Jonathan Reynolds, CEO at Titus Talent Strategies
The bar for RPO talent delivery is higher in 2026, and clients are raising expectations fast. Speed still matters, but it is no longer enough. RPO teams are now being evaluated on skills-based screening, consistent interview quality, and data-driven submissions that help hiring managers decide faster and with more confidence.
In our first Honeit Podcast of 2026, Nick Livingston sits down with Jonathan Reynolds, CEO of Titus Talent Strategies, to break down what this new standard looks like for Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) teams that want to pull ahead. Jonathan’s perspective is clear. As AI and automation accelerate, the differentiator is not who can move faster. It is those who can combine modern workflow efficiency with authentic human conversations that surface real signals and build trust.
Be sure to check out Jonathan’s new book, Right Seats, Right People, on Jonathan’s website or on Amazon.
The Modern RPO Checklist
The RPO teams pulling ahead in 2026 are building a repeatable delivery system that makes quality scalable:
- Recruiters run skills-based screens, not surface-level calls
- Interviews follow a consistent structure across the team
- Candidate submissions include clear, decision-ready insights
- Teams use automation to remove busywork and increase capacity
- Recruiters reinvest time into deeper conversations and candidate experience
If any of these feel like gaps, you are not alone. This is exactly what Jonathan and Nick unpack in the episode.
RPO Talent Delivery in 2026
Titus differentiates by acting like an embedded partner, not a transactional vendor. The work is not just to fill roles. The work is to improve talent delivery end-to-end, from intake alignment to structured evaluation to confident decision-making. That is how RPO becomes strategic, not commoditized.
A key part of this shift is moving beyond passive applicant flow. Even when applicant volume is high, the strongest candidates often do not apply because they are already employed. Jonathan’s early “talent thief” story reflects a mindset many RPO firms are returning to. Proactive outreach and real recruiting still matter, especially when quality is the goal.
Upskilling Recruiters with Interview Intelligence
In 2026, recruiter value increases as interview quality improves. Not longer, not more complicated, just better. Jonathan emphasizes helping recruiters move beyond surface-level screening and become confident interviewers who can ask sharper questions, listen for nuance, and tell a clearer talent story to hiring teams.
This is where repeatable structure matters. High-performing teams standardize how they screen, capture insights, and present candidates. It is not about adding process for the sake of process. It is about making quality consistent across every recruiter, every client, and every requisition.
Head, Heart, Briefcase: A New Hiring Framework
Jonathan’s Head, Heart, Briefcase framework is a simple way to describe what many hiring teams struggle to do consistently.
💼 Briefcase is skills and experience.
❤️ Heart is values, character, and motivation.
🧠 Head is behavioral and cognitive fit, using validated assessments as an objective lens.
The point is not to replace human judgment. The point is to improve it. Resumes describe the past. Great hires are about trajectory, motivation, and fit for what the role requires next. In 2026, the teams pulling ahead are the ones who evaluate the whole person, not just the match.
AI should create Recruiter capacity
Jonathan’s view on AI is practical. Teams should embrace it, assign ownership internally, and use it to remove busywork. At the same time, major career decisions still require trust, nuance, and real conversation.
The future is choice. Some candidates will want speed and automation. Others will want a human conversation. The best talent delivery models support both paths while protecting the moments that require empathy and judgment.
That is the new standard. Use technology to increase capacity and consistency, then reinvest that time into better conversations and better decisions.
How Titus Uses Honeit
Throughout the conversation, Jonathan shares how Titus uses Honeit to create more capacity for high-quality, human-led recruiting. The goal is not to cut headcount. The goal is consistent and high-quality talent delivery at scale, with more time for real conversations.
Titus uses this approach to:
- Consolidate their recruiting tech stack into a simpler workflow
- Streamline screening and interview workflows from conversation to submission
- Capture consistent interview insights so hiring teams get the same level of detail across recruiters
- Improve consistency across candidate submissions so clients can evaluate faster and with more confidence
- Free recruiters to focus on deeper conversations, follow-ups, and candidate experience
- Increase delivery consistency across clients and roles without adding process overhead
- Create a repeatable talent delivery standard that is easy to coach, measure, and improve over time
The takeaway is simple. When the workflow is unified and the outputs are consistent, recruiters spend less time on admin work and more time doing the human work that drives better outcomes.
Raise Your Recruiting Bar in 2026
Watch the full Honeit Podcast, connect with Jonathan Reynolds on LinkedIn, and learn more about Titus Talent Strategies at TitusTalent.com.
If you want to see what a modern talent delivery workflow looks like in practice, schedule a quick Honeit demo. We’ll show how recruiting and RPO teams standardize screening, capture interview intelligence, and deliver consistent submissions without adding more tools.
