Ryan Good-Worth

Hiring tech contractors has become more challenging. Not because the demand isn’t there, it’s quality. The new adjusted rate cards have a lot to do with it. On paper, it’s an employer’s market as there is more supply than demand, so rates have come down compared to 12 months ago. But top talent is and will always be at a premium. Rate cards speak to the market as a whole, not the top tier. This is creating friction. Leaders are navigating exceptions, or finding creative ways to bring in the right people outside of standard staffing programs, because at the end of the day, mission-critical projects don’t slow down just because rate cards do. With regulatory pressure forcing modernization, upgrades, and system builds while AI demand is sky rocketing; top talent will continue to be essential. The new rate cards just make it more interesting in how you attract and engage them. And that’s why we’re working closely with tech leaders who need the best people in place to deliver.

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This reflects a broader transformation within Talent. From managing workflows to designing systems that enhance recruiter performance. It will be interesting to see whether this becomes a normalised function within Talent teams.

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One of the most persistent myths in the current job market is that a "robot" or "AI" is auto-rejecting your resume before a human ever sees it. Having worked inside talent teams at global tech leaders and high-growth startups, I can tell you the reality: We read the resumes. The "AI filter" that people fear is largely a misunderstanding of how an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) works. We aren't using an algorithm to delete people; we are recruiters using our eyes to find a match. If you aren't getting the callback, it usually isn't a glitch in the machine—it’s a gap in the strategy. Here is how to actually break through: 1. Tailoring is Not Optional A recruiter looking for a "Project Manager" is scanning for specific keywords like "stakeholder alignment," "lifecycle management," or "resource allocation." If your resume only talks about "general tasks," you’re making the recruiter do the heavy lifting to find the fit. Do the work for them. Map your experience directly to the job description. 2. The Power of a Direct Connection A referral or a direct message will always beat a "cold" application. If you see a role you love, don't just hit 'Apply' and hope. Search your network: Who do you know (or who do you know of) at that company? Reach out: A simple, "I just applied for the PM role and would love to hear about your experience with the team," can move your resume from the middle of the stack to the top. 3. Quality Over Quantity In a world of "Easy Apply," the candidates who stand out are the ones who treat their search like a project. 5 high-quality, tailored applications with a follow-up note are worth more than 50 generic submissions. Recruiters want to hire you. We are looking for reasons to say "yes," not "no." Make it easy for us to see why you’re the right person for the project. #Recruitment #JobSearchTips #ResumeWriting #CareerAdvice #HiringMythBusters #Networking

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Hire Through Your Network at Scale AI can flood you with applicants in seconds. It can send thousands of messages with one click. But that creates more noise. It does not create more hires. Here is what most teams try now 1. Post on job boards You get volume. Fake profiles. Irrelevant resumes. Your ideal candidate may never see it. 2. Tap your first-degree network Better signal. Very limited reach. Your perfect match might not be looking today. 3. Referrals You tap into trusted connections. It brings quality but again, limited reach. You need a better way. HireSource.ai scales your trusted connections. It finds people one step removed from your network. It keeps the signal of a real reference. It widens your reach far beyond first-degree contacts. All without spam. AI and data done right let you hire people who know who you know. Ready to see how it works? Visit HireSource.ai to request early access.

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Hot take alert 🚨 : AI hasn't made hiring BETTER. It's made hiring FASTER. And that distinction changes everything for executive candidates. The core issue: AI excels at processing speed and pattern recognition. It can scan 10,000 profiles in the time it takes a human to read 10. But it struggles with the things that matter MOST at the executive level... leadership potential, cultural alignment, strategic vision, the intangible quality of "this person can walk into a room and change the energy." So what's actually happening in practice? Companies are screening faster but not necessarily BETTER. Speed creates efficiency but also creates false negatives, qualified candidates getting filtered out because their profiles don't match the algorithmic pattern the AI was trained on. If your career path is non-linear (industry pivot, entrepreneurial detour, functional shift), AI is MORE likely to undervalue you than a human would. The irony of the AI hiring revolution: It's actually making HUMAN skills the single biggest differentiator at the executive level. If you can tell a compelling story in an interview... advantage, you. AI can't replicate that. If you can build genuine trust with a hiring committee in 45 minutes... advantage, you. If you can demonstrate strategic thinking that connects dots the company hasn't connected yet... massive advantage, you. AI gets you sorted into a category. YOUR humanity, your presence, your narrative, your ability to connect is what gets you hired. The executives who will thrive are the ones who optimize for BOTH: make sure the machines can find you, then make sure the humans can't forget you. DM me HIRED to get the help you need navigating this CRAZY hiring process you know nothing about. 💡

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Quality of hire is the metric every TA leader gets graded on, yet most can not measure it correctly. Here’s why: We hold TA accountable for quality, but we rarely give them visibility into what happens after the offer is signed. That isn't a metric. It’s a setup. Real Quality of Hire is measured at 6 months, 12 months, and beyond. It’s performance, time to productivity, and retention. But in most organizations, TA is locked out of that data. We source, screen, and close, then the door shuts. This is where AI could actually change the game. It’s not about filling the funnel faster. It’s about connecting recruiting inputs to downstream outcomes. It’s about building a closed feedback loop where every hire makes the process smarter. What does that look like in practice?  🔹 Sourcing Intelligence: Identifying the specific signals—previous companies, niche skills, or career trajectories—that actually correlate with high-performing tenure. 🔹 Interview Correlation: Using transcript data to map specific interview traits and candidate signals against real-world performance ratings. 🔹 Retention Mapping: Surfacing the "DNA" of candidates who stay and thrive, allowing TA to refine the "success profile" in real-time. "But what about privacy?"  This is the part that makes it realistic: TA doesn't need to see individual files. AI can anonymize and aggregate the data, surfacing patterns without exposing confidential details. The technology handles the "locked door" problem for us. The result? A recruiting function that gets smarter with every hire. Not just faster. The data exists. The technology exists. The only thing missing is the bridge that turns all that evidence into real-world insight. How does your organization measure quality of hire? I’d love to hear what’s actually working. 👇 #QualityOfHire #TalentAcquisition #AIinRecruiting #PeopleAnalytics #RecruitingStrategy #HRLeadership

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I've had a TA Partner reach out to me who is on the market, and they asked where I would suggest to find roles in TA. We all know LinkedIn is the go-to, but with the volume of applications on there, it can be tough(trust me I know, I have lost count for a role this week). So, instead of me giving my own suggestions, I thought I'd throw this out to my incredible global network of TA professionals 🫂❤️ Where are the best places you've found or posted TA roles, besides LinkedIn? Please drop your suggestions in the comments below! Let's help our fellow TA professionals find their next amazing role and connect them with companies that are truly hiring. Let's help each other out ❤️🫂 #TalentAcquisition #TACommunity #Recruitment #JobSearch #Networking Two places to look are the rec hub. and Ericsson and don't forget to click follow.

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When a company receives 2,115 applicants for a Senior GTM Technical Recruiter role and still reposts the job, it raises serious concerns. First, a competent hiring team should be able to source top-tier recruiters without relying on public postings. Second, failing to select from such a large candidate pool suggests indecision or a flawed process. This inability to make a straightforward hiring decision signals deeper issues. It implies the company may struggle to act decisively across all hiring, which could unfairly reflect poorly on the recruiter’s performance. It also points to micromanaging leadership that undermines their team’s process, stifling efficiency and growth. Too many red flags—hard pass.

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Let's dive into the realm of transferable skills within Talent Acquisition. 🤝 In various industries, notably healthcare, a trend persists where companies seek TA professionals with precise sector experience. However, a standout TA partner goes beyond mere checkboxes. They delve into roles, requirements, and success criteria. Through research, network cultivation, and adept talent spotting, they excel even in specialized domains. While healthcare mandates specific certifications and education, adept TA professionals swiftly adapt. Yet, the crux lies in cross-industry skills. Proficiencies like effective role marketing, fostering relationships with stakeholders and candidates, influencing, negotiating, and acting decisively are paramount. Ultimately, TA embodies facets of marketing, sales, strategy, and narrative crafting, all geared towards aligning the right talent with the right roles. Why not embrace fresh perspectives and diverse backgrounds? Individuals who challenge norms and inject innovation can revolutionize outcomes. Let's shift from industry constraints and focus on the core drivers of success in this arena. What are YOUR thoughts? Share your insights! #TalentAcquisition #Recruiting #TransferableSkills #DiversityOfExperience #HiringStrategy #TALeadership

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Looking for recommendations to Indeed Smart Sourcing (previously Indeed Resume) alternatives. All these other spiffy automation and AI sourcing tools ya'll recommend are cool, and I'm SO happy for ya'll. But if you don't recruit for GTM or Tech Talent....guess what....the data sources for those sourcing tools aren't even relevant. Shout out to my healthcare, manufacturing & skilled trades, and service industry Talent Acquisition professionals. We ride at dawn. DISCUSS below ⬇️

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Laid off on H1B? Read this before Monday. If you’re in your 60-day grace period, your priority isn’t the “perfect” full-time role. "It’s momentum". Right now, the contract market is moving faster than FTE hiring. Here’s what contract hiring managers expect: • Immediate availability • Hands-on, plug-and-play skillset • Flexibility (hybrid/onsite/project-based) Contract ≠ downgrade. In this market, it can mean: ✔ Faster H1B transfer ✔ Immediate income ✔ No risky employment gap ✔ Access to contract-to-hire paths Stability first. Optimisation later. If you’re impacted by layoffs and open to contract or fast-moving H1B transfer roles, comment “H1B” or message me directly. Let’s move quickly and strategically. Interested Candidates Kindly Reach me at Mail id: arya@symploreus.com For more information, visit : www.symploreus.com Feel free to reach me directly On. 📞 Calling : +1 (248) 341 0688 💬 WhatsApp : +1 (248) 550-0564

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Some of the worst hiring bottlenecks I have seen had nothing to do with the TA team. Every offer sitting with a CFO for sign-off. Every requisition waiting on a CPO who is already stretched across six other priorities. Roles staying open for weeks not because the process failed but because the approval chain was not designed for the pace the business actually needed to hire at. It is easy to understand how it happens. When hiring decisions have gone wrong before, executives pull approval authority closer. It may feel like control but what it actually does is add two or three weeks to every hire and quietly signals to the business that TA cannot be trusted to manage its own process. The way out of it is to build a process that makes that oversight unecessary at the transactional level (instead of simply arguing for less oversight). When hiring criteria are agreed in advance, success profiles are documented, interview panels are trained, and every decision has a clear audit trail behind it, there is no ambiguity for a CFO or CPO to resolve. The decision has already been made well before it reaches them. Their involvement becomes an exception rather than a default. That is what defensible hiring actually means in practice. It is not just about protecting the business from tribunal risk or being able to show reasons for a hire 6 months down the line - it is also about building a process credible enough that the people at the top of the organisation can trust it without being in every decision. In my experience, when TA earns that trust, the bottlenecks tend to disappear on their own.

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A new req drops, and the rush begins. Job board posts go up, sourcing marathons start, and calendars fill before lunch. Most TA teams operate this way — reactive, fast-paced, and constantly starting from scratch. But what if you didn’t have to start from scratch every time? A recruiting funnel shifts your process from reactive to always on.💡 By consistently engaging with candidates, you build relationships early and keep your talent pipeline warm before the next opening hits your desk. Your team doesn’t need to run on urgency. Create a sustainable social recruiting strategy that reduces stress, strengthens relationships, and supports long-term growth. #TalentAcquisition #RecruitingStrategy #EmployerBrand #SocialRecruiting

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📣 To Anyone Recently Laid Off: Let’s Talk About Moving Forward If you’ve recently been impacted by a layoff, I want you to hear this loud and clear: a layoff is not a reflection of your worth, your talent, or your potential. It’s a business decision not a personal failure. Still, that doesn’t make it any easier. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, uncertain, or just plain exhausted, know that it's okay to take a moment. But when you're ready here are some steps that can help you move forward: ✅ Update your resume and LinkedIn profile – Highlight your impact, not just your duties. ✅ Reconnect with your network – Let people know you’re open to opportunities. ✅ Practice your story – Be honest but confident when talking about the layoff. ✅ Apply with intention – Quality over quantity. Focus on roles that truly align. ✅ Take care of your mental health – You are navigating a huge life transition. 💬 And if you’re not sure where to start, feel free to connect or message me. Whether I can help directly or point you in the right direction, you’re not alone in this. Let’s rewrite what comes next together. 💼✨ #layoffsupport #jobsearchtips #opentowork #careeradvice #recruiterinsights #yougotthis

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Laid off on H1B? Read this before Monday. If you’re in your 60-day grace period, your priority isn’t the “perfect” full-time role. "It’s momentum". Right now, the contract market is moving faster than FTE hiring. Here’s what contract hiring managers expect: • Immediate availability • Hands-on, plug-and-play skillset • Flexibility (hybrid/onsite/project-based) Contract ≠ downgrade. In this market, it can mean: ✔ Faster H1B transfer ✔ Immediate income ✔ No risky employment gap ✔ Access to contract-to-hire paths Stability first. Optimisation later. If you’re impacted by layoffs and open to contract or fast-moving H1B transfer roles, comment “H1B” or message me directly. Let’s move quickly and strategically. #H1BTransfer #LayoffSupport #ContractJobs #VisaProfessionals #RecruiterInsights

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Internal recruiting teams and agencies are about to become bffs. Full-cycle recruiting is back, internal teams are leaner while hiring managers still expect speed + quality. The best TA leaders I know are going to treat agencies like elastic capacity: hard searches, bursts of hiring, niche networks + speed when timing matters. The best agencies are going to act more like an extension of internal teams Less “us vs them.” More “we crush hiring together.” If you run internal recruiting: what do you want from an agency partner in 2026? If you’re agency-side: what do you need from TA to actually be effective?

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Hot take: Most “new” recruiting technology isn’t built for recruiters like us. It’s built for software recruiters, and then repackaged for everyone else. I’ve recruited across industrial, manufacturing, IT/software, healthcare, accounting/finance, and now civil engineering. Every few years, a new wave of tools shows up claiming to “change the game.” Let’s be honest… the game hasn’t changed. The tools have, sort of. In IT recruiting, sourcing is the game. Boolean, AI, GitHub, scraping profiles… that’s where technology shines. But in civil, geotechnical and CMT? We already know who the talent is. We work with them. We compete with them. We see them at conferences and job sites. So why are we still being sold tools designed to “help us find people”? That’s not the problem. The real problem is this: We’re sitting on years of fragmented knowledge about the same 200–500 professionals in every market… and most systems can’t handle it. Spreadsheets. ATS data. LinkedIn notes. Referrals. Former employees. Call logs. And the moment you try to build a CRM that actually reflects how relationship-driven recruiting works… it falls apart or forces you into someone else’s workflow. So we default back to what actually works. Call sheets. Phone calls. Follow-ups. Real conversations over time. Not sexy. Not automated. But effective. If your recruiting strategy depends on technology to “find” talent in a niche market… you’re solving the wrong problem. Prove me wrong.

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The top 10 Talent Acquisition plays of 2025 (based on conversations with 75 leading TA operators) Most of the gains this year didn’t come from shiny new tools. They came from executing fundamentals with real rigor. Here’s what moved the needle 👇 1. Persona-based candidate messaging Teams that interviewed real employees and built messaging around actual motivations consistently outperformed generic outreach. 2. Email sequencing (done properly) Not “send one nice message and hope.” Structured, multi-touch sequences that compound over time. 3. Firmographic market mapping Using tools like Dealroom or Crunchbase to understand who you’re really hiring from before sourcing even starts. 4. Centralised messaging + A/B testing High-performing team leads provided frameworks, tested messages, and scaled what worked. 5. Recruiter battle cards Prepared responses for common objections, grounded in real value propositions. 6. Candidate experience as a competitive advantage Forward-looking, thoughtful feedback that creates goodwill, even for candidates you reject. 7. AI as a multiplier, not a role replacer AI taking admin, triage, and prep work, recruiters focusing on judgment and relationships. 8. Systemised AI use across teams Not “everyone experimenting in isolation,” but shared workflows, prompts, and standards. 9. Sourcing as a strategic intelligence function. Top teams treat sourcing as a way to gather market data, signal shifts, and inform strategy. 10. Hiring like a GTM motion Clear ICPs. Tiered effort. Measurable funnels. TA borrowing discipline from sales and marketing. The pattern? Nothing here is magic. It’s about systems, clarity, and execution quality. 2026 won’t reward teams that do more. It’ll reward teams that do the right things, consistently. Which ones have you experimented with?

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13 things a Head of Talent Acquisition needs to know to make 2026 a breakout year 1. Your edge comes from better signal, not more effort. Most teams are busy. Few are accurate. The best TA leaders obsess over how signal is generated, evaluated, and compared. 2. Interview quality is the highest-leverage fix in hiring. Most hiring failures trace back to vague role definition, weak scorecards, and untrained interviewers. 3. More process rarely means better outcomes. Longer loops, extra interviews, and consensus theater create false confidence. Strong systems are simpler, faster, and harder to game. 4. Storytelling has to become a real skill. Not fluff, clarity about the work, the bar, the growth path, and what success actually looks like. 5. Think like a founder, not a recruiter. Time, tools, sourcing lanes, assessment depth, everything has an opportunity cost. Move resources to where they compound. 6. Nobody cares about time-to-fill in isolation. What matters is business impact: quality, retention, ramp, and whether the team is stronger six months later. 7. Skills-based hiring and internal mobility are becoming the operating model. If you’re not designing for skills signals and internal movement, you’re leaving talent (and speed) on the table. 8. AI isn’t a strategy. It’s a tool. Use it to accelerate sourcing, research, comms, and coordination, but keep humans accountable for judgment. 9. TA doesn’t “support growth.” It enables it. When hiring slips, roadmaps slip. When quality drops, execution drops. 10. Be fluent in data, not addicted to dashboards. Build simple models. Forecast capacity. Know your bottlenecks. Explain your funnel like a business case. 11. You set the standard. Role clarity, scorecards, interviewer quality, feedback discipline, candidate experience. standards slip quietly, then become culture. 12. TA has a rare advantage because there’s no universal best practice. That’s the opportunity. The leaders who win have tried and tested principles and frameworks. 13. TA is a sandbox function, use it that way. Leadership usually just wants great people in. How you get them often comes with autonomy. Experiment, iterate, measure, keep what works, kill what doesn’t. Thoughts?

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