GM Finance and Professional Services Network

GM Finance and Professional Service Network
Smarter Recruitment in Finance & Professional Services: Balancing AI and Human Judgement

Smarter Recruitment in Finance & Professional Services: Balancing AI and Human Judgement

The GM Finance and Professional Services Network returns with the second event in our series — this time exploring how organisations across Greater Manchester’s FPS sector can build smarter, fairer, and more resilient recruitment practices by combining the best of technology with the irreplaceable value of human insight.

As AI‑enabled tools, automation, and data‑driven decision‑making reshape the hiring landscape, FPS employers face a shared challenge: how to adopt new technologies confidently and responsibly while preserving the judgement, nuance, and relationship‑building that define great recruitment.

This interactive breakfast session brings together leaders, recruiters, and HR professionals to examine what “good” looks like in modern hiring — from practical uses of AI to the cultural and ethical considerations that shape trust and candidate experience.

The session is designed to be highly participatory, combining short speaker inputs, a panel discussion, and facilitated round-table conversations. Networking is a core part of the event, creating space for meaningful peer connections, shared learning, and follow-up conversations.

What to Expect

Keynote Address

Our keynote speaker will draw on deep expertise in AI‑supported recruitment workflows, talent acquisition strategy, and the recruiter–candidate experience. Expect practical insights into:

• Where AI tools genuinely add value in FPS recruitment
• How organisations can maintain fairness, transparency, and human oversight
• Why strong candidates can still be overlooked — and how to reduce that risk
• The future of tech‑supported hiring in professional services

The session will focus on strategic decision‑making rather than technical optimisation, helping attendees understand how to integrate technology without losing the human touch.

Panel Discussion

A diverse panel of up to five FPS leaders — representing a mix of organisation sizes, subsectors, and recruitment challenges — will share real‑world experiences of:

• Navigating talent shortages and shifting candidate expectations
• Introducing or improving AI‑enabled recruitment tools
• Balancing automation with human judgement
• Responding to sector‑specific hiring pressures in practical, sustainable ways

Panellists will offer contrasting perspectives on what’s working, what isn’t, and where the sector needs to innovate next.

Interactive Roundtables

Participants will take part in hands‑on, discussion‑driven sessions designed to surface practical solutions and shared learning.

We’ll begin with a live ATS simulation exercise: You’ll receive a job description and a set of CVs and will be asked to identify which candidate is an “80% match”. This activity highlights the challenges of manual screening at volume — and sets the stage for a broader conversation about where technology helps and where human judgement remains essential.

Roundtable discussions will then explore how FPS organisations can apply these insights to real-world recruitment processes, from early-stage screening to final hiring decisions.

Who Should Attend?

This event is designed to be accessible and relevant to organisations of different sizes and levels of workforce maturity, including:

• Financial and Professional Services employers (Micro, SMEs and larger firms)
• Business owners, partners and senior managers
• HR, people, talent and workforce development leads
• Recruitment agencies with an FPS focus
• FE and HE providers
• Skills, employment and economic development stakeholders

Delivered in Partnership

This event is delivered in partnership with:

• Stockport Council – championing inclusive economic growth and business resilience
• Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce – representing and connecting the region’s business community

The session will be facilitated by experienced sector and workforce development professionals, with contributions from senior leaders and subject-matter experts from across the Financial and Professional Services ecosystem.

As this event is fully-funded, businesses are subject to funders' eligibility criteria. If your place is confirmed, you will receive an email from us with further details.

• Businesses with a Greater Manchester trading address.
• Sole trader, micro business, small and medium-sized enterprise, or large business.
• Social enterprises where these engage in economic activity.

Your place on the workshop is not automatically confirmed and you will receive an email from BGHworkshops@growthco.uk once it is.

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