Empowering TA for Better Hiring

Chris Hoyt: Katrina, I gotta say—it feels like it’s been a minute since I’ve seen you.

Katrina Collier: It has! I had hair—it was down here.

Chris Hoyt: Mine was down to here the last time I saw you. In Amsterdam, right?

Katrina Collier: Yep, full circle. You’re going back?

Chris Hoyt: I leave Friday for Amsterdam again.

Katrina Collier: Bring a jacket. It’s bloody cold over here right now.

Chris Hoyt: What were we there for last time? Angie was there… Jerry too… Lars… Charney was rolling around—always there. That was a fun trip. We had a good time.

We’re headed back—Amsterdam for a few days, then visiting some friends, then driving through France down to Normandy, and ending up at Unleash World in Paris.

Katrina Collier: Perfect. Fingers crossed for the weather. You’ll need a rain jacket.

Chris Hoyt: That’s fine. I just need to protect this thinning, aging hair! Hats are in my future.

Katrina Collier: We’re not past 50—what are you talking about?

Chris Hoyt: Right. Of course not! Well, you’ve got a new book out—we’ve got some fun stuff to talk about. You ready?

Katrina Collier: Always!

Announcer: CXR Channel—our premier podcast for talent acquisition and talent management. Listen in as the CXR community discusses a wide range of topics focused on attracting, engaging, and retaining the best talent. We’re glad you’re here.

Chris Hoyt: Welcome to the Recruiting Community Podcast. We bring weekly insights in the form of casual conversation.

Today, we’ve got longtime friend Katrina Collier, author of Reboot Hiring and The Robot-Proof Recruiter, global keynote speaker, facilitator, and a bold advocate for the value of TA. Today’s topic: the pitfalls TA pros face, why it’s not just about the recruiters, and how empowering TA leads to stronger partnerships, better outcomes, and more humane hiring experiences.

We’re streaming live—YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitch. If you’re watching later, say hello in the chat—we’ll catch you there too. And remember, this is an ad-free labor of love. No sponsors—just real talk with people doing cool things.

Katrina, welcome! For those who don’t know you, give us the elevator pitch. Who is Katrina Collier?

Katrina Collier: 20+ years in recruitment—agency, in-house, training, facilitating, authoring, speaking globally. I’m Australian, based in London. And I’m on a mission to humanize TA and fix the parts that tech can’t.

Chris Hoyt: Do you feel like recruiting has always been a little broken?

Katrina Collier: Oh, it’s broken. I even called my LinkedIn newsletter “Recruitment Isn’t Broken” as a joke—it’s bent way out of shape.

I felt we were making progress, then the pandemic hit. The 2020s have been a dumpster fire. TA got downsized, rehired for mass overhiring, then let go again. And now, many companies are cost-cutting and hiring inexperienced TA leaders because they’re cheaper and won’t push back. So, teams are overloaded, underfunded, and unsupported.

Chris Hoyt: Yeah, this does feel like the first time our own industry got hit the way other departments often do—mass hiring, mass cuts.

Katrina Collier: Totally. And I think it’s going to happen again. I recently asked a room full of people, “How many of you know great TA leaders who are out of work?” Every hand went up. Companies are skipping over experienced talent to save money.

Now with generative AI, companies will try to replace TA with tech. It won’t work—but they’ll try. And that’ll burn out even more professionals.

Chris Hoyt: I do think the recruiter role evolves, not vanishes. But you’re right—it’s a vulnerable moment. Are you seeing the rise of fractional TA roles?

Katrina Collier: Yes. TA leaders can’t get back into full-time roles, so they’re going fractional—running solo or picking up multiple clients. It helps them stay strategic and avoid getting pulled too deep into tactics.

Chris Hoyt: Yeah, some of our members love that model. They stay out of the weeds and focus on strategy.

Katrina Collier: It’s a smart move if companies want to cut costs but still get wisdom.

But vendors have misled people—claiming tech alone will fix TA. It’s not a tech issue; it’s a human issue. It’s about communication and collaboration—and tech can’t fix that.

Chris Hoyt: So true. You mentioned earlier, if there’s one thing broken, it’s the recruitment alignment meeting?

Katrina Collier: Yes! That kickoff meeting is so often skipped or rushed. Managers send an old job description and say, “Get me one of these.” They don’t understand the value of aligning early, and they don’t see how it saves time and money later.

So I wrote Reboot Hiring for managers—not TA. Because there weren’t books for hiring managers explaining how to work with TA.

Chris Hoyt: So who owns that education—explaining what TA does? Is that on recruiters, leaders, execs?

Katrina Collier: It has to be TA—but if you can’t get the meeting, you can’t explain your value. You need to sell the benefits: “Bob used to skip this meeting, but now he saves 100 hours every time we hire.” Make it about business outcomes.

Also, TA needs to track success stories. I asked peers to share their “five-star hires”—no one could name any. You should know the impact of your best hires—cost savings, revenue gains, retention. That’s how you prove your worth.

Chris Hoyt: We know a leader who tracks stock price impact after C-suite hires. That’s powerful storytelling.

Katrina Collier: Yes! That’s the level of business acumen TA needs.

Chris Hoyt: So what’s stopping TA from stepping up? Is it fear? Lack of skill?

Katrina Collier: I think it’s a mix. There’s inexperience in many teams. There’s fear. There’s job insecurity. Recruiters are afraid to push back—but not doing so just reinforces the “admin” stereotype.

We need to change the narrative.

Chris Hoyt: Some great comments coming in from the stream—talking about cost avoidance, exec search savings, etc. That kind of data resonates with execs.

Katrina Collier: Exactly. And speak their language. Stop saying “you’re wasting my time.” Instead, show how they’ll save time and money. Talk business.

Chris Hoyt: What’s one practical thing TA pros can do today?

Katrina Collier: Know your value. Do your research. Walk into meetings as the recruitment expert. Managers are experts in their fields—you’re the expert in yours.

Say, “We’re going to fill this role together. I’ll do this, you’ll do that.” Use business language.

Also, track your wins weekly. Keep a journal. When imposter syndrome hits, you’ll have proof of your impact—and great content for performance reviews too.

Chris Hoyt: Yes! One of the best bits of advice I ever got—track every win. It builds confidence and protects you.

Katrina Collier: 100%. Also, ask good questions. One from Steve Levy: “How will you know 12 months from now that you hired the right person?” That gets managers thinking beyond job descriptions.

Chris Hoyt: Yeah, you’re talking about real conversations—not just email or Slack volleys.

Katrina Collier: Yes. Even on video—show up. Be professional. Sit up straight. Own your presence. Body language matters, even virtually.

Chris Hoyt: We forget those basics—but they still apply in the remote world. Show up like it matters.

Katrina Collier: Exactly. Even if you’re in jeans and boots—just show up confidently.

Chris Hoyt: All right—let’s have some fun. Did you bring a dad joke?

Katrina Collier: I did! “I used to work at a calendar factory, but I got fired because I took a couple of days off.”

Chris Hoyt: That’s a good one. Mine: “Why did the invisible man decline the job offer? He just couldn’t see himself doing it.”

Katrina Collier: Ha! Nice.

Chris Hoyt: Let’s throw your info up on screen. You can find Reboot Hiring and Katrina’s other books at katrinacollier.com/reboot-hiring.

We always ask guests: if you wrote a book about today’s topic, what would you title it? But… you already wrote the book! So let me ask this: If Reboot Hiring were a movie, who would play the lead?

Katrina Collier: Ooh… maybe Debbie Easterday—she’s exceptional. Incredibly loyal clients, great insights. One of her questions is in the book: “If someone you loved was going to work here, what would you warn them about?”

Chris Hoyt: Wow. That’s powerful.

Katrina Collier: Yeah—honest answers matter. It’s all online anyway, so just be real.

Chris Hoyt: Final note—you said you’re writing a memoir?

Katrina Collier: Yes. A personal one. It’s about my 12-year healing journey overcoming childhood trauma. Sharing the tools that helped me heal—some conventional, some not. I hope it inspires others, especially Gen Xers who are burning out. It’s very vulnerable, but it feels important to share.

Chris Hoyt: That’s incredibly brave. Thank you for sharing that.

Katrina Collier: Thank you.

Chris Hoyt: All right, Katrina. It’s always a pleasure. Thank you for your time and insight today. We’ll have you back again soon.

Katrina Collier: Can’t wait!

Chris Hoyt: Everybody, if you want more episodes, head to cxr.works/podcast. Thanks for joining us—we’ll see you next week.

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