Tell us your career path before you were in TA
Like many others, I stumbled into the world of Talent Acquisition by accident. Over 11 years ago, I moved to London to study Fashion Design, full of passion and determination to launch my career. But the reality was tough - unpaid internships and the high cost of living in London made it impossible. Then, a recruiter reached out with a 6-month contract opportunity in TA at WPP. What was meant to be a temporary role turned into a long-term career path. Over seven years later, I’m about to celebrate 4 years at IPG Mediabrands - still thriving in the advertising and marketing industry - and it turns out, I’m pretty great at what I do.
From your personal experience what's the best thing about being in talent acquisition?
Where do I even begin?
While I wouldn’t call myself a salesperson, I’m absolutely a people person. Even now, I still get genuinely excited about coaching and guiding individuals through the interview process - and there’s nothing more rewarding than watching them succeed. I’m fortunate to work with incredibly talented people, whether I’m helping them explore their next career move or supporting hiring managers in finding the perfect addition to their team.
One of the most fulfilling parts of my role is the opportunity to drive positive change. I’m a firm believer that TA leaders should be seen as strategic advisors in all thing’s recruitment - not just the go-to when there’s a vacancy to fill. Throughout my career, I’ve worked alongside inspiring leaders who’ve empowered me to launch hiring training, design and improve processes, build meaningful partnerships, and so much more.
Since you've been in TA, how have you seen it change?
There’s now, rightly, a much stronger emphasis on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) throughout the entire hiring process, making careers more accessible to a broader and more diverse talent pool than ever before. From how job ads are written and where they’re posted, to ensuring diverse shortlists, inclusive interview questions, and balanced interview panels - it’s all part of a more thoughtful, inclusive approach to hiring. It’s been great to see the industry start to move away from rigid requirements like years of experience or university degrees, opening doors for candidates with varied backgrounds and experiences.
There are also now far more opportunities to educate interviewers and hiring managers on inclusive hiring practices. This includes training on inclusive language, how to provide constructive feedback, understanding the difference between positive action and discrimination, and more. Applicant tracking systems like Greenhouse enable us to gather valuable feedback at each stage, empowering us to promptly address areas for improvement and support our interviewers in creating a positive candidate experience.
Candidate experience has always been important, but I’d say it’s more critical now than ever. We’re having more meaningful conversations about adjustments and accommodations to the hiring process to help set candidates up for success. Whether it’s allowing extra time for a task or offering alternative formats, we recognise that flexibility can make a real difference.
And, at IPG Mediabrands, we also ask candidates to complete an anonymous survey after each hiring process to help us gather honest feedback and make continuous improvements. We also hold internal discussion groups with new hires to gain deeper insight into their experience - what went well and where we can do better.
How do you see AI impacting the future of talent acquisition?
The human element remains a vital part of talent attraction and hiring. Empathy, intuition, and relationship-building are things technology simply can’t replicate.
When used strategically, AI can be a powerful asset in Talent Acquisition, particularly in automating routine administrative work and inspiring fresh ideas for interview processes. This means we can focus more on the areas where we truly add value - employer branding, strategic stakeholder partnerships, talent engagement, and building meaningful candidate experiences.
Importantly, we don’t use AI to screen applications at IPG Mediabrands. Each application is reviewed individually by myself or one of my colleagues in the Talent Team.
What advice would you give to job seekers today?
Recruitment naturally goes through peaks and troughs, and right now, we’re facing a particularly challenging market. Quite simply, there are more candidates seeking roles than there are opportunities available. If you haven’t had success with your applications yet, don’t be discouraged - it’s not a reflection of your worth or potential. Keep going. You’re just one application away from landing your next opportunity.
Jessica Richardson, Talent Acquisition Business Partner at IPG Mediabrands