Stephen McLarnon is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Healthdaq® (formerly HealthSectorTalent®), a health and social care recruitment technology company specializing in talent acquisition for healthcare sectors across the UK, Ireland, Canada, and Australia. He is a Chartered Member of the CIPD (MCIPD) with 30 years of experience in talent acquisition and is recognized as a global leader in high-volume healthcare recruitment and recruitment technology.
Stephen has a demonstrated track record of advising governments on skilled migration policies and has led major initiatives, notably the Australian Government’s “Australia Needs Skills” events. He founded and leads Healthdaq®, a company that deploys AI-driven recruitment platforms designed to automatically process CVs, populate candidate profiles, and empower candidates to manage their own data, thereby enhancing recruitment efficiency and transparency.
Professional and Company Achievements
- Healthdaq® was awarded the Excellence in Public Service HR Award in 2024, recognizing Stephen McLarnon's leadership and the company’s significant contribution to reducing agency worker spend within public health services. For example, Healthdaq’s work contributed to Northern Ireland's Department of Health and its five HSC Trusts achieving this honor, which highlights the company's impact on public sector recruitment cost containment.
- In Ireland, Stephen has highlighted the significant financial burden of agency staffing costs within healthcare, citing that the Health Service Executive spent €380 million on agency staff in 2024 and €170 million during the first five months of 2025. Healthdaq’s recruitment technology aims to address such costs by facilitating more direct employment and reducing reliance on agency staff.
- Stephen organized and hosted Healthdaq’s inaugural forum for international nurse recruitment, reflecting the company’s commitment to addressing global healthcare workforce shortages and improving international recruitment strategies.
- Healthdaq® has also formalized commitments to combat modern slavery and human trafficking within its operations, publishing a Modern Slavery Statement that demonstrates corporate responsibility and ethical sourcing practices aligned with regulatory expectations and public sector standards.
Educational Background
Stephen McLarnon attended the National College of Ireland, further underlining his strong grounding in Ireland’s education system, which complements his professional expertise in international health sector recruitment.
Public Profile and Thought Leadership
- Stephen actively shares insights on recruitment trends, healthcare workforce challenges, and related policy developments through platforms such as LinkedIn and X (Twitter), where he operates under @SMcLarnonHSJ and @HealthSectorJob.
- His posts include industry data analysis and thought leadership on reducing agency staffing costs and improving recruitment processes, providing actionable data points relevant to healthcare staffing strategies.
- He has received multiple recognitions for entrepreneurial leadership in staffing ventures, with a media presence in Personnel Today, Corporate Vision, and active contributions to health and social care recruitment discourse.
Overall, Stephen McLarnon is positioned as a seasoned and award-winning expert who combines deep sector knowledge, innovative technology application, and government advisory experience to drive transformation in healthcare recruitment markets, particularly by reducing agency dependency and optimizing high-volume hiring in public and private health sectors. His leadership at Healthdaq® reflects a strategic focus on cost efficiency, ethical recruitment practices, and international workforce integration.
