This episode features an interview with Cherry Ainsworth, Global Head of Talent Acquisition at The Financial Times. For the past twelve years, Cherry has helped to establish and grow the FT’s talent acquisition function while meeting the businesses strategic hiring goals and increasing diversity across the organization.

On today’s episode, Cherry discusses FT’s Next Generation Board, her own experience returning to work after maternity leave, and the importance of retention.

“At the end of the day, we want to automate as much as possible and we want to be as efficient as possible. But we're hiring humans into businesses. So those humans will want to interact with other humans.”

— Cherry Ainsworth

[1:33] Cherry’s role building out the TA team
[3:19] The most rewarding part of the role: a ripple effect of growing teams and processes
[4:13] Measuring success through diversity initiatives and positive feedback
[8:57] Advocating for sponsorship
[10:33] The candidate journey and reaching a different audience
[12:35] Realigning the FT’s external reputation
[15:35] Cherry’s experience returning to work after maternity leave
[17:59] Recipe for success: knowing your marketplace and being agile
[21:03] A new initiative with FT’s Next Generation Board
[23:35] Creating career journeys and succession planning across the FT
[26:47] Delving into data and talent mapping
[29:52] Cherry’s advice to her past self
[31:54] Keeping the personal touch in recruitment

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