Decoding Talent talks about the archaic use of HR and its hiring process, of the countless data the hiring department has but does not know how to use the information to benefit the company they work for. How updating such a system, by using AI in an unbiased safe way, can help decrease the employee turnover rate. Eric Sydell, Mike Hudy, and Michael Ashley use examples to make their point so clear, the facts are all in Decoding Talent, to finding employees that may not fit a mold, but that it's time to break the "mold" in order to advance with the rest of departments that do use innovative and even use AI in their day-to-day. The hiring process should be refreshed and brought up to date. Decoding Talent helped me understand why looking for a job is as taxing to someone as I had experienced it, the job seekers aren't the problem, the hiring process is just outdated, and with this book, hopefully, more companies or more Human Resources personnel can seek to update their systems.

The "people puzzle" Sydell describes inDecoding Talent is spelled out easily: it costs money for companies to recruit and train employees, a number he puts at $20,000.

With this much on the line, companies cannot afford to hire the wrong person or mis-place a new hire into a role that doesn't suit them. This is the rationale for the "AI and Big Data" that Sydell and his company place at their clients' disposal.

Sydell uses cases studies to show how data is making the job of HR more effective. His company has developed pre-employment tests and virtual job simulations to help applicants and new employees demonstrate their effectiveness. It's all in the service of finding the right "fit" to benefit both employer and employee.

This is an excellent resource for human resource staff: a peek into the future with its feet firmly grounded in tested, present-day methods.