“Humans First, Always” – Talent Acquisition Insights from WPP’s Nick Mehta

Kicking off Silverdrum’s new interview series, we’re shining a light on the most respected Talent Acquisition leaders in the digital media and creative agency space – the market we know best.

Each interview covers quick-fire but revealing questions about their role, their hiring philosophies, and their take on where the industry’s headed.

First up is someone who’s not just a TA leader, but a genuine legend of the agency world – Nick Mehta, Talent Acquisition Director EMEA at WPP Brand Consulting.

From championing candidate experience to ensuring AI never replaces the human touch, Nick’s answers cut through the noise and speak to what really matters in hiring.

Here’s the conversation, unedited and in his own words. 👇

Q1. From your experience, what’s the most rewarding part of working in talent acquisition?

There are so many aspects of the talent acquisition process that are rewarding. For me putting together a really strong and inclusive short-list for the Hiring Team and when they go for the candidate with potential, and not just from the same pool of similar agencies. I also think it is critical that all candidates have a positive experience, get constructive feedback after interviews and walk away from the process feeling they have learnt something that will help them in future processes. We want candidates to want to interview with us again because they have had such a positive experience, regardless of the result.

Q2. What impact do you think AI will have on the future of TA, for better or worse?

Clearly AI is going to impact TA and the most important thing for me as we set out on this new journey is ensuring that  we still recruit without prejudice, we are impartial and human-centric. AI will be a valuable tool, but ultimately should not be the decision maker. For example it still needs to be the TA individual who screens CVS and decides on who is shortlisted, and gives their opinion to the Hiring Team. AI is already incredibly valuable to make some of our TA processes more effective and time-efficient, but as with any new technology, it needs to be used wisely and inclusively.

Q3. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to job seekers navigating today’s market?

I recently wrote an article on LI on this question. There’s not one piece of advise but many pieces. I talk about getting the key pillars in place – the CV, Portfolio and the LinkedIn Profile. These are your tools. They won’t get you the job, but they will get you the interview. I do think it is really important to use your network, connect with people. For many roles it is highly likely that the position will be filled through word of mouth, networking and recommendation. Finally, the process can feel overwhelming, and at times incredibly difficult which can cause anxiety. I strongly advise that you have other projects away from the job-hunt to take your mind off things and not let it be all consuming. It is important from a well-being perspective to put in time to focus on other areas – exercising, meeting up with friends / peers, creative projects or taking up a new hobby.

Q4. What’s one thing your company does differently when it comes to hiring and why does it work?

We are lucky at WPP to be able to share information with other Talent Teams across the network. This is fantastic when sharing new initiatives, candidates and getting support on challenging hires. We are one team not siloed, and with economies of scale come improvements and different ways of working.

Q5. What’s one hiring decision that really taught you something – either good or bad?

You won’t always get it right, but if you can mitigate risk as much as possible, have been transparent and open throughout the process, then you have done as much as you can. We are working with humans, and humans can change their minds!

Q6. How do you measure the success of your TA function beyond just ‘time to hire’?

We don’t measure time to hire – I don’t think it is a fair reflection of success. I prefer to measure the quality of the experience for both candidate and Hiring Manager / Team. That isn’t necessarily finding the right person to perform the role, but more about the process and experience – these are not always tangible, but if the TA Team get positive feedback then that is the best measure of success.