Curiosity Over Control: Redefining Recruiting in the Age of AI

🎧 Episode 219  Guest: Amandeep Shergill In this episode, we explore the realities of modern recruiting, the pressure of “doing more with less,” and the challenge of navigating uncertainty in today’s global talent market. Ben and Amandeep discuss how economic shifts, evolving business priorities, and organizational ambiguity shape the day-to-day experience of recruiters. Amandeep shares practical examples from his career—ranging from prioritizing high-impact roles to building stronger partnerships with business leaders. This conversation dives deep into what it truly means to be a strategic advisor instead of a reactive firefighter in talent acquisition. You’ll hear insights on:  • Market uncertainty and its effect on TA planning  • Productivity vs. unrealistic “do more” expectations  • The role of tech and efficiency in the future of TA  • How recruiters can better understand business impact & prioritization  • Real-world examples of shifting from reactive to proactive hiring  • Why understanding revenue, OKRs, and leadership goals changes recruiting outcomes Whether you"re a recruiter, hiring leader, or people leader, this episode provides immediately applicable frameworks for better decision-making in TA. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:03 – Welcome to Episode 219 00:16 – Introducing guest Amandeep Shergill 00:55 – Amandeep’s background and global role at Automattic 01:59 – Life outside of work: parenting, sports, and model building 03:16 – Creativity, hobbies & high performance 04:49 – The biggest recruiting challenges today 05:11 – How economic uncertainty shapes hiring plans 05:54 – Productivity, efficiency & “doing more with less” 06:28 – The disconnect between expectations and TA bandwidth 07:22 – Why “doing more” isn’t a real strategy 08:06 – What investment vs. volume actually means for TA 09:46 – Moving from reactive to proactive recruiting 10:26 – Practical strategies for strategic partnership 10:30 – Amandeep’s story from Intuit: prioritizing 38 open roles 11:48 – Understanding business impact behind hiring requests 12:49 – Revenue today vs. revenue tomorrow: prioritizing for impact 13:58 – Why recruiters must understand OKRs, revenue, and strategy 14:46 – Pausing hiring until business impact is clear 15:13 – How proactive planning creates better long-term outcomes 🔗 Connect with Amandeep LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandeepsshergill/?originalSubdomain=uk 🎓 Learn more about HR Summer School https://hrsummerschool.org See the show archives and sign up for episode updates