The Life of ‘People Technology Nut’ Gareth Jones

Gareth Jones describes himself on his Linkedin profile as a “people technology nut,” and has weaved his way through a career from human resources to the forefront of HR technology. At the time of interviewing, he was chief technology officer with The Chemistry Group. He has since gone on to work as an advisor with a number of startups and his currently chief operating officer with Headstart AI.

Gareth is one of the most respected and knowledgeable people in the HR Tech and recruitment industry, and in this interview shares the story of his life and career to date including:

The impact of growing up and how frequently moving schools at a young age still has an influence on his approach to life.
The career path that has taken him from HR to HR tech, and his frustration and disillusionment with HR.
The influence of his parents on his outlook and his own relationship with his family and children.
The intertwined relationship between work and life outside work, and the impact this had on the breakdown of his marriage.
The life lessons learned and how he now views the future.

We can’t connect the dots looking forward, only when we look back, and in this reflective interview we get to understand the impact of early decisions and the influences around us that shape our views and approaches to life. This is a revealing, inspiring, and often moving interview. Life is full of challenges, both on the personal and work side, and how we plan and view our future isn’t always the plan that life has for us.

Once you get to the end of this interview, you will get a real understanding as to how the dots have connected in Gareth’s life looking back, in what is a map and overview of his life and career to date. As Gareth says, “It’s as though I’ve decided to cross a river and I’ve somehow managed to end up at the other side, coughing and splurting a bit, but I made it.”

The video is below, all part of a series about the lives of people in the talent field. See previous interviews with Johnny Campbell, with Gerry Crispin, Matt Alder, Bill Boorman, and with a Stryker talent VP.