64 [#ATC2025 Live] – In Conversation with Ross Clennett

A special VMJPod series – live from ATC 2025! We sit down with industry leaders to go beyond the buzz and discuss what AI really means for talent teams. 

Series co-hosted by VideoMy Founder and CEO, David Maccioca and TaPod's Craig Watson. 
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We sit down with industry legend Ross Clennett, attending his 17th Australian Talent Conference. As a long-time trainer, coach, and commentator on the recruitment industry, Ross brings an unflinching perspective on how AI will transform agency recruitment, and why he thinks most agency owners aren't prepared for what's coming.

Ross explains that generative AI will reduce total employment in recruitment agencies by automating low-skill work, but those who remain will become significantly more valuable and highly paid. He identifies sourcing, screening, and scheduling as the low-hanging fruit for AI automation, yet notes that most agency owners, who succeeded because they love the human side of recruitment, aren't thinking strategically enough about the productivity gains and cost savings AI could deliver.

The conversation tackles a critical paradox: if AI automates the entry-level tasks that junior recruiters traditionally learn from, where will the next generation of experienced recruiters come from? And what will the very nature of work look like in ten years' time?

Ross draws a powerful analogy to Seek's impact on newspaper classifieds: Ten years after Seek launched, the Friday AFR still had 115 job ads. Ten years after that? Just six. His warning to agency owners: "You won't have a business unless you stop and reflect on what's coming."

Key Topics:
01:30 – How generative AI will reduce agency headcount but increase value of remaining recruiters
02:40 – Why most agency owners aren't tech-oriented and what they're missing
03:50 – The graduate pipeline crisis: What happens when AI replaces entry-level learning?
05:20 – Why RPOs have a bright future if they lean into AI and labor market expertise
07:00 – The decline of high-volume white-collar agencies: Why Hays and Michael Page are struggling
08:10 – The gigification of white-collar work: Ross's concerns for the 30-45 age bracket
09:40 – Why most agency owners would sadly dismiss ATC content as too far removed from daily operations
11:00 – The Seek analogy: How 10 years can completely transform an industry

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