The one with Gerrit Schimmelpenninck (Pt 2)

Описание: Welcome to Episode 38 of the Talent Intelligence Collective podcast! In this special return episode, Alan Walker, Alison Ettridge, and Toby Culshaw welcome back Gerrit Schimmelpenninck for his second appearance on the show, exploring his remarkable transformation from corporate TI leader to entrepreneurial consultant.


The episode opens with Toby discussing the Talent Intelligence Collective's exciting "One Prompt Challenge" in partnership with InDrive, where participants must create a complete location analysis using just a single AI prompt—no follow-ups allowed. The conversation delves into the fascinating challenges of AI prompting, including the revelation that AI systems are designed to please users rather than provide balanced perspectives unless specifically prompted for opposing views.


The news segment explores the escalating battle for AI talent, with Meta allegedly offering $100 million signing bonuses to poach OpenAI engineers, and OpenAI's intriguing decision to appoint a distinguished AI researcher as their new head of recruiting. The discussion also touches on global talent mobility shifts, as the US restricts funding and visas while other nations launch aggressive programs to attract displaced scientists and researchers.


Gerrit shares his extraordinary journey since we last spoke in Episode 11—relocating from Amsterdam to Los Angeles, building talent intelligence capabilities at Activision Blizzard (Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Candy Crush), and ultimately launching his own consultancy, Talent Motions, after Microsoft's acquisition. His insights into the gaming industry's unique talent challenges and the importance of hiring developers who are passionate gamers themselves provide fascinating industry-specific perspectives.


The conversation explores Gerrit's pivot to competitive intelligence consulting, moving beyond traditional recruitment-focused TI to solving strategic business problems. He shares compelling case studies, including mapping competitor organisations for major tech suppliers and analysing secretive quantitative trading teams in finance—demonstrating how talent intelligence can drive critical business decisions far beyond hiring.


Until next time, stay curious, stay strategic, and most importantly, stay intelligent!


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