Ashley McMurtrey, PHR

I’ve been working on a talk for #Atlanta next week and it’s forced me to say something out loud that I think a lot of TA and HR leaders are quietly feeling. Talent Acquisition is shrinking. Influence is not. Permanent hiring volumes are down. That part isn’t controversial. What’s more interesting is how many of us are still trying to prove our value using a playbook that only really works when hiring is booming. What I’m seeing instead is this. The work hasn’t disappeared. It’s moved. Into workforce strategy, skills, internal mobility, redeployment, and capability decisions that are happening whether TA is in the room or not. The uncomfortable bit is that influence is no longer granted by role or remit. It’s earned by showing up with insight, naming risk, and being useful before decisions are made. This isn’t about rebranding TA or chasing the next shiny thing. It’s about doing work that actually helps organisations make better decisions in constrained environments. Still shaping the thinking, but it feels like an important conversation to have out loud. See you at Evolve TA & HR in Atlanta next week. cc: Anna Morgan #careerbff

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📊 Jobs Report: April 2025 The labor market remains strong, even if it doesn't feel that way. Despite continued job growth and low unemployment, public sentiment around the economy remains cool. As Hiring Lab notes, the "vibes" still don't match the data, but under the surface, hiring remains steady, and layoffs are low. 🔍 Key takeaway: The economy may not feel booming, but the fundamentals are solid. https://lnkd.in/eXaiURcJ

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From a recruiter’s lens, you know you’re in the right room when the conversation is focused on solving challenges—not dwelling on what went wrong. The energy shifts. The questions get sharper. The focus moves forward. That’s often where the brightest minds choose to spend their time. It’s a reminder of how powerful solution-oriented thinking can be when talented people come together with a shared goal #LeadershipatApple #Leadershipgoals

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There’s a real difference between how contingent and retained recruiter interviews are run, particularly in comms/PR recruiting, and it has less to do with quality and more to do with mandate. Most contingent interviews are designed for efficiency and speed. You confirm the resume, pressure test fit, align on compensation, and decide whether the candidate is strong enough to move forward quickly. The goal is momentum. The underlying question is usually simple: Is this someone I’d be comfortable putting in front of the client? Retained-level interviews serve a different purpose. They’re not just about qualifying talent. They’re about reducing decision risk. When a recruiter is retained, the responsibility shifts. You’re no longer advancing candidates. You’re advising the business. That means the interview has to surface how someone actually operates as a communications leader, not just how they present. You listen for judgment under pressure. You dig into how decisions get made when information is incomplete. You want to understand where things broke down in past roles and why. You pay attention to how the candidate navigates power, politics, and internal tension. Most importantly, you assess what risk this hire introduces inside the organization, at this moment. So the real question isn’t “do I like this candidate?” It’s “how will this person actually operate when the stakes are real?” That’s the difference between screening and advising. Between filling a seat and protecting the business. At senior levels, there’s no margin for getting this wrong.

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The difference between Talent Acquisition vs Staffing Agencies? Reactivity vs Proactivity TA is great if used correctly, but 99% of companies out there don't understand how to utilize them. High quantity positions that can afford to be reactive are phenomenal for TA to work on and fill. High level, niche roles can start to be worked on by TA for a period of time (dependent on urgency level), but those really should be given to a staffing agency that specializes in that sector and ideally has the relationships to identify the ideal candidate quickly and efficiently. In summary- "saving cost" by avoiding agencies can be doable, but don't shoot yourself in the foot by sending your TA team to war with a butter knife as they just flat out don't have the resources or head start that agency recruiters have! #staffing #recruiting

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Hiring Contingent Workers? Here's What You Need to Know More companies are turning to contractors, freelancers, and consultants, and for good reasons. ✅ Flexibility: Scale your team up or down fast ✅ Cost savings: No long-term commitments or overhead ✅ Speed: Fill urgent roles in days, not weeks or months ✅ Expertise: Access high-level talent, on demand ✅ Mentorship: Seasoned professionals can also train and guide junior engineers, adding long-term value beyond the project. But—it’s not all smooth sailing. ⚠️ Onboarding & oversight can be tricky ⚠️ Misclassification risks are real ⚠️ Integration issues with full-time teams Want the upside without the headaches? 👉 Partner with Automation Technical Resources LLC  We help you hire the right talent, stay compliant, and keep your workforce agile and adaptable. 📩 DM me or visit www.autotechres.com to start the conversation. #ContingentWorkforce #MentorshipMatters #AgileWorkforce #HiringTips

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Great session from Patricia Maroto Gómez and an important reminder about posting content that aligns with themes you genuinely believe in (not just Crystal Palace). The Region is driving demand for RPO/embedded solutions, but most approach with a misconception. They view embedded/RPO as simply placing a recruiter on-site at internal talent acquisition costs. This is the knowledge gap we’re addressing. When you embed Halian, you’re not hiring a recruiter but accessing Halian as a Service. Our entire recruitment ecosystem backs your dedicated client partner: global sourcing networks, AI-enabled tools, proprietary candidate databases, and proven methodologies refined across thousands of placements worldwide. The fundamental difference is between infrastructure and the individual. You’re not paying for a person. You’re investing in proven recruitment infrastructure that delivers faster fills, higher quality candidates, and scalable capacity without the overhead of building these capabilities internally. Halian as a Service (HaaS) 😜

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