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Episode 109: From Headhunting to Transformation: AI, Talent Strategy, and the Future with Jess Von Bank
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Do you know if the jobs your company is hiring for today will even exist in three years? Or if your recruiters are spending too much time filling seats instead of creating strategic talent pipelines? In this eye-opening conversation, Jess VonBank, part of the HR Digital Transformation practice at Mercer, shares unfiltered truths about the inefficiencies plaguing recruiting and the bold steps needed to fix them.
You’ll hear how Jess went from door-to-door insurance sales to niche executive headhunting, to leading high-volume hiring for 28,000 people in a year — and why she believes most TA leaders should be fired for wasting resources. Jess explains why AI isn’t just changing recruiting; it’s redefining what jobs will even exist, what skills will matter, and how companies must design hiring systems with precision, personalization, and long-term impact in mind.
We also dive into urgent industry challenges, from healthcare staffing shortages to manufacturing’s generational shift. Jess offers actionable strategies for reframing the talent conversation with business leaders, using tech to solve real everyday problems, and overcoming what she calls “failure fatigue” in transformation projects. If you’re a recruiter, TA leader, or job seeker wanting a raw look at the future of work — this episode delivers.
In this episode:
00:19 – Introducing Jess VonBank
02:36 – From Insurance Sales to Executive Headhunting
05:00 – The Art and Science of Recruiting Before Social Media
09:34 – Why Most TA Leaders Should Be Fired
13:19 – Moving From Reactive to Proactive Talent Strategy
15:50 – Preparing Talent for AI Disruption
20:25 – Who Owns the Future of Workforce Planning
24:58 – AI’s Mimicry Problem and Responsible Use
30:08 – How AI Will Reshape the Corporate Pyramid
35:48 – Rebranding Healthcare and Frontline Work
39:42 – Failure Fatigue vs. Change Fatigue
42:13 – Transformation Starts with Obsessing Over Problems
45:14 – Where to Connect with Jess
About Jess Von Bank
Jess VonBank is part of the HR Digital Transformation practice at Mercer, where she helps organizations reimagine their talent strategies and workforce design in the age of AI. With a career spanning executive headhunting, high-volume corporate recruiting, and technology advisory, Jess has led initiatives hiring tens of thousands while maintaining quality at scale. She is a frequent speaker at major HR and tech conferences and also runs Diverse Daisies, a nonprofit empowering girls through mentorship and growth experiences.
About Joel Lalgee
Joel Lalgee is an internationally known recruitment leader and coach who has helped thousands of recruiters build their brands online. In 2015, Joel started recruiting for a small start-up agency in Milwaukee. He quickly found his passion for recruitment. In 2019, he discovered content marketing, publishing his first posts on Linkedin. Since then, he has grown to over 400k followers, and his content has been seen over 1 billion times. In 2023, he started a business specializing in coaching recruiters, marketing consulting, and influencer partnerships.
Jess Von Bank
- Jess VonBank LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessvonbank
- Mercer: https://www.mercer.com
- Diverse Daisies Nonprofit: https://www.diversedaisies.org
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