Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Talk Talent To Me
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| PepsiCo VP Global TA Ilona Kremer | 27 Feb 2026 | 00:36:37 | |
Episode Summary Ilona explains what it takes to transform talent acquisition at a 300,000-person organization. From consolidating a sprawling, decentralized TA function into a unified operating model to simplifying a bloated tech stack and driving global process adoption, Ilona shares how her team moved from fragmentation to focus. The conversation explores the difference between operational busy-ness and strategic impact, why process discipline must come before innovation, and how talent leaders can elevate their influence with the C-suite by telling a smarter story with data. Ilona also reflects on career growth, embracing discomfort, and the power of saying yes to unexpected opportunities. Key Takeaways1. Decentralization Creates Duplication 2. Process Before AI 3. Simplify the Tech Stack 4. Operational Metrics Aren't Enough 5. Capability Building Is Strategic Work 6. Change Management Requires Intentionality 7. Career Growth Requires Discomfort Links | |||
| Atlanta Hawks Chief People D&I Officer Camye Mackey | 25 Feb 2026 | 00:31:52 | |
📝 Episode Summary Camye Mackey, EVP and Chief People, Diversity & Inclusion Officer for the Atlanta Hawks, joins Rob to talk about building culture inside one of the most community-connected brands in sports. From embedding inclusion into both workforce strategy and marketplace impact, to designing a "Talent Blueprint" that future-proofs the organization, Camye shares how HR can operate as a true business partner. The conversation explores generational diversity, AI adoption, workforce skill gaps, and why DEI remains a business imperative, not a buzzword. If you're thinking about how to architect a modern people strategy that reflects your community and scales with change, this episode offers a practical and inspiring roadmap. 🔑 Key Takeaways
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| CPO Katya Laviolette Hires for 1Password's Hypergrowth + B2B Evolution | 24 Sep 2025 | 00:23:39 | |
Katya Laviolette, Chief People Officer at 1Password, joins Rob to unpack how the company scaled from a scrappy, consumer-first startup to a 1,400-person B2B security powerhouse. She shares why shifting from B2C to B2B hiring isn't just about adding new roles—it's about evolving core competencies. Katya also explains how her team uses "anti-recruiting" to scare off the wrong candidates, and how being brutally honest during the hiring process actually leads to better retention. Plus: why every company is a train ride, and you don't have to ride the whole way. 📌 Key Takeaways
🔗 Links | |||
| Kyndryl CHRO Maryjo Charbonnier | 27 Apr 2023 | 00:31:53 | |
Maryjo Charbonnier isn't afraid of a challenge. In fact, throughout her career, she has sought out difficult problems so that she can be part of the solution. Her passion for change-making has led her to her current position as the Chief HR Officer at Kyndryl, an IBM spin-off which is now the world's largest startup with over 90,000 employees and $19 billion in revenue. In this episode, Maryjo and I do a deep dive into what it takes to cultivate and maintain a thriving company culture. Maryjo is a real expert on cultural processes, and leaders and HR professionals in any field will benefit from the wisdom she shares today!
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"When spins happen, they are a chance to both do a big transformation on the business side and also in HR." — Maryjo Charbonnier [0:02:45]
"Culture manifests in three different ways; behaviors, systems…and symbols." — Maryjo Charbonnier [0:05:05]
"In an HR career, it's important, if you really want to accelerate your career, to seek the heat. Go where the big problems are because those are where everyone has eyes, and if you can make the difference it can really help accelerate your career path." — Maryjo Charbonnier [0:12:26]
"I think about [culture] as a garden. It's a garden that needs to be tended and cultivated. Yes, if left to its own devices, it will just grow organically, but that may or may not be what you want." — Maryjo Charbonnier [0:15:19]
"One of the most important things HR people do is listen to what isn't said." — Maryjo Charbonnier [0:16:36]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
Maryjo Charbonnier on LinkedIn
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| Eternal Sunshine of the Recruiting Mind with JCK | 25 Apr 2023 | 00:46:22 | |
Sometimes the best approach to a challenge is to start from scratch! When Jenny Cotie Kangas lost most of her memories as a result of a head injury, she had to undergo a process of extreme relearning. Though the experience came with hardships and frustrations, it turned out to be hugely beneficial to her professional life. During this episode, Jenny shares how learning to explain things in their simplest form, eliminating biases and blindspots, and employing reverse engineering strategies can lead to true organizational change.
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"When resources are thin and budgets are thin, it's absolutely critical that you build your strategies that are going to mitigate issues, not mitigate symptoms." — @CotieJenny [0:24:27]
"In the HR and talent acquisition space, the terms that we use, even within our organizations, they're in our vernacular and we understand them, but we don't always level set the definitions of those." — @CotieJenny [0:25:56]
"When you storytell something in a way that makes sense to a 10-year-old – all of a sudden everybody can understand it. Not just the top 10% or the most experienced in your organization, but everybody can. And when you're trying to actually make change happen, your goal is to hit everybody, not just the top 10%." — @CotieJenny [0:28:00]
"If you don't know what good looks like, you can't actually reverse engineer good." — @CotieJenny [0:29:39]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
Jenny Cotie Kangas on LinkedIn
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| TA Week: Quintrix Founder Krishna Kumar | 13 Apr 2023 | 00:16:11 | |
Today, we are joined by the Founder and Managing Director of Quintrix, Krishna Kumar. Investing in early talent is beginning to become more popular in the industry and we discuss whether it's better to groom in-house talent or source externally, why businesses need to think more about early talent in the long term, why many candidates are falling short of the mark, and how companies can better support their new recruits. We also examine Krishna's game-changing post-deployment framework, before he tells us why he'll always live life by one particular quote from Bill Gates.
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"It's really exciting. I'm seeing a lot more attention [being paid] to diversity and early talent. We've never seen this level of interest in these topics in the past, so I'm super pumped about that." — @candid_krishna [0:01:23]
"This conference is so exciting because people are now truly starting to think about talent from a long-term, pipeline-building perspective versus a just-in-time, instant-gratification mindset." — @candid_krishna [0:06:34]
"Career development, or lack thereof, is the number one reason for people to leave their jobs and explore other opportunities. So, you want to make sure that the candidates are constantly receiving the support, feedback, and career development to be successful." — @candid_krishna [0:11:20]
"This post-deployment framework, which I think is very unique to this industry, is going to be a game changer." — @candid_krishna [0:12:29]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| Calendly Head of Recruiting Kelly Minella | 11 Apr 2023 | 00:36:54 | |
Companies that place people at the center of their business are more likely to make quality hires and maintain a cohesive work environment. Joining me today to explain how her company puts people first, is the Head of Recruiting at Calendly, Kelly Minella. After explaining Calendly's ease of use and how it has helped simplify the lives of everyone who uses it, Kelly tells me about her professional background and how she ended up in her current role. We discuss how she knew that her CEO cared about prioritizing people, the in-house systems and processes that Calendly is focused on improving, the undeniable wonders of stop, start, continue, and how Kelly and her team have implemented this habit. Kelly expressed the importance of a talent team having a shared understanding, how the introduction of interview training has made Calendly better, why you should always be asking for and reviewing candidate feedback, and the plans that she has for the future of her career.
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"[Calendly] is such a time saver. I can't even remember what it was like trying to schedule time with candidates without it. It is a wonderful product." — Kelly Minella [02:41]
"I applied [to Calendly], and my first conversation was with our CEO, Tope Awotona, and it was fabulous. I remember calling my mom afterwards and being like, 'Mom, that was special'. And the reason why, and why it has remained special, is how much priority he puts on people." — Kelly Minella [06:53]
"The other thing we are focusing on is the hiring partner experience. We want to make sure that we are setting our hiring partners up for success." — Kelly Minella [15:10]
"Interview training has made a huge impact on our quality of hire and the satisfaction of our hiring partners at Calendly." — Kelly Minella [32:06]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| TA WEEK: Global TA Leader Chloé Rada | 31 Mar 2023 | 00:18:35 | |
We're live once again from Talent Acquisition Week, and in this episode, we are joined by Chloé Rada, a Global Talent Acquisition Operations and Talent Attraction Leader. Chloé is here to share some nuggets of wisdom about the talent world with us. Tuning in, you'll hear all about the future plans that she has for her career, the responsibility she places on herself in her role and why listening to people is imperative in the talent acquisition space. Our guest is passionate about data, and today, she shares what kind of data you need for hiring, who can help you access that data, and what her process of creating goals around that data entails.
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"I think people need to be heard!" — @crada [0:06:17]
"I always try to strive and improve and be my best self and bring my best self wherever I go." — @crada [0:08:12]
"Some organizations are not necessarily resistant to change but they don't know how to see change through." — @crada [0:08:19]
"Always be curious and surround yourself with smart people." — @crada [0:17:23]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| TA WEEK: Jamf VP Global TA Dana Atherton | 28 Mar 2023 | 00:18:28 | |
Speaking live with us on the floor of TA Week Conference is Dana Atherton, the Global Head of Talent Acquisition at Jamf; a company that has set the standard for managing and securing Apple at businesses, schools, and government organizations through its unique software. Dana has a range of experience in human resources, having worked across various sectors such as tech, marketing, retail, and healthcare industries. She combines her knowledge of global recruitment with a deep understanding to cultivate trusted relationships with strategic partners. In our conversation, we unpack what it means to be a true leader, what employees expect in the current climate, and how to remain positive during difficult times. Hear about her overall conference experience, the ultimate question to ask in an interview, breaking down biases in recruitment, the true definition of a hands-on leader, and much more. Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"One of the most important things [we have learned] since the pandemic is leading with vulnerability." — Dana Atherton [0:07:50]
"I am the type of leader that is ever going to ask somebody to do something that I am not afraid to do myself too." — Dana Atherton [0:09:44]
"Always keep in mind why you do what you do, and that will propel you and drive you towards your passions." — Dana Atherton [0:17:31] Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| OpenComp Founder & Salesforce's First VP of HR Nancy Connery | 16 Mar 2023 | 00:35:26 | |
Today, we speak to Nancy Connery, the very first VP of HR at Salesforce, where she spearheaded strategic investments in human capital and fueled the company's remarkable growth by building its industry-leading HR infrastructure. After seven years, she left Salesforce to build her boutique human capital consultancy Connery Consulting. From this sprung her latest venture, compensational intelligence company OpenComp, where, in addition to being co-founder, Nancy is the co-host of the OpenComp podcast, High Growth Matters. In this episode of Talk Talent to Me, Nancy sheds some light on the early days of Salesforce and her critical role in recruiting (and retaining) the best talent as the company grew. We also look at her decision to leave her comfortable position as VP to pursue her own path in the industry and gain some insight into her belief that talent retention and upskilling are just as important as hiring, plus so much more. Tune in for a fascinating conversation and some thought-provoking advice from someone with a litany of experience in the human capital space!
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"As people think about the evolution of their careers, [it's important] to think about [the fact that] you don't need to run everything. What are the core areas where you really shine and can help get the company to the next level?" — Nancy Connery [0:09:22]
"You need to think about employees [in the same manner as customers] as you grow the company, not only recruiting them but also how do you develop them? How do you retain them? Can they grow with the lifecycles and stages of the company?" — Nancy Connery [0:13:34]
"To me, [retention] is equally as important as the recruitment and onboarding piece for companies." — Nancy Connery [0:13:50]
"There's a lot of self-satisfaction and pride in the fact that I made that leap from something that was extremely comfortable to the unknown." — Nancy Connery [0:25:09]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| TA WEEK: Sr. Global D&I Technical Sourcer Jacob Rivas | 14 Mar 2023 | 00:16:59 | |
We are live at Talent Acquisition Week with another incredible guest, Jacob Rivas. Jacob is a Senior D&I Talent Sourcer and is here to share his knowledge about recruitment with us today. In this episode, you will hear all about his talks at Talent Acquisition Week, the response he is getting, how he got into D&I, what makes him different from other talent recruiters, how he communicates with candidates, and how to approach subject lines. Jacob also explains how things have changed for him since leaving Box. Finally, he shares the most amazing career advice he has ever received with us. So to hear all about D&I recruitment and why you should not be afraid to fail, tune in now!
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"Diversity is really the new area to go and if you're intentional, you can make a big impact." — Jacob Rivas [0:04:27]
"Candidates are people not products." — Jacob Rivas [0:05:57]
"Fail fast, fail hard, learn from those mistakes, and don't be afraid to make a mistake." — Jacob Rivas [0:15:31]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| TA Week: Wayne Technologies Founder Mike Batman Cohen | 28 Feb 2023 | 00:20:53 | |
We are on the floor of TA week in San Diego, California, and chatting with Mike 'Batman' Cohen about why he loves TA week and how it provides authenticity, vulnerability, and acceptance in the talent world. Mike goes on to explain what DEI hiring is, why it is so important, and how people in talent acquisition need to take the safety of their employees seriously. Looking deeper at safety, Mike explains that it is more complex than fire drills; it is about using vulnerability to go beyond the surface level. You will hear about why there is no right way to do recruiting, what it means to be human, the dissemination of information, and Mike shares the best career advice he has received.
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"Humans are uncomfortable being uncomfortable." — @BatmanRecruiter [0:03:44]
"There is no right way to do recruiting. There are a ton of wrong ways, but you're never going to 'get it'." — @BatmanRecruiter [0:06:48]
"We tend to judge ourselves by our intent and other by their actions." — @BatmanRecruiter [0:11:00]
"We are all doing the best we can with the tools at our disposal. " — @BatmanRecruiter [0:11:19]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| TA WEEK: Leaf Group VP DEI Tara Turk-Haynes | 27 Feb 2023 | 00:21:06 | |
We are live on day two of Talent Acquisition Week! And today, for the third time on this podcast, we welcome the VP of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Talent Management at Leaf Group, Tara Turk-Haynes. Tara has made it her mission to embed DEI into Leaf Group's talent management strategy, with the hopes that this trend spreads across the entire industry. She explains why this mission is important to her and how she's gone about it in her current role, as well as why she's more likely to recruit 'career changers,' why the industry should pay more attention to how they market to emerging talent, and why all companies should do their best to accommodate for the post-pandemic concerns of candidates. We then discuss Leaf Group's new Director of Recruiting Operations, Rhona Barnett-Pierce, paying specific attention to how Tara recruited her on Twitter, why Rhona's career trajectory ultimately landed her the job, and how her resume stood out from the rest because she highlighted the strengths that she would be using in the role she applied for. We end with a chat about the current state of DEI and how companies need to do more to tailor their DEI targets according to their own needs, instead of setting them based on law and societal pressures. In 20 minutes, we gained a wealth of knowledge from the remarkable Tara Turk-Haynes, including the best career advice that she's ever received!
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"My mission, and my own personal goal, is to talk about how we [can] embed diversity, equity, and inclusion into our practices, and not making them this separate thing that we talk about alongside talent." — @ttarahaynes [0:03:36]
"You should be grateful to have a job. Even though labor statistics go up and down and sideways and we're telling all these different data stories, at the end of the day, something has shifted with the pandemic." — @ttarahaynes [0:07:21]
"That's what people want: What can you pull out of your toolbox to show people that you will be successful at the thing they want to hire you for?" — @ttarahaynes [0:13:50]
"If you focus on salary first, you'll always get a little disappointed. But if you're happy where you are, if you like the people that you work with, if you feel like you're learning, then you're going to grow in so many other areas." — @ttarahaynes [0:19:35]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
Rhona Barnett-Pierce on LinkedIn
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| Scaling Trust & Transparency with HubSpot VPTA Becky McCullough | 22 Sep 2025 | 00:38:16 | |
Rob reconnects with longtime friend and HubSpot's VP of Talent Acquisition & Mobility, Becky McCullough, for a conversation that spans nearly a decade of growth, both personal and organizational. Becky shares how trust, flexibility, and curiosity have kept her at HubSpot for 10+ years, and why she encourages her team to take recruiter calls (really). They also dig into HubSpot's AI-first approach to hiring, performance, and engagement, including how they're assessing AI fluency without bias, and why "show your prompt" might be the new "show your work." Plus: Becky's spicy take on why direct reports shouldn't be part of hiring their boss. 📌 Key Takeaways
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| TA WEEK: McAfee Talent Partner Brian Fink | 24 Feb 2023 | 00:22:52 | |
Live with us today at Talent Acquisition Week is Brian Fink, Talent Acquisition Partner at McAfee, to discuss how to recruit in online chat forums. We discuss why this event is not one to be missed, why Brian loves Hired and events in general, and what his presentation is about. Brian even shares with us how he "hacks Slack," how he recruits on Discord, and why you should use your personal email address when joining these communities, as well as how you can find them and what mistakes to avoid. We delve into why Brian offers practice interviews and resume reviews before discussing why conversations have to be taken offline. He also tells us what he looks for when recruiting for certain roles and shares the best career advice he has ever gotten. To hear all this and more, tune in now!
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"Your community is going to tell you what they're interested in and how you can bring value to them." — @thebrianfink [0:19:46]
"[Always] do one more [thing than the other guy is doing]. It will set you apart from a work ethic standpoint, but also from a candidate experience standpoint." — @thebrianfink [0:21:32]
Longer Quotes:
"I like to think of recruitment as tuning into the channel, WIIFM: what's in it for me? When you tune into WIIFM, we're able to have a genuine conversation not built around what we're trying to serve and the interests that we're trying to perpetuate but instead the mission that that candidate or that individual is trying to serve." — @thebrianfink [0:06:13]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| TA WEEK: Trinity Health Director of TA Matt Rimer | 22 Feb 2023 | 00:17:33 | |
Today, we kick off our coverage from the the floor of Talent Acquisition (TA) Week in sunny San Diego, California. We chat with Matt Rimer, Director of TA at Trinity Health, about some of the biggest hiring challenges currently facing healthcare and why it's an exciting time to be involved with talent acquisition in healthcare. Matt tells us about the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the healthcare industry and the strategies Trinity Health is implementing to attract more healthcare talent, especially nurses. We also discuss the involvement of C-suite executives in these initiatives and the launch of Trinity's employee referral program, along with Matt's key insights on the percentage of total hires that should come from referrals. To learn more about healthcare TA, liaising with C-suite executives, and implementing high-level strategies, be sure to tune in today!
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"We're acutely focused right now on trying to figure out how to grow our nursing talent, but then more specifically, how to take that Trinity health employment brand into the market, make it a great place to work, and attract folks from our competitors." — @mattrimer [0:02:17]
"Referrals play a key part for us — engaging our existing talent to help us find the talent that is available out on the market." — @mattrimer [0:04:52]
"I think it's a good opportunity for talent acquisition professionals. To not only put up the strategy, but then show that they've got the delivery muscle to actually meet the objectives that they're setting out to do." — @mattrimer [0:08:04]
"If we need to hire nurses right out of school, inexperienced nurses, what are the things that we need to do to actually increase that pipeline?" — @mattrimer [0:08:36]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
Talent Acquisition In The Trenches Podcast Talent Acquisition Week Website
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| Moderna VP of TA April Venables | 16 Feb 2023 | 00:42:16 | |
Historically, talent acquisition and recruiting have relied heavily on networking, but how has the influence of technology, AI tools, and systems changed the role? Today I sit down and talk to the Vice President of Talent Acquisition at Moderna, April Venables. Her career has focused exclusively on talent acquisition and recruiting, which includes building and leading global recruiting teams, employer brand work, executive search and process, and program excellence. We talk about the recruiter of today and how both the role and required skillset have changed over the course of her career. April also tells us about different AI tools they implement to help the recruiting process and we chat about hiring; values-based versus skillset-based, and what makes for a bad (or good) hire. Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"For me, the value proposition of coming into an organization at the time that didn't have a formal TA organization, and actually starting from scratch, to build something that didn't exist, was so cool to me!" — April Venables [0:06:52]
"I can't remember the last time I was in my comfort zone." — April Venables [0:07:34]
"Working through COVID was a bit of a blur at Moderna because we were all so laser-focused on delivering a vaccine, it was a really interesting challenge." — April Venables [0:13:27]
"It is psychologically safe to fail at Moderna, we fail all the time." — April Venables [0:25:38]
"If someone is looking for a really predictable, linear way to do their work, Moderna would probably drive them crazy." — April Venables [0:32:48]
"The traditional TA model, or strategy, that has worked historically, and what has worked for us here at Moderna to grow so quickly in a short period of time, is not the same strategy that is going to make us successful, long-term." — April Venables [0:33:54]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| New Western VP of TA Rahul Yodh | 31 Jan 2023 | 00:26:40 | |
Because there usually isn't a specific revenue amount associated with talent acquisition, it is often viewed as a cost center. However, as today's guest explains, there is a direct positive revenue impact to each hire that is made in a business, and it is so important that TA leaders make others aware of this fact. Rahul Yodh is the VP of talent acquisition at New Western, a company that operates a marketplace for investors to (quickly) find homes to rehabilitate. After completing his third year of law school, Rahul realized he was on the wrong path and made a decision to pivot to talent acquisition. Tune in today to hear what Rahul's current role consists of, some of the goals he hopes to accomplish, and advice on how to change the way talent acquisition is viewed within organizations.
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"I want to have a candidate who is well prepared and can be at their best during an interview as opposed to worrying about gotcha questions and nervously trying to navigate through a minefield." — @rahulyodh [0:04:12]
"We're trying to fuel the economy through lower price inventory for home buyers and small business owners." — @rahulyodh [0:07:13]
"As a TA leader, you've got to think like a revenue org leader, like a COO, like a chief marketing officer, chief sales officer, and you've gotta really sharpen your business IQ, and be able to demonstrate quantifiable terms that your team is providing." — @rahulyodh [0:16:58]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| Talent Plus Director of Leadership Analytics Dr. Scott Whiteford | 26 Jan 2023 | 00:35:55 | |
Today on the show we are joined by Dr. Scott Whiteford, Director of Leadership Analytics at Talent Plus, a strength-based management company that is rooted in positive psychology. Their mission is centered on understanding an individual's greatest strengths and how best to utilize those strengths, both for selection and development. In our conversation, we delve into what it means to focus on strengths rather than weaknesses, the importance of self-reflection, and how to become increasingly specialized as you progress in your career. Scott also shares his advice for young people on how to discover their strengths, the importance of looking at the whole person when you want to hire successfully, and how to form a constructive partnership with your hiring manager. Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"The companies that we work with are really interested in how they can help their employees, leaders, managers, [and] frontline folks to be more successful." — Scott Whiteford [0:04:29]
"As I progress in my career, I actually become more specialized, even within the role that I have here at Talent Plus. By becoming more specialized, I tend to do more and more things that I really enjoy." — Scott Whiteford [0:17:57]
"I really like it when my students and my young leaders take control of their careers, because they'll find it more rewarding." — Scott Whiteford [0:21:46]
"Understand what parts of your job you like, what parts you don't like, where you're good, where you're not so good. The better prepared you are to have that conversation with your leader, the more likely you're going to see a strong outcome." — Scott Whiteford [0:23:00]
"We really want a diverse leadership team with lots of independent thought." — Scott Whiteford [0:32:49]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| Thrive HR Consulting Co-Founders Jason Walker & Rey Ramirez | 19 Jan 2023 | 00:52:36 | |
Given the current economic climate, employers and employees around the world are becoming better acquainted with the reality of layoffs each day. Joining us to discuss the ins and outs of layoffs are co-founders of Thrive HR Consulting, Rey Ramirez and Jason Walker. Rey and Jason have both held multiple roles in HR for many years, having worked for the likes of Cisco Systems and BMC Software. In this episode, they provide insight into the current hiring (and firing) landscape and the push and pull of navigating the continuation of remote work post-pandemic. We discuss the factors affecting layoffs, the typical layoff process, who's most at risk, and how to mitigate that risk.
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"There's still competition in the hiring market. We're talking a lot about what we call deglobalization. " — Jason Walker [0:04:29]
"Remote hiring is continuing. The last 24 months have shown us that work can be done, whether it's recruiting work [or] development work, remotely." — Rey Ramirez [0:07:40]
"The key in the future is [going to be] having space that encourages people to connect." — Rey Ramirez [0:14:44]
"You've got to treat employees respectfully because the same people you're laying off today are the ones you're going to be trying to re-recruit in nine months." — Jason Walker [0:21:26]
"Quiet always means there's something looming on the horizon." — Jason Walker [0:39:44]
"You've always got to be networking. You should always be looking into the jobs that are out there to understand what's available at any given moment." — Rey Ramirez [0:44:34]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| Johns Hopkins University Recruiting Directors Alia Poonawala & Emma O'Rourke-Powell | 23 Dec 2022 | 00:35:15 | |
Joining us in conversation are two guests from Hire Hopkins, the recruiting arm of Johns Hopkins University. They are Executive Director Alia Poonawala, and Associate Director Emma O'Rourke Powell. We kick off our conversation with a detailed look at the career journey that brought each of our guests to their current roles, and what motivates them most. Alia and Emma have a white glove approach and share how building an infrastructure streamlines and supports the recruitment process. Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"Here at John Hopkins University, my work is in helping ensure that our underrepresented students have equal opportunities in internships and in jobs when they graduate." — Emma O'Rourke Powell [0:06:55]
"What I learned from the boot camp world is that most people learn by doing." — Alia Poonawala [0:15:11]
"The companies that do well are the ones that are teachable and willing to experiment" — Alia Poonawala [0:22:25]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| On Global Head of TA Wesley Gilbert | 19 Dec 2022 | 00:32:41 | |
Not everyone follows a linear career path, and pursuing a non-traditional route can often equip you with useful skills you wouldn't otherwise have acquired. Our guest today, Wesley Gilbert, Global Head of Talent Acquisition at On, has had a varied and eventful career journey. After becoming disillusioned with the acting industry while running an events company, Wesley Gilbert discovered his enthusiasm for recruitment through pure chance. In our conversation, Wesley shares how a fortuitous encounter facilitated his first recruitment job at Google, what he learned during his time there, and how he realized the inflexibility of a larger organization wasn't for him. We spend some time discussing his time at Uber, how he landed a job there, and why he finds the early-stage startup environment so stimulating. He goes on to expand on his passion for problem-solving and how working in an entrepreneurial environment has helped him become a well-informed leader. We also discuss the pressure many of us experience to become more specialized (and the benefits of being a generalist) before Wesley shares his advice on how to become a well-informed leader. There's no correct way to approach your career, and Wesley is living proof of that. Tune in for a refreshing perspective that will inspire you to follow your curiosity and find environments that allow you to thrive!
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"I realized really quickly that this was a great place to learn about recruitment. They have a lot of best-in-class processes. And they have a really great team." — Wesley Gilbert [0:07:20]
"I started to realize that, 'Hey, this is actually a really interesting career where you get to have a ton of impact on people and really help to make their dreams come true.'" — Wesley Gilbert [0:07:36]
"I realized that very quickly, I didn't fit in an environment that was quite as big as Google and gave me so much inflexibility." — Wesley Gilbert [0:08:10]
"I think the sign of a good leader is that they surround themselves with people that are better than them, that are smarter than them." — Wesley Gilbert [0:20:18]
"It doesn't matter how senior you are when you come into a company. We're going to give you some autonomy, we're going to give you some scope. And we're going to give you the trust to go and do that. And that means that you just attract a completely different caliber of people." — Wesley Gilbert [0:27:47]
"Don't be afraid to take a sideways move. Don't always feel like you're chasing that next promotion, or you're chasing that next stage in your career. There's absolutely no race to the end." — Wesley Gilbert [0:30:15]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| The HR Twins Carla Patton & Camille Tate | 16 Dec 2022 | 00:45:50 | |
For departments that are supposed to be working in tandem, HR personnel and recruiters are often putting each other down and devaluing the other's role. Today's guests have rectified the situation and are showing us exactly how it should be done, with HR and TA working side-by-side to deliver a hit podcast, The Career Saloon. Carla Patton is VP of HR at RAPP, and her twin sister, Camille Tate, is Head of Talent at Strava. The pair give us a breakdown of their podcast and explain why they started it, before detailing exactly how they ended up in their current careers. We discuss how to turn a bad interview into a valuable one, why it's vital to be self-aware and own your mistakes, and why personal branding is inherent in every one of us. As Carla and Camille explain why they've never switched from HR to TA and vice versa, they give us their take on their least favorite aspects of the opposite department. Carla's passion for TA is mirrored by Camille's love for HR and after telling us which type of person is suited for each of their career paths, they explain why recruiters need to up their game and be more deliberate in their approach, and how technological advancements are making people forget about human-centric work departments.
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables: "Like most people in HR, HR chose me; I didn't choose it." — @peepcenteredhr [0:07:01]
"People are always watching you. It doesn't matter if you think they aren't; they are always watching you. If you don't think you have a personal brand, you do." — @camilleRecruits [0:09:53]
"If you make a mistake, own it. Own it, and then rectify it." — @camilleRecruits [0:14:14]
"I do what works for me. I know myself. I am self-aware." — @peepcenteredhr [0:25:18]
"The recruiting function is super important because we are like the cheerleaders, the welcome mats for the company. And if your welcome mat is tired, worn out, raggedy, then that's a disservice, and you shouldn't be doing that job." — @camilleRecruits [0:33:40]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| Tombras Director of TA Jodi Cohen | 14 Dec 2022 | 00:33:05 | |
Here to talk tales of acquisition with me is Jodi Cohen, Director of Talent Acquisition at Tombras. We dive into her journey as a recruiter and how she ended up in-house at Tombras. She shares significant insights about the difference between working for an agency versus working in-house, how she brought urgency and speed to Tombras, and how she keeps moving quickly while putting processes in place. Jodi shares her thoughts on the roles and responsibilities of a director of talent acquisition, and why being hands-on is essential! We also discuss sending the no-update-update email and her thoughts on sending a rejection email.
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"Coming from the recruiting agency side has really helped me see the full picture." — Jodi Cohen [0:08:23]
"I am still very reluctant to pass on any responsibilities through the hiring process. Anything that's communication with the candidate, I'm still going to take on, because that ensures that the relationship with the candidate is going to be maintained throughout the process." — Jodi Cohen [11:04]
"How are you ever going to stay hands on with the trends if you're not in the trenches?" — Jodi Cohen [0:13:30]
"I think a common frustration across the board with recruiting, no matter what the market, is the whole kind of ghosting, non-responsiveness piece." — Jodi Cohen [0:15:57]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| Box CPO Jessica Swank's 3-Pillar AI Framework | 19 Sep 2025 | 00:31:15 | |
✍️ Episode Description Jessica Swank didn't set out to be a Chief People Officer—but when the opportunity found her, she said yes. Now CPO at Box, Jessica joins Rob to share her unconventional career journey and how she's helping lead the company into its next era as an AI-first organization. She explains why AI is more about change management than tech, what it means to build cross-functional partnerships that work, and why every Boxer (even the CEO) has to pass an AI quiz. Jessica also reveals how Box rolled out an internal AI agent that writes job descriptions in seconds, and why "return on time" is her new favorite metric. Plus: a cameo from Jeep, her 7-year-old's favorite GPT agent. 📌 Key Takeaways
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| Informatica Director of Talent Acquisition Aditya Singh | 07 Dec 2022 | 00:30:44 | |
As educational standards constantly change, is it still necessary to hire talent based solely on their educational background, or is there something else recruiters should be looking out for? Joining us today to help answer that question is the Head of all Talent Acquisition for India at Informatica, Aditya Singh. India has become a major source of talent for many companies based outside of the country, and our guest explains why India is unique in the talent that it produces. We learn about the country's current surge in technical skills development, why startups remain the focus of many Indian investors, how Informatica has increased its uptake of offshore development centers, and what the company is planning for its long-term internal skills development. Aditya then explains the importance of an individual having soft skills and keen critical thinking ability, and why recruiters need to take these skills more seriously when hiring their talent. We end with our guest giving noteworthy advice to new and mid-career TAs who are looking to grow in the industry.
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"India is one of the biggest deals for Informatica and the most critical one. From a technology standpoint, we are in the right space, because a lot of the development, product development, hiring, everything happens in India." — @addypal [0:07:09]
"India is very focused on STEM sciences from an education standpoint. We've been brought up in a way of saying that 15 years of education is a must. Don't even think about dropping out. It's a mindset which we carry" — @addypal [0:08:04]
"I think we need to get away from role-based positions. The guardrails of education are slowly moving out. I think that we find the person who's able to deliver, focus on the result and what the individual brings to the table, and then the background of the individual." — @addypal [0:14:02]
"Your ability to solve complex problems [is very important], because no problem will be similar in nature. If it is similar in nature, you get automated, as simple as that." — @addypal [0:17:01]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| Cohesity CHRO Amy Cappellanti-Wolf | 05 Dec 2022 | 00:37:45 | |
The workplace is rapidly changing and there is an increasing focus on the mental health, wellness, goals, and happiness of employees. Joining us today is the incredible Amy Cappellanti-Wolf to discuss her interesting HR philosophies and help us find the right way to help onboarding employees integrate successfully. Amy is the global chief people officer and transformation leader at Cohesity and has had an extensive career at a multitude of companies, namely Frito-Lay and Disney. In this episode, you'll hear all about how Amy landed at Cohesity, how her education has served her in her career, what the company is currently focusing on, and the changes Amy has made since starting there. We also discuss how Amy suggests we lead onboarding in order to secure an employee's retention and help them engage in the work they're doing, the importance of having diversity on a leadership level, the manager's role, career path building, gradation, how to measure perspective, and much more! Amy even gives us an example of how to plan an employee's onboarding process before she tells us how she approaches problem-solving with her teams. Lastly, Amy tells us why she loves her job, what her hopes are for the future, and shares some advice for anyone wanting to work in an HR role. Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"Really great HR is all about consulting to the business, providing solutions that support the business growth and the employee growth. Its risk mitigation, it's also helping leaders be their best because the best leaders also create better teams." — @AmyCappellanti [0:05:19]
"If you start early on with lower numbers, the law of numbers works for you. If you try to introduce DNI when you're a larger enterprise company, a lot of numbers work against you." — @AmyCappellanti [0:08:58]
"You get much better business outcomes when you've got a diverse set of people versus a homogeneous set of people." — @AmyCappellanti [0:09:28]
"There's a ton of studies that if you don't get onboarding, right within the first month to 60 days, retention drops drastically after the first year of employment. It's not only the right thing to do for your employees, but there's real business value and doing that." — @AmyCappellanti [0:17:11]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
Amy Cappellanti-Wolf on LinkedIn | |||
| The Atlantic Executive Director Hadley Haut | 02 Dec 2022 | 00:40:15 | |
Respecting History, Protecting the Future, and Maintaining Healthy Office Culture with Hadley Haut
Episode 288: Show Notes
Candidates should approach the company they want to work for with deliberate ambition, armed with adequate research and the will to uphold that company's values. Today's guest, Hadley Haut, did exactly that on her way to becoming Executive Director of Talent and Culture at The Atlantic. One thing that her company has managed to do successfully is maintain its office culture after the difficulties of the pandemic, and our guest explains just how they did it and why working in-office is still extremely valuable for all employees. Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables: "[At The Atlantic] you're a part of history, on the right side of it. So, speaking truth and approaching ideas in new and not always comfortable ways." — @HadleyHaut [0:05:10]
"It's really hard looking for a job, and no one should be treated with anything other than respect." — @HadleyHaut [0:23:00]
"When you're ready for a new job, the best thing you can do is reach out to a company where you really want to work, because that's the first thing anyone who is hiring you will notice." — @HadleyHaut [0:38:09]
"When there's a personal connection to something, life is more fulfilling, you do better work, you change, you make a difference in the world." — @HadleyHaut [0:38:36]
"We could use a little more kindness in this world." — @HadleyHaut [0:39:31]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| The Other Side with Talent Executive Simon Evans | 30 Nov 2022 | 00:25:42 | |
Joining us in conversation today is a talent leader with 24 years of experience across the financial sector. Tune in to hear Simon Evans share an insider's perspective on the role of a TA, along with his valuable insights on the importance of getting the onboarding process right. You'll learn why he believes it is so important for HR managers to work closely with recruitment for a successful employee experience. Simon is at a crossroads in his career and shares his experience of interview processes along with the role of a strong and diverse network in navigating transitional times. Tune in for some fascinating insights from both sides of the recruitment experience today.
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"If you get the onboarding process right, the attrition lowers. Where if you get it wrong, someone would leave within probably six to 12 months of joining that organization. It's an integral part to get right." — Simon Evans [0:07:38]
"The importance of a network is huge and networking is so important during positive times but also in rough waters. Make sure that you have a good, diverse network of industry professionals." — Simon Evans [0:15:31]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode: | |||
| ERE Editor Vadim Liberman | 28 Nov 2022 | 00:35:39 | |
Vadim Liberman, editor at ERE, shares some of the most insightful highlights from ERE's recent publications as well as featured speakers from ERE & SourceCon conferences. Vadim explains what the most exciting pitches he hears have in common, and what he wants to see the recruiting space cover in more detail. Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"I think that any time something still feels new, there's going to be resistance to it. So when talent leaders are committed to doing it the old or traditional ways, that's just general resistance to change." — @VadimsViews [0:08:45]
"The other elephant in the room is that when you have a good employee on your team, as a manager, you don't necessarily want to lose them." — @VadimsViews [0:10:03]
"I like anything that feels different, that feels contrarian, that piggybacks off of current news." — @VadimsViews [0:11:08]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| FullStory Candidate Experience Manager Rebecca Gonzalez | 21 Nov 2022 | 00:30:13 | |
Manager of Candidate Experience is a title we have never heard before on this show! Today's guest, Rebecca Gonzalez from FullStory, is here to tell us how she came to hold such a unique, modern, and candidate-friendly crown. FullStory's focus is digital-experience intelligence but before Rebecca came into her current role, work needed to be done to enhance FullStory's candidate experience. Our guest tells us how adding her own personality helped to improve her company's candidate communications, before explaining what "bionics" means in relation to her company's values. We learn of the unexpected twists and turns during her professional journey, what she considers to be a successful candidate experience, why rejection communications should also be high-priority, and why, when prompted, she will always give rejected candidates succinct feedback.
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"We all don't like doing things that are manual. So when you encounter a process that is not bionic, we work harder to make that easier." — Rebecca Gonzalez [0:10:11]
"Job hunting is so stressful and the kindest thing that you can do is be clear." — Rebecca Gonzalez [0:16:51]
"[Recruiting] is a lot like dating, right? You're on these dating apps and people ghost you and it's rude, but you never know when you bump into somebody or who they might know or if they have a friend. So just keep the door open, always end things on a good note." — Rebecca Gonzalez [0:17:53]
"It is not always just about getting a job, sometimes you learn something about yourself." — Rebecca Gonzalez [0:24:58]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| Spectrum VP of Talent Attraction & Acquisition Jen Tracy | 16 Nov 2022 | 00:32:25 | |
Jen Tracy is the VP of Talent Attraction and Acquisition at Spectrum and she is here to tell us how she ended up becoming the leader of almost 100,000 dedicated workers. Our guest breaks down the importance of an employer value proposition, why it makes sense to invest in an employment brand, why changing her company's applicant tracking system was worth the headache, and how she manages to accurately place candidates when there are over 5,000 different job descriptions within her company. After telling us the similarities between her internal and external recruitment processes, Jen gives us some valuable advice on what you can do to be the success story you're destined to be!
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"I find those grassroots 'pull-up-your-bootstraps' stories really compelling because I really do believe that if you want to do anything at all, you can just invest and make that come to life for yourself." — [0:06:07]
"Whether it's marketing or whether it's the technology, you're never done. You still have to constantly be out in the marketplace listening to what is new and next to see where you might be able to fill in gaps or improve processes for your organization." — [0:15:35]
"Everything we do in today's world is done on an app, right? So it's really not that foreign to me to think that when we get 10 years, 20 years down the road, that the consumer and the recruiting brands will eventually have to come together under one app." — [0:21:56]
"Out of our employee base, one in ten of our workforce has a military affiliation. We have one of the highest workforce representations of veterans in our company and we're quite proud of that." — [0:26:18]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| Reformation SVP Talent, Diversity, Equity & Belonging Chéla Gage | 14 Nov 2022 | 00:41:02 | |
Chéla Gage is the Senior Vice President of Reformation, a climate-positive and sustainability-focused fashion company. Chéla explains how her personal history shapes her role in recruitment and how she connects it to her passion for diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and belonging. I ask questions about her different career paths, how to scale up and scale down, and why she views managing talent acquisition as an agnostic career experience. Chéla explains her idea of how to create a company with attributes and values that a diverse workforce can be a part of and why this relates to differentiated EVPs.
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"Employment changes lives." — @tweetatche [0:06:58]
"Talent acquisition is truly the bridge that takes an organization from where they are to where they really want to be." — @tweetatche [0:10:00]
"In talent acquisition, you have to have a backbone." — @tweetatche [0:22:31]
"I think it takes a talent expert to listen to the organization and find out what's necessary and then adjust and adapt." — @tweetatche [0:25:02]
"An employee value proposition consists of proper change management. It tells an employee why they should work here, and why they should continue to work here." — @tweetatche [0:36:04]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| Edelman Global Chief People Officer Soni Basi | 11 Nov 2022 | 00:22:47 | |
How do you earn, manage, and keep your employee trust? Soni Basi is here to explain why we need to start valuing authenticity, vulnerability, and throw away our cookie-cutter approaches. Soni is the Chief People Officer for Edelman, a communications company with an extraordinary reputation for being a global PR agency of choice, and explains how she uses a powerful combination of people skills and analytics to achieve success. Soni tells us about what she values in job positions, the importance of having a creative license, and how even performance management can be shifted to meet your personal values and goals. We hear about the outcomes of a low level of perceived trust, what employees are beginning to value, new expectations being placed on employers, and the potential results if these standards aren't met. Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables: "When you show that you can do great work, you show how passionate you are, and you build a network, I think your career can take you to many places." — Soni Basi [0:07:46]
"Action earns trust." — Soni Basi [0:09:06]
"The more you can do to showcase what you stand for as an organization and what actions and behaviors you're taking, the more likely you are to earn trust." — Soni Basi [0:18:15]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| Genesys Chief DEI Officer Eric Thomas | 09 Nov 2022 | 00:35:28 | |
How do you create attainable, measurable, and sustainable diversity goals? Eric Thomas is the Global Chief Diversity Officer of Genesys, a global market leader offering customer experience solutions, and manages its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We hear why, and how, Eric uses data to provide useful and meaningful insights that help him not only drive his way forward but pivot when needed. Eric explains how to create a space for employees to have open conversations, and the measures to put in place to make sure their voices are heard. We begin to understand the importance of strategic conversations, how to promote systemic changes, and create plans for inclusive sustainability. Join us to start to understand how to ensure that you are focused on the right initiatives, recognize companies' window-dressing attempts, and be an inclusive leader.
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"Window dressing is when you have a lot of good marketing on your website, but you can't point to any real material gains that you're making either in representation or in employee sentiment." — Eric Thomas [0:11:29]
"DEI is a true key business imperative; it's not a nice-to-have. Companies that are treating it like a nice to have or take the window dressing approach, they are short-changing themselves." — Eric Thomas [0:13:08]
"What I don't think we have yet is a collective effort or body that comes together across the industries to set standards and define what good DEI looks like so that you don't just have your own self to benchmark against." — Eric Thomas [0:17:25]
"It isn't just about hitting that [diversity] goal; it is the work that has to happen, the attainment of that goal, and the work that goes into play that allows you to put in place a sustainable set of operating procedures." — Eric Thomas [0:31:44]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| Bumpers in the Bowling Alley: How Talent Partners Guide Founders | 16 Sep 2025 | 00:30:55 | |
Jim Conti, Talent Partner at Hyde Park Venture Partners, joins Rob to unpack what it really means to support startups from the VC side. He shares how his role has evolved from operator to advisor, why he often tells founders not to hire, and what makes a great first head of marketing hire. Jim also explains how talent leaders can earn influence without ownership, translate TA metrics into business outcomes, and become the first call when founders hit a crisis. Plus: the real reason boards don't care about your hiring speed. 📌 Key Takeaways:
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| "Targeted Remote" with CBRE Sr. Director Chris Volney | 04 Nov 2022 | 00:29:35 | |
CBRE is the largest commercial real estate advisory firm in the world, and today's Guest, Chris Volney, is the Senior Director of their Americas Consulting group focused on labor analytics. Almost everything has changed since the pandemic, including CBRE's consultation process, the analytics they've been asked to provide their clients, and indeed their hiring procedures. After sharing his background and how he ended up in his current role, Chris details the service that CBRE offers and how they've been able to adjust, post the global pandemic, to directly attend to their client's changing needs. Our guest speaks to some of the commonalities that exist between his clients and how he advises them on choosing their desired work system. The after-effects of the pandemic have led to more and more business hiring outside of their local markets and Chris describes some of the administrative challenges that occur, before explaining why he thinks that a targeted hiring approach is still better in the long run. If your company is fully remote then you may struggle to retain your employees, Chris explains why that is and why you need to always understand each particular market's rules and regulations, and why your internal processes need to be set in stone first.
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"Our tagline is, 'We're helping clients to solve for place before space.' So, before they get to any type of real estate decision, we're making sure that they're placed in the right markets from a talent and operations perspective" — @cvolneycbre [0:01:42]
"Before [the pandemic], every project was almost the same in that it ended in a real estate transaction. We were picking one market to hire and scale in. Now, a lot of companies said, 'Wow, we're free from geography now. Let's go hire anywhere, everywhere, geography doesn't matter.'" — @cvolneycbre [0:10:10]
"Geography still matters. Even if you're not going and leasing an office space, where you hire really does matter. It can create different risks or opportunities for your business." — @cvolneycbre [0:22:43]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| Funding Circle TA Manager Dominic Heeraman | 31 Oct 2022 | 00:31:27 | |
Dominic Heeraman is the Talent Acquisition Manager at Funding Circle, the number one provider of small business loans in the UK (to date, they have lent 13.7 billion pounds!) In this episode, he joins us to talk about how he has transformed their recruiting process by improving a number of valuable metrics (such as their time to hire and offer acceptance rates) and ensuring that each and every candidate leaves the interview process with a positive mindset towards the company, no matter the outcome of the interview. We also get into Dominic's journey from talent partner to talent manager, remote versus hybrid work, and what employers can do to support the mental health of their staff.
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"There are candidate shortages everywhere, in tech especially. We need to move with the times and make sure we're selling to the candidate every step of the process." — Dominic Heeraman [0:09:32]
"No matter what level the candidate is, whether they're successful, if they're unsuccessful, we want them to go away with a really positive mindset about Funding Circle." — Dominic Heeraman [0:11:45]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| Advanced DE&I Training with Jenn Tardy | 28 Oct 2022 | 00:37:57 | |
Jennifer Tardy is back to discuss how her company, Jennifer Tardy Consulting, is training recruiters to eradicate historical under-representation. You'll hear all about our guest: why she started her company, why the company stands out from the rest, and who can make use of their services. We also discuss what companies who seek out Jennifer's help want to achieve, what Jennifer needs to know about them to assist, how she uses shock value to challenge deep bias, and her philosophy of 'calling people in.' Jennifer explains how our bias leads to problematic perceptions of who is qualified and who isn't qualified and tells us why we need to have a more accurate understanding of what a qualification actually is before explaining under-representation and why it is a huge problem when it comes to diversity. She also explains her company's term Lived Experience Intelligence and tells us why increasing diversity is a long journey that requires commitment from a company as a whole. So, to hear all about how you can become committed to playing an active role in increasing diversity, join us now!
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"[Employers are] looking to shift the mindset of the people who are on the front lines of doing this work - so that they're able to identify when bias is presenting itself so that they can mitigate it, dismantle it, remove it so that the most competitive person can get hired." — @JennTardy [0:06:12]
"The biggest hurdle that we face on the front lines of increasing diversity is our ineffective perception of who is qualified to do the job." — @JennTardy [0:06:59]
"Diversity includes everyone." — @JennTardy [0:13:50]
"In order to find the most competitive candidate, we have to remove biases, because that's filtering who can get through, who's seen as competitive to begin with." — @JennTardy [0:23:17]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| Velocity Global Chief People Officer Sarah Fern | 25 Oct 2022 | 00:35:21 | |
In this episode, we are having a very exciting in-person conversation with the Chief People Officer of Velocity Global, Sarah Fern. You'll hear all about Sarah's career, her first time as a Chief People Officer, what it's like when HR and talent teams work together, and how you can wind up on the wrong side of the business. Under no circumstances can you be passive in your pursuits, and today, Sarah shares how you can shape your life and be the CEO of your own career! We also discuss how to challenge excessive meetings and protect your time (even in a less senior position), and empowering yourself to take care of your mental health. Sarah tells us about the incredible scaling of her company before breaking down her team and what their roles are. Finally, she leaves us with some incredible pearls of wisdom on how to advance your career. Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"You should take the best of the best and you should put it together." — Sarah Fern [0:07:37]
What I have learned over the years is that you can shape your life. You can shape the future." — Sarah Fern [0:09:13]
"There isn't a playbook for this remote 'work anywhere' world. You've got to continuously challenge yourself and go, is this sustainable? Mental health, work-life balance, boundaries, being at your best game." — Sarah Fern [0:17:30]
"The days are gone when there's a linear career ladder. Those days are truly behind us." — Sarah Fern [0:33:16]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| Golden Ventures Head of Talent Alison Kaizer | 21 Oct 2022 | 00:38:17 | |
Alison Kaizer returns! She shares her journey transitioning from moonlighting for Golden Ventures to taking on a full-time role. She shares some of the details of her consulting conversations and how it differs for different clients. We talk about some of the resources she provides to eliminate possible friction later on in the hiring process, and why she believes that hiring a good candidate is just the tip of the iceberg. Hear about the difference an ATS can make, why Alison believes that sourcing is such a powerful tool, and what she has done to prioritize leveling up her skillset today. Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"If you are in-house somewhere and you're feeling stale, you're probably not doing the role to the fullest extent. I think particularly with talent, there are always areas to improve." — @alisonmichellek [0:12:55]
"You can probably remove 80% plus friction, just being able to go back to a candidate and say, "This is exactly what we're looking for and this is the process that you can expect." — @alisonmichellek [0:25:33]
"Taking the time upfront lends itself to a really frictionless process, where you're not wasting your time talking to people that are wrong because you have a clear mental picture of what greatness looks like. You can start with the ideal and then flex as needed." — @alisonmichellek [0:26:50]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode: | |||
| OVEREMPLOYED with SVP People Jessica Williams | 18 Oct 2022 | 00:39:25 | |
Jessica is the SVP at Refine Labs, but before she landed this position and recent promotion, Jessica spent her lockdown working for two different companies full-time! Tuning in, you'll hear all about her experience of working two jobs for 12 to 15 hours a day ranging from how she managed her time all the way to what eventually made her decide to work only one job. Jessica tells us what should make you consider taking on two jobs, how she would handle one of her employees wanting to do so, how her old employees reacted when they eventually found out (two years later,) and why slacking off is not an option! We also discuss the ownership that companies think they have over their employees and why it's a thing of the past before delving into when overemployment becomes an issue. Finally, she tells us what her ultimate career-based goal is and how she plans on achieving it.
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"I did exactly what they wanted me to do and exceeded their expectations. I just was doing it twice." — Jessica Williams [0:13:20]
"Being in a digital space now, [employers] don't own my time. I am doing a task for them. I did the task. The thought of ownership, I think those days are over. If that's the way you think about your employees that I own 40 hours a week from you, you're so out of the loop". — Jessica Williams [0:15:10]
"People have the problem [with overemployment] when I say how much money I made. That's when people have the biggest problem. I say how much money I made because I want people to know that there is freedom out there. You can go get it, and you could be successful." — Jessica Williams [0:22:54]
"I am in control of what happens to me. I will decide what will happen to me. When I decided I'm going to work two jobs, it was because I'm going to get to a point where I am financially free enough that I can do what's best for me. Taking that ownership pisses people off because they're like, 'You can't do that.' 'Yes, I can. Yes, I did.'" — Jessica Williams [0:27:02]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| EQ Community Founder Marcus Sawyerr | 13 Oct 2022 | 00:28:31 | |
With experience working for the likes of CareerBuilder and The Adecco Group, Marcus Sawyerr is now the founder and CEO of EQ Community, a private member's network that connects professionals to opportunity. Today he joins us to discuss all things talent and the types of challenges currently coming up when he talks to clients. Marcus sheds light on why he founded EQ Community and some of his goals for the company before discussing the importance of DEI and the gap between the well-meaning folks talking about it and the reality of the market. You'll also hear about how EQ Community is adding value in the counseling it offers to talent to companies who are trying to build a more representative workforce. To hear more about the importance of retention in a climate where companies are scaling back on hiring, what Marcus learned about HR tech when he worked for The Adecco Group, some profound insight into developing inclusive culture in terms of DEI, and so much more, tune in today!
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"I think as companies get their employees in the right positions and get their ducks in a row, so to speak, retaining that top talent is going to become more and more important. We'll probably see a little shift in the type of business that we do with organizations moving forward." — Marcus Sawyerr [0:03:28]
"I noticed there were less and less people that looked like me when I got to the "top" and thought, 'If I don't set something up to empower people to get access to these opportunities, these experiences I've had, I'd be missing an opportunity myself.'" — Marcus Sawyerr [0:08:49]
"Part of what we've spent time on is really changing that narrative and not having DEI as something that's a nice-to-have, something to help people, but really it's a superpower to drive performance inside organizations." — Marcus Sawyerr [0:11:46]
"I think that you can absolutely, with technology today, enhance the candidate experience from a standpoint of communication." — Marcus Sawyerr [0:22:14]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| Grindr Head of TA Shaina Semiatin | 10 Oct 2022 | 00:35:10 | |
Our guest today is Shaina Semiatin, the head of talent acquisition at Grindr, the world's largest social networking app for gay, bi, trans, and queer people. She's data-driven and strategic, with extensive experience in growing and scaling venture-backed and private equity-backed startup. Shaina unpacks some do's and don't's for the talent acquisition process and shares her thoughts on the current archaic process and how it needs to shift to keep pace with the speed of light with which candidates are moving. Tune in now, to hear more from Shaina, enjoy!
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables: "The biggest misstep people can make in this day and age if they want to work, especially in tech is just not having a presence at all." — Shaina Semiatin [0:02:55]
"A recruiter will find you if you're out there and it's up to you to control that narrative." — Shaina Semiatin [0:04:37]
"What we try to do at Grindr, which is atypical, is build an extremely high touch candidate process, an extremely communicative candidate process — one that creates a lot of opportunity to proactively share resources with candidates… so they don't have to go digging themselves to learn about who we are and what we believe" — Shaina Semiatin [0:12:52]
"I think the best recruiting can do right now to catch up to candidates is to just stay human centered in the design.." — Shaina Semiatin [0:17:30]
"The one area in terms of speeding up interviews, the one area we would not sacrifice on is quality of signal or fairness in the process. We keep that as a parameter, we keep it as a north star." — Shaina Semiatin [0:21:46]
"Starting [with] broad [questions] is the best possible way to get true answers.." — Shaina Semiatin [0:30:26]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| AttackIQ Head of Global Talent Corrine Ishio | 30 Sep 2022 | 00:34:31 | |
Corrine Ishio discusses what responsibility talent teams should plan in playing a consultative approach with candidates, as well as how to be honest with yourself about your career motivations and make sure you are playing the long game in recruitment. | |||
| Director of TA Clarisce Tolston | 29 Sep 2022 | 00:49:51 | |
As the Director of Talent Acquisition at HealthTrackRx, Clarisce takes joy in connecting the brand and its core values to the organization and its people, while also attracting fresh talent to come in and be in alignment with those values. In today's episode, you'll learn more about how she does this by providing her organization with the best possible resources in order to help fuel development and personal growth, rather than simply checking the boxes. We have a truly eye-opening conversation about detoxing from destructive corporate cultures and distinguishing between good people leaders and people who are good at their jobs. Clarisce also shares some actionable advice for challenging misplaced expectations when it comes to bringing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to the C-suite, and how to do so in a meaningful way.
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"I like to say [recruiting] is the fun side of HR. We're not dealing with investigations into people's drama. We're out there connecting the brand and the core values to the organization, to people, and attracting them to come in and be in alignment with that." — Clarisce Tolston [0:09:20]
"It sits between HR and the C-suite. I feel like that's the sweet spot for talent acquisition. That's where we do our best work." — Clarisce Tolston [0:11:11]
"If you create the environment where people are 'quiet quitting', you need to check your culture, not the people that you want to secretly fire because they're not working on the weekend." — Clarisce Tolston [0:26:54]
"The people at the top must reflect the health and the body of the organization. That's what DEI [means]." — Clarisce Tolston [0:39:36]
"That's what DEI is. It's saying, 'I'm coming to you with a certain need, based on culture, based on religion, based on my background. If you have the ability to accommodate me, you do.' That's it." — Clarisce Tolston [0:48:53]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| Rethinking Performance Management with Delivery Hero CPO Ana Mitrasevic | 03 Sep 2025 | 00:34:50 | |
Delivery Hero's Chief People and Sustainability Officer, Ana Mitrasevic, joins Rob to challenge the status quo of performance management. Drawing on her experience in both HR and product, Ana makes the case for replacing rigid review cycles with tech-enabled, real-time performance enablement. She shares her vision of a two-sided internal talent marketplace, explains why traditional career ladders don't cut it anymore, and offers a smart hiring hack that both CFOs and CPOs can get behind. Plus, a friendly invite to watch high-drama basketball in Serbia. Key Takeaways:
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| Jessica "Fiesta" George, Head of TA & Podcaster | 27 Sep 2022 | 00:31:56 | |
Jessica is the Head of Talent Acquisition at Atlantic Street Capital Advisors, as well as the host of the Jess Get Hired Podcast. In this episode, she introduces us to her podcast, explaining the topics she covers, and some of the recurring themes and pieces of advice that come up. You'll hear how Jessica got her current position at Atlantic Street Capital Advisors, the value of networking (and how to do it), and her recommendations on how other recruiters can find their next positions. She also sheds some light on her role at Atlantic Street Capital Advisors, what she is working on, and some of the recruiting processes her team implement in the companies they acquire. For valuable tips on how to build a network, what the must-have tools for any HR tech stack are, and why cover letters are actually a waste of time, make sure not to miss today's conversation!
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"One day, [when I get out of corporate America], then this will be my brand. Hopefully, I can take what I've learned through podcasting and all the people that I've met along the way and turn it into some type of consulting business." — Jessica George [0:05:25]
"Not all HR people are good recruiters and not all recruiters can do HR. That's just fact!" — Jessica George [0:16:41]
"I hate cover letters. I think it's a waste of time. As someone who looks at hundreds of resumes a week, the last thing I want to do is read through the fluff of a cover letter. I'd rather get to the nuts and bolts of your resume and see the key things that I need to see" — Jessica George [0:26:46]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| RGP CEO Kate Duchene | 23 Sep 2022 | 00:39:43 | |
Kate Duchene, the CEO of RGP, is here to discuss the new, modern way of matching and connecting professional work to talent. By describing her consultative approach, Kate helps us understand how to break talent into operational and transformational needs in order to ensure efficiency and better outcomes. With her passion for problem-solving and innate curiosity, Kate has built an employee-focused business that is based on project-based hiring and insourcing skillsets to meet shared needs and values. Plus, Kate discusses the work-from-home life model, the importance of letting go, how to move past failure, human competencies, and more!
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"Both leaders of organizations and talent management will have to balance the needs and wants going forward [after COVID-19]." — Kate Duchene [0:08:27]
"The challenge is that as an organization grows, when do you start creating more defined roles so that you can achieve the focus and the impact you need?" — Kate Duchene [0:15:39]
"Very rarely do you get to perfect and, most times, very good is exactly what you need." — Kate Duchene [0:20:21]
"People remember you when you work through challenges." — Kate Duchene [0:23:23]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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| ForgeRock Chief People Officer Tschudy Smith | 21 Sep 2022 | 00:31:54 | |
While the impact of successful mentorship has been proven in a multitude of ways, there is still the fear that participants could be mismatched or that a mentor's time might be wasted. Concerns that the relationship will be short-lived or even fail can also get in the way of tremendous results. Today's guest asks us to consider using intention and purpose to guide these relationships. Please join us in welcoming Tschudy Smith, Chief People Officer at ForgeRock, to share her perspective on purpose-driven mentorship. Tuning in, you'll learn some of the characteristics of great leaders, why Tschudy believes we have to be more intentional than ever about who we bring into our network, and how to set outcomes and objectives before entering into a mentorship relationship. We also touch on the importance of empathy, the fundamental differences between a sponsor and a mentor, and the role that places and culture play for CPOs in a post-pandemic world, plus so much more.
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
"Some of those formal or informal engagements we might have expected to have are fewer and [farther] between, [so] we have to be even more intentional about who we have in our network that is there to support us, to guide us, and to give us some coaching and insight." — Tschudy Smith [0:06:22]
"I feel like it's important to pay it forward and, I'll tell you, when you can play the role of mentor, you also learn." — Tschudy Smith [0:07:32]
"The idea of a sponsor is to have somebody who advocates on your behalf, who is in those rooms, who is in those conversations, and who actually [thinks] about you when you're not there." — Tschudy Smith [0:15:07]
"This is 22nd-century leadership. It isn't just about managing a to-do list. It isn't just about showing up to run an agenda for a team meeting. It's getting proximate, caring for your people, seeing them at their best, and figuring out how you can help them do more of that." — Tschudy Smith [0:22:22]
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
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