EP310: Up Your Human to Stay Ahead of AI - Vanessa Raath, AI & Sourcing Trainer

In this episode of The Recruiter’s Recruitment Podcast, Lysha Holmes is joined by global talent sourcing trainer and international speaker Vanessa Raath for a refreshingly practical conversation about AI in recruitment.

This isn’t another hype-filled AI episode. Instead, Vanessa shares how recruiters can use AI intentionally to remove admin, save hours each week, and refocus on what truly drives success in recruitment – human connection, relationships, and personal brand.

They explore why recruiters must “up their human” to stay ahead of AI, how to avoid shiny-tool syndrome, and what recruitment leaders should be thinking about right now as the industry settles into the next phase of AI adoption. Vanessa also shares insights from working with recruitment businesses globally, meeting 100+ AI vendors, and helping teams choose tech that actually improves time-to-hire rather than adding complexity.

The conversation also covers launching and scaling a recruitment business, building a brand that creates inbound opportunities, the future of LinkedIn and sourcing tools, and why passionate curiosity is the most important skill recruiters can take into 2026 and beyond.

Who this episode is for:

Recruitment founders, agency leaders, solo recruiters, talent acquisition professionals, and anyone feeling overwhelmed – or left behind – by AI in recruitment.

🔗 Connect with the guest

Vanessa Raath: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessaraath/

Vanessa's Tried & Tested AI Tools: https://start.me/p/l6bkk7/vanessa-raath-s-tried-tested-ai-tools

🔗 Connect with the host

Lysha Holmes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyshaholmesr2r/

Qui Recruitment: https://www.quirecruitment.co.uk/

Follow the podcast on YouTube, Captivate, Spotify and Apple Podcasts:

https://www.youtube.com/@therecruitersrecruitmentpod

https://the-recruiters-recruitment-podcast.captivate.fm/

——————

The Recruiter's Recruitment Podcast is proudly sponsored by Paiger, and partnered with Needi, Keybridge IT Solutions, Bristow & Hardy and Diversity in Recruitment.

Our sponsor:

Paiger - Making Recruiters Smarter and Faster. Paiger helps recruiters build personal brands, identify new business opportunities, attract candidates, and have better conversations.

Find out more about Paiger: https://paiger.co/

Our partners:

Needi is a concierge gift-matching service using psychology and AI, to pinpoint the perfect gifts and experiences for your recipient, from the best local independent businesses. Their team of expert gift finders save companies time and money with their complimentary corporate gifting service.

https://needi.co.uk/

Bristow & Hardy partners with SME recruitment agencies to accelerate growth through sales enablement and recruitment marketing. With over 7 years’ experience, we specialise exclusively in the recruitment sector, delivering strategy, branding, websites, marketing campaigns, and sales support. Our proven growth suite of products helps agencies attract more clients, win more business, and scale efficiently.

https://www.bristowandhardy.co.uk/

Diversity in Recruitment helps recruitment businesses understand diversity, equity, and inclusion in a way that makes sense. Our training and advisory work is designed to attract diverse talent, recruit inclusively, improve your candidate journey and confidently partner with their clients. DE&I doesn’t have to be complicated and scary - it’s simply about fair, ethical and high-quality recruitment.

https://diversityinrecruitment.com/

Keybridge IT Solutions is a London-based Fully Managed IT Support and solutions Provider - Providing 24×7 Support to all Customers. Specialities include Microsoft Cloud, including Office 365, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Azure, Security, Internet Connectivity, VoIP, and much more.

https://www.keybridgeit.com/

#RecruitmentPodcast #AIinRecruitment #RecruitmentLeadership #FutureOfRecruitment #TalentAcquisition #RecruiterLife #HumanFirst #RecruitmentFounder