Live from the SmartRecruiters booth, Tracey Parsons, the CEO of Flockity, shared insights at the HR Tech conference in Las Vegas, drawing from her extensive 20-year background in recruitment marketing and employer branding. She highlighted the sluggish pace of change within the industry, attributing it to stakeholder resistance and a pervasive lack of genuine listening, which deteriorates candidate experiences. This oversight often stems from an employer's sense of superiority, exemplified by Amazon's challenged reputation due to its treatment of warehouse workers. Parsons noted the common occurrence of candidates being ghosted post-interview, a reflection of broader systemic failures in recruitment where candidate sentiment remains low and transparency around compensation is stifled. The friction in job application processes is often counterproductive, deterring potential talent, while companies like Amazon, despite recognizing the costs of high attrition, struggle with implementing meaningful change. Misaligned branding further complicates expectations for both candidates and employees. However, technology offers a beacon of hope by potentially streamlining interactions and enhancing communication. Parsons criticized the inefficiencies in the current job distribution model, marked by low trust in job postings, and introduced Flockity's innovative approach using influencer marketing to foster trust and improve the candidate experience. She pointed out the skewed dynamics where paid job promotions might not reflect genuine company endorsement, and content tends to emphasize skills over culture. Creators often avoid brand mentions to dodge backlash.