Hello and a warm welcome to our inaugural newsletter!

In today's edition, we're diving into two perspectives that capture both the practical realities and exciting possibilities of recruitment technology.

We’ve got a cool interview with Niels Tukker, the founder behind the recruitment tech company Recrubo (recently acquired by Carv). He shares his entrepreneurial story and view on the future of recruitment.

And we also have some great insights from our recent executive dinner with Belgian staffing leaders. We discussed:

• AI experiments

• Data governance

• Balancing automation with human connection

Let’s dive in!

TALENT BUSINESS LEADER - INTERVIEW

Behind Recruitment's AI Revolution: A Conversation with Niels Tukker

In our exclusive interview with Niels Tukker, founder of Recrubo - recently acquired by Carv.com, we dive into how AI is fundamentally reshaping the recruitment landscape in 2025.

"This moment calls for a holistic view, not just optimizing what already exists, but reimagining the entire recruitment journey," Niels explains. His vision goes beyond incremental improvements-it's about rebuilding the entire hiring process from the ground up.

The results speak volumes: Oranjegroep now manages 15,000 candidates annually with just three recruiters, while Carrefour has slashed their time-to-hire by 50%.

But the most compelling transformation? Recruiters returning to what they love most-building meaningful human connections, rather than drowning in administrative tasks.

TOP INSIGHT

AI in Recruitment: Implementation Challenges

Some insights from a private dinner we hosted with ten senior staffing executives from some of Belgium's leading recruitment agencies, collectively responsible for hundreds of placements annually.

AI excels at initial candidate sourcing and administrative tasks, while humans remain essential for assessing potential beyond the resume.

Adoption sweet spot exists where technical innovations enhance-rather than replace-the relationship-building aspects of recruitment that candidates still value most.

Implementation Tips:

• Audit your data quality before investing in advanced AI tools

• Define 2-3 specific metrics to measure success before implementation

• Identify tech-enthusiastic team members as internal champions

• Tailor your AI approach based on candidate segment expectations

Upcoming events

Executive Dinner for Staffing Agency managers

Date: June 18th, 2025 Location: Antwerp (Belgium)

Join us for an exclusive evening where industry leaders will share their insights on the rapidly evolving recruitment technology landscape of 2025, and the integration strategies that are delivering measurable efficiency gains in talent acquisition.

Executive Dinner for HR Directors

Date: June 19th, 2025 Location: Antwerp (Belgium)

Join fellow C-suite leaders for an exclusive evening of strategic insights and practical solutions on managing your external workforce in today's dynamic talent landscape.

Talent Business Awards

Date: November 6, 2025 Location: Antwerp (Belgium)

Come and join the exclusive Talent Business Awards ceremony and gala dinner, and enjoy a company of fellow peers celebrating the outstanding achievements in the industry.

The gala dinner provides an exceptional opportunity to network with all the professionals in the Belgian staffing & recruitment industry, fostering collaboration and celebrate successes together.

Thanks for reading this week’s Talent Business Insights!

This newsletter is created for you to inspire, inform, and spark conversation. We'd absolutely love to hear your thoughts! What topics would you like to see covered? What challenges are you facing in attracting, selecting and retaining top talent? Your feedback will shape future editions, so please hit reply and share your thoughts.

With enthusiasm for what's ahead,
— Talent Business Insights team