In a tight labour market, employers can’t afford slow, unclear hiring - yet moving fast without fairness creates risk, bias, and damage to your employer brand.In this episode of the HRchat Podcast, Bill Banham welcomes Stuart Potter, Senior Lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University and contributor to digital skills initiatives supporting SMEs, to explore the real-world use of AI, automation, and employer branding in modern hiring.Ahead of the Peterborough AI Summit at ARU, Stuart shares where AI can genuinely add value in HR and recruiting - such as screening support, scheduling, assessments, and candidate communication - and where human judgement must remain in charge. Stuart also shares simple, practical guardrails for ethical AI: disclose AI use, keep people as final decision-makers, and audit outcomes for bias.We also discuss how automation is reshaping early career pathways, what graduates need to prove now that entry-level “busywork” is disappearing, and how employers can attract emerging talent by showcasing mentorship, growth, and meaningful work.If you want a smarter, fairer hiring strategy that strengthens trust and improves conversion, this episode delivers a step-by-step blueprint—including a 90-day employer branding action plan you can start immediately.Support the showFeature Your Brand on the HRchat PodcastThe HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score. Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here. Follow us on LinkedIn Subscribe to our newsletter Check out our in-person events