The Next Step: AI for TA and EB

Quick thought after a late night at my daughter’s first club show (yes, I feel old):You’re using AI wrong.Most people think: “How can AI remove the boring parts of my job?”Better question: “How can AI help me do things I couldn’t do before?”Why analyze 4 competitors when you can analyze 40? Same time investment, 10x the insight.Why ask AI to “fix this job posting” when you can ask “Who is this actually speaking to?” (You might discover you’re accidentally attracting the wrong people.)AI isn’t about cutting corners. It’s about achieving more.Watch the full episodeShort. Direct. Probably the mindset shift you need.— JamesP.S. I’m booking keynotes and webinars for next year right now. If you’d like your organization or event to hear “Becoming Choosable: Talent Strategy for Every Company That Works” or “You Aren’t The Head of TA, You’re the Chief Growth Officer!” let me know. It’s clearly booking season (I booked two things this week!), so let’s get you in the calendar!-J This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit employerbrandheadlines.substack.com

Hey,Just landed back from RecFest. Two days of stages, presentations, panels, hundreds of conversations.Here’s what I kept hearing: “How do we get buy-in for that?”Translation: “I don’t think I’m allowed to do this.”You are.You’re not a recruiter or a recruiting leader. You’re a Chief Growth Officer. If you hire better people, the company grows. Full stop.That gives you permission to experiment, to try new tools (even cheap ones like ChatGPT), to test new ideas, and to innovate how you attract talent.Stop waiting for someone else to give you permission. You already have it.Watch the full episode for what else I learned at RecFest.Watch nowAnd if you want to know how your employer brand is performing, get your free audit. It’s painless and easy.- JamesP.S. - Want an EB-AF sticker? Find me on LinkedIn and ask (Us only, sorry!). I’ve still got some left. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit employerbrandheadlines.substack.com

Hey,Quick one today because I’m slammed with client work and RecFest prep.But I couldn’t let the week go by without giving you one incredibly useful AI tool:A b******t detector for your employer brand content.Paste your career site copy, job posting, or EVP document into this ChatGPT prompt, and it will:* Flag every vague, meaningless line* Suggest concrete, specific replacements* Tell you what proof points you’re missing (and where to find them)Takes 15 seconds. Makes your content instantly stronger.Watch the episodeGet the exact prompt! I’m going to start keeping a running doc of the prompts I’m using here.This is the fastest way to take your blinders off and see where your content is weak.Go use it.Other useful notes just for you!Brian Fink are doing the “Dueling Ted Talks” thing tomorrow. Be there!Get your free guide to employer brand companies. Trust me, it’ll make it easy to build the best shortlist for you, and give you the confidence to move forward.If you’re at RecFest in Nashville this week, come find me. I’ve got stickers!— JamesP.S. Super secret thing. The next/last book (Becoming Choosable) is clicking along. It’s… gonna be a game changer for companies trying to attract great people. If I made a workshop to teach you the material, would you pay $200 for that? It would include access to the early draft of the book, 1:1 time with me to answer your questions, and a whole bunch of new thinking on how to make your employer brand really work. This is an informal “testing the waters thing” but reply if that’d be interesting to you.-j This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit employerbrandheadlines.substack.com

When was the last time you tested your career site messaging with actual target candidates?If you’re like most employer brand professionals, the answer is probably “never” or “not recently enough.”Why? Because getting feedback from your ideal candidates (especially hard-to-reach ones like doctors, executives, or specialized engineers) is expensive, time-consuming, and honestly, a total pain.Until now.In this week’s episode of The Next Step, I’m introducing you to synthetic data panels: AI-generated personas that let you simulate real candidate reactions to your employer brand.Here’s what makes this a must-watch:1. It’s stupidly affordable For the price of ChatGPT ($20/month), you can test messaging with any candidate persona you want. No $10K research budget required.2. It’s faster than you think I walked through the entire process—from creating personas to getting actionable career site feedback—in about 20 minutes. Real surveys take weeks or months.3. It makes you look like a strategic genius Imagine walking into your next stakeholder meeting and saying, “I ran synthetic data panels with our target candidates, and here’s what they told us.” Conversation: stopped. Credibility: through the roof.4. The data is better than you’d expect Traditional surveys have a 20-40% garbage rate (people get bored, rush through, want the gift card). Synthetic panels give you focused, consistent feedback based on real behavioral data.5. I show you EXACTLY how to do it This isn’t theory. I walk through a live demonstration using a real company’s career site, showing you the prompts, the process, and the results.Watch it hereAnd if you want the actual prompts I used (so you can replicate this yourself immediately), here they are.This is the kind of tool that changes how you work. It transforms employer branding from “gut feeling and stakeholder opinions” to “data-informed strategy executed at speed.”Give it a watch. Your future self (the one who just won that messaging debate with your CMO) will thank you.-James [LinkedIn]P.S. This kind of thinking ^^^see episode^^^ is how I am able to build and deliver more authentic, more valuable employer brands for a fraction of what those big agencies will charge you. But I know you’re skeptical. So let’s chat. Just email me at [email protected] and we can figure what a strong employer brand can help you accomplish (and how affordable it really is). -j This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit employerbrandheadlines.substack.com

Quick question: When was the last time you read a LinkedIn post from a recruiter and thought, “Wow, this person really gets our industry”?Yeah, me neither.Here’s the problem most of us face: We’re trying to attract specialized talent (engineers, developers, nurses, etc.) but we don’t have deep expertise in their fields. So we end up writing generic “join our amazing team” posts that make everyone’s eyes glaze over.But what if there was a way to create expert-level content for ANY industry, even if you know absolutely nothing about it?In this week’s episode of The Next Step, I walk through exactly how to do this using a simple AI tool (Perplexity) that costs $20/month.Here’s the system:* Find where your target talent actually hangs out (hint: it’s probably Reddit)* Use AI to analyze what they’re discussing RIGHT NOW* Connect those trending topics to your company’s unique value* Generate weeks of specific, credible content ideas in 30 minutesReal example: Instead of posting “We’re hiring civil engineers!” you could share insights about recent infrastructure project failures and how your company’s focus on long-term stability prevents those mistakes.Which post do you think gets more engagement from experienced engineers?The best part? Once you build this system, you can run it every Monday morning to generate fresh content ideas based on what your target talent is actually talking about that week.[Watch the full breakdown here →]This isn’t about replacing human creativity—it’s about using AI to research and understand communities you’d never have access to otherwise.Worth 20 minutes of your time? I think so.Talk soon, JamesOther useful links:My Dueling Ted Talks series starts tomorrow with Rocki Howard on LinkedIn Live.See 25 employer brand agencies side-by-side in their own words so you can pick the perfect partner. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit employerbrandheadlines.substack.com

What if I told you that switching a single $20/month subscription could completely transform how you find and engage top talent?That's exactly what happened when I started playing with Perplexity AI - and the results are mind-blowing.In the latest episode of The Next Step:🎯 The "Persona Channel Finder" - An AI prompt that uncovers hidden communities where your ideal candidates actually hang out (spoiler: it's not just LinkedIn)🚀 10 Recruiting Hacks with names so impressive they practically guarantee a promotion (seriously, try saying "Competitor Hiring Velocity Radar" in your next meeting)💌 The Outreach Angle Generator - How to craft cold messages that actually resonate instead of getting ignoredHere's the kicker: I demo this using civil engineers as an example, uncovering everything from niche Discord communities to specialized newsletters that most recruiters have never heard of.Why This Matters Now: While your competitors are waiting for IT to roll out expensive AI tools, you can master these skills TODAY using accessible platforms like Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Claude.The future belongs to recruiters and employer brand professionals who understand that it's not about the tool - it's about the skill.[Watch Episode 019 Now →]Ready to become the recruiter who finds talent where others can't even look?Cheers, JamesP.S. Employer Branding Makes Every Recruiter Your Best RecruiterP.P.S. The Employer Brand Buyers Guide now has 25 companies listed and a whole new section on how to ensure your EB project is successful! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit employerbrandheadlines.substack.com

Most teams treat AI like a shiny tool and brainstorming like a meeting. Both are wrong. In this week’s The Next Step, we dig into AI as a leadership skill—how you think, ask, and decide—not a software purchase. And we pair it with a dead-simple 3-day brainstorm cadence that actually ships original ideas.Steal these ideas:* AI as a teammate: How to prompt like a leader (framing, constraints, counterfactuals).* Persuasion > answers: Use AI to build cases stakeholders say “yes” to—pricing, tradeoffs, risk.* Day 1–3 cadence: Why short sprints beat marathon “brainstorms” (and produce distinct concepts).* Proof over puffery: Turn fuzzy claims into testable statements your CFO won’t roll their eyes at.If you lead TA/EB and want fewer generic ideas and more decisions that stick, this one’s your playbook.Three Ears Media: http://threeearsmedia.comThe Bound Back Factor: http://thebouncebackfactorbook.comThe YA Leader’s Guide to AI: http://choosable.work/ai—James(P.S. Share with a manager who still thinks buying a tool = having a skill.) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit employerbrandheadlines.substack.com

If your careers content and your outreach feel… fine—but not moving needles—this week’s The Next Step hands you a tiny workflow that does big things.It’s one process you can run two different ways: first to pressure-test your careers messaging against real target profiles, then to flip it and spot tension inside a competitor’s public story. The output isn’t “opinions”—it’s a simple grid you can take into the room and finally retire the “I like blue” debate.No pricey platforms. No vendor pitch. Just tools you already have and prompts you can copy-paste. Run it once this week and you’ll have a clearer careers page plan and outreach that actually gets replies.Watch here → (link)Because nobody has time to argue with HiPPOs!Talk soon,JamesP.S.If you want more practical recruiting ideas like this delivered to your inbox every weekday, check out my daily newsletter at ideaoftheday.substack.com. One idea, every day, designed to make your recruiting life easier.P.P.S.Do you think your employer brand is working? Or do you know? In 72 hours, you can get a full diagnostic report for free. FREE!!! Check it out.-j This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit employerbrandheadlines.substack.com

Here's a question for you: How much do your hiring managers really love those hour-long intake meetings you schedule?If you're being honest, they probably don't. At all.But what if I told you there's a way to cut your intake meetings down to 10 minutes while getting BETTER information and making yourself look like an absolute recruitment genius in the process?It all comes down to asking the right questions the right way - and letting AI do the heavy lifting.In this week's episode of The Next Step, I break down a simple 5-question framework that transforms how you gather information from hiring managers. Instead of sitting through awkward silences and generic corporate answers, you'll get authentic, detailed insights that actually help you understand what the role is really about.The best part? You show up to your intake meeting with a draft job posting, LinkedIn content for both you and your hiring manager, and a complete social media strategy already prepared.Your hiring manager's reaction? "What just happened? That was amazing. How did you do that?"This isn't about fancy expensive tools - just smart use of the AI you're probably already paying $20/month for.Ready to become your hiring managers' favorite recruiter?[Watch the full episode here →]Because nobody has time for boring intake meetings that don't actually move the needle.Talk soon, JamesP.S. If you want more practical recruiting ideas like this delivered to your inbox every weekday, check out my daily newsletter at ideaoftheday.substack.com. One idea, every day, designed to make your recruiting life easier.P.P.S.Do you think your employer brand is working? Or do you know? In 72 hours, you can get a full diagnostic report for free. Check it out. -j This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit employerbrandheadlines.substack.com

I built a fully working Chrome extension in under 10 minutes.No coding. No tools. Just ChatGPT and a good prompt.In the latest episode of The Next Step, I walk through the exact process—from idea to execution—of building a browser tool that scrapes job posts and rates their quality.If you’ve ever thought “I wish Chrome could just do ___,” this is the episode you need to see. It’ll get your wheels turning on what you could build next.📺 Watch it here 📺-Jamesp.s. Want to know what the world’s most disruptive companies are doing to recruit? And maybe how you can beat them? Check out my report on CNBC’s Disruptor 50 list. It’s based on 50 career sites, 44 culture pages, and more than 5,000 LI posts. and it might be the thing that get’s your CFO excited about your work!p.p.s. I’d like your feedback. Would you take a short course where I taught you how to build a choosable employer brand? Go vote on this LI poll and let me know.-j This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit employerbrandheadlines.substack.com

This one started with a truck driver survey, and turned into an AI-powered insight engine.You know those little pulse surveys you send out? They might be more powerful than you think. In this week’s episode of The Next Step, we unpack how a single weekly text to drivers unearthed a ton of untapped strategic value.With a little AI and a lot of curiosity, we turned 13 lines of feedback into operational insights that could impact recruiting, operations—even customer relationships.This one’s for every TA leader or employer brander who’s ever thought, “I know there’s something in this data—I just don’t know what.”👉 [Watch now] – and take the next step.As a reminder, I have a bunch of reports on the State of Employer Branding over at EBL. They are free, and if you want me to run a report on your own industry, competitor set, or just tell you how people are seeing your career site, let me know!Oh! And don’t forget to subscribe to the Talent Idea of the Day. 1 free idea in your inbox every week day to get you thinking and inspired!-JamesP.S.!I’m launching a LinkedIn Live where we take one impossible requisition and fix it—live. I’ll use AI to map the talent market, decode what candidates actually need to hear, and build the right mix of outreach, content, and job-post updates to get traction fast. Got a req that’s eating your lunch? Volunteer it: share the role title, why it’s brutal, a link to the JD, and what you’ve tried so far. I’ll pick one and build the strategy in real time.-J This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit employerbrandheadlines.substack.com

Most recruiters are still sleeping on one of the most useful AI tools out there: Notebook LM.It’s not just another chatbot—it’s a way to build smarter, reusable context for every hiring manager, job family, and role.This week’s episode of The Next Step breaks down exactly how to use it to:* Nail intake meetings before they even happen* Customize job posts with hiring manager nuance* Generate better outreach and interview questions instantlyIf you’re ready to stop reinventing the wheel and start delivering personalized recruiting at scale, this is the episode for you.🎧 Watch now → YouTube Link🧠 Or get the daily idea fix → https://ideaoftheday.substack.com🧠 Employer brand research and tools → https://employerbrandlabs.com-James This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit employerbrandheadlines.substack.com

This week’s episode of The Next Step is hands-on. Like really hands-on.I grabbed a real biotech company (Sarepta—no connection to them), found a role they’re actively hiring for, and used AI tools—ChatGPT and Apify—to reverse engineer exactly what content would help them attract the right person.We scrape the career site.We analyze LinkedIn posts.We upload a real candidate profile.We build a content plan in minutes.And the best part? It’s all stuff you can do today.And you can do it in minutes.If you’ve ever felt stuck wondering what your next recruiting post should say—or how to make your employer brand actually useful—this one’s for you.👉 Watch it here👉 Share it if it helps (I don’t run ads—just word of mouth)Let’s make recruiting less guesswork.-JamesP.S.!Let me help you get more out of your employer brand: Employer Brand Labs This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit employerbrandheadlines.substack.com

Hey there,I was on a coaching call with a client last week, and they brought up something that's been eating at me ever since.They said: "I feel like I'm stuck in an impossible situation. I need to engage subject matter experts, but I'm not one myself. So I end up sounding like every other recruiter."Sound familiar?Here's the thing - you ARE an expert. You understand the talent market, candidate psychology, and how to position companies attractively. But when you're trying to hire a data scientist and you've never written a line of code? Or recruiting nurses when you've never drawn blood?That's where things get tricky.I just dropped a new episode showing exactly how I use AI to solve this problem. It's a 3-step process that turns dense white papers into compelling outreach that actually gets responses.No more "thought you might find this interesting" emails that scream "I'm just another recruiter."The best part? Once you set it up, you can target 10 different people in about 20 minutes.Worth a watch if you're tired of your outreach getting ignored.Talk soon, JamesP.S. - If you've got a challenge you'd love to see me tackle with AI, just hit reply. I'm always looking for real problems to solve.P.P.S. - Want free EB research? Check out Choosable.work. Lots of useful stuff there.-J This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit employerbrandheadlines.substack.com

Quick question: When you're choosing between final candidates, what do you rely on most?If you said "gut feel" or "instinct" - you're not alone. Most recruiters and hiring managers do the same thing.But here's what behavioral science tells us: that "gut feel" is actually unconscious bias in disguise. And it's costing you great hires while letting poor fits slip through.The good news? You can fix this today using AI tools you probably already have access to.I just dropped a new episode of The Next Step showing exactly how to use ChatGPT (or Claude, or Gemini) to build a bias-resistant hiring process from intake meeting to final decision. This isn't theoretical fluff. I walk through a real example using a product manager role so you can see exactly how it works in practice.No expensive software. No complex implementation. Just smart, practical applications that work immediately.[Watch the episode here →]Trust me - after watching this, you'll never look at your hiring process the same way again.Cheers, JamesP.S. Remember: If this is useful, just forward this email to someone who would really appreciate it!And there’s this:What Your Marketing Leader Should Know About Employer BrandTalent Idea Of The Day-J This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit employerbrandheadlines.substack.com

In this week’s episode of The Next Step, I invited Michael Brown from Door 3 Talent to walk me through his LinkedIn sourcing workflow. The twist? I wasn’t the best use case… and that’s exactly why it’s worth watching.▶️ Watch the experiment unfoldDon’t miss an episode! Subscribe on YouTube.And don’t forget: I JUST launched Talent Idea of the Day. It’s free, so go subscribe!And if you’re interested in bringing smart AI-native employer brand thinking to your company, let’s chat!-James Ellis This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit employerbrandheadlines.substack.com

Ever wish you could pull a candidate’s phone number, email, and back-story before your coffee gets cold—without a ZoomInfo bill?In the latest episode of “The Next Step,” I sit down with sourcing wizard Brian Fink to live-demo the exact free AI tools he uses every day: Perplexity Pro, You.com, Google’s new AI Mode, and a few surprises. We even throw them into a head-to-head duel on Chatbot Arena.Watch and you’ll learn:* How to turn ChatGPT into a Boolean-builder in one prompt* A 60-second workflow that exports contact data straight to CSV* Why blasting 1,000 “personalized” emails could nuke your domain reputation—and what to do insteadGrab the episode here → [Watch on YouTube]Coffee-length learning, zero vendor pitches. Let me know your biggest AI recruiting challenge and it might star in the next show.And catch up on past episodes here.Stay choosable,James [Employer Brand Labs] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit employerbrandheadlines.substack.com

We need to talk about AI paralysis—the moment you realize AI matters, but you're frozen by risk, complexity, or just too many shiny tools.In this episode of The Next Step, I take that feeling head-on. I walk through a real-world example from Chad and Cheese—giving feedback to rejected candidates—and show how to use ChatGPT to simulate the conversations that normally stop change in its tracks. HR, Legal, Ops... I bring them all to the table (without needing a meeting invite).✅ Understand why change feels risky✅ See how AI can help you think through objections✅ Start small, start smart, and build momentumThis isn’t about tools. It’s about confidence.🎧 Listen or watch here →Ben Stiller still hasn’t sued me for this, so we’re calling that a win.-JamesIf you’ve been enjoying this, tell a friend.And if you want more help, I’m a calendly link or form away. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit employerbrandheadlines.substack.com

To my recruiters friends:How many times have you marched a tidy shortlist over to a hiring manager only to hear, “Hmm… not quite right”?That’s the Order-Taker Trap, and it’s killing your credibility and your calendar.In this week’s episode of The Next Step, flip that script with a single ChatGPT prompt. I take a real request,“We need a front-end developer” and turn it into you looking like a consultant. Suddenly you’re not begging for specs; you’re guiding the conversation like a peer.Result: fewer false starts, faster yeses, and way less Order-Taker angst.Why this matters* You look wicked smart. AI does the heavy lifting; you deliver the insight.* Managers see you as bringing value. Specifically, value they can’t bring themselves.👉 Watch the episode to see the exact prompt, my live walkthrough, and how to stash the whole thing in a text expander so it’s a two-click habit.If the video sparks an idea, do me a favor: forward this email to a teammate who still thinks AI is “too big” for day-to-day recruiting. Sharing great tools is how we all level up.Catch up on previous episodes:* Episode 1: From transactional to strategic* Episode 2: AI for authentic EB???* Episode 3: AI for EB ROI??? WTF???* Episode 4: AI audits my tech stack* Episode 5: Finding the missing “go-getters”📌 And a reminder: My free 30-minute Talent Strategy Course is tomorrow. 📌Cheers,James P.S. Been reading me for a while? Let’s talk. Here’s how I can help. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit employerbrandheadlines.substack.com

Let’s get right to it.In this episode, we tackle two big ideas:Talent scarcity in critical roles - 59% of employers seek "go-getters” but only 21% of students identify as go-getters. Talent scarcity? Or something we can fix?EVP relevance and refresh needs - How can you tell if its time to refresh your EVP?This week’s challenges are from Universum’s conversation between Nikki Trifunovic and Jeff Bugg. Thanks, folks!HOLD ON!If this is helping you see how easy it is to use AI to get better, I’m asking you to do three things:One: TELL A FRIEND! Post it on LinkedIn, put it in Slack, pass a note in class, something. Just let people know that AI is something they can take advantage of right now.Two: Signup for my FREE 30-minute talent strategy webinar. I know the world doesn’t need another frickin’ webinar. But that’s why this one is 30 minutes. All killer, no filler. This seminar is NOT to be missed! It will help you see more and better solutions!!!!Three: Be bold and brave and do something different. I kinda don’t care what it is, but “the usual way” is kinda killing our industry, so try something different today. Succeed or fail, the act of trying will help you grow!As always, The Next Step is something I do because maybe it will convince you that I can help you grow your company. If that sounds like you, check out Employer Brand Labs (I redesigned the site!).-James This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit employerbrandheadlines.substack.com

Ever feel like you're paying for three tools that basically do the same thing?You're not alone. And you're probably right.In the latest episode of The Next Step, I did something I've never tried before: I fed ChatGPT a list of common HR and recruiting tools and asked it to audit them for overlaps, redundancies, and waste.The results? Eye-opening.It didn't just identify where tools overlap—it explained why that overlap costs you money, mapped out which functions you're paying for twice, and even suggested how to build a smarter stack.But here's the real win: It also showed me how to create an AI-powered mentor for professional development. Think of it as having an elite recruiter coach available 24/7.You'll learn:* How to run your own tech stack audit (step-by-step)* Where most teams are unknowingly wasting budget* How to build a custom AI mentor for skill development* Why this approach beats vendor demos every timeNo product pitches. No sponsored content. Just practical AI applications you can use today to make better buying decisions and level up your team.If you've ever felt overwhelmed by vendor promises or wondered if you're getting real value from your tools, this episode cuts through the noise.Worth 16 minutes of your time? You tell me.Want more? I’ve been busy!* My new guide on how to get a LOT more value out of that workplace award.* Would an ebook called “Stop Recruiting. Start Winning.” sound interesting to you?* Employer brand research deep dive in the biotech industry* And the big one: a free 30 minute webinar on real-world no-BS talent strategy.Now go and forward this email on to someone in your network who needs to hear this stuff!Best,-James Ellisp.s. Been reading me for a while? Let’s talk. Let’s figure out how I can help.-j This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit employerbrandheadlines.substack.com

Hello Employer Brand Champion!Ever felt like you're speaking a different language when trying to explain your employer brand ROI to finance?In my latest episode of The Next Step podcast, I tackle one of our biggest collective headaches: proving the value of employer brand work on tight HR budgets. But instead of the usual "track these 5 metrics" advice, I'm sharing something much more powerful.This material is based on Tara Orlando's interview on Jörgen Sundberg's Employer Brand Podcast: https://linkhumans.com/category/podcast/Here's what you'll learn:* How to use ChatGPT (especially the o3 model) to analyze your recruitment data dumps and uncover connections human analysts might miss* A practical approach to transform boring metrics into compelling stories that finance teams actually remember* My most surprising tip? Creating 1-minute TikTok-style videos about your key metrics instead of forgettable slide decksWhat I love about this approach is that it doesn't require new tools or bigger budgets. It's about leveraging AI to extract more value from the data you already have and presenting it in ways that resonate emotionally with decision-makers.Why this matters: As employer brand professionals, we often have the metrics but struggle with the messaging. This episode provides a framework for connecting our work to business outcomes in language finance understands.Have you tried using AI to enhance your employer brand reporting? I'd love to hear your experiences!And here’s what you might have missed:* My new guide on how to get a LOT more value out of that workplace award.* Would an ebook called “Stop Recruiting. Start Winning.” sound interesting to you?* Finally, as a head’s up, I’m releasing a talent strategy course and employer brand benchmark data in the next week (Yes, they will both be free).Now go and forward this email on to someone in your network who needs to hear this stuff!Best, -James Ellisp.s. Been reading me for a while? Let’s talk. Here’s how I can help.-j This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit employerbrandheadlines.substack.com

Hello, fellow sufferers of "corporate-approved messaging" fatigue! (It’s a club, we meet at the bar.)In the latest episode of "The Next Step," I dive headfirst into the giant pool of employer branding garbage that's flooding the internet and emerge with AI-powered life rafts. All inspired by my friend Ashten Fizer and her interview on the Chad and Cheese Show, who's apparently as tired of the EB-BS as I am.💡 Things to listen for:1. The "Worst Day Ever" Stories Technique (Yes, Really) I'm proposing something radical: what if—and stay with me here—we actually told the truth? 🤯 I share how to use AI to analyze employee stories about their worst days, because nothing says "we're confident in our culture" like admitting it occasionally sucks. As my CHRO friends have nightmares about this idea, I calmly explain how AI can make this both legal AND revolutionary. You're welcome, legal team!2. Turning Slack Convos into Culture Gold (Without Getting Fired) Want to see your HR director break out in hives? Tell them you want to show candidates your Slack channels! But wait—there's a method to my madness. I explain how to ethically mine your company's digital water cooler for authentic cultural insights without exposing who exactly called the new logo "a drunk toddler's finger painting." The AI does the dirty work while you keep your job!3. One-Size-Fits-All Messaging? That's So 2019. Are you still sending the same generic job descriptions to everyone? pats head condescendingly That's adorable. I walk through exactly how to use AI to create hyper-personalized recruitment content that makes candidates think, "Are they reading my diary?!" Pro tip: don't actually read their diary. That's illegal. Use LinkedIn instead.🔥 Why I'm Getting Worked Up About This:As I emphasize throughout the episode (while trying not to spill my coffee): "We're not here just to tell a story that people fall in love with. We're very much trying to prove an idea." If your employer brand content could be swapped with any other company's by just changing the logo, what's even the point?Try This Now: Your First AI-Powered Employer Brand ExerciseWant to experiment with my approaches before your courage fails you? Here's a simplified version to try today:* Identify a specific candidate persona you want to target* Find 3-5 LinkedIn profiles that match this persona (no, not your ex)* Copy your employer value proposition (if it's longer than a paragraph, you're already failing)* Open ChatGPT or Claude and use this prompt: "Here is my EVP: [paste EVP]. Here are profiles of people I want to attract: [paste profiles]. Here is my job description: [paste JD]. What are 3 ways I can modify this job description to appeal specifically to this audience? Also, write 3 social media posts that would attract these candidates without using 'We're hiring' or 'Join us' because I'm not a corporate robot."Let Me Solve Your Employer Brand Challenges (Before They Solve You)Send your specific challenge in a voice memo to me, and I might feature it in an upcoming episode. Just speak clearly, unless your challenge is "how do I speak clearly," which is a paradox I'm not equipped to solve.As I say repeatedly in the show because I'm slightly panicking about the future: "We need to take these tools seriously, and we need to do it today." Not tomorrow. Not after your 2:00 meeting that could have been an email. TODAY.Subscribe now unless you want to be the last person clinging to your "award-winning culture" stock photos while everyone else evolves!If you find the podcast valuable, tell someone else about it. That's how we all take the next step together.Here's to taking the next step,James EllisEmployer Brand LabsP.S. Don't worry about subscribing to yet another "big transformation" program. This series is about taking just one meaningful step forward with AI at a time. I'd love to hear what you think of the first episode! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit employerbrandheadlines.substack.com

Welcome to the FIRST EPISODE of "The Next Step," a new series where employer brand strategist James Ellis shows talent acquisition professionals how to leverage AI for real-world recruiting challenges.In this debut episode, James tackles the AI elephant in the room - helping you take practical first steps regardless of whether you're excited about AI or terrified by it. Using a real case study from Medtronic's Mark Smith, James demonstrates three actionable ways to use off-the-shelf AI tools to:Extend your employer brand reach to candidates unfamiliar with your companyTransform your recruiters from order-takers to strategic consultantsBuild team capabilities to communicate effectively with specialized talentNo vendor pitches or theoretical concepts - just practical solutions using tools available today.Subscribe to catch future episodes where James will analyze different TA leaders' challenges and provide AI-powered solutions you can implement immediately.Connect with James on LinkedIn to share your TA challenges for future episodes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thewarfortalent/Learn more about Employer Brand Labs: https://employerbrandlabs.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit employerbrandheadlines.substack.com