Time to Hire
Welcome to "Time to Hire," a dynamic and insightful podcast created by the Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association (RPOA) specifically for talent acquisition professionals to keep them well-informed about the latest industry trends and best practices.
In each episode, RPOA Executive Director, Lamees Abourahma, hosts prodigious talent leaders to share talent market intelligence and innovative recruitment approaches. Tune in to the podcast to help you enhance your hiring processes, strengthen your employer brand, and innovate your talent strategy.
Whether you're a seasoned talent acquisition professional or just starting in the field, "Time to Hire" provides an invaluable platform to expand your knowledge, learn from industry leaders, and stay up-to-date with the rapidly changing world of recruitment.
Time to Hire
Ep 42 Why Joe Cote Champions RPO As A Stabilizing Force In A Volatile Tech Market
A handful of $500 million-plus Series A rounds in AI highlight capital concentrating into a small set of hyperscale bets. Tech hiring pipelines expand at unnatural speed as AI-focused candidates flood postings, creating a volume shock that overwhelms screening systems. Recruiters confront shifting skill demands, hyper-competitive compensation dynamics, and application pools engineered by AI tools rather than genuine qualifications. Only a low single-digit share of applicants, on average, reaches true alignment with role requirements, exposing a widening gap that erodes capability, accuracy, and workforce readiness
Managing this volatility requires organizations to redesign recruiting architectures that withstand rapid market swings. In this episode of the Time to Hire podcast, host Lamees Abourahma speaks with Joe Cote, Managing Director at ZRG, to clarify how technology companies construct scalable, resilient hiring engines amid AI-driven disruption. Together, they analyze how RPO models, outbound sourcing strategies, and skills-based assessment frameworks generate sharper decisions, stronger funnels, and more sustainable long-term talent outcomes.
Join the RPO Association today to stay ahead of the latest trends and best practices in talent acquisition, achieve your professional goals, and benefit from improved business performance.
Contact the RPO Association at info@rpoassociation.org
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About the Podcast
Time to Hire is produced by the Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association (RPOA), the leading authority on recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) foresight and innovation, and the trusted convener for the global RPO community. Through conversations with industry leaders, the podcast explores the trends, insights, and innovations shaping the future of talent acquisition.
Learn more about RPOA and join the community at: https://www.rpoassociation.org.
Follow the host, Lamees Abourahma, on LinkedIn.