Sophie O'Brien
Transform recruitment practices with Sophie O'Brien, speaker on Gen Z talent acquisition and values-based hiring. Sophie works with startups and SMEs to eliminate CV bias and identify purpose-driven candidates, leveraging insights from her 5,000+ diverse talent community.
London, United Kingdom
Enquire Now
Send us your event details
.svg){kind=icon}
With a background in media and advertising, Sophie has navigated her own challenges within conventional education and employment systems, which fuels her commitment to democratising career opportunities for Gen Z and beyond.
Her work centres on innovative hiring practices, diversity in the workplace, and empowering the next generation. Sophie addresses the persistent difficulties startups and SMEs face in attracting the right talent, particularly in a landscape where hiring experienced candidates can be costly and reactive hiring cycles are common.
By adopting a values, behaviours, and skills-based approach, she helps leaders identify candidates who align with their business ethos rather than merely their experience.
Sophie taps into a community of over 5,000 motivated and diverse job seekers, enabling businesses to reach hidden talent beyond their usual networks. Her decade-long experience in hiring within small companies has equipped her with the insights needed to bridge the gap between young job seekers and employers.
In addition to her entrepreneurial efforts, Sophie speaks at business festivals and SME events, sharing her expertise on engaging the Gen Z workforce. Her workshops focus on aligning work with purpose and understanding the values that drive Gen Z, emphasising the importance of meaningful work over financial incentives.
Sophie’s insights into the emerging Gen Z leadership crisis highlight the need for organisations to adapt their engagement strategies to meet the expectations of a new generation prioritising balance, purpose, and ethical practices.
Her contributions have resonated with audiences, prompting them to rethink their hiring strategies and ensuring they are prepared for the future of work.
Topics, Sessions And Talks
Sophie O’Brien explores how Gen Z is reshaping workplace culture, challenging outdated structures, and demanding greater alignment between values and career choices. She examines the implications for businesses, from rethinking incentives to fostering inclusive work environments. Attendees gain insights into adapting to these shifts and leveraging Gen Z’s priorities to build more sustainable and equitable organisations.
The job market remains stacked against young people, perpetuating a diversity crisis that limits business growth and innovation. Sophie O’Brien examines the systemic barriers that restrict access to employment and how businesses can rethink hiring to create fairer, more dynamic workplaces. She offers practical strategies to open up opportunities, improve retention, and cultivate talent beyond the usual networks.
Multigenerational teams are the future of work, but without understanding different expectations and communication styles, businesses risk disengagement and high turnover. Sophie O’Brien shares strategies to foster collaboration between generations, improving team motivation and workplace culture. By addressing generational differences and highlighting shared goals, she equips organisations with the tools to build more cohesive and productive teams.
The CV is no longer a reliable measure of potential, yet many businesses still rely on it as the main hiring filter. Sophie O’Brien examines why this outdated approach fails both companies and candidates, offering alternative strategies to assess talent more effectively. She provides a framework for values-based hiring, helping organisations make smarter recruitment decisions that align with long-term success.
AI promises recruitment efficiency, but when used poorly, it often creates barriers, reduces diversity, and harms employer branding. Sophie O’Brien breaks down the common pitfalls of AI-driven hiring and how businesses can integrate technology without losing the human element. She provides insights into balancing automation with a personalised approach to improve hiring outcomes and candidate experience.
Looking for a custom keynote or workshop designed around your company’s goals and culture? The expert will create a tailored, interactive session that aligns with your objectives, values, and strategic priorities. From leadership and innovation to wellbeing and collaboration, each experience is built from the ground up to deliver measurable impact and lasting change.
.svg)
Book
.svg)
.svg)
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about booking an expert speaker, facilitator, host or entertainment for your event.
- If you'd like to book one of our expert speakers, email us at hello@peptalk.com, send us a chat message or give us a call, and we’ll help you out.
- We’ll take your event details — topic, audience, budget, date, and location — and create a custom speaker proposal for you within 48 hours.
- If you already have someone in mind, that’s okay too; just let us know their name! Even if they aren't listed publicly on our website, we have a huge network and work with almost everyone.
- Once you've reviewed our speaker propsal and have selected and expert shortlist, we'll double check availability and fees with your chosen expert.
- You're welcome to have a chemistry call with the speaker before making the final decision, too.
- Next, we'll send out contracts to confirm the booking. One of our experienced event producers will liase with both you and the talent on the finer details, and arrange travel if necessary, taking the stress off your plate.
Not necessarily. While the speakers listed on our website may not have worked with PepTalk in the past, they are recognized professionals in the industry and known to engage in similar events and engagements. We work with a wide variety of speaker agents and talent agencies to ensure we have the best selection of speakers, hosts, comedians and entertainers available.
We do not accommodate requests for birthday messages or any other personal, non-commercial contact with the speakers, comedians or entertainers.
We work with speakers across a variety of fee ranges, giving you the flexibility to choose someone who fits your event's needs. Virtual keynote fees in the UK and Europe typically start at £2,000, while in-person top-tier speakers can reach £25,000. In the US, virtual in-person fees range from $5,000 to over $100,000, depending on the speaker and format, such as after-dinner talks, conference keynotes, Q&As, or podcasts. Comedians generally start at £1,500 or $2,000 for a 20-minute set.
Our goal is to help you find the speaker who best matches your event’s goals and budget. We take the time to understand your event, objectives, and audience to recommend the right fit. The most expensive option isn’t always the best one, and our priority is finding the ideal speaker or expert for your needs; not the highest-priced one.
Reach out for personalised recommendations and detailed information on specific speaker fees. We’re here to offer a tailored service and are always happy to discuss your unique requirements!
There’s no additional cost for our services beyond the speaker fee — simply contact us to find the right speaker for your next business or team event. We can also work with your corporate procurement team to negotiate favourable long-term rates, simply email hello@getapeptalk.com for more information.
Partnering with PepTalk means elevating your events with our curated roster of top motivational speakers, industry experts, delivering punchy keynotes that leave a lasting impact. From talent selection, to contracts and logistics, we handle it all. We have global expert network, with over 3000 speakers from over 33 countries on our line-up.
We also provide a full range of talent, from event hosts and moderators to interviewers and corporate entertainment, ensuring your event’s success from start to finish.
PepTalk workshops are interactive learning experiences for leaders at all levels, blending theory with practical insights from industry experts. These programs, led by experienced facilitators, are designed to drive real mindset changes and equip participants with actionable skills. Workshops can be customised to meet your organisation's specific needs. Explore our workshop examples and contact us today to learn how your team can benefit.
If you notice something that needs attention or have any queries regarding an expert speaker profile, feel free to email us at experts@getapeptalk.com, and we’ll be happy to assist.