AI’s Dirty Little Secret

Tony, Gabe and Arne on the jobTopia podcast.

Hey, jobTopia fans! In this episode, HR tech takes center stage.

Gabe Mendelsohn from WOO and Arne Looten from Bullhorn, join Tony Moore, from Timpl Staffing.

This installment kicks off with a glorious fumble—tech glitches and a rant about the state of things set the tone, but we pivot hard into a global tour of staffing trends. It’s a wild ride through optimism, data dilemmas, and AI’s relentless march, all wrapped in a package that’s equal parts slick and sarcastic.

From economic growing pains to recruiters morphing into soft-skill superheroes, this episode doesn’t pull punches. It’s a masterclass in doing more with less, sprinkled with just enough humor to keep the existential dread at bay. Here are the top 10 moments, ranked by how long we lingered on them—because time’s the only currency that doesn’t lie.

Top 10 Moments

1. AI’s Grand Takeover (and Data’s Dirty Secret)
   The big kahuna: AI’s here to save the day—or at least 17 hours a week per recruiter. Matching’s the golden child (4.5 hours saved), but 36% of agencies admit their data’s a dumpster fire holding it all back. Clean it up, folks, or it’s just fancy spam.

2. 2024 Was a Beast, 2025 Might Be Better
   Last year was a slog—tighter margins, pickier candidates, and “more with less” on loop. But the grid report’s got hope: 38% predict 10%+ growth, 31% aim for up to 10%. Fingers crossed, or we’re all just whistling past the graveyard.

3. Candidates Want Speed, Agencies Want Relevance
   Candidates are screaming for fast placements (81%) and weekly chats (79%), while agencies obsess over search-and-match to deliver. It’s a race against irrelevance—lose the data game, and you’re toast.

4. The Soft Skills Revolution
   Boolean search nerds, your time’s up. AI’s handing you a mic and a coffee—time to charm candidates instead of wrestling syntax. Recruiters are leveling up, and it’s about damn time.

5. Growth Loves Automation
   Winners don’t sleep: 41% more likely to use AI, 96% of 2024’s revenue champs leaned in. Ignore this at your peril—your competitors aren’t napping.

6. Fear of Falling Behind vs. Fear of Change
   A juicy tug-of-war: dread being the last to the AI party, but also panic over botched implementations. Spoiler: start with the boring wins (transcription, anyone?) and ease into the fancy stuff.

7. Data Cleanup: The Unsung Hero
   Stale records? Kiss your AI dreams goodbye. Real-time updates and transcription tech are the MVPs here, turning chaos into a goldmine—if you’ve got the guts to fix it.

8. Margins, Diversification, and Tech Lifelines
   Clients squeeze harder, candidates ghost more—agencies are diversifying into project work for fatter profits. Tech’s the rope pulling them out of the pit.

9. Incentivizing the Future
   Old-school recruiters cling to their ways like life rafts. Solution? Bribe ‘em with bigger bonuses for using the shiny new tools. Sneaky, but it works.

10. Opening Chaos: Tech Fails and DJ Dreams
    The episode stumbles out of the gate—cursing the U.S., fumbling music cues, and a desperate plea to “get this thing going.” It’s a hot mess, but we recover like champs.

Contact Tony at Timpl for all your staffing questions.