Sourcing & Social - Talent Acquisition & HR Community Group

Our Sourcing & Social event series has been running in Leeds for years, and it's built a fantastic community of HR and Talent professionals who come back time and again to connect and share ideas.

We want to bring that same community to Manchester and give something back to the people driving it forward in the city!

Fruition Group is bringing Sourcing & Social to Manchester in partnership with Manchester Digital, for a session designed to give real value back to the region's talent community.

This is a chance for HR and Talent Acquisition professionals across Manchester to meet peers, share challenges and successes, and broaden their network with people facing the same pressures day to day.

The event brings the perspective of the region's leading digital and tech community directly into the room, connecting Fruition's Northern Tech expertise with Manchester Digital's deep understanding of the local talent pipeline.

Speakers
Matt Wood, Tasha Cobb, Emma Grant & Lucy Heffernan, Laura Whitworth and Kait Turnbull.

Tasha Cobb – Director for Talent Acquisition, Matillion
Talk: Scaling Without Compromise: What Breaks (and What Holds) in Global Hiring

Tasha will share candid lessons from scaling talent acquisition globally – what tends to break under pressure, what holds firm, and how to grow hiring capability without losing quality or consistency.

Laura Whitworth – Head of People, Street Group
Talk: AI 🤝 Candidate Experience

Laura will tackle one of the biggest questions facing TA teams right now – how to bring AI into recruitment without losing the human touch that makes for a great candidate experience.

Matt Wood – Head of Northern Tech, Fruition Group
Talk: State of the Northern Tech Market

Matt will open the session with a look at the current state of the Northern tech market – the trends shaping hiring, where demand is heading, and what it means for talent teams operating in the region.

Emma Grant, Head of Programmes & Lucy Heffernan, Talent Development Lead – Manchester Digital
Talk: The Talent Pipeline is Changing. Are We?

Representing our partner Manchester Digital, Emma and Lucy will explore how the region's talent pipeline is evolving and challenge attendees to consider whether their own hiring and development strategies are keeping pace.

Kait Turnbull, Global Talent Acquisition Director
Talk: AI Doesn't Implement Itself

Everyone wants AI in their TA function. Kait Turnbull actually built it across a multi-vendor stack and a global stakeholder maze at bp. Here's what it really takes to get AI from ambition to go-live.

Why this matters

Talent teams across Manchester are under pressure to do more with less, while the market, the technology and candidate expectations keep shifting beneath them.

This session goes beyond theory to bring together voices from across the region's tech and talent ecosystem – from the market view Fruition sees every day, to the pipeline insight Manchester Digital holds as the voice of the region's digital community, to the practical, on-the-ground experience of TA and People leaders navigating global hiring and AI adoption first hand.

Run in partnership with Manchester Digital, this is a chance for the Manchester HR and TA community to connect, compare notes and walk away with practical ideas they can put into action straight away, while strengthening the ties between the region's talent teams and the organisation that represents its wider tech community.

Event details

• Event: Sourcing & Social – bringing TA and HR leaders together!
• In partnership with: Manchester Digital
• Date: Wednesday 7th October
• Format: Networking lunch followed by 5 quick-fire presentations and questions
• Location: Manchester
• Audience: HR and Talent Acquisition professionals based in Manchester
• Hosted by: Fruition Group – Northern Tech team and Manchester Digital

Our next Sourcing & Social brings together senior HR and Talent leaders to explore the evolving world of hiring, onboarding and talent acquisition.

Through practical insights and real-world experience, our speakers will share what's working, what's changing, and where talent teams should focus their efforts next.

From supporting returning parents and rethinking EDI, to hiring at speed and getting buy-in for the tools TA teams rely on, this session is designed to spark discussion, share knowledge and connect peers across the talent community.

Speakers Ellen Barnes, Chris Nightingale, Cat Hardy, Vicky Nicholson.

Ellen Barnes – HR Consultant, The HR Guru Talk: Back to Work: How to Attract, Support and Retain Returning Parents Ellen will explore how organisations can better attract, support and retain parents returning to work, and what practical steps HR and TA teams can take to make that transition easier.

Chris Nightingale – Head of People & Talent, Boxbar Tech Talk: Whatever Happened to EDI? Chris will take a candid look at where EDI efforts have stalled or lost momentum, and what talent teams can do to keep it a genuine priority rather than a box-ticking exercise.

Cat Hardy – Talent Partner, Axiologik Talk: Hiring at Speed: How to Deliver High Quality on Urgent Role(s) When They Land Cat will share practical strategies for delivering on urgent hires without cutting corners, and how TA teams can stay fast without losing quality or candidate experience.

Vicky Nicholson – Talent Acquisition Partner, Ligentia Talk: Pitching an ATS to People Who Don't Do RecruitmentVicky will share lessons from getting buy-in for an ATS from stakeholders outside of recruitment, and how to make the case for the tools TA teams need to work effectively.

Why this matters
Talent Acquisition is evolving fast, and success now depends on making smarter, more intentional decisions across the entire hiring lifecycle. From supporting parents back into work and keeping EDI genuinely front of mind, to delivering under pressure and winning stakeholder buy-in for the tools that make TA work, these talks go beyond theory to offer real-world insight into what's genuinely working today.
For TA and HR professionals navigating constant change, this session is about practical takeaways, learning from peers, and building sustainable, human-focused approaches fit for the future of work.

Event details
Event: Sourcing & Social – Leeds
Date: Wednesday 14th October
Format: Breakfast event Time: 9:00 – 10:30
Location: 1st Floor, 1 York Place Leeds, LS1 2DR
Breakfast and refreshments provided.