Sourcing & Social: Event Recap & Key Takeaways
20 Oct, 20252 minutes
Wednesday 8 October 2025 – The Terrace, Leeds
Fruition Group’s latest Sourcing & Social brought Yorkshire’s talent acquisition community together for a morning of coffee, croissants, and conversation on how technology and human connection can coexist, and even strengthen each other.
Across four lightning talks hosted by Fruition Group’s Kevin Harper, the speakers explored how to embed AI safely, build inclusive careers, and lead teams with empathy and data-driven precision.
Here’s what we learned in a nutshell:
1) Making AI Work for People, Not Instead of Them
Speaker: Jonny Hiles, Talent Acquisition Lead, Answer Digital
“If we’re not including AI tools that support people through a recruitment process, are we really saying we’re as inclusive as possible?”
Jonny kicked off by showing what “AI-ready” looks like inside a business; not just the tools, but the trust.
He outlined how Answer Digital has created AI ambassadors across departments, giving people a safe space to test ideas, fail, and learn together. He also revealed the company’s AI usage policy and candidate commitment, which set guardrails for data privacy, accountability, and fairness.
Top takeaways:
- Create visibility – let candidates know how you’re using AI.
- Free up time for deeper candidate interaction.
- Use AI to enhance inclusion, not automate empathy.
It’s a reminder that adopting AI responsibly doesn’t just save hours, it builds confidence and credibility in how teams hire.
2) Building Resilience and Rethinking Career Breaks
Speaker: Zara Dodds, Talent Acquisition Manager, Tracsis
“We need to look at people as individuals. What their story is…it’s not going to look the same for everybody.”
Zara shared a deeply personal journey, balancing a demanding TA career with raising her daughter Aurora, who has complex needs. Her talk was a powerful look at career resilience, empathy in hiring, and the real value of understanding what sits behind a CV gap.
Her advice to TA professionals:
Speak to candidates who’ve taken time out, they’ve likely gained transferable skills and perspective.
Reframe career breaks as experiences that build strength, not setbacks.
Model the empathy you want to see in your hiring culture.
She left the room with a message that resonated beyond recruitment:
“Look back at how far you’ve come. We always look forward, but don’t forget the journey.”
3) Recruitment Powered by AI, Perfected by Humans
Speaker: Farrah Welch-Turner, Head of People, The Curve
“AI can do the sorting, but don’t let it do the seeing.”
Farrah unpacked how a small team can harness AI tools without losing human connection. She described how automation now handles job-ad bias checking, note summarisation and interview scheduling, freeing her to focus on the moments that matter.
She urged recruiters to start with one friction point, measure its impact, and build from there. Learn how the tools think, but never stop asking questions. Because curiosity and not code will define the future recruiter.
4) Growth, Leadership and Letting Go
Speaker: Callum Robinson, Talent Team Lead, Booksy
“Growth isn’t just about learning hard skills. It’s about patience, curiosity, and trusting your people.”
Callum’s talk moved from process to people, tracing his journey from ‘Individual Contributor’ to Team Leader.
He was candid about the challenges: the temptation to “boil the ocean”, early hiring missteps, and the imposter syndrome that comes with leading peers. Yet through self-awareness and practical tools like Metaview (AI note-taking) and Coffee (AI-assisted application triage), he’s built a structure that balances efficiency with empathy.
For future leaders in the room, it was a masterclass in scaling responsibly:
Don’t skip process, even under pressure.
Empower people you trust.
Use AI to guide decision-making, not make it.
5) The Common Thread: Human Connection
As the Q&A wrapped up, host Kevin Harper summed up what everyone was thinking:
“There’s still a massive need for the human touch in the recruitment process. People buy from people, ultimately.”
Every speaker proved that technology can make hiring faster and smarter but only if recruiters stay curious, transparent, and human-first.
Why You Should Be at the Next One
Each Sourcing & Social brings together Yorkshire’s TA community to share practical strategies; from embedding AI ethically to building inclusive onboarding and resilient careers, these sessions are designed to help recruiters stay ahead and stay connected.
Join the next Sourcing & Social in 2026.
Follow Fruition Group on LinkedIn for early access to tickets and speaker announcements.
For more practical insight on hiring strategy, social sourcing, and recruitment processes, visit fruitiongroup.com.
