Ben started his recruitment career back in 2007 and has been hooked ever since. He’s spent time agency-side (including leading an agency division) and in-house, where he ran high-volume hiring for a big FMCG brand—rolling out an ATS, filling thousands of vacancies, and picking up an industry award along the way.
Today, Ben heads up hireful’s Recruitment Success Programme, coaching and mentoring in-house recruitment teams on best practice. He loves sharing practical advice on everything from direct sourcing and advert copywriting to improving candidate journeys and helping hiring managers get it right. When he’s not training teams, you’ll find Ben running hireful’s in-house recruitment community and hosting networking and roundtable events—always on a mission to help recruiters hire better, faster and more cost-effectively.
What will be discussed?
In this session, we'll open the floor on building genuine relationships with candidates before a role even exists, managing talent pools so people feel valued rather than stored, and keeping warm candidates engaged during slow or frozen hiring periods. We'll hear from you about early-engagement tactics that have actually worked, how to set realistic expectations with candidates who may be waiting a while, and how to make sure your pipelines reflect a diverse range of people rather than just mirroring who's already applying.
Please bring real examples from your experience (wins, challenges, or lessons learned) to share with the group.
We'll explore questions like these together:
- What's one small thing you've done (online or in person) that unexpectedly brought future candidates into your world?
- What do candidates actually expect when they join a talent pool or follow your company (updates, insights, opportunities, connection, or reassurance)?
- How do you ensure candidates feel valued rather than "stored" while waiting for a relevant opportunity?
- What early-engagement tactics have you tried (virtual events, open coffees, attending meetups, running webinars, hosting stands) and which genuinely worked?
- What's your biggest barrier today (time, tools, content, alignment, hiring manager support, or candidate engagement)?
Recruitment Roundtables – Join the Conversation, Not Just the Call
Every roundtable has an assigned chair to help steer the conversation and make sure everyone gets involved. You’ll have the chance to ask your own questions, and the chair will also bring a few group questions to keep the discussion flowing. No question is more important than another – it’s all about sharing experiences and learning from each other.
If you’d like the chair to raise a question on your behalf, email us at marketing@hireful.co.uk. We also welcome spontaneous questions during the event – the best conversations often happen in the moment!
To make the most of the session, review the discussion topics in advance and think about what insights or experiences you can share.
Why get involved?
Recruitment can feel like a standalone role, and finding time for your own development often slips down the list. That’s why we created Recruitment Roundtables – one-hour, virtual sessions designed for UK & Ireland in-house recruiters and HR professionals who recruit.
These sessions are all about active participation. Everyone contributes – sharing ideas, asking questions, and tackling challenges together. The value comes from the conversation, not a presentation.
Why join?
- Personal development: Take an hour to invest in yourself and learn from peers
- Networking: After each event, we share a delegate list with LinkedIn profiles so you can connect
- Real conversations: These are live, interactive discussions - no recordings, no passive listening.
Best of all? They’re completely free. No minimum commitment – just sign up for the sessions that matter to you.
Can’t find an industry-specific session? We also run general groups where recruiters from different sectors share ideas and tackle common challenges together.
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