Twenty Years in Recruitment: What’s Changed, What’s Stayed, and What’s Next

Two decades in recruitment!! That’s thousands of interviews, hundreds of placements, and more cups of coffee than I care to count. But more than anything, it’s been a front-row seat to the evolution of how businesses find, engage, and retain talent, and how recruiters like me have had to adapt, rethink, and reinvent along the way.

From Rolodexes to AI: A Timeline of Change

When I started out, recruitment was all about relationships, gut instinct, and a well-worn phonebook! We built trust the old-fashioned way, through conversations, referrals, and sheer persistence. Then came the credit crunch, and everything shifted. Budgets tightened, hiring froze, and the industry had to get scrappy. We learned to do more with less, to dig deeper into candidate motivations, and to become true partners to our clients.

Fast forward to the pandemic, and we were hit with a different kind of disruption. Remote work, virtual interviews, and a sudden surge in demand for digital skills changed the game again. Businesses began reinvesting in their internal recruitment teams, looking for more control, more agility, and more alignment with their culture. As external partners, we had to evolve, offering more than just CVs, but insight, strategy, and support through uncertainty.

Automation, AI, and the Human Touch

Then came automation. ATS platforms, CRM systems, and scheduling tools promised efficiency..and delivered it. But they also forced us to rethink our value. What could we offer that a platform couldn’t? The answer: context, nuance, and the ability to read between the lines. Recruitment isn’t just about matching skills to job specs. It’s about understanding ambition, culture fit, and potential.

And now, AI. It’s not just a buzzword; it’s reshaping how we source, screen, and engage. At Core Recruitment, we’ve embraced it. From smarter candidate matching to automated outreach, AI has helped us move faster and think bigger. But we’ve also been intentional. We’ve redesigned our processes to keep the human element front and center. Because no algorithm can replace empathy, intuition, or the ability to truly listen.

What It Means to Stay in the Game

Twenty years in recruitment means you’ve seen the highs, the lows, and everything in between. It means you’ve had to adapt, sometimes quickly, (sometimes painfully!) but always with purpose. It means you’ve built resilience, sharpened your instincts, and learned that the only constant is change.

For me, it’s also meant rediscovering what I love about this work: the stories, the people, the impact. Whether I’m helping a candidate pivot into a new industry or guiding a client through a leadership hire, I’m reminded that recruitment is about possibility. It’s about helping people find clarity, confidence, and connection.

Looking Ahead

So what’s next? For me, it’s about continuing to evolve. Exploring adjacent industries, leaning into consultancy and coaching, and using storytelling to bring talent strategy to life. It’s about building a business that’s not just reactive, but visionary. And it’s about staying curious, because the future of recruitment will be shaped by those who ask better questions, not just those who find faster answers.

Recruitment veteran. Change enthusiast. Powered by people and strong coffee!