The Top 10% Podcast with Craig Whiting - Ep. 1: Jon Hammant on Hiring, Recruitment & Building Teams

Ep. 1: Jon Hammant on Hiring, Recruitment & Building Teams

In this episode, Craig sits down with Jon Hammant, UKI Head of Technology at Amazon, to explore the evolving relationship between tech professionals and recruiters. We discuss why hiring is more than just matching skills to job descriptions, how high-performing teams are built, and why companies should rethink their approach to talent acquisition.

Jon shares his unique perspective on recruitment, drawing from years of experience in leadership roles at Accenture, Deutsche Bank, and AWS. He sheds light on common hiring mistakes, the future of work, and why trust between recruiters and hiring managers is critical.

Whether you're a tech leader, recruiter, or candidate, this conversation will challenge your thinking on hiring strategies, company culture, and the role of recruitment in driving business success.

🎙 Key Topics:

🔹 Tech hiring challenges & the recruiter’s role
🔹 The rise (and risks) of internal referrals
🔹 The future of remote work & its impact on hiring
🔹 Why culture beats strategy in hiring decisions
🔹 How job descriptions fail and what to do instead

Tune in for an insightful discussion on recruitment, career growth, and building high-performance teams.  

Show Notes & Timestamps

[00:00] – Opening & Introduction

- Quickfire word association: What does Jon think of recruiters?

[01:00] – The Recruiter’s Role in Tech Hiring

- Why tech professionals often misunderstand recruiters.
- The real value that good recruiters bring.
- How Jon’s early experience in recruitment shaped his views.

[06:00] – Why Hiring is Broken

- The disconnect between recruiters & hiring managers.
- The low barrier to entry in recruitment and how it affects the industry.
- How bad recruiters damage the industry’s reputation.

[10:00] – Building Better Relationships Between Recruiters & Tech Leaders

- Why long-term recruiter relationships matter.
- The dangers of overly transactional hiring.
- The importance of recruiters understanding technology.

[18:00] – The Problem with Centralized Recruitment

- Why large companies restrict agency access—and why that’s a mistake.
- The shift towards internal recruitment teams and its downsides.
- How businesses should balance internal hiring vs. agency partnerships.

[27:00] – The Human Side of Hiring

- Why hiring is about people, not just skills.
- The psychology behind counteroffers & job decisions.
- How hiring impacts happiness, career growth & even mortality rates.

[37:00] – The Future of Work & Remote Hiring

- Why companies are pulling people back to the office.
- How virtual hiring processes are leading to more counteroffers & dropouts.
- The unintended consequences of remote work on career progression.

[50:00] – Rethinking Hiring & The Problem with Job Descriptions

- Why over-reliance on referrals can hurt diversity.
- The risks of hiring only from specific companies (e.g., Goldman Sachs bias).
- Why hiring should be about potential, not just past experience.

[1:00:00] – Final Thoughts & Key Takeaways

- The importance of hiring great people & letting them grow.
- Why companies need to think beyond traditional job descriptions.
- The role of recruiters in shaping the future of work.