After a long time away from the editorial side of our work, this week, I’m excited to be stepping back into a more hands-on role. While I’ve always felt most comfortable behind the scenes, I’ve missed being directly involved in the conversations that are shaping the future of the talent acquisition profession.

There’s a lot happening in our industry right now, and I’m eager to dive back in – not just as CEO, but as an editor who’s curious, opinionated, and ready to get his hands dirty again at a pivotal time.

Big thanks to Kevin Grossman for his work as Editor of the ERE Weekly. Kevin has been a thoughtful steward of this community and a tireless advocate for elevating candidate experience. I wish him and the CandE team all the best as they continue their work at Survale.

It’s been a busy stretch here at ERE Media. Launching the ERE Recruiting Innovation Summit – and bringing the ERE and SourceCon communities together under one roof – was a big leap for our small team. But it paid off. It was incredible to see TA and sourcing leaders share ideas, solve problems, and inspire one another. One attendee summed it up better than I could:

I’ll be sharing more about the Summit next week. For now, I want to share something more personal.

When I founded ERE Media, I was 23 years old and barely two years into my career, working at what was then a fast-growing startup in the recruiting space – Monster.com. It was an exciting time. By day, I was working at Monster; by night, I was building what would become ERE.

One day, my phone rang. A gravelly voice asked, in no uncertain terms, what exactly I was up to. That voice belonged to Gerry Crispin. He remembers the conversation more colorfully than I do, but that curiosity is one of Gerry’s defining traits, along with his generosity.

A few days later, I nervously made my way to Shaker Advertising in New Jersey – my first time driving outside of New York City – to meet him. That visit marked the beginning of many long, thoughtful conversations about how we could help advance the talent acquisition profession.

Last week, I had the privilege of flying out to Las Vegas to watch alongside hundreds of people whose lives and careers Gerry has touched as he received a well-deserved lifetime achievement award.

Congratulations, Gerry. You’ve been — and will continue to be — a friend, mentor, and inspiration to me throughout my career.

— David

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Featured Story

What’s Happening to Talent Acquisition Careers?

How do you hire for mid-level roles without candidates who’ve done entry-level work?

What’s really going on with talent acquisition in 2025? The market feels frozen. Veteran recruiters are “open to work.” Teams are shrinking. And even companies with strong financials seem to be holding off on hiring. It’s not just a blip—it’s a reckoning. In our latest deep dive, we look at the three converging forces reshaping the TA profession: the post-COVID hiring hangover, a business-wide obsession with efficiency, and the steady creep of AI into every aspect of white-collar work.

This piece pulls apart the data and the dynamics behind the slowdown—and what it means for the future of TA roles. Will recruiting rebound like it has in previous downturns, or is this the beginning of a more permanent transformation? Read on to understand why today’s challenges may just be the early signs of a structural shift that’s already underway. (ERE)

More Recruiting Insights

ZipRecruiter Job Seeker Confidence Survey. Lots of interesting stuff here. Joer confidence increased, but they are more nervous about the near futureb seek. Tech employees seem ready to find greener pastures. (ZipRecruiter)

What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up? – A Question We Should Still Be Asking Our Team. Ron Thomas builds a powerful case for the lasting affects of impactful leadership. (ERE)

Why Moderna Merged Its Tech and HR Departments. The combined department’s chief has a new title — Chief People and Digital Technology Officer. Those roles are about as different as can be. Expenses will go down, but I don’t see this ending well. (WSJ)

2025 Mental Health and Employability Report: Insights from 1,000 Hiring Managers. Employers are becoming more comfortable talking about mental health with their employees and candidates are opening up about their challenges in the workplace. It’s about time. (Resume Genius)

Reimagining Recruitment in the AI Era. Hung Lee, longtime friend — and sometimes chess opponent — of ERE, had a great interview with Hari Srinivasan, VP of Product at LinkedIn. Hari showed off LinkedIn Recruiter’s latest AI offerings. (YouTube)

Conferences

ERE Recruiting Innovation Summit

San Diego, CA

November 4-5, 2025

The ERE Recruiting Conference is the premier independent practitioner-led recruiting event that provides actionable insights for talent acquisition professionals. Join fellow colleagues to discover practical ideas, best practices, and case study solutions from leaders who share your toughest recruiting challenges — and have experience overcoming them. (ERE Recruiting Innovation Summit)

Webinars

Disability Inclusion Myths: Busted! What Every Employer Needs to Know

May 20, 2025 | 2:00 PM EDT | 1 Hour

Join us for a powerful webinar that challenges outdated myths about employees with disabilities and explores the real business value of inclusion. Featuring voices from inclusive employers and workplace accessibility experts, this session will tackle the misconceptions that too often hold companies back – like concerns around productivity, cost, and legal risk. (ERE)

Next-Level Talent Engagement: Transforming Recruitment with AI Solutions

May 22, 2025 | 2:00 PM EDT | 1 Hour

Discover how integrated technology is reshaping the way organizations connect with top talent. In this webinar, we’ll explore how tools like text recruiting platforms, AI chatbots, and employee referral systems can work together to create a seamless and personalized candidate experience. (ERE)

Tech Demo Tuesday: Discover the Hottest Tools in Recruiting

June 3, 2025 | 2:00 PM EDT | 1 Hour

Join us for Tech Demo Tuesday, a dynamic webinar series designed for recruiting leaders and talent acquisition practitioners eager to explore cutting-edge technology in the recruiting space. Discover the latest sourcing and hiring innovations as top solution providers showcase the tools shaping the future of talent acquisition. (ERE)