Episodes
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Venture capitalists are far more collaborative among each other than one may think, and today, we learn how this willingness to share ideas enticed today’s guest to join his current company. Joe Burridge is the Head of Talent at Play Ventures – a venture capitalist firm that loves helping ambitious and passionate entrepreneurs to fulfill their dreams – and he begins our conversation by walking us through his latest career developments since his last appearance on Talk Talent To Me in 2019. After musing on the importance of talent professionals upskilling themselves by listening to podcasts like this one, we discuss the merit of going full-freelance in today’s economic climate, when and how Joe knew that he and his employer were on the same page, the importance of having vast talent pools and making the right hires, and the pros and cons of joining a startup as a talent professional. To end, Joe explains what we could be doing more of to embrace and encourage collaborative work environments.
Key Points From This Episode:
How Joe Burridge's career has developed since his last appearance on this podcast in 2019.
Whether he regarded his contracted work as a temporary or permanent solution post-layoff.
His experience of working in-house and leading a team versus doing more consultative work.
A brief interlude on the value of listening to podcasts like this one as talent professionals.
When and how Joe knew that his concerns aligned with his employer's needs.
A case study from his career, highlighting the importance of talent and making the right hires.
The pros and cons of joining a startup.
Joe's recruiting approach, and the trends he sees in current candidate pools.
What we can learn from the (surprisingly) collaborative nature of venture capitalists.
Quotes:
“In North America, for the most part, if you get laid off it's a fairly immediate thing. Thankfully, in the UK, layoffs take weeks, sometimes months. So, you've got quite a bit of breathing room to figure out what you're going to do next.” — @JoeFindsTalent [0:07:04]
“If you spend your free time listening to a recruiting podcast, I think you're probably a pretty good recruiter. It signals to me that you really care about getting better at your job.” — @robstertweets [0:13:55]
“Yes, there's an abundance of talent available, but you need to be more honed into hiring for culture than ever before when you've got such a variety to choose from.” — @JoeFindsTalent [0:24:32]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Joe Burridge
Joe Burridge on LinkedIn
Play Ventures
Episode: Senior Recruiter, EA Joe Burridge
Alison Kaizer on LinkedIn
Kelly Kinnard on LinkedIn
Rob Stevenson on X
Talk Talent to Me
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In today’s episode, I sit down with Gordon Patterson to discuss his mission of fostering relationships and championing individual empowerment. Gordon is the Director of Talent Acquisition at LKQ Corporation, a leading provider of alternative and specialty parts to repair and accessorize automobiles and other vehicles. In our conversation, Gordon tells us about LKQ, the changes the company is currently going through, and the different markets it serves. Hear about his role at the company, the ways he pushes the envelope in recruiting, and the value of brand recognition for finding talent. Discover the different organizations LKQ leverages for recruiting, how it retains employees, and details of its “Your Voice Matters” survey. Find out how Gordon overcame the tech hesitation hurdle, his approach to creating referrals, LKQ’s people process technology (PPT) framework, and what “sweat equity” is. Gain insights into the role of leaders in the recruitment process, the secret sauce to retaining talent, what he has planned for the future, and more. Tune in now!
Key Points From This Episode:
History about the LKQ Corporation and what makes it unique.
His role at the company and what he is currently working on.
Gordon shares his approach to finding top talent for LKQ.
How national and local partnerships help for networking.
Hear how many hires LKQ has each year and its employee turnover.
Exciting programs the company offers employees, such as scholarships.
Taking feedback from employees and turning it into policy.
The challenge of slow adoption of technology in the sector.
Learn about the type of technologies LQK has invested in.
Relying on non-technological tools for talent acquisition.
Discover the red flags he noticed in the company’s staffing process.
Why CRM (candidate relationship management) software is essential.
Quotes:
“It has been really fun to see, in my two years [at the company], how talent acquisition has evolved to impact the business.” — Gordon Patterson [0:05:51]
“At LKQ, we have been very fortunate, even with all the acquisitions and movement, that a lot of our front-line associates have been with the company for twenty-plus years.” — Gordon Patterson [0:11:20]
“The technology that [LKQ] has invested in on the [talent acquisition] side has worked really well.” — Gordon Patterson [0:17:28]
“When you see the business going to contractors or temporary talent or however you want to call it; where there is smoke, there is fire.” — Gordon Patterson [0:22:28]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Gordon Patterson on LinkedIn
LKQ Corporation
Talk Talent to Me
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Episodes manquant?
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Are you curious about the evolving landscape of recruitment and the secrets behind successful talent acquisition strategies? In today’s episode, I sit down with Kelsey Sorensen, Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition at Black Crow AI, to discuss the dynamics of recruitment in both traditional and startup environments. With a career spanning over a decade in recruitment, Kelsey has honed her expertise in sourcing, candidate assessment, and strategic human resource planning. Her commitment to fostering authentic connections and her ability to create impactful interactions have earned her recognition as a top performer in the field. Black Crow AI is a company that specializes in providing real-time machine-learning predictions without the need for coding. In our conversation, we discuss the how and why of her recruitment journey, her experience in the agency approach to recruiting, and her memorable career moments. Explore how her current role differs from her previous roles and why she prefers a relationship-centric approach to recruitment. Discover why career stability has become critical to candidates, the pros and cons of working for a startup, and hear Kelsey unpack the concept of career stability. Gain insights into the benefits of being a generalist in the recruitment space, the value of stepping outside of the traditional HR role, why you need to love the product or service to take the job, and much more.
Key Points From This Episode:
Background about Kelsey and how she knew recruiting was the career for her.
We delve into the pros and cons of the agency approach recruitment.
Details about her current role at Black Crow AI and what she enjoys about it.
Unpack the concept of job stability and why candidates are seeking it.
How marketing can be utilized to enhance recruitment strategies.
Ways that Kelsey incorporates marketing aspects in her approach to recruitment.
Explore how to sell the vision of the company to future employees.
The benefits of working in a startup environment.
Her methods for building the recruitment pipeline at Black Crow AI.
What she has planned for her future career trajectory.
She shares advice and recommendations for fellow recruiters.
Quotes:
“Just, ‘Smile and dial’ is what we used to say in the agency days.” — Kelsey Sorensen [0:06:01]
“I hate to break it to you but no job is permanent.” — Kelsey Sorensen [0:08:01]
“I don’t think [career] stability means the same thing for every single person.” — Kelsey Sorensen [0:09:06]
“I have my hands in all different areas of the organization which allows me to paint a clear picture of what we are building and developing [at Black Crow AI] to candidates.” — Kelsey Sorensen [0:17:26]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Kelsey Sorensen on LinkedIn
Black Crow AI
Talk Talent to Me
Hired
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Modern talent acquisition is more than just making the right hires. Onboarding, mobility, and retention are just a few of the many new responsibilities that TA’s have to consider (and often, they aren’t even in the TA’s title). Today’s guest, Lavonne Monroe, explains how she became the Vice President of Global Talent Acquisition and Onboarding at Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and what her role entails. We learn about HPE’s trustworthy DEI policy, how the TA role has evolved over the years, how our guest views employee churn, and the full scope of HPE’s talent team. We also discuss HPE’s recruitment strategy, what Lavonne and her team are currently working on, how she manages her team, and why TA’s are required to have a holistic comprehensive of their organizations.
Key Points From This Episode:
Lavonne Monroe describes her role as VP of Global TA and Onboarding at HPE.
Why she trusts HPE to walk the talk as it relates to equality and economic justice.
Modern additions to the role of talent acquisition.
How Lavonne views regrettable and non-regrettable churn.
The scope of HPE’s talent team, and how they use skip-level meetings.
What Lavonne and her team are currently working on.
HPE’s recruitment strategy and current workforce.
More specifics on our guest’s role at her organization.
How she acquired the speech of a business leader, and how this fueled her success at HPE.
A closer examination of how she manages her team.
Why understanding sales (and the whole business in general) matters for a TA team.
Quotes:
“We are winning awards around the work that we’re doing but we’re not doing the work to win the awards, we’re doing the work because it is the right thing to do.” — Lavonne Monroe [0:05:00]
“For me, the acquiring part, that’s almost the easy part. It’s the retention; it’s the mobility; it’s the onboarding – it’s so much bigger than just the acquisition.” — Lavonne Monroe [0:08:29]
“Lead generation all the way to retirement, that’s the focus of our team.” — Lavonne Monroe [0:12:40]
“My team, we’re never satisfied. We’re always looking to, ‘How can we get better? How can we continue to improve?’ – we’ll continue to push the envelope.” — Lavonne Monroe [0:18:47]
“I’m really big on finding out what people are really good at, and then putting them in the [right] position to be great.” — Lavonne Monroe [0:20:42]
“We can’t survive without TA.” — Lavonne Monroe [0:26:30]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Lavonne Monroe on LinkedIn
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Talk Talent to Me
Hired
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There’s a saying that goes “Nothing grows in the comfort zone” and our guest today is a formidable example of success outside of comfort! We are thrilled to welcome to the Talk Talent to Me podcast, Nicolette Jackson, Head of Talent over at Zephyr. Nicolette shares more about what they do at Zephyr and her journey to becoming the Head of Talent. We dive into her inspiring and forward approach to negotiating her job offer at Zephyr, and she highlights what prompted her confidence to (always) ask for more! We then delve into the different facts of her mentor/mentee relationship with Lorraine Buhannic, and much more.
Key Points From This Episode:
The Nicolette of it all. More about Zephyr and Nicolette’s background and journey.
Viewing another Chief People Officer’s visible role at the table: how it was apparent to Nicolette.
She elaborates on the different types of things the board asked Lorraine (the CPO).
The sparks that influenced Nicolette’s Chief People Officer aspirations.
Nicolette delves into her approach toward negotiating her job offer at Zephyr.
The inspiration that prompted her confidence to ask for more (from her job offer).
Nicolette sheds light on various facets of her mentorship dynamic with Lorraine.
She shares Lorraine’s anti-imposter syndrome pep-talk/ concept.
Painting her own data journey and the impact it has had on her confidence.
She explains the different ways she is currently quantifying the role.
Why owning your expertise is a beautiful thing to do for a business.
Quotes:
“When I realized that recruiting was — one side bringing people in but then also how to grow them and make them happy while they were there was the whole other side of the spectrum. And to truly be happy in recruiting — I feel like I also wanted a say-so on how people were treated once they were in the door.” — Nicolette Jackson [0:08:40]
“Who gets the oil? The squeaky wheel, honestly the people that ask for the things they want.” — Nicolette Jackson [0:14:44]
“Nothing that I’ve done in this life that has made me successful was ever comfortable. It’s always been uncomfortable. It’s always been a challenge.” — Nicolette Jackson [0:25:20]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Nicolette Jackson on LinkedIn
Zephyr
Hippo Insurance
Lorraine Buhannic on LinkedIn
Episode: Juxtapose Head of Talent Lorraine Buhannic
Juxtapose
Talk Talent to Me
Hired
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Sometimes, life is all about taking leaps of faith. And when it comes to talent and talent management, a leap of faith can open doors that you never even considered walking through. Today we are joined by Kara Hughes, the VP, HR Business Partner of Tech & Digital, as well as the Head of Workforce Planning, People Insights, and Analytics at Northwestern Mutual – a financial firm focused on making their clients feel more confident and secure so that they can sleep better, breathe easier, and feel happier. Kara begins the conversation by answering an important recruiting question from one of Rob’s friends about how to approach problematic intake interviews. Then, we get to know more about Kara: how she ended up at Northwestern Mutual and what her job entails. We also discuss the importance of workforce planning, the departments that are responsible for it, and the role of recruiters in becoming part of business strategy and workforce planning conversations. To close off, we explore how the evolution of HR has added to the pains of the industry. Be sure to listen until the very end for some helpful advice on how to send an email in French.
Key Points From This Episode:
Welcoming Kara Hughes as she answers a recruiting question from one of Rob’s friends.
Advice for candidates on how to approach intake interviews.
The leaps of faith that led Kara to Northwestern Mutual and what her title and role entails.
Exploring the role of recruiters in workforce planning.
The departments that initiate and prioritize workforce planning, according to Kara.
How recruiters can involve themselves in business strategy and planning conversations.
Why many people (incorrectly) believe that HR should not have a seat at the strategy table.
How the evolution of HR helps to explain the modern challenges of the role.
Some multicultural advice to end today’s episode.
Quotes:
“Recruiters and hiring managers, you hope they have a really good intake meeting and are really, really clear on requirements but signals get crossed. So, advocate for yourself and cover all those important bases at the outset and don’t feel bad about doing it.” — Kara Hughes [0:03:51]
“Show gratitude and know who has gotten you to where you are and who’s helped you along the way because if you really sit back and take stock, [you’ll realize that] it’s many, many people.” — Kara Hughes [0:09:49]
“There’s been such a radical shift in the value that [HR] is expected to provide.” — Kara Hughes [0:28:28]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Kara Hughes on LinkedIn
Northwestern Mutual
Talk Talent to Me
Hired
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In this episode, you will hear about Frank’s wealth of experience, recruiting for SeatGeek and the challenges it has brought, and their amazing finance and HR business partner team We then delve into what Frank is currently working on at SeatGeek before discussing the importance of foresight and being proactive when bringing talent into a large company. Finally, our guest shares advice for anyone in the talent recruitment space who is looking to move into bigger roles. You don’t want to miss this so be sure to tune in now!
Key Points From This Episode:
A brief overview of Frank’s career and a bit about SeatGeek.
Overseeing the recruitment period at SeatGeek during COVID and the challenges it brought.
Frank tells us about their new finance team and HR business partner team.
Why they place focus on planning in their business while remaining agile.
How Frank’s experience has helped him participate in the moving parts within SeatGeek.What Frank is working on right now at SeatGeek.
The importance of being proactive about bringing talent into a large company.
Frank shares advice for anyone wanting to climb the talent recruitment ladder.
Quotes:
“As you – become a more mature and bigger organization, you have to have better foresight just because there are a lot more moving parts.” — Frank Cebek [0:10:46]
“Always try to bring value to the company you’re working at.” — Frank Cebek [0:26:04]
“At the end of the day, recruiting is a support function.” — Frank Cebek [0:26:19]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Frank Cebek on LinkedIn
Frank Cebek on Instagram
SeatGeek
Talk Talent to Me
Hired
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Doubling up throughout most of his career, my guest today has both maintained his rank and activity in the Air Force while being a C-level HR professional at a large, well-established company. I’m joined on the show today by Lieutenant Colonel and Chief Human Resource Officer at Riceland Foods Inc., Lionel Riley. Join the conversation as we learn how he managed his parallel careers, his thoughts on the journey of transition from the armed forces to the corporate world, and how his leadership overlaps from being Lieutenant Colonel to CHRO. He unpacks why he strives to maintain mindfulness while managing his team, his responsibility as CHRO for a multi-billion dollar company, including the journey of how he wound up there. We learn about his big move from a long and stable position at Walmart, and Lionel shares three key pieces of advice for those looking at forging a career in this space.
Key Points From This Episode:
How Lionel maintains his rank and activity in the army while being a C-level HR professional.
We delve into the journey of transition from the armed forces to the corporate world.
His overlap in leadership from Lieutenant Colonel to CHRO Lionel.
All eyes on him: Lionel recounts first realizing that people were starting to pay attention to what he was doing.
How he strives to implement mindfulness when managing his team and their lives.
He expands on the responsibilities of the CHRO of a multi-billion dollar company.
Lionel shares the journey of how he wound up in his role as CHRO at Riceland Foods Inc.
Questions he asked in his interview process when deciding to leave a stable position at Walmart.
He describes the words that settled him into taking a new position.
Lionel shares three key pieces of advice for those forging their career in this space.
Quotes:
“The struggle [to transition from the armed forces to the corporate world] is relative.” — Lionel Riley [0:04:03]
“It’s not that, from corporation to the military is so one-to-one, but there’s so many transferable skills: discipline, exposure, cultural experiences that military members who have had the privilege of servicing oversees; they’d be able to bring immense value to your corporation.” — Lionel Riley [0:06:01]
“HR, I tell this to everybody, is a thankless job.” — Lionel Riley [0:11:57]
“Never stop learning — relationships are key and always know that you can receive a nugget or two from anyone, on anything. Never stop learning!” — Lionel Riley [0:29:51]
“Complacency kills.” — Lionel Riley [0:30:17]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Lionel Riley on LinkedIn
Riceland Foods Inc.
Talk Talent to Me
Hired
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Veronica Salcido is the Senior Director of Global Talent at Multiverse, and she joins us to share the defining moment in her life when she chose to decline a string of amazing job offers to sell her possessions and climb Machu Pichu. While acknowledging the privileged position she found herself in, Veronica urges listeners to take the plunge and reset their lives if the opportunity arises. Tune in to hear her story of starting a business and getting 21 clients within 30 days before eventually taking on a full-time opportunity where she was able to make a greater social impact. We also explore the influence of AI on talent acquisition and the capacity it holds to create the freedom to do more meaningful work. Join us today to hear all this and more!
Key Points From This Episode:
Welcoming Veronica Salcido, Senior Director of Global Talent at Multiverse.
Parallels between working in talent and Veronica’s passion for mountaineering.
How she selects opportunities that are value-aligned.
The pivotal moment in Veronica’s career and the spreadsheet that changed everything.
Traveling to Machu Pichu during a promising moment in her career.
How her experience exceeded all of her expectations.
Launching her own business and getting 21 clients within 30 days.
Acknowledging the privilege necessary to reset your life.
How her internal reality differed from external perceptions of the life Veronica was leading.
Recapping why choosing herself was the best thing she could have done.
The two services she offered in her newly started business and how she started to work with founders.
Making the decision to climb the career ‘jungle gym’ and seek out a full-time role.
The concept of a double or triple line.
Weighing in on the reset happening in talent acquisition.
Upskilling yourself to embrace Artificial Intelligence.
The power of automation to create the freedom to do more meaningful work.
Quotes:
“I ended up having no inbox, no plan, I hiked Machu Pichu, I went off the grid, I had a total reset, and I launched my own business after that.” — Veronica Salcido [0:14:26]
“I had 26 clients within the first 30 days of launching my business.” — Veronica Salcido [0:14:30]
“I chose to get in the driver’s seat of defining my career and how my life and the opportunities that I was signing up for were going to support that.” — Veronica Salcido [0:14:36]
“That is the juicy part of why we do what we do especially as leaders in talent acquisition - innovation.” — Veronica Salcido [0:36:52]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Veronica Salcido on LinkedIn
Multiverse
The Infinite Game
Talk Talent to Me
Hired
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Today on Talk Talent to Me, we are joined by Doreen Ghafari, VP of People at AllTrails, to find out how she and her team spearheaded a period of significant growth for the company, more than quadrupling the AllTrails staff in just over three years. Tuning in, you’ll learn about the value of making recruiting efforts an extension of the brand experience, why talent acquisition is so much more than putting butts in seats, and the importance of building a solid foundation of systems and processes during periods of hyper-growth. We also touch on the benefit of treating values as a core competency, data-driven frameworks for performance evaluation, and what a holistic approach to recruitment looks like from Doreen’s perspective.
Key Points From This Episode:
An overview of AllTrails and Doreen’s role there as VP of People.
How Doreen and her team quadrupled AllTrails’ employees in just a few years.
The value of making recruiting efforts an extension of the brand experience.
Navigating noise in the inbound talent funnel.
The what’s and why’s of recruiting that go beyond the “butts in seats” mentality.
Growing pains that come with 4X-ing a company and why processes are key.
Core competencies behind rapid yet sustainable business growth.
Key values and frameworks that AllTrails uses to evaluate performance.
Insight into Doreen’s holistic strategy for recruitment and people operations.
Advice for aspiring talent professionals and why it’s certainly not a linear career path.
Quotes:
“AllTrails is a beloved brand. People tend to have delightful experiences with the app and the site. We wanted our recruiting efforts to be an extension of that. We want people who come to AllTrails to interview, even if they don’t get the job, to reflect fondly on their experience.” — Doreen Ghafari [0:05:11]
“Scaling is hard – How do we set up the scaffolding that’s going to allow us to do that?” — Doreen Ghafari [0:09:41]
“Recruiting and people teams need to be in lockstep with each other. It’s not separate functions. It’s two halves of the same circle.” — Doreen Ghafari [0:21:10]
“Don’t think of your [talent career] as a linear thing. It’s more – of a bouldering experience rather than a linear ladder.” — Doreen Ghafari [0:28:36]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Doreen Ghafari on LinkedIn
AllTrails
‘TopFunnel Head of People Doreen Ghafari’
Talk Talent to Me
Hired
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Russell is a seasoned professional with years of experience leading recruitment teams across various industries. His professional achievements and personal values make him a dynamic leader in the talent acquisition space. Hear how the shift from linear media to digital media has transformed the industry, his motivation for pursuing a career in talent acquisition, and what recruitment can learn from outsourcing channels. Discover how increased employee engagement results in better outcomes, why more information is better for candidates, and how Paramount plans to leverage AI to create opportunities in recruitment. He explains the power of collaboration, how skills create a shared language between HR and business, and the evolution of roles in recruitment.
Key Points From This Episode:
Russell provides an overview of the current entertainment landscape.
His diverse professional background and path into the media industry.
Gaps in the talent acquisition process and where it needs to be improved.
The importance of employee engagement and lessons from the referral process.
Fostering trust in non-referral channels and the secret to retaining talent.
Paramount’s approach to recruitment and the influence of brands on the process.
Explore the role of AI in connecting talent to the brand.
Why collaborating with other departments is an essential consideration.
He unpacks the concept of building a skills-based organization.
Foundational skill metrics and why they are vital for job descriptions.
How to create and maintain the idea of continuous improvement.
Final takeaways about the recruitment industry Russel has for listeners.
Quotes:
“The only constant [in the industry] for the last several years has been change.” —@weaveru [0:02:06]
“There is something fundamentally fractured still with [talent acquisition] processes and technology. I think we have to get back to basics to make sure we are doing things that allow us to connect to that high-performing talent.” —@weaveru [0:06:35]
“If you are not building or maintaining active relationships with the marketing, corporate communications, legal, and tech departments, you are doing yourselves and your organization a disservice.” —@weaveru [0:20:21]
“Demotivated hiring managers are the biggest challenge facing any organization today. If you do not have your hiring managers engaged and locked in, you are going to fail.” —@weaveru [0:34:27]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Russell Weaver on LinkedIn
Paramount
Talk Talent to Me
Hired
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Joining me today is Kelly Culler, Senior HR Business Partner and VP of Talent Acquisition at Northwestern Mutual. In this episode, we discuss her unique role and why people are the heart of any company. Kelly is an accomplished executive with a distinguished career in human resources. She leads a high-performance team dedicated to sourcing, engaging, acquiring, and attracting top-tier, diverse talent that aligns with Northwestern Mutual’s values. In our conversation, we discuss her career journey and path to Northwestern Mutual. We delve into how the HR business partner role differs from traditional HR, ways of differentiating yourself in the HR space, how the recruitment landscape is evolving, and why people are at the core of business outcomes. Discover how to sell your role as a recruiter and unlock the full potential of people and teams. Gain insights into her approach, challenges in the HR space, strategies for building genuine relationships, and much more!
Key Points From This Episode:
Background about Kelly and her role at Northwestern Mutual.
A Traditional recruitment role versus an HR business partner role.
How Kelly developed her skillset and what sets her apart.
Explore how the traditional HR landscape is changing.
Her approach to navigating outdated mindsets in the HR space.
Why just being good at your job is not enough.
Kelly’s unique approach to her role and building relationships.
Insights into the multi-disciplinary nature of her role.
Critical aspects of developing healthy and accountable leadership.
Metrics and methods for measuring effective leadership.
The motivation for her leadership development programs.
Final words of advice for others forging a career in HR.
Quotes:
“[As an HR business partner], I am going to bring the people acumen to the table because my expertise is people.” — Kelly Culler [0:07:39]
“To me, people are the heart of what creates business outcomes.” — Kelly Culler [0:10:27]
“Forge a relationship with your leader so you have the trust because they are going to help you unlock more things than not from a career perspective.” — Kelly Culler [0:33:37]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Kelly Culler on LinkedIn
Northwestern Mutual
Talk Talent to Me
Hired
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The performance of any organization is unquestionably linked to its ability to tap into the “human energy” encapsulated in the talents, approach, and potential of every team member. This is the belief of today’s guest, Julie Flowers, mentor, coach, sought-after speaker, and HR Director, HR Talent Development Initiatives at Chevron. In this episode, Julie shares some pearls of wisdom from her 26 years with Chevron and offers insight into how the technology, high standards, and ethics at Chevron appeal to Gen Z candidates, how talent development boosts morale and improves company culture, and why she believes that HR is the human energy in progress that leads to not only business success but individual success too.
Key Points From This Episode:
An overview of Julie’s career journey and how it led her to Chevron in 1998.
Branding non-renewable energy for the younger generations.
Lessons from Julie’s transition from talent acquisition to talent development.
What it looks like to reinvent HR every few years (and why it’s so important).
The value of continuous upskilling in consulting, project management, and more.
Reasons that we should view AI as an enabling tool rather than a skill.
Innovative ways that Chevron uses AI for external recruiting.
Personal development for talent professionals: how to grow in every role.
The importance of fostering a curiosity mindset.
Insight into Chevron’s strong HR culture and how Julie nurtures it.
The relationship between long-term development and short-term incentives.
Tips for leaders, employees, and organizations to encourage continuous growth.
Why storytelling is such a critical skill for talent professionals.
Humbling advice for those who want to up-level their recruitment career.
Quotes:
“We’re focused on creating an [HR environment at Chevron] where the business recognizes us as an agile force, capable of adapting – where we need to for this ever-changing business that we’re in – and delivering amazing customer experience.” — Julie Flowers [0:08:51]
“If people are paying attention, you grow in every role you have. Generally, the roles that you’ve had prepare you for the next role, you just don’t know it’s happened.” — Julie Flowers [0:17:01]
“As a leader, I need to [encourage, support, and reward]. As an employee, I’ve got to want to learn and grow. As a company, I’ve got to show that we’re building that type of culture. [Continuous development] takes all three of those things.” — Julie Flowers [0:27:10]
“Sometimes, when you come to the business with something HR, it might not be met with open arms. We have to be able to tell a story so they understand the value and impact it’s going to have.” — Julie Flowers [0:33:56]
“We don’t learn most from our successes. We learn from when we don’t do something right, when we fail.” — Julie Flowers [0:35:28]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Julie Flowers on LinkedIn
Talk Talent to Me
Hired
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Jamie joins us to offer some insight into what it takes to be an early-stage recruiter, how talent professionals can level up the entire function of a business, and when companies should consider bringing on a full-time in-house talent resource.
Key Points From This Episode:
How Jamie forged a career in the talent space and what led her to Primary.
Insight into her role as the first-ever recruiter at SeatGeek.
Recruiting for an early-stage company and what attracted her to the talent function.
How being an early-stage recruiter differs from a typical talent role.
What it looks & sounds like when a company invests in talent in a meaningful way.
The threshold at which a full-time in-house talent resource becomes invaluable.
Advice for fledgling recruiters who want to make the most of their skill sets.
Quotes:
“When you scope a role appropriately and you bring in the right person for it, you can level up an entire function of a business, especially when it’s early stage.” — Jamie Sterrett [0:07:10]
“Ultimately, as you grow in your career, you will need to be able to tie your work back to the impact that you’re having [on the business].” — Jamie Sterrett [0:12:23]
“Early-stage recruiting is not for everyone. When you are the first recruiter somewhere, you are wearing all of the hats.” — Jamie Sterrett [0:23:37]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Jamie Sterrett on LinkedIn
Primary Venture Capital
Talk Talent to Me
Hired
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Lorraine left a great job at Butler University to join FIB, and she credits the move to a remarkable recruiter and a FIB culture that was too wonderful to resist. In our conversation, Lorraine dives deeper into staying comfortable versus trying something new, the power of listening to your gut, what she loves about HR and the recent developments in the industry, and why being future-ready is among her top priorities. We also discuss resilience and how to cultivate it in the workplace, how to create an office culture that facilitates constructive conversations, and what you can do as an employee when someone ranked above you dismisses your views.
Key Points From This Episode:
Introducing the Chief People Officer at First Internet Bank (FIB), Lorraine Ortiz.
Lorraine Describes FIB, her role at the company, and how she ended up there.
Why she left a secure job (that she was happy in) at Butler University to join FIB.
Being comfortable versus trying something new, and listening to your gut.
How a great recruiter can make all the difference.
Why Lorraine loves the business of HR, and how the role has evolved over the years.
Her definition of “future-focused” and how she implements the philosophy as CPO.
Why she believes that she’ll retire at FIB.
How she’s resilient in her role, and how FIB shares her personal values.
The way Lorraine fosters a culture of honest and constructive conversation in the workplace.
How to deal with managers who do not appreciate your moments of professional vulnerability.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Lorraine Ortiz on LinkedIn
First Internet Bank
Talk Talent to Me
Hired
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In today’s episode, I sit down with Ryan Loken, Head of HR Policy, Administration, and Governance at Tyson Foods, to discuss his multifaceted role within the company, his broader impact on the community, and the dynamics of HR. Tyson Foods is a multinational corporation and one of the largest food processing companies in the world. Ryan discusses his role in the company, why there is no such thing as a typical day for him, and the community outreach work he is involved with. Discover how he leverages the company for good, his motivation for pursuing community outreach, and how his professional experiences benefit his current role. Explore why HR professionals are no longer compliance police, metrics that provide pragmatic insights into the structure of a business, why he chases the mission and not the title, the interconnectedness between company policy and culture, and much more.
Key Points From This Episode:
Ryan explains his role at the company and what his day-to-day looks like.
His community outreach work and motivation behind it.
How his job and community outreach work feed into each other.
Discover how the HR landscape has changed and what caused it.
Practical strategies and examples to enhance your role in HR.
Become a business partner as opposed to a traditional HR manager.
Self-development, constantly learning, and remaining motivated.
Background about Ryan and his path to his current role.
Leveraging policy to drive culture and company values.
Final words of wisdom that Ryan has for listeners.
Quotes:
“I want to be able to give back and hopefully provide a better future for those who may not have the same opportunities that I did.” — Ryan Loken [0:03:45]
“With every job we hold, we learn some [valuable] things.” — Ryan Loken [0:16:55]
“I have never really had aspirations of having this title, that job, or this thing. It has always been a situation of how do I make my job more efficient.” — Ryan Loken [0:21:05]
“I have never chased a title. I have always chased a mission.” — Ryan Loken [0:21:43]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Ryan Loken on LinkedIn
Tyson Foods
Talk Talent to Me
Hired
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The last year has been tough on all fronts when it comes to tech recruiting and hiring. Joining me on the show today is a returning champion and CEO of Hired, Josh Brenner. He’s here with me today to talk about what’s predicted for hiring in 2024 and to discuss the report released by Hired called, ‘The Future of Tech Hiring: 8 Bold Predictions for 2024.’ Our conversation starts with a quick general overview of how things are going at Hired and Josh shares his thoughts on tech hiring and AI. We dive into some of the key points highlighted in the report including the predicted hiring resurgence in 2024, going back to a job that laid you off, and delve into a discussion on the raging debate between remote, hybrid, and in-office working.
Key Points From This Episode:
A general outlook and how things are going at Hired.
His thoughts on tech hiring and AI.
Why he thinks there will be a resurgence in hiring in 2024; and clarifies what he means by resurgence.
He highlights different categories of companies that are seemingly ready to start rehiring.
Boomerang employees and going back to a job that laid you off.
We discuss the poor manner of handling layoffs over the past year and a half: you reap what you sow.
The raging debate of remote working versus hybrid working versus in-office working.
Quotes:
“I think, over the next year or two, [AI] has the real opportunity to not only redefine how people are hired and find their jobs, all the way to how people do their jobs. It’s a pretty exciting time to be in this space!” — [0:04:44]
“I don’t know the reason, or I don’t know the root of why it went down this way, but the layoffs were handled a lot poorer in this past and a half than I have seen in the history of my career.” — [0:14:55]
“I’m a firm believer if you are operating in a remote capacity, the value of getting people together, the team together, whether that is only once a year or multiple times a year, it obviously depends, but there is a lot of value in building that trust in person.” — [0:17:55]
“Companies that have the best teams are the most successful, and you, as the talent professional, are the ones that are helping companies build those best-in-class teams.” — [0:22:21]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
‘The Future of Tech Hiring: 8 Bold Predictions for 2024’
Josh Brenner on LinkedIn
Hired
Talk Talent to Me
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Jim breaks down Booz Allen’s approach to recruitment and talent development, why hiring tech talent is so competitive, and what they are doing to set themselves apart. We also discuss how they cultivate a culture of continuous learning, their use of data and predictive analytics for workforce planning, their most effective retention strategies, plus a whole lot more.
Key Points From This Episode:
Get to know today’s guest, Strategic Talent Development Leader, Jim Hemgen.
An overview of Jim’s career journey and the uniqueness of his current role.
Jim’s insights on talent development and recruitment at Booz Allen Hamilton.
The company’s evolution over the past decade and its growing focus on technology.
What they are doing to attract early-career professionals for tech and management roles.
A breakdown of their approach to employee development and getting them client-ready.
Their strategies for cultivating a culture of continuous learning.
Using data and predictive analytics for workforce planning and future skills needs.
A rundown of their retention strategies and why they developed a talent marketplace.
Supporting career mobility and why this is essential.
Jim’s parting words of advice to those in the talent development space.
Quotes:
“We do the best we can to allow for self-directed learning through our employees. So they have a variety of programs and services available to them that they can tap into. And then we have also targeted upskilling initiatives.” — Jim Hemgen [0:18:13]
“It's a cultural thing where we need to be able to support career mobility.” — Jim Hemgen [0:26:03]
“I highly encourage soliciting a mentor from an outside organization. Find somebody who's in a role you aspire to be in and get engaged in conversations. It goes a long way.” — Jim Hemgen [0:32:24]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Jim Hemgen on LinkedInBooz Allen
Talk Talent to Me
Hired
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In talent acquisition, future-proofing is as important as focusing on the present! Today on Talk Talent To Me, Ali Bebo of Pearson joins us to discuss her many years of recruitment experience. You’ll hear about how she went from retail to being senior CHRO at Pearson, how talent acquisition has changed since she got started, the role of AI in the industry, the importance of upscaling your talent, and why managers should avoid being passive in team building for the future. Ali thinks talent recruitment is much like coaching a sports team and in this episode, she explains how the two jobs are similar. We also discuss her experience in helping her company hire a new CEO before she leaves us with some incredible advice about knowing your superpower.
Key Points From This Episode:
An introduction to today’s guest, Allison (Ali) Bebo.
Ali shares her version of New Year’s resolutions and why she isn’t a list-maker.
How Ali wound up in her role as senior CHRO at Pearson after working in retail.
Ali’s views on how talent acquisition has changed over the years.
She tells us what Pearson does and how AI is affecting their work.
How they upscale their talent and educate others outside the company to do the same.
Why managers should be proactive in building up their teams now and for the future.
The parallels we can draw between sports and talent acquisition.
Ali tells us about the process of helping Pearson hire a new CEO.
Some parting advice for anyone wanting to level up in their careers.
Quotes:
“What can you do better than 10,000 people? – Once you can really answer that question, then you find roles and – opportunities where there’s less friction. – Because when you’re in a role that you’re able to use your best strengths and get to do what you do best every day, then frankly, performance happens.” — Ali Bebo
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Ali Bebo on LinkedIn
Pearson
Talk Talent to Me
Hired
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Ty shares how a non traditional background can help break barriers to creating change in talent acquisition. RSM US LLP the leading provider of assurance, tax and consulting services to the middle market. Focusing on careers and culture, Ty orchestrates an environment where individuals thrive, fostering their passions and professional growth while advocating for inclusivity at every level. His approach reflects a blend of professional prowess, a commitment to fostering a vibrant workplace culture, and a zest for life. In our conversation, we discuss Ty's career trajectory, from its origins to his present role, showcasing the distinct ways his prior experiences differ from his current position and how his unique perspective has helped transform the talent experience at the company. We explore how Ty's inexperience proved beneficial, his approach to nurturing talent, embracing innovation for success, the value of curiosity, and much more.
Key Points From This Episode:
Introduction and background about Chief Talent Officer, Ty Beasley.
Details about his role and how it differs from his professional experience.
His professional career journey to his current role at RSM US LLP.
Why he is suitable for the role, despite his non-traditional career path.
The unique approach and perspective he brings to the role.
How he has helped enhance the talent experience at the company.
Discover how his inexperience was beneficial for the role.
Barriers to creating change and why embracing innovation is vital.
Ty shares his approach to supporting and developing talent.
What personal traits Ty looks for in a potential candidate.
Quotes:
“I have always had a passion for the people side of the business.” — Ty Beasley [0:07:06]
“It is my vision to have a talent function that is more consultative in nature.” — Ty Beasley [0:08:40]
“The ultimate value I bring to the talent organization is not operating in the guts of it. It is leadership.” — Ty Beasley [0:15:28]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Ty Beasley on LinkedIn
RSM US LLP
Talk Talent to Me
Hired
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