The Final Rant: What 100+ Episodes Taught Us About Hiring, Firing, and Everything In Between

After five years, over 100 episodes, and countless rants about hiring dysfunction, The 10 Minute Talent Rant is signing off. In our final episode, James Hornick drops a bombshell: he’s leaving Hirewell, and recruiting altogether, for a new chapter in options trading and maybe even a hedge fund.

But don’t mistake this for a sentimental send-off. We’re going out the only way we know how: firing off one last blitz of hard truths about what’s still broken in hiring.

From Reruns to Real Talk

Why reruns? Because despite all the tech, tools, and trends, the same old hiring mistakes just won’t die. Companies still:

• Ask for absurdly long guarantee periods (two years?!)
  
• Confuse brand coolness with candidate attraction
  
• Let internal politics sabotage roles that “can’t wait to be filled”
  

We’re seeing 2018 problems in a 2025 market. And AI isn’t going to fix any of it if leadership still treats recruiting like an afterthought.

AI’s Real Role (And Real Risk)

AI is reshaping everything but not in the way LinkedIn hot takes would have you believe. The shift is real: fewer humans, more systems. But if you’re counting on ChatGPT to replace actual recruiting strategy, you’re in for a rude awakening.

As James puts it: “Companies want to see if the robots can do the job first.” And when they realize they still need people? Too many forget that hiring people still requires people.

The Case for External Recruiters (Again)

Here’s the irony: when internal TA teams get gutted, the “recruiters are vultures” trope comes roaring back right before companies happily pay 25% fees to fix the mess. It’s a hamster wheel we’ve been on for years. Until companies value recruiting beyond lip service, nothing changes.

Real Advice You Can Still Use

We couldn’t leave without giving something back. A few takeaways we’d bet on:

• Flat fees work. For everyone. Try them.
  
• Pay candidates for work trials or don’t bother.
  
• Invest in brand perception before you need to fill a role.
  
• “Soft yes” is code for “you’ll regret this hire.”
  

And the big one: never stop learning. James didn’t get here by mastering recruiting. He did it by following his curiosity, from fiction writing to trading platforms. That’s what actually made him a better recruiter… until it didn’t.

Thanks for Watching

To everyone who’s watched, listened, commented, or ranted with us, thank you. You made this thing what it was. Go do what you love, learn something new, and if you ever forget what not to do in hiring… the archives are still up.

Watch the full episode of The Final Rant here: TalentInsights.Hirewell.com

Jeff Smith

James Hornick