Building Sustainable Recruitment Systems: Insights from Melissa Kelly

Background and Transition to Entrepreneurship

Question: Tell us about your background and what led you to start MK Talent Advisory.

Melissa Kelly: I've spent 15 years in talent acquisition. I began in travel and tourism, then moved through various businesses before joining PwC. Last year, I took redundancy from PwC and launched MK Talent Advisory in August. It's been an exciting 15 months!

During lockdown, I made a significant life change. I moved from London to Norfolk, where I enjoy a slower pace of life. It's also more affordable, which has definitely contributed to my decision to stay.

My business focuses on helping companies build internal recruitment capabilities. This allows them to take control of their hiring processes, make better hires, and reduce reliance on agencies and their fees. It's all about creating sustainable recruitment systems that work now and can grow in the future.

Navigating the Transition from Corporate to Entrepreneurship

Question: When you left the corporate world of PwC, what was that transition like? What can you take from that tier-one corporate environment that's practical for SMEs?

Melissa Kelly: Leaving the comfort of a top-tier firm feels like stepping away from a luxury hotel. You leave behind structure and support. You don’t realize how privileged you are until it’s gone. Suddenly, you wear many hats and must look after yourself.

However, running your own business has many positives. You have the freedom to shape your career and your business without red tape.

At PwC, I learned valuable skills in a high-quality environment. I gained insights into scoping work, building frameworks, project management, client interactions, and risk management. This knowledge has allowed me to hit the ground running with clients, knowing how to manage engagements effectively.

Business Model and Client Acquisition

Question: You mentioned helping businesses build internal recruitment capability. What does that look like in practice?

Melissa Kelly: I assist businesses in identifying the right recruitment delivery model for them. Many think it's either building an in-house function or relying on agencies. However, there are various models to consider. For instance, companies might opt for RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) or MSP (Managed Service Providers). There are also embedded and fractional talent teams.

We can leverage different technologies to enhance recruitment. It’s about thinking creatively about how to approach hiring, rather than simply posting a job and waiting for applicants.

Question: How do you get clients? This is probably the most important question for a small business. Is it word of mouth, selling, or networking?

Melissa Kelly: I realized that my network was primarily within the corporate world. When I left PwC, I had around 1,700 LinkedIn connections, mostly from travel, PwC, and a few recruiters. My reputation as just Mel Kelly was practically nonexistent.

Over the past 15 months, I’ve focused on expanding my network. Building relationships is crucial for any business owner. You’ll learn so much from others who are further along in their journey. They can provide referrals and guidance, but it takes time to establish trust.

Anyone transitioning from corporate to independent consulting should invest time in networking. It doesn’t always have to be with ideal clients. Building a community of fellow business owners in your industry can be incredibly valuable. People are often more willing to share their time and insights than you might think.

Leveraging LinkedIn for Client Acquisition

Question: Practically, how do you do it? What's your LinkedIn activity like?

Melissa Kelly: I follow all the advice from LinkedIn experts. I ensure my profile appeals to my ideal clients. I dedicate significant time to LinkedIn outreach since that’s where most of my clients are active.

The content I create reflects my work and the value I can offer. I share free information, tips, and advice. I used to host LinkedIn Lives and webinars, discussing various topics and providing practical steps and tools for others to use in their businesses. I give to attract clients and demonstrate my expertise.

I also utilize automation tools like Dripify, which helps send connection requests to my ideal clients automatically. I create lists on Sales Navigator, download them, and upload them into Dripify. This tool sends out invites automatically. When people accept, I have a messaging sequence ready to initiate a conversation. While it can feel impersonal, it’s effective.

LinkedIn messaging has yielded the best results for me. Email marketing hasn’t worked as well. I plan to launch a website soon to enhance my SEO and professional presence.

Talent Acquisition at Scale: The PwC Example

Question: For someone reading this, how is a talent acquisition function structured in a large organization like PwC?

Melissa Kelly: At PwC, our recruitment team had about 100 members, including our RPO provider. The RPO typically handles higher-volume, lower-level roles, while the in-house team focuses on experienced hires from manager level and above.

We recruited around 4,000 people annually across the network. In large organizations, you generally have specialized teams. We had teams for experienced acquisition, RPO for junior hires, employer branding, and contingent recruitment.

The recruitment process encompasses everything from role approval by HR to working with hiring managers to define role requirements, creating job adverts, managing applications, scheduling interviews, chasing feedback, negotiating offers, and ultimately onboarding candidates.

All of this is supported by recruitment technology, including ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) and assessment tools. Additionally, we analyze data to evaluate team performance regarding quality, speed of hire, and cost per hire. This data-driven approach informs our recruitment strategies and helps us make evidence-based decisions.

AI's Impact on Recruitment

Question: There's a big discussion right now about candidates using ChatGPT and Claude to improve their CVs. Can ATS systems block this or use it against candidates?

Melissa Kelly: No, ATS systems cannot identify whether something was written by AI. They lack the sophistication to block candidates using AI-generated content.

Many companies are now clarifying their expectations regarding AI usage on their careers pages or job adverts. While it’s naive to think candidates won’t use AI, we must emphasize the importance of authenticity. A CV should accurately reflect a candidate's skills and abilities.

The challenge is that candidates can apply with AI-generated CVs at any time. AI matches keywords perfectly, leading to inflated candidate ratings. This makes it difficult for recruitment teams to identify genuine candidates.

We need to introduce some friction at the application stage to differentiate between AI-generated applications and truly qualified candidates. We should explore alternative assessment methods to ensure we attract the right talent.

Question: What's your view on automatic video interviews for first-stage candidate screening?

Melissa Kelly: I understand the appeal of video interview tools for quickly filtering candidates. However, I find them impersonal, especially for senior roles.

I've participated in both types of video interviews—one where I recorded my answers and another with an AI bot asking questions. Neither felt personal or engaging. I had no opportunity to ask questions or clarify job details, which left me feeling disconnected.

Automated interviews can dehumanize the recruitment process. Candidates want to have conversations about the roles they’re applying for. Especially for mid-career positions, I believe it’s essential to maintain human interaction in the early stages of recruitment.

While we need to optimize our processes to accommodate AI-enabled candidates, relying on more technology isn’t necessarily the solution. We should focus on assessment and conversation, particularly for mid to senior-level roles.

Interview Best Practices

Question: When candidates reach the interview stage, what really matters in these conversations? What works well, and what works against a candidate?

Melissa Kelly: Authenticity is incredibly powerful. I believe many underestimate the impact of simply being yourself during an interview.

Different candidates have varying needs and perform differently in interviews. I’m not the best interviewee, despite working in recruitment. After interviews, I often feel I didn’t perform well.

Candidates should be themselves and clearly articulate their current skills, potential for growth, and transferable skills. It’s essential to demonstrate not only past experiences but also how their skills can benefit the company.

On the flip side, some candidates may not perform as well as others. Interviewers need training in effective recruitment practices. They should learn to ask open-ended questions and recognize their unconscious biases, which can influence their decisions.

It’s crucial for hiring teams to be trained in proper interview techniques to ensure candidates feel they are treated fairly.

Question: Do you provide this kind of training?

Melissa Kelly: Absolutely. I’ve conducted extensive training for hiring managers on unconscious bias and provided them with essential tools and resources. Many businesses lack specific interview guides tailored to the roles being filled.

Consistency is vital. Everyone should have the same opportunity during the interview process. Unfortunately, interviewers often go into interviews without a structured plan, leading to inconsistent evaluations.

Part of my role is to help upskill hiring managers and create templates, competency frameworks, and scoring criteria for candidate assessments. Relying on personal feelings or gut instincts can lead to poor hiring decisions and potential discrimination.

Managing Declined Candidates and Silver Medalists

Question: Have you ever done anything to mitigate the pain of saying no to candidates who've been through multiple interviews but weren't selected?

Melissa Kelly: Absolutely. It’s common to have two outstanding candidates competing for the same role. It’s essential to provide constructive feedback to those who are not selected. This helps them in their future endeavors and encourages them to consider reapplying.

Ideally, every candidate who interviews should leave feeling positive about their experience. They should think, "I want to come back in six months because I had a great experience."

Candidates who are strong but not selected are often referred to as "Silver Medalists." We maintain a talent pool for these candidates, making it easier to reach out if similar roles become available. Properly managing these talent pools can significantly reduce future recruitment time.

Referrals and Diversity

Question: What about referrals? Is this something you use extensively?

Melissa Kelly: Referrals are a crucial part of any recruitment strategy. While it’s essential to have multiple channels for attracting candidates, referrals can be particularly effective. Many companies offer incentives for employees who refer successful candidates.

However, my caution is that relying solely on referrals can lead to a homogenous workforce. If you only hire people who are similar to your existing employees, you risk lacking diversity. Therefore, referrals should be part of a broader multichannel recruitment strategy to ensure diverse talent pools.

Key Takeaways

• Network building is essential for business success: Transitioning from corporate to independent consulting requires deliberately building a network beyond your previous employer. People are more willing to help than you might expect.

• Transferable corporate skills are valuable: High-quality frameworks from tier-one firms (client scoping, project management, risk management) can be applied to SME clients and provide a strong foundation for independent consulting.

• LinkedIn is powerful for B2B client acquisition: Combine organic content (tips, webinars, LinkedIn Lives) with automation tools (Sales Navigator, Dripify) for systematic outreach, but maintain authenticity in messaging.

• AI is overwhelming recruitment systems: Easy Apply combined with AI-generated CVs creates perfect keyword matches, making it nearly impossible to distinguish genuine candidates. The solution is adding strategic friction and alternative assessments, not more AI.

• Video interviews damage candidate experience: Automated and AI bot interviews dehumanize the process, especially for mid-senior roles. Maintain human interaction in early stages to preserve candidate connection and employer brand.

• Structured interviews reduce bias: Hiring managers need training, role-specific interview guides, competency frameworks, and scoring criteria to ensure fair, consistent evaluation and avoid discrimination risks.

• Silver medalist talent pools cut recruitment time: Maintaining relationships with high-quality declined finalists and organizing them into talent pools can halve future recruitment time for similar roles.

• Referrals need balance for diversity: Referral programs are valuable but must be part of a multichannel strategy. Over-reliance on referrals replicates existing workforce demographics and reduces diversity.

• Multiple recruitment delivery models exist: Beyond in-house teams or agencies, companies can use RPO, MSPs, embedded/fractional teams, and technology enablement to build sustainable systems.

• Data drives TA effectiveness: Track quality of hire, speed of hire, cost per hire, and funnel conversion rates to make evidence-based decisions about recruitment strategy and demonstrate value to leadership.

  
  

About Melissa Kelly

Melissa Kelly is the Founder of MK Talent Advisory, bringing 15 years of talent acquisition expertise to help businesses build sustainable internal recruitment capabilities. After a successful career at PwC and other major organizations, she founded her consultancy in August 2024 to help companies reduce agency dependency, improve hiring quality, and design recruitment systems that scale.

Based in Norfolk, Melissa specializes in recruitment operating model design, hiring manager training, talent pooling strategies, and technology enablement. Connect with Melissa on LinkedIn or visit her MK Talent Advisory to learn more about building effective recruitment systems for your business.

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Mel’s recent interview on the Recruiter Enablement YouTube channel by Adam Gordon:

Mel Kelly, MK Talent Advisory, on the 'IMPACT' framework for talent acquisition