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Recruitment has never had more technology, yet most desks still rise or fall on the same old inputs: quality conversations, sharp judgement, and the discipline to do the work that actually drives fees. We are joined by Ross Clennent, a recruiter since 1989, coach to agency owners, and the voice behind Recruitment News Australia, to unpack what’s changed and what stubbornly hasn’t from the landline era to today’s AI rush.

Ross takes us back to London in 1989 where a “candidate database” meant a manila folder of CVs and the KPI was simple: book interviews and make placements. From there we get into the modern productivity paradox, how internal HR slowed hiring cycles, and why the core still comes down to talking to clients and candidates. We also dive into the hardest promotion in agency life: moving from biller to leader. Ross shares a clear framework for managing performance without drama by setting expectations across results, activities and behaviour, then using objective reporting to run accountability chats as an inquiry, not a confrontation.

On AI in recruitment, Ross is optimistic but blunt: the bar is rising, average recruiters will feel it first, and the winners will use automation to protect more time for the human “grey area” work AI can’t do well yet, influencing, negotiating, and helping both sides flex to meet in the middle. We also tackle specialisation versus generalist desks, the looming rookie training gap, and why playing the long game is still the best career insurance.

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· Our Website is: xrecruiter.io

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Support the show

· Our Website is: xrecruiter.io