The Inclusion Bites Podcast - #170: Turning Rejections into Opportunities

Episode Category

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Primary Category: Overcoming Adversity Secondary Category: Female Empowerment

🔖 Titles

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1. From Rejection to Resilience: Humanising Recruitment and Building Trust in Hiring 2. Humanising the Hiring Process: Turning Setbacks into Inclusive Opportunities 3. Building Trust and Belonging in Recruitment: Lessons from 13,000 Rejections 4. Reimagining Candidate Experience: Tackling Rejection, Bias, and Inaccessible Recruitment 5. Candidate Experience Matters: How Rejections Can Drive Inclusive Organisational Change 6. Bridging the Gap: Empathy, Feedback, and Trust in Modern Recruitment 7. Empowerment After No: Human Connections and Inclusion in Hiring 8. Making Inclusion Tangible: Transforming Recruitment Rejection into Opportunity 9. Rising From Setbacks: Rethinking Resumes and Building Inclusive Hiring Practices 10. The Power of Inclusive Recruitment: Trust, Anonymity, and the Human Touch

A Subtitle - A Single Sentence describing this episode

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C. Guz explores the journey of turning rejections into opportunities, championing human-centric recruitment, the restoration of trust, and the pivotal role of inclusive candidate experiences in redefining workplace belonging and empowerment.

Episode Tags

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Inclusive Recruitment, Candidate Experience, Overcoming Rejection, Human Centred Hiring, Employer Branding, Psychological Safety, Job Search Resilience, Diversity and Belonging, Recruitment Innovation, Empowering Job Seekers

Episode Summary with Intro, Key Points and a Takeaway

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In this episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, Joanne Lockwood welcomes C Guz for a bold exploration of turning rejection into opportunity, with a particular focus on transforming the recruitment experience. Against the backdrop of C’s personal journey—enduring over 13,000 job rejections—Joanne and C interrogate what it truly means to humanise the hiring process, discussing the far-reaching impact of inhumane and opaque recruitment systems. C draws upon her experience as both a startup founder and a jobseeker to shed light on the very real harm inflicted by transactional hiring, whilst Joanne challenges the current reliance on impersonal CVs and automated sifting. Together, they unravel how a candidate-centred approach, built on trust and transparency, can serve as the bedrock of inclusive and resilient organisations. C Guz is an entrepreneur and advocate for inclusive hiring, hailing from Istanbul, who has channelled her experiences of repeated rejection and a turbulent job market into a mission to transform how organisations approach recruitment. As the founder and CEO of Octopus, she has set about creating tools that empower both recruiters and candidates, closing the gap between data-driven efficiency and authentic human connection. C’s global perspective, technical savvy, and relentless pursuit of dignity in hiring practices position her as a leading voice in the campaign for more inclusive, psychologically safe workplaces. Joanne and C dissect the pitfalls of legacy hiring—ghosting, bias, and the commodification of applicants—while offering tangible ways to nurture engagement and trust. They advocate for actionable feedback, intelligent automation that respects individuality, and processes that allow candidates to genuinely demonstrate their value. Insights into AI and automation, along with the reimagining of talent pooling and development, punctuate the conversation, all circling back to the principle that candidates are people, not mere data points. This episode’s key takeaway is the imperative to restore humanity and partnership to recruitment. Listeners will gain a nuanced understanding of why trust, transparency, and candidate experience aren’t optional extras, but essential drivers of employer brand, retention, and organisational growth. Tune in for candid discussions that will leave you questioning the status quo and equipped to champion a more inclusive future in hiring.

📚 Timestamped overview

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00:00 Overcoming Self-Doubt to Act

08:56 "Employer Brand Trust and Candidate Feedback"

13:27 Transparent Hiring Practices Essential

19:02 Modern Recruitment: Evaluating Beyond CVs

22:01 Adapting Mindset for Job Roles

29:24 Enhancing Candidate Experience Reduces Costs

34:03 Contact Hiring Manager Directly

42:11 "Recruiters Seek Genuine Human Touch"

49:12 Balancing Structure and Flexibility

50:40 Flexibility in Career Specialisation

01:00:59 Bridging Interview Performance and Competency

01:02:55 "Octopus: Your Extra Hiring Tentacle"

🎞️ Clipfinder: Quotes, Hooks, & Timestamps

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C. Guz 00:09:43 00:09:50

Viral Topic: Candidate Experience Impacts Employer Brand: "Your employer brand is candidates. And if you don't value those people, then they're going to talk about it."

C. Guz 00:14:21 00:14:28

Viral Topic: The Problem with Job Interviews
Quote: "So candidates are set to fail, almost like you're setting your candidates to fail, which is so ironic."

C. Guz 00:15:12 00:15:45

Viral Topic: The Power of Employer Branding in Startups: "we had an employer brand before the product itself, before an mvp, we were working from Five different time zones. It was, it was a mess. But the way that we positioned our vision resonated so deeply with people that they went on and apply and that was not it. After they applied, I actually had a 20% like of the people filling out an eight section form that I have prepared to be able to assess candidates. And that process look entirely different from any of the interview processes that I've been to because I couldn't find any of those answers in the resumes."

C. Guz 00:16:33 00:16:54

Viral Topic: The Importance of Reflective Recruitment

"And I'm going to tell this as a recruiter. Majority of the people, especially juniors and even middles, they don't know what they want. And it's your opportunity to help them reflect to, you know, have a more coaching style of interview where they're able to understand this because then you hire them and then they realise that job is not right for them."

C. Guz 00:21:55 00:22:01

Viral Topic: The Hidden Pressures of Job Assessments: "But I think that candidates are not feeling safe with that and it's, it's, it's not happening."

C. Guz 00:29:24 00:30:25

Viral Topic: The Impact of Candidate Experience on Hiring Costs: "if you nail candidate experience then essentially you're reducing your cost for all things involved. And the reason is because you're attracting the right candidates for you because those candidates are essentially pre qualifying themselves and they now know what kind of an organisation that they will be working in."

C. Guz 00:34:03 00:34:10

How to Stand Out in the Job Application Process: "I think the best thing that you can do is actually find out who you will be working with and then reach out to that person directly."

C. Guz 00:46:26 00:46:33

Viral Topic: The Flaws of Talent Pools: "But most of those candidates never even get contacted and then, you know, it just becomes a reporting metric again."

C. Guz 00:50:17 00:50:40

Viral Topic: Structure vs. Uncertainty in the Workplace: "One thing that I really focus on in my interviews, for example, do you feel more comfortable in structured environments, structured tasks where like, you don't have to deal with abstract instructions and you essentially are doing something with, you know, like assigned training manual. And now there is not much uncertainty there. But there are also some people who love that uncertainty."

C. Guz 00:51:06 00:51:27

Balancing Flexibility and Specialisation: "And I think that in terms of that flexibility, not every organisation will be able to provide that. And it's important for candidates to also recognise that as they're applying, because if that's an expectation and you're applying to a startup who recently got funded and they're in a seat and even like series A round, they won't be able to provide the same flexibility."

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🎙️ 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀: 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 🎙️ 💡 Ever felt like job search rejections are stacking up faster than your unread emails? What if every “no” was actually fuelling your next big win? Take just 60 seconds to shift your mindset! This week, I’m joined by the brilliant **C. Guz**, a female entrepreneur and candidate experience champion on a mission to humanise recruitment for all. With over 13,000 rejections under her belt (yes, you read that right!) C. brings hard-earned wisdom on transforming setbacks into stepping stones. Together, we explore: - 🔑 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘳𝘦𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘶𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯 – Why a brutal job market sparked C.’s journey into inclusive recruitment innovation. - 🔑 𝘊𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 – The untold realities of ghosting, bias, and the shocking inhumanity lurking behind most CV sifts. - 🔑 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘏𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 – Actionable ways to rebuild trust and make recruitment an inclusive partnership, not a numbers game. Why Listen? "Inclusion is about understanding, and this episode is packed with insights to help you create more #PositivePeopleExperiences." About the Podcast As the host of *Inclusion Bites*, I release episodes every week to inspire, educate, and challenge perspectives on inclusion and belonging. This 1-minute audiogram is just a taste of how the world of work could work better—for everyone. What’s your experience? 💭 Have you ever turned a rejection into an opportunity? Comment below 👇 or share your stories of candidate chaos (or success!). 🎧 Tune in to the full episode: https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen #PositivePeopleExperiences #SmileEngageEducate #InclusionBites #Podcasts #Shorts #InclusiveRecruitment #CandidateExperience #JobSearch #HiringBias #Belonging Don’t forget to like, subscribe, follow, and share with your network—let’s spark real change together! with SEE Change Happen and C. Guz

TikTok/Reels/Shorts Video Summary

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**Focus Keyword:** Candidate Experience --- **Video Title:** Transforming Candidate Experience for Culture Change | #InclusionBitesPodcast --- **Tags:** candidate experience, culture change, inclusion, diversity, recruitment, job search, positive people experiences, inclusive hiring, employer brand, psychological safety, workplace culture, job seekers, career growth, HR, talent attraction, candidate centric, trust in recruitment, belonging, inclusion podcast, SEE Change Happen, workplace wellbeing, humanise recruitment, recruiter insights, employee retention, workplace transformation --- **Killer Quote:** "If you don't build that trust effectively right in the beginning, if you don't value those candidates, then those candidates are not going to be applying to you. So you're going to be starting to miss out on the top talent in the market and your competitors would get them just because they care, just because they're creating those right candidate experiences." – C. Guz --- **Hashtags:** #CandidateExperience, #CultureChange, #InclusionBites, #PositivePeopleExperiences, #Inclusion, #Diversity, #Recruitment, #HumaniseRecruitment, #EmployerBrand, #PsychologicalSafety, #TalentAttraction, #InclusiveHiring, #WorkplaceCulture, #Belonging, #SEEChangeHappen, #HR, #EmployeeRetention, #JobSearch, #WorkplaceWellbeing, #TrustInRecruitment --- **Summary Description:** Discover why candidate experience is the cornerstone of culture change and Positive People Experiences. In this episode, I delve into transformative insights with C. Guz, an inspiring entrepreneur who turned personal rejection into a mission to humanise recruitment. We challenge the outdated norms in hiring, spotlight the crucial link between trust, psychological safety, and inclusive recruitment, and reveal why treating candidates well is not just good ethics but also smart business. Listen in if you care about fostering culture change, retaining top talent, and driving employee growth from day one. Join the movement, contribute to the conversation, and help build workplaces where everyone can thrive. Want to transform your candidate experience and spark culture change? Tune in now! --- **Outro:** Thank you for tuning in to Inclusion Bites. If you found this episode valuable, please like and subscribe to our channel for more conversations on inclusion, culture change, and Positive People Experiences. For more resources and upcoming episodes, visit the SEE Change Happen website: https://seechangehappen.co.uk Listen to the full episode here: The Inclusion Bites Podcast https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen Stay curious, stay kind, and stay inclusive - Joanne Lockwood

ℹ️ Introduction

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Welcome to another compelling episode of the Inclusion Bites Podcast, hosted by Joanne Lockwood. In this episode, "Turning Rejections Into Opportunities," Joanne is joined by C. Guz, a driven entrepreneur and jobseeker based in Istanbul. Together, they unravel the realities of the modern recruitment landscape, exploring how setbacks—like thousands of rejections—can become the catalyst for innovation and systemic change. C. Guz shares her deeply personal journey of navigating a turbulent job market, facing over 13,000 rejections, and the profound sense of exclusion that motivated her to transform candidate experience. The conversation lays bare the inefficiencies and inhumanity often baked into hiring processes, examining the cost to both individuals and organisations when trust is lost and psychological safety is neglected. Joanne and C. dive into powerfully human-centered solutions, discussing the pitfalls of traditional CVs, the risks and biases inherent in current systems, and the urgent need for inclusive, candidate-centric recruitment. They challenge listeners to reconsider what true inclusion looks like in hiring, advocate for transparency, actionable feedback, and the rebuilding of trust between recruiters and applicants. If you’re ready to disrupt the status quo, gain practical insights, and discover how adversity can fuel meaningful change in the world of work, this episode will inspire you to reimagine not only your own career journey but the future of recruitment itself. Tune in, reflect, and join the conversation to help forge a more inclusive working world—one bold conversation at a time.

💬 Keywords

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inclusive recruitment, candidate experience, employer branding, job rejection, humanising hiring, CV limitations, psychological safety, trust in recruitment, automation in recruitment, applicant tracking system, AI in hiring, recruitment biases, diversity and inclusion, feedback for candidates, ghosting in recruitment, workplace assessments, talent attraction, interview structure, candidate empowerment, job market challenges, neurodiversity, skills assessment, recruitment technology, active talent pools, behavioural characteristics, employee retention, recruitment marketing, hiring velocity, cost per hire, emotional intelligence in hiring

About this Episode

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About The Episode: In this thought-provoking episode, C. Guz joins the podcast to explore how the sting of repeated rejection in the job market can be transformed into powerful opportunities for inclusion and innovation. Drawing on her substantial experience of navigating thousands of setbacks, C. Guz offers insight into humanising recruitment and the flaws within existing hiring systems. This discussion challenges conventional thinking around candidate experience, fairness, and how organisations can genuinely foster trust and belonging from first contact. Today, we'll cover: - What it means to turn personal and systemic rejection into a catalyst for entrepreneurial action and advocacy in recruitment. - The hidden costs to employer brand and retention when candidate experiences are overlooked or mishandled. - How technology, automation, and AI are shaping the future of recruitment—both the promise and perils. - Why actionable data and structured feedback are essential for reducing bias and fostering a truly inclusive selection process. - The shortcomings of the traditional CV and why behavioural and contextual insights are far more predictive of potential. - Strategies for embedding transparency, psychological safety, and trust throughout each stage of hiring. - The value of reimagining recruitment as a true partnership—one that respects and empowers both candidates and employers.

💡 Speaker bios

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Certainly! Here is a short British English bio for "C. Guz" in a summarised story format: C. Guz’s journey began almost by accident, sparked by a quest for the right opportunities and mentorship as a young professional. Over the past eight years, C. Guz immersed themselves in their chosen field, but the last five years brought significant challenges, including more than 13,000 rejections. These setbacks led to a ten-month period of unemployment and intense financial insecurity. However, these hardships have shaped C. Guz’s resilience and determination, forging a unique path through persistence and adaptability.

❇️ Key topics and bullets

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Certainly! Below is a comprehensive sequence of topics covered in the episode "Turning Rejections into Opportunities" from The Inclusion Bites Podcast, along with sub-topics under each primary topic: --- **1. Introduction to the Podcast and Guest** - Host Joanne Lockwood welcomes listeners and introduces the show’s purpose. - Introduction of the episode’s guest, C. Guz, including her background as an entrepreneur and job seeker. - C. Guz’s superpower: transforming setbacks into empowerment through inclusive recruitment. **2. Personal Background and Context** - C. Guz’s roots in Istanbul, Turkey, and reflections on belonging. - Motivation for seeking opportunities beyond native environment. **3. Experiences with Rejection and the Job Market** - Volume and impact of personal rejections (13,000+ rejections, 10 months of unemployment). - Emotional consequences: insecurity, feelings of being unqualified, and the impact on self-worth. - Broader context: market chaos, economic shifts, and widespread shared experiences. **4. Spark for Change and Entrepreneurial Drive** - Desire to address systemic inefficiencies and pain points in recruitment. - Realisation of responsibility to act and create solutions. - The candidate experience as a driving force for change. **5. Problems with the Traditional Recruitment Process** - Dissatisfaction with CVs and the standardisation problem. - The impersonal and dehumanising nature of typical candidate experiences. - Difficulty in assessing applicants from CVs alone—lack of contextual and actionable data. **6. Humanising Recruitment and Enhancing Inclusivity** - The importance of focusing on candidate experience to build trust and employer brand. - The concept of recruitment designed to reject rather than select. - Key issues: ghosting, lack of feedback, and psychological safety. - Employer brand impact—candidates as advocates or detractors. - Transparency and expectation-setting in recruitment stages. **7. The Role of Trust and Psychological Safety** - Strategies for rebuilding trust after negative candidate experiences. - The necessity for clear, honest communication from employers. - Specific transparency practices: sharing interview stages, criteria, and feedback. - Evaluating candidates’ unique potentials rather than their resumes alone. **8. Recruitment at Scale and Challenges for Recruiters** - The scale of applications large organisations receive and coping strategies. - Filtering mechanisms: keywords, Boolean search, and their limitations. - Risks and biases introduced in high-volume recruitment. **9. Modern, Candidate-Centric Approaches** - The value of authentic workplace samples and scenario-based questions. - Moving beyond CVs: anonymisation, structured workplace assessments. - Reflective application processes that benefit both candidate growth and employer understanding. **10. Bias and Structural Shortcomings** - Biases in recruitment decisions—risk aversion and the drive for self-protection. - The importance of focusing on diversity and inclusion holistically, beyond metrics or optics. - Practical adjustments for neurodiverse candidates and upholding fairness. **11. The Tension between Recruitment Speed, Cost, and Experience** - The three-legged stool: cost per hire, hiring velocity, and candidate experience. - Trade-offs and the interconnectedness of these factors. - Candidate experience as a lever for retention and brand equity. **12. The Evolving Role of Technology and AI** - Concerns about automation: AI-driven CV screening versus human judgement. - The rise of “AI versus AI” in job applications (automation and customisation). - The limits of AI in making holistic, human-centred hiring decisions. - The importance of actionable data and the risks of candidate dishonesty or misalignment. **13. Talent Pools, Academies, and Broader Talent Strategies** - The limitations and underutilisation of traditional talent pools. - The benefits and challenges of talent academies within progressive organisations. - Rethinking early-career pathways and enabling mid-career transitions. - The necessity of assessing behavioural and growth potential alongside skills. **14. Structural Change: From Transactional to Partnership-based Recruitment** - Reimagining recruitment as a partnership rather than a transaction. - The mutual selection process: candidates also “hire” the employer. - The role of communication, feedback, and mutual alignment for long-term success. **15. Introducing Octopus: A Humanising Recruitment Tool** - The inspiration behind Octopus and C. Guz’s role as CEO and founder. - Octopus’s approach: smart, role-specific pre-interviews that generate actionable data. - Providing structured feedback to every candidate, supporting both employer decision-making and candidate development. - The vision: building a bridge between candidates and employers for more inclusive, human-centric recruitment. **16. Closing Remarks** - Ways for listeners to connect with C. Guz and explore Octopus. - Host’s encouragement for community engagement and further conversation. --- This sequence captures the full arc of the podcast episode, from personal storytelling and critical analysis of recruitment systems through to actionable insights and innovative solutions for fostering inclusive hiring practices.

The Hook

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1. Ever felt like another rejection is just one more closed door? What if—wait—rejection is actually YOUR hidden superpower? Behind every “No” sits the spark of something big. Ready to flip every let-down into an opportunity you didn’t see coming? 2. Pummelled by job search “thanks but no thanks”? Same. But here’s the kicker: the very system that bruises us? It’s ripe for disruption. Want a seat at the table… even when the system seems stacked against you? 3. No feedback. Ghosted again. Wondering why recruitment still feels so inhuman? Let’s break the trance—discover what it really takes to be seen (not just sifted) in today’s job market. Your worth = MORE than a CV. 4. Exhausted by the merry-go-round of applications—never quite knowing what went wrong? There’s a way to inject humanity—and hope—back into the hiring machine. Curious how to turn your next setback into rocket fuel for your ambitions? 5. Tired of the transactional job hunt, where you’re just another number? Imagine reshaping the rules, so every application builds trust, not just stress. What if rejection wasn’t the end…but where real connection begins?

🎬 Reel script

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Are you tired of endless job rejections and feeling invisible in the recruitment process? On this episode of Inclusion Bites, we explored how setbacks can become superpowers. I spoke with C. Guz, a trailblazing entrepreneur, about transforming personal rejection into a mission to humanise hiring and create opportunities for all. We discussed the pitfalls of traditional CVs, the importance of trust and candidate experience, and how new tech like Octopus is revolutionising inclusive recruitment. Ready to turn rejections into your greatest opportunities? Listen to the full episode now and spark real change!

🗞️ Newsletter

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**Subject:** Transforming Rejection into Opportunity – Inclusion Bites Podcast Episode 170 --- Dear Inclusion Bites Community, This week on **Inclusion Bites**, we’re thrilled to bring you an insightful conversation that reimagines failure as a platform for growth. Episode 170, "Turning Rejections into Opportunities", sees our host Joanne Lockwood in dialogue with C. Guz, a pioneering female entrepreneur who’s on a mission to humanise recruitment and foster true inclusivity in the hiring process. **Highlights from This Episode:** 🌏 **Redefining Belonging:** C. Guz shares candid reflections on her journey from Istanbul to global entrepreneurship, revealing how her own feelings of not belonging fuelled her quest to open doors for others. 🚪 **From 13,000 Rejections to Empowerment:** Imagine facing over 13,000 job rejections—C. used this staggering adversity to ignite a bold venture, challenging the dehumanisation of candidates in today’s recruitment landscape. 🤝 **Humanising Recruitment:** Have you ever wondered why job applications rarely showcase your true potential? C. and Joanne critically examine the broken CV-centric approach and advocate for processes that reveal the personality, values, and contextual strengths of every candidate. 🔍 **Trust at the Core:** Trust is essential, yet woefully absent from most recruitment experiences. Listen as both guest and host explore tangible ways organisations can rebuild trust, craft candidate-centric journeys, and protect their employer brand. 🧠 **Psychological Safety and Bias:** The episode delves into the psychological barriers candidates face—feeling unsafe, judged, or compelled to act at odds with their authentic selves. How do we balance structured recruitment with genuine human connection while reducing bias risk? 🦑 **Innovation with Octopus:** Get a first look at Octopus, the smart recruitment platform co-founded by C., designed to bring actionable data and real-life feedback to both recruiters and candidates. Could this be the tentacle that bridges the gap between candidates and inclusive employers? --- **Call to Action** Are you ready to challenge conventions and elevate your hiring experience? Share your thoughts, personal stories, or connect directly to join as a guest! Email Joanne at [jo.lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk](mailto:jo.lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk). **Listen & Subscribe** Don’t miss this episode or any bite of bold, pragmatic inclusion! [Catch up on the latest episodes here.](https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen) Let’s disrupt recruitment practices and nurture belonging—one conversation at a time. With inclusion, **Joanne Lockwood** Host, Inclusion Bites Podcast SEE Change Happen --- #InclusionBites #PositivePeopleExperiences #Belonging #Recruitment #InclusionIgnited

🧵 Tweet thread

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🚀 Turning Rejections Into Opportunities: Humanising Recruitment! 🚀 1/ 🌍 Just listened to @JoLockwood's Inclusion Bites podcast w/ C. Guz—a female entrepreneur who's transforming recruitment after facing 13K+ rejections! 💥 How do we make hiring more humane & inclusive? Read on!👇 #InclusionBites #RecruitmentReform 2/ 😵‍💫 C shared how relentless rejection crushed her confidence: “It felt as if I am totally useless.” But her insight? MILLIONS feel the same. So if not her, then whom? That’s the fire behind her mission! 🔥 #Inclusion #Resilience 3/ 📝 She ripped apart the classic CV: “You’re reducing me to data points that don’t translate to real business outcomes.” How can one page possibly show the full VALUE a person brings? #CVsAreDead #HumaniseHiring 4/ 🚪 When recruiting for her own startup, C received 2,000+ CVs. “How do I know who to interview? Resumés tell NOTHING about the person.” The process isn’t just broken for candidates—it’s a nightmare for employers too! #InclusiveHiring #HRNightmares 5/ 🤖 Automation may filter, but it also amplifies bias and loses nuance. “Our tools are built to REJECT, not SELECT,” C says. Sifting 500+ applicants per role? No wonder trust is eroding. #AI #RecruitmentTech 6/ 💔 Ghosting, lack of feedback, opaque processes… Candidates are also customers—poor experience damages employer brand & loyalty. “Candidate experience predicts retention and growth,” C warns. #EmployerBranding #CX 7/ 🔍 Trust is non-negotiable. Share clear stages, show your culture, give actionable data, and—above all—be human. “People hire people. That’s been forgotten,” C reminds us. #PsychologicalSafety #Trust 8/ 🧠 “We assess interview performance, not job performance.” Should hiring hinge on charisma, or on real-life problem-solving? C argues for work-sample assessments and reflective questions, not just historic achievements. #FutureOfWork #WorkSample 9/ 🏳️‍🌈 Inclusion means ALL: “If I’m neurodiverse, interviews may not show my strengths. Set candidates for success with clear, fair processes.” #Diversity #Belonging 10/ 🐙 Enter Octopus – C’s solution: smart, flexible screening, actionable feedback, real time data. Less time wasted; more transparency. “Let us be your extra tentacle!” Brilliant, right? #Octopus #RecruitmentInnovation 11/ 💥 The challenge: Move beyond transactional hiring. Treat recruitment as the PARTNERSHIP it should be. Both sides have power, both have a choice. #PartnershipHiring #PeopleFirst 12/ 🎧 Catch the full episode for powerful insight: [seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen](https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen). Thanks to @JoLockwood & C. Guz for championing change. #ListenNow #InclusionBites Let’s RE-IMAGINE recruitment—because every rejection can be an opportunity! 💫 What’s your biggest frustration with hiring today? Drop your thoughts below! 👇

Guest's content for their marketing

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**Turning Rejections into Opportunities: My Journey on the Inclusion Bites Podcast** I recently had the privilege of joining Joanne Lockwood as a guest on the renowned *Inclusion Bites Podcast*—an experience that allowed me to share, reflect, and spar ideas that sit at the heart of today’s inclusive recruitment debate. As someone who has weathered the storm of 13,000+ job rejections before channelling my setbacks into entrepreneurial action, this conversation afforded a platform to discuss both the pain points and the solutions for all those navigating the evolving world of recruitment. *Inclusion Bites*, expertly hosted by Joanne Lockwood, is not a surface-level exercise in diversity platitudes. Rather, it is a catalyst for transformation—an incubator for ideas that challenge established norms within HR, talent acquisition, and organisational culture. Together, we explored what truly matters for job seekers, recruiters, and organisations seeking to balance efficiency with humanity. **Sharing My Story: From Rejection to Empowerment** During the episode, I delved into my personal trajectory—from feeling a sense of not belonging in Istanbul to facing relentless rejections in the global job market. Those countless setbacks fueled not only my resilience, but they also revealed the collective struggle shared by millions. Why do recruitment processes so often reduce individuals to mere data points? How can the industry evolve to see and value the whole person—not just a CV or a ticked box? It was therapeutic and empowering to recount how these difficult experiences inspired the founding of Octopus, a platform designed to humanise recruitment and foster candidate-centric employer branding. Discussing my entrepreneurial motivations reinforced my belief that adversity, when harnessed, can become a formidable force for change. **A Candid Dialogue on the Candidate Experience** The podcast enabled us to interrogate the failings of contemporary recruitment—ghost posting, algorithmic sifting, inadequate feedback, and risk-averse hiring. Together, Joanne and I challenged why candidate experience is so frequently sacrificed for speed or cost. I expanded upon how negative experiences shape individuals’ trust, and how poor candidate journeys often translate into damage to the employer brand itself. We discussed actionable, data-driven strategies for fostering meaningful human engagement in hiring. I particularly enjoyed diving into the ways standardisation, actionable feedback, and transparent communication can restore trust between candidates and employers. These real solutions have already informed Octopus’ smart pre-interview processes, which put people—not processes—at the centre. **Reflecting on Inclusion, Trust, and the Future of Work** One of the most powerful moments of our conversation was examining the interplay between psychological safety and hiring. How do we re-establish trust in a system that increasingly feels automated and transactional? How can technology and humanity co-exist, rather than oppose one another, in recruitment? I was able to advocate for treating recruitment as a true partnership—where job seekers and employers meet as equals, and where inclusive practices are not simply a ‘nice to have’ but a strategic necessity for retention and growth. These themes resonated deeply, aligning perfectly with the podcast’s mission to ignite change through honest dialogue. **Connect and Continue the Conversation** Being a guest on the *Inclusion Bites Podcast* wasn’t just an interview—it was a call to arms for everyone invested in a more equitable, human, and dynamic job market. I left the session feeling re-energised and hopeful about the change we can create together. If my story resonates, or if you’d like to learn more about Octopus and our mission to be your ‘extra tentacle’ in hiring, I’d love to connect. Let’s keep challenging, inspiring, and building a bridge to opportunity—for all. --- Listen to the full conversation on the Inclusion Bites Podcast via [seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen](https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen). Connect with me on LinkedIn: C. Guz Discover more about Octopus: joinocto.co

Pain Points and Challenges

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Certainly. Drawing from the transcript of the Inclusion Bites Podcast episode “Turning Rejections into Opportunities” with Joanne Lockwood and guest C. Guz, here’s a list of specific pain points and challenges discussed—followed by targeted content focusing on addressing each one: --- **Key Pain Points & Challenges** 1. **Dehumanisation and Inhumanity in Recruitment Processes** Candidates often feel reduced to data points in a system, with the process lacking a sense of personal connection, agency, or recognition of individual value. 2. **Overwhelming Volume of Applicants and Gatekeeping** Recruiters, inundated with hundreds or thousands of CVs, rely on impersonal, automated, and exclusionary filtering systems which result in many qualified candidates being overlooked without feedback. 3. **Lack of Trust and Psychological Safety** Both candidates and recruiters experience diminishing trust in the process. Repeated rejection or ghosting leads candidates to feel demoralised and disconnected, whilst recruiters face pressure to minimise personal risk, often defaulting to risk-averse, bias-laden selection. 4. **Insufficient Candidate Experience and Lack of Feedback** The majority of candidates receive minimal or no feedback, undermining their potential for growth and souring their perception of employer brands. 5. **Mismatch Between CVs and Actual Candidate Value** CVs are treated as generic historical documents rather than reflective of potential contribution, skills transferability, and underlying motivations. 6. **Bias Amplified by Traditional and Automated Processes** Standardised formats, psychometric assessments, and ATS filtering often perpetuate bias—particularly disadvantaging neurodivergent candidates or those less versed in “CV speak”. 7. **Unethical Recruitment Practices and Market Manipulation** Practices such as “ghost posting” jobs to increase follower counts and speculative hiring erode candidate trust and damage organisational reputation. --- **Addressing the Challenges: Actionable Insights** 1. **Rehumanise Recruitment** - Shift from process-centric to person-centric approaches. - Incorporate “real faces” and personal stories on careers pages. - Frame recruitment as a partnership—candidates are also “hiring” organisations. - Start with authentic transparency about culture, progression, and expectations. 2. **Tackle Applicant Volume with Smart Pre-Interviews and Contextual Data** - Introduce custom, job-specific pre-interview questionnaires that allow candidates to present relevant skills, aspirations, and context (as modelled by Octopus). - Replace endless CV sifting with targeted, competency-based assessment, saving recruiter and candidate time. 3. **Restore Trust and Psychological Safety** - Communicate clear timelines, processes, and expectations up front. - Provide pre-interview questions and agenda in advance, supporting equitable preparation for all candidates. - Ensure communication, even at rejection, is dignified and constructive. 4. **Feedback as a Brand Differentiator** - Automate tailored feedback at every stage using structured scoring aligned to requirements—not vague or generic replies. - Recognise that a candidate’s perception of “being seen” directly affects employer reputation and future willingness to engage. 5. **Move Beyond the Conventional CV** - Encourage work sample tasks and behavioural questions revealing how candidates would approach real scenarios. - Place less emphasis on CV formatting or “ATS friendless” and more on actionable value and alignment to mission. 6. **Address Bias and Enable Inclusion** - Standardise assessment criteria, blind review to non-essential demographic data, and incorporate diverse assessors on panels. - Adapt processes for neurodiversity—share questions in advance, allow alternative response formats, and value different communication styles. 7. **Demand Ethical Recruitment Practice** - Publicly reject “ghost posting” and speculative role advertising. - Ensure all advertised roles are live and applications are treated ethically. --- **Conclusion: Shaping a Human-Centred Future in Recruitment** Addressing these pain points is not merely a matter of process optimisation—it is about restoring the dignity, trust, and mutual opportunity in recruitment. Organisations which act on these principles don’t just fill roles—they build reputation, deepen belonging, and unlock new pools of talent who are empowered, not demotivated, by their hiring journey. Whether you’re responsible for people, culture, or candidate experience, these actions represent tangible steps toward a truly inclusive and effective recruitment process. — To listen to more transformative conversations, visit the [Inclusion Bites Podcast](https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen). To share your story or challenge, contact Joanne Lockwood at jo.lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk.

Questions Asked that were insightful

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Absolutely, the episode "Turning Rejections into Opportunities" is brimming with rich insights that lend themselves well to a compelling FAQ series for the Inclusion Bites audience. Below is a curated set of FAQs inspired by the specific, thought-provoking questions asked during Joanne Lockwood’s interview with C. Guz, each paired with concise, informative responses based on the discussion: --- **FAQ Series: Turning Rejections into Opportunities** **Q1: How can candidates turn repeated job rejections into opportunities for growth and empowerment?** A1: C. Guz shared that after experiencing over 13,000 rejections and a 10-month period of unemployment, she reframed her setbacks by recognising that millions face similar obstacles. By seeing herself as part of a larger system in need of change, she channelled her frustration into founding a business aimed at humanising recruitment. Her key advice: treat rejection as fuel to identify systemic issues and become a changemaker, rather than internalise it as personal failure. **Q2: What are the pitfalls of traditional CVs and resumes in reflecting a candidate’s true value?** A2: The discussion highlighted that CVs often reduce candidates to impersonal data points and lack contextual or behavioural information. Guz described how, even as a recruiter, she found that resumes told her little about who a person truly is or the value they could bring to an organisation. This underscores the need to explore alternative ways—like situational questions—to truly understand candidates. **Q3: Why is candidate experience so vital, and how does it influence employer brand and retention?** A3: Guz pointed out research showing that candidate experience is a core predictor of retention and growth. Poor experiences can seriously damage employer brand—candidates increasingly share feedback publicly and may deter future applicants. She urged organisations to build trust from the outset through transparency, clear communication, and respect. **Q4: What practical steps can recruiters take to instil trust and psychological safety in the hiring process?** A4: According to Guz, trust begins with transparent job descriptions, clear explanation of interview stages, and realistic portrayals of organisational culture. Preparing candidates adequately for interviews, providing feedback (even to unsuccessful applicants), and humanising the communication all foster psychological safety and rebuild trust often eroded by transactional or automated processes. **Q5: How can the recruitment process become more inclusive for neurodiverse and non-traditional candidates?** A5: Guz emphasised the importance of flexibility—such as sending interview questions in advance and providing alternative assessment methods—to accommodate neurodiversity. She warned against overly rigid, standardised approaches that may disadvantage those who do not perform well in traditional interviews, advocating instead for systems that recognise and celebrate individual differences. **Q6: Is automating the recruitment process with AI and psychometric assessments the answer to reducing bias?** A6: The conversation explored the tension between efficiency and authenticity. While automation can help with volume, both Guz and Lockwood cautioned against over-reliance on AI or psychometric tools, which may inadvertently introduce new forms of bias or strip out necessary human judgement. Instead, any tech should enhance, not replace, the human element. **Q7: What alternative methods can organisations use to assess candidates more fairly and meaningfully?** A7: Both speakers advocated the use of workplace simulations, situational judgment questions, and reflective prompts over the traditional CV. This approach not only gives candidates a fairer chance to demonstrate their strengths but helps employers discern capabilities that matter in real workplace scenarios. **Q8: How should jobseekers proactively connect with potential employers or hiring managers?** A8: Guz advised candidates to reach out directly to hiring managers (when appropriate), not just recruiters, and to personalise their messages by explaining what excites them about the role and the value they can offer. However, she cautioned against being pushy and stressed the importance of sharing actionable, relevant information. **Q9: With the increasing use of AI, are we at risk of ‘AI bots talking to AI bots’ in recruitment?** A9: The episode raised concerns about hyper-automation, where AI-generated applications are processed by AI-driven ATS, potentially leading to impersonal ‘catfishing’ scenarios. Both guests agreed this risks losing the genuine human connection the recruitment process requires and advocated for restoring authenticity on both sides. **Q10: What is the role of feedback in the modern hiring journey?** A10: Guz described how her company Octopus provides automatic, actionable feedback to every candidate completing a pre-interview. Unlike traditional processes where 90% of candidates are “ghosted,” this approach nurtures the talent pool, fosters loyalty, and encourages continuous growth for both organisations and applicants. --- These FAQs could be shared individually in blog posts, discussion threads, or as part of a resource guide on the Inclusion Bites Podcast website, helping both jobseekers and employers reflect on evolving recruitment best practice.

Blog article based on the episode

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**Turning Rejections into Opportunities: How Humanising Recruitment Can Reshape the World of Work** Rejection. There’s scarcely a word in the English language that strikes as much dread into the heart of a jobseeker. It conjures memories of polite but icy emails, generic “thank you for your interest” notifications, and the suffocating silence of being ‘ghosted’. For many, it’s anti-climactic, demoralising, and ultimately, alienating—enough to make anyone question whether they truly belong. But what if this very rejection, in all its brutality, could ignite a movement for change? What if we could not only flip the narrative but also revolutionise recruitment itself? Recently on *Inclusion Bites*, we delved deep into this topic in our episode, “Turning Rejections into Opportunities”, with the indefatigable C. Guz—a female entrepreneur and jobseeker whose personal journey from relentless rejection to transformational changemaker is both harrowing and electrifying. Drawing inspiration from her insights, let’s dissect what’s going wrong in recruitment, highlight pathways to a more humane system, and issue a rallying call to all employers and candidates. --- **The Problem: The Dehumanising Machinery of Modern Recruitment** C. Guz’s experience is not an anomaly; it is the lived reality for millions. Having faced over 13,000 rejections, frequently without explanation or acknowledgement, she describes a period of unemployment where her self-belief was eroded and financial insecurity soared. Far from being a series of isolated events, these experiences reveal the systemic failings that plague recruitment across sectors, geographies, and job levels. Modern recruitment, C. Guz argues, is less about selecting talent and more about rejecting as many as possible; it is, as she quotes, “built to reject candidates and not to select them.” This is not the fevered hyperbole of a disenchanted applicant, but a critical indictment of a process that, despite decades of supposed progress, continues to grind down individuals into one-dimensional data points—CVs and keyword matches—devoid of context, humanity, or potential. Joanne Lockwood, our host, lays bare a common frustration: “You get a thousand, two thousand applicants. It’s hard to be specific and give great feedback to 2000 people... So the first sift, that first gatekeeping, is almost like an instant rejection.” The outcome? Candidates become statistics, employers risk tarnishing their brands, and trust in the system collapses. --- **The Agitation: Rejection Isn’t Just Personal—It’s Systemic and Brand-Defining** If this volume-driven approach weren’t enough, consider its knock-on effects. Candidates who have negative experiences in your hiring funnel are not just disappointed jobseekers; they are potentially your customers, clients, or vocal critics. Their stories are shared, their frustrations amplified: “Now candidates are talking about their interview experiences openly... candidates have now become YouTubers and they’re going to be publicly speaking about the experiences that they just had,” explains C. Guz. More worryingly, repeated negative experiences create a sense of learned helplessness. As Joanne reflects, rejection after rejection leads to a crisis of faith: “You had zero faith or trust in the system. That almost like why should I bother submitting another application? Because you had been so bruised and damaged by the past experience.” The damage is not just to individuals—it is to the very fabric of organisational cultures, talent pipelines, and reputations. The churn is costly: disengaged candidates, higher attrition, and the potential loss of top talent to a more caring competitor. --- **The Solution: Humanising Recruitment and Nurturing Trust** So, what’s the way forward? This episode surfaced an arsenal of actionable ideas—each designed to create a bridge between employers and candidates, and to restore the dignity that should be at the heart of hiring: **1. Commit to Transparent, Candidate-Centric Communication** Organisations must demystify the recruitment process. Share the stages, who candidates will meet, the kinds of questions to expect, and what 'success' looks like. As C. Guz notes, “...these are the stages that are waiting for you, these are the kind of questions that you will be asked... many interviews don’t prepare organisations and candidates for this... so candidates don’t have the data.” **2. Move Beyond Traditional CVs and Embrace Actionable Data** The CV is a historical artefact—necessary, perhaps, but insufficient. Employers should supplement it with skills-based pre-interviews, workplace samples, and scenario-based assessments that reveal how candidates think, respond, and align with organisational values. As Joanne points out, “I always think about the CV as very historical. It’s a Wikipedia. It’s not saying anything about you.” **3. Provide Real Feedback—Automatically, if Needed** Whether through technology or human touch, every applicant deserves to know why they succeeded or missed out—a point emphasised by C. Guz’s own platform, Octopus, which offers candidates immediate, actionable feedback. Not only does this build trust, it also helps candidates grow and feel valued, even when unsuccessful. **4. Rethink ‘Talent Pools’ and Embrace Active Talent Development** Talent pools should not be graveyards for rejected applicants but incubators for potential. C. Guz cautions against the passivity of such databases, recommending instead active academies that nurture and develop talent, regardless of ‘fit’ to a single open role. **5. Center Empathy and Partnership in Every Interaction** Recruitment is not a transaction—it is a partnership. Both parties are ‘choosing’ each other. Employers that see candidates as partners (rather than disposable plates on a buffet line) are more likely to foster trust, loyalty, and long-term success. --- **A Call to Action: Be the Change-Maker Recruitment Needs** There’s a lesson at the heart of “Turning Rejections into Opportunities”. Rejection is inevitable—but dehumanisation is not. Every interaction is an opportunity to create dignity, foster belonging, and build trust. As C. Guz’s journey demonstrates, the pain of rejection can be a spark for activism, innovation, and radical empathy. If you are an employer, consider what small but powerful steps you can take—transparency, feedback, empathy—to ensure your recruitment process is designed to select, nurture, and empower. If you are a candidate, know that your experience matters, and that your persistence can inspire a new wave of hiring best practice. *Let’s refuse to accept the status quo. Let’s build processes where everyone not only belongs—but thrives.* Inspired by the wisdom and resilience of C. Guz, let us challenge, innovate, and humanise recruitment—one candidate, one conversation, and one organisation at a time. Listen to the full episode, “Turning Rejections into Opportunities,” for a deeper dive and join the Inclusion Bites community to share your insights, stories, and solutions. The revolution starts with us. *Subscribe to Inclusion Bites, connect with Joanne Lockwood, and keep pushing the movement for inclusive, humane recruitment forward.* Find out more at: [Inclusion Bites Podcast](https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen) --- *Inspired by: C. Guz, Guest, “Turning Rejections into Opportunities”, Inclusion Bites Podcast*

The standout line from this episode

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The standout line from this episode is: **"We have built our current recruitment tools to reject candidates and not to select them."** This quote, referenced by C. Guz, truly encapsulates the central critique of the episode: the recruitment process has become more about filtering out rather than thoughtfully choosing and nurturing talent. It spotlights the urgent need for more human-centred, trust-based, and genuinely inclusive hiring practices—a recurring theme throughout the conversation.

❓ Questions

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Certainly! Here are 10 discussion questions based on the episode “Turning Rejections into Opportunities” from The Inclusion Bites Podcast: 1. **How does C. Guz’s personal experience with over 13,000 job rejections shape her perspective on the need for a more humanised and inclusive recruitment process?** 2. **What are the main limitations of traditional CVs and résumés, as identified by both Joanne and C. Guz in this episode? In what ways do they fail to capture a candidate’s potential?** 3. **The episode highlights the notion of trust between candidates and recruiters. What factors currently undermine trust in the recruitment process, and how could organisations work to rebuild it?** 4. **Discuss the impact that poor candidate experience can have on an employer’s brand and ability to attract top talent. How can organisations balance scale with personalisation?** 5. **How do evolving recruitment technologies like AI and applicant tracking systems complicate or improve the candidate selection process? Where do they fall short from an inclusion standpoint?** 6. **The concept of a ‘partnership’ between candidates and employers is emphasised. In practical terms, how might this partnership manifest throughout the various recruitment stages?** 7. **Reflect on the idea of workplace samples and skills-based questions as alternatives to CVs in recruitment. What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of such an approach?** 8. **C. Guz mentions that current recruitment tools are built to reject, not select. Why do you think this has become the norm, and what cultural or organisational mindset shifts are needed to reverse it?** 9. **The episode touches on psychometric testing and its pitfalls regarding psychological safety. How can assessments be redesigned to support inclusion and a fairer evaluation of candidates?** 10. **Looking at the future of recruitment, what changes would you recommend for making hiring processes more inclusive, supportive, and efficient for both recruiters and candidates?** These questions are designed to spark deeper reflection and conversation, whether in a listening group, HR roundtable, or personal contemplation.

FAQs from the Episode

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**FAQ: Turning Rejections into Opportunities – Inclusion Bites Podcast, Episode 170** **1. What is the central theme of this episode?** The episode explores how rejections in the job search process can be reframed as opportunities for personal growth and systemic improvement. It particularly focuses on humanising recruitment, building trust between candidates and employers, and creating more inclusive hiring practices. **2. Who are the guest and host featured in this episode?** Joanne Lockwood (she/her), Host of Inclusion Bites, interviews C. Guz (she/her), a female entrepreneur and job seeker who is passionate about transforming setbacks into empowerment through advocating for inclusive recruitment practices. **3. Why does C. Guz believe the recruitment process feels inhumane for many candidates?** C. Guz cites her own experience with over 13,000 rejections and an extended period of unemployment, highlighting the widespread feelings of degradation, invisibility, and lack of feedback. She points out that traditional processes often reduce candidates to data points, missing their unique value, context, and potential. **4. What are the key problems with traditional CV/resume-based recruitment?** Both Joanne and C. Guz argue that CVs are overly historic and do not convey a candidate’s true personality, potential, or how they might approach future workplace challenges. The conversation critiques the subjectivity, lack of standardisation, and over-reliance on paper-based or keyword-driven sifting methods that favour superficial filtering over genuine connection and capability assessment. **5. How does candidate experience impact employer brand and long-term business outcomes?** Negative candidate experiences, especially lack of feedback and impersonal rejection, can erode trust and damage an employer’s reputation. The episode references research indicating candidate experience is a strong predictor of retention and growth. Candidates who feel valued, prepared, and respected are more likely to become loyal employees and brand advocates. **6. What practical steps can organisations take to create a more candidate-centric process?** - Cultivate transparency around hiring stages, interview structure, and criteria. - Offer real testimonials and clear, mission-driven information on careers pages. - Prepare candidates by sharing interview formats and expectations in advance. - Use structured interview questions oriented towards actual workplace scenarios and potential. - Provide feedback to all candidates, not only those who succeed. - Recognise the diversity of approaches and learning needs in the candidate pool, particularly for neurodivergent individuals. **7. How does technology, particularly AI, currently influence recruitment for better or worse?** The episode warns of a scenario where AI tools battle each other, automating both applications and sifting, resulting in dehumanisation. Over-reliance on AI and psychometric testing, without context or psychological safety, leaves candidates anxious and distrusting. Both speakers advocate for solutions that use technology to increase human connection, rather than replace it. **8. What is Octopus, and how does it propose to improve recruitment?** Octopus, founded by C. Guz, is a platform designed to generate role-specific ‘smart pre-interviews’ based on actual job requirements. It aims to assess actionable, contextual data from candidates, providing mutual feedback that allows both candidate and recruiter to make informed decisions earlier, saving time, reducing bias, and nurturing trust. **9. Should employer branding and candidate experience be prioritised over speed or cost?** The discussion concludes that these levers are interdependent: strong candidate experience reduces long-term costs and time-to-hire by attracting better-matched, more engaged candidates, reducing turnover, and streamlining the selection process. **10. Why is rebuilding trust so crucial in recruitment?** After experiencing repeated rejections or poor communication, many candidates lose faith in the fairness and transparency of recruitment. Only processes centred on mutual respect, clear communication, and meaningful feedback can restore psychological safety and engage the full potential of candidates. **11. How can candidates improve their chances in a competitive, automated landscape?** - Personalise approaches to hiring managers, not just recruiters, articulating fit and passion. - Reflect carefully before submitting automated or AI-generated materials; add unique value. - Engage with organisations that are transparent and provide feedback. **12. What are common unethical practices in today’s recruitment market?** ‘Ghost posting’ fake jobs to boost employer page followers and speculative listing to test talent markets are highlighted as damaging and unethical. Both discourage transparency and breed mistrust amongst job seekers. **13. How do progressive organisations build inclusivity and growth?** By creating talent academies or rotational schemes, employers can offer structured opportunities for career-changers, returners, or those seeking new specialisations, effectively prioritising potential and learning agility over perfect CV matches. **14. Where can I listen to or join the Inclusion Bites Podcast conversation?** You can listen to the podcast or connect with the community at: [Inclusion Bites Podcast](https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen). For guest suggestions or feedback, contact jo.lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk. --- For more information on inclusive recruitment platforms, visit Octopus at [joinocto.co](https://joinocto.co), or find C. Guz on LinkedIn. **#InclusionBites #InclusiveRecruitment #CandidateExperience**

Tell me more about the guest and their views

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The guest on this episode is C. Guz, a female entrepreneur and job seeker who has become an advocate for inclusive recruitment practices. Her journey is firmly rooted in her personal experiences with rejection during her own job search. C. Guz brings a distinctly global perspective, having grown up in Istanbul, Turkey, which she describes as a place where she struggled to find a true sense of belonging. This feeling of not fitting in locally prompted her to seek opportunities on a broader, more international scale. C’s ethos and views on recruitment are deeply informed by her first-hand encounters with the process’s failures and exclusions. She recounts navigating a period of acute financial insecurity, during which she received over 13,000 rejections. Rather than being defeated, these setbacks fuelled her determination to change the system from within. She observed that “millions of people are going through the same thing,” viewing the lack of humanity in recruitment processes as a collective problem requiring urgent solutions. Her mission is to humanise recruitment. She is critical of the reductionistic approach inherent in current CV and resume culture, where human beings are distilled into anonymised data points which do not reflect their contextual achievements, personality, or the true impact they could bring to an organisation. Having also recruited for her own start-up, she became aware of the flipside—how overwhelming and impersonal the sifting of thousands of CVs can be, and how this often leads to automation and filtering systems that exacerbate disconnection and candidate alienation. C. Guz asserts that there is an urgent need for a candidate-centric approach: one that values trust, provides psychological safety, and offers genuine feedback to help candidates grow, even if they are not successful. She points out that candidate experience is directly linked to retention and growth within organisations, noting that “candidate experience is the core… predictor of retention and growth.” She also highlights the reputational risks for employers who neglect this, especially in an age when negative candidate experiences are openly shared via platforms like Glassdoor and YouTube. C. Guz strongly challenges the notion that AI and automation can or should replace human connection in recruitment. While acknowledging the reality of volume and the need for efficiency, she firmly argues that technology must supplement rather than supplant the nuanced, empathic aspects of hiring. For example, she sees value in structured data collection (such as smart pre-interview forms) but insists that feedback and human interaction remain essential. Her critique extends to psychometric testing and AI-driven assessments, which she feels often leave candidates feeling “set up to fail” in environments lacking transparency about what is being assessed. She ties this lack of clarity directly to anxiety and a breakdown in trust. Moreover, as the founder and CEO of Octopus, C. Guz is building tools designed to bridge the gap between candidates and employers. The vision for Octopus is to streamline early-stage candidate assessment using role-specific pre-interviews, providing actionable feedback to all candidates—something she believes is rare in most hiring processes. Central to her outlook is the conviction that recruitment must become a true partnership, where both candidate and employer bring value and clarity to the table. Overall, C. Guz’s perspective is one of urgent reform. She champions a holistic, human-centred approach to talent acquisition—rejecting transactionalism in favour of partnership, transparency, and genuine inclusion. For C., the end goal is a system where every candidate feels valued and empowered, regardless of outcome, and where organisations can reliably build trust and loyalty from the outset.

Ideas for Future Training and Workshops based on this Episode

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Certainly! Drawing directly from the themes, challenges, and actionable insights surfaced in this episode of Inclusion Bites — “Turning Rejections Into Opportunities” — here are several robust ideas for future training and workshops: --- ### 1. Humanising Recruitment: Beyond the CV **Focus:** Examine the pitfalls of conventional CV-centric hiring, and equip hiring managers with practical alternatives. **Key elements:** - Analysis of the CV’s historic limitations and inherent biases. - Introduction to workplace sample tests, anonymised screening, and structured interviews. - Hands-on exercises to design and implement human-centred assessment methods. --- ### 2. Building Trust & Psychological Safety in the Recruitment Process **Focus:** Strategies for embedding trust, transparency, and psychological safety at every touchpoint of the candidate journey. **Key elements:** - Role-play on candidate–recruiter interactions to explore trust-building techniques. - Developing transparent employer branding, including authentic careers pages and honest communications. - How to provide actionable, empathetic feedback to candidates — even when rejected. --- ### 3. Transforming Setbacks: Empowering Job Seekers for Resilience **Focus:** Help job seekers reframe rejection as an opportunity for personal and professional growth. **Key elements:** - Techniques for reflective practice and resilience-building. - Coaching candidates to leverage feedback and uncover potential strengths. - Interactive mastermind sessions to share stories of overcoming adversity. --- ### 4. Inclusive Hiring by Design: Data, Diversity & Decision-making **Focus:** How organisations can integrate inclusion and diversity from the foundations of their hiring processes. **Key elements:** - Critical evaluation of current recruitment tools with respect to selectivity vs. rejection. - Addressing unconscious bias in sifting and interviewing. - Application of inclusive job design, competency-based questions, and reasonable adjustments for neurodiverse candidates. --- ### 5. AI & Automation in Recruitment: Ethics, Trust, and The Human Element **Focus:** Navigating the opportunities and perils of digital tools, AI, and automation in recruitment — without sacrificing humanity. **Key elements:** - Interactive debate on the use and ethics of AI-driven screening. - Transparency in candidate communication throughout automated processes. - Safeguarding against over-automation and maintaining human agency. --- ### 6. Candidate Experience as Employer Branding **Focus:** Transforming the applicant journey into a cornerstone of organisational reputation and retention. **Key elements:** - Mapping the “moments that matter” in candidate experience. - Aligning recruitment messaging with company values and lived reality. - Using candidate feedback for continuous improvement. --- ### 7. Feedback That Fuels Futures: Delivering Actionable Insights to Applicants **Focus:** Training for recruiters and hiring managers on delivering constructive, actionable feedback post-interview. **Key elements:** - Frameworks for timely and personalised candidate feedback. - Breakout sessions practising real-life feedback conversations. - Legal and ethical considerations in feedback provision. --- ### 8. Hiring as Partnership: Moving from Transactional to Relational Recruitment **Focus:** Reframing recruitment as a two-way evaluative process. **Key elements:** - Workshops on collaborative recruitment; involving the candidate in culture fit discussions. - Techniques for hiring managers to spot and nurture talent with growth potential, not just perfect CVs. - Building long-term relationships with candidates, not just filling vacancies. --- ### 9. Practical Inclusion: Adjustments for Neurodiversity and Different Thinking Styles **Focus:** Enabling fairness and success for all candidates, especially neurodivergent individuals. **Key elements:** - Understanding and mitigating barriers in conventional interviews. - Creating accessible assessments and offering questions in advance. - Case studies of successful inclusive hiring interventions. --- ### Delivery options: - Modular half-day workshops, ideal for busy HR teams. - Comprehensive full-day immersion training for recruiters. - Joint sessions with job seekers and employers, to share perspective and co-create solutions. --- All these suggested workshops are inspired directly by the lived experiences, challenges, and innovative solutions discussed in the episode. Each concept is designed to spark critical thinking, practical change, and meaningful progress in both recruitment practice and candidate experience. For bespoke development of any of these themes, or to pilot a new inclusion-focused training based on this episode, please contact Joanne Lockwood via [jo.lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk](mailto:jo.lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk). You’ll find more inspirational content and future episode details at [Inclusion Bites Podcast](https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen).

🪡 Threads by Instagram

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1. Rejection isn’t just a closed door—it’s a spark. C. Guz turned 13,000 job rejections into fuel for change, proving setbacks can build inclusive solutions when we embrace the lessons they bring. 2. Recruitment should be about people, not paperwork. Imagine if hiring saw beyond the CV—valuing your story, your growth, and your potential, not just your past titles. That’s real inclusion. 3. Trust is the backbone of candidate experience. If applicants feel like numbers, not humans, it damages your brand and loses talent. Are you building trust at every step of your hiring process? 4. Ghost jobs and generic feedback erode faith in the system. Clear communication, transparent expectations, and human connection are what set leading employers apart. Candidates deserve better. 5. What if workplaces nurtured you as you grow, not just as you arrive? Real inclusion means giving people space to evolve, not expecting perfection from day one. Let’s build humane, dynamic cultures.

Leadership Insights - YouTube Short Video Script on Common Problems for Leaders to Address

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**Leadership Insights Channel** Problem: Leaders often struggle to create a fair and trusting recruitment process, leading to frustrated candidates, damaged employer brands, and missed talent opportunities. Here's how to change that: First, communicate transparently. Clearly outline what candidates can expect at every stage—no more vague job descriptions or hidden processes. Let applicants know who they'll meet, what questions might arise, and how they can shine. Second, treat every candidate as a person, not a CV. Move beyond rigid data points and ask questions that uncover real strengths: “How would you handle this challenge?” rather than, “What have you done before?” Third, provide meaningful feedback. Even a brief explanation helps candidates see their value, builds trust in your brand, and turns a rejection into a learning opportunity. Leaders who adopt these behaviours don’t just strengthen their hiring—they nurture loyalty and inclusion, attracting the very best people now and in the future. Transform your approach: be transparent, be human, and always acknowledge effort. That’s how leadership builds opportunity from rejection.

SEO Optimised Titles

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1. Facing 13,000 Job Rejections to Inclusion Champion | Retaining Top Talent Starts with Candidate Experience | C @ Octopus 2. 90 Percent of HR Leaders Say Candidate Experience Drives Retention | Humanising Recruitment in a Data-Driven World | C @ Octopus 3. From 2,000 CVs to Actionable Hiring Insights | Transforming Recruitment Through Feedback and Trust | C @ Octopus

Email Newsletter about this Podcast Episode

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**Subject:** Turning Rejections into Opportunities — Unlock the Secrets from Our Latest Episode! --- Hello Inclusion Bites Community, Ready for a boost of inspiration and actionable wisdom? Our latest episode, “Turning Rejections into Opportunities,” features an engaging conversation between Joanne Lockwood and the brilliant C. Guz. Trust us—this is an episode that everyone navigating the world of work, recruitment, or inclusion will want to pop in their earbuds for. **5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:** 1. **How to Turn Setbacks into Strengths:** Discover C. Guz’s journey through over 13,000 job rejections, and how she transformed her toughest moments into the driving force behind her entrepreneurial mission to humanise recruitment. 2. **Why Candidate Experience Matters:** Unpack the real impact of poor candidate experiences—not just for job seekers, but for employer brands too. Spoiler: Treat your applicants poorly, and your business might just feel the ripple effect. 3. **Pro Tips to Build Trust in Hiring:** Dive deep into actionable steps employers can take to foster trust and psychological safety throughout the candidate experience—from transparent careers pages to honest communication at every stage. 4. **The True Power of Feedback:** Explore why feedback is gold dust. C. Guz shares how even a simple, structured response can empower candidates and build a reputation for fairness and respect. 5. **Where Human and Tech Collide:** Navigate the evolving landscape of recruitment tech, AI-driven sifting, and why, even in the age of automation, people—not paper or algorithms—remain at the heart of hiring. **Unique Fact from the Episode:** Did you know the modern CV can be traced back to none other than Leonardo da Vinci? C. Guz shares how the very first ‘résumé’ was created by Da Vinci as a way to succinctly present his skills for an architectural project—proof that the job hunt has always required a touch of creativity! **Now, here’s your call to action:** Don’t wait—tune into this episode and join the movement to make recruitment more inclusive and empowering for all. Whether you’re an employer, recruiter, or job seeker, there’s a golden nugget for you in this conversation. Share your thoughts with us (jo.lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk) or pass the episode on to someone who needs that extra spark. **Let’s keep building a world where everyone not only belongs, but thrives.** Ready for more bold conversations that challenge, inspire, and spark real change? Subscribe, rate, and share the Inclusion Bites Podcast. Let’s amplify the voices that matter and light up the path to belonging—one episode at a time. **Catch you on the next bite!** — The Inclusion Bites Team 🎧 [Listen now to Turning Rejections Into Opportunities](https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen)

Potted Summary

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**Episode Intro** Joanne Lockwood welcomes C. Guz to Inclusion Bites for an uplifting exploration of how job rejections can become powerful catalysts for change. Together, they dissect the pitfalls of traditional recruitment, the pivotal role of candidate experience, and the challenge of fostering trust in hiring. Offering pragmatic insights and new perspectives, this episode champions the human side of talent acquisition and highlights innovations designed to humanise and diversify recruitment for individual and organisational benefit. --- **In this conversation we discuss** 👉 Humanising recruitment 👉 Building trust 👉 Candidate experience --- **Here are a few of our favourite quotable moments** - “We have built our current recruitment tools to reject candidates and not to select them.” - “If you don’t build that trust effectively right in the beginning, if you don’t value those candidates, then those candidates are not going to be applying to you.” - “It is a partnership… I, as a recruiter, am assessing a potential employee that I should be excited for.” --- **Summary** This episode is essential listening for anyone seeking to transform rejection into opportunity and craft more inclusive workplaces. Discover how shifting towards a candidate-centred approach can unlock organisational success. Tune in for practical guidance and inspiring stories—listen now at [Inclusion Bites](https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen)—and start building a recruitment strategy that empowers all.

LinkedIn Poll

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**Poll Context (Opening Summary):** On the latest episode of the Inclusion Bites Podcast, “Turning Rejections into Opportunities,” Joanne Lockwood and C. Guz explored how traditional recruitment practices often undermine trust, candidate experience, and true inclusivity. From the limitations of CVs to impersonal automated systems, we discussed why humanising recruitment is key to fostering belonging and empowering candidates. As organisations weigh the demands of speed, cost, and experience, your perspective is vital. **Poll Question:** Which area needs the *most* improvement to make recruitment truly inclusive? **Poll Options:** 🔎 Job descriptions & adverts 🤖 Automated screening tools 💬 Meaningful candidate feedback 👫 Human connection in hiring #InclusionBites #Recruitment #Belonging #HRInsights **Closing (Why Vote):** Have your say! Your vote helps spotlight the biggest barriers to inclusive recruitment—and drives real change in candidate experience.

Highlight the Importance of this topic on LinkedIn

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Just listened to the latest Inclusion Bites Podcast episode, "Turning Rejections into Opportunities," with Joanne Lockwood and C. Guz—and I can't recommend it highly enough for every HR, People Leader, and EDI professional. 🎧✨ This conversation strikes at the heart of our industry’s most pressing issue: moving from cold, transactional recruitment to a genuinely human-centred, inclusive experience. 🤝 A few points that resonated deeply: - 🚪 **13,000+ rejections** became the catalyst for innovation—proof that setbacks can be transformative. - 🧑‍💻 The current recruitment process still treats candidates as a collection of data points, not as individuals with distinct value and potential. - 🔄 Honest feedback and structured, transparent communication are vital to restoring trust between employers and candidates. - 🤖 With AI shaking up job applications AND hiring decisions, our responsibility to infuse empathy, fairness, and inclusion is greater than ever. As someone passionate about shaping workplace culture, I found the emphasis on **partnership**—not hierarchy—between candidate and employer particularly powerful. If we truly want to attract, retain, and develop top talent, we must **build bridges, not walls**. Let’s treat every touchpoint as an opportunity to champion belonging and psychological safety. Our brands—and our people—deserve nothing less. Strongly recommend a listen and further reflection. Let’s lead this change together. 🚀 #InclusionBites #HR #EDI #CandidateExperience #Belonging #Recruitment #TransformingWorkplaces 🔗 [Listen here](https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen)

L&D Insights

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Certainly! Here’s an executive-level summary and learning synthesis for Senior Leaders, HR, and EDI professionals, based entirely on the *Inclusion Bites* podcast episode “Turning Rejections into Opportunities” with Joanne Lockwood and C. Guz. --- **Executive Insights & L&D Synthesis – Key Takeaways from “Turning Rejections into Opportunities”** --- ### 💡 “Aha” Moments **1. Rejection is Systemic, Not Personal – and It’s a Leadership Accountability** C. Guz’s story of 13,000+ rejections reframes the narrative: the “problem” isn’t the candidate, but entrenched, dehumanising recruitment systems. When candidates repeatedly feel like commodities, employer brands suffer, loyalty diminishes, and talent pipelines become risk averse. **2. The Current Recruitment Model Prioritises Rejection Over Selection** The process, as it stands, is optimised to filter out rather than to engage or nurture talent. This transactional mindset harms both short-term and long-term talent strategy—every applicant is also a potential brand customer and future advocate (or detractor). **3. Experience Predicts Retention and Success, Not Just CVs** Joanne and C. Guz highlight research showing candidate experience is a leading predictor of employee retention and growth. The emotional journey—how seen, prepared, and fairly treated applicants feel—is a strategic driver, not a soft afterthought. **4. You Can’t Audit In or Automate Out Humanity in Hiring** The over-reliance on restrictive CV sifting, AI-driven bots, and anonymised processes may appear to remove bias but often deepen a sense of mistrust. AI cannot replace authentic human engagement, nor can it foster the psychological safety required for diverse shortlist outcomes. **5. Actionable Data is Key—But It Must be Human-Centred** Guz’s concept of “actionable data” challenges leaders to think beyond the tick-box and see the potential for genuine growth, unique skills, and contextual fit. Rigid job specs and historic CVs obscure as much as they reveal. --- ### 🏆 What Should Senior Leaders, HR & EDI Pros Do Differently? **1. Stop Treating Applications as Disposable** Recognise every candidate interaction as a brand touchpoint. Every rejection without feedback is an opportunity lost to build loyalty, trust, or even just goodwill. **2. Make Candidate Experience a Core KPI** Shift mindsets: Candidate experience is *not* merely an HR metric—it’s a key business risk and retention indicator. Regularly review Glassdoor and other forums for insight, not just damage control. **3. Humanise Recruitment with Transparency and Communication** Provide clear timelines, authentic preparation resources, and upfront expectations. Make your “careers page” reflect reality, not buzzwords. Candidates should know *who* they’ll meet and *what* to expect at each stage. **4. Provide Actionable, Personalised Feedback—At Scale** Adopt or develop solutions (e.g., pre-interview smart forms, automated feedback models) that empower applicants, encourage reflection, and close the loop. Even a short summary as to ‘why not’ is invaluable for future engagement. **5. Challenge Bias by Rethinking Risk in the Hiring Process** Risk aversion is often code for unconscious bias—address this via structured interviews, workplace simulations, and by re-training recruiters to seek difference, not just “sameness safely delivered”. --- ### 🔥 L&D Reflection: - Cultivate psychological safety not just for hired staff, but from the initial touchpoint onwards. - Invest in tech that augments humanity, not replaces it—design for belonging, not just efficiency. - Shatter the “one-way interview” model and treat assessment as a genuine two-way partnership; coach hiring managers to be feedback givers, not just gatekeepers. --- ### #️⃣ Hashtags for Social Sharing #InclusiveRecruitment #CandidateExperienceMatters #HumaniseHiring #LeadershipForBelonging #FeedbackDrivesTrust --- **In summary:** Leadership in 2024 must recast recruitment from a fearful, compliance-driven process to a courageous act of brand-building and inclusion. The innovation lies not in automation, but in rediscovering what it means to truly *see* and *nurture* talent—especially in moments of rejection. --- 🎧 Listen to the full episode: [Inclusion Bites Podcast](https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen) For questions or to share your own aha moments, connect with Joanne Lockwood via jo.lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk.

Shorts Video Script

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**Social Media Video Title:** Rejection Hurts. Here’s How To Turn It Into Opportunity. #Inclusion #CareerGrowth **Hashtags:** #InclusionMatters #HumaniseRecruitment #OpportunityFromRejection #CandidateExperience #TrustInHiring --- **[Text on screen: Reframing Rejection 💡]** Let’s talk about rejection in recruitment and why it might actually be the turning point your career, or your organisation, needs. You know that feeling—never hearing back, applying over and over, facing endless ghosting? It’s not just you. Millions are navigating rejections right now. But here's the twist: those setbacks can fuel change. **[Text on screen: Humanising Hiring 🤝]** One of the biggest gaps in recruitment? Lack of humanity. CVs and application systems often reduce people to raw data points, stripping away real talents and context. So what can we do? 1. **Switch to Candidate-Centric Processes:** If you’re hiring, remember: candidates are potential clients and advocates. Every interaction shapes your brand. Take the extra minute to show you value them—offer transparent timelines, give real feedback, and communicate expectations clearly. 2. **Ditch Outdated CV Reliance:** CVs deserve scrutiny. They tell you what someone’s done, but rarely how they think or who they are. Instead, use practical questions—ask how someone would approach real-world challenges. You’ll get richer, more actionable insights. **[Text on screen: Trust in the Process 🔒]** Trust isn’t just a buzzword—candidates need to feel safe and valued. Simple, transparent communication and fair assessment methods can rebuild trust and attract real top talent. **[Text on screen: Long-term Success 🚀]** Here’s a fact: investment in candidate experience drives employee retention and loyalty. People remember being treated with dignity. **Takeaway:** Challenge the status quo. Whether you’re applying or hiring, push for processes that champion empathy, actionable feedback, and genuine connection. Thanks for watching! Remember, together we can make a difference. Stay connected, stay inclusive! See you next time. ✨

Glossary of Terms and Phrases

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```markdown ### Specialist Concepts and Terminology in "Turning Rejections into Opportunities" (Inclusion Bites Podcast) Below is a list of words and phrases used in this episode that extend beyond everyday vernacular, particularly within the context of recruitment, inclusion, and organisational culture, along with the definitions as implied by the discussion: - **Humanise Recruitment** Refers to making recruitment processes more empathetic and centred on individual experiences, moving away from purely transactional or automated interactions. - **Candidate Experience** The sum of perceptions and feelings a job applicant forms throughout the entire hiring process, from application to (potentially) onboarding. - **Employer Brand** The reputation and value proposition an organisation communicates as an employer, both internally and externally, particularly as it is seen by current and prospective employees. - **Applicant Tracking System (ATS)** Software utilised by organisations to manage, filter, and streamline applications for job vacancies, often leading to depersonalised, high-volume sifting. - **Boolean Search** A search methodology using logical operators (AND, OR, NOT) to filter or identify information (commonly CVs) more precisely in databases or ATS. - **Psychological Safety** The extent to which individuals feel safe to take risks, express themselves, and make mistakes without fear of negative repercussions, here applied to job applicants within the recruitment process. - **Structured Interview** A systematic interviewing approach where each candidate is asked the same set of standardised questions, allowing for more objective comparison. - **Workplace Samples** Practical tasks or scenario-based questions given during recruitment to assess how a candidate would perform or approach problems relevant to the actual job. - **Pre-interview/Smart Pre-interview** A staged assessment before traditional interviews, involving targeted questions to better evaluate fit, often automated and designed to capture actionable data on candidates. - **Talent Pool** A curated group of potential candidates who have expressed interest or have been preliminarily assessed for future job opportunities, not limited to a single vacancy. - **Recruitment Marketing** Strategies used by employers to attract suitable job candidates, employing techniques akin to consumer marketing to enhance the employer brand and engage talent. - **Candidate Acquisition Cost** The overall expenditure (time, money, resources) incurred by an organisation to attract and recruit a new employee. - **Job Description as Positioning Tool** Using job descriptions not simply to list responsibilities, but to represent the culture, mission, and opportunities of the organisation to prospective candidates. - **Transactional vs. Partnership Approach to Recruitment** The contrast between seeing hiring as merely a means to fill roles versus building collaborative, mutually beneficial relationships between candidates and employers. - **Actionable Data** Specific, contextual information about a candidate that enables meaningful hiring decisions, going beyond surface-level or historical CV data. - **DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) Software** Technology tools designed to help organisations monitor, report on, and sometimes influence the diversity, equity, and inclusion metrics of their hiring and workforce practices. - **Candidate-Centric Approach** Placing the needs, dignity, and aspirations of candidates at the heart of recruitment practices, challenging the conventional employer-centric paradigm. - **Ghost Posting** Advertising job vacancies that do not genuinely exist, often to harvest candidate data or increase social media following. - **Hiring Velocity** The speed at which an organisation goes from identifying a vacancy to successfully filling it. - **Unpaid Labour in Recruitment** The controversial practice of expecting candidates to complete extensive tasks or projects during the hiring process without remuneration, often for the employer’s benefit. - **Neurodiverse Candidate** A candidate whose neurological development and functioning diverges from what is considered typical, potentially affecting how they experience and perform within conventional recruitment processes. - **No-code Platforms** Tools and systems that enable automation or app creation without the need for traditional computer programming skills, referenced in automating recruitment-related tasks. - **LLM (Large Language Model) Hallucinations** The phenomenon of AI models generating inaccurate or fabricated responses, highlighted as a risk in AI-generated candidate materials. - **Reporting Metric (in Recruitment)** A quantifiable measure used to assess and report on aspects of the recruitment process, sometimes emphasised at the expense of substantive candidate engagement or inclusion. - **Smorgasbord (of Opportunities)** Used metaphorically to describe a wide array or selection of role opportunities within an organisation, into which a strong candidate could be fitted. - **L&D Power (Learning and Development)** The internal capability of an organisation to support employee growth and advancement, crucial for active talent development. These terms reflect the evolving landscape of inclusive, data-driven, and human-centred recruitment explored in the podcast episode. ```

SEO Optimised YouTube Content

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**Focus Keyword:** Inclusive Recruitment --- ### Video Title Turning Rejections into Opportunities: The Power of Inclusive Recruitment | #InclusionBitesPodcast --- ### Tags Tags: inclusive recruitment, positive people experiences, culture change, inclusive hiring, recruitment transformation, candidate experience, workplace belonging, diversity and inclusion, neurodiversity, job search, humanising hiring, employer brand, psychological safety, candidate trust, smarter hiring, workplace culture, HR processes, recruitment innovation, modern recruitment, talent acquisition, inclusive workplaces, hiring best practices, recruiter insights, people-first, SEE Change Happen, --- ### Killer Quote Killer Quote: “You’re reducing me to these data points that don’t actually translate to business outcomes, to actionable data, and you also don’t know the contextual information about how I was able to achieve those goals in the organisations that I’ve supported in.” – C. Guz --- ### Hashtags Hashtags: #InclusionBitesPodcast, #InclusiveRecruitment, #PositivePeopleExperiences, #CultureChange, #DiversityAndInclusion, #Belonging, #CandidateExperience, #WorkplaceEquality, #JobSearch, #DEI, #HumaniseRecruitment, #EmployerBrand, #RecruitmentTransformation, #PsychologicalSafety, #TrustInHiring, #InnovationInHR, #ModernRecruitment, #SEEChangeHappen, #JoanneLockwood, #PodcastUK --- ## Why Listen: ### Turning Rejections into Opportunities: The Power of Inclusive Recruitment If you care about people, if you care about transforming the world of work, and if you want to be at the vanguard of Culture Change, you'll find profound value in this conversation with C. Guz. She’s lived through over 13,000 rejections during a particularly tough stretch in her job-seeking journey, yet somehow turned that relentless adversity into a mission: to humanise recruitment and champion inclusive hiring. I brought C. onto the Inclusion Bites Podcast because her story epitomises what I stand for: Positive People Experiences, building workplaces where everyone can belong, and driving robust, actionable inclusion at the heart of hiring. Our dialogue is a masterclass in shifting recruitment from a soul-sapping numbers game toward a deeply human-centric experience where every candidate is seen beyond their CV—a world where people aren't just filtered out but are selected for who they are, their potential, and their unique journeys. We break down the flaws of today’s recruitment landscape—a landscape where automation and overload mean candidates often feel like a commodity or, as C. says, “just the food at the end of the day.” Yet, beneath the chaos, organisations risk losing the very lifeblood of their Culture Change: the talent and energy that come from truly valuing candidates as holistic human beings. When jobseekers are processed by algorithms, when their stories are lost in a maze of data points and keyword matching, and when feedback is non-existent, it’s not just the candidates who suffer; it’s the employers themselves, whose brands erode and whose cultures stagnate. In the episode, C. shares her own transformation—the epiphany that came from realising that millions were experiencing the same demoralising rejection cycle. Instead of succumbing to powerlessness, she ignited a mission to rebuild trust, push for psychological safety in hiring, and reimagine the candidate experience. When she eventually sat on the other side of the table, recruiting for her own startup, her perspective only deepened: how can we expect the right hires if our systems strip out context, soul, and the unique value candidates bring? We discuss practical, bold solutions: - Reshaping recruitment so *selection* matters more than *rejection*. - Building in touchpoints for trust—highlighting transparency, sharing not just roles but the culture, growth opportunities, and the “why” behind a workplace. - Using real feedback and structured interviews, moving away from relying on endless CV sifting or impersonal psychometric tests that undermine psychological safety. - Treating recruitment as a partnership, not just a transaction, so both employer and candidate select each other. - Investing in Positive People Experiences even at scale—because losing sight of the human brings a cost in retention, team morale, and brand reputation. We unpack the hard realities of recruiter risk-aversion, the pressures on recruiters to process mountains of applications, and the seductive but ultimately hollow promises of AI-driven hiring. Both C. and I agree: technology can support, but never replace, the richness of human judgment and authentic connection. Modern tools should be harnessed to facilitate structured, insightful assessment—not merely to automate away the very substance of cultural fit and belonging. Whether you’re a jobseeker whose faith in recruitment has been battered, a recruiter juggling a thousand roles, or an executive seeking real culture change, this episode equips you with nuanced insights and practical takeaways. We talk about the power of actionable data, “workplace samples” over traditional CVs, transparent process design, and building a genuine feedback loop so growth happens at every stage. And we don’t shy away from controversy: we call out unethical practices like “ghost posting,” indiscriminate AI bots spamming out applications, and the prevailing mindset of seeing candidates as disposable—challenging everyone in the chain to aim for more than risk-mitigation and to pursue a workplace where inclusion is not a metric but a lived, Positive People Experience for all. If you want to catalyse real Culture Change—and be part of the wave making inclusion, trust, and belonging central in hiring—this episode is a must-listen. You’ll leave not just inspired but equipped to challenge the status quo, drive innovation in your hiring, and put people back at the heart of recruitment. --- ## Closing Summary and Call to Action We covered a wealth of actionable insights in this episode, so here’s your roadmap to embedding inclusive recruitment and Positive People Experiences within your organisation: 1. **Move from Transactional to Relational Recruitment:** Stop treating candidates as mere numbers or “plates of chips in McDonald’s.” Recognise every candidate as a potential advocate, influencer, or future hire. Your employer brand—and by extension, your organisational culture—rests on the dignity you show at every step. 2. **Build Trust at Every Touchpoint:** Trust is non-negotiable, and it starts with being transparent—from the careers page to final interviews. Let candidates know what to expect, who they’ll meet, and what motivates your organisation. This is a critical driver for Culture Change. 3. **Humanise the Process:** Technology has its place, but it must amplify—not replace—the human connection. Invest in structured interviews, clear communication, and behavioural assessments that avoid the pitfalls of “right answer” psychometrics. Create psychological safety every step of the way. 4. **Invest in Candidate Experience:** Candidates are often your customers, advocates, and potential future colleagues. Give timely feedback, clear progress markers, and actionable reasons for rejections. Exit “ghosting culture” and create a standard where no one leaves your process in the dark. 5. **Transparency and Context in Job Descriptions:** Ditch jargon and buzzwords. Describe what “leadership” truly means in your environment. Share day-in-the-life stories, genuine testimonials, and career growth pathways. This attracts aligned talent and sifts out cultural mismatches early. 6. **Design for Inclusion, Not Just Diversity:** Adjust hiring processes for neurodiverse candidates and those with different needs. Offer interview questions in advance, support accessible hiring journeys, and push for unbiased evaluation—because Positive People Experiences hinge on inclusion, not just ticking diversity boxes. 7. **Actionable Feedback Loops:** Whether a candidate is successful or not, ensure automated and meaningful feedback so every interaction is a learning opportunity, and no effort feels wasted. As C. outlined, this not only nurtures talent pools but also reinforces culture and trust. 8. **Balance Velocity, Cost, and Experience Strategically:** Recognise that cutting corners on candidate experience in the pursuit of speed or cost-efficiency usually backfires, increasing turnover and damaging brand perception. Well-designed experience reduces both time-to-hire and future recruitment burdens. 9. **Partnership, Not Power Plays:** Recruitment is not one-sided. Candidates are assessing your workplace as much as you assess them. Encourage candidates to self-reflect and align with your culture and mission—enable them to choose you with intention. 10. **Use Technology Thoughtfully:** Employ tools like Octopus (as C. detailed) to streamline without dehumanising. Automate what’s repetitive but never outsource judgment, empathy, or trust-building to algorithms. 11. **Prepare for the Future of Work:** Modern companies are leaning towards talent academies, active learning, and cross-functional onboarding. Flexibility and continuous development are key—start thinking now about mobility, upskilling, and skills-first hiring. 12. **Reimagine the Role of the CV:** The curriculum vitae may be a relic. Focus on workplace samples, scenario-based questions, and real demonstrations of value. Trust structured, evidence-based assessment over outdated “gut feel.” 13. **Feedback Is Gold—For Both Sides:** Empower candidates with honest, actionable feedback so they can grow and adjust. Equally, seek feedback from candidates to continuously refine your recruitment process. 14. **Advocate for Change Internally:** Be a champion for Culture Change. Lobby for resources, challenge leaders to rethink “business as usual” approaches to hiring, and build coalitions focused on inclusion. 15. **Remember the Ripple Effect:** Every Positive People Experience not only enriches your organisation but recalibrates the market—more inclusive, more human, and more innovative. **Call to Action:** If you’re an HR leader, recruiter, hiring manager or job seeker inspired by our conversation, take immediate steps: - Map your own recruitment journey—where do trust, feedback, or inclusion currently break down? - Pilot just one change—a transparent hiring timeline, early-stage feedback, or a new workplace sample. - Share your results, lessons, and insights with your network—tag #InclusionBitesPodcast to join the movement. - Reach out if you want practical support; we’re here at SEE Change Happen to help you achieve your inclusion ambitions. Remember: inclusion is not only the right thing to do—it’s the smart thing to do for culture, business, and society. Make every hire count towards a more inclusive, audaciously human workplace. --- ## Outro Thank you, the listener, for joining me, Joanne Lockwood, on this episode of Inclusion Bites. If you found inspiration, a challenge, or a spark for Culture Change, please like, subscribe, and share this episode with your network—because together we drive real progress for Positive People Experiences everywhere. For more resources and powerful conversations, visit the SEE Change Happen website: [https://seechangehappen.co.uk](https://seechangehappen.co.uk) Catch all episodes and insider updates from the Inclusion Bites Podcast here: [https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen](https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen) Stay curious, stay kind, and stay inclusive – Joanne Lockwood

Root Cause Analyst - Why!

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Certainly. Let’s dissect the discussion in “Turning Rejections into Opportunities” from The Inclusion Bites Podcast through the lens of root cause analysis. ### Key Problem Identified The prevailing issue discussed is **the impersonal, exclusionary and inefficient nature of current recruitment practices**, which undermine candidate trust and diminish the quality of both candidate experience and organisational outcomes. --- ### 1st Why: Why does the recruitment process feel impersonal and exclusionary? **Answer:** Recruitment processes are heavily reliant on outdated tools and practices, notably the CV and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), which filter candidates on narrow criteria, often neglecting contextual and behavioural aspects essential for inclusive assessment. --- ### 2nd Why: Why are recruitment tools like CVs and ATS so limited in candidate assessment? **Answer:** CVs reduce candidates to static data points and historical achievements, while ATS algorithms prioritise efficiency by sifting based on keywords or rigid formats. This system overlooks vital human qualities, such as potential, adaptability, or cultural alignment—qualities that are not easily quantifiable. --- ### 3rd Why: Why do organisations persist with these limiting systems despite their flaws? **Answer:** Organisations prioritise speed, cost reduction, and risk aversion in hiring. The volume of applications, particularly for well-known brands, overwhelms recruitment teams, incentivising automated sifting tools. The pressure to fill positions rapidly leads to sacrificing candidate experience for expedience. --- ### 4th Why: Why is there such pressure to prioritise speed, cost, and risk aversion over candidate-centred approaches? **Answer:** There is a systemic lack of investment in modernising recruitment strategies. Many businesses still conceive recruitment as a transactional, sales-like process rather than a strategic partnership. There is insufficient recognition that the candidate experience is directly linked to employer brand, retention, and long-term organisational performance. --- ### 5th Why: Why has recruitment remained transactional and under-invested in terms of inclusion and candidate experience? **Answer:** Leadership often lacks awareness or appreciation of the business case for truly inclusive recruitment. There is scant accountability or measurement tied to candidate experience; KPIs focus on time-to-hire and cost-per-hire rather than measuring long-term outcomes, such as new-hire performance or retention linked to candidate experience. --- ## Root Cause Summary The core issue is a **systemic and cultural undervaluing of inclusive, human-centred recruitment principles within organisational leadership**, fuelled by cost, speed, and risk metrics—rather than genuine engagement, talent nurturing, or strategic workforce planning. --- ## Potential Solutions 1. **Mandate Inclusive Recruitment KPIs at Leadership Level:** Tie bonuses and performance metrics not merely to speed and cost, but also to candidate satisfaction scores, new-hire inclusivity metrics, and post-hire retention data. 2. **Reframe Recruitment as Partnership, Not Transaction:** Reposition recruitment as a strategic, mutual selection process. Train recruitment teams to view the hiring journey as an opportunity for both candidate and employer to assess fit and nurture potential. 3. **Embrace Technology Aimed at Humanising Recruitment:** Integrate platforms (e.g., Octopus as discussed in the podcast) that facilitate actionable, contextual candidate data and provide meaningful feedback to all applicants, thus creating a more engaging and equitable experience. 4. **Leader-Led Communication on Employer Brand and Mission:** Ensure the careers page and all recruitment communications transparently depict not only the day-to-day realities but also growth pathways, culture, and what genuine leadership means in your organisation. 5. **Candidate Empowerment and Feedback at Every Stage:** Routinely share feedback and empower applicants with reflective opportunities, supporting their growth whether or not they’re selected. Anonymise, standardise and diversify assessment methods—such as real-life case studies or job sample questions—to help level the playing field. --- ### In Closing Without decisive leadership support and a move towards partnership-based, value-driven recruitment practice, the entrenched issues of exclusion, poor candidate experience, and wasted talent will persist. Reimagining candidate experience as a strategic pillar, rather than an afterthought, is not only overdue but imperative for sustainable organisational success.

Canva Slider Checklist

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| **Slide** | **Content** | |------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | **Opening Slide** | **Turning Rejection into Opportunity—A Best Practice Checklist** Unlocking inclusive hiring requires more than policy—it's about weaving trust, empathy, and actionable feedback into every stage of recruitment. Here are five practical steps for HR, DEI, TA, and OD leaders to drive equitable, human-centred candidate experiences. | | **Content Slide 1** | **Prioritise Candidate-Centric Communication** Ensure transparency at every touchpoint, from clearly outlining application stages to honest timelines. Set expectations early, provide contextual job details, and communicate delays proactively to build trust and psychological safety. | | **Content Slide 2** | **Humanise and Standardise Assessment** Move beyond CVs—use structured workplace samples and scenario questions relevant to role requirements. Standardise evaluation criteria, focusing on both technical capability and softer skills, to minimise bias and reveal candidates’ potential and behavioural fit. | | **Content Slide 3** | **Offer Actionable Feedback at Every Stage** Give timely, specific feedback to all candidates, detailing how they aligned with role expectations and where improvement is possible. This not only dignifies the process but strengthens your employer brand and enhances future talent engagement. | | **Content Slide 4** | **Embed Trust and Belonging in the Process** Demonstrate your organisation’s values through authentic messaging, real-life testimonials, and candidate support such as advanced notice of interview formats. Treat the interview as a partnership, inviting candidates to show their true strengths and aspirations. | | **Content Slide 5** | **Balance Speed, Experience, and Cost Through Process Design** Map hiring workflows to ensure candidate experience is not sacrificed for velocity or budget. Leverage technology for efficiency but never at the expense of empathy—invest in candidate care to reduce backfilling and elevate retention. | | **Closing Slide** | **Ready to Redefine Your Hiring Experience?** I’m Joanne Lockwood, founder of SEE Change Happen. Visit https://seechangehappen.co.uk for expert support and actionable solutions. Start your journey towards truly inclusive recruitment—connect with us today to turn every candidate journey into an opportunity. |

Episode Carousel

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**Slide 1:** ✨ *Ever felt like constant job rejections are chiselling away at your confidence? What if every “No” could actually lead to a breakthrough?* --- **Slide 2:** 🔄 *Meet C Guz, a trailblazing entrepreneur from Istanbul who turned over 13,000 rejections into a mission to humanise recruitment.* --- **Slide 3:** 🤝 *Discover why trust and psychological safety are critical—not just for candidates, but for companies striving to create real inclusion and belonging.* --- **Slide 4:** 💡 *Curious about building a more candidate-centred recruitment process—one that values real people over faceless CVs, and feedback over ghosting?* --- **Slide 5:** 🎧 *Uncover practical insights on transforming setbacks into empowerment! Listen to “Turning Rejections into Opportunities” with Joanne Lockwood and C Guz—now on Inclusion Bites Podcast. Link in bio!* #InclusionBites #InclusionMatters #RecruitmentRevolution #TurnRejectionAround

6 major topics

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**Turning Rejections into Opportunities: Major Inclusion Topics from My Conversation with C. Guz** *Meta Description:* Discover how inclusive recruitment, candidate experience, and trust-building transform setbacks into empowerment. Explore Turning Rejections into Opportunities with insights on humanising hiring. --- When I sat down with C. Guz for a compelling conversation on Turning Rejections into Opportunities, I was reminded just how much the world of inclusive recruitment and candidate experience is evolving — and just how much further we have to go. We delved into challenges, questioned the very foundations of hiring, and explored concrete steps to foster trust and inclusive cultures. Here, I recount six major themes from our conversation, each offering a lens into more human-centred, inclusive recruitment practices. --- **Humanising Recruitment: Beyond Data Points and Rejection Letters** From the outset, C. Guz reminded me just how dehumanised recruitment can feel. Imagine sifting through 13,000 rejections — a reality for C. Guz herself. She spoke candidly about the sense of being reduced to meaningless data points on a CV, stripped of value or potential. I found myself nodding in agreement; resumes are all too often a sterile roll call of achievements, missing out on the human behind the application. What if, instead of culling applicants with arbitrary filters, we focused on the individual stories beneath the surface? As Guz suggested, we need actionable data that brings out not just “what you did” but “how you think” and “who you are.” There’s a curiosity in how far we might go: Could every rejection inspire an improved process, or even spark entrepreneurial ventures like her own? --- **The Candidate Experience: The Bedrock of Employer Branding** One theme that kept resurfacing was the candidate experience and its deep impact on employer branding. I challenged Guz — and myself — to reflect: How does a poor hiring process reverberate through Glassdoor reviews, LinkedIn rants, or simple word of mouth? Studies confirm what every recruiter secretly knows: candidates are also customers and advocates. A dehumanising experience not only weakens trust but can see the very best candidates “go elsewhere.” In my mind, a truly inclusive recruitment journey demands genuine transparency — right down to sharing interview stages, who you’ll meet, and what success looks like. Would better preparation for candidates really be that disruptive, or simply make us all braver? --- **Rebuilding Trust: Psychological Safety in Every Step** Trust, as we explored, is the invisible fabric of any successful hiring process. Both Guz and I reflected on how easily mistrust can grow — from ghosted applications to cryptic interview requests — and how this pain accumulates, leaving candidates bruised and disengaged. We probed: What’s the antidote? For Guz, it started at the careers page, radiating transparency from job descriptions through to feedback after interviews. I was particularly intrigued by her structured, reflective application forms that doubled as personal development tools. Imagine: Instead of simply “applying,” candidates begin a journey of self-discovery, partnerships are built, and trust is restored. Is this the future of inclusive recruitment? --- **Busting Bias: Actionable Data and Real-Life Scenarios over Traditional CVs** Time and again, our discussion circled back to bias — conscious and unconscious — in traditional hiring. We dissected the limitations of the CV, that dry Wikipedia of skills, and championed scenario-based workplace samples and structured questions as more equitable alternatives. What would happen if we moved away from “gut feeling” and toward objectively scored “how would you” challenges? I mused on the risk aversion inherent in most hiring — how knowing someone’s real approach in a crisis could revolutionise selection. Guz highlighted how these deeper insights not only diversify the talent pool but provide safety for neurodivergent applicants, too. Yet, a lingering curiosity remains: Can technology ever fully remove bias, or must human empathy always steer the process? --- **AI in the Hiring Process: Friend, Foe, or False Promise?** Our conversation veered into the controversial terrain of AI-powered recruitment. With bots writing applications and software scraping and scoring candidates, some fear we’re headed for a world where “an AI bot talks to an AI bot.” Guz and I considered the implications: Is the rise of automated matching a shortcut to efficiency or the death knell for individuality? For all its promise, AI’s hallucinations and lack of contextual nuance can do more harm than good if not tightly integrated with genuine human oversight. Trust, once again, becomes paramount. Candidates worry the process is rigged, recruiters worry about being duped, and both sides risk losing sight of authenticity. Could the solution lie not in eliminating humans from hiring, but equipping them with smarter, empathetic tools? --- **Partnership, Not Transaction: Reshaping the Dynamic Between Candidates and Recruiters** Finally, we concluded that recruitment must move from a zero-sum, transactional game to a partnership. Guz was clear: the candidate is not merely a “plate of chips” at the hiring table. Both employer and recruit are selecting each other, bringing unique value and expectations into the collaboration. Forward-thinking organisations are investing in talent academies, active development programmes, and more flexible, structured onboarding. But, as we mused, this takes real investment, not just in resources but in mindset. Imagine a world where we nurture people’s growth from the first contact — how many more “rejections” would turn into vibrant opportunities? --- **Conclusion: Transforming Inclusive Recruitment Through Bold Conversations** Reflecting on my conversation with C. Guz, it’s clear that inclusive recruitment is not simply an HR function, but a living, evolving practice. By humanising every stage, prioritising trust, and resisting the lure of shortcuts, we can reshape not just our hiring but our entire organisational cultures. I invite you to be curious, to challenge your status quo, and to view every “no” as an invitation to create something better. For those passionate about inclusive recruitment and crafting better candidate experience, stay connected with Inclusion Bites as we continue to disrupt, question, and inspire. Remember, you can always reach me at jo.lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk or listen to more bold conversations at https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen. Together, let’s reimagine what opportunity truly looks like.

TikTok Summary

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Ever felt crushed by job rejections? Ready to flip setbacks into your superpower? 💥 On this episode of Inclusion Bites with Joanne Lockwood, C. Guz shares how 13,000 rejections fuelled her mission to humanise recruitment and rebuild trust in hiring. Discover why CVs fall short, how brands damage themselves with poor candidate experience, and what it really *takes* to create truly inclusive opportunities.👀✨ If you’re tired of ATS “black holes”, obsessed with inclusive hiring, or just keen to see rejections in a new light, this one’s for you. Tap into the convo and get inspired to #DriveChange — full episode here: 👉 https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen #InclusionBites #InclusionRevolution #JobSearchTips #RejectionToOpportunity #DiversityMatters

Slogans and Image Prompts

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Certainly! Here are some slogans, soundbites, and quotes from the episode “Turning Rejections into Opportunities” (The Inclusion Bites Podcast). Each comes with a detailed AI image generation prompt, ensuring they’re ready for attention-grabbing merchandise and hashtag campaigns. These encapsulate the spirit of inclusion and empowerment discussed in the episode: --- **1. Slogan/Soundbite:** **“Turning Rejection into Empowerment”** *Use as a mug slogan, t-shirt print, or sticker headline.* **AI Image Prompt:** Create an uplifting illustration featuring a stylised phoenix rising from ashes, with bold text “Turning Rejection into Empowerment” curving above it. The phoenix’s wings are subtly composed of CVs and job application forms transforming into rays of light. Colour palette: bright oranges, deep purples, and gold accents to symbolise transformation and hope. The background suggests a sunrise, representing new beginnings. --- **2. Quote:** **“Let us be your extra tentacle.”** *Ideal for quirky mugs, notebooks, and t-shirts referencing the Octopus startup.* **AI Image Prompt:** Render a friendly cartoon octopus, each tentacle holding a different symbol: a briefcase, a heart, a laptop, a CV, a handshake, and an interview question. The octopus is wearing a playful grin, and above its head, big bold type reads “Let us be your extra tentacle.” The setting should be an office desk underwater, blending professionalism with whimsy and intelligence. --- **3. Hashtag:** **#BuildTheBridge** *Perfect for stickers, badges, and as a recurring online hashtag.* **AI Image Prompt:** Visually depict two diverse groups of people on either side of a river, building a colourful, modern bridge together out of puzzle pieces. Each person is passing a puzzle piece to another, highlighting collaboration, connection, and inclusion. The hashtag #BuildTheBridge is spelled out in the arches of the bridge. --- **4. Quote/Soundbite:** **“Hiring People, Not Paper.”** *Strong message for t-shirts, mugs, conference banners, and online graphics.* **AI Image Prompt:** Illustrate two hands—one offering a CV, the other offering a glowing heart. Above them in modern, minimalist font, the phrase “Hiring People, Not Paper” stands out. The background is a soft gradient blending blues and greens, subtly incorporating human silhouettes behind the hands to represent diversity. --- **5. Slogan:** **“Rebuilding Trust, One Interview at a Time”** *For mugs, office posters, and notepads for recruiters, HR teams, and job seekers.* **AI Image Prompt:** Design a circular motif with two hands shaking in the centre, surrounded by interlinked cogs and hearts to symbolise systems, trust, and humanity. Bright, warm tones evoke optimism. Around the motif, the slogan “Rebuilding Trust, One Interview at a Time” is wrapped in a clean, friendly typeface. --- **6. Hashtag/Soundbite:** **#HumaniseRecruitment** *Ideal for stickers, LinkedIn banners, social campaigns, or t-shirt sleeves.* **AI Image Prompt:** Show a group of diverse candidates and recruiters sitting in a relaxed circle, engaged in genuine discussion, surrounded by floating icons representing empathy, lightbulb moments, and inclusion. The hashtag #HumaniseRecruitment appears as a central banner, in bold, inclusive typography, with subtle watercolour effects in the background. --- **7. Inspirational Quote:** **“Candidate Experience is the Core of Inclusion.”** *Suitable for mugs, conference lanyards, or desk calendars.* **AI Image Prompt:** Create a powerful visual of an abstract heart at the centre of a radiant target, with concentric rings labelled “Trust”, “Belonging”, and “Inclusion”. Place “Candidate Experience is the Core of Inclusion” beneath the image in an elegant, accessible font. Use a palette of rich purples, golds, and sky blues. --- **8. Slogan:** **“Meet Me, Not My CV.”** *Great for stickers, badges at job fairs, and pin-back buttons.* **AI Image Prompt:** Draw a smiling silhouette stepping out from behind a giant paper CV, leaving the monochrome into bright, vibrant colours. A speech bubble next to the silhouette says, “Meet Me, Not My CV.” The backdrop features subtle confetti to evoke celebration and individuality. --- **9. Quote:** **“We’re Not Hiring Paper, We’re Hiring Heart.”** *For t-shirts, motivational posters, and mugs.* **AI Image Prompt:** Show an office desk with a pile of papers on one side and a glowing red heart with a handshake on the other. The text, in bold sans-serif, floats between the two, bridging the gap. The scene should look welcoming, modern, and inclusive. --- **10. Hashtag:** **#InclusionBites** *Essential for all merchandise—classic, recognisable, and podcast-branded.* **AI Image Prompt:** Design a circular sticker with the primary logo of the Inclusion Bites podcast framed by diverse illustrated faces—different ages, backgrounds, and abilities—sharing a communal meal at a round table. The hashtag #InclusionBites flows underneath in a signature, informal font. --- These encapsulate the podcast’s ethos: authenticity, empowerment, inclusion, and the human touch in recruitment. Each prompt is tailored for visual engagement, brand consistency, and maximum inclusivity.

Inclusion Bites Spotlight

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In this month’s Inclusion Bits Spotlight, we turn our attention to the deeply resonant episode “Turning Rejections into Opportunities” from The Inclusion Bites Podcast, featuring the extraordinary journey of C. Guz. As an entrepreneur and jobseeker who has transformed personal hardship into a mission for change, C. brings a fresh, human-centred perspective to the evolving landscape of recruitment and inclusion. C.'s story is one of remarkable resilience. Navigating over 13,000 job rejections, she faced the harsh realities and impersonal nature of the global hiring market. Rather than allow these setbacks to define her, C. channelled her experiences into a call to action—dedicating herself to humanising recruitment processes and advocating for inclusive practices that truly empower individuals from all walks of life. Her work boldly interrogates the systems and assumptions that too often reduce people to data points, reminding us that every candidate brings a story and potential far greater than a CV can capture. In conversation with host Joanne Lockwood, C. delves into the obstacles inherent in today’s recruitment ecosystems—from overwhelming application volumes and faceless automated filters to the psychological toll of ghosting and perpetual rejection. Together they examine the necessity of trust, psychological safety, and actionable feedback—not merely for a more compassionate candidate journey but as pillars for robust employer brands and genuine organisational growth. C. also shares the vision behind her current venture, Octopus, a platform designed to bring human insight back into hiring by delivering meaningful data and personalised feedback—creating bridges where candidates and recruiters alike can thrive. This feature episode is an essential listen for anyone engaged in hiring, HR, or the inclusion conversation more broadly. It challenges us to rethink recruitment as a partnership, not merely a transaction, and asks us to consider: What could our workplaces look like if we transformed rejection into collective opportunity? Tune in this month and be inspired to reimagine what inclusion means at the very frontiers of employment and belonging.

YouTube Description

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**Are we fuelling talent rejection—and missing out on our brightest stars?** Welcome to another transformative episode of *The Inclusion Bites Podcast* with Joanne Lockwood. In Episode 170, "Turning Rejections into Opportunities," Joanne is joined by C. Guz, an entrepreneurial changemaker on a mission to humanise recruitment and overhaul how we approach inclusion in hiring. **Summary of Insight** With brutally honest personal stories, C. Guz reveals how over 13,000 job rejections spurred not defeat, but innovation—culminating in a fresh perspective on candidate experience and inclusive recruitment. Together, Joanne and C. unravel why traditional hiring processes harm employer brand, erode candidate trust, and perpetuate bias. They delve into why the infamous CV misses the mark, how AI is both a threat and a tool, and challenge recruiters to prioritise fairness, actionable feedback, and meaningful human connection. **Why should you listen?** If you’re wondering why your organisation struggles with talent retention or why your candidate pipeline isn’t as diverse or vibrant as it should be, this episode asks the difficult questions—and offers a roadmap to real change. You’ll walk away with a new lens on the impact of rejection, practical actions for nurturing trust, and a blueprint for making recruitment an inclusive partnership. **How will you think, feel or act differently?** After listening, you’ll rethink the definition of ‘qualified’ and feel inspired to see rejection as fuel for innovation. Expect to act with renewed commitment to inclusive, empathetic hiring—putting people, not processes, at the heart of recruitment. **Takeaways and Actions:** - Audit your employer brand—does your recruitment genuinely welcome all, or quietly reject the unexpected? - Reimagine the candidate experience: Offer actionable feedback, transparency, and psychological safety at every step. - Leverage technology to augment—never replace—human judgement and emotional intelligence. - Treat every candidate as a potential advocate or customer, not a data point. - Connect. Reflect. Inspire action—become the employer people trust. **Ready to disrupt the status quo? Hit play and be part of the change!** #InclusionBites #InclusiveRecruitment #HRTransformation #BelongingAtWork #EmployerBrand #CandidateExperience #DiversityandInclusion #HumaniseHiring #RecruitmentInnovation #SeeChangeHappen Listen now: [https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen](https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen) Get in touch: jo.lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk

10 Question Quiz

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**Inclusion Bites Podcast Episode: Turning Rejections into Opportunities Quiz: Host Reflections and Insights** **Question 1:** According to Joanne Lockwood, what key element is essential in fostering an inclusive and candidate-centred recruitment process? A. Reducing the number of candidates B. Psychological safety and trust C. Automated filtering D. Competitive salaries **Question 2:** Joanne mentions that organisations often prioritise what at the expense of candidate experience in hiring? A. Technological investment B. Velocity and speed C. Diversity quotas D. Brand marketing **Question 3:** The host highlights the value of which approach when considering a candidate’s potential in the recruitment process? A. Relying strictly on CV data B. Evaluating only technical skills C. Favouring workplace samples and situational questions D. Choosing the lowest-cost candidate **Question 4:** Joanne observes that candidate experience can directly impact which of the following organisational outcomes? A. Annual profit margins B. Employer brand and talent retention C. Office location desirability D. Tax efficiency **Question 5:** What critique does Joanne make regarding the traditional CV, as discussed in the episode? A. It is too costly to produce B. It offers a narrow, historic view and does not capture a person’s full potential or personality C. It prioritises education over experience D. It is universally unbiased **Question 6:** In discussing risk aversion in hiring, Joanne suggests that recruiters often do what? A. Take bold, experimental hires B. Delegate hiring decisions to AI C. Favour “safe” candidates due to organisational blame culture D. Ignore feedback from candidates **Question 7:** The host refers to which recruitment reality, especially for large firms processing high volumes of applications? A. Each candidate receives individualised, detailed feedback B. The first stage is often an instant or automated rejection C. Only handwritten applications are accepted D. All applicants are interviewed in person **Question 8:** Joanne advocates for what element to be built into the candidate journey and recruitment process? A. A focus on educational qualifications B. Complete automation C. Mutual partnership between candidate and employer D. Unstructured interviews **Question 9:** What analogy does Joanne use to describe the sometimes impersonal reality of mass recruitment? A. A conveyor belt in a factory B. A plate of chips in McDonald's C. A racing competition D. An assembly line of robots **Question 10:** How does Joanne describe an ideal modern method to balance effective and inclusive hiring at scale? A. Relying solely on references B. Utilising a blend of technology for efficiency and human touch for meaningful connections C. Outsourcing all hiring D. Focusing only on personality assessments --- **Answer Key & Rationales** 1. **B. Psychological safety and trust** *Rationale*: Joanne explicitly emphasises the need for psychological safety and trust in the process, both for candidates and employers, as a foundation for an inclusive approach. 2. **B. Velocity and speed** *Rationale*: She highlights that organisations often sacrifice candidate experience for hiring velocity and speed, especially when filling urgent vacancies. 3. **C. Favouring workplace samples and situational questions** *Rationale*: Joanne champions the use of workplace samples and “how would you” questions to reveal a candidate’s real capability and mindset, moving beyond the traditional CV. 4. **B. Employer brand and talent retention** *Rationale*: She notes that candidate experience affects brand reputation and the retention and growth of talent within an organisation. 5. **B. It offers a narrow, historic view and does not capture a person’s full potential or personality** *Rationale*: Joanne critiques the CV as “historical,” comparing it to a Wikipedia page, and highlights its inability to reflect a candidate’s true abilities. 6. **C. Favour “safe” candidates due to organisational blame culture** *Rationale*: Joanne discusses risk aversion, explaining how recruiters often default to safer choices out of concern for organisational repercussions. 7. **B. The first stage is often an instant or automated rejection** *Rationale*: She observes that many organisations carry out a rapid or even automated first-stage rejection due to overwhelming applicant volumes. 8. **C. Mutual partnership between candidate and employer** *Rationale*: Joanne repeatedly stresses the importance of recruitment as a partnership rather than a one-sided transaction. 9. **B. A plate of chips in McDonald's** *Rationale*: She uses the analogy of candidates being like a plate of chips, underscoring the commodification and perceived expendability in high-volume hiring. 10. **B. Utilising a blend of technology for efficiency and human touch for meaningful connections** *Rationale*: Joanne concludes that balancing technology with human interaction leads to the most effective and inclusive hiring processes. --- **Summary Paragraph** The host, Joanne Lockwood, effectively framed the challenge of turning recruitment rejections into opportunities by advocating for psychological safety and trust as central pillars in the hiring process. She critiqued the prevailing trend where organisations often prioritise hiring speed over candidate experience, to the detriment of their employer brand and long-term retention. Joanne emphasised the limitations of traditional CVs, highlighting the greater value of workplace samples and situational questions to unearth genuine potential. She drew attention to recruiters’ risk aversion, which too often leads to reliance on “safe” hires and impersonal, automated rejections, especially in large-scale recruitment settings. Stressing the need to move beyond transactional interactions, Joanne called for recruitment to be approached as a true partnership and illustrated the depersonalisation of mass hiring with the “plate of chips in McDonald's” analogy. Ultimately, she championed a recruitment strategy that skilfully combines technological efficiency with the irreplaceable human touch, ensuring a more inclusive, effective, and trustworthy process for all parties.

Rhyme Scheme and Rhythm Podcast Poetry

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**Turning Rejection into Empowerment** Upon a global archway, at the crossroads wide, Where cultures mingle, prospects do collide, Emerges the journey—of knock-backs and strife, Where setbacks ignite the momentum of life. From Istanbul’s rivers to digital streams, A world of hiring is not always as it seems. Thirteen thousand rejections—how bitter the cost, Yet in each “not yet”, a spirit is tossed. For resumes whisper, but never declare The heart of a human, the value they bear. Numbers and paper, they speak in rote tones, But strip out the context, reduce flesh to bones. If trust is eroded, and faith is worn bare, How can a candidate hope—how dare? As silence breeds distance and biases rule, The best and the brightest fall out of the pool. But what if recruitment—a bridge, not a wall, Sees humans as partners, not hurdles to fall? What if the questions invite one’s best spark, And processes greet with intention—not dark? Brand is a mirror, reflecting each stage; A Glassdoor review now turns into a cage. Candidates speak, not just numbers or tools, Experience impacts whether talent enrols. Let interviews nurture, not interrogate, Feedback be honest, not left to fate. For trust is rebuilt when openness reigns, Transparency cleanses, inclusion sustains. Let’s hire for promise, for pathways to grow, For curiosity’s urge, for the skills they could show. Not every great hire has ticked every box, Sometimes the wild cards break open the locks. So challenge the systems that ghost or delay, Meet people with respect every step of the way. Whether AI pre-screens or recruiters decide, It’s partnership, empathy, work side by side. To every employer seeking talent that sticks, Prioritise people over bureaucratic tricks. And to every soul seeing “no” as a wall— Remember, in valleys, it’s courage that calls. Now, if you find wisdom in these rhymes that ignite, Subscribe and share—pass Inclusion’s bright light. *With thanks to C. Guz for a fascinating podcast episode.*

Key Learnings

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**Key Learning & Takeaway from the Episode:** The central takeaway from this episode of Inclusion Bites is that the current recruitment landscape is systemically flawed, often reducing candidates and employers to transactional participants and perpetuating distrust, inefficiency, and bias. Both candidate and employer suffer: candidates face impersonal rejections, lack of transparency, and dehumanised processes, whilst recruiters contend with overwhelming volumes, inadequate actionable data, and the pressure to mitigate risk. The solution lies in humanising recruitment by building genuine trust, focusing on candidate experience, implementing transparent and structured processes, and leveraging technology as a supportive tool—never a replacement for human judgment. Meaningful, inclusive recruitment can transform rejection from an endpoint into an opportunity for empowerment and positive change, both for individuals and for organisations. --- **Point #1: The Power of Candidate Experience** Candidate experience is not a superficial nicety—it’s a core driver of brand reputation, retention, and talent attraction. Poor candidate experiences not only deter top talent, but also damage organisational trust and loyalty, feeding directly into Glassdoor reviews, social media narratives, and wider brand perception. Studies referenced show it is one of the most significant predictors of employee retention and long-term engagement. **Point #2: Trust and Transparency Are Foundational** Both C. Guz and Joanne Lockwood repeatedly stress the necessity of trust. From clearly outlining recruitment stages and expectations to providing meaningful feedback—openness helps candidates prepare, feel valued, and rebound from setbacks. Psychological safety must extend to the hiring journey, not just the workplace proper. **Point #3: Data-Informed Yet Human-Centric Recruitment** While technology like applicant tracking systems and AI can assist with processing sheer volume and extracting data, they lack the nuances to replace human empathy or insight. Effective recruitment tools must provide actionable data that enable fair assessment without erasing the candidate’s unique story, context, or behavioural strengths. **Point #4: Partnership, Not Transaction** Perhaps the most profound shift advocated is reframing recruitment as a collaborative partnership. Employers and candidates are not adversaries in a zero-sum game; both are searching for alignment. True inclusivity means designing processes in which both parties reveal, rather than sell, their authentic strengths—and learn from every interaction, even when it ends in rejection. --- For more courageous conversations on building positive people experiences, listen to Inclusion Bites at [seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen](https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen) or contact Joanne Lockwood at jo.lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk.

Book Outline

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**Book Outline: Turning Rejections into Opportunities – Humanising Recruitment for Inclusive Success** --- ## Title Suggestions 1. **Turning Rejections into Opportunities: Reimagining Recruitment for Inclusion and Empowerment** 2. **From Setbacks to Empowerment: A Journey towards Inclusive Hiring** 3. **Humanising Recruitment: Building Trust and Inclusion from Rejection** 4. **Applicants at the Centre: Transforming Rejection into Inclusive Opportunity** --- ## Introduction - Introduce the modern job market’s competitive and impersonal nature. - Reflect on personal experiences with rejection and unemployment. - Outline the motivation to transform rejection into empowerment through inclusive recruitment. --- ## Chapter 1: The Reality of Rejection **Summary:** Detail the emotional and practical impact of mass job rejections in today’s volatile market, drawing on the experience of over 13,000 job application rejections and their consequences. **Subheadings:** - A Market Plagued by Layoffs and Change - The Cycle of Degrading Rejections - Navigating Unemployment and Financial Insecurity - Recognising Collective Struggles in the Job Search **Quotes:** - “I got more than 13,000 rejections. That meant like slap on the wrist, a kick on the face.” **Reflection Element:** Prompt readers to acknowledge their own experiences of rejection and how it has shaped their career perceptions. **Visual Aid Suggestion:** Graph showing average number of applications per successful hire, with annotation. --- ## Chapter 2: From Pain to Purpose: The Spark for Change **Summary:** Explore the emergence of a sense of responsibility and the realisation that individual action can drive industry-wide change. Discuss the moment where the idea to improve recruitment germinated. **Subheadings:** - Challenging the Status Quo of Candidate Experience - Personal Responsibility and the Drive for Change - From Candidate to Entrepreneur **Real-Life Example:** Transforming frustration into action, resulting in the founding of a start-up aimed at humanising recruitment. --- ## Chapter 3: Why Recruitment Feels Broken **Summary:** Examine systemic flaws in recruitment, such as resume-centric assessment, lack of standardisation, and candidate ghosting. Analyse why both candidates and recruiters are dissatisfied. **Subheadings:** - Too Many Applicants, Too Few Human Touchpoints - The Resume Problem: Data Points vs. the Human Story - Ghosting and its Impact on Trust - The Role of Applicant Tracking Systems in Dehumanisation **Quotes:** - “I remember looking at that one pager… I hated it. It was almost like, I’m going to destroy you. You’re telling nothing about me…” **Visual Aid Suggestion:** Diagram illustrating the traditional recruitment funnel and where candidates are lost or disengaged. --- ## Chapter 4: Rethinking Candidate Experience **Summary:** Argue for a candidate-centric approach, detailing how candidate experience directly impacts brand reputation, retention, and hiring outcomes. **Subheadings:** - Candidate Experience is Brand Experience - Trust and Psychological Safety in the Hiring Process - Practical Steps for Employer Transparency - The Power of Feedback in Nurturing Talent **Quote:** - “Candidate experience is the core predictor of retention and growth.” **Research Note:** Incorporate industry data on candidate experience and employer branding from respected sources (e.g., CIPD, Forbes). **Reflection Element:** Invite readers to evaluate their organisations’ candidate experience. --- ## Chapter 5: Humanising the Hiring Process **Summary:** Introduce alternative methods to CV-based recruitment: workplace samples, scenario-based questions, honest employer branding, and open communication. **Subheadings:** - Moving Beyond the CV: Showcasing Real Abilities - Designing Reflective and Relevant Application Tasks - Real Human Connection: The Case for Authentic Assessment - The Dangers and Benefits of Automation **Quotes:** - “You have to remember, people hire people. That’s something that we’ve forgotten in the process.” **Visual Aid Suggestion:** Table contrasting traditional CV assessment with competency-based, scenario-driven methods. **Interactive Activity:** Sample reflective questions for job seekers and recruiters to use. --- ## Chapter 6: Diversity, Inclusion, and Trust **Summary:** Unpick the complex issues of bias, diversity, neurodiversity, and inclusion in recruitment. Offer strategies for restoring trust and supporting all applicants equitably. **Subheadings:** - The Double-Edged Sword of Technology in DEI - Neurodiversity and Inclusive Interviewing - Feedback Loops and Empowerment - Overcoming Historic Mistrust **Quote:** - “We have to reestablish recruitment as a partnership. I am also hiring you as an employer.” **Research Note:** Latest best practices on inclusive hiring from leading bodies (e.g., Business Disability Forum, ACAS). --- ## Chapter 7: The Candidate-Recruiter Partnership **Summary:** Reframe the applicant-employer dynamic as a partnership, not a transaction, recognising mutual value and shared goals. **Subheadings:** - Moving from Transaction to Partnership - Actionable Data: What Recruiters and Candidates Really Need - The Role of Feedback in Continuous Improvement - Rebalancing Power in Recruitment **Real-Life Example:** Detail the eight-section reflective hiring form trialled in a start-up, focusing on skill sets, growth areas, and candidate ambitions. --- ## Chapter 8: AI, Automation, and the Human Factor **Summary:** Discuss the rise of AI in recruitment, its limitations, legal challenges, and why human judgement remains essential. **Subheadings:** - AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement - Automation, Personalisation and Trickery - The Hallucination Dilemma: When AI Gets it Wrong - The Imperative for Emotional Intelligence **Quotes:** - “AI cannot and should not and will not—It’s a human hiring a human being.” **Visual Aid Suggestion:** Flowchart of an ideal human-AI partnership in recruitment. --- ## Chapter 9: Building Trustworthy and Flexible Talent Pipelines **Summary:** Examine the limitations of passive talent pools and explore the future of active talent academies, tailored onboarding, and multi-path hiring. **Subheadings:** - Why Passive Talent Pools Fail - Investing in Candidate Development - The Case for Academies and Career Rotation - Structuring Opportunities for All **Quote:** - “You cannot expect for a candidate to fill all the boxes before you hire them because you train them and they evolve into the job.” **Research Note:** Examples from progressive employers with structured internal academies and job rotation schemes. --- ## Chapter 10: Action Plan for Inclusive, Empowering Recruitment **Summary:** Translate insights into actionable steps for both employers and job seekers to create more humane, inclusive, and mutually beneficial recruitment journeys. **Subheadings:** - Ten Practical Steps to Humanise Recruitment - Checklists for Organisations and Applicants - Reflection and Self-Assessment Tools - Case Studies of Success **Exercise:** Self-audit questionnaire for employers and applicants. --- ## Conclusion: Rejection as the Start, Not the End Summarise the main message: rejection is not the closing of a door, but the opening of multiple new pathways—for both individuals and organisations willing to embrace authentic, inclusive change. **Call to Action:** Encourage readers to re-examine their approach to recruitment, join the movement towards inclusion, and share their journeys for continuous improvement. --- ## Feedback and Refinement Include a section for suggested further reading and a process for review, inviting contributions from readers and experts to keep the conversation evolving. --- ## Chapter Summaries **Chapter 1:** Examines the personal and collective pain of rejection in modern recruitment. **Chapter 2:** Chronicles the moment of resolve, turning adversity into an impetus for industry reform. **Chapter 3:** Critiques systemic failures in hiring processes, especially the reliance on depersonalised CVs. **Chapter 4:** Demonstrates that centring candidate experience is foundational for organisational health and brand strength. **Chapter 5:** Proposes practical techniques and alternative assessments to humanise recruitment interactions. **Chapter 6:** Explores how to make hiring more inclusive for diverse and neurodiverse candidates, focusing on actionable change. **Chapter 7:** Challenges transactional thinking and outlines a partnership paradigm for candidates and employers alike. **Chapter 8:** Navigates the opportunities and limitations of AI in recruitment, advocating for the primacy of human judgement. **Chapter 9:** Guides readers through designing and maintaining trust-based, flexible talent ecosystems. **Chapter 10:** Provides step-by-step actions, resources, and reflection tools for lasting impact. --- This book outline transforms the guest’s podcast insights into a stepwise guide for candidates, recruiters, and organisations ready to build a future where rejection is not a stumbling block, but a powerful springboard for inclusion and shared success.

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**Maxims for Turning Rejections into Opportunities and Humanising Recruitment** 1. **View Rejection as a Catalyst, Not a Conclusion** Every setback presents the seeds for new growth. Rather than seeing rejection as a reflection of your worth, treat it as an invitation to adapt, learn and find your unique path. 2. **Humanity Must Prevail Over Process** Remember, recruitment and job-seeking involve people first and foremost. Systems, CVs and automated tools should never erase the human element at the heart of the process. 3. **Build Trust from the First Interaction** Whether recruiting or applying, foster trust through transparency, empathy and clear communication right from the outset. 4. **Value Psychological Safety Throughout the Journey** Create environments where individuals feel able to show their authentic selves without fear of bias, ridicule or ghosting. Psychological safety is the bedrock of inclusion. 5. **See Beyond Paper and Data Points** A CV or résumé often fails to capture motivation, character or contextual strengths. Seek depth—look for the person behind the paperwork, and reveal your own story beyond bullet points. 6. **Feedback Is Not a Luxury, But an Obligation** Constructive feedback transforms experiences. Always inform and empower others with actionable responses, even after a ‘no’. 7. **Champion Inclusion Over Mere Diversity Tallies** Meaningful inclusion requires more than meeting quotas. Strive to nurture real belonging and value diversity in thought, background and neurotype. 8. **Embrace Responsible Use of Technology** Leverage automation and AI to streamline, not dehumanise. Let technology support decision-making, not replace vital human judgement. 9. **Recruitment Is a Partnership, Not a Transaction** Both employer and candidate have agency and responsibility. Approach hiring as a process of mutual discovery and benefit. 10. **Authenticity Over Buzzwords in Culture and Brand** Honesty about workplace expectations, culture and growth opportunities builds sustained engagement and trust—from careers pages to job descriptions. 11. **Make the Hiring Process Transparent and Predictable** Remove ambiguity wherever possible. Share interview stages, assessable skills, and ‘what good looks like’ to set everyone up for success. 12. **Understand and Accommodate Individual Differences** Adjust your approaches for neurodiverse candidates, career-changers and those with varied lived experiences. One-size-fits-all strictly fits no-one. 13. **Prioritise Quality of Experience Over Speed or Cost** An outstanding candidate experience reduces long-term costs and improves retention. The cheapest or quickest path often undermines inclusivity and employer reputation. 14. **Empathy Drives Advocacy and Long-Term Loyalty** Treat every individual with dignity. Past candidates become future allies, customers or brand ambassadors. 15. **Nurture Learning and Growth, Not Just ‘Fit’** Hire for potential as well as achievement. Consider how individuals may evolve with training, mentoring and an inclusive culture. 16. **Actively Challenge the Status Quo** Perpetuate change by questioning ingrained processes. Seek ways to disrupt routines that perpetuate exclusion or inefficiency. 17. **Demand and Offer Consent for Data Usage** Collect and utilise candidate data ethically, ensuring privacy and respect for each person’s information. 18. **Remember People Hire People** Ultimately, employment decisions are (and should be) made by people, informed by technology but grounded in empathy and judgement. 19. **Make Room for Reflection and Self-Discovery** Help candidates and employees clarify what they seek, not simply what they have done. Encourage reflective journeys for all involved. 20. **Inclusion Is an Ongoing Commitment** Daily actions, not just slogans, create cultures where everyone belongs, thrives, and is empowered to turn rejection into opportunity. Live by these maxims to reimagine recruitment and work culture—not only to unlock doors for yourself, but to hold them wide open for others.

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**Turning Rejections into Opportunities | Inclusive Recruitment & Candidate Experience** _Inclusion Bites Podcast – Episode 170 | Hosted by Joanne Lockwood_ --- **Timestamps for Easy Navigation** 00:00 – Introduction & Welcome 01:14 – Meet C. Guz: Rejection, Resilience & Inclusive Recruitment 02:54 – Personal Journey: From Unemployment to Entrepreneurship 07:07 – The Flaws in Traditional Recruitment Processes 11:34 – Building Trust & Psychological Safety for Candidates 21:04 – Assessments, DEI, and Bias in Hiring 28:03 – Balancing Candidate Experience, Cost, and Speed 32:42 – The Realities of Employer Branding & Candidate Outreach 37:34 – Ghost-Posting, Job Market Ethics & Sales Mindset 40:44 – Recruitment as a True Partnership 44:58 – The Role of AI & Automation in Modern Hiring 46:00 – Creating Active Talent Pools & Talent Academies 53:06 – Moving Beyond CVs: Actionable Data and Structured Hiring 01:02:09 – What Is Octopus? Rethinking Recruitment with Smart Pre-Interviews 01:05:22 – Connect With C. Guz & Closing Thoughts --- **Video Description (Keyword Optimised):** Welcome to this powerful episode of the **Inclusion Bites Podcast** with your host, Joanne Lockwood, where we tackle the crucial topic: **Turning Rejections into Opportunities**. This episode delves into the heart of modern, inclusive recruitment, featuring special guest **C. Guz**, entrepreneur and founder/CEO of Octopus, who candidly shares her journey from facing over 13,000 job rejections to pioneering change in candidate experience and recruitment technology. Here, we uncover: - _How to turn setbacks into fuel for empowerment and innovation in your career_ - _Why the current recruitment process often fails both applicants and organisations_ - _Actionable strategies for building trust, psychological safety, and inclusion from the first candidate touchpoint_ - _How employer branding and candidate experience directly impact long-term talent retention_ - _The implications of AI, automation, and psychometric assessments in hiring decisions_ - _The urgent need to move beyond outdated CVs and towards actionable, contextual candidate data_ - _Best practices for recruiters to nurture partnership-based relationships with candidates_ **Key Takeaways for HR Professionals, D&I Practitioners, and Forward-Thinking Recruiters:** • Discover practical ways to make your candidate experience more human-centric and inclusive • Gain insights on balancing speed, cost, and experience in high-volume hiring • Explore how transparency, communication, and feedback strengthen your talent pipeline and employer reputation • Understand the latest in tech-enabled recruitment and what truly sets top employers apart • Learn to spot and counteract bias, ghost-posting, and automation pitfalls in the recruitment journey Whether you’re striving to **upgrade your hiring practices**, **reduce bias**, or **future-proof your employer brand**, this conversation will arm you with actionable insights and real-world inspiration. Benefit from C. Guz's hands-on experience and discover the tools to support candidates—from job application to onboarding—with fairness, feedback, and real opportunity to thrive. --- **👉 Don’t forget:** 🔔 **Subscribe** for weekly episodes packed with expert insights on inclusive cultures, recruitment best practices, and strategies for real change 🌐 **Visit [seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen](https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen)** for more resources, to join the conversation, or to become a guest 📥 **Share your thoughts** or stories with Joanne at jo.lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk ▶️ **Watch another episode:** [Inclusive Hiring: Removing Bias from the Process] --- **Relevant Hashtags:** #InclusionBites #InclusiveRecruitment #CandidateExperience #HiringBestPractices #DiversityAndInclusion #DEI #EmployerBranding #HRTech #CareerDevelopment #TalentAcquisition #EmploymentEquity --- **How Will This Episode Help You?** If you’re looking to champion diverse talent, build a robust employer brand, or simply ensure your hiring process is up to contemporary standards, this episode provides a blueprint you can implement straight away. Hear firsthand how rethinking rejection, investing in candidate experience, and leveraging inclusive recruitment technology can transform your talent pipeline and organisational culture—ensuring everyone not only belongs, but thrives. **Tune in, take notes, and start changing the world of work—one inclusive conversation at a time!**

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# Turning Rejection Into Belonging: Rethinking Recruitment for True Inclusion Have you ever felt like a number in a hiring process—lost in a sea of applications, unseen, unheard? Or perhaps, as a recruiter, overwhelmed by a mountain of CVs, pressured to act fast yet yearning for a more human touch? Whether you’re a candidate or an HR decision-maker, we’ve all brushed up against the sharp edges of recruitment. In a world striving for belonging and equity, why does the experience of hiring and being hired still feel so transactional—and what can we do to humanise the process? This is the heart of our latest *Inclusion Bites Podcast* episode, **"Turning Rejections Into Opportunities,"** where I sit down with the remarkable C. Guz—entrepreneur, jobseeker, and change-maker on a mission to revolutionise recruitment. Together, we unravel the knotty challenges of hiring and explore genuine, practical solutions that elevate people above paperwork. --- ## Facing the Numbers—and Seeing the People Behind Them This episode takes us on a journey not just through numbers, but lived experience. C. brings a breathtaking candour to our discussion, sharing her reality of over 13,000 rejections, months of unemployment, and the sting of invisibility within standard hiring processes. Yet, rather than remaining mired in discouragement, she’s channelled her journey into advocacy and innovation—committed to rewriting the rules for candidates and recruiters alike. Why is this conversation essential for HR professionals, D&I leaders, recruitment teams, and those guiding organisational growth? Because hiring is not simply a numbers game; it is the gateway to our culture, our brand, and ultimately, our collective sense of belonging. We examine: - The toll of automated, de-personalised recruitment tech, - How candidate experience and employer brand intertwine, - What truly inclusive hiring looks like beyond empty promises. And crucially, we ask: Where are the human stories in your hiring strategy? --- ## Fresh Perspectives with C. Guz: Beyond the Historical CV C., joining us from Istanbul, brings a dual vantage point: both as someone relentlessly navigating global job markets *and* as a founder recruiting for her own startup. She peels back the curtain on both sides of the equation. Her fierce critique? The ubiquitous CV—reduced to a cold collection of data points, divorced from personality, value, and context. She recounts the moment she sifted through 2,000 faceless resumes for a single role and how dissatisfying, even disheartening, that felt: "You're not telling the value I can bring... You’re reducing me to data points that don’t translate into who I am." Together, we challenge the status quo: Can we move beyond a Wikipedia of past achievements, and instead invite candidates to show us *who they are now*, and who they could become? --- # Practical Tactics to Reinvigorate Inclusive Recruitment What can you do to transform your own hiring landscape? Here are some actionable insights from my conversation with C. that you can apply today: 1. **Make Candidate Experience a Strategic Pillar** Candidate experience is not a ‘nice to have’—it’s a direct reflection of your organisational culture and a powerful predictor of employee retention. As C. puts it, "If you don’t nail that, how can you expect to retain those candidates as employees?" Invest in clarity, fairness, and feedback at each touchpoint. 2. **Embrace Transparency as Trust-Building Currency** From clear job descriptions to outlining the stages of your process and even naming the real people candidates will engage with, transparent communication is your quiet superpower. Share realistic insights about culture and progression, and set honest expectations from the outset. 3. **Reimagine How You Assess Potential** Go beyond the CV. Use reflective, scenario-based questions or workplace samples to uncover relevant skills, thinking styles, and personality. As we discussed, "We’re hiring people, not paper." Replace ‘what have you done?’ with ‘how would you approach?’ 4. **Give Actionable Feedback, Not Silence** Ghosting candidates damages your employer brand and trust in the whole process. Even when rejecting, provide meaningful, automated feedback—so every candidate leaves with dignity, and learns something for their next step. 5. **Build Bridges, Not Walls—Recruitment as Partnership, Not Transaction** Shift the mindset from "candidates are products" to "recruitment is a collaboration." Encourage two-way evaluation. Create space for candidates to express aspirations and reflect on what they seek, not just what you demand. --- ## See for Yourself: A Moment That Captures the Essence Curious to hear a pivotal moment from our conversation? Watch this 1-minute audiogram for a glimpse into how C. redefines candidate experience—with humanity and honesty at the core. It’s a snapshot that beautifully encapsulates our shared vision for recruitment as a living, breathing, relational process. [Watch the audiogram highlight here](insert-video-link) --- ## Explore the Full Conversation I invite you to listen to the episode in full—whether you’re an HR leader, a recruiter weighed down by process, or a candidate looking for hope and practical insight. [Listen to “Turning Rejections Into Opportunities” here](https://url.seech.uk/ibs170) If our discussion resonates, please do share it with your teams, networks, and anyone else invested in making hiring fairer, kinder, and more effective. Let’s ensure that every rejected candidate leaves the table feeling seen, valued, and ready to thrive somewhere else. --- ## Where Do We Go From Here? As we wrapped up, one question lingered in my mind, and I’d like to leave you with it: How might your organisation’s approach to recruitment change if you saw every interaction—not just as a gatekeeping exercise, but as an opportunity to foster dignity, learning, and genuine connection? We have the tools, but do we have the will to put humanity at the heart of hiring? Until next time, let’s keep challenging, keep listening, and keep building workplaces where everyone feels they truly belong. Warm regards, **Joanne Lockwood** *Host of the Inclusion Bites Podcast* The Inclusive Culture Expert at SEE Change Happen --- Let’s stay connected! - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jolockwood/) – For regular updates and vibrant discussion. - [Website](https://seechangehappen.co.uk) – For more articles, resources, and ways we can support your inclusion journey. - [Full episode library](https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen) – Explore more bold conversations on Inclusion Bites. For collaborations, speaking requests, or to share your own story, drop me a line at jo.lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk. What’s your next move to bring more inclusion into your recruitment practice?

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**Turning Rejections into Opportunities: Building Human-Centric Recruitment from the Ashes of Setback** *“After 13,000 rejections, you either rebuild the system or let it break you. I chose to rebuild.”* Some moments in life are formative—so disruptive in their pain or abruptness that your only options are to surrender or to harness the energy and charge forward anew. For me, navigating thousands of job application rejections wasn’t merely a bruising rite of passage. It seeded a mission: to humanise recruitment, making it an empowering experience for both candidates and employers, not a soul-crushing one. Lately, I've found myself reflecting deeply on this journey, particularly after my recent conversation with Joanne Lockwood on the Inclusion Bites Podcast. Joanne is one of the most authentic, impact-driven voices in inclusion—an advocate capable of teasing out the private doubts, harsh realities, and quiet hopes that underpin the hiring process. Our discussion didn’t just rehash familiar complaints; it dissected the deep structural problems and invited real solutions. If you see yourself somewhere in this story—job seeker, employer, frustrated recruiter or simply a believer in fairer systems—I want to share what I’ve learned, how I’m responding, and what needs to change. Let’s talk openly about dignity, about turning rejection into rocket fuel, and about why “belonging” must sit at the heart of the future of work. **The Podcast and the Host** Inclusion Bites, hosted by Joanne Lockwood, exists to spark transformation in our approach to inclusion and belonging. Joanne herself is a social entrepreneur and inclusion consultant, having built SEE Change Happen into a leading voice for workplace equity across Europe. Her interviewing style cuts through surface-level platitudes to reveal both hard-won lessons and hopeful paths forward—qualities sorely needed in the conversation around recruitment. More than [INSERT_VIEW_COUNT] people have already watched our interview on YouTube, with many more tuning in via Spotify and Apple Podcasts. If anything in these reflections resonates or troubles you, I urge you to comment below—tell me where you stand, where I’m wrong, what you’ve lived yourself. I read every reply, and I value the exchange. --- ### Why Rejection Feels Broken—and What It Can Build Thirteen thousand. That’s the ballpark figure of times I was rejected during my job search journey. It sounds dramatic, but it was reality—a relentless cascade of “no’s,” a torrent of ghosted applications, and a period of deep financial insecurity and self-doubt. Each automated response or, worse, radio silence left a bigger crater in my confidence. As Joanne pointed out in our conversation, *“You get to the end of that process and you have zero faith or trust in the system… You think, well, this is just pointless.”* I saw myself in that: the weary, slightly cynical, but ultimately still-hopeful candidate waiting for someone to recognise my value. But here’s the rub: rejection, especially in its most impersonal, automated forms, doesn’t just harm candidates. It damages brands, undermines trust, and hollows out the future talent pipeline. Bad candidate experience, as Joanne reminded me, correlates directly with attrition; people who are bruised in the hiring phase rarely become loyal, thriving employees. And, quite bluntly—if your brand builds its recruitment on exclusionary, transactional, or careless practices, candidates will talk. Publicly. This epiphany pushed me to shift focus from personal disappointment to collective solution. If millions are experiencing the same cycles of dejection and disempowerment, isn’t it a dereliction of duty not to fix what’s clearly broken? I couldn’t accept that inertia. Out of ashes of setback, a vision formed: helping everyone navigate the chaos by making the system more humane. ### The Systemic Flaws of Recruitment: Data, Bias, and Broken Feedback Loops Let’s get specific. The recruitment status quo is not set up to select talent; it is built to reject efficiently. Joanne captured it succinctly: the initial sift is a “gatekeeping” exercise, designed to process immense volumes and minimise inconvenience for recruiters, not to discover the hidden gems. When I had to review 2,000 CVs for my own start-up’s roles, the tables turned. Suddenly it wasn’t just about being ignored—it was about my inability, as an employer, to see the human behind the CV. The one-pager told me little about what truly matters: a person’s value, potential, or contextual achievements. Resumes are a relic of an earlier era, more Wikipedia than roadmap. They reduce people to bullet points and omit the contextual stories, ambitions, or behaviours that predict real job performance. As employers, we crave standardised, actionable data—yet, paradoxically, our traditional tools give us little of either. The system's biases further compound the mess. We use formats and formulas that discount neurodiversity, favour certain kinds of experiences and communication styles, and often unconsciously filter out anyone who doesn’t match an unspoken archetype. And then, ironically, we lament talent shortages. Add in the rise of AI, pre-selection software, and psychometric testing, and things only become more fraught. As Joanne noted, “What we’re doing is almost forcing people to act,” shaping themselves into whatever persona the process seems to demand. The result? An arms race of keyword-stuffed CVs, formulaic cover letters, and candidates gaming psychometric “right answers”—not real human connection. In this landfill of applications, trust corrodes. Both sides start seeing the other as adversaries or obstacles, not partners. ### Rebuilding Trust Through Authentic Candidate Experience Trust doesn’t begin when someone is hired. It starts—crucially—at the very first point of contact. Yet most careers pages, job descriptions, and recruitment comms are exercises in generic “employer branding,” laced with buzzwords but devoid of real substance or clarity. What if, instead, we were radically transparent? What if we said, here is exactly what the journey will look like. Here’s who you’ll talk to, what we’ll ask, and why. Here’s what the culture really means to us, not just as an aspirational phrase, but as lived day-to-day reality. When I began recruiting myself, I saw the difference this made—candidates who didn’t just “apply,” but genuinely engaged, invested, and reflected. Joanne pressed on the importance of feedback, reminding us that “if you don’t value those people, they’re going to talk about it—your employer brand is candidates.” Increasingly, companies are being scrutinised not just for how they treat employees, but for how they treat aspiring employees. In the age of Glassdoor and social media, information flows freely, and brands live and die by these micro-moments of candidate experience. One transformative idea: make hiring processes a two-way partnership, not an interrogation. Interview performance too often trumps job performance potential. We need workplaces—and hiring—where the candidate’s needs, growth ambitions, and skills are weighed as carefully as the employer’s requirements. For neurodivergent candidates and others historically sidelined by the system, simple steps—like sending questions in advance or breaking from rigid formats—can make all the difference. That’s inclusion in practice, not in policy. ### The Technology Conundrum: Is AI the Villain or the Vessel? We now live in a world where CV-generating bots compete with applicant-tracking algorithms, and “no-code” automation tools pump out mass-targeted, ‘personalised’ applications en masse. What’s lost is the human: both the signal from the candidate and the genuine ability for employers to see beyond surface-level “fit.” Joanne and I traded stories of recruiters sifting for “a simple human being among the ChatGPT cover letters.” The problem is not just automation; it’s the absence of intention—the lack of real effort or care. If both sides are just gaming the system, then everyone loses: unsatisfied hires, higher attrition, and wasted effort. Governments, rightly, are imposing constraints on the use of AI for hiring decisions, demanding that humans remain in the loop. But most tech stacks are still failing at the basics: providing actionable, bias-aware data that actually enables sound, human judgement. Here’s the challenge then: how do we leverage technology’s scale to *augment* rather than *replace* empathy, discernment, and human touch? For me, the answer lies in targeted, thoughtfully designed tools—like the ones we’re building at Octopus—that empower both recruiters and candidates to share, understand, and act on real strengths and preferences, not just keywords or tick boxes. ### Evolving From Transaction to Partnership: Towards Inclusive, Human Recruitment At the core, this is about redefining the recruitment relationship. Too often, hiring is seen as a zero-sum game: the employer holding all the cards, the candidate jumping through hoops, the rejection cold and transactional. But this mindset has landed us in an impasse of wasted potential. Imagine if recruitment evolved from gatekeeping to curation; from adversarial filtering to mutual discovery. We should be looking not just for “the” right fit for this very moment, but for people whose growth trajectories can support—and be supported by—the company’s evolution over time. Joanne shared a vision for companies building “talent academies”—venues for skill-building, career pivoting, and active nurturing of potential, not passive pools of CVs left to languish in a database. The ideal: bring someone in because you believe in them, then help them find their best seat at the ever-changing company table. The effect? Deeper loyalty, more innovation, and a virtuous cycle of trust. Of course, not every employer can launch an in-house academy or rotation scheme overnight; scale and resources matter. But every company can do the small things: move past the archaic reliance on historical CVs, design interviews around real workplace challenges, allow for multiple pathways and contexts, and give honest, actionable feedback, even in rejection. What’s needed is not technocratic reform, but courage—a willingness to treat recruitment as a partnership of equals, not a conveyor belt. ### Octopus: My Tentacle in the Solution If the old system breeds burnout and blocks inclusivity, what’s the alternative? I genuinely believe that actionable, mutual data—shared fairly by both sides—is a cornerstone. That conviction underpins Octopus, the platform I now lead. Our approach is deceptively simple: empower organisations to move only candidates who truly align with their needs into the pipeline, using smart pre-interview questionnaires generated from real job data. Candidates are given the chance to show, not just tell, their value and aspirations. For recruiters, it’s actionable evidence; for candidates, it’s dignity restored. As I see it: each side receives feedback—specific, structured, humane. Even those who don’t make it to later rounds leave with insight, not just another unanswered application. For every pre-interview, both the candidate and recruiter get precise data on where alignment exists and where it doesn’t, making each hiring cycle an opportunity for growth rather than a black box. We don’t pretend that machines can replace human hiring decisions. But they *can* be the extra tentacle that helps you see the nuances, clearing away the noise and giving you more space to relate to the person, not just the profile. ### Bringing It Full Circle: Building the Bridge Rejection, for me, was never just about personal adversity. It illuminated all the unseen opportunity costs—the wasted talent, the eroded trust, the broken relationships—embedded in the recruitment status quo. If we’re to build something more dignified and productive, we need not just new technology, but new intent. We need candidate experience at the centre. We need real feedback, real partnership, and real opportunities for belonging. As I look back at my conversation with Joanne Lockwood—whose resolve and radical candour continue to energise me—I’m reaffirmed in the belief that inclusion is not the domain of HR departments or compliance checklists. It’s embedded in every touchpoint, every rejection email, every awkward first interview. It’s there, quietly shaping who feels seen—and who chooses to stay. So, to anyone out there struggling through rejection or questioning the system: turn that pain into design. Use your outsider vantage point to rebuild not just your own path, but perhaps the very road itself. As always, if you have thoughts—arguments, memories, critiques—add them below. This isn’t just my journey or Joanne’s story; it’s a conversation we’re all writing, one bold act of inclusion at a time.

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