Agentic workflow is removing the hiring friction that staffing companies have traditionally been paid to manage: sourcing, matching, outreach, follow-up and coordination through to first interview. Recruit Holdings has identified recruitment services, automation and staffing as part of an addressable market of about $300 billion. ZipRecruiter has said its technology can deliver agency-style hiring work through to the first interview. At the same time, SIA has reported agencies evolving into technology-enabled talent marketplaces.
This keynote examines what remains valuable when routine recruitment activity can be automated and priced differently. It will set out the defensible moats: proprietary specialist data, trusted candidate relationships, access to hard-to-reach talent, assessment, judgment, persuasion, compliance, payroll and two-sided networks. The question is no longer whether ai changes staffing. It is where firms create value once friction is no longer the product.
