Time to Hire

Hosted by Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association (RPOA)

Business Management

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Latest episode

Jun 2026

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About the show

Welcome to "Time to Hire," a dynamic and insightful podcast created by the Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association (RPOA) specifically for talent acquisition professionals to keep them well-informed about the latest industry trends and best practices. In each episode, RPOA Executive Director, Lamees Abourahma, hosts prodigious talent leaders to share talent market intelligence and innovative recruitment approaches. Tune in to the podcast to help you enhance your hiring processes, strengthen your employer brand, and innovate your talent strategy. Whether you're a seasoned talent acquisition professional or just starting in the field, "Time to Hire" provides an invaluable platform to expand your knowledge, learn from industry leaders, and stay up-to-date with the rapidly changing world of recruitment.

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59 recent

June 12, 2026Episode 5942 min

Keep Hiring Human: Nick Livingston on AI-Assisted Interviewing and the Future of Recruiter Intelligence

Recruiting teams are gaining back real time — but the more significant shift is what happens to the conversation once the note-taking disappears. According to RPOA's 2026 RPO Buyer Trends Study, 44% of employers are capturing two to five hours of time savings per recruiter per week, with 32% saving more than five hours. Research from LinkedIn's Global Talent Trends report reinforces this: organizations investing in structured interview intelligence consistently improve both hiring speed and quality. The implication for RPO providers is clear — time savings are only the entry point. The deeper opportunity lies in what recruiters can do when they're free to actually listen.How can talent leaders use AI to elevate the quality of human conversations rather than simply eliminate steps around them? What should RPO providers understand about the shift from transactional screening to skills-based interview delivery — and how do you manage recruiter adoption without losing what makes great recruiting human? In this episode of Time to Hire, host Lamees Abourahma sits down with Nick Livingston, CEO and Co-Founder of Honeit, to explore interview intelligence, the Recruiter Plus AI model, change management, and why the future of talent acquisition depends on keeping hiring human.About the PodcastTime to Hire is produced by the Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association (RPOA), the leading authority on recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) foresight and innovation, and the trusted convener for the global RPO community. Through conversations with industry leaders, the podcast explores the trends, insights, and innovations shaping the future of talent acquisition.Learn more about RPOA and join the community at: https://www.rpoassociation.org.Follow the host, Lamees Abourahma, on LinkedIn.

May 22, 2026Episode 5833 min

From Hype to Hiring Outcomes: Jan Grohoske on AI Strategy, Applicant Fraud, and What RPO Partners Must Deliver in 2026

Artificial intelligence has moved from a competitive advantage to a baseline expectation in talent acquisition — and the pressure on recruiting teams is intensifying. According to the 2026 RPO Buyer Trends Study, conducted by RPOA in partnership with Lighthouse Research and Advisory, AI consulting and expertise is now the number one value employers expect from RPO providers, yet 29% of employers cite balancing AI's benefits against its risks as their top challenge this year. The stakes are high: 76% of organizations using AI are reclaiming meaningful recruiter time, while others remain stuck in pilots that never scale.How can talent leaders move from AI experimentation to measurable hiring outcomes — and what should they demand from an RPO partner to get there? In this episode of Time to Hire, host Lamees Abourahma sits down with Jan Grohoske, Senior Director of Digital Strategy and Implementation at Advanced RPO, to examine what AI expertise actually means in practice, why broken processes undermine even the best AI investments, how RPOs are building governance frameworks to drive responsible adoption, and how organizations can combat the growing threat of AI-enabled applicant fraud.About the PodcastTime to Hire is produced by the Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association (RPOA), the leading authority on recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) foresight and innovation, and the trusted convener for the global RPO community. Through conversations with industry leaders, the podcast explores the trends, insights, and innovations shaping the future of talent acquisition.Learn more about RPOA and join the community at: https://www.rpoassociation.org.Follow the host, Lamees Abourahma, on LinkedIn.

May 8, 2026Episode 5726 min

From Tool Users to Trusted Advisors: John Fitzgerald on AI Strategy, Organizational Readiness, and What RPO Partners Must Deliver Now

AI consulting and expertise have become the top capability buyers demand from RPO partners — surpassing operational delivery for the first time. According to the 2026 RPOA RPO Buyer Trends Study (conducted with Lighthouse Research & Advisory, n≈1,000 employers), 29% of employers cite balancing AI benefits against risk as their primary challenge, and 21% struggle to gain leadership buy-in for AI recruiting technology. The organizations that bridge that gap won't just use AI — they'll advise on it.How can talent leaders distinguish between an RPO provider that deploys AI tools and one that delivers genuine strategic advisory — and what questions should they ask before signing? In this episode of Time to Hire, host Lamees Abourahma speaks with John Fitzgerald, President and Chief Strategy Innovation Officer of LevelUP HCS, about organizational readiness, stakeholder alignment, change management for recruiting teams, fraud detection as an emerging AI priority, and why ISO certification may be the clearest signal of a trustworthy RPO partner.About the PodcastTime to Hire is produced by the Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association (RPOA), the leading authority on recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) foresight and innovation, and the trusted convener for the global RPO community. Through conversations with industry leaders, the podcast explores the trends, insights, and innovations shaping the future of talent acquisition.Learn more about RPOA and join the community at: https://www.rpoassociation.org.Follow the host, Lamees Abourahma, on LinkedIn.

April 24, 2026Episode 5632 min

Skills Over Jobs: Stefan Lint on Navigating Talent Scarcity, AI, and the Future of RPO

In today’s evolving talent landscape, organizations face a paradox: a cooling labor market alongside persistent shortages in high-value skills. As Stefan Lint explains, the shift from a “labor market” to a “skills market” reframes hiring strategy entirely. According to LinkedIn, 75% of recruiters report difficulty filling roles due to skills gaps (LinkedIn Global Talent Trends). This imbalance drives competition for geographically bound and niche capabilities, forcing employers to rethink sourcing, assessment, and workforce planning through a skills-first lens today effectively.How can organizations proactively secure scarce skills while improving hiring precision? In this episode, host Lamees Abourahma speaks with Stefan Lint, Workforce Advisor at Orion Talent, about building talent communities, leveraging AI for faster assessment, and using market intelligence to guide workforce strategy. They explore how RPO solutions are evolving from transactional recruiting to highly customized, consultative partnerships that enable better hiring decisions in complex, skills-driven markets today and beyond.Connect with Stefan Lint on LinkedIn.Learn about Orion Talent. About the PodcastTime to Hire is produced by the Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association (RPOA), the leading authority on recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) foresight and innovation, and the trusted convener for the global RPO community. Through conversations with industry leaders, the podcast explores the trends, insights, and innovations shaping the future of talent acquisition.Learn more about RPOA and join the community at: https://www.rpoassociation.org.Follow the host, Lamees Abourahma, on LinkedIn.

April 10, 2026Episode 5530 min

Navigating Skills Gaps, Passive Talent, and Embedded Recruiting Strategy with Lori Prehar

Hiring demand is no longer linear—it’s uneven, unpredictable, and increasingly skills-driven. While some roles stall, others remain critically hard to fill, forcing talent leaders to rethink traditional hiring strategies. According to LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends, 76% of talent professionals say skills-first hiring is a priority, yet many organizations still rely on outdated pedigree models. This tension is reshaping how RPO providers deliver value, requiring more flexible, human-centered, and data-informed approaches to workforce planning and execution.So how can talent leaders balance shifting demand, evolving skill requirements, and candidate expectations in a cautious market? In this episode, host Lamees Abourahma speaks with Lori Prehar, Managing Director of ZRG Embedded Recruiting, to explore embedded recruiting models, passive talent strategies, and the shift toward skills-based hiring. Together, they unpack how RPO leaders can stay agile, deepen client partnerships, and build resilient talent strategies in today’s dynamic labor market.Follow Lori Prehar on LinkedIn. Go here for the ZRG Embedded Recruiting website. ZRG has been a Gold Member of the Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association since 2025. About the PodcastTime to Hire is produced by the Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association (RPOA), the leading authority on recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) foresight and innovation, and the trusted convener for the global RPO community. Through conversations with industry leaders, the podcast explores the trends, insights, and innovations shaping the future of talent acquisition.Learn more about RPOA and join the community at: https://www.rpoassociation.org.Follow the host, Lamees Abourahma, on LinkedIn.

March 20, 2026Episode 5428 min

Closing the Skills Gap: Jim Sheehan on the Silver Wave, Skills-First Hiring, and AI-Driven Talent Strategy in Advanced Manufacturing

The manufacturing sector is facing a talent crisis that no amount of job postings will solve. Gartner predicts that by 2030, half of all enterprises will face irreversible skill shortages in critical roles — a warning that lands especially hard in advanced manufacturing and supply chain, where the silver wave of retiring skilled workers is already accelerating. Internal equity failures and uncompetitive compensation are quietly undermining hiring pipelines, putting organizations at risk of losing the talent they already have while failing to attract the specialized workers they urgently need.How should manufacturing and supply chain leaders close critical skills gaps when the talent they need doesn't yet exist in the market? In this episode of Time to Hire, host Lamees Abourahma is joined by Jim Sheehan, Vice President at MAU Workforce Solutions, to explore skills-first hiring strategies, apprenticeship models, passive candidate engagement, and how AI-driven talent intelligence is reshaping how organizations source, assess, and retain specialized talent.Statistic source: Gartner, "Future of Work Trends Post-COVID-19," 2021. Referenced directly in the episode transcript.Correction: the client program Jim referenced should have a 12-month time period, not 12-weeks. Follow Jim Sheehan on LinkedInVisit MAU Workforce SolutionsAbout the PodcastTime to Hire is produced by the Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association (RPOA), the leading authority on recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) foresight and innovation, and the trusted convener for the global RPO community. Through conversations with industry leaders, the podcast explores the trends, insights, and innovations shaping the future of talent acquisition.Learn more about RPOA and join the community at: https://www.rpoassociation.org.Follow the host, Lamees Abourahma, on LinkedIn.

March 13, 2026Episode 5325 min

Fede Calvino on Skills-First Hiring, AI Recalibration, and Global Talent Strategy in a Restructured Labor Market

When hiring slows but demand for specialized skills accelerates, talent leaders face a paradox. According to LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends research, 73% of professionals are passive candidates—open to opportunity but not actively applying—reshaping how employers must engage talent. In this recalibrated market, organizations are cutting noncritical roles while aggressively investing in AI, automation, and high-impact skill sets. The result? A mismatch between available workers and enterprise-ready capabilities, especially in AI engineering, digital transformation, and healthcare capacity.So how can talent acquisition leaders hire for emerging skills while navigating uncertainty and global restructuring? In this episode of Time to Hire, host Lamees Abourahma speaks with Fede Calvino, Co-Founder and CSO of TAM Solutions, about skills-first hiring, passive candidate engagement, Latin American talent intelligence, and how RPO providers can deliver speed, context, and risk reduction in high-stakes hiring environments.About the PodcastTime to Hire is produced by the Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association (RPOA), the leading authority on recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) foresight and innovation, and the trusted convener for the global RPO community. Through conversations with industry leaders, the podcast explores the trends, insights, and innovations shaping the future of talent acquisition.Learn more about RPOA and join the community at: https://www.rpoassociation.org.Follow the host, Lamees Abourahma, on LinkedIn.

March 6, 2026Episode 5223 min

Winning the AI Talent Race: Grant Jessup on Specialized Hiring, Passive Talent Strategy, and the Future of RPO

Hiring volume may be cooling, but competition for specialized skills is intensifying. As AI adoption accelerates across industries, organizations face a widening gap between evolving role requirements and available talent. According to LinkedIn’s Workforce Report, 73% of professionals are passive candidates, making precision engagement more critical than ever (LinkedIn Talent Solutions). The strategic implication is clear: companies must rethink sourcing models, redefine job criteria around skills, and build sustainable pipelines that extend beyond traditional industry boundaries.So how can organizations win scarce AI-adjacent and hybrid talent without overwhelming lean internal TA teams? In this episode, Lamees Abourahma speaks with Grant Jessup, Global Head of Sales and Solutions at LevelUP HCS, a Silver member of the RPOA. They explore passive talent strategy, embedded RPO models, skills-first hiring, and how flexible recruitment partnerships enable access to specialized and underrepresented talent pools in a rapidly evolving market.Follow Grant Jessup on LinkedIn. Follow LevelUP on LinkedIn. About the PodcastTime to Hire is produced by the Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association (RPOA), the leading authority on recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) foresight and innovation, and the trusted convener for the global RPO community. Through conversations with industry leaders, the podcast explores the trends, insights, and innovations shaping the future of talent acquisition.Learn more about RPOA and join the community at: https://www.rpoassociation.org.Follow the host, Lamees Abourahma, on LinkedIn.

February 27, 2026Episode 5135 min

Applicant Fraud and How to Detect Fake Candidates

Applicant fraud is no longer a fringe issue—it’s becoming a structural risk in talent acquisition. As AI tools make it easier to fabricate resumes, manipulate interviews, and even generate synthetic identities, recruiters face mounting pressure to verify credibility without sacrificing candidate experience. Gartner projects that by 2028, 25% of job candidates globally could be fake (Gartner, 2023), signaling a major shift in how organizations must approach hiring governance and risk mitigation.So how can talent leaders balance speed, candidate experience, and fraud detection in an AI-driven market? In this episode, host Lamees Abourahma welcomes Matt Corbett, President of ZRG Embedded Recruiting RPO, and Dan Harten of HireEZ, Customer Marketing Strategist, to explore five levels of applicant fraud (from AI-assisted embellishment to state-sponsored infiltration) and outline practical, recruiter-led strategies to build more fraud-resilient hiring practices in 2026 and beyond.Connect with guests:Follow Matt Corbett on LinkedIn. Follow Dan Harten on LinkedIn. About the PodcastTime to Hire is produced by the Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association (RPOA), the leading authority on recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) foresight and innovation, and the trusted convener for the global RPO community. Through conversations with industry leaders, the podcast explores the trends, insights, and innovations shaping the future of talent acquisition.Learn more about RPOA and join the community at: https://www.rpoassociation.org.Follow the host, Lamees Abourahma, on LinkedIn.

February 23, 202633 min

Ep 50 Skills-First Hiring in 2026: How AI, Emerging Skills, and RPO Are Redefining Talent Acquisition with Chip Holmes

In 2026, demand for emerging skills is accelerating even as overall hiring slows—yet only 21% of companies have fully adopted skills-based hiring, according to LinkedIn’s 2024 Future of Recruiting report. Talent acquisition and recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) teams face a widening execution gap as AI and automation create new roles faster than traditional, credential-based hiring can keep up. Only a small share of employers are redesigning sourcing, screening, and workforce planning to capture this opportunity, while most risk deeper talent shortages, stalled innovation, and long-term competitiveness challenges.Bridging this gap requires rethinking how organizations define, find, and develop talent. In this episode of the Time to Hire podcast, host Lamees Abourahma speaks with RPO leader Chip Holmes of Randall Reilly to examine how RPO providers and talent leaders can use skills-first hiring, talent communities, cross-industry recruiting, and targeted outreach to underrepresented groups to close critical capability gaps and build resilient, future-ready workforces.Follow Chip Holmes on LinkedIn Go here for more information about Randall Reilly About the PodcastTime to Hire is produced by the Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association (RPOA), the leading authority on recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) foresight and innovation, and the trusted convener for the global RPO community. Through conversations with industry leaders, the podcast explores the trends, insights, and innovations shaping the future of talent acquisition.Learn more about RPOA and join the community at: https://www.rpoassociation.org.Follow the host, Lamees Abourahma, on LinkedIn.