REC Scale Up Podcast

What happens when AI enters a recruitment business that was built around an app from day one? In the latest episode of our Talking Recruitment podcast, Maxine Bligh is joined by Novo Constare, co-founder and CEO of Indeed Flex, to explore where AI is making temporary recruitment work better and where human judgement still matters. Novo explains how giving temporary workers more choice over which s...

Does every role that asks for a degree really need one? In this episode of Talking Recruitment, Maxine Bligh, our Interim Chief Executive, is joined by Matthew Burney, Senior Talent Strategy Advisor at Indeed, to discuss how employers can broaden routes into work by looking more closely at the skills and capabilities a job requires. Matt explores how apprenticeships are expanding into careers incl...

In episode 90 of Talking Recruitment, REC Interim Chief Executive Maxine Bligh is joined by Bev White, Executive Chair of Harvey Nash and Crimson and incoming REC Chair, to discuss how recruitment businesses can use AI while keeping people at the heart of hiring. They explore why successful adoption starts with reliable data and a clear understanding of where human interaction matters. Bev shares...

In his final episode of Talking Recruitment as REC Chief Executive, Neil Carberry is joined by Alyx Peters, CEO of Network Recruitment Wales and Chair of the REC’s Advisory Council, to explore what recruitment could look like in 2037 and what businesses should be doing now to prepare. They discuss what successful AI adoption really involves, from improving processes before automating them to givin...

With skills shortages continuing across the UK, could employers be overlooking millions of people who have the skills and potential they need? In this episode of Talking Recruitment, REC Chief Executive Neil Carberry is joined by Neil Wood, Chief Operating Officer at the Fair Chance Business Alliance, and Simon Blockley, CEO UK & Europe at HeadFirst Global, to explore the case for fair chance...

AI is transforming recruitment, but technology alone won't create better hiring outcomes. As automation takes care of more administrative tasks, the value recruiters bring is becoming even more human. In this episode of Talking Recruitment, REC Chief Executive Neil Carberry is joined by Laura Tressler, Managing Director, Access Recruitment, and Dominic Waters, Director, Paul Waters Associates, to...

In this episode of Talking Recruitment, REC Chief Executive Neil Carberry is joined by Katy Forsyth, Owner and Managing Director of Red Recruitment, Joe Taffurelli, Chief Executive of Ovio, and Antoine Poiron, Vice President Sales Europe at Pixid Group, to discuss what successful AI adoption really looks like in recruitment. Rather than asking what AI can do, the panel explores where it adds genui...

In this episode of Talking Recruitment, REC Chief Membership and Innovation Officer Maxine Bligh is joined by Jan Govaerts, CEO of theMatchBox, to explore how AI-powered matching is helping recruiters spend less time on administration and more time building relationships, advising clients and making better hiring decisions. The podcast examines where AI is already delivering measurable value, from...

A year ago, many recruitment businesses were experimenting with AI. Today, the challenge is no longer whether to use it, but how to use it effectively. In this episode of the Talking Recruitment podcast, REC Chief Executive Neil Carberry is joined by Annie Andrews, CEO of Curo Services, and Dries De Coster, founder of MeetDwight, to explore how AI is moving to practical business application across...

In this episode of the Talking Recruitment podcast, Neil Carberry is joined by Sarah Bishop from The Talent Arc and Guy Venables from Maximus to discuss how recruiters, employers and employability organisations can work together to connect more people with meaningful careers. The conversation explores the barriers many young people and underrepresented groups face when entering the workforce, the...

In this episode of Talking Recruitment, Olga Frańczak is joined by Beth Foley and Helen Tomlinson to discuss how approaches to equality, diversity and inclusion are changing across recruitment and the wider workplace. The conversation explores how EDI has shifted from awareness campaigns and performative activity towards something more measurable, operational and commercially focused. The guests d...

In this episode of Talking Recruitment, Maxine Bligh is joined by Ross Thompson and Jurgen Jaarsma to discuss what is happening across global recruitment markets and what it means for UK agencies. They explore current trends including regional growth, ongoing talent shortages and the continued shift towards remote and offshore hiring. As costs rise in the UK and other established markets, more age...

As the pace of legislative change accelerates, this episode of Talking Recruitment asks a bigger question: is the recruitment model itself starting to shift? Neil Carberry is joined by Ross Thompson (Infinity Staff Global) and Simon Whitehead (Brabners) to explore how rising compliance demands, increased enforcement and ongoing economic uncertainty are reshaping how agencies operate. The conversat...

In this episode of Talking Recruitment, Neil Carberry is joined by David Levenston (Orbital) and Lee McChrystal (Brookson) to explore how agencies are responding to a market that is improving, but still uncertain. They discuss early signs of recovery in 2026, particularly in the temporary market, alongside the impact of upcoming legislative changes as part of the Employment Rights Act. The convers...

In this episode of Talking Recruitment, Maxine Bligh, Chief Membership and Innovation Officer at the REC, is joined by Dominic Waters (Paul Waters Associates) to explore what drives performance in recruitment and what businesses should be prioritising if growth returns to the market. The conversation focuses on what separates high-performing recruiters from the rest, challenging common assumptions...

In this episode of Talking Recruitment, Neil Carberry is joined by Paul Chamberlain (JMW Solicitors), David Johnson (PayStream) and Lewis Gosling (Liquid Friday) to discuss what the Employment Rights Act means for recruitment businesses right now and how agencies can prepare for the changes coming into force from April 2026. The conversation focuses on the immediate operational challenges around d...

In this episode of Talking Recruitment, Neil Carberry is joined by Daniel Haslam (Giant Group), Rob Leake (NumberMill) and Sebastien Sauca (SafeRec) to unpack what compliance risk looks like in 2026 and why this moment represents both a threat and an opportunity. The panel explores: > The compliance risks recruiters may be underestimating, from umbrella expense practices to solvency risk > W...

In Episode 75 of the Talking Recruitment Podcast, REC Chief Executive, Neil Carberry OBE, is joined by the REC’s 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award winner Kate Allen, Founder of Allen Associates. Kate shares the story behind building a relationship-led recruitment business in Oxfordshire – from launching solo in 1998 to creating a debt-free, specialist consultancy service that engages the community a...

In this episode of Talking Recruitment, REC Chief Executive Neil Carberry OBE is joined by recruitment reformer and tech innovator Keith Langbo to explore how hiring is being reshaped by AI, shifting workforce expectations, and growing skills uncertainty. They argue recruitment needs to move beyond CV and skills-based matching towards “signal-based” hiring that focuses on behaviours, adaptability,...

In this episode of Talking Recruitment, REC Chief Executive Neil Carberry OBE is joined by James Osborne, Founder of The Recruitment Network (TRN), to explore how the role of recruiters is evolving in a complex and fast-changing market. The conversation looks at the shift away from purely transactional recruitment towards deeper client partnerships, with Neil and James discussing how the strongest...

In the final Talking Recruitment podcast of the year Neil Carberry OBE, REC Chief Executive, is joined by Maxine Bligh, REC Chief Membership & Innovation Officer, to reflect on a challenging but pivotal year for recruitment. They explore what’s held hiring back in 2025, where confidence is starting to return, and how recruiters are adapting their business models, skills and use of technology t...

In this episode, REC Chief Executive Neil Carberry OBE is joined by three industry specialists: Daniel Haslam, Chief Business Development Officer at Giant Group, Sebastien Sauca, CEO of SafeRec and Paul Chamberlain, Head of Employment at JMW. Together they unpack the major compliance and regulatory changes set to reshape the recruitment landscape in 2026. The episode features an in depth look at w...

In this episode, Neil Carberry is joined by Melissa Mhondoro, Legal Advice Manager at the REC, to discuss the significant regulatory and market changes anticipated to shape the recruitment sector in 2026. They discuss how evolving legislation, from tax and data protection to fair work and digital identity, is reshaping the way agencies, contractors, and employers operate. Together, they explore wh...

In this episode, Neil Carberry speaks with Suhail Mirza, Global Wellness Speaker, Healthcare Expert & Staffing Sector Board Advisor, about how workforce wellbeing and sector transformation intersect in today’s challenging environment. They explore how the UK staffing industry is evolving in response to market pressures, workforce shortages, and the growing need for inclusive, sustainable appro...

In this episode, Neil Carberry speaks with Hung Lee, curator of Recruiting Brainfood, about the changing landscape of recruitment and how agencies can adapt to new market realities. They discuss the impact of global economic shifts, technology innovation and how recruitment businesses can thrive through transformation and collaboration. Key topics include: The recruitment market reset and how firm...