RecTalk x Talking Talent x Mixed Grill: Agency vs TA, RecFest, AI & The Future of Recruitment

Look out for RecTalk podcast at RecFest in Knebworth, 2 July 2026Use code RECTALK30RF for 30% off tickets: https://recfest.com/uk/tickets/?&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=tickets&utm_campaign=rectalkIn this special crossover episode of RecTalk, Talking Talent and Mixed Grill, Nitin Sharma is joined by two familiar faces from the recruitment community: Sean Kennedy and Bobby Banerjee.Filmed at the incredible Full Swing Europe HQ (https://fullswingsports.eu/), the trio dive into one of the biggest conversations happening in recruitment right now: the evolving relationship between agency recruiters and talent acquisition teams.From the realities of working in TA versus agency recruitment, to the future impact of AI on talent functions, this episode is packed with honest opinions, industry debate, plenty of laughs, and a few controversial takes along the way.The conversation also explores the upcoming RecFest, why events matter more than ever, how recruiters can build stronger relationships with TA leaders, and whether talent acquisition belongs inside HR at all.Expect discussions around:RecFest and why it's become one of recruitment's most anticipated eventsWhy agency recruiters and TA teams often misunderstand each otherSean's experience moving into a fractional Talent Acquisition roleThe biggest differences between agency recruitment and internal hiringStakeholder management, hiring managers and candidate experienceWhen businesses should use agencies (and when they shouldn't)The changing role of Talent Acquisition in a world increasingly influenced by AIJeremy Snell's prediction that TA has less than 18 months left in its current formWhether Talent Acquisition should sit within HR, RevOps, Sales or People OperationsWhy relationship-building beats transactional recruiting every timeCommunity, networking and the power of events like RecFest, TA hikes and industry meetupsRecruitment leadership, promotion mistakes and the challenges of building great teamsOne of the standout themes throughout the episode is empathy — understanding the challenges faced by clients, candidates, hiring managers and talent teams in order to become a more effective recruiter and business partner.Who This Episode Is For:Agency RecruitersTalent Acquisition ProfessionalsHeads of TalentRecruitment LeadersRecruitment Business OwnersHR ProfessionalsRecruitment Technology VendorsStaffing EntrepreneursAnyone interested in the future of hiring, recruitment and workforce planning🔗 Connect with the hostsBobby Banerjee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbybanerjee/Sean Kennedy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanthetaguy/Nitin Sharma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nitin-rectools/Discover recruitment tools and services: https://www.rectools.io/New episodes of RecTalk (including Founder Diaries) drop regularly on Wednesday and Friday.Also look out for new episodes of Talking Talent and The Mixed Grill (the official podcast of the Recruitment Curry Club).https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-recruitment-curry-club/Listen on another platform: https://rectalk.co.uk/#RecTalk #TalkingTalent #MixedGrill #Recruitment #TalentAcquisition #RecFest #AgencyRecruitment #RecruitmentLeadership #Hiring #RecruitmentIndustry #HRTech #FutureOfWork #PeopleOps #EmployerBranding #RecruitmentMarketing #TalentStrategy #SeanKennedy #BobbyBanerjee #NitinSharma