Welcome back! Today we’re learning from Dave Owen, former Global Head of Talent at Dyson and now leading transformation projects across TA, HR & AI. This experience leaves him in a unique position to see what skills are going to benefit recruiters in the near future.
We asked him what skills he’d double down on right now to set up for future success, here’s what he said:
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1. Why the Time to Upskill is Now
"There will never be a quieter moment for recruiters to start upskilling for the future"
Quick pep talk from Dave on why the time to prepare is now:
Anticipate Change: The traditional hiring process is set to radically transform in the next 2–4 years. Start preparing now to stay ahead.
Be Proactive: Spend time reflecting on what’s happening in the industry and how it will impact you as a recruiter.
Adopt a Growth Mindset: Approach the future as an opportunity to evolve with the changes, rather than being caught off guard.
2. Adopting New Technology
"The topic of tools and tech can feel overwhelming, but you can quickly become a point of knowledge for your team through experimentation."
We can probably all agree new technology is coming into recruitment as we speak. Some simple ways Dave suggests you can prepare for what's coming:
Get Close to Your Current Tech Stack: Shadow your systems manager or act as a part-time product owner for tools like your ATS or CRM.
Research Product Roadmaps: Stay informed about upcoming features and updates from your tech providers to preempt their impact on your role.
Experiment with AI: Dedicate time to testing AI tools (like ChatGPT) to demystify them and build confidence in their applications.
3. Efficiency Will Be Key
"Recruiters have a unique vantage point to spot inefficiencies and resolve them, but it requires self-control to stop, identify, and share those insights."
Efficiency has become a massive focus over the last couple of years with leaner TA functions. Dave predicts this trend will only become more important as new tech is adopted. I asked him how recruiters can become efficiency experts:
Maximise What You Control: Focus on improving the parts of the process you can influence, such as candidate communication or hiring manager feedback.
Document and Share Insights: Keep a list of bottlenecks and ideas for improvement. Share these with your manager or team weekly.
Collaborate as a Team: Set up a 30-minute team meeting each week to discuss inefficiencies, brainstorm solutions, and assign small projects to address issues.
Leverage Diverse Strengths: Allow team members to focus on areas they’re passionate about, such as tech, process design, or stakeholder training and share the learnings together.
If you're interested in learning more about efficiency Luke Victor (ex Head of Talent at Cleo) shows how you can use funnel data to create iterative and continuous loops of efficiency improvements in your recruitment process.
"Roles in the pre-hiring funnel (demand planning, market research, and skills gap analysis) are going to explode. Recruiters are uniquely positioned to take those new seats."
As the workforce becomes more transient and hiring is accelerated through technology, Dave believes the pre-hiring funnel will have a big spike in demand. How to prepare:
Focus on Pre-Funnel Activities: Develop skills in demand planning, workforce forecasting, and market research to prepare for the shift in hiring processes.
Double Down on Core Skills: Enhance your stakeholder management, candidate relationship building, and data analytics capabilities.
Be Creative: Explore innovative ways to attract talent, including leveraging C-suite profiles for campaigns and improving employer branding.
5. AI Anxiety
"AI is designed for non-technical people. It’s conversational, not coding and it’s not too late to get involved."
For anyone feeling AI overwhelm (you're not alone), some steps to get started:
Start Small: Use AI tools like ChatGPT to solve simple problems and build familiarity.
Break the Intimidation Barrier: Focus on learning through action rather than overthinking the technicalities.
Stay Curious: Keep exploring AI updated and new applications to discover how they can enhance your role and team.