Q: How will people find work in the future according to Paul Baartmans from Circle8?
A: Through AI agents. Paul believes that people who are 22 or 23 today will no longer write cover letters. They will enter a prompt describing what they enjoy, let an AI agent search in the background and find a recruiter's invitation in their inbox in the evening. The agent searches, filters and sends the application, while the candidate decides which company to target. That is the direction Paul sees the labour market moving towards.
Q: Why do recruiters and companies need to anticipate AI in the application process right now according to Paul Baartmans from Circle8?
A: Because it is already happening. Paul saw TikTok videos of people applying to Google and answering all questions live using ChatGPT. Those people are being hired. His message: do not pretend it is not happening, because if you do you will be bypassed. Just as banks quickly shifted from preventing fraud to managing fraud, recruiters and companies now need to think about how they respond to AI agents, voice cloning and automated applications.
Q: How does Circle8 help self-employed professionals develop their skills based on data according to Paul Baartmans?
A: By using data about assignments and industries to give proactive development advice. Circle8 places hundreds of self-employed professionals at clients across the Netherlands every day and therefore holds a great deal of data about what each industry requires. Paul describes a scenario where they can proactively tell a freelancer: if you develop this specific skill a little further, your profile is a perfect match for the client you want to work with. That is the direction Circle8 wants to move towards.
Q: Why does Paul Baartmans from Circle8 believe so strongly in skill-based hiring and early assessments?
A: Because his own career is the proof. Paul went through an assessment early in his career and scored highly on proposition development, even though he had never done that work before and it was not on his CV. Based on that assessment he got the job anyway and built a career in that field. His conclusion: if you only look at the CV, you miss the people with the most potential.
Q: Why do assessments need to be taken out of the corner of stress and anxiety according to Paul Baartmans from Circle8?
A: Because the value for the candidate is just as great as for the employer. Paul describes how assessments were always framed as something the employer did to the candidate, where the outcome determined whether you got the job or kept it. Whereas an assessment can give candidates insight into their own strengths and development areas. He compares it to a tennis coach who tells you exactly what to improve to get better: an investment in yourself, not a punishment.
Q: How does Paul Baartmans from Circle8 view the role of AI in reducing bias in recruitment?
A: As an opportunity to select based on capabilities, regardless of background, age or origin. Paul argues that if you always select the same type of candidate, the model will eventually start moving in that direction too. He experienced first-hand at an insurance company how heavily bias prevention was weighed in AI model development, with dozens of hours of discussions with legal and compliance about client interests. His conviction: in the EU and the Netherlands that is being safeguarded and that is a major advantage.
Q: What is the role of culture fit in hiring and how can data help according to Paul Baartmans from Circle8?
A: Culture fit is crucial and is still underestimated. Paul references research suggesting that 95% of people under 35 cite company culture as a reason to stay or leave. His own experience confirms this: he was once rejected for a job because he was too fast for the organisation, which initially annoyed him but which he now sees as a great gift. Data and assessments can help people understand earlier in which culture they will thrive and which context suits them.
Q: How does Circle8 encourage the use of AI within its own organisation according to Paul Baartmans?
A: By actively putting all employees through AI training. Paul participated in a diverse AI training session with colleagues from contract handling, finance, IT and marketing. Levels varied greatly, from people who had never written a prompt to colleagues already working with code in AI tools. What he observed: everyone saw opportunities and wanted to start using it. His message internally and externally: AI is not scary, but you need to start using it to understand it.
