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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 85: AI in staffing: smarter matching, stronger relationships
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 uncovering candidates hidden within existing databases to improving recruiter productivity. Maxine and Jan also explore the importance of high-quality data, choosing trusted technology partners and avoiding common pitfalls as recruitment businesses invest in AI.
They also tackle one of the industry's biggest questions: if employers, candidates and recruiters are all using AI throughout the hiring process, how do you maintain trust, authenticity and human judgement? The conversation explores why recruiter expertise may become even more valuable as AI takes on more routine tasks, and what successful recruitment businesses should be doing now to prepare for the future.
In this episode, you'll hear about:
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How AI can reduce admin and free recruiters to focus on higher-value work.
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Why AI-powered matching goes beyond traditional keyword searches.
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Making better use of your existing candidate database.
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The importance of data quality and choosing trusted AI providers.
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How recruiters can maintain trust and judgement in an AI-enabled hiring process.
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Why human relationships remain central to successful recruitment.
Host: Maxine Bligh, Chief Membership and Innovation Officer, Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC)
Guest: Jan Govaerts, CEO, theMatchBox (part of Pixid Group)
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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