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REC Podcast: Talking Recruitment
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A regular podcast featuring the leading thinkers from across the recruitment and business world
Meet our host, Neil Carberry
Neil Carberry was appointed as Chief Executive of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation in June 2018 having been managing director at the Confederation of British Industry, leading the CBI’s work on the labour market, skills, energy and infrastructure. In 1999, Neil began his career in recruitment working for executive search firm Fraser Watson before doing a post-graduate degree in Human Resources at the London School of Economics and joining the CBI in 2004. He is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD and a Fellow of the RSA. He is a member of the council of the conciliation service ACAS and a former member of the Low Pay Commission, which recommends UK minimum wages. A three-time nominee to the SIA staffing100 in Europe, he is also on the board of the World Employment Confederation, Total People and a primary academy trust in Oxfordshire. Neil is an RFU qualified rugby coach and is one of the 8000 co-owners who made Heart of Midlothian the UK’s biggest fan-owned football club.
*The views expressed by guests on the REC's Talking Recruitment podcast are not those of the REC and reflect the individual's personal opinions.
Welcome to our 2026 series
Episode 84: AI in recruitment: what’s delivering real value?
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, 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 recruitment.
Together, they discuss where agencies are seeing genuine returns, why automation and AI are often confused, and how businesses can avoid mistaking activity for productivity. The conversation examines the importance of understanding workflows before introducing new technology, the risks of automating poor processes, and why many of the biggest opportunities currently lie in middle and back-office operations.
The episode also explores the growing importance of governance, data quality and human oversight as AI becomes embedded in recruitment practices and considers what will differentiate successful recruitment businesses in an AI-enabled market. As technology becomes more capable, the guests argue that recruiter judgement, communication skills and trusted human relationships may become even more valuable.
Guests:
- Annie Andrews, CEO, Curo Services
- Dries De Coster, Founder, MeetDwight
Exclusive ERB Episode
Episode 61: The Employment Rights Bill exclusive with Justin Madders MP
In this exclusive episode of the Talking Recruitment Podcast, Neil Carberry sits down with Justin Madders MP, Minister for Employment Rights, Competition and Markets, for a timely conversation exploring the Government’s employment agenda and the future of work in the UK. With the Employment Rights Bill on the horizon and his recent fireside chat at RECLive25, this episode offers a front-row seat to the thinking behind the proposed reforms and what they mean for the recruitment industry.
Speaker: Justin Madders MP, Minister for Employment Rights, Competition and Markets
More episodes
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Enjoying our podcasts? Why not join Neil's live webinar to discuss the big issues affecting our industry?
View our 2025 schedule of Neil's Talking Recruitment webinars and book your place early.
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