Human Over Hype: What Recruiters Really Think at the Paraform UK Gala
In this special episode from the Paraform UK Recruiter Gala at the stunning Hedsor House, Nitin is joined again by guest hosts Bobby Banerjee and Kat Kingshott for the last of a marathon of conversations featuring some of the brightest recruiters and Paraform insiders in the industry. Across multiple mini-interviews, we hear from: 👉 Daniel Jones and Ryan Horne of Searchability 👉 Alexander Wen, Head of Marketing at Paraform 👉 Denis Goncharov-Carey, Founder of DGC Search 👉 Wayne Zhou, GM at Paraform This wrap-up episode captures the real sentiment, the challenges, and the excitement of recruiters operating within Paraform’s marketplace — from concerns about client access to the unique “reward” model, to the cultural differences between UK and US recruiters. What we dive into: ⭐ How recruiters really feel about control, client ownership, and transparency on the Paraform platform. ⭐ Why UK recruiters hesitate to contact hiring managers — and why Paraform wants them to. ⭐ The Lead Recruiter initiative and how Paraform is evolving client–recruiter dynamics. ⭐ AI hype vs. reality: why humans remain central to recruitment despite Silicon Valley noise. ⭐ How Paraform creates a sense of community and “movement” rather than just another SaaS tool. ⭐ Denis’ dating-app analogy for navigating hundreds of open roles. ⭐ Alexander’s powerful view on “human-first” mission-driven hiring and why recruiting will always be about people. ⭐ Wayne’s honest reflections on UK vs US recruiter behaviour, social signalling, and how to thrive in 2026. The episode ends with an energetic closeout between Nitin, Bobby, Kat and Wayne, reflecting on what makes Paraform’s community feel genuinely collaborative — and why 2026 might be the breakthrough year for recruiters willing to adapt, stay hungry, and stay foolish. Who This Episode Is For ✔ Recruiters curious about Paraform and its UK expansion ✔ Agency owners exploring new revenue streams ✔ US/UK recruiters wanting clarity on AI vs human impact ✔ Marketers and talent leaders interested in community-driven platforms ✔ Anyone who enjoys honest, human, slightly chaotic conversations about the recruitment world Check out Paraform: https://www.paraform.com/ 🔗 Connect with the guests Daniel Jones: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieljonessearchability/ Ryan Horne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-horne-757a03272/ Alexander Wen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderwen1/ Denis Goncharov-Carey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denis-goncharov-carey-89461817/ Wayne Zhou: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-y-zhou/ 🔗 Connect with the hosts Nitin Sharma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nitin-rectools/ Bobby Banerjee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbybanerjee/ Kat Kingshott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katkingshott/ Discover recruitment tools and services: https://www.rectools.io/ New episodes of RecTalk, including Founder Diaries and Talking Talent, drop every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Look out for new episodes of The Mixed Grill — the official podcast of the Recruitment Curry Club — dropping on Thursday. https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-recruitment-curry-club/ Listen on another platform: https://rectalk.co.uk/ 🔗 Get in touch with these recommended suppliers Ross Thompson — Infinity Staff Global: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossnthompson/ Matt Fox — Exitus Advisory: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-fox-50b10311/ SourceFlow: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sourceflow/ Robert Woodford — The Marketing Junction: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marketing4recs/ Carl Jones — Konquest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-jones-66093722/
