77% of companies are facing a skills crisis, a striking figure that highlights just how urgent the challenge has become.

In this episode, Stuart is joined by Nick Shaw, Co-Founder of Spotted Zebra, to explore how HR leaders can leverage technology to bridge the widening skills gap.

AI is on everyone’s agenda, but how can it really help HR teams reshape recruitment and performance? Stuart and Nick dive into how AI and skills science can work together to improve productivity, enhance decision-making, and transform how organisations identify and develop talent.

They discuss why traditional recruitment models need disruption, how interview intelligence can help teams make faster, fairer decisions, and the importance of keeping human judgement at the heart of AI adoption.

The conversation also uncovers the blind spots in how companies assess skills, the misconceptions surrounding AI, and practical advice for leaders preparing for the future of HR technology.

Who is our guest?

Nick Shaw is the Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer at Spotted Zebra, and industry-leading occupational psychology expert.

Recognising that 77% of organisations face a widening skills crisis whilst AI floods recruitment pipelines, Nick co-founded Spotted Zebra - an award-winning Interview Intelligence and Assessment platform - alongside serial entrepreneur Ian Monk. Spotted Zebra combines skills science with AI to surface meaningful talent insights instantly and empower teams to make more objective, data-informed hiring decisions with confidence every time.

As one of the UK's leading authorities in the assessment space, Nick is passionate about transforming how organisations build high-performing teams for now and the future through technology that enhances rather than replaces human judgement.

Key timestamps

• 01:30 – Introduction to Nick Shaw
• 01:56 – The name “Spotted Zebra”
• 07:29 - Explosion in AI and its impact
• 13:13 - Discovering AI
• 15:35 - Risks and uses of AI
• 26:18 - The skills crisis
• 32:31 - The misconceptions in AI
• 38:54 - T-shaped professionals
• 41:55 - Opportunities in HR tech
• 46:14 - Advice to prepare for AI and change

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