In this episode, Andy Simpson sits down with David Rees, Director of Talent Acquisition at Atos, to dissect the challenges and opportunities in in-house recruitment. From pushing back on volume-based hiring strategies to creating talent teams that genuinely partner with the business, David shares actionable insights from the frontlines of enterprise TA.

We explore why many internal recruitment teams are underperforming, how to rethink partnerships with hiring managers, and the shift away from cost-per-hire thinking towards long-term value creation. If you’ve ever felt like in-house talent teams are stuck in reactive mode—this one’s for you.

Whether you're a TA leader, internal recruiter, or someone building a hiring function, this conversation unpacks what it really takes to deliver quality hiring at scale.

🎙 Key Topics:

🔹 Why in-house TA teams are often misunderstood
 🔹 How to build meaningful partnerships with hiring managers
 🔹 The flaws of volume-driven recruitment
 🔹 Metrics that matter more than just cost-per-hire
 🔹 Lessons from scaling internal recruitment across industries

📌 Show Notes & Timestamps:

[00:00] – Opening & Word Association

• David’s first reaction to the word “recruiter”
• Why external and internal recruiters still clash

[03:00] – Building High-Performing TA Teams

• The difference between service and strategy in recruitment
• How internal teams can act like business partners
• Why quality always beats volume

[10:00] – Why Cost-Per-Hire is the Wrong Metric

• Moving away from short-term numbers
• How hiring impact can be measured differently
• Why recruiter effectiveness should be outcome-based

[17:00] – The Agency vs. In-House Debate

• Where agencies still bring massive value
• How internal teams can learn from agency speed
• Why internal and external recruitment should collaborate

[25:00] – Managing Hiring Manager Expectations

• How to challenge unrealistic role briefs
• The importance of discovery and proper intake
• Creating accountability on both sides

[35:00] – Redesigning Internal Recruitment

• What a modern in-house TA function looks like
• Why many teams are stuck in admin mode
• The future of embedded and strategic hiring support