Tell us your career path before you were in TA
Before I moved into talent acquisition, I had a fast start in an the fashion industry. I started in fashion as a merchandising intern at asos, which taught me so much about head office life, numbers, spreadsheets, leadership teams and product. I later moved into fashion buying and merchandising at Miss Selfridge working with big client names such as Zalando understanding what made clients tick, and eventually joined a start-up recruitment agency within a 360 consultant role. Going out and winning new business and being more people focussed is what I was craving, and it got me away from sitting behind spreadsheets.
My career history at that point had given me the foundation to understand how to solve a client problem, find the solution and understand how they like to work. Being from Liverpool and finding myself on a career path in London, working with all walks of life gave me a spark I needed.
From your personal experience what's the best thing about being in talent acquisition?
For me, the best part of talent acquisition is getting to watch people’s career journeys unfold, meeting new people every day, and and find solutions to challenges that make a real difference for both candidates and the business. My focus has never been about just filling roles, Im passionate about both hiring and retaining. I wouldn't sleep well at night if I posted someone in a role where I knew they would be unhappy, so I set my sights on focussing on EVP and DE&I and leadership culture so ensure, I wasn't just hiring, I was making that business the best place to work, where my candidates would thrive.
Since you've been in TA, how have you seen it change?
The pandemic reshaped expectations on both sides of the table, accelerating remote work, flexibility, and the need for resilience in hiring strategies. At the same time, the market has shifted between being candidate-driven and employer-driven, requiring agility and creativity from TA professionals. Today, Talent Acquisition sits at the intersection of marketing, analytics, and consulting, which makes the role both complex and rewarding. TA gets tarnished with a bad brush sometimes, that its a money driven job but I promise you, there are hundreds of us out there, striving to make it a seamless, but better place for all involved.
How do you see AI impacting the future of talent acquisition?
I see it as an enabler rather than a replacement. 40% of companies are looking into using AI to support the hiring process currently, to help with things like video interviews and sourcing but I personally don't believe it can be completely fruitful in managing the end to end process. Recruitment needs a human touch, it requires empathy, availalbility and belonging.
What advice would you give to job seekers today?
Know your worth and the value you bring. Utilise your network, previous colleagues, referrals, events to get in front of hiring managers of companies you love. Be patient, be bold and go for what you want. Use LinkedIn to tell your story and build visibility as much as you can. Inspire and educate in your field, and become someone who is seen to be the 'go to' knowledge provider.
Tell us a little about the company you hire for and what makes it so great?
I work consultancy side, so I hire for clients. But, I will say, Brave is a people focussed business, that offers a no nonsense, honest and collaborative approach with all clients from retail, professional services and agencies and more, to shape the future businesses around the UK. We hire for clients that share our values, being brave and no afraid to do things differently.
Rachel Hollingsworth, Head of Talent at Brave