In this episode of The Changing State of Talent Acquisition, hosts Graham Thornton and Martin Predd welcome Maria Christopoulos Katris, Founder and CEO of Built In. Maria shares her 15-year journey growing Built In from a Chicago-based tech community to a global recruitment platform, offering sharp insights into why traditional applicant tracking systems (ATS) are failing to capture the full candidate journey and how employer branding has become a cornerstone of modern talent acquisition. With Built In’s latest trends report as a backdrop, Maria reveals why companies are doubling down on employer brand investments and how referrals are surging as a top channel for tech talent—while also exposing the limitations of relying on them.

Topics include:

• The evolution of recruitment from job boards to a marketing-driven discipline
• Why ATS source-of-hire data is only 20% accurate and how to move beyond it
• The rise of employer branding as a core pillar of talent acquisition
• The surge in referrals for tech talent and their potential impact on diversity
• Strategies for improving candidate experience and treating applicants like consumers
• The growing importance of employer branding for internal retention
• How to educate executives on the value of employer brand investments when ROI is challenging to measure

Links:

Maria Christopoulos Katris, Founder and CEO of Built In

• LinkedIn
• Built In 2025 Talent Trend Report
• Connect with the Built In team to learn more about how a recruitment marketing approach will help you attract top talent."

Tune in to discover how to transform your talent acquisition strategy by embracing recruitment as marketing and building a candidate-centric employer brand that stands out in today’s competitive landscape.