In this episode of the Recruitment Reality Podcast, I am joined by Artimese Braddy Lawrence, Coordinator of Human Resources at Tyler ISD, the largest school district in Northeast Texas.

Artimese discusses the broad range of recruitment responsibilities in the school district, from hiring teachers to custodial staff and bus drivers. Within the educational sector there are some unique challenges, including finding quality candidates who are genuinely interested in working with children.

We explore strategies for attracting potential candidates, such as utilizing social media, incentives, community partnerships, and emphasizing the district's family-oriented environment. Additionally, the conversation touches on the role of technology, specifically AI, in the recruitment process and the importance of maintaining human elements in human resources. Her advice to candidates was to research the company that you are applying to and to not hide your personality in your interviews.

Watch on YouTube

RESOURCES:

► Willo: Video Interview Screening Software
► Andrew Wood, COO & Co-founder at Willo
► Tyler ISD: Largest School District in Northeast Texas
► Artimese Braddy Lawrence, Coordinator of Human Resources at Tyler ISD

In this episode of the Recruitment Reality Podcast, I am joined by Joe Atkinson, Founder at PURPL, a peer-to-peer learning platform built by talent acquisition for talent acquisition professionals. They specialize in upskilling recruiters with practical, time-efficient & industry relevant training.

The episode delves into Joe's journey from his passion for startups to identifying a gap in professional training for recruiters. PURPL emerges as a solution, offering a platform for recruiters to upskill by learning from top professionals in the tech world. Joe shares insights on the challenges in talent acquisition, the lack of data literacy, and stakeholder management. The discussion also covers how PURPL sources its creators, their motivations, and the unique approach to content authenticity and learnability.

In facing economic downturns with massive tech layoffs, PURPL began assisting displaced professionals by offering free trainings to enhance their employability for their next role. Looking ahead, Joe outlines plans to engage a broader segment of the recruitment industry, emphasizing the importance of fundamental skills. The episode concludes with valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and recruiters.

Watch on YouTube

RESOURCES:

► Willo: Video Interview Screening Software
► Andrew Wood, COO & Co-founder at Willo
► PURPL: Peer-to-Peer Learning Platform for Talent Acquisition
► Joe Atkinson, Founder at PURPL

In this episode of the Recruitment Reality Podcast, I am joined by Robert Garner, Director at Abstraction Labs, a recruitment website design & development firm. We discuss his transition from a career in recruitment to becoming a software developer and eventually starting his own web design business.

Robert shares his diverse experiences, from selling recruitment advertising and working in media recruitment to launching a job board and moving into talent acquisition and software development, focusing on recruitment CRM systems. He delves into the challenges he faced early on trying to launch his own software platform, the pivotal role of self-teaching and online learning resources in his career shift, and gives advice for effective cold calling.

Robert also provides insights into the current state of the recruitment market, the importance of business development, and utilizing AI and automation. Additionally, he offers valuable advice for recruitment agencies on improving their websites, emphasizing the use of 3 easy things you can do today to assess your website:

1. Perform the Google Lighthouse performance test
2. Ensure Mobile Responsiveness of your pages
3. Incorporate high quality Images and Videos

Watch on YouTube

RESOURCES MENTIONED:
► Willo: Video Interview Screening Software
► Andrew Wood, COO & Co-founder at Willo
► Abstraction Labs: Recruitment Website Design & Development
► Robert Garner, Managing Director at Abstraction Labs
► The Challenger Sale, a book about taking control of the customer conversation
► The Jelly Effect, a book about how to make your communication stick