From Hype to Hiring Outcomes: Jan Grohoske on AI Strategy, Applicant Fraud, and What RPO Partners Must Deliver in 2026

Artificial intelligence has moved from a competitive advantage to a baseline expectation in talent acquisition — and the pressure on recruiting teams is intensifying. According to the 2026 RPO Buyer Trends Study, conducted by RPOA in partnership with Lighthouse Research and Advisory, AI consulting and expertise is now the number one value employers expect from RPO providers, yet 29% of employers cite balancing AI's benefits against its risks as their top challenge this year. The stakes are high: 76% of organizations using AI are reclaiming meaningful recruiter time, while others remain stuck in pilots that never scale.How can talent leaders move from AI experimentation to measurable hiring outcomes — and what should they demand from an RPO partner to get there? In this episode of Time to Hire, host Lamees Abourahma sits down with Jan Grohoske, Senior Director of Digital Strategy and Implementation at Advanced RPO, to examine what AI expertise actually means in practice, why broken processes undermine even the best AI investments, how RPOs are building governance frameworks to drive responsible adoption, and how organizations can combat the growing threat of AI-enabled applicant fraud.About the PodcastTime 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.