This Week in Talent (24th August)

We’ve been doing a lot of talk recently about AI and how it’s impacting the authenticity and genuineness of people’s posts or feeds. Lots of LinkedIn posts, especially this week, have commented on how ‘fake’ and unoriginal the content has been as well as how long each post has been. In trying to use AI tools to create more engaging content, it seems to have had the opposite effect and left a sour taste around creative freedom and originality of ideas – leading to an increased ‘copy/paste’ behaviour straight out of ChatGPT.

So, I thought this week I’d talk about some other platforms coming up as rising stars that are opening different avenues for voices. One of my favourites recently has been Substack, which has created the re-emergence of the humble newsletter. Since late 2020 writers, journalists and freelancers have all flocked to the platform, where the website has provided an alternative outlet for writers, and readers alike, to reinvigorate and inject culture back into the information curated, shared, and read.

What I really love about the Substack is the way that the content sits on the precipice of journalism and journaling. It’s not focused on creating the need for viral content, just to see how many likes and comments you’ll receive. It’s not driven by the absurd backend algorithms that force you to create useless posts to stay ‘relevant’ (sorry not sorry LinkedIn, but your current algorithm changes suck!). It’s about giving readers the power to read and self-subscribe to curated newsletters and genuine content without the noise and algorithm driven circus of social media.

I wanted to share something I’d read on Substack about how they describe their readers which really drives home Substack’s mission “to build a new economic engine for culture”:

“A Substack reader is someone who might be on the verge of opting out of online media because of their aversion to the toxicity of their social feeds. It’s someone who wants high-quality news and culture. It’s someone who’s willing to consider a range of sources, even ones that challenge their assumptions. It’s someone who wants to find a way to be online with dignity.”

So, food for thought this week and to really think about what’s driving the content you see on your feeds. Is it for virality or geared more towards highlighting individual voices to share pieces of their mind instead of just their mood board?

I’ve added a few links to Substacks I follow or resonate with in this week’s newsletter but would be keen to hear about which one’s you rate?!

PS – HUGE shoutout and final call for ATC2023 early bird registrations as it ends 1^stSeptember! Be quick and grab your tickets friends!

Substack: The Curiosity Chronicle

Love love love following this one! Sahil Bloom curates some really thought provoking and as he calls it “curiosity inducing” content. Well worth checking out his weekly newsletters for topics across self-development, team dynamics, goal setting and anything life in general.

Substack: Future of Talent

Future of Talent by Kevin Wheeler – need I say more?

Substack: Recruiting Brainfood

Hug Lee’s Recruiting brainfood also now lives on Substack! Check it out for an assortment of TA, AI, global impacts, and other interesting topics under the sun that he curates on the weekly.

Substack: Lenny’s Newsletter

I always look forward to Lenny’s weekly take on product, growth and super informative content on careers that I’ve been able to utilise across my role as well.

Will AI fix work?

To ready leaders and businesses for the age of AI, Microsoft surveyed 31,000 people in 31 countries resulting in some informative data, pointing to three urgent insights business leaders must know as they look to quickly and responsibly adopt AI.

Trueup – Trending Tech Jobs

For those that are job searching still, this website is great for seeing which roles and companies are trending in the tech space.