lightcast and host of the Directionally Correct podcast, who shares his fascinating insights on integrating people analytics, talent intelligence, and workforce planning.
The market intelligence roundup kicks off with Toby exploring an intriguing Forbes article about talent supply chains, sparking a discussion about treating workforce management with the same strategic rigour as other business assets. The conversation then shifts to the global shortage of AI talent, with insights into how different nations are approaching this challenge, including China's talent shortages and the Middle East's strategic investments in skills development.
Cole shares his unique perspective from working across multiple industries and roles, emphasising his "maniacal focus on adding business value." Drawing from his experience leading a 50-person team at FedEx that spanned people analytics, workforce planning, and talent intelligence, he discusses how combining these disciplines can deliver hundreds of millions in tangible ROI.
The discussion delves into the evolution of human capital management, with Cole offering a fresh perspective on why finance hasn't taken over HR – because humans aren't interchangeable units. He explores how behavioural science plays a crucial role in understanding workforce motivation and potential, particularly in an era where employee loyalty and engagement are increasingly challenging.
The episode concludes with Cole's three interconnected tips for organisations looking to integrate their people analytics, talent intelligence, and workforce planning functions: seek each other out, share knowledge, and pool data resources. He emphasises that these functions are significantly more powerful when working together, capable of bringing previously unseen value to organisations.
Until next time, stay curious, stay analytical, and most importantly, stay intelligent!
🎉 Wrapping Up 2024 with the Talent Intelligence Collective! 🎙️
Welcome to our special year-end wrap-up episode! Join hosts Alan Walker, Alison Ettridge, and Toby Culshaw as they reflect on the year that was—packed with milestones, incredible guests, and unforgettable moments in the world of Talent Intelligence.
From standout episodes featuring professionals like Megan at Volvo, Martin at Novartis, and Lou’s practical tips on building TI functions, to industry-defining events like the Amsterdam Talent Intelligence Conference and the debut of a Talent Intelligence stage at RecFest—2024 has been a whirlwind!
Our hosts also share personal highlights, including:
Together, they unpack key themes from the year: the evolution of internal and external data integration, the rise of strategic workforce planning on national scales, and the ongoing adoption of AI in HR and beyond. With humor, heartfelt moments, and plenty of industry wisdom, this episode is a celebration of the Talent Intelligence community’s growth and resilience.
As the year ends, the hosts look ahead with big predictions for 2025—consolidation in the TI vendor space, growing strategic workforce planning at a national level, and more meaningful AI adoption in business.
Tune in for laughs, reflections, and a glimpse of what’s to come in 2025. Stay curious, stay brilliant, and most importantly, stay intelligent!
Welcome to Episode 33 of the Talent Intelligence Collective podcast! Join hosts Alan Walker, Alison Ettridge, and Toby Culshaw as they welcome Chris Rowe, Head of Talent Acquisition at DHU Healthcare, who shares his fascinating journey from military service to championing talent acquisition in healthcare.
In this month's market intelligence roundup, Toby delves into Saudi Arabia's strategic investment in AI infrastructure, with the nation setting its sights on becoming a global hub for data centres and AI development. This sparks a fascinating discussion about the future of talent mobility in the region and the environmental considerations of AI advancement, including surprising insights about the energy demands of AI systems.
The discussion then turns to UK disability employment statistics, revealing both progress and persistent challenges, with the disability employment rate at 53% compared to 81.6% for non-disabled people. The hosts explore the complexities of workplace accessibility and the broader implications for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The spotlight then turns to Chris's compelling professional journey, as he recounts his path from military service to healthcare recruitment, revealing how his passion for making a difference shapes his approach to talent acquisition. He discusses DHU Healthcare's role as a social enterprise providing frontline NHS services and explains how his team's approach to talent acquisition directly impacts healthcare delivery.
Chris offers valuable insights into strategic workforce planning, particularly in healthcare settings. He shares how his organisation has achieved significant cost savings through predictive talent management and discusses their partnership with Foresight to better understand and anticipate workforce needs. The conversation explores the challenges of healthcare recruitment, agency proliferation, and the importance of sustainable talent sharing within the sector.
The episode concludes with Chris's perspective on mentoring first and second-generation migrants, encouraging listeners to use their privilege to create opportunities for others. And yes, there's even a brief discussion about what makes the perfect cup of tea!
Until next time, stay curious, stay brilliant, and most importantly, stay intelligent!
Welcome to Episode 32 of the Talent Intelligence Collective podcast! Join hosts Alan Walker, Alison Ettridge, and Toby Culshaw as they welcome Lou Griffiths, Senior Manager of Talent Intelligence at EY UK, who shares her remarkable journey in building and scaling talent intelligence capabilities.
Toby kicks off with an engaging news segment, covering the cooling UK labour market, the increasing trend of older workers in the workforce, and Japan's concerns about AI monopolies - particularly Nvidia's 80% semiconductor market share. The discussion also touches on Google's innovative "reverse aquahire" strategy, sparking an interesting debate about the future of tech talent acquisition.
In the main interview, Lou shares her fascinating transition from scientific recruitment to establishing EY UK's Talent Intelligence function. She discusses her innovative "Talent Screen" tool, which has captured over 5,000 recruiter conversations and 200,000 data points, providing valuable insights into candidate sentiment and market trends.
Lou delves into how her small but mighty team delivered 35 strategic talent intelligence projects in the past year, working on everything from location strategy to competitive intelligence. She emphasises the importance of transforming recruiters into "intelligence-led" professionals and shares practical approaches to embedding data-driven decision-making in talent acquisition.
The conversation explores EY's shift from role-based to skills-based talent strategies and the challenges of centralising talent intelligence in a global organisation. Lou's passion for proactive, strategic talent intelligence shines through as she discusses the future of the function and the importance of delivering what stakeholders need, not just what they want.
Throughout the episode, listeners will gain valuable insights into building and scaling talent intelligence functions, making data actionable for recruiters, and driving strategic value in a professional services environment.
Until next time, stay intelligent, and don't forget to connect with Lou on LinkedIn to learn more about her innovative work in talent intelligence!
Welcome back to another enlightening episode of the Talent Intelligence Collective podcast! In episode 31, your hosts Alan Walker, Alison Ettridge, and Toby Culshaw are joined by the insightful Patrick Coolen, a seasoned HR analytics expert and Partner at Kennedy Fitch.
Toby starts the show with a thought-provoking news segment, discussing topics such as the UK's reliance on foreign workers, the challenges of upskilling the workforce, and the World Economic Forum's take on combating STEM talent shortages. The conversation sparks a lively debate on the societal and political factors influencing talent strategies and the importance of evidence-based decision-making.
In the interview, Patrick shares his fascinating journey in HR analytics, spanning over two decades at ABN AMRO. He delves into the evolution of people analytics, the challenges organizations face in adopting and institutionalizing advanced analytics, and the factors that drive success in this field.
Patrick emphasizes the importance of aligning people analytics initiatives with strategic business goals and integrating various evidence-based HR services to effectively answer critical workforce questions. He highlights the need to balance data science with behavioral science expertise and the significance of proper data management.
The discussion also touches on the future of people analytics, with Patrick sharing his insights on the potential of machine learning and AI in democratizing intelligence for end-users. He stresses the importance of governance and the trend towards enterprise-wide analytics practices that share data and skills across departments.
Throughout the conversation, Patrick's passion for evidence-based HR shines through, leaving listeners with valuable advice on starting and scaling people analytics functions. His unique perspective, shaped by his extensive research and practical experience, offers a fresh understanding of how talent intelligence can drive strategic workforce decisions.
Until next time, stay intelligent, and don't forget to connect with Patrick on LinkedIn to learn more about his "10 Golden Rules of People Analytics"!
** Don't forget to say hi to our wonderful sponsors → Stratigens! **
Welcome back to the Talent Intelligence Collective podcast for another insightful episode! In episode 30, your hosts Alan Walker, Alison Ettridge, and Toby Culshaw are joined by the "workforce geek" himself, Maarten Hansson of Novartis.
Toby kicks off the show with a thought-provoking news segment, covering topics like the war for AI talent, the UK's controversial immigration salary threshold hike, and Latin America's tech talent boom. The discussion sparks debate around the challenges of attracting and retaining top AI talent, the potential impact of immigration policies on various industries, and the factors driving the growth of tech hubs in Latin America.
In the interview with Maarten, we dive deep into his fascinating career journey, spanning roles in the Dutch military, IT engineering, and his transformative experience living and working in India. Maarten shares how his time in India fuelled his passion for leveraging global talent and the importance of consciously choosing how to interact with and manage distributed teams.
Maarten introduces us to the concept of "total workforce" and the proprietary workforce drivers he uses to help organisations make informed decisions about their talent strategies. He emphasises the importance of visibility into all aspects of the workforce, including employees, contingent workers, and outsourced or automated work, to effectively manage costs, risks, and access to talent.
Throughout the conversation, Maarten stresses the value of combining internal workforce data with external labour market insights to provide actionable advice to the business. He shares examples of how his work has triggered procurement teams to change their category strategies, HR to rethink workforce policies, and finance to optimise total workforce costs.
Maarten's unique perspective, shaped by his diverse background in procurement, HR, and engineering, leaves us with a fresh understanding of how talent intelligence can drive transformative workforce decisions. His passion for the topic is infectious, leaving us eager to explore more in future episodes!
Until next time, stay intelligent, and don't forget to share the podcast with your network!
** Don't forget to say hi to our wonderful sponsors → Stratigens! **
Welcome back for another fascinating episode of the Talent Intelligence Collective podcast! In episode 29, your regular hosts Alan Walker, Alison Etridge and Toby Culshaw have an enlightening discussion with Megan Reif, Talent Intelligence Lead at Volvo Cars.
Kicking things off, Toby provides an intriguing news roundup spanning topics like the rise of tech hubs in Canada, AI proliferation in HR roles, and the transition towards skills-based organizations. The trends spark thoughtful debate around data architecture challenges in HR, attracting technical talent to people-focused roles, and the complexity of fully adopting skills-based frameworks.
Shifting gears to our interview with Megan Reif, we uncover her eclectic career journey spanning academia, international development, recruiting and more. A recurring theme is Megan’s insatiable curiosity to dig deeper, learn something new and challenge assumptions with data.
Megan provides a fascinating window into the world of automotive manufacturing talent. We explore the intersection of software and hardware, blending agile and waterfall development approaches, and massive talent ecosystems including R&D, factories, suppliers and beyond. Megan emphasizes the highly technical skills involved in areas often dismissed as “blue collar,” like welders who will drive the green transition.
On talent issues, Megan explains how Sweden’s largest private employer collaborates with industry consortia, universities and government around long-term skills gaps like electricians and battery talent needs. We debate how to better expose youth to the exciting real-world opportunities in science, tech and manufacturing. Megan also shares thoughts on balancing national policies around freelance passions, labor market alignment and managed immigration.
Throughout the wide-ranging discussion, Megan underscores how she sees boundless potential for talent intelligence to bring context, challenge assumptions and transform workforce decisions. Her wisdom and optimism leave us delighted to have her perspective, with much still left to explore in future episodes!
Until next time, stay intelligent folks, and don't forget to share the podcast!
** Don't forget to say hi to our wonderful sponsors → Stratigens! **
Welcome back for another captivating episode of the Talent Intelligence Collective podcast! In episode 28, your regular hosts Alan Walker, Alison Etridge and Toby Culshaw engage in an intriguing discussion with Matt Higgs, Director of Organisational Capability at Arambol.
Kicking things off, Toby provides the latest news roundup, spanning topics like Corn Ferry’s 2024 talent acquisition trends report, the impacts of an ageing workforce and associated “grey tsunami”, and increased government attention on how AI will transform jobs and workplaces. The trends provide much food for thought on the external factors shaping workforce planning.
Shifting gears to our interview with Matt Higgs, we uncover his varied career journey through recruitment consulting, strategic HR business partner roles, analytics, strategic workforce planning and organisational capability building.
A key theme is the connection between proactive early careers planning and forecasting future talent needs. By scrutinising historical hiring patterns and projecting retirement trends, Matt was able to build a convincing business case for significantly expanding apprenticeship programmes. This demonstrates how data and analytics can transform typically reactive talent acquisition into forward-looking planning.
Matt explains how he has expanded this approach over time, leveraging analytics to bring rigour and metrics to “softer” areas of HR like leadership development. He also shares his experience spearheading a nascent strategic workforce planning pilot, demonstrating how integrated business planning principles can create an “organic” and sustainable planning capability.
Throughout the discussion, Matt emphasises the vital context talent intelligence brings to supplement internal workforce planning. By providing insights on external talent dynamics, TI enables more informed assessments of whether talent gaps can feasibly be addressed through hiring or require alternative solutions. We also cover the importance of translating long-range strategic plans into specific actions for talent acquisition to execute.
The conversation underscores Matt’s invaluable perspective on bringing together analytics, planning, talent intelligence and more to enable superior workforce decisions. His wisdom leaves us eager to have him back for future episodes to share more talent insights!
Until next time, stay intelligent folks, and don't forget to share the podcast!
Don't forget to say hi to our wonderful sponsors → Stratigens!
Get ready to geek out over data science and talent intelligence in this meaty new episode of the Talent Intelligence Collective podcast! Regular hosts Alan Walker, Alison Etridge and Toby Culshaw engage in an illuminating discussion with Ranjan Dhar, Principal Data Scientist at Stratagem.
Kicking things off, Toby provides a roundup of the latest TI news, spanning decentralised TI capabilities, major plays by Microsoft, SAP and others in skills intelligence platforms, early signs of cooling demand despite skill shortages, and more trends shaping the external talent landscape.
Shifting focus to our interview, we unravel Ranjan's fascinating journey into talent data science, stemming from his early days helping to scale a pioneering TI supplier from 20 to 200+ employees after its acquisition by Gartner. He recounts the challenges of working with complex, messy talent data sets, and explains typical day-to-day work ranging from data exploration to advanced machine learning modelling.
We explore a number of applied examples where Ranjan has leveraged natural language processing and other techniques to uncover insights from job postings, profiles, and more talent data sources. He emphasises how properly framing the business problem is vital before applying advanced analytics, so the techniques match the use case rather than being solutions seeking problems.
Ranjan shares thoughtful advice on working with data scientists as a business leader, highlighting the need for trust, data access, and taking an exploratory approach to the art of the possible. We discuss the pros and cons of centralised versus decentralised models for embedding TI and analytics capabilities through organisations.
With his extensive perspective spanning both the supplier side and in-house talent intelligence, Ranjan elucidates the huge potential impact when talent leaders effectively collaborate with data scientists. He demystifies how advanced analytics can transform messy, unstructured hiring data into actionable skills-based insights that drive better workforce decisions.
If you're interested in the intersection of data science and talent intelligence, don't miss this engaging insider view into the art of the possible! As always, stay intelligent folks!
Don't forget to say hi to our wonderful sponsors → Stratigens!
Welcome back, dear listeners and readers, to another episode of the Talent Intelligence Collective Podcast!
In this riveting episode, we had the pleasure of diving deep into the world of AI in talent with our very own co-host Alan Walker in the hot seat.
We kick off this milestone episode with Toby taking the reins to provide us with the latest updates in the world of AI. Toby enlightens us about chatbot vulnerabilities, shining a light on the growing cybersecurity risks as AI adoption spreads.
Alison chimes in about the global race for AI talent, with tech giants rapidly expanding teams of AI researchers and engineers. However, we acknowledge the risks of large language models like GPT-3 hallucinating false insights without proper governance.
Now, shifting our focus to the main topic of this episode - our guest, Alan, Alison takes the lead in asking all the right questions.
Alan's journey into AI began with a passion for leveraging technology to transform HR processes. Little did he know that this enthusiasm would set him on a path to becoming a thought leader in applying AI in talent.
"The perception of intelligence is what really matters when defining AI."
Alan Walker
His experience co-founding the consultancy Udder provided him with remarkable insight into AI's potential. He gained exposure to innovative applications of AI across functions like recruitment, mobility and analytics. This experience has been invaluable in envisioning an AI-powered future of talent.
One of the key takeaways from our conversation is the importance of ethics, quality control and human oversight over AI systems. Data literacy is critical to ensure AI doesn't hallucinate false insights from incomplete data.
"AI won't necessarily create more jobs, but may allow more enriching lives with less work time needed."
Alan Walker
The world of AI in talent is evolving rapidly. Alan shed light on emerging multi-agent AI architectures that enable diverse algorithms to coordinate insights. However, what makes it even more intriguing is the simultaneous hype and uncertainty surrounding AI's impacts.
Looking forward, Alan envisions the future of AI as an integrated approach combining agents with specialized capabilities. By harmonizing workforce strategy, future of work initiatives, and AI, organizations can better act on insights.
It has been a pleasure having Alan Walker as our guest, sharing his profound insights on the dynamic field of AI in talent. And, as always, your support means the world to us. Be sure to tune in to the full episode and share your thoughts with us. Until next time – stay intelligent!
Welcome back, dear listeners and readers, to another episode of the Talent Intelligence Collective Podcast!
But, fear not. This episode is 100% robot-free. In this riveting episode, we (the usual motley crew of myself, Alan Walker, Alison Ettridge and Toby Culshaw) had the pleasure of diving deep into the world of Talent Intelligence with the brilliant Anastasiia Kolos.
We kick off this milestone episode with Toby taking the reins to provide us with the latest updates in the world of Talent Intelligence. Toby enlightens us about an intriguing product called dot ai, which demonstrated an AI-driven sales conversation, making us ponder the future of AI in recruitment and sales.
Alison chimes in about the skills-based hiring trend that's gaining momentum. LinkedIn's research on skills-based hiring in the European labour market and the shift away from traditional degrees toward skills-based qualifications are causing ripples in the talent pool. However, we acknowledge that while skills-based hiring is exciting, its practical implementation presents numerous challenges.
Now, shifting our focus to the main topic of this episode - our amazing guest, Anastasiia Kolos, Alison takes the lead in asking all the right questions.
Anastasiia's journey into Talent Intelligence began with a fortunate encounter during her master's program in strategic management. Little did she know that this chance encounter would set her on a path to becoming a thought leader in the field.
"Exploring the whole new world of being in a big corporate environment was like solving a complex puzzle."
Anastasiia Kolos
Her experience at Philips, a global giant, provided her with a remarkable training ground. She gained exposure to the inner workings of a corporate powerhouse, from mergers and acquisitions to strategic execution. This experience has been invaluable in her current role at Nexperia.
One of the key takeaways from our conversation is the importance of shifting the conversation from hiring individuals to addressing an organization's broader strategic challenges.
"Understanding the broader strategy is the first step to providing meaningful Talent Intelligence insights."
Anastasiia Kolos
The world of Talent Intelligence is evolving, and Anastasiia shed light on how it plays a pivotal role in addressing talent shortages—a pressing issue in her industry, semiconductors. However, what makes it even more intriguing is the simultaneous existence of talent shortages and oversupply in other areas of the industry.
Market intelligence and competitive insights are also on Anastasiia's radar. She emphasized the importance of understanding how different elements within an organization interconnect to provide more meaningful insights to drive success.
Looking forward, Anastasiia envisions the future of Talent Intelligence as an integrated approach that combines internal and external data sources. By harmonizing workforce strategy, future of work initiatives, and Talent Intelligence, organizations can better answer the "So what?" question and act on insights effectively.
It has been a pleasure having Anastasiia Kolos as our guest, sharing her profound insights and experiences in the dynamic field of Talent Intelligence. And, as always, your support means the world to us. Be sure to tune in to the full episode and share your thoughts with us. Until next time – stay intelligent!
Don't forget to say hi to our wonderful sponsors → Stratigens from @Talent Intuition.
Welcome to a rather different episode of the Talent Intelligence Collective Podcast.
That's all we're going to say. Oh, other than this - please get past the 6-minute 5-second mark. Otherwise, you won't listen to another episode ever again.
Till the next one – stay intelligent!
Don't forget to say hi to our wonderful sponsors → Stratigens from @Talent Intuition.
Beep, beep, boop.
Welcome to another episode of the Talent Intelligence Collective Podcast!
In this ‘not a milestone’ episode, my amazing co-hosts Toby Culshaw and Alison Ettridge and I welcomed the incredible Adrian Malatesta from Remitly.
After our usual pleasantries, Toby dived straight in with his update on the happening within the world of Talent Intelligence.
2023 started in the worst way possible, talent-wise, with so many roles being laid off. According to layoffs.fyi, there have already been 40,474 tech jobs cut in January 2023 from 151 different companies.
“I read an article on this. It really isn’t about decline. What we are seeing is a reversion to the norm after companies hired at a new rate in 2021/2022.”
Alison Ettridge
Looking to move towards some slightly more ‘sunshine positive’ news, we were thrilled to hear that Josh Bersin highlighted Talent Intelligence as a critical area of focus for many companies in 2023.
The hated term, ‘war for talent,’ may be a thing of the past as companies also start to focus more on skills. Ensuring that even as unneeded roles are eliminated, employees with critical skills are retained and redeployed to different areas.
At this point, I felt we had heard everyone's opinion about the world and its news, and we were eager to learn more about our guest, Adrian. About his world and his background. So I virtually passed the mic onto our resident hard-hitting interviewer extraordinaire - Alison.
There is research that shows that 75% of C-suite leave an organisation within three years of acquisition. So is that where the use of Talent intelligence comes in?
“I think in the early stages, maybe. We go back a lot to our conversation from before about skill sets. Answering the question - are we buying and acquiring the skills we need.”
Adrian Malatesta
During the Talent Intelligence Jamboree back in November, Andrian touched on the topic of Global expansion and location, and here on the podcast, we talk a lot about joining the dots between the labour market, economy and locations. What other dots should be connected for maximum insight in terms of Talent Intelligence?
“Probably a mix of qualitative aspects. Like immigration, culture & values, and DEI. And their overlay on data. ”
Adrian Malatesta
As always, we hope you enjoy the episode. A review or a share on social really goes a long way in helping us reach as many ears as possible.
Till the next one – stay intelligent!
Don't forget to say hi to our wonderful sponsors → Stratigens from @Talent Intuition.
Welcome to another episode of the Talent Intelligence Collective Podcast!
In this one, I - Alan Walker - Alison Ettridge of Stratigens and Toby Culshaw of Amazon - met Jerry Hu from Amazon Web Services.
Passing the mic over to Toby, we caught up on everything happening in the talent intelligence world.
According to a 2022 report by IndiaAI, a government-led industry group, AI is expected to raise India’s annual growth rate by 1.3% by 2035 – which, for context, is an additional $957bn to India’s economy.
“I think this is really fascinating. We’re already seeing a lot of companies looking to India for their tech solutions in terms of workforces.”
Toby Culshaw
“On the talent piece, you can see this great migration trend, with many who may have been living overseas deciding to come back.”
Jerry Hu
Another survey of 20,000 employees from 11 countries found that 52% of Gen Z and millennial workers are considering changing employers this year. However, 73% said they would stay at their jobs if it were easier to change roles internally.
“That really ties into what we were saying on our last episode. Internal and external data needs to be looked at separately to make sensible decisions regarding how to shape the workforce.”
Alison Ettridge
With the utter chaos that the UK workforce seems to find itself in, it was impossible for us not to talk about it. With 350,000 people across the UK being inactive due to long-term sickness due to the pandemic, the new UK chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, aims to reverse this inactivity by pushing those over-50s into full-time work.
“I’m not convinced. I think in most industries, age discrimination is still alive and well. It’s one of those issues we don’t really discuss. That makes it hard for those over-50s to pick up work.”
Toby Culshaw
After this very labour-focused discussion, it was time for us to learn more about our fantastic guest, Jerry Hu. Alison was especially eager to explore Jerry’s career path - the why and how he got to where he is today.
“I started my Talent Intelligence journey with Alibaba. At first, it was about sourcing new talent across the border but then it transitioned. Some skills were non-existent, so we started going beyond a typical talent acquisition approach. We began utilising data and tying that back to how we were helping the business.”
Jerry Hu
While we know that Talent Intelligence can be so fundamental for making business decisions, when you’re working for large-scale companies, it’s easy to experiment. But what about when you’re working within a startup?
“I absolutely think that Talent Intelligence has a place in startups. But when every decision you make impacts whether your business will survive tomorrow, plan your talent first. What is the number one thing you’ll need to know to solve your recruiting problems?”
Jerry Hu
As always, we hope you enjoy the episode. A review or a share on social really goes a long way in helping us reach as many ears as possible.
Till the next one – stay intelligent!
Don't forget to say hi to our wonderful sponsors → Stratigens from @Talent Intuition.
Welcome to an extra special edition of the Talent Intelligence Collective Podcast!
In honour of Toby, our fantastic colleague and friend, and the release of his book today, we’ve flipped the episode on its head, roped some extra exceptional help and instead of a guest, put Toby Culshaw in the hot seat.
In this one, it’s me - Alan Walker - Alison Ettridge of Stratigens and Joe Thompson of Booz Allen Hamilton co-hosting an episode.
The episode started, but not in its usual fashion. There is no news, no worldly updates, just tips, hints and tested tricks that Toby has learned over the years and poured into his book.
As I had the virtual mic, I kicked things off. Starting easy by asking the name of the book, the release date and why Toby ever decided to write a book.
“Throughout the last few years, so many companies have been branching out into the world of Talent Intelligence. And there is just so little information out there. No general how-to guide. So I thought - I could do that.”
Toby Culshaw
Toby started writing content way before it was ever meant to become a book, we’re talking hundreds of virtual notes and post-its, but he confessed that the overall process was very fluid.
“Thank you for doing this, Toby. The fascinating bit for me is that your book is from a completely different view. That of the client. It gives you a depth of understanding of Talent Intelligence as a whole”
Alison Ettridge
We’ve talked a lot about connecting the dots on the podcast, it’s our favourite saying, and that was very much one of the things that Toby wanted to talk about in his book. Talent Intelligence doesn’t just stop at one project.
Another element that we’ve talked about and discussed a lot on our podcast, which simply had to be included in the book, was Toby’s definition of Talent Intelligence. Which, funnily enough, changed after our latest episode with Joe Thompson.
“In the opening chapter, I actually included multiple definitions. But, the core thing for me, which is up for debate, is the word Talent.”
Toby Culshaw
The definition of talent refers to a natural aptitude or skill, not an element you would work to achieve. In contrast, Talent Intelligence is very much a learning experience for everyone. Therefore, such words as workforce or decision are possibly better suited.
The book is filled with tips about what to do, where to look and how to build a Talent Intelligence function. What about what not to do?
“I may be a bit biased with this answer, but don’t tie Talent Intelligence to filling jobs. The power of Talent Intelligence lies in de-risking decision-making, trying to be as broad-minded as possible and a whole host of other things. Not simply filling jobs.”
Toby Culshaw
A big big thank you to everyone who helped make this book a reality. Toby may have been the one who wrote, but it was thanks to everyone contributing. And as always, a massive thank you for supporting us.
And of course, if you liked this episode, Toby’s book: Talent Intelligence: Use Business and People Data to Drive Organisational Performance releases today and is available on Amazon here.
Till the next one – stay intelligent!
Don’t forget to say hi to our wonderful sponsors → Stratigens from @Talent Intuition.
