We're Only Human – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, you will learn how modern talent acquisition leaders improve hiring outcomes while protecting the human side of recruiting. The conversation explores how healthcare organizations handle massive hiring volumes, why candidate experience still matters in a competitive labor market, and how recruiting teams use data to connect HR metrics to real business outcomes. Ryan Henning, Director, Talent Acquisition, Highmark Health, shares practical insights on internal mobility challenges, reducing time to fill, improving candidate experience, and how talent acquisition teams influence patient outcomes by hiring the right people faster. Key Takeaways: Recruiting teams can dramatically reduce time to fill while maintaining strong candidate experience. Hiring the right people faster directly impacts patient care and operational performance in healthcare. Internal candidates often take longer to hire than external candidates, even though they are known employees. Talent acquisition leaders must translate HR metrics into business impact when speaking with executives. Candidate experience matters even in uncertain job markets and should never be taken for granted. Lowball offers or poor communication can damage employer reputation and long-term hiring success. Data helps talent acquisition teams influence leadership decisions and demonstrate business value. Recruiters should operate as consultants to hiring managers, not just resume processors. Early career and high school pipeline programs are becoming critical in healthcare workforce planning. Process improvements in interview scheduling and hiring workflows can significantly improve hiring speed. Connect with Ryan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-henning-phr-0376901a/ Also mentioned in this conversation: Episode 180 on reducing recruiting cycle time: https://megaphone.link/DIRED7119433062 Timestamps: 00:00 Why candidate experience still matters today 02:00 Ryan Henning’s role leading talent acquisition at Highmark Health 04:00 Why healthcare organizations recruit talent starting in high school 06:00 The long-term workforce strategy behind healthcare pipelines 11:30 Hiring 10,000 employees while improving recruiting metrics 14:30 Translating HR data into business impact for executives 18:00 Why internal hiring often takes longer than external hiring 22:30 How recruiting experience affects employee performance 24:00 Fixing interview scheduling and recruiting process inefficiencies 26:00 Lessons on collaboration and knowledge sharing in recruiting Top Keywords: candidate experience in recruiting healthcare talent acquisition strategy internal mobility hiring challenges reducing time to fill roles healthcare recruiting pipeline talent acquisition metrics and data recruiting process improvement early career healthcare programs HR business impact of recruiting healthcare workforce shortages

If you are wondering how AI is changing candidate fraud and what recruiters can do about it, this episode breaks it down in practical terms. In this conversation, Terry Terhark, CEO at NXTThing RPO, shares what he is seeing firsthand across enterprise recruiting teams. You will learn what candidate fraud really looks like today, how AI tools are helping applicants misrepresent skills and identity, and what talent acquisition teams can do to protect their hiring process without overreacting. The discussion includes real-world examples of fake resumes, AI-assisted interviews, dual employment, falsified references, and remote hiring risks, along with concrete steps to reduce bad hires and improve hiring integrity. Key Takeaways   Candidate fraud today is more sophisticated and often powered by AI tools. Fraud can include fake resumes, fake locations, fake identities, falsified work eligibility, and stand-in interviewees. AI tools can provide real-time interview answers, making it harder to assess real capability. Some candidates hold dual full-time remote jobs without disclosure. The cost of hiring a fraudulent candidate is far higher than candidate ghosting. Employers must clearly define what counts as acceptable AI use versus cheating. Requiring ID checks during video interviews can help verify identity. Asking candidates to share their screen during assessments can expose AI assistance. More companies are returning to in-person interviews to reduce fraud risk. Training recruiters and hiring managers to spot red flags is a critical first line of defense.   Connect with Terry on e-mail: terry.terhark@nextthingrpo.com Connect with Terry on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terryterhark/   Timestamps 00:00 What Is Candidate Fraud Today 04:30 AI Tools Perfecting Resumes 09:15 Real Stories of Fake Remote Hires 14:00 The True Cost of a Bad Hire 18:20 Dual Employment and Remote Risks 22:45 Practical Ways to Verify Identity 27:30 In-Person Interviews Making a Comeback 31:00 Creating Clear AI Usage Policies 35:40 Training Recruiters to Spot Fraud 39:00 The AI Arms Race in Hiring   Keywords candidate fraud in hiring AI in recruiting fake resumes AI interview cheating remote hiring risks dual employment fraud identity verification in recruitment background check best practices AI hiring policies talent acquisition challenges

Episode Description In this episode of We’re Only Human, host Ben Eubanks sits down with Micki Sievwright of Andersen Corporation to discuss how one of America’s most recognized brands connects, engages, and empowers its 14,000+ employees across manufacturing, distribution, and corporate environments. The conversation dives into how Andersen’s internal communication strategy bridges the gap between frontline and office workers, creating a culture where every employee feels informed, valued, and connected. Micki shares how her team uses storytelling, technology, and intentional design to build belonging at scale — and how leaders can cultivate trust even in large, distributed organizations. You’ll hear practical lessons on improving employee communication, fostering inclusion, and using tools like MangoApps to bring people together — no matter where they work. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and Episode Setup 04:15 The Challenge of Connecting 14,000 Employees 08:42 Communication That Builds Belonging 13:17 Storytelling as a Culture-Building Tool 17:29 How Technology Supports Human Connection 21:50 Engaging Frontline Workers: Lessons from Andersen 26:18 Leadership’s Role in Employee Communication 30:44 Creating an Inclusive, Connected Culture 34:57 Final Thoughts and Takeaways Links for show notes: Thanks to the team at MangoApps for connecting us with Micki and the team at Andersen Corporation for this conversation! Connect with Micki: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mickisievwright651_prsa-andersenwindows-inclusion-activity-7115015573226364929-s6X3/ Connect with MangoApps: https://www.mangoapps.com/ See the show archives and sign up for episode updates

"The job of a talent acquisition leader is actually like five or six functions put together. You're a marketing leader doing outbound and branding. You're a sales leader, leading a team of individuals having conversations, converting candidates, or an operations leader by coordinating and scheduling and setting up interviews through the funnel. You're an analytics leader, trying to build dashboards and reporting."  Teddy Chestnut, BrightHire   We're Only Human -- Episode 125   In the hiring process, we collect a lot of data. We look at costs, timing, responsiveness, candidate qualities, and so much more. But the majority of companies don't capture much, if anything, around interviews. And when they do, that happens on a notepad or piece of paper, which is virtually impossible to analyze. In this episode of We're Only Human, Teddy Chestnut from BrightHire talks about how his company is enabling powerful insights from interviews at a massive scale, allowing business leaders to use that data for DEI hiring, process improvement, and so much more.   Links and resources:  Check out our most recent podcast on 20+ hiring strategies for a tight talent market Learn more about the BrightHire team See our show archives, get updates on We're Only Human, and more See the show archives and sign up for episode updates

Thousands of people have been our dataset this year that we've been talking to and analyzing and understanding what's happening. There's so much research and evidence here to help you. Transparently, I've never seen a market like we're in today. I hope this gives you some good insights and good ideas to solve for the current challenges and an extremely difficult hiring market. Ben EubanksChief Research Officer, Lighthouse Research & Advisory Host, We're Only HumanHost, HR Tech Talks Livestream Show   We're Only Human -- Episode 124   In the rare solo episode, Ben talks directly to talent and HR leaders who are struggling to find the right staff in the unprecedented job market employers are facing. This episode brings a ton of resources to bear: Ben's hands on experience in recruiting hard to find talent in the special operations aviation community Interviews with more than a dozen forward-thinking talent and HR leaders that are taking a proactive approach to the current situation Data from more than 800 employers from this year's Talent Acquisition Trends research at Lighthouse Take notes! And if you have had a conversation with someone in the past 30 days about the challenges of hiring, take a minute to share this episode with them. After all, a rising tide lifts all ships!   Show notes/resources:  Free PDF handout: 20+ Strategies and Tips for Hiring in a Tight Market https://upstarthr.com/talent-mobility-case-studies-and-research-podcast/  Sprint Recruiting Book: https://amzn.to/3sL6O7C  LHRA research on talent acquisition priorities for 2021/2022: https://lhra.io/blog/report-we-asked-800-employers-about-virtual-recruiting-new-research/  See the show archives and sign up for episode updates

"I think openness to failure is as important as openness to success, because if you're not open to failure, you're not open to trying new things. Full stop. You're going to keep rolling out the same trite things that maybe aren't the best things. So it's really as important to try new things, and where you give yourself the credibility is the fact that you are measuring and you are looking at whether or not this works objectively." Caitlin Bigsby, Visier   We're Only Human -- Episode 123   Want to be more successful? Fail more often.  In a recent conversation with an executive that works with numerous high-performing organizations, he explained that the critical differentiator for the best firms is a willingness to iterate and experiment, knowing that some of those will inevitably fail.  In today's episode, Ben speaks with Caitlin Bigsby about the importance of analytics, measurement, and data when it comes to HR and talent practices. Caitlin shares how to identify problems that data can solve, what to do next, and how to leverage evidence as a powerful tool for positive change in the business.    Connect with Caitlin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlin-bigsby  Connect with Visier: https://www.visier.com/  Learn more about We're Only Human and check out our archives: https://lhra.io/podcast  See the show archives and sign up for episode updates

"An HR manager can do whatever they need to do.  We do have a vision, and the vision is that all administrative tasks should be done in less than 15 seconds." Leila Laidani, Aconso   We're Only Human -- Episode 122   In the last year, companies have shifted much of their work processes to a digital format. However, legacy files and workflows don't always transition so easily.  In this episode, Ben talks with the team from Aconso about how using secure, digital storage solutions can help HR leaders to not only protect and preserve sensitive information, but use their time more effectively than shuffling paper and documents.    Learn more:  Check out the Aconso website: https://www.aconso.com/  Check out the We're Only Human archives, subscribe, and more: https://lhra.io/podcast  See the show archives and sign up for episode updates

"You need to have a competitive pay and benefits offering. When you go to do that, the employer ends up paying for a lot of things that go unused just because there's too much to communicate. What's just amazing about the time and space we're in now is you can really use personalization to surface opportunities from among and within those programs and benefits at the right time, in a way where it's really a health and benefits journey of one." John Halloran, CEO at Mobile Health   We're Only Human -- Episode 121   Each of us is unique. Our day-to-day needs, our lifestyles, and even our stress levels vary greatly. But one thing is certain: wellbeing is applicable to every single one of us.  In this episode, Ben and John discuss the importance of creating customized health journeys for employees (for instance, targeting a personalized need for mental health, fertility, or nutritional suggestions). Beyond that, the discussion brings in ideas for how HR leaders can drive the right engagement with the workforce by leveraging wellbeing and wellness across a variety of opportunities. John brings up a powerful case study where EY and KPMG created an initiative using low-code tools from Mobile Health to engage their remote workforce, proving that these practices work for remote, hybrid, and in-office workers. In today's talent-driven market, this focus on wellbeing is a "must have," not a "nice to have."    Connect with Mobile Health:  https://www.mobilehealthconsumer.com/  Learn about Anthem Blue Cross's partnership with Mobile Health: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mobile-health-announces-8-year-preferred-partner-agreement-with-anthem-blue-cross-and-blue-shield-301341535.html    Learn more about the We're Only Human podcast, subscribe, and see our archives: http://lhra.io/podcast    See the show archives and sign up for episode updates

"I had a client that in February of last year had 72 employees, all in Boulder, Colorado. By September of last year, they eliminated their office and went remote. They went from having all their employees in one state to having those same 74 employees, but across 14 different states." Jordan Conley, President, Obsidian HR   We're Only Human -- Episode 120   In the United States, approximately 98% of the employers that exist have fewer than 100 employees. It's easy to get caught up in the headlines that focus on enterprise companies, but a massive segment of the economy (and job market) are tied to small businesses.  In this episode, Ben talks with Jordan Conley, President of Obsidian HR, about the challenges facing small businesses today. The discussion covers topics like outsourcing for a greater focus on strategic HR, how remote work makes compliance and HR work more difficult, and more.    Connect with Jordan and Obsidian HR:  https://www.obsidianhr.com/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanconley/  Thanks to isolved for connecting us with Jordan! Learn more about We're Only Human, subscribe, see our archives, and more: http://lhra.io/podcast  See the show archives and sign up for episode updates

"Companies can now optimize things like rewards and training and development. HR and the way companies communicate with employees is going to be based on personalization."  Juan Betancourt, CEO, Humantelligence   We're Only Human -- Episode 119   The "one size fits all" approach is being replaced with the "one size fits one" approach at some of the most forward-thinking companies.  In your personal life, you expect personalization. Customized movie, dining, or clothing recommendations are becoming the norm. But at work, this hasn't been the case in the past.  Now, with intelligent technologies, we can personalize how we interact with everyone at work, creating deeper levels of understanding and collaboration. In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben talks with Juan Betancourt of Humantelligence about how the company is enabling these personalized experiences for the workforce and executive leaders. Use cases for personalization include everything from who to fits a job or company to how they learn best to what kinds of rewards they want and so much more. Check out this conversation to learn how you can personalize your approach to your people.   Connect with Juan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juanluisbetancourt/  Connect with Humantelligence: https://humantelligence.com/  Check out our archives and learn more about the show: https://lhra.io/podcast  See the show archives and sign up for episode updates