AI in Action: E11 Richard Freeborn - Building a high-growth talent acquisition function

Welcome to this episode of the AI in Action mini-series, part of the Powering Potential with Robert Walters podcast. Hosted by Tom Lakin, Global Head of Future of Work, and Faye Walshe, Director of Innovation & AI, Richard Freeborn, Group Head of Talent Acquisition at Howden, shares his experience of building and transforming talent acquisition functions across banking, retail and insurance.

Richard explores what it takes to build a high-growth talent acquisition function, from redefining success beyond time-to-hire to balancing global consistency with local flexibility. He also discusses how AI and data can enhance recruitment, while reinforcing the critical role of human judgement in hiring decisions.

Listen to the full episode to discover how talent acquisition leaders can build scalable, future-ready hiring functions that combine technology, data and human expertise to drive long-term business growth.