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TA Transformations

Real problems. Real systems. Real results.

Three transformations across AI rollout, global operating model, and shared services centralization.

AI Adoption Curve · 6 Months

Click a point to see what drove it

42.4%

AI-native ✓

Month 4

AI became the default, not an add-on. Pipeline quality improved. Candidate experience improved. 20% faster time-to-hire — not despite the automation, because of how we built it.

40 Countries · One operating model

Drag the slider — or scroll — to watch the model take shape

HQ · London
Q1 2023

Diagnosis

0% transformed

I didn't build three COEs from scratch — I created synergy where it was fragmented and chaotic. 40 country offices, each running their own playbook, became one operating model with three regional hubs absorbing volume hiring. Time-to-fill dropped 37%. Agency spend dropped 30%.

Before vs. After

What changed when the system was rebuilt

  • Before

    Stuck at 13% — no visible career paths

    Internal Mobility

    After

    40%

    3× lift after launching mobility on a real job architecture

  • Before

    Recruiters duplicating work across 40+ brands

    Hiring Efficiency

    After

    +35%

    Aligned by function, not brand. Eliminated duplication.

  • Before

    Workday misconfigured. No sourcing, no reporting.

    Pipeline Health

    After

    +33%

    Recruiters could finally source, track, and report.

Dotdash Meredith was mid-transformation — moving from a legacy print publisher to digital-first after acquiring Time Inc. in 2018. The business needed a TA function built to hire for that shift. What it had was the opposite.

  • 40+ brands across 4 verticals (PEOPLE, InStyle, Better Homes & Gardens, Allrecipes, Health, Parents…) each running its own isolated TA process.
  • Recruiter sprawl. Two recruiters often covering the same pool of jobs with no coordination. No specialization, no real expertise.
  • Broken Workday. Misconfigured from day one — no sourcing, no pipeline visibility, no reporting.
  • Internal mobility stuck at 13%, attrition high, pipeline health declining.
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