Q&A with Dionne Atwill, ExecTASocial
After years leading complex, high-growth, global TA functions, Dionne Atwill now takes a different view of the talent landscape. She’s stepped back from corporate roles to build a dedicated community for TA executives navigating transformation, uncertainty, and growing expectations.
With a background spanning start/scale-ups and multinationals (internally and externally), Dionne brings a pragmatic, business-first lens to her work. She believes that credibility is the currency TA execs need most, and all TA strategies should have a direct line to company value (both in terms of ROI and culture).
In this conversation, Dionne shares the biggest shifts she sees shaping TA in 2025: the need to react strategically to AI, creating an employer brand proposition that can build a self-sustaining talent pool, and why the best recruiters will upskill in AI first while influencing through strong candidate relationships.
You’ve spent most of your career inside TA. What led you to build a space for the community?
When you’ve worked as a Head of TA long enough, you know it’s both a brilliant and lonely place to lead from. You're expected to deliver to targets, represent the company to the market, stay ahead of tech trends, and act as a strategic partner – often all at once. On top of that, you’re the person the CEO or CHRO calls to ask about the state of TA. There’s no one else doing this job.
I saw a gap for honest, peer-to-peer learning for Heads of TA, having not found that in a national or international forum. I knew others felt the same, so I created ExecTASocial: a space to move away from purely vendor-led and instead meet up and focus on collaboration, learning sessions and, most importantly, knowing you're connecting with true peer Heads of TA. The cherry on top is that it’s truly global – built to connect TA executives across borders. There was nothing like it for TA execs; now there is.
From your experience, what’s the biggest challenge TA execs are facing right now?
It’s the constant pressure to prove value. TA is still too often seen as reactive or transactional. We know that’s not true – the best TA execs are deeply strategic – but we’re not always brought into the conversation early enough.
What’s changed is that expectations have grown. TA is now expected to contribute to workforce planning, skills strategy, DEI, retention, and brand, but often without the structure or support to do it well. The challenge is showing up with clarity and confidence, even when things are ambiguous.
You talk about how credibility comes from really knowing your stuff and delivering on it. What does that mean in reality?
It means getting the basics right, consistently. That’s how you earn the right to influence. When you’re seen as someone who delivers without drama, without overpromising, people start to listen. You don’t have to be the loudest voice in the room. You just have to show up, know your stuff, and be clear about what’s possible.
And when you do speak up, whether it’s about a hiring model that won’t work, or a strategic shift the business needs to make, it lands. Because people know you’re not just bringing problems, you’re bringing solutions.
How did you approach building that credibility in your in-house roles?
I focused on understanding the business. Not just what roles needed filling, but what the business was trying to do. I’d ask: why now? What’s the cost of delay? How does this team make money or create impact?
And I always tried to tailor the message. Some stakeholders respond to data, others to risk, others to experience. TA execs need to take insight from the talent market and shape it into something the business can act on.
How do you see TA’s role evolving in workforce strategy?
The best TA executives I know are working closely with workforce planning, HR, finance, and operations. They’re looking beyond the req to ask: what talent do we really need? Where can we redeploy from within? What markets should we open up?
It’s not always labelled “TA” – sometimes it’s internal mobility, succession, or contingent strategy - but it all touches the work. That’s why TA can’t afford to stay in a narrow lane. We have a seat at the table, but we have to earn it through insight, not instinct.
When it comes to data, what do TA executives need to be mindful of?
Don’t fall into the trap of reporting for reporting’s sake. Data is only useful if it drives a better conversation. I’ve seen TA teams send huge dashboards that mean nothing to the business. Instead, focus on a few key signals. What’s changed in the market? What’s slowing us down? Where are we missing out on talent because of process, perception, or pay?
And bring context. Tell the story behind the numbers. That’s how you move from being seen as operational to being valued as strategic.
You’ve led TA through change and transformation. What have you learned about leading in those moments?
That people need clarity, even when things are uncertain. Overcommunicate. Be honest. If there are constraints, name them. If something’s unclear, say so.
Also, transformation is more about behavior than process or tools. If you’re asking your team or stakeholders to work differently, you need to show up differently too. That means staying calm under pressure, being consistent, and focusing on the long-term impact.
If you were advising a TA executive stepping into a new role today, what would you say to them and why?
Start by listening. Get under the skin of the business. Get to know your team. Build allies in finance and ops. Don’t rush to fix everything, or use new shiny AI tools as a quick fix. Focus on the right things, with a data-driven, problem-first mentality, not a tool-first solution.
And when you do speak, be clear and be credible. TA executives don’t need to dazzle, they need to deliver. That’s what earns trust. And that’s what creates change.
About Dionne Atwill, Founder & CEO, ExecTASocial
Dionne launched ExecTASocial to give global TA executives a genuine community free from pitches and sales agendas. Drawing on her background leading international TA teams, she recognised the gap for a network designed by TA executives, for TA executives. Today, ExecTASocial spans the globe with a growing platform, peer-led events, and collaborative learning sessions — all dedicated to advancing the influence and strategic value of Talent Acquisition.
About ExecTASocial
ExecTASocial is a community and platform for Heads of TA, centred on peer learning, with almost 1,000 members across EMEA, APAC and the US. Learn more here.
