S2: E12: Brendan Jeanetti - How do real conversations lead to stronger HR marketing?

S2: E12: Brendan Jeanetti – How do real conversations lead to stronger HR marketing?

With Brendan Jeanetti

Content & Social Media Manager at Workable

Also joined by Skout’s founder and Director, Rob Skinner

Episode Overview

In this episode, Rob speaks with Brendan Jeanetti, Content & Social Media Manager at Workable. Brendan shares how his background in music, podcasting and independent creative work shaped the way he approaches HR marketing today – with an emphasis on authenticity, community, and truly understanding the people you’re speaking to.

He discusses how AI is reshaping marketing workflows, why over‑reliance on generic content is causing sameness across the industry, and why nothing replaces real conversations with HR professionals to understand what actually matters to them.

Brendan also explores how HR teams themselves are working under increasing pressure, why buzzword‑driven content rarely resonates, and how influencers, events and social content can work only when brands prioritise credibility over noise.

Key Takeaways

✅ Human connection beats automation - Despite the rise of AI, nothing replaces listening to real HR practitioners. Brendan regularly meets people face‑to‑face to understand their pressures, their language, and what support they actually want and shapes content from there.

✅ AI is a tool, not a strategy - He uses LLMs for structuring thoughts, research and streamlining communication, but believes marketers risk losing credibility if they replace expertise with AI‑generated sameness.

✅ HR teams are overstretched and they want calm, not chaos - B2B brands often rush into influencer marketing. Brendan’s approach is more selective: work with people who truly understand HR and whose voices add real weight.

AI can help you work faster, but it can’t replace actually knowing your audience. The real magic still happens in human conversations.

Mentioned in This Episode

📌 AI as a tool, not a crutch How Brendan uses AI to speed up workflows while keeping human judgment at the centre.

📌 Listening as research From conference conversations to post‑event drinks, Brendan gathers insight directly from HR pros to shape Workable’s content and editorial direction.

📌 A smarter influencer strategy Using respected voices to engage and comment on content, creating authenticity, credibility and reach without heavy creative demands.