- Wasp Stings & Real Talk: What RecFest UK 2025 Taught Me - July 16, 2025
- Candidate First Job Postings: Write for Humans First, Robots Second - June 25, 2025
- How to Remove All Bias From Your Job Descriptions in Canada - May 21, 2025
It’s been almost a week since RecFest UK wrapped, and I’m still buzzing—literally and figuratively. My arm? Still swollen from the wasp attack before my final session (shout-out to whoever saw me frantically power-walking toward the gates…I swear I’m usually cooler than that). But more importantly, I left Knebworth Park with a full heart, a brain firing on all cylinders, and a virtual notebook full of ideas.
Here’s what stood out the most, and how it all connects back to what we’re doing at Ongig to make life easier for TA pros.
The vibe: Grassroots meets tech carnival
The energy at RecFest UK was wild in the best way. Massive circus-style tents, a giant Ferris wheel, and bold branding everywhere. I walked past glitter face painting stations, Oleeo’s “AI tools to help you bloom” booth, and a long doughnut and coffee truck queue before I even hit my first session.
I even popped out of a giant iCIMS cake and met amazing folks like Meghan Murphy (Manager, Partner Marketing at iCIMS) and Gemma Peach (Group Head of Talent Acquisition at Azets). Gemma and I chatted about manual job rewrite projects and such while waiting for our monogrammed Pinpoint swag bags.
Key Takeaway 1: AI is everywhere…but the trust still isn’t
The AI talk was loud, but cautious. At the session “Balancing AI and Automation with the Human in Hiring,” Mark Harbottle of Cronofy nailed it: use automation for repeatable tasks like scheduling or screening so humans can focus on the human things.
His words:
“Automation makes time for the human touch.”Mark also dropped an interesting stat on the number of AI-foucsed sessions at RecFest UK this year. 25% of the sessions were about AI, that is a pretty big piece of the pie if you ask me.
I also joined the Amazon + Willo session on skills-first hiring. Hung Lee (Curator of Recruiting Brainfood) and Euan Cameron (Willo’s CEO) hosted the fireside-style chat with Andreea Sandu (TA Recruiter), Joe Lakin (Recruiter — UK Apprenticeships), and Andrew Wood (aka “Woody” — Willo’s CCO).
They unpacked how Willo helps Amazon filter based on skill, not outdated credentials or CVs. It was equal parts inspiring and practical. Amazon is filling roles with more qualified people and converting interns to full-time employees, which isn’t always easy to do.
Ongig’s approach to AI is this: keep it human-first. We use AI to enhance job content, not replace the people writing it. Our platform catches the things people sometimes miss (like problematic phrases or miss compliance content) to keep everything on brand, fast, and consistent.
Key Takeaway 2: Time is killing creativity
Lean teams. Too many platforms. Never-ending approvals. That pressure came up again and again, especially in Matt Alder’s session, “How FITT is your TA function?”. Matt is a Podcaster, Talent Acquisition Futurist, International Speaker, and Author.
His session laid out a future-forward blueprint for talent acquisition: one that’s less reactive and more strategic.
Matt created a short, free assessment to help you quickly benchmark your capabilities. It only takes a few minutes, and you’ll get personalized recommendations to boost your strategic impact right away.
https://mattalder.me/fitt
A question that came to mind during this session…how do you make space for strategy when you’re buried in busy work?
At Ongig, we’re solving for exactly that. Whether it’s role-based access to JD templates, automated approvals, or smart suggestions baked into the platform, we’re helping teams get job content out the door without sacrificing quality or compliance.
Key Takeaways 3, 4, 5, and 6
Neurodiversity in the Workplace:
Huge shoutout to SPACE Hertfordshire for their workshop on neurodiversity. They created a new understanding of what real inclusion looks like, and how small tweaks can make a massive impact. It’s it’s about creating environments where everyone can thrive, not just about ticking boxes.
Disrupt Stage with Chad & Cheese:
If you haven’t heard Chad & Cheese, you’re missing out. These two are real, rowdy, and unapologetically funny. They reminded us all that TA needs clarity, not more buzzwords. Their no-nonsense approach is exactly what we all need. They hosted, served up some epic rock songs, and kept the stage hype all day.
And they gave me one of their new t-shirts, another highlight of the event!
“Flying Solo? Come Say Hello!” Networking:
I met 2 great guys in the TA space, Andrew Sinclair, 1st time Recfest UK attendee and Global Head of Talent Acquisition Impact at S&P Global, and Graham Hoare (who mentioned he was open to work and seems like a real pro in TA tech services). It was great to meet solo attendees and talk “TA” before the event really kicked off.
Greek Food Truck Gyros:
Real talk: the gyros from the Greek food truck? Elite. I never miss out on a chance to eat Greek food. I love that loads of people ate lunch under the shade of the massive trees in the fields to recharge for the 2nd half of the day.
What’s next?
I’m unpacking more of this in an upcoming episode of my podcast, The JD Fix. I’ll be sharing my own take and chatting with a few TA folks who were also at RecFest to hear what stuck with them on future episodes. If you’ve got something to add, reach out. The episodes are short, casual conversations, and no video, unless you want to show off your new Recfest UK 2025 swag.
I’ll also be heading to RecFest USA in Nashville later this year. If you’re planning to be there too, let’s connect.
Final Thanks
To the entire RecFest crew, the speakers, the booth buddies, and every TA pro who said hi under the tents: thank you. You made it more than an event. You made it matter.
Let’s connect if you want help cleaning up job content, automating approval workflows, or just need a second opinion on that Frankenstein job post you inherited last year.
