AI can polish a CV, but can it find great talent? Recruitment Awards finalist Nadia Hemmings on hiring in 2026

Nadia Hemmings, Talent Manager at Clarion Solicitors and a finalist in the 2026 In-house Recruitment Awards, shares why finding great talent means looking beyond traditional CVs, building genuine relationships and knowing when to put people before processes.

When I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Nadia Hemmings, Talent Manager at Clarion Solicitors, one thing became clear very quickly.

Nadia is passionate about people. And not just in the obligatory, LinkedIn-profile kind of way.

In a recruitment landscape increasingly dominated by AI and automation, her focus is on something more human: building genuine relationships, spotting potential beyond a CV and getting to know candidates long before a vacancy appears.

After three and a half years building Clarion's internal recruitment function, her awards recognition gave us the perfect excuse to find out what's working.

Have we become too obsessed with the perfect CV?

Of all the things we discussed, Nadia's dislike of traditional job descriptions was particularly refreshing.

Not because qualifications don't matter; specialist legal expertise can be non-negotiable. But there's a difference between essential requirements and a wish list hardly anyone could satisfy.

Nadia focuses on the essentials, then looks at the individual behind the application. A career break, an unconventional route into a profession or experience gained elsewhere shouldn't automatically count somebody out.

And there's an irony here. At a time when AI can help almost anyone produce a polished application, are we becoming too reliant on the document that's getting easier to perfect?

It's a theme echoed in Veremark CEO Daniel Callaghan's article on five hiring assumptions HR teams should leave behind in 2026: an impressive CV is a starting point for questions, not proof of everything it claims.

For Nadia, a recruiter's ability to read between the lines remains invaluable.

AI can write a convincing application. But can it demonstrate resilience?

Nadia is already seeing the impact of AI-assisted applications, particularly in early careers recruitment, where large volumes of increasingly generic submissions make genuine potential harder to spot.

Clarion uses contextual recruitment to look beyond grades and university names, with behavioural questions exploring transferable skills such as resilience.

For some entry-level roles, aptitude assessments and assessment centres help the team see how people communicate and respond in different situations.

After all, a beautifully written application might tell you someone understands what employers want to hear. It doesn't necessarily tell you how they'll respond when things don't go to plan.

In a candidate-short market, relationships are everything

While some recruitment teams are drowning in applications, specialist legal recruitment can present the opposite problem: finding enough suitable people.

Experienced professionals aren't necessarily browsing job boards, so Clarion's approach combines specialist headhunters, professional networks and something wonderfully straightforward: people talking to people.

Hiring managers help identify potential future colleagues, while industry knowledge, recommendations and legal directories offer other ways to uncover expertise.

Nadia is also focusing on long-term talent pipelining, building relationships before a vacancy comes along.

Not every conversation needs to end in an application. Sometimes the important thing is being remembered when the timing is right.

Making recruitment faster without cutting corners

Once the right candidate is interested, the process needs to be delivered.

At Clarion, recruitment data showed that single-stage interviews weren't giving the business the assessment it needed. The team moved towards a predominantly two-stage approach, with additional stages reserved for certain senior appointments.

Nadia questions assessments that have little connection to the job, and expects managers to prioritise interview time.

It's a reminder that efficiency isn't about rushing decisions. It's about removing steps that don't earn their place.

The offer isn't the finish line

Something else Nadia and I agreed on was just how much the little things matter after an offer is accepted.

A three-month notice period is a long time to hear nothing from your future employer.

At Clarion, the team aims to issue contracts within 24 to 48 hours and maintain regular contact before the start date. Coffee with future colleagues and personal welcome communications help people feel part of the team early.

Smooth onboarding also relies on clear communication, joined-up administration and timely checks.

In a regulated profession, verifying relevant credentials and completing appropriate background screening cannot simply be afterthoughts. More broadly, Veremark's guide to identity verification and the £60,000 Right to Work risk explains why UK employers need dependable identity and eligibility checks.

But thorough doesn't have to mean cumbersome. As we've explored in seven ways to improve the recruitment process after the offer, unnecessary waiting, unclear instructions and disconnected team handovers can undermine an otherwise excellent candidate experience.

Nadia has seen how poor pre-boarding can put a hire at risk, including candidates deciding to remain with their current employer.

A signed contract and a successful first day are two very different achievements.

Great recruitment starts with trust

Nadia's relationship-building extends inside Clarion, too.

As the firm's first internal recruiter, she had to earn the confidence of hiring managers before she could meaningfully change established practices.

That groundwork has paid off. Earlier this year, Nadia delivered half-day interview training attended by more than 100 people, reaching 90% of hiring managers.

It demonstrates how a trusted talent specialist can influence more than the next vacancy. They can improve how an entire organisation approaches hiring.

So, what does great recruitment look like in 2026?

What I enjoyed most was how simple Nadia's philosophy felt.

Get to know people. Ask better questions. Don't dismiss potential because it doesn't fit a perfect template. And make the experience a good one, whether somebody joins the business or not.

Technology, data and verification all have their place. But none can fully replace the judgement, curiosity and genuine connection that experienced recruiters bring.

In an industry racing to automate more, there's something beautifully compelling about a recruiter making the case for being more human.

Congratulations to Nadia on her recognition as a finalist in the 2026 In-house Recruitment Awards. It was a pleasure hearing about her work at Clarion, and we wish her every success.

Veremark is proud to support the 2026 In-house Recruitment Awards and celebrate the people making a positive impact on recruitment.