In this episode of The Changing State of Talent Acquisition, hosts Graham Thornton and Martin Predd welcome Maria Christopoulos Katris, Founder and CEO of Built In. Maria shares her 15-year journey growing Built In from a Chicago-based tech community to a global recruitment platform, offering sharp insights into why traditional applicant tracking systems (ATS) are failing to capture the full candidate journey and how employer branding has become a cornerstone of modern talent acquisition. With Built In’s latest trends report as a backdrop, Maria reveals why companies are doubling down on employer brand investments and how referrals are surging as a top channel for tech talent—while also exposing the limitations of relying on them.

Topics include:

• The evolution of recruitment from job boards to a marketing-driven discipline
• Why ATS source-of-hire data is only 20% accurate and how to move beyond it
• The rise of employer branding as a core pillar of talent acquisition
• The surge in referrals for tech talent and their potential impact on diversity
• Strategies for improving candidate experience and treating applicants like consumers
• The growing importance of employer branding for internal retention
• How to educate executives on the value of employer brand investments when ROI is challenging to measure

Links:

Maria Christopoulos Katris, Founder and CEO of Built In

• LinkedIn
• Built In 2025 Talent Trend Report
• Connect with the Built In team to learn more about how a recruitment marketing approach will help you attract top talent."

Tune in to discover how to transform your talent acquisition strategy by embracing recruitment as marketing and building a candidate-centric employer brand that stands out in today’s competitive landscape.

In this episode, Kyle Lagunas of Aptitude Research discusses the crucial distinction between "human-in-the-loop" and truly "human-centric" AI approaches in HR. Drawing from his extensive 15-year career studying innovation cycles in HR tech, Kyle explains why adoption rates for AI in HR are stalling despite executive support, and offers practical strategies for building AI literacy within organizations.

Topics Covered:

• The difference between human-in-the-loop vs. human-centric AI design
• Why HR departments struggle with AI adoption and tech literacy
• Practical ways to increase AI literacy within HR teams
• Evaluating AI use cases across impact, risk, and complexity
• Success stories and low-risk starting points for HR AI implementation
• Moving beyond the "bias boogeyman" in AI evaluation

Discover how to evaluate AI implementations and learn why many HR departments are starting their AI journey with conversational AI. This episode provides a nuanced framework for HR professionals looking to move beyond fear-based decision making and implement AI solutions that genuinely augment human capabilities.