The Talent Tango: Recent Episodes
Amir Bormand
The Talent Tango where we will be interviewing guests to speak about talent acquisition, recruitment technologies, marketing, and human resources topics.
Chris Kusaba (formerly at Mytra) joins the show to talk about how smaller talent teams can compete in markets where brand recognition is uneven and the demand for AI and robotics talent is rising fast. Chris brings experience from Tesla and now leads recruiting at a high growth robotics and AI company. He shares how to win attention from top candidates, how to widen the funnel when you operate in a niche space, and how to build a team that can scale even when you cannot match big tech compensation.
Key Takeaways
Clear and focused messaging is the only way to stand out in saturated markets where candidates are overwhelmed with inbound from AI and robotics companies. Chris explains how he repurposes commercial decks to help candidates understand the mission and the industry impact.
Referrals become a force multiplier when the market is narrow. Chris outlines how a structured, hands on referral program helps widen the pool and bring in talent that may never have applied on their own.
Hiring managers need a mindset shift when talent pools are thin. Looking for potential rather than that perfect unicorn opens the path to stronger long term teams.
When competing with big tech, the edge comes from scope, visibility, and impact. Chris explains why earlier career candidates choose startups for the ownership they gain and the chance to work on entire products rather than tiny slices.
Strong documentation and transparent communication are essential in preventing single points of failure. This becomes vital in technical companies where knowledge loss can slow delivery for months.
Timestamped Highlights
01:21 Chris explains how the company built its robotics and software stack from the ground up and how that focus shapes their approach to talent.
02:32 Why inbound alone is never enough for niche technical roles and how intentional referral programs change the equation.
04:55 How to differentiate your outreach when every candidate in AI and robotics is flooded with messages.
07:45 The reality of the purple squirrel problem and how to balance ideal skills with real world potential.
11:03 What actually works when going head to head with big tech for the same candidates and why scope matters more than perks.
15:44 How the team reduces risk around knowledge loss and keeps information accessible across the org.
19:10 The art of moving fast without cutting corners and how to build a process that supports both speed and diligence.
A standout moment from Chris
Younger talent wants real ownership. They want access to leadership and the chance to shape something meaningful. That is often the deciding factor when they are choosing between a startup and a larger brand.
Pro Tips
Use your commercial storytelling to recruit. If your customer pitch explains your impact clearly, it can also help top candidates understand why your company exists and why their work would matter.
Widen the funnel with intention. A smaller market means you must look for technical curiosity and growth capacity rather than waiting for that single perfect profile to appear.
Call to Action
If this conversation helps you think differently about talent, team building, or competing for high demand roles, follow the show and share this episode with someone who would benefit from it. New episodes are coming and I would love to have you with us as we continue this new direction.
This episode features Todd Hazen, Head of Technical Recruiting at Gusto, in a candid conversation about what it takes to move from non-tech recruiting into the world of technical hiring. Todd shares how he built credibility, developed deep connections, and learned to thrive in a space that demands both curiosity and humility. For talent professionals navigating transitions, this one is packed with lessons on leadership, learning, and trust.
Key Takeaways • Curiosity beats confidence when entering a new domain. Ask questions, even when you're in a leadership role. • Building trust with stakeholders comes from honesty and follow-through, not from having every answer on the spot. • The "bar" for great talent is always shifting. Calibration is an ongoing process, not a one-time intake. • Vulnerability accelerates growth. Owning what you don't know helps open doors to learning and partnership. • Growth and comfort never coexist. Real development happens when you lean into discomfort.
Timestamped Highlights 00:43 Todd explains how Gusto supports small businesses and why that mission matters. 03:36 How he navigated the move from non-technical to technical recruiting and what he learned from his team. 06:16 Finding the bar for technical talent and how calibration evolves with each hiring manager. 08:46 Why humility and curiosity are the fastest paths to growth. 12:43 How to handle tough stakeholder conversations when you don't have all the answers. 15:09 Taking career risks, betting on yourself, and embracing discomfort. 17:45 Defining the North Star and learning to master the craft before chasing the next title.
One to Remember "It's okay to be humbled and vulnerable. You don't have to know everything, but you do have to keep learning."
Pro Tips • Approach every intake meeting like a learning opportunity. • Build trust by following up fast—deliver before people have to ask. • Use data to frame conversations with hiring managers, not to replace judgment.
Call to Action If you found Todd's perspective valuable, share this episode with a fellow recruiter who's looking to grow into new spaces. Follow The Talent Tango for more conversations that help talent leaders level up.
Kit Krugman, SVP of People and Culture at Foursquare, joins to unpack what it really means to be a systems thinker in people leadership. She explains how to move beyond process for process's sake, design people systems that actually work together, and create the kind of vibrancy that drives both performance and connection. This is a conversation about how to think, not just how to operate—ideal for anyone building or leading modern people functions.
Key Takeaways • Systems thinking helps people leaders see the entire ecosystem, not just isolated policies or tools. • Moving from process-driven to principle-driven decisions builds trust and consistency without bureaucracy. • Change management requires deciding between incremental evolution and disruptive redesign—both have a place. • Performance cultures thrive when feedback is continuous, candid, and clearly tied to outcomes. • Measuring "vibrancy" and connection creates a more meaningful signal than traditional engagement metrics.
Timestamped Highlights [01:52] What systems thinking really means for people and culture leaders [04:32] Why principles should outweigh policies when designing fair organizations [08:39] How to balance incremental versus disruptive change [13:01] The "post-PIP world" and diagnosing root causes in performance systems [17:12] Reframing engagement as vibrancy—and how words shape culture [25:34] Why people leaders must show strategic value instead of waiting for recognition
Memorable Moment "I'm tired of the narrative that HR needs to be recognized as strategic. It's on us to show it—to build the evidence that we're driving massive value." — Kit Krugman
Pro Tip If everything feels like it needs a new process, pause and map the system. The issue might not be the process—it might be the underlying philosophy or misaligned signals across your tools, policies, and people.
Call to Action If this conversation challenged how you think about people systems, share it with a fellow leader and follow The Talent Tango on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Every episode explores how people, impact, and technology come together to shape better workplaces.
AI is reshaping how talent teams work, but it's not replacing the human touch. In this episode, Logan Marsh, Head of Talent Acquisition at Calendly, joins Amir to unpack how AI is transforming recruiting from process-heavy to purpose-driven. He shares how Calendly uses AI to enhance efficiency, measure ROI, and empower recruiters to focus on strategy and storytelling—not spreadsheets. This is a real-world look at what's working, what's hype, and how leaders can stay ahead without losing what makes great hiring human.
Key Takeaways • How Calendly is weaving AI into its TA tech stack to improve efficiency without losing personalization • Why the most effective AI implementations start with clearly defined problems, not shiny tools • The metrics Logan uses to gauge real ROI from recruiting technology • How TA leaders can secure influence by combining data fluency with storytelling • Why "augmentation, not replacement" is the mindset every recruiter should adopt
Timestamped Highlights 01:44 — How Calendly experiments with AI in real recruiting workflows 05:19 — The framework Logan uses to vet and validate new tools 07:38 — Measuring ROI when traditional recruiting metrics fall short 12:03 — The myth of AI taking TA jobs—and what's really changing instead 16:47 — Why storytelling still defines TA's seat at the leadership table 24:51 — How to block out AI noise and focus on solving real problems
Standout Moment "AI can help you tell the story, but it can't tell the story for you. It won't have the conversation with your CEO—that's still on you."
Call to Action If you're leading teams through the intersection of people, process, and AI, this is an episode to share. Follow The Talent Tango on your favorite platform and join the conversation on LinkedIn for more insights from talent leaders shaping the future of work.
Emily Ellis, Chief People Officer at DriveWealth, joins the show to explore what it really takes to lead with compassion when the decisions are hard. From layoffs and shifting priorities to hiring in high-growth startups, Emily shares how people leaders can balance business realities with humanity—and why that balance ultimately strengthens culture and trust.
Key Takeaways • Feedback is a gift when delivered with honesty and care—it prevents harder issues later. • Hiring slow and with clarity sets the stage for fewer painful exits down the road. • Compassion in layoffs means clarity, transparency, and support beyond the exit. • Employer-employee relationships are dynamic; alignment requires ongoing communication. • Building inclusion into daily practices makes teams stronger in both calm and chaotic times.
Timestamped Highlights 02:20 What “hard things” really mean for leaders and talent teams 06:05 The quiet, often-unspoken contract between employers and employees 08:54 Why hiring managers and people leaders define urgency differently 12:37 How to push back on urgency and find better options without slowing growth 15:36 Delivering layoffs with compassion and clarity in the middle of crisis 18:10 The role of inclusion and cultural belonging as a core leadership responsibility 20:49 How optimism and realism coexist when planning for inevitable change
A line that stood out “Feedback is a gift. Telling someone only what they want to hear might feel easier in the moment, but it usually leads to a much harder conversation down the road.”
Call to Action If you found value in this episode, share it with another talent leader who could use a reminder that compassion and business results don’t have to be at odds. Follow the show on your favorite platform so you don’t miss future conversations.
Startups can’t afford to waste time—or budget—on the wrong tools. In this episode, Amir sits down with June Lee, Global Head of People and Culture at Twelve Labs, to unpack how to choose the right people and culture tools at the right stage. From evaluating platforms to navigating AI hype, June shares battle-tested strategies for building scalable, high-impact systems that grow with your company.
Key Takeaways • The best tools don’t always come from the loudest vendors—June explains why a listening-first approach trumps cold pitches. • Buying software is only step one. Success depends on how well you manage change and adoption across your team. • You don’t need a tool for everything. Manual processes still win in early-stage environments if they save time and budget. • Don’t fear migrations. With the right planning, switching tools doesn’t mean sacrificing historical data. • AI features are everywhere—but June only pays attention when they solve real, intentional problems (like reducing bias in feedback).
Timestamped Highlights 00:54 — The art (not science) of picking tools that match startup stage 02:30 — Listening tours as the foundation for tool evaluation 05:50 — When a tool is too niche or the manual way is just better 08:05 — How June balances “best-in-class” vs. “emerging” tools 10:50 — Involving HR ops, finance, and security in decision-making 14:55 — Why change management fails when you rely solely on vendor training 17:50 — What real AI value looks like in people platforms 21:20 — The global language bias in AI tools—and why it matters
Quote of the Episode “The best vendor demos won’t save you if you haven’t figured out what your team actually needs. Listen first, then build.”
Call to Action Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a fellow people leader navigating tool sprawl—and don’t forget to subscribe to The Talent Tango for more honest, practical insights from the frontlines of talent strategy.
How do you scale fast without lowering the hiring bar? In this episode, Mallory Plank, Head of Talent Acquisition at Guidewheel, joins The Talent Tango to break down how she navigates the constant push and pull between quality and speed. With a background in both agency and in-house recruiting, Mallory brings a clear, operator-level view of stakeholder alignment, prioritization, and TA strategy—especially in scrappy, fast-paced startup environments.
Key Takeaways:
- TA leaders must shift from service center to strategic partner. That means aligning hiring plans to business outcomes—and saying “no” when needed.
- A strong intake process isn’t a checkbox; it’s the foundation for speed and quality. Mallory distills it down to three clear non-negotiables.
- When stakeholders ask for the impossible, data becomes your ally. Mallory shares how she uses a 2–3 day sprint model to gather evidence and reset expectations.
- Process improvement starts with communication—especially when your “product” is people.
- Your recruiters need more than reqs. Investing in their development keeps morale high during inevitable pivots.
Timestamped Highlights: [01:52] — Why stakeholder management was Mallory’s reason for leaving agency recruiting [04:49] — How she frames her team as strategic partners, not “order takers” [07:24] — The real key to balancing speed and quality in startup hiring [11:47] — Why TA has a harder time saying “no” to impossible reqs—and how to change that [17:18] — Using sprints and goals to push back on unrealistic roles [21:31] — You can't hide in the background—early-stage TA demands visibility and advocacy
Quote of the Episode: “Recruiting is riddled with gray area. You have to love the chaos a little bit to be good at this work.”
Call to Action: If you’re a TA leader balancing speed and quality—or trying to shift your team into a true partner function—this episode is for you.
Listen now and follow The Talent Tango for more unfiltered conversations with operators in the people space.
What happens when you treat employee experience like a product? Neervi Shah Patel, Chief People Officer at Faire, joins the show to share how her team brings the same level of operational rigor and customer obsession to PeopleOps that product teams bring to user experience. From leveraging data to embracing transparency, Neervi breaks down how to build scalable, fair, and high-performing orgs—without losing the human side.
If you lead people, run HR, or are scaling a team at a startup, this episode will shift how you think about the function.
Key Takeaways – Think like a product team: Employee experience should be intentionally designed, tested, and iterated—just like a customer journey. – Rigor means relevance: Metrics, clarity, and outcomes matter—but rigor doesn’t mean making HR transactional. – Fairness is a performance strategy: When employees believe the system is fair, trust increases—and so does performance. – Don’t ignore the anecdotes: When stories and data diverge, it’s a signal to dig deeper. Listening matters as much as measurement. – AI is now a must-have filter: Every HR tool Faire evaluates now gets assessed through the lens of its AI capabilities.
Timestamped Highlights [02:26] Applying product discipline to PeopleOps [05:43] How Neervi’s background in sales and consulting shapes her HR leadership [08:24] Why fairness and trust should drive policy—not just process [12:00] How manager messaging can build (or break) organizational trust [15:03] What data they collect—and how they make it useful across the employee lifecycle [21:11] Why every new HR tech tool must be AI-native moving forward
Quote of the Episode "If it saves us three steps but makes it ten steps harder for the employee, that’s not a win. We’d never do that for a customer—why would we do it to our people?" — Neervi Shah Patel
Resources Mentioned – Faire: faire.com – Neervi on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/neervishahpatel – Referenced (paraphrased) Jeff Bezos quote: “If data and anecdotes diverge, trust the anecdote—you may be measuring the wrong thing.”
Pro Tips for Operators – Build in feedback loops at every employee lifecycle stage—onboarding, engagement, exits. – Require manager alignment and ownership in performance processes to avoid undermining fairness. – Don’t sacrifice employee experience for operational ease—just like you wouldn’t for customers.
Call to Action If you’re ready to run PeopleOps like a strategic business function, not a support team, share this episode with a fellow leader. And make sure you’re subscribed to The Talent Tango for more conversations like this one.
What does it really look like to run the entire People function solo — and still operate at a strategic level? In this episode, Anisha Thomas, Head of People at Inscribe, shares what it takes to be a team of one at a fast-paced AI startup. From managing headcount planning without over-hiring to leaning on tech to avoid burnout, she offers a refreshingly honest look at how she keeps her footing in the chaos. If you’ve ever worn “all the hats,” this one’s for you.
🔑 Key Takeaways 1. Leadership Without a Team Anisha reflects on how returning to IC work after leading a team has sharpened her understanding of what real leadership requires — trust, delegation, and a deep knowing of where she adds the most value. 2. Strategy Needs Time Balancing operational fire drills with strategic priorities is hard — but having a clear North Star for the day, week, and quarter helps her stay grounded and protect time for long-term thinking. 3. AI as a Teammate, Not a Threat From tools like Ashby and Lattice to constant use of ChatGPT, she’s finding ways to automate the admin and protect energy for what matters most — culture, trust, and conversations. 4. Reimagining Headcount Planning Instead of annual hiring plans, Inscribe ties new roles to real business triggers. It’s a shift from “gut feel” to metrics and milestones — and it could help stabilize People orgs for the long haul.
⏱️ Timestamped Highlights * 00:55 – “I’m a team of one.” Anisha shares how her role has evolved from builder to leader… and back again. * 02:19 – How she splits her time between candidate calls, performance reviews, and strategy. * 04:14 – The cost of context switching, and how she protects her time with clear priorities. * 06:04 – Why she was nervous to hire her first team… and what she learned about delegating. * 09:48 – Connecting the dots across the org — even without a big team. * 12:20 – The People tech stack she swears by — and how AI makes her life easier. * 14:25 – The future of People teams: small, efficient, and AI-enabled. * 16:57 – How tying headcount to revenue milestones changes the talent game. * 18:50 – Why being in the weeds will always be a superpower — even for leaders.
🔁 Quote Worth Sharing “I don’t want there to be a disconnect between what we’re building and how we work. So being AI-enabled isn’t optional — it’s table stakes.” — Anisha Thomas
📎 Resources Mentioned * Ashby (for recruiting automation) * Lattice (performance + engagement)
In this episode of The Talent Tango, Amir sits down with Ashley Utz, Chief People Officer at Happy Money, to explore the complex task of rebuilding trust within organizations—especially during periods of change like layoffs, restructuring, or leadership transitions. Ashley offers a nuanced perspective on the differences between personal and organizational trust, shares frameworks like Covey’s “Speed of Trust” model, and emphasizes the critical role of middle managers in trust-building. With timely insights and practical strategies, this conversation is a must-listen for HR and talent leaders navigating today’s uncertain workplace climate.
🧠 Key Takeaways 1. Trust Starts at a Deficit Assume employees are coming in with skepticism due to societal and institutional breakdowns in trust. This sets the foundation for how HR and leadership must engage. 2. Define the Type of Trust You’re Building Organizational trust differs from personal trust. It’s less about emotional intimacy and more about clarity, consistency, and respect. 3. Two-Part Trust Model: Character + Competence Drawing from Stephen Covey’s "Speed of Trust" model—great leaders are both good people and good at their jobs. You need integrity and execution in equal measure. 4. Layoffs Are Trust Landmines When handling layoffs or restructures, transparency around the "why", dignity in treatment, and careful follow-through on promises are essential. 5. People Trust People—Not Institutions Managers are frontline trust builders. Equip them to communicate with care and personalize messages to their teams.
⏱️ Timestamped Highlights * 00:00 – Intro to Ashley Utz and Happy Money’s mission in financial wellness * 01:53 – Trust in institutions is at historic lows; how that affects workplace dynamics * 03:30 – The paradox of radical transparency and why "oversharing" can backfire * 04:37 – Personal vs. organizational trust: clarity, consistency, and fairness vs. emotional loyalty * 08:28 – Covey’s Trust Model: character + competence * 11:10 – Trust is built top-down, bottom-up, and especially in the middle * 14:09 – How to communicate during layoffs and restructuring with empathy and clarity * 17:11 – Managers’ role in contextualizing top-down messaging and building daily trust * 20:11 – Final takeaway: "Trust is quiet... earned in the little things, lost in the gaps, and rebuilt through action"
💬 Quote “Trust is quiet. It’s earned in the little things, lost in the gaps, and rebuilt through action. It’s not about being perfect—but about being worthy.”
In this episode, Amir sits down with Greg Russell, VP of Talent Acquisition at CoverGenius, to unpack why talent acquisition should be treated like project management. They explore how applying frameworks like the project management triangle (scope, cost, time) can elevate recruiting conversations, drive better alignment, and ultimately improve hiring outcomes. From setting expectations with hiring managers to negotiating trade-offs, this episode reframes TA as a strategic, structured discipline—not just a reactive function.
🧠 Key Takeaways: * TA is not just sales—it’s strategic project management. Hiring is a major business investment and deserves the same rigor. * The PM Triangle applies directly to hiring. You can’t optimize for speed, cost, and quality all at once—there must be trade-offs. * TA professionals must own their expertise. Recruiters should feel empowered to push back, educate hiring managers, and protect process integrity. * Confidence and mindset matter. Viewing recruiting as a craft fosters pride, learning, and better long-term performance. * Borrowing language from other teams (like engineering) helps. Using PM frameworks and terminology earns credibility and promotes alignment.
⏱ Timestamped Highlights: * 00:59 – Introducing the idea: TA as project management. * 02:41 – Why each hire is a high-cost, long-term business investment. * 04:26 – The challenge of TA being undervalued or misunderstood. * 08:09 – Project management triangle: budget, scope, time trade-offs in hiring. * 11:39 – Lack of standardized PM methodology in TA—and why that should change. * 12:34 – Teaching hiring managers the trade-offs and setting expectations. * 14:38 – Using familiar frameworks (like Scrum) to align with engineers. * 16:22 – Why order-taking kills TA’s credibility—and how to avoid it. * 19:22 – TA is the expert in hiring—own that expertise in every room. * 25:44 – The "order at a restaurant" fallacy in hiring expectations. * 28:00 – Building recruiter confidence and pride in their craft. * 30:47 – Treating recruiting as a craft versus a job—why it matters for growth.
💬 Quote: “You are the expert in that room when it comes to hiring. Even if you’re sitting with the CTO—own your craft, set the expectations, and drive the project.”
In this episode, Amir sits down with Suzanne McGovern, Chief People Officer and HR veteran, to explore how the employee-employer relationship has fundamentally changed. From the aftermath of COVID-19 and rise of remote work to shifting generational expectations and the role of company culture, they dig into what leaders need to do to build trust, adapt to new work models, and attract talent in a post-pandemic world.
🔑 Key Takeaways: * The contract has changed: COVID-19 was a major inflection point, permanently altering what employees expect from work—especially around flexibility, autonomy, and trust. * Hybrid isn’t a mandate—it’s a design challenge: Simply calling people back to the office misses the point. Organizations must re-architect work to make in-person time intentional and meaningful. * Purpose beats perks: Employees don’t stay for snacks and ping-pong tables—they want to be part of a mission, do meaningful work, and grow as individuals. * Culture should attract and repel: Your values should be so real they naturally draw in the right people—and push away those who don’t align.
💬 Standout Quote: “When we transact, everyone loses. It's got to be more than a transaction. It has to be based on purpose or personal connection.”
⏱ Timestamped Highlights: * 00:24 – Intro: What this episode is about—employee-employer contract and trust post-COVID. * 01:00 – Suzanne’s Background: From IBM to Splunk to Ipsy—big to small org experience. * 02:10 – Defining the Contract: Goes beyond job descriptions—it's about trust and shared expectations. * 03:50 – COVID Changed Everything: Flexible work, layoffs, and remote expectations shifted the power balance. * 06:45 – Work Is Not About Snacks: Why people really come to work—and why “lazy remote workers” is a flawed narrative. * 09:00 – The Hybrid Conundrum: People want both flexibility and deep collaboration—how do we enable both? * 13:10 – The Trust Breakdown: Why both employers and employees are struggling to trust each other. * 16:25 – Reframing Return-to-Office: How empathy and mental health could have made RTO more productive. * 21:00 – Market Shift and Control: How layoffs and power shifts are reshaping employer behavior. * 24:00 – Gig Economy Impact: Employees now have alternatives—and they know it. * 27:30 – Making Work Appealing: Meeting different generations where they are with values, not just compensation. * 30:15 – Culture That Attracts and Repels: Values should be crystal clear—what you stand for and what you don’t.
In this episode, Brittany Blumenthal, VP of People at HiddenLayer, shares how early-stage startups can intentionally define and evolve their culture. She breaks down the challenges of working with strong founder imprints, the importance of documenting culture as a living contract, and how to build feedback loops that go both ways. If you're scaling a team and want culture to grow with it, this episode offers tactical insight and hard-earned lessons. 🔑 Key Takeaways: 1. Culture Starts With the Founder’s Imprint Founders often shape company culture unintentionally. People leaders must help them surface, reflect, and intentionally evolve that foundation. 2. Write It Down—Make Culture a Living Document You can't scale what’s vague. Culture should be defined, documented, and expected to evolve as the company grows. 3. Bi-Directional Feedback Is a Culture Keystone True culture thrives when feedback flows in both directions and employees feel safe to share how the company is doing—not just how they are doing. 4. You Have to Slow the Founder Down In early-stage companies, a big part of the People leader’s job is convincing founders to pause and co-invest in culture before it becomes reactive.
⏱️ Timestamped Highlights: * 00:23 – Intro: Defining culture at startups and reshaping founder imprint * 01:38 – Founders value culture—but need help operationalizing it * 03:38 – “How we want you to show up”: Culture as a two-way contract * 07:45 – When feedback loops are broken, culture fails * 09:50 – Making culture bi-directional and intentionally embedded * 12:20 – What to do when culture is fragmented or inconsistent * 14:35 – Getting founders to pause and participate in defining culture * 16:25 – Closing thoughts: Culture is how we succeed at scale
💬 Quote: “The best way to retain talent is to be very clear and very true about what it's like to work here—and write it down.”
In this episode of The Talent Tango, Amir sits down with Caitlin Kamm, Director of People Growth at Envoy, to unpack a real-world employer branding initiative tailored specifically for engineering talent. Caitlin walks through how her team developed a laser-focused EVP to support a return-to-office mandate—balancing culture, candidate persona, and business needs. From strategy to stakeholder alignment to creative execution, it’s a playbook for anyone in talent roles grappling with attracting high-caliber candidates in a hybrid world.
💡 Key Takeaways: 1. Start with specificity: Crafting an employer brand around a targeted persona—like engineers—yields clearer messaging and stronger impact. 2. Authenticity over perks: The EVP focused on purpose, innovation, and collaboration, deliberately leaving out compensation and benefits. 3. Match the medium to the message: They pivoted from real employee footage to an animated video to better reflect Envoy’s brand and voice. 4. Metrics with context: A 5% increase in offer acceptance was a win—but measuring deeper attribution requires embedding branding assets across the candidate journey.
⏱️ Timestamped Highlights: * 00:00 – Intro to Caitlin and episode scope * 01:01 – Defining employer branding at Envoy * 03:02 – Aligning brand with return-to-office policy * 07:24 – Why engineers were the initial focus * 10:07 – Communicating the 'why' of coming to the office * 12:55 – Making intentional branding choices * 14:24 – Measuring success: acceptance rates and Q1 plans * 17:01 – Applying a product mindset to employer branding * 19:56 – Lessons learned and the power of anchoring to the ideal candidate persona
💬 Quote to Highlight: "You have to treat the soft stuff like the hard stuff—when you bring rigor to planning and persona targeting, the strategy actually sticks." — Caitlin Kamm
In this episode of The Talent Tango, Amir Bormand is joined by Heather Cassar to unpack the nuances of giving and receiving feedback in the workplace. From real-time feedback practices to performance reviews, Heather shares practical tips on how to build trust, motivate teams, and make feedback a natural part of company culture—without making it awkward. Whether you're in HR, a people leader, or a manager navigating hybrid teams, this episode offers a human-centered approach to feedback that boosts both trust and performance.
🔑 Key Takeaways: * Feedback must be real-time, detailed, and actionable. Don’t wait until a performance review to deliver insights—timing builds trust. * Trust is the foundation. One-on-ones that include personal check-ins foster stronger feedback relationships. * Avoid the “big reveal.” Holding feedback until review season erodes trust and reduces opportunities for course correction. * Feedback culture isn’t top-down only. Tailor feedback strategies by department and encourage peer-to-peer feedback to scale trust. * It’s only as weird as you make it. Normalize feedback by using everyday tools like Slack and keeping the tone conversational.
🕒 Timestamped Highlights: * 00:23 – Introduction to Heather Cassar and the topic of feedback * 01:17 – Heather’s 3 principles of effective feedback: timing, balance, and actionability * 05:10 – How personal connection in 1:1s builds trust for better feedback reception * 06:59 – Checking perspective first: “Did you think the presentation went well?” * 09:25 – “It’s only as weird as you make it”—changing the perception of feedback * 12:32 – Aligning feedback with individual motivators for better outcomes * 14:30 – The problem with waiting for performance reviews to deliver feedback * 19:07 – Imprinting feedback into company culture across different functions * 21:46 – Feedback tied to business outcomes and inter-team trust * 24:22 – The “carrot vs stick” approach to feedback adoption * 27:23 – How to connect with Heather
💬 Memorable Quote: “Surprising people is the quickest way to degrade trust—and it’s really hard to come back from that.” – Heather Cassar
In this episode, Amir sits down with Girish Mirchandani, Head of Talent at WestBridge Capital, to unpack the nuances of executive recruiting across stages and geographies. From Series A scrappiness to global scale-ups, they explore what makes a successful hire, how founders should engage in the process, and why hiring for today often trumps hiring for tomorrow. Girish also offers a behind-the-scenes look at managing cross-border buildouts and aligning stakeholders on both sides of the globe.
🔑 Key Takeaways: * Hire for the stage you're in: Optimizing for the current growth phase is more practical than over-indexing on future readiness. * Best athlete vs. exact fit: Founders should balance domain expertise with leadership traits and adaptability when hiring executives. * Founder engagement matters: Weekly, structured check-ins and full-team involvement in hiring create alignment and momentum. * Cross-border hiring works—with discipline: Time zones and cultural fluency can be overcome through consistent communication and a shared entrepreneurial mindset.
💬 Standout Quote: “Hire for now. If you can find someone who gets you from $5 million to $100 million, you’re lucky—but it’s rare. Hire based on track record and get to the next milestone.” – Girish Mirchandani
⏱ Timestamped Highlights: * 00:00 – Intro: Meet Girish Mirchandani and WestBridge Capital’s investment thesis * 02:25 – Stage-specific recruiting: Why all stages are hard, but Series A brings unique founder challenges * 03:43 – Best athlete vs. exact domain match: How to calibrate a search effectively * 05:52 – Hire for now, not forever: The practical approach to reducing executive churn * 07:44 – Founder involvement: Weekly calls and programmatic hiring with full team participation * 10:15 – Candidate POV: Understanding founder imprint and building relationships early * 14:38 – Small touches that win candidates: Advice for founders to show care beyond comp * 15:55 – Cross-border hiring: How WestBridge handles global team build-outs * 18:24 – Cultural fluency: The importance of global mindset and entrepreneurial drive
In this episode of The Talent Tango, Amir speaks with Allison DiDominick, Senior Technical Recruiting Manager at Flexport, about adopting AI interview tools to tackle inefficiencies in the hiring process. From delayed scorecards to inconsistent feedback, Allison walks us through the problem Flexport faced, the pilot implementation of BrightHire, and how AI tools are improving recruiter workflows and evidence-based hiring.
💡 Key Takeaways: * Problem First, Then Tool: Flexport struggled with delayed or incomplete scorecards, especially in non-tech roles, which impacted hiring timelines and decision quality. * Tool Adoption Strategy: BrightHire was piloted due to its integration with Greenhouse. Allison ensured participation from both recruiters and hiring managers across regions. * Measurable Efficiency Gains: Recruiters reduced scorecard documentation time from ~20 minutes to ~5, reallocating time to higher-impact activities like sourcing and stakeholder collaboration. * Cultural & Geographic Nuances Matter: GDPR compliance and candidate recording consent were more sensitive issues in EMEA, especially among technical talent. * AI as a Supplement, Not a Replacement: Adoption hurdles included concerns about over-reliance on automated transcripts, especially from managers who value personal evaluation processes.
🕒 Timestamped Highlights: * 00:00 – Intro to Allison and the challenge Flexport faced with interview scorecards * 01:33 – Root problem: inconsistent, delayed, or vague feedback affecting hiring speed and quality * 03:53 – Internal process improvements before adopting AI * 05:04 – Why BrightHire was selected and how integration with Greenhouse helped * 07:28 – Structuring the pilot and selecting participants * 08:54 – GDPR, cultural adoption barriers, and opt-out dynamics in EMEA vs US * 12:14 – Time savings and recruiter adoption: from 20 minutes to 5 * 14:46 – Resistance from a marketing leader and how it was addressed * 17:40 – Enhancing objectivity and decision confidence in debriefs * 20:56 – Reclaiming recruiter hours: from admin to strategy and sourcing * 22:20 – What’s next: evaluating alternatives, and deeper analytics from BrightHire
🔖 Quote of the Episode: “The whole idea is that it’s an efficiency gain… so you can apply that time to more strategic work, not just busy work.” — Allison DiDominick
What does it take to thrive in talent—even when hiring freezes hit? In this episode, Amir talks with Frank Cebek about building a durable, impactful career in talent acquisition and people leadership. From surviving market downturns to translating business context into recruiting value, Frank shares his journey from consultant to senior people leader—and what skills made all the difference.
This one’s packed with practical advice for recruiters, HR leaders, and anyone in people ops navigating today’s volatile job market.
💡 Key Takeaways
- Business fluency sets you apart. Understand the “why” behind hiring, not just the “what.”
- Consulting habits stick. Structured thinking, stakeholder alignment, and data storytelling carry over.
- Downturns are growth opportunities. Expand into comp, HR ops, or mobility when hiring slows.
- Being technical earns trust. Know the frameworks and you’ll win over hiring managers.
- Influence through storytelling. Great recruiters don’t just screen—they sell talent internally.
📌 Quote of the Episode
“If there’s a problem, go fix it. Senior leaders value people who push through and figure out how to get the job done.” – Frank Cebek
🕒 Timestamped Highlights
- 00:22 – Intro to Frank and the theme of long-term careers in talent
- 01:05 – What SeatGeek really does: primary SaaS + ticket marketplace
- 04:27 – Building adaptability by working with Bay Area startups
- 06:30 – Internal vs external recruiting: same values, different tempo
- 08:18 – Bringing consulting rigor into in-house roles
- 11:21 – Staying technically fluent to earn credibility with engineering
- 14:14 – Showing recruiter value even when you're not the final decision-maker
- 16:30 – Telling the story behind “unknown” developers in a .NET Core migration
- 18:45 – How to use downturns to upskill, not exit the industry
- 23:18 – Why business context fuels career longevity in TA
- 25:28 – Connect with Frank on LinkedIn for more TA and HR tech insights
In this episode, Amir sits down with Ashley Wines from Carta to dig into what it really means for talent teams to be proactive, not reactive. They unpack the need for talent leaders to embed themselves into the business earlier, how to build trust fast, the importance of internal product roadmaps, and how to handle stakeholder dynamics—especially when you're navigating complex matrix organizations.
Whether you’re an HRBP, TA leader, or people ops pro, this episode is your blueprint for becoming a strategic talent partner.
🔑 Key Takeaways * Embed Early: Talent needs to be in the room before headcount planning begins. Understanding the business roadmap helps talent teams prepare effectively and influence strategy. * Shift Left: Embedding talent professionals into product and engineering discussions helps anticipate skill needs and align with future business goals. * Proactive ≠ Passive: Even when reacting to business needs, recruiting teams can earn trust by bringing data, insights, and solutions to the table. * Strategic Partnerships: Talent teams aren’t order-takers—they’re strategic business partners. Titles are shifting from “recruiting” to “talent” to reflect this. * Change Management is Critical: Successful tool and process rollouts require documentation, automation, and clear, repeated communication. * Data-Backed Conflict Resolution: Use data to guide tough conversations and reframe unrealistic expectations about hard-to-fill roles. * Co-ownership Builds Trust: Inviting hiring managers into the recruiting process—like sourcing or outreach—creates shared responsibility and deepens alignment.
⏱️ Timestamped Highlights * 00:00 – Intro to Ashley and episode overview: talent’s influence, proactive vs reactive recruiting, stakeholder juggling. * 01:08 – Ideal talent involvement starts at headcount and org design planning. * 02:54 – Talent should be part of long-term product or geo-expansion strategy conversations. * 04:57 – Who owns the internal talent product roadmap? Why it shouldn’t sit on just one leader’s plate. * 06:59 – Embedding with business teams: “Be a fly on the wall early” to shift planning left. * 08:09 – Positioning recruiting as strategic, not transactional. Changing from “recruiting” to “talent.” * 10:30 – How to build trust fast even in reactive hiring environments. * 12:57 – Stakeholder alignment and tool adoption: tailor the pitch to what each team values (data, cost, efficiency). * 14:34 – Change management tips: documentation, in-tool workflows, and repetition. * 17:02 – Handling friction with hiring managers: bring data, set trial periods, align on timelines. * 19:59 – Engaging hiring teams in sourcing or outreach to create shared accountability. * 21:45 – Final thoughts and where to connect with Ashley.
💬 Featured Quote “High-quality talent teams aren’t just recruiters—we’re strategic partners helping organizations build smarter, faster, and more effectively.”
In this episode, Amir sits down with Michelle King, Head of People and Talent at Notable Health, to break down what it really means to have a strategic relationship with the CEO. From spotting red flags in the interview process to pushing back (with impact) once you're in the seat, Michelle shares lessons from the trenches—no fluff, all substance. This episode is a must-listen for anyone in a people/talent role looking to elevate their business partnership game and hold their own in the executive room.
🔑 Key Takeaways: * Start Before You Start: The foundation of a strong CEO relationship begins in the interview process. Ask tough questions and look for signs of trust across the ELT. * Business Acumen Isn’t Optional: Michelle stresses that understanding the business is critical. Process alone won’t get you a seat at the table—insightful problem-solving will. * Pushback Is Partnership: Don’t default to yes. Strong people leaders challenge assumptions and influence decisions, even when it’s uncomfortable. * First 90 Days Matter: Use that window to deeply understand the business and build credibility. Skip the cookie-cutter playbook—adapt to the org’s context. * Train for Influence Early: People functions need to develop business fluency across all levels, not just at the top. Siloed ops teams can’t build real impact.
⏱️ Timestamped Highlights: * [00:01:00] – What defines a healthy CEO–People partnership (hint: trust and strategic tension). * [00:03:00] – Why the relationship starts before day one—what to ask in interviews to spot red flags. * [00:07:00] – How Michelle probes for trust dynamics across the ELT during hiring. * [00:08:00] – The blueprint for the first 90 days—how deep business knowledge fuels impact. * [00:11:00] – Process ≠ progress: why strong relationships are built through solving business problems, not running playbooks. * [00:15:00] – Why leaders can’t hide behind “process comfort” if they want a seat at the table. * [00:22:00] – The art of saying no: Michelle’s case for pushing back and protecting the business. * [00:26:00] – Why transparency about your leadership style in the interview phase sets the stage for success. * [00:28:00] – Final thoughts: if the org isn’t ready for tough conversations, it’s probably not the right seat.
💬 Quote of the Episode: “If you continue to say yes to everything, you become known as that person. And then it's just like—I'm not coming to you for strategy. I'm just coming to you to execute. You become an order taker, not a strategic partner.”
In this episode, Amir Bormand is joined by Kate Esterman, Director of Global Talent Acquisition at Integral Ad Science. Together, they dive deep into the ever-evolving landscape of candidate experience, discussing how market shifts—from candidate-driven to client-driven—impact the way companies engage talent. Kate shares actionable strategies, real-world examples, and her perspective on balancing high-touch human interactions with the scalability of automation, all while maintaining a standout candidate journey.
Whether you're scaling your TA team, facing hiring freezes, or juggling high-volume hiring demands, this conversation is packed with valuable insights for anyone passionate about elevating talent experiences.
Key Takeaways: * Consistency is Key: Regardless of market conditions, ensure candidates walk away wanting to work with your company—even if they don't get the job. * Communication First: Regular, transparent communication can’t be skipped. A simple follow-up message goes a long way, especially when bandwidth is tight. * Leverage the Whole Organization: Activate your employees as brand ambassadors and referrers—especially valuable in tight-knit or small markets. * Be Transparent Early: Set expectations around compensation, timelines, and processes upfront to minimize surprises and drive offer acceptances. * Personalized Automation: Automation tools are helpful but should never feel robotic—infuse human touch into every automated message. * Think Long-Term: Build your CRM and talent community today for tomorrow’s hires. Candidate experiences linger far beyond the immediate role.
Timestamped Highlights: * [00:01:00] Kate introduces IAS and their work partnering with major platforms like TikTok & YouTube. * [00:02:08] How market swings—from candidate-driven to surplus talent—impact candidate experience. * [00:03:50] Resource constraints and bandwidth challenges: why both hiring booms and slowdowns affect communication gaps. * [00:05:30] Creative solutions: How IAS doubled referral bonuses and engaged employees as recruiters in niche markets like Dublin. * [00:08:00] Speed, flexibility, and upfront transparency: The pillars of a great candidate experience, regardless of market. * [00:12:20] “Follow-Up Fridays”: Kate’s simple yet powerful hack to prevent candidates from falling through the cracks. * [00:14:00] Can GenAI and automation improve candidate experience? The fine line between efficiency and personal touch. * [00:16:30] Why long-term thinking matters: Stories of candidates who declined offers but re-engaged years later. * [00:22:30] How talent teams can think like marketers—keeping candidates warm through events, brand building, and community engagement.
Quote Highlight: "No matter what market we're in, every candidate should walk away wanting to work for your company—whether they got the offer or not." – Kate Esterman
Connect with Kate: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/recruitertech
In this episode, we dive into Brittany Rohde’s unconventional journey into the HR and people space. With a background in mathematics and a love for admin, Brittany has successfully navigated the world of people operations, compensation, and leadership. We explore how she transitioned from a math degree into HR, her philosophy on taking opportunities, and why she believes every people team should have an engineering component.
Key Takeaways 🔹 Diverse Backgrounds Can Drive Success – Brittany’s transition from math to HR showcases the power of transferable skills and how technical backgrounds can bring unique problem-solving abilities to people operations. 🔹 Say Yes to Opportunities – Raising her hand for projects at GitLab led Brittany into compensation and benefits, ultimately shaping her career trajectory. 🔹 The Power of Admin & Automation – A self-proclaimed admin enthusiast, Brittany discusses the importance of balancing operational efficiency with strategic initiatives. 🔹 People Ops Needs Engineers – She strongly advocates for having a dedicated engineering resource to automate and streamline HR processes, improving efficiency and scalability. 🔹 Passion Over Titles – Brittany emphasizes that career success isn’t about chasing promotions but about leaning into what excites you and where you can add the most value.
Timestamped Highlights ⏳ [00:01:00] – Brittany’s unexpected path from a math degree to HR ⏳ [00:03:00] – Landing an HR role at GitLab and leveraging technical skills ⏳ [00:05:00] – How raising her hand led her into compensation strategy ⏳ [00:08:00] – The role of admin work in HR and its strategic importance ⏳ [00:09:00] – Why every people team should have a dedicated engineer ⏳ [00:12:00] – Budgeting for automation and how to make the business case ⏳ [00:14:00] – The impact of technical skills on HR decision-making ⏳ [00:16:00] – Scaling the people function at Monarch Money ⏳ [00:18:00] – Advice for math and technical students considering HR careers
Quote of the Episode "I've never been driven by title. I've always been driven by: Is this something that excites me? Is this something I can learn from?" – Brittany Rohde
Connect with Brittany 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittany-rohde-970964b2
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In this episode, Amir Bormand is joined by Cory Eustice, a seasoned talent leader, to dive into the importance of transparency in the hiring process. They explore how organizations can improve candidate experiences, hiring outcomes, and long-term retention by fostering open and honest conversations from the very start.
Key Takeaways: * Transparency in Hiring Matters – Candidates should be given a full, honest picture of the role, the company, and the challenges they might face. * Hiring Managers Play a Role – Recruiters must work closely with hiring managers to ensure they openly discuss both the positives and challenges of a role. * Quality Over Speed – Rushing to fill positions without clear alignment on expectations leads to mismatches and retention issues. * Metrics That Matter – Effective hiring isn’t just about speed; it’s about tracking key indicators like offer acceptance rates, retention, and conversion rates. * Retrospective Learning – Teams should evaluate both successful and unsuccessful hires to continuously refine their approach.
Timestamped Highlights: * [00:01:00] – Cory’s perspective on how transparency helps candidates feel confident in their decisions. * [00:03:00] – Amir shares a personal story about how a lack of transparency in his early career led to a short tenure. * [00:07:00] – How hiring managers should approach transparency with candidates to set the right expectations. * [00:12:00] – Why metrics like time-to-hire alone don’t define success and what recruiters should really focus on. * [00:17:00] – Cory’s "building a great house" analogy to explain the balance between structure and flexibility in recruiting. * [00:22:00] – How recruiters can fine-tune their processes by analyzing offer declines and retention data. * [00:28:00] – The importance of looking at successful hires, not just failures, to understand what works.
Quote from the Episode: "The best recruiters aren’t just filling roles—they’re career coaches, sales enablers, project managers, and therapists. Transparency is the foundation for all of that." – Cory Eustice
Connect with Cory: 🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/coryeustice
Enjoyed this Episode? * Share this episode with someone in the talent and recruiting space! * Subscribe, rate, and review the podcast to help more people find it. * Drop a comment—what are your thoughts on transparency in hiring?
🎙️ Stay tuned for more episodes covering the most important topics in talent and recruiting!
In this episode, Amir sits down with Meg Henry, Head of People & Talent at Companyon Ventures, to explore why onboarding deserves just as much attention as hiring. Meg shares practical insights on structuring an effective onboarding process, ensuring a smooth transition for new hires, and increasing business efficiency through thoughtful onboarding. If you’re in a people or talent leadership role, this conversation is packed with valuable takeaways to refine your onboarding strategy.
Key Takeaways ✅ Onboarding is often neglected – Companies spend months hiring but little time ensuring new hires succeed. ✅ Accessibility is key – Provide clear, organized resources to reduce new hire anxiety and unnecessary questions. ✅ Hybrid work adds complexity – Without casual office interactions, structured onboarding is more critical than ever. ✅ Onboarding should be role-specific – While company orientation is helpful, tailored onboarding plans drive success. ✅ A small time investment pays off – 2.5 hours spread over 90 days can significantly improve onboarding effectiveness.
Timestamped Highlights 🔹 [00:01:00] – Meg explains what Companyon Ventures does and her role in supporting portfolio companies. 🔹 [00:02:30] – The imbalance between hiring and onboarding: why onboarding often gets overlooked. 🔹 [00:04:00] – New hire awkwardness: how to make the first days less overwhelming. 🔹 [00:06:00] – Hybrid onboarding challenges and solutions. 🔹 [00:08:00] – Key elements of successful onboarding: company orientation vs. role-specific onboarding. 🔹 [00:11:00] – Helping leaders understand onboarding’s ROI and why it accelerates productivity. 🔹 [00:14:00] – Can AI improve onboarding? Meg shares her thoughts on automation and AI-driven solutions. 🔹 [00:16:00] – Signs of weak onboarding and how to identify gaps in the process. 🔹 [00:20:00] – How much time should a startup invest in onboarding? The answer may surprise you.
Quote from the Episode 🗣️ “You wouldn't invite someone to your house and expect them to find their own way without directions—so why would you do that with a new hire?” – Meg Henry
Connect with Meg Henry 📌 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megjwhenry/
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In this episode, we dive deep into Talent Acquisition (TA) playbooks—how recruiting leaders bring their experiences, frameworks, and best practices into new roles, and how they adapt them to different company environments. Henry shares his insights on onboarding into a new company, assessing existing hiring practices, and implementing change management strategies that actually stick.
Key Takeaways: 🔹 The Art of the TA Playbook – Bringing structured frameworks from past roles, but adapting them based on company culture and business needs. 🔹 Assess Before You Act – Why it’s crucial to inventory the hiring process before making sweeping changes. 🔹 Pattern Matching in Recruiting – Identifying what works across different organizations while allowing for unique nuances. 🔹 Building Stakeholder Buy-In – How to communicate the value of recruiting changes effectively and ensure adoption. 🔹 Data-Driven Change Management – Using measurable metrics to validate changes in the hiring process. 🔹 Finding Your Champions – Why recruiting success hinges on internal advocates at different levels, not just leadership.
Timestamped Highlights: ⏳ [00:00:00] – Introduction to Henry Hippely & the concept of TA playbooks. ⏳ [00:02:00] – Understanding the variability in hiring processes across different company stages. ⏳ [00:04:30] – How long should you observe before implementing changes? ⏳ [00:06:50] – The balance between showing value and avoiding premature changes. ⏳ [00:10:15] – Identifying your own leadership style and conflict approach in recruiting. ⏳ [00:14:30] – Using data to prove what’s working (or broken) in the hiring funnel. ⏳ [00:19:00] – The challenge of managing hiring processes alongside domain experts. ⏳ [00:21:30] – Proactive vs. reactive recruiting – how to show value outside of hiring metrics. ⏳ [00:24:00] – Finding champions to drive adoption and cultural change in hiring. ⏳ [00:26:00] – How to connect with Henry for follow-up questions.
Quote of the Episode: "Hiring isn't just about filling roles—it's about building trust, refining processes, and ensuring the business sees recruiting as a strategic function, not just a service." – Henry Hippely
Connect with Henry Hippely: 📍 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henryhippely/
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In this episode of The Talent Tango, Amir Bormand is joined by Alex Kim, Head of Talent at NewLimit, to discuss the nuances of expectations and requirements in talent acquisition. They dive into how talent professionals can better understand and serve domain experts, establish success criteria, and adapt to the unique challenges of niche and bleeding-edge industries like biotech. Whether you're an early-career recruiter or a seasoned talent leader, this conversation offers invaluable insights into building trust, setting realistic expectations, and aligning talent strategies with business objectives.
Key Takeaways:
- Understanding the Stakeholders You Serve: Talent acquisition is a consultative function. By deeply understanding the organizational structure, team dynamics, and priorities, recruiters can align their strategies with business goals.
- Data-Driven Collaboration: Use talent mapping and market data to set clear expectations with hiring managers, especially for niche roles. Transparency is key to refining hiring criteria and finding creative solutions.
- Building Relationships Beyond the Job Post: Strong relationships with hiring managers aren’t built overnight. Attend team meetings, listen actively, and invest in understanding technical priorities to foster trust and streamline collaboration.
- Navigating Challenges in Niche Hiring: Hiring for cutting-edge industries requires long-term thinking and creative sourcing strategies, such as engaging academic institutions and leveraging leaders’ networks for outreach.
- Balancing Process with Agility: Processes should enable, not hinder, recruiting success. Adapt your approach based on organizational priorities and challenges, knowing when to tighten or loosen guardrails.
Timestamped Highlights:
- [00:01:10] Alex defines what it means for talent professionals to serve domain experts.
- [00:03:07] The importance of understanding organizational design and team strengths before starting a search.
- [00:04:40] How to build trust with hiring managers and maintain relationships during lulls in hiring activity.
- [00:07:22] Alex on pushing back against unrealistic expectations with data and market insights.
- [00:12:45] The unique challenges of sourcing for bleeding-edge industries like biotech.
- [00:18:07] Redefining talent acquisition as a consultative role.
- [00:24:04] Balancing process efficiency with the need for agility in recruiting.
Quote of the Episode: "Despite being domain experts, hiring managers rely on us as talent advisors—not order takers. Our job is to bring the market data, build relationships, and guide them toward the best talent solutions." — Alex Kim
Resources and Links:
- Connect with Alex Kim on LinkedIn: Alex Kim
- Email Alex: alex.kim@newlimit.com
- Learn more about NewLimit: NewLimit Website
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In this episode, we dive deep into community building and the hiring challenges founders face with Michelle McHargue. As an early-stage investor, Michelle has a front-row seat to the pressure founders experience when hiring top talent. We explore why founders are so selective, how curated communities can impact hiring, and why hiring at early-stage startups is uniquely difficult.
Key Takeaways ✅ Top Talent Is Subjective: Every startup defines “top talent” differently, making hiring a challenge. ✅ Early-Stage Hiring Is Cutthroat: Startups compete for the same small pool of talent, especially engineers. ✅ Startups Wait for the Right Fit: Unlike larger companies, startups won’t settle—they wait for a “perfect” hire. ✅ Community Building Is a Long Game: Curated talent communities can be an invaluable resource for founders. ✅ Founders Can Be Too Fixated: Many are overly focused on specific skills, limiting their hiring pool. ✅ Hiring Pressure Is Real: Founders juggle hiring with investor expectations, product development, and growth. ✅ Interview Bias Exists: Many hiring processes are designed for a specific type of candidate, unintentionally narrowing the talent pool. ✅ Delegation Matters: Founders often struggle to let go but must delegate hiring to scale effectively.
Timestamped Highlights ⏳ [00:01:24] - Defining "top talent" and why it's subjective at startups. ⏳ [00:02:40] - Why early-stage hiring is more competitive and challenging. ⏳ [00:05:00] - The role of curated talent communities in startup hiring. ⏳ [00:07:28] - Why talent curation is a long game, not a quick fix. ⏳ [00:10:39] - How founders can become too focused on specific skill sets. ⏳ [00:14:10] - Interview biases and why hiring processes can unintentionally exclude great talent. ⏳ [00:17:29] - When founders start to listen and seek hiring advice. ⏳ [00:19:13] - The overwhelming pressure of hiring while managing a startup. ⏳ [00:22:33] - When founders finally start delegating hiring decisions.
Quote of the Episode 💡 “Hiring is so important, but it’s the one thing founders can’t focus on all the time.” – Michelle McHargue
Connect with Michelle McHargue 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellemchargue/
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In this episode, Amir speaks with Tiffany Chandra, Director of People and Talent at Sapphire Ventures, about the intersection of program management and talent acquisition. Tiffany shares her journey into program management, the skills she cultivated, and how program management principles can transform talent functions in organizations of any size. Whether you’re in a small company or a large organization, Tiffany’s insights offer practical ways to enhance recruiting strategies and improve team alignment.
Key Takeaways * Program Management in Talent: Effective program management aligns multiple recruiting projects under shared goals, ensuring seamless workflows and outcomes. * Stakeholder Alignment is Foundational: Building strong relationships and setting clear expectations with stakeholders ensures program success. * Governance and Ownership: Defining clear roles and accountability for team members leads to more efficient talent processes. * Embracing Ambiguity: Thriving in undefined roles and adapting to challenges fosters creativity and innovation. * Feedback and Iteration: Actively seeking feedback from cross-functional teams helps refine processes and deliver better outcomes.
Episode Highlights * [00:00:00] Introduction: Meet Tiffany Chandra and learn about Sapphire Ventures’ focus on growth-stage companies. * [00:01:32] Defining Program Management in Talent: How program management differs from project management and applies to recruiting. * [00:04:15] Stakeholder Alignment: Understanding the needs and priorities of stakeholders to drive results. * [00:05:22] Governance Structures: Creating accountability and streamlining workflows in recruiting. * [00:08:27] Recruiters as Project Managers: Why talent teams can benefit from adopting program and project management techniques. * [00:11:31] Setting Expectations Early: Aligning with stakeholders upfront to avoid miscommunication and delays. * [00:15:04] Enforcing Accountability: Managing matrixed teams to ensure consistent participation and delivery. * [00:20:31] Transitioning to Program Management: Skills and mindset shifts needed to move from recruiting to program management roles. * [00:24:00] Metrics in Program Management: How program metrics differ from traditional recruiting KPIs. * [00:28:42] Thriving in Ambiguity: Learning to navigate undefined roles and leveraging feedback for continuous improvement. * [00:30:30] Closing Thoughts: Tiffany shares advice for those considering a move into program management.
This episode is a must-listen for talent professionals and recruiters looking to enhance their processes, adopt program management principles, and create more impactful hiring strategies.
📩 Connect with Tiffany:
Reach out to Tiffany on LinkedIn to continue the conversation and learn more about transitioning into program management.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanyschandra/
In this episode, host Amir Bormand sits down with Meg Sahni, Senior Director of Talent at Radical Ventures, to explore the intricacies of hiring for early-stage AI companies. With AI's rapid growth, Meg shares valuable insights on navigating a highly competitive talent market, building effective early teams, and establishing a strong employer brand.
Key Takeaways:
- AI Startup Talent Categories: Understanding the differences between "AI-first" companies building foundational models and "applied AI" companies leveraging existing models.
- Strategic Team Building: Recruiting top-tier talent across research, engineering, and product management to support AI-first and applied AI initiatives.
- Employer Branding: The importance of participating in conferences, publishing technical content, and engaging in hackathons to attract and retain AI talent.
- Candidate Motivations: Why aligning with candidates' motivations and clearly articulating company vision are crucial for securing top talent.
- Lean Team Dynamics: How small, experienced teams at the staff and principal levels outperform in early-stage startups.
Highlights with Timestamps:
- [00:01:35] Breaking down AI-first vs. applied AI companies and their distinct talent needs.
- [00:03:30] Challenges in recruiting specialized roles like machine learning engineers and data infrastructure experts.
- [00:07:38] Competitive hiring strategies: Crafting compelling narratives and discussing compensation philosophy.
- [00:09:37] The role of employer branding in attracting high-caliber talent.
- [00:14:52] Candidate decision-making: Weighing compensation and stability against impact and innovation.
- [00:19:47] Best practices for early-stage hiring: Avoiding over-hiring and prioritizing high-impact roles.
Engage with Meg Sahni: Connect with Meg on LinkedIn to continue the conversation about hiring strategies in AI startups and beyond: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meg-sahni/
Tune in to this episode for actionable advice on building successful teams in the fast-paced world of AI!
In this insightful episode, Amir Bormand interviews Jim Conti, Talent Partner at Hyde Park Venture Partners, about redefining the value of people and talent functions. Jim shares strategies for evolving the role from being process-driven to a core strategic contributor, while highlighting the importance of aligning with business goals, automating admin tasks, and building impactful employee experiences. This episode is packed with practical advice for HR professionals, talent leaders, and anyone looking to amplify the value of their talent organization.
Key Takeaways:
- Identify Your Org’s People Function Priorities: The reporting structure and allocated budget reveal how much a company values its talent function.
- Evolve from Admin to Strategic: Focus on aligning talent initiatives with broader business goals and automate routine tasks to free up time for strategy.
- Build a Business Case for Talent Investments: Use data and ROI-driven arguments to gain leadership buy-in for new tools and initiatives.
- Set Boundaries Without People-Pleasing: Clarity and transparency in career development discussions create trust and empower employees without over-promising.
- Measure Talent Impact: Post-hiring surveys and bar-raiser metrics help show the business value of talent initiatives.
Timestamped Highlights:
- [00:00:30] Introduction to the role of people and talent functions in organizations.
- [00:03:00] Key indicators of whether an organization views HR as strategic or process-driven.
- [00:05:14] Shifting the people function from admin-heavy to strategically aligned.
- [00:07:54] Building a business case for HR investments and gaining buy-in from leadership.
- [00:11:54] The importance of transparency and clarity in employee development conversations.
- [00:18:00] How talent leaders can demonstrate business value by engaging with stakeholders.
- [00:23:00] Questions to ask during the interview process to assess a company’s strategic outlook on talent.
- [00:24:55] Matching organizational challenges to your personal career goals.
If you’re looking for actionable insights to elevate your talent organization, this episode is a must-listen.
Share it with your network to inspire more strategic thinking in the HR and talent space. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe to stay updated with the latest discussions in talent leadership!
Jim Conti: https://www.linkedin.com/in/contijc/
Jim Conti is the Talent Partner at Hyde Park Venture Partners and has been with the firm since 2021. In this role, Jim provides strategic talent support and consulting to the firm's portfolio of companies. Prior to Hyde Park Venture Partners, Jim served as head of people at dscout and Sprout Social — both Chicago-based software startups. In these roles, Jim built, grew, and oversaw teams across recruitment, talent management, DEI, culture, HR, and benefits strategy. The impact of this work is seen in awards from Glassdoor, Chicago Tribune, Crain’s Chicago, and Built in Chicago.
In this insightful episode, host Amir speaks with Tanaz Mody, Head of People Operations and Talent at Lerer Hippeau, to explore the unique challenges founders face in hiring and leadership. The conversation highlights the complexities of transitioning from founder to CEO, building trust, and making strategic hiring decisions in early-stage startups. Tanaz provides practical advice on delegation, setting expectations, and the evolving role of People Operations in supporting business growth.
Episode Highlights * Founders and Hiring Challenges
+ The emotional attachment founders have to their business often makes hiring decisions difficult.
+ Common pitfalls in hiring due to lack of alignment on company needs.
-
Delegation and Trust
- The importance of founders learning to delegate effectively and trust their teams.
- Building safe spaces for transparent communication and collaboration.
-
Strategic Decision-Making
-
Setting milestones and frameworks to align hiring with business goals.
- How People Operations can facilitate smoother transitions during early-stage growth.
-
From Founder to CEO
-
The mindset shift required to evolve from a hands-on founder to a strategic CEO.
- Overcoming the challenges of scaling leadership and adapting to new roles.
-
VC Talent Partners’ Role
-
Unique insights from VC-backed talent advisors to help startups scale efficiently.
- Support for founders in aligning business strategy with leadership growth.
Key Takeaways 1. Trust and Delegation are Non-Negotiable Founders must embrace delegation and trust their team to scale the business effectively. 2. Strategic Hiring Requires Milestones Establish clear benchmarks to ensure hires align with the company’s current and future needs. 3. Transitioning to CEO Requires a Mindset Shift Founders need to focus on big-picture strategy rather than micromanaging daily tasks. 4. People Operations is Key to Scaling A well-defined People Ops strategy ensures smoother transitions and long-term growth.
Listen now for actionable insights on building a stronger team, scaling leadership, and navigating the founder-to-CEO journey! Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more engaging conversations with industry leaders.
Guest:
Tanaz Mody is the Head of People Operations and Talent at Lerer Hippeau, where she drives strategic hiring and fosters high-performing teams. With extensive experience across industries, she specializes in innovative recruitment strategies, inclusive work environments, and aligning talent with organizational goals.
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanazmody/ ----
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Please message me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)
In this powerful episode, Amir Bormand speaks with Dena Singleton, Chief HR Officer at Kajabi, about the challenges women face throughout their careers. They explore key issues like balancing personal and professional life, navigating health-related workplace returns, and addressing menopause—a topic often overlooked in organizational conversations.
Dena shares personal stories and actionable advice on creating inclusive environments, advocating for oneself, and fostering open communication. This episode offers valuable insights for HR leaders, managers, and anyone looking to create more equitable and supportive workplaces.
Key Takeaways:
- Recognize and Address Unique Challenges: Understand how career interruptions due to health or family leave impact women's careers and what organizations can do to support them.
- Foster Open Communication: Create environments where employees feel empowered to share challenges without fear of judgment.
- Support Career Growth: Help women future-proof their careers by advocating for fair policies, promoting leadership development, and addressing workplace biases.
- Prioritize Self-Advocacy and Allyship: Encourage women to advocate for themselves while fostering a culture of mutual support and inclusion.
Episode Highlights:
- 01:16 – Challenges Women Face in the Workplace
- 01:54 – Finding Your Voice and Addressing Performance Issues
- 06:00 – Personal Story: Navigating Health Issues at Work
- 09:59 – Return to Work and Remote Work Challenges
- 13:24 – Navigating Work During COVID-19
- 14:35 – Family Leave and Career Impact
- 17:13 – Future-Proofing Your Career
- 18:47 – Addressing Anxiety and Self-Improvement
- 19:56 – Challenges of Menopause in the Workplace
- 25:00 – Advocating for Yourself and Others
Guest:
Dena Singleton is the Chief People Officer at Kajabi, a leading platform empowering creators to build, market, and sell online courses and content. With a career spanning over two decades in human resources and organizational leadership, Dena excels in driving people-first strategies that align with business goals. Her expertise includes scaling teams, fostering inclusive cultures, and leading through transformational change. Dena is passionate about creating environments where employees thrive and businesses succeed, leveraging her deep knowledge of talent development, DEI initiatives, and strategic workforce planning.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hellofromdena/
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In this podcast episode, Amir Bormand interviews Loren Boyce, VP of Talent Acquisition at M13, about the importance of storytelling in recruitment. They discuss how storytelling can enhance job descriptions, align teams, and truly convey the essence and impact of a role within a company. Loren shares insights on how founders and hiring managers can improve their recruitment strategies by focusing on the 'why' behind the job and the narrative that attracts top talent. Moreover, they explore the difference between sales-driven and authentic, holistic recruiting approaches. Loren also provides practical advice on how to elegantly address job challenges and the importance of having meaningful conversations with candidates.
Highlights
01:37 The Importance of Storytelling in Recruiting
03:22 Aligning Recruitment with Company Goals
06:11 Crafting Effective Job Descriptions
09:04 Challenges and Best Practices in Recruitment
Guest:
Loren Boyce is a recruiter and talent acquisition leader who has helped companies like VMware, DigitalOcean, and Toast build and scale their teams in preparation for their IPOs. In 2020, she joined M13, an LA + NY-based venture capital firm, as VP of Talent Acquisition. Loren works with M13 portfolio company founders and their teams to help them build their dream teams. Her approach offers a simple structure and a customizable process for driving alignment and making better hiring decisions.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenboyce/
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In this episode, Amir talks with Hilliary Turnipseed, Senior Director of Talent at Kapor Capital, about the importance of consciously inclusive hiring. Hilliary discusses how businesses can diversify their talent pool and avoid biases in the hiring process. We explore Kapor Capital's investment philosophy focused on closing gaps in access for low-income and communities of color, and how Hilliary's role involves providing founders with tools to build diverse teams. The episode offers practical advice for founders and TA professionals about de-risking hiring decisions, inclusive hiring practices, and the benefits of expanding networks beyond traditional pools. Additionally, Hilliary shares details about Kapor's talent network and her partnerships with organizations like Diversify Tech and Black Code Collective.
Highlights:
01:56 Consciously Inclusive Hiring Explained
03:18 Challenges and Solutions in Hiring
05:41 Expanding Networks and Talent Pools
09:06 Building a Fair and Equitable Talent Network
12:20 Navigating the Current Job Market
16:43 Advice for Candidates and Recruiters
Guest:
Hilliary Turnipseed is the Senior Director of Talent at Kapor Capital, where she focuses on building diverse, inclusive teams across Kapor's portfolio companies. With a deep commitment to equity and belonging in the workplace, Hilliary works closely with founders to embed inclusive hiring practices and de-risk hiring decisions. She has extensive experience in talent acquisition, diversity and inclusion, and has collaborated with organizations like Diversify Tech and Black Code Collective. Through her work, Hilliary empowers companies to broaden their talent pools, avoid biases, and create fair, equitable opportunities in hiring.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilliaryturnipseed/
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In this podcast episode, we feature Kelsey Lang, the Global Head of Talent at Techstars. The discussion centers around 'super agility' in talent management. Kelsey shares insights on blending startup flexibility with foundational process stability, understanding corporate cultural nuances, and maintaining agile strategies within fast-paced environments. The conversation also explores project management methodologies like Scrum and Kanban and their potential application in the talent space to enhance adaptability and efficiency. Kelsey highlights the importance of stakeholders and offers practical advice for balancing flexibility with structure in growing organizations.
Highlights:
01:24 Defining Agility in Talent Management
03:37 Skills Needed for Flexibility in Talent
07:03 Challenges and Strategies in Talent Management
13:25 Implementing Agile Methodologies in Talent
Guest:
Kelsey Lang is a talent and people leader with over 20 years of experience building, scaling and transforming. She has worked with small, early stage startups, large, publicly-traded organizations and other orgs in between. Kelsey is passionate about building and designing talent systems that are aligned to the business to drive outcomes and cultivating cultures of high engagement and inclusion. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelseylang1/ ----
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In this episode, Amir Bormand interviews Laura Hilton, the Head of Executive Talent at Bain Capital Ventures, about the often-overlooked 'little things' that significantly impact talent management. Laura shares insights on why doing these small tasks well, such as follow-ups and maintaining relationships, is crucial for hiring the best talent. They also discuss how these practices differentiate successful companies, and explore ways to manage follow-ups effectively, leveraging technology and personal discipline. Laura emphasizes that strong candidate experience and consistent communication can set a company apart in the competitive talent landscape.
Highlights
01:38 The Importance of Little Things in Talent Management
01:56 Differences in Executive Talent Management
04:24 Key Little Things in Talent Management
08:02 Challenges and Best Practices in Follow-Ups
14:06 The Role of Technology in Talent Management
16:40 Managerial and Personal Responsibility in Follow-Ups
Guest
Laura Hilton has over a decade of experience in talent, scaling organizations through rapid growth. At BCV Laura is focused on collaborating with founders on their executive talent strategy while also playing a key role in expanding and strengthening their talent ecosystem. Before BCV, Laura spent 5 years at Stripe as a founding member of the executive recruiting team, helping the organization from 700-7000. Before Stripe, she led the Global Talent function at AppDirect, helping scale the company across the US, Canada, Brazil, and India. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurahilton10/ ----
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Please message me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)
In this episode, Cassie Chao Leemans, Vice President of Talent at Craft Ventures, discusses key strategies for effective recruiting with host Amir. Topics include the importance of a solid recruiting framework, the concept of interview debt, and preparing for scalable growth. Cassie shares insights on aligning team competencies, interviewer training, and dealing with biases in the recruiting process. She also highlights the significance of founders' involvement in early-stage hiring and how to avoid common pitfalls. Listeners will gain valuable advice on structuring their recruiting processes for future success.
Highlights:
01:25 Understanding Foundational Recruiting
06:41 Defining Competencies and Roles
09:41 The Importance of Interviewer Training
11:59 Avoiding Interview Debt
17:35 Balancing High Standards and Biases
21:55 Scaling Your Hiring Process
Guest:
Cassie Leemans is the VP Talent at Craft Ventures, where she plays a pivotal role in building high-performing teams and shaping talent acquisition strategies. With a rich background in recruitment and talent management, Cassie excels at integrating agile methodologies and fostering team flexibility. Her experience spans various sectors, where she has successfully aligned talent initiatives with business growth goals, enabling companies to scale effectively. Cassie is passionate about enhancing recruitment processes through innovation and collaboration, making her a dynamic leader in the talent space.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassieleemans/
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In this podcast episode, Amir interviews Erin Peterson, Head of Talent at Great Hill Partners, to explore the transformative impact of AI on talent acquisition. They discuss the potential for AI and generative AI solutions to automate and optimize the talent recruitment process, improve productivity, and enhance the candidate experience. Erin shares insights on the evolving roles within recruitment, the importance of balancing automation with human touch, and the need for new skill sets and metrics to successfully integrate AI. They also touch on the importance of humility, continuous learning, and leadership in navigating these technological advancements.
Highlights:
01:41 AI's Potential in Talent Acquisition
04:16 Automation and Efficiency in Recruitment
11:58 Personalization and Competitive Advantage
19:39 Future Roles and Skills in AI-Driven Recruitment
26:16 Leadership and Change Management in AI
Guest:
Erin Peterson is a seasoned leader in the talent acquisition space, with extensive experience across industries, particularly in high-growth environments. As a Global Talent Acquisition Leader, she has a strong track record in building high-performing teams and implementing effective recruitment strategies to drive organizational success. With expertise spanning from executive search to operational talent management, Erin is passionate about leveraging data-driven insights and innovative technologies like AI to optimize hiring processes. She is currently the Head of Talent at Great Hill Partners, where she leads talent acquisition strategies across the portfolio.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinpeterson/
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In this episode, Chris Fahey, SVP of Talent and HR at Volition Capital, discusses the often-overlooked value of org charts for growing companies. He discusses how they can pinpoint hiring gaps and the importance of focusing on roles, not just people. Chris also highlights the importance of aligning your company's strategy with its structure and regularly revisiting this alignment for smoother scaling. Great tips for founders and businesses aiming for efficient growth!
Highlights:
- 01:47 The Importance of Org Charts in Business
- 02:59 Challenges and Benefits of Creating Org Charts
- 04:56 Aligning Org Charts with Business Strategy
- 10:09 Defining Success Criteria for Hiring
- 13:24 Iterating and Reassessing Org Charts
- 15:19 Advice for Founders on Organizational Alignment
- 18:12 Frequency of Re-examining Org Charts
Guest:
Chris Fahey is the Senior Vice President of Talent and Human Resources at Volition Capital. With extensive experience in talent acquisition and HR leadership, Chris deeply understands organizational strategy and scaling businesses. He focuses on aligning a company's talent needs with its broader strategic goals, helping growing businesses optimize their organizational structure and enhance hiring processes. Chris is passionate about building high-performing teams and fostering company cultures that drive success, especially in high-growth environments.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/fahey02
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In this episode, Amir interviews Keryn Koch, the Global Chief Human Resource Officer at Numerix, to discuss the M&A process from an HR perspective. They dive into the role of HR in mergers and acquisitions, the importance of culture, operational compliance, and effective communication. Keryn shares her experiences, strategies for integrating diverse company cultures, and emphasizes the importance of early HR involvement for a successful merger. She also provides a detailed look into managing HR technology post-acquisition. This episode is filled with insights and advice for anyone involved in M&As.
Highlights:
01:33 HR's Role in Mergers and Acquisitions
02:31 Early Involvement of HR in M&A
03:35 Cultural Integration in M&A
04:37 Personal Anecdote: First M&A Experience
06:24 Creating a New Culture Post-M&A
08:10 Identifying Cultural Ambassadors
11:47 Balancing Company Cultures
16:02 Advocating for Early HR Involvement
19:25 HR Technology in M&A
Guest:
Keryn Koch is the Global Chief Human Resources Officer at Numerix, where she leads the company's HR strategy and operations. With extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, talent management, and organizational development, Keryn aligns HR practices with business goals to drive growth and transformation. Her expertise includes navigating complex integrations, fostering strong company cultures, and implementing HR technologies that enhance workforce efficiency. Keryn is known for her strategic leadership in building high-performing teams and her focus on creating impactful, people-centric organizational strategies.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keryn-koch/
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In this episode, Amir hosts Jonathan Meyrowitz, Vice President of Talent and People at UP.Labs, to discuss the intricacies of hiring CEOs for early stage companies. They delve into topics such as the importance of deal dependency, the balance between hiring for the present versus future needs, and the unique context of venture studio operations at UP.Labs. Jonathan shares his experiences and insights, explaining their approach to finding the right CEO talent, including the importance of curiosity, responsiveness, and alignment with the company's ethos. The episode highlights the nuances and challenges in CEO recruitment, providing valuable takeaways for anyone involved in hiring at the C-level.
Highlights:
01:44 Hiring CEOs for Early Stage Companies
02:10 Deal Dependency and CEO Selection
03:03 Hiring for Now vs. Later
08:21 The Importance of Culture and Ethos
09:59 Storytelling in CEO Recruitment
15:12 Best Practices for CEO Hiring
Guest:
Jonathan Meyrowitz is the Vice President of Talent and People at UP.Labs, where he focuses on building high-performance teams and driving talent strategies for early-stage companies. With a background in executive search and recruitment, Jonathan has deep expertise in hiring top leadership and aligning talent with organizational goals. His experience spans across multiple industries, and he is known for his strategic approach to scaling teams in venture-backed startups. Jonathan is passionate about fostering growth and supporting founders through talent acquisition and leadership development.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanmeyrowitz/
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In this episode, we welcome Margaret Gabriel, Head of Talent at CoinFund, to explore the intricacies of the people function within venture capital (VC) firms. We delve into the impact of delaying hiring a people leader, the unique challenges of leadership development within VC environments, and the differences between hiring internal VC staff and portfolio companies. Margaret shares insights from her extensive background in the crypto space and her roles at Gemini and CoinFund, highlighting the importance of proper organizational design and the role of VC talent advisors in supporting startups. Tune in for an enlightening discussion on building high-performing teams and avoiding organizational debt.
Highlights
02:16 Margaret's Background and Role
04:49 Challenges of Delaying People Leader Hires
09:43 Impact of Organizational Debt
18:25 Importance of Early People Function
Guest:
Margaret Gabriel is the Head of Talent at CoinFund, where she leads talent acquisition and strategy for the firm. With extensive experience in recruitment and organizational development, Margaret is known for her ability to align talent initiatives with business goals, helping companies scale and thrive. She has a strong background in venture capital and high-growth environments, where she excels at building high-performing teams and fostering inclusive workplace cultures. Margaret's expertise lies in identifying top talent and driving innovative talent strategies to support CoinFund's growth.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-galiani/
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In this episode, Amir welcomes Matt Birnbaum, Partner at Pear VC, to discuss the intricacies of structuring equity in early-stage startups. They delve into factors that go into managing an option pool, the importance of setting aside the right amount of equity, and the nuanced calculations behind compensation packages. Matt shares insights from a blog article he authored, which provides a practical calculator to help founders plan equity distribution. They also explore common pitfalls, discuss the balance between attracting crucial hires and maintaining flexibility, and offer advice for having transparent equity conversations with early-stage employees. The episode aims to equip founders and potential candidates with tools and frameworks to make informed decisions about startup equity.
Highlights:
02:15 Importance of Structuring Startup Equity
05:51 Equity Spend and Flexibility for Founders
09:45 Balancing Equity for Early Hires
14:19 Presenting Equity Offers to Candidates
20:43 Nuances in Equity Allocation
Guest:
Matt Birnbaum is Partner at Pear VC, where he focuses on investing in and guiding early-stage startups. With extensive experience in talent acquisition and leadership, Matt has previously led talent functions at companies like Instacart and Optimizely. He specializes in scaling teams and building effective hiring strategies for high-growth companies. At Pear VC, Matt leverages his background to support founders in assembling world-class teams that drive innovation and success. He is passionate about helping startups navigate the complexities of growth and talent development.
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/birnbing
Blog article: https://pear.vc/how-to-structure-startup-equity-for-early-hires/
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In this podcast episode, Erica Waichman, Head of Talent and Community at Canvas Ventures, discusses the intricacies and expectations of a talent role in a venture capital firm. The conversation covers various topics, including Erica's background, the unique challenges of transitioning from agency and in-house recruitment to venture capital, and valuable lessons learned. Erica also shares insights on her day-to-day responsibilities, which involve supporting portfolio companies, managing advisor networks, and defining talent strategies. The episode provides a comprehensive look at the dynamic and multifaceted nature of talent roles in the venture capital space.
Highlights:
01:15 Erica's Career Journey and Transition to Venture Capital
03:46 Due Diligence and Networking for a Venture Role
09:48 Day-to-Day Responsibilities in a Venture Talent Role
14:39 Challenges and Lessons Learned in Venture Talent
16:54 Advice for Aspiring Venture Talent Professionals
Guest:
Erica Waichman is an accomplished Executive with extensive experience in leading people and talent functions across multiple industries. She currently serves as the Director of Talent and Community at Canvas Ventures. Her leadership has been instrumental in building high-performing teams and enhancing employee engagement on a global scale.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-waichman-964bab10/
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In this podcast episode, Jennifer JR) Rettig, Chief People Officer at Pendo.io, discusses the nuances of leadership hiring, focusing on stakeholder and management expectations, C-suite succession planning, and reducing subjectivity in evaluating leadership qualities. The conversation emphasizes the importance of a tailored approach to leadership based on company size and stage, maintaining an open candidate funnel, and introducing a scientific approach through scoring and rubrics to balance subjectivity. Practical tips on managing expectations and acceptance criteria during the hiring process are also shared.
Highlights:
00:45 Defining Successful Leadership
03:16 Stakeholder and Expectation Management
05:40 Balancing Objectivity and Subjectivity in Leadership Hiring
07:21 Incorporating Science into the Hiring Process
10:17 Challenges and Strategies in Executive Searches
16:06 The Project Management Triangle in Recruiting
Guest:
JR Rettig is the Chief People Officer at Pendo.io, where she leads the company's talent strategy and organizational development. With a deep background in human resources and talent acquisition, Jen is skilled at aligning people strategies with business objectives to drive growth and innovation. She has extensive experience in building high-performance teams and fostering a culture of collaboration and inclusion. Known for her strategic vision and leadership, Jen plays a key role in shaping the company's overall direction and success.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenrettig/
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In this podcast episode, Carolyn Carpaneti, a Talent Partner at Peterson Partners, discusses the complex subject of replacing a startup founder with a new CEO. The conversation covers the emotional and practical challenges founders face, the importance of recognizing different skill sets for company growth, and the criteria for successful leadership transitions. Carolyn also explains the types of companies Peterson Partners invests in, emphasizing the role of supportive investor relationships and transparent communication within teams during such transitions. She provides valuable advice for both founders and prospective CEOs on navigating these delicate changes.
Highlights:
01:56 Challenges of Replacing a Founder
03:29 Emotional Impact on Founders
10:05 Transitioning from Founder to CEO
14:36 The Role of the New CEO
23:17 Final Thoughts and Contact Information
Guest:
Carolyn Carpeneti is a Talent Partner at Peterson Partners, where she leverages her extensive experience in venture capital and private equity to specialize in talent acquisition, leadership development, and organizational strategy. Known for her ability to identify and cultivate top-tier talent, Carolyn plays a crucial role in helping companies build strong, effective leadership teams. Her expertise spans various industries, and she is skilled at aligning talent strategies with business goals to drive growth and innovation within organizations.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolyncarpeneti/
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In this episode of the podcast, Amir is joined by Jesse Sacks, the Head of Talent and People at Starshot Ventures. Jesse shares his experiences and insights on the operational aspects of managing talent, including reporting structures, building effective processes, navigating employment contracts, and legal alignments. He also provides valuable advice on achieving operational efficiency, understanding equity, and integrating deeper into the business to drive significant impact. This episode offers practical guidance for both emerging companies and professionals in the talent and people sector.
Highlights:
01:33 Early Stage Startups and Talent Reporting Structure
03:21 Balancing Structure and Process in Talent Management
04:51 Operational Efficiency in Early Stage Companies
06:42 Understanding the Business for Talent Leaders
09:56 The Role of Chief People Officers
12:42 Legal Aspects in Talent Management
16:31 Equity in Startups: A Deep Dive
Guest:
Jesse Sacks is the Head of Talent and People at Starshot Ventures, where he oversees talent management, operational efficiency, and legal alignments. With a deep understanding of equity, reporting structures, and process building, Jesse is focused on integrating talent strategies into the broader business framework to drive significant impact. He brings valuable experience in managing the operational aspects of talent across early-stage startups and is dedicated to fostering effective processes that align with company goals.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessesacks/
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In this episode, the host interviews Jen Kodner, a Talent Partner at Threshold Ventures and DFJ Growth, to discuss best practices and challenges in leadership hiring for startups. They explore the importance of finding the right leadership fit for different growth phases, professionalizing key functions, and balancing the hands-on approach required at early stages. Jen shares insights on the dynamics of player-coach roles, setting appropriate expectations for new hires, and the intricacies of delegating responsibilities from founders to new leaders. The conversation provides valuable advice for founders and those involved in talent acquisition at growing startups.
Highlights:
02:56 Challenges in Leadership Hiring for Startups
03:54 Professionalizing Functions in Early-Stage Companies
04:45 The Role of Sales Leaders in Startups
06:31 Navigating Founder Expectations and Leadership Roles
17:29 Traits of Successful Leadership Hires
Guests:
Jen Kodner is the Talent Partner at Threshold Ventures and DFJ Growth, where she advises portfolio companies on strategies to identify, attract, and retain top talent. Before joining these firms in 2018, Jen was a Talent Partner at Box, where she also led recruiting efforts. With extensive experience in talent acquisition, Jen plays a crucial role in helping companies build world-class teams.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenkodner/
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In this episode, Amir talks with Nathan Fabian, Managing Director and Head of Talent at WestCap, about the essential qualities of great leaders. They explore the complexities of hiring leadership, assessing unique attributes, and balancing speed with thoroughness in the recruitment process. Nathan shares WestCap's approach, focusing on five key attributes—principles, curiosity, decisiveness, team management, and vision—that predict leadership success. They also discuss culture fit, leveraging networks, and building and retaining a diverse, high-performing leadership team.
Highlights:
01:48 Defining Leadership and Key Attributes
03:12 The Five Archetypes of Founders
05:37 Assessing Leadership Attributes
12:37 Balancing Speed and Thoroughness in Hiring
16:39 Onboarding and Integrating New Leaders
18:57 Hiring for Now vs. Future Potential
21:13 Focusing on Strengths vs. Weaknesses
Nathan's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanfabian/
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In this episode, Amanda Poole, Vice President of Talent at DVx Ventures, discusses the intricacies of handling early-stage talent acquisition. Amanda explains the importance of being a strategic doer, asking the right questions before accepting a job, and understanding talent budgets. She also shares insights on the nuances of hiring at startups, balancing multiple roles, and managing tech debt in the talent function. The conversation delves into making impactful decisions with limited resources, leveraging technical terms for better communication, and the challenges of creating manageable processes in high-paced environments.
Highlights:
01:36 Challenges of Early Stage Talent Acquisition
04:06 Balancing Execution and Strategy
06:05 Adopting Technical and Project Management Terms
07:34 Managing Technical Debt in Talent Acquisition
10:41 Creating and Managing Talent Budgets
12:19 Questions to Ask Before Joining a Startup
16:43 Planning for Future Growth in Startups
21:42 Advice for Founders on Hiring Talent
Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandanaulty/
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In this episode, Cecelia McElearney, Head of People at Instabase, talks about the importance of recruiting champions and the role of partnerships in talent acquisition. She explains that recruiting is a team effort requiring collaboration across the organization. Cecelia shares insights on ownership in HR processes, emphasizing clear communication and transparency. She discusses project management, stakeholder management, and empowering HR and recruiting teams. This episode offers valuable strategies for building successful relationships to attract and retain top talent.
Highlights: * 01:48 The Importance of Recruiting Champions * 03:48 Managing People Processes and Ownership * 07:44 Project Planning and Execution * 13:36 Empowering Teams and Building Relationships * 19:12 Communication and Succession Planning
Guest:
Cecelia McElearney | Head of People | Instabase: Currently serving as the Head of People at Instabase, Cecelia brings a wealth of expertise in shaping dynamic and inclusive work cultures. With prior roles in HR at Block, Remix, and Carta, Cecelia has ensured that People initiatives ranging from employee relations to talent acquisition to compensation and benefits align with core business objectives. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceceliamcelearney/ -----
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n this episode, Amir interviews Dana Dillard, Director of Recruiting and Talent at Collective Health. They dive into the unique challenges of recruiting in large companies versus startups. Dana sheds light on common misconceptions about recruiters' roles in big tech firms like Apple, Amazon, and Meta, and highlights the skills needed to excel in different environments. She also offers strategic advice on tailoring resumes, dealing with interview biases, and navigating career transitions between large corporations and smaller startups.
Highlights: - 02:15 Challenges of Recruiting at Large vs. Small Companies - 03:34 Strategies for Recruiting Without a Big Brand - 05:33 Skills and Processes - 15:03 Advice for Transitioning Between Company Sizes - 18:40 Customizing Resumes for Different Audiences
Guest:
Dana Dillard is a seasoned global talent acquisition leader with extensive experience in financial services and technology industries. She excels in designing and executing talent strategies that support business goals and promote diversity and inclusion. Dana has managed large teams and partnered with cross-functional teams on workforce planning and complex hiring decisions. She is skilled in implementing sourcing programs, increasing candidate pipelines, and driving efficiencies. Currently, Dana leads recruiting and talent at Collective Health, the leading health benefits platform focused on improving employee health outcomes and controlling costs.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/danadillard/ -----
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In this podcast episode, Amir interviews Kulwinder Verma Scott, the Global VP of Talent Acquisition at The Trade Desk. They discuss the importance of moving beyond the traditional talent acquisition process to focus more on business impact. Kulwinder emphasizes the need to understand the company’s story, ask insightful questions, and build partnerships with hiring managers. They also cover how the Talent Acquisition (TA) team can overcome the perception of being merely process-oriented and be viewed as valuable business partners and solution providers. Key takeaways include peer learning, proactive engagement, and the importance of a strong relationship with the people team. The conversation aims to shift the old stigma of TA as a process function towards a consultative, business-centric role.
Highlights
01:48 The Importance of Process in Talent Acquisition
03:05 Balancing Process and Business Impact
06:53 Building Strong Relationships with Hiring Managers
13:45 Collaboration with the People Team
16:24 Handling Disagreements and Finding Solutions
20:43 Changing the Stigma Around Talent Acquisition
Guest:
Kully Verma, originally from the UK, has been in the US for nearly 20 years and currently resides in Oakland, California, after spending time in New York City. As the Global VP of Talent Acquisition at The Trade Desk, Kully began her career in the recruitment agency world in the UK and then the US, before transitioning to in-house leadership roles at companies such as Equinox, Bloomberg, and Meta. She joined The Trade Desk in 2023, where she is responsible for Global Talent Acquisition, Executive Recruiting, University Recruiting, and Talent Acquisition Operations, supporting a 3,200-person organization.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kulwinder-verma-scott-024ba3/
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In this podcast episode, Michelle Pal, Manager of People and Culture at Tonal, discusses her career shift from Talent Acquisition (TA) to Human Resources (HR). The conversation highlights the challenges and adjustments in expanding her role, from acquiring talent to managing broader HR functions. Michelle shares her experience, including stakeholder engagement changes, prioritization of tasks, and the significance of data-driven strategies. She also offers insights on maintaining organization, building relationships, and learning to handle increased responsibilities. This episode is a valuable resource for anyone considering or navigating the transition from TA to HR.
Highlights
04:17 Transitioning from TA to HR
05:58 Stakeholder Engagement and Long-term Planning
08:06 Managing Broader HR Responsibilities
11:01 Prioritization and Organization in HR
18:23 Building and Maintaining Relationships in HR
Guest:
Michelle Pal has expertise in various HR functions, including talent acquisition, employee relations, performance management, training and development, and HR compliance. She has a proven track record of implementing strategic HR and talent acquisition initiatives that align with organizational goals and drive employee engagement and retention. Currently, she leads People & Culture at Tonal.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellepal/
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In this podcast episode, Amir Bormand interviews Carla Foster, the VP of Global Talent Acquisition at DataStax, to explore how talent acquisition leaders can add more value and better align with the needs of their organizations. Carla shares her insights on moving beyond mere process management to truly understanding the business functions they support, ensuring candidate quality, and building trusted relationships with hiring managers. She emphasizes the importance of communication, adapting to the team's cadence, and the strategic use of 'uncomfortable nos' in decision-making. The conversation also touches on the challenges of aligning talent acquisition practices with engineering and other departmental processes, the significance of visibility into recruitment activities, and the impact of showcasing value through metrics and direct involvement of hiring managers in the recruitment process. Carla advocates for openness and collaboration and for leveraging her extensive experience to navigate the complexities of talent acquisition and contribute significantly to organizational success.
Highlights
01:37 The Core of Talent Acquisition: Adding Value and Alignment
02:13 Deep Dive into Talent Acquisition Strategies
03:30 Challenges and Solutions in Talent Acquisition
05:08 Building Relationships and Trust in Talent Acquisition
08:57 The Importance of Asking the Right Questions
12:12 Adapting Talent Acquisition to Engineering Teams
13:50 The Power of Communication and Feedback
Guest connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carla-croghan-foster-82a126/
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In this podcast episode, Lauren Newton, VP of People at Sanity, discusses adopting an agile approach to human resources and talent management. By treating aspects of people operations as experiments, Lauren's team at Sanity seeks to innovate within the traditional HR space, focusing on flexibility and risk-taking to improve outcomes. The conversation covers the importance of defining clear goals for these experiments, the balance between innovation and compliance, and methods for implementing and evaluating new HR initiatives. Lauren emphasizes the significance of stakeholder input and collaboration in driving change and improving employee experiences through targeted projects like automating the onboarding process. Additionally, she highlights strategies for prioritizing work, managing stakeholder relationships, and ensuring team adoption of new processes. The episode offers insights into modern HR practices and the value of a collaborative, experimental approach to enhancing people operations.
Highlights
01:53 The Philosophy of Agile and Experimentation in HR
03:56 Navigating Challenges and Opportunities in HR Innovation
07:11 Detailed Process of Implementing Changes in HR
25:04 Stakeholder Engagement and Change Management
Guest connect - Lauren Netwon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lanewton22/
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In this podcast episode, Amir Bormand speaks with Meg Pittman, VP of People at dbt Labs, about transforming the people and talent function into a role of enablement rather than gatekeeping. They discuss the importance of authentic leadership, the shift from being risk-averse to becoming enablers, and how leaders can empower their teams to make impactful decisions. Meg shares her insights on breaking away from traditional HR strategies focused on mitigation and compliance toward fostering a culture of problem-solving and risk-taking. She illustrates these concepts with personal stories from her career and the innovative steps dbt Labs has taken to redefine its performance management system. The conversation also covers the critical role of vulnerability and creating safe spaces for employees to be authentic, which Meg argues is vital for personal and organizational growth. The episode emphasizes that effective talent and people leadership begin with authenticity and the courage to embrace change and take calculated risks.
Highlights
00:22 Exploring the Role of Authentic Leadership
00:54 The Journey to Empowerment and Transformation
05:17 Creating Safe Spaces and Fostering Vulnerability
13:33 Embracing Risk and Innovation in HR
Guest - Meg Pittman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meg-pittman-13ba14144/
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In this episode, we dive into the nuances of how founders can effectively hire go-to-market leaders with Atli Thorkelsson, VP of Talent Network at Redpoint Ventures. The conversation covers the challenges founders face in these roles, the timing and dynamics of such hires, and the importance of founder-led sales in the early stages. Atli emphasizes the need for candidates who can execute immediately while having the potential to grow with the company. The discussion also explores the intricacies of hiring outside a founder's skill set, the significance of setting up for holistic success, and the critical aspect of surrounding oneself with knowledgeable people. Atli provides insights into what to look for in candidates, highlighting the importance of long-term thinking, cultural fit, and the ability to scale with the company. The episode is rich in advice for founders on navigating the hiring process, from the initial job definition to engaging with potential candidates for long-term roles.
Highlights
00:50 The Challenge of Hiring Go-to-Market Leaders
01:23 When to Hire Go-to-Market Leaders: Insights from Atli
02:32 The Importance of Hiring for Now and Future Growth
03:07 Navigating the Hiring Process: Strategies and Challenges
08:35 Identifying the Right Sales Leadership Qualities
16:57 Advice for Founders on Hiring and Onboarding
Guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atlit/
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In this podcast episode, Amir Bormand interviews Blake Williams, the Head of Talent at Nuro, a startup focused on enhancing daily life through robotics, notably with their self-driving delivery vehicles. They delve into the challenges and strategies of managing talent transition, particularly in a high-skill environment like Nuro, which specializes in computer vision technologies and robotics. Williams emphasizes the importance of preparing for inevitable departures by ensuring individuals leave as better ambassadors and how Nuro engages in proactive succession planning, involving internships and new graduate programs to maintain a pipeline of talent. Additionally, the conversation touches on Williams' transition from the Marine Corps to the talent acquisition field, reflecting on the valuable, transferable skills veterans bring to the corporate world. The episode concludes with insights into creating a talent-friendly culture and the benefits of intentional hiring and development strategies.
Highlights
00:16 The Inevitability of Employee Departures
00:55 Introducing Nuro and Its Mission
01:36 Challenges in Replacing Specialized Talent
02:34 Embracing the Reality of Employee Turnover
04:50 Proactive Succession Planning and Talent Development
06:14 Internships and New Graduates: A Strategy for Talent Acquisition
07:53 Creating Talent Ambassadors for the Future
10:08 The Process of Onboarding and Knowledge Transfer
11:57 Rethinking Replacement and Hiring Strategies
14:05 The Importance of Internships and Cognitive Diversity
18:09 The Role of the Talent Team in Shaping Company Culture
20:15 Transitioning from the Marine Corps to Corporate America
Guest:
Blake Williams: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bwillia/
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This podcast episode features a discussion with Ashley Core, Head of TA at SoFi, focusing on engagement strategies for high performing teams within talent acquisition (TA). They delve into maintaining team engagement during busy periods and downtimes, addressing the impact of layoffs on mental health, and strategies for personal and team productivity. Ashley shares insights from her experience, emphasizing the importance of rest, wellness, and meaningful projects to maintain performance levels. The conversation also covers the challenges of the current hiring landscape and the value of vulnerability and empathy in leadership. Additionally, Ashley and the host discuss the transient nature of the talent industry and strategies for long-term career fulfillment.
Highlights
00:45 Defining High Performing Teams and Engagement Strategies
01:39 The Importance of Balance: Performance, Mental Health, and Well-being
02:27 Leadership Lessons: Navigating Highs and Lows in Talent Acquisition
04:51 Maintaining Engagement During Slow Hiring Periods
10:48 Addressing Mental Health and Leading with Vulnerability
18:13 Career Longevity in Talent Acquisition: Passion and Resilience
Ashley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleycore/
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In this podcast episode, the host interviews James Lafferty, Vice President of Global Talent Acquisition at Epicor, to discuss the shift from transactional to transformational recruiting. Lafferty shares insights on focusing on business outcomes, refining hiring requirements, and using data in recruiting strategies. He explains the differences between transactional and transformational recruiting, emphasizing proactive engagement in business decisions, and discusses Epicor's global presence and talent acquisition strategies. The episode explores the significance of engaging with hiring managers early in the recruitment process, akin to cybersecurity's 'shifting left' principle, to align talent acquisition with business goals better. Lafferty also delves into managing hiring manager expectations, the role of data in supporting recruitment decisions, and fostering a culture of recruitment within organizations. The discussion includes strategies for communicating effectively with hiring managers and empowering recruitment teams to be more independent and strategic.
Highlights: 01:36 The Journey from Transactional to Transformational Recruiting
05:42 Shifting Left: Engaging Early in the Business Process
17:01 The Hiring Manager Maturity Model: A Guide to Effective Recruitment
20:06 Leveraging Data in Recruitment: Strategies and Challenges
22:53 Empowering Recruiters: Coaching for Confidence and Independence
Guest:
James Lafferty is originally from the UK and now lives in Austin, Texas having moved in 2015. James is the VP of Global Talent Acquisition at Epicor Software, a 4,600-person Software company. James is responsible for the strategy and operations of Epicor’s talent acquisition teams. The position oversees global Talent Acquisition, Executive Recruiting, Talent Operations, Employer Branding, Global Mobility, and University Recruiting Teams worldwide. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslafferty/ ------
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In this podcast episode, Amir Bormand is joined by Kristen Duckett, the SVP of People and Talent at Cavnue, to discuss the intricacies of defining success in talent and people management. Kristen shares insights into the importance of clarity, persistence, and a consultative approach in HR. The episode delves into Cavnue's mission to innovate roadways for safer, more efficient transportation, underscoring the challenges and strategies in talent acquisition and management. Kristen emphasizes understanding business needs, setting realistic expectations, and the critical role of metrics in evaluating success and guiding HR practices. She also discusses the importance of listening, communication, and developing solutions-oriented approaches to effectively manage expectations and challenges in the HR field.
Highlights
02:33 Defining Success in Talent and People Management
04:38 Metrics for Measuring Success in HR
08:24 Navigating Ownership and Decision-Making in HR
11:41 Effective Talent Acquisition Strategies
16:38 The Importance of Clear Communication and Feedback
Guest:
Kristen Duckett is a seasoned HR leader with over 20 years of experience in both established companies and high-growth startups. Currently serving as the SVP, People & Talent at a Series A tech startup, she has a strong track record in leadership coaching, talent management, and building HR functions from scratch. Her career includes notable roles at Capital One, Hilton, and Fannie Mae, where she developed and executed comprehensive HR strategies. Kristen joined Cavnue in 2021 as the first People & Talent hire, driving the development and execution of strategies that foster business and organizational success.
Prior to Cavnue, Kristen held significant HR leadership positions, including VP roles at Fannie Mae and Hilton, where she supported top executives and led talent initiatives for large divisions. Her expertise spans talent acquisition, performance management, and workforce planning, with a focus on cultivating inclusive cultures and high-performing teams. Kristen lives in Clifton, Virginia, with her husband and daughters, Paige, Emma, and Alexa. She holds a B.A. in English from the University of Pennsylvania and actively participates in the Northern Virginia chapter of the National Charity League.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristen-duckett
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This episode features Lubna Khaleeli, Director of Talent Acquisition at Coupa, discussing the intricate aspects of partnerships and stakeholder management within the realm of talent acquisition. She emphasizes the importance of establishing trusted relationships, harnessing data and authenticity to provide strategic hiring solutions, and prioritizing business outcomes. Lubna shares insights into the challenges of aligning with hiring managers and navigating the complexities of different stakeholder expectations. Through examples from her career, she highlights the impact of advocating for candidates and the necessity of a solution-oriented approach to problem-solving in talent acquisition. The discussion encapsulates the vital role of talent acquisition specialists in benefiting the businesses they serve and fostering a transformative environment through strategic and thoughtful engagement with candidates and hiring managers.
Highlights
01:59 The Art of Building Trusted Partnerships in Talent Acquisition
05:16 Defining Success in Talent Acquisition Beyond Hires
07:22 Navigating Challenges and Advocating for Candidates
18:04 Empowering Talent Teams and Stakeholder Management
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In this podcast episode, Amir welcomes Amie Ernst, Director of Talent Acquisition at Pinecone, to discuss the crucial role of talent acquisition in understanding and influencing the rhythm of a business. Amie shares her insights on how talent acquisition is more than just monitoring and managing processes; it's about being an integral part of the business growth by knowing when and how to inject talent effectively. She highlights Pinecone's approach to building generative AI applications and the importance of strategic talent placement in startup environments. The conversation also explores the concept of influencing without authority, the significance of building trust with leadership, and the impact of talent acquisition on business goals. Amie stresses the importance of collaboration between recruiters and department leaders to ensure talent meets the immediate and future needs of the business. Furthermore, she discusses the challenges of influencing business leaders and the importance of strategic thinking and flexibility in talent acquisition to drive company success.
Highlights
01:29 The Art of Talent Acquisition and Business Influence
02:16 Understanding the Rhythm of Business
04:43 Influencing Without Authority: A Talent Acquisition Strategy
08:13 Operational Challenges and Strategic Solutions in Talent Acquisition
10:37 Building Trust and Influence in Talent Acquisition
12:57 Navigating the Tech Bubble: A Reset for Talent Acquisition
21:01 Stakeholder Engagement and Setting Expectations
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In this podcast episode, Steve Cadigan, LinkedIn's first Chief HR Officer and expert on the future of work, discusses the evolving landscape of human resources and talent strategy. Topics covered include the importance of accountability, defining success, stakeholder engagement, and the dynamics between hiring managers and talent HR. Steve delves into the challenges the HR industry faces, particularly the complexities around hiring, onboarding, and aligning talent strategies with company values. He emphasizes the need for organizations to adapt to rapid changes in job requirements, skills, and workplace culture. The conversation also touches on the potential impacts of AI on HR practices, advocating for AI to complement talent strategies by enhancing personal job satisfaction and organizational fit rather than focusing on cost savings. Steve shares insights from his extensive experience and suggests ways to improve recruitment processes and talent management for a more engaged and productive workforce.
Highlights
00:31 Defining Accountability and Success in HR
02:08 The Complex Role of HR in Balancing Growth and Compliance
05:35 Challenges in Talent Acquisition and the Evolving Job Market
26:24 The Future of Work: AI, Automation, and the Talent Landscape
Guest:
Steve Cadigan is a true luminary in the world of talent. His expertise is regularly sought after by some of the most prestigious organizations on the planet, including dynamic organizations like Google, Manchester United, The Royal Bank of Scotland, the City of Lisbon Portugal, and the BBC. Not only that, but he's also a trusted advisor to top-tier venture capital and consulting firms like Sequoia, and McKinsey & Co..
Steve may be best known for being LinkedIn’s first Chief HR Officer helping design what many consider to be the gold standard of company culture. Throughout his illustrious career, Steve has consistently demonstrated his ability to build teams, shape cultures, and transform organizations into nothing less than "world-class" performers. His remarkable achievements have garnered accolades from esteemed publications such as the Wall Street Journal and Fortune magazine, solidifying his reputation as a true industry visionary.
In recognition of his outstanding contributions, Steve Cadigan was rightfully named one of the top 200 Global Thought Leaders in the realm of People and Talent in 2021 and again in 2023. In 2021 Steve published his first book on the future of work titled “Workquake” which immediately was recognized as a “Hot New Release” on Amazon.com.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cadigan/
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In this podcast episode, Amir Bormand interviews Joe Ortiz, the Global Talent Acquisition Manager at Datadog. They discuss the talent team's growth, promotion criteria, and keeping teams motivated during tough economic times. Joe shares insights on servant leadership within talent acquisition, emphasizing the importance of empathy, providing team members with stretch opportunities, and shielding them from unnecessary tasks to foster their best work. He also delves into managing workloads effectively when resources are limited and the importance of maintaining job security and psychological safety during economic uncertainty. The dialogue further explores the significance of upward feedback, trust, and assuming good intent for continuous improvement in leadership roles. The episode concludes with ways to contact Joe and encourages sharing the episode with those interested in leadership and talent growth strategies.
Highlights
01:31 Exploring Talent Growth and Leadership in Tough Times
01:45 The Essence of Servant Leadership in Talent Management
03:23 Unsticking Stuck Stuff: Leadership in Action
06:03 Learning from Failure: A Leadership Perspective
06:58 Fostering Independent Problem-Solving in Teams
10:23 Adapting to Economic Challenges in Talent Acquisition
13:24 Maintaining Team Morale in Uncertain Times
17:07 Seeking and Giving Feedback for Leadership Growth
Guest:
Joe Ortiz is a Talent Acquisition Partner with strong consulting, relationship-building, and analytical skills. He has demonstrated experience in the tech, music, and media industries. Joe is adept at defining and driving best-in-class recruiting strategies, exceeding hiring plan deliverables, and providing influential leadership to recruitment teams. With proven success in scaling companies globally, he has a demonstrated history of recruiting across North America, Europe, Nordics, and APAC, and across various lines of business including Data Science, Analytics, Product, Tech, Finance, Accounting, and Legal. Committed to enhancing the candidate experience, Joe is focused on continuously evolving the talent strategy and improving the selection process.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeortiz54/
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In this podcast episode, Amir Bormand is joined by Chris Ahsing, a Talent Partner at Dragonfly, a crypto web three investment firm focusing on early-stage investments. They delve into the intricacies of talent acquisition metrics, discussing the challenges of over-engineered metrics, optimizing metrics for different marketing channels, and the distraction caused by unnecessary metrics. Ahsing shares his insights on the common pitfalls in talent process management, including the 'and then' evaluation process and optimizing Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) for user flow rather than reporting. The conversation also covers tactical advice on managing unreasonable hiring expectations, the importance of empathy and stakeholder communication, and strategies for talent leaders to manage scope creep and unrealistic hiring requirements assertively. The dialogue emphasizes the need for a clear, consistent approach to metrics and effective communication between talent teams and their stakeholders to navigate the complexities of talent acquisition.
Highlights
01:07 The Art and Science of Metrics in Talent Acquisition
02:17 Overcoming the 'And Then' Syndrome in Hiring
03:26 Tactical Approaches to Talent Metrics and Hiring Challenges
04:34 Navigating Scope Creep and Unrealistic Hiring Expectations
07:15 Strategies for Effective Talent Acquisition and Management
09:31 The Importance of Data and Metrics in Talent Processes
10:04 Challenging Unrealistic Hiring Expectations with Data
24:39 The Role of Empathy and Flexibility in Talent Acquisition
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In this podcast episode, Amir Bormand hosts Gabrielle Garon, the VP of Talent, DEIB, and People Insights at 1Password. They delve into the intricate world of people metrics and how 1Password is navigating the challenges and opportunities within people analytics. Gabrielle shares her journey, from starting with minimal data collection, due to the company's focus on security and privacy, to implementing a comprehensive data metrics system using tools like Looker and maintaining a balance between qualitative expertise and quantitative data. They discuss the importance of opting in for data sharing, the process of deciding which metrics to measure, and the continuous reassessment of those metrics. Gabrielle emphasizes the role of people analytics in challenging biases, making informed decisions, and fostering a collaborative environment. She also offers advice on starting with people analytics, including building a business case, educating oneself about the possibilities, and connecting with others in the field.
Highlights
01:27 Diving Deep into People Metrics and Analytics
04:22 Starting the Journey of Building Comprehensive People Metrics
14:37 Adopting and Utilizing People Metrics in Business Decisions
17:41 Technical Aspects and Challenges of Implementing People Metrics
20:34 Advice for Starting Your Own People Metrics Journey
Guest:
Gabrielle Caron is VP of Talent Acquisition, DEIB & People Insights at 1Password, a leader in identity security best known for its password manager product and now transitioned to a multi-product offering and into the world of passwordless, through passkeys.
She is passionate about people. strategy, constantly thriving to improve people practices, often by starting with the data-driven perspective.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielle-caron-5607ab13/
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In this podcast episode, Amir Bormand is joined by Wendy Sellers, 'The HR Lady.' They delve deeply into the importance of carefully crafted job descriptions, underscoring that many companies struggle due to several legacy elements and complexities. Wendy stresses that a well-written job description is crucial for the hiring process, employee reviews, and managing expectations within the role. They discuss the difference between job descriptions and job ads and emphasize that both must align with an organization's culture and values. Wendy also advocates for using job descriptions as a basis for employee reviews, a practice not often seen in businesses. She offers resources for businesses looking to improve their recruiting processes, and touches on her book 'Suck It Up, Buttercup: Be A Leader People Will Follow'.
Highlights
00:18 The Importance of Job Descriptions
00:43 Guest's Background and Expertise
02:40 The Evolution and Legacy of Job Descriptions
03:35 The Role of Job Descriptions in HR and Recruitment
05:20 The Difference Between Job Ads and Job Descriptions
06:59 The Importance of Aligning Job Ads and Job Descriptions
07:30 The Role of Job Descriptions in Interviews and Reviews
12:12 The Impact of Metrics on Job Descriptions and Recruitment
18:28 The Importance of Training and Transparency in Recruitment
25:45 The Role of Job Descriptions in Employee Reviews
Guest:
Wendy Sellers' expertise stems from personal experience, as she entered the field of HR without a clear plan and faced numerous challenges along the way. This has made her authentic, transparent, results-oriented, and committed to providing practical solutions without hidden agendas. With over 25 years of experience, Wendy has worked in many HR areas. She has served businesses of all sizes across diverse industries. Wendy Sellers is The HR Lady®. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendythehrlady/.
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In this podcast episode, Adam Steinharter, the Head of Talent Acquisition at Deepgram, discusses the recruiting industry's challenges and nuances. Steinharter highlights the need for recruiters to add value, adopt a long-term career approach, understand the science and art of working with people, and stay adaptable to industry trends. He also discusses the high turnover rate within the industry due to the lack of barriers to entry and the frequent layoffs during financial downturns. Furthermore, the conversation delves into the influence of technology and AI in reshaping the recruiting landscape, indicating that although automation could eliminate administrative tasks, the human element and personal connection in recruitment remain invaluable. Adam emphasizes the importance of understanding the business, hiring needs, and broader company operations to succeed in this career.
Highlights:
01:44 The Challenges and Rewards of Recruiting
02:49 The Art and Science of Working with People
03:57 The Importance of Communication in Recruiting
09:00 Understanding the Business Impact on Recruiting
10:26 The Role of Recruiters in Company Growth
10:43 Demonstrating Value in Recruiting
21:29 The Future of Recruiting: Automation and AI
Guest:
Adam Steinharter is a veteran in the recruiting field having worked in both agency and in house. He has excelled at producing in various environments with stops at Google, SurveyMonkey, X, and the moonshot factory. Currently, Adam is the Senior Director of Talent at Deepgram, a leader in Voice AI. He is responsible for hiring, building scalable processes and recruiting operations. His passions include mentorship, building teams & organizations, and getting outside with his family. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asteinharter/ ------
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In this episode, Matt Skiba, VP of Talent at Genies, discusses the dynamics of talent teams and the importance of candidate experiences. Skiba highlights several areas within the talent acquisition function, including team culture, accountability of hiring managers and placing emphasis on the best candidate experience. Additionally, Skiba shares about his company, Genies, an avatar technology company focusing on identity interoperability for the future state of consumer, social, and gaming technologies. He stresses the importance of brand image, empathy, human-factor and a personalized approach towards candidates. Towards the end, he touched upon hiring managers’ accountability in the hiring process and the idea of viewing recruitment from a marketing angle, considering the candidate journey similar to the customer journey.
Highlights:
02:26 Exploring Team Dynamics and Candidate Experience
05:33 The Role of Metrics in Talent Acquisition
06:30 The Shift in Hiring Goals and Strategies
10:13 The Importance of Candidate Experience
18:32 Reconsidering Rejected Candidates
23:15 The Role of Hiring Managers in Talent Acquisition
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In this episode of the podcast, Brady Stevenson, the Head of Recruiting at Virta Health, discusses strategies related to branding and engagement within recruitment. Brady speaks about marketing strategies, managing budgets, measuring growth, and the importance of a strong mission to attract talent. He emphasizes the importance of recruiting being a company-wide initiative, not just a role for recruiters. Brady's team combines efforts with the company's marketing team to grow their LinkedIn following and build their talent community. They also survey their employee base to understand what they value in their work, which helps to improve Virta’s value proposition. Finally, Brady talks about the company's long-term vision, including the importance of investing in employer branding for long-term benefit, even during less competitive times in the talent market.
Highlights:
00:54 Understanding Virta Health and Its Mission
02:11 The Role of Employer Branding in Recruitment
03:22 Strategic Approach to Branding and Engagement
03:50 The Importance of Employee Value Proposition
06:46 Building and Nurturing Talent Communities
13:03 Balancing Recruiting and Marketing Efforts
20:47 The Impact of Market Changes on Recruitment
Guest:
Brady Stevenson has been in Recruiting for over 15 years, starting his career at a recruiting agency after graduating from UCLA. He gained valuable experience early on but soon decided to explore internal recruiting—a decision he has never regretted. Stevenson played a crucial role in recruiting at Zynga during its most significant period of hypergrowth. Following that, he joined a series of tech startups, often as the first Recruiting hire, tasked with building the recruitment function and team from the ground up. Among his achievements, his work at Postmates stands out, where he established and led the Recruiting department, significantly contributing to the company's expansion from about 50 to 500 employees. Currently, Stevenson is the Head of Recruiting at Virta Health, a health tech company on a mission to reverse type 2 diabetes in 100 million people.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevensonbrady/
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In this podcast episode, Angelique Cuevas, the Director of Talent Acquisition at Exabeam, shares insights about her journey from an individual contributor role to a leadership position. Discussing her initial struggle with the shifting dynamics of peer relationships, Cuevas presents various strategic approaches and methods implemented to ensure smooth transitions within the company. She highlights the need to learn and unlearn in this ever-evolving professional landscape. She also emphasizes the role of communication, delegation, and understanding individual career growth paths in successful people management.
Highlights:
01:19 Transitioning from Individual Contributor to Leader
02:22 Angelique's Journey to Leadership
04:39 Challenges of Becoming a People Leader
07:03 The Importance of Talent Acquisition
08:33 Navigating Relationship Dynamics as a New Manager
12:39 Learning from Mistakes and Adapting Strategy
18:36 Empowering Team Members and Facilitating Growth
Guest:
Angelique Cuevas began her career in social work, volunteering as the Outreach Counselor. In this role, she attended county events to promote the services of the group home, a period during which she discovered a passion for connecting with and assisting people. This realization prompted a career transition into the tech startup sector, where she worked closely with the HR department. Eventually, Angelique took on full responsibility for managing all aspects of Recruiting, including training, system implementation, interview best practices, and the hiring and onboarding processes.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelique-cuevas-918864a3/ ------
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In this podcast episode, Sherri Manning, Chief People Officer at Olo, discusses cultural transformation and maintaining startup-like vitality while scaling up. She asserts the importance of understanding the 'why' of cultural signs and values as the company grows. Sherri introduces the idea of 'human capital technical debt', drawing parallels with the engineering concept of 'technical debt'. She talks about this debt as a backlog of challenges around decision-making and the need for its documentation to better prepare successors. Sherri also stresses involving stakeholders, retaining and rewarding desired behaviors, and viewing the people function as primarily a business problem-solving domain.
Highlights:
02:56 Discussing Cultural Transformation in Companies
04:03 Balancing Company Growth and Maintaining Culture
07:18 Educating Stakeholders and Implementing Process Changes
20:37 Understanding the Concept of 'Technical Debt' in HR
27:18 Documenting Decisions and Understanding Their Context
Guest:
Sherri Manning brings over two decades of HR leadership experience to her role as Chief People Officer at Olo since 2023. Before Olo, she significantly contributed to BigCommerce's growth and IPO as Chief People Officer and managed HR functions and acquisition integrations at ECG Management Consultants. With a career spanning roles at Q2ebanking, IBM, UniversalPegasus International, Dell, and Colgate Palmolive, Sherri has developed expertise in strategic HR planning, talent acquisition, benefits management, and organizational effectiveness.
Sherri's educational background is equally impressive, holding a BA in Political Science from Phillips University (1985-1988), a JD from the University of Oklahoma College of Law (1989-1991), with a stint studying EU Legal Studies at the University of Oxford in 1990. She furthered her legal education with an LLM in international business law from Georgetown University Law Center in 1992.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherrimanning/
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On this episode, Amir Bormand interviews Stephen Chu, the Chief Legal and People Officer at InStride, about the impact of education on talent retention, attraction, and tenure. InStride partners with academic institutions to offer education programs for large enterprise companies, including high school degrees, college degrees, non-degree certificates, and coding courses. The goal is to provide a win-win-win situation for employees, employers, and academic institutions, as employees gain new skills, employers benefit from upskilled talent, and academic institutions gain more learners.
Highlights
[00:00:04] Impact of education on talent.
[00:02:26] Importance of combined legal and HR role.
[00:05:30] Retention and Mobility.
[00:09:30] Facilitating professional growth opportunities.
[00:10:23] CEO buy-in and program success.
[00:13:44] Advanced professionals improving their skills.
[00:15:03] The importance of continuous learning.
[00:18:28] Education improves retention.
[00:21:42] Educational benefits and improvement.
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In this episode, Laura Buckle, the Director of Global Recruitment and Talent at Skims, joins the podcast to discuss the challenges of finding the right people and scaling in a fast-growing company. Skims, founded by Kim Kardashian and Jens Grede, started as a shapewear company and has now expanded into a clothing brand focusing on body positivity and inclusivity. Laura shares insights on how Skims is navigating the scaling issues typically seen in software startups and the importance of raising the bar when hiring for critical roles. Please tune in to learn more about Skims' journey and their approach to finding the right talent.
Highlights
[00:00:41] Scaling and finding the right people.
[00:05:30] Hiring challenges and growth.
[00:08:28] Hiring manager preferences and team dynamics.
[00:11:05] Learning from hiring mistakes.
[00:15:25] The seven-day rule.
[00:21:08] Enticing engineers with progressive technology.
[00:24:07] Inclusivity in tech teams.
[00:27:14] Mental health in cybersecurity.
Guest: Laura Buckle, Sr Director of Global Recruitment and Talent at Skims: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurabuckle/
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On this episode of the podcast, the Amir Bormand interviews Madeline Minshew, the Vice President of Culture at True Ventures. They discuss the importance of hiring your first head of people and what to look for when taking a job as the first people leader hire. True Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in extraordinary founders and their innovative ideas. They are sector-agnostic and focus on backing exceptional individuals in various markets. This episode explores the characteristics of successful founders and the significance of building a strong team.
Highlights:
[00:02:26] Characteristics of extraordinary founders.
[00:07:11] Letting go of control.
[00:09:25] Preserving culture while scaling.
[00:13:40] Building the right company.
[00:18:58] Questions for job seekers.
[00:24:14] HR's evolving role in organizations.
[00:27:21] Asking questions and viewing problems.
Guest:
As True’s VP of Culture, Madeline guides True Founders as they evolve as leaders, grow their teams, and intentionally build organizational cultures. She believes authentic, honest relationships that value trust, diversity of perspectives, and open feedback are the quintessential cornerstone of healthy, high-performing teams.
Above all, Madeline is a super-connector across the True Portfolio; she brings together founders, executives, and portfolio team members to create deeper synergy, build collective wisdom, and encourage a sense of belonging.
Prior to joining True, Madeline was the VP of people and talent at Handshake, a True Portfolio company that’s since grown into the leading career development network for college students and recent graduates. Before Handshake, Madeline focused on hiring high-performing talent and building strong, inclusive cultures at Cadre, Tumblr, and Google.
A San Francisco native, Madeline also speaks French and German fluently. Madeline graduated magna cum laude from Barnard College of Columbia University with a major in political science and a minor in French literature.
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In this episode, host Amir interviews Brittany Mitlo, Duolingo's Director of University Recruiting. They discuss the unique aspects of university recruiting, including the in-person campus experience and the impact of the pandemic on recruitment strategies. They also delve into Duolingo's popular language learning app and its branding and marketing efforts. Tune in to learn more about Duolingo's approach to university recruiting and its global reach with over half a billion learners worldwide.
Highlights:
[00:00:53] University recruiting during the pandemic.
[00:05:25] Expanding reach to virtual events.
[00:09:07] IRL meetups and connection.
[00:13:37] TikTok presence and applications.
[00:15:51] Grassroots growth and word of mouth.
[00:19:25] Increasing representation of classes.
[00:22:29] Trust and Innovation.
Guest:
Brittany Mitlo is the Director of University Recruiting at Duolingo, which is home to the most downloaded education app worldwide. Brittany's primary focus is on building Duolingo’s University Recruiting strategy and best practices, and supporting her team of recruiters. Brittany has scaled the company from 70 to 700 employees since joining in 2017.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittany-mitlo/
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In this episode, Amir Bormand interviews Alicia Kortmeyer, the head of people at Denim, a freight payment platform. Alicia shares her journey of transitioning into the head of people role and her unique challenges in managing a fully remote team across the country. The discussion also discusses the definition and responsibilities of a head of people role in different companies. Tune in to gain insights on leveling up in HR and developing a holistic viewpoint in people management.
Highlights:
[00:01:18] Moving into a head of people role.
[00:03:26] Retaining top performers.
[00:07:05] Transitioning to head of people.
[00:11:30] Dealing with daily bumps.
[00:14:08] Evolving as a recruiter.
[00:19:18] Conflict resolution and communication.
[00:20:46] Career path moving forward.
[00:23:47] Leveling up during challenging times.
Guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-molina-kortmeyer-16601011/
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In this episode, host and guest Keshar Sheridan, Head of People at Grow Therapy, discusses the challenges of dealing with stakeholders in the workplace. They explore the different types of stakeholders and the implications of being a matrix component of the company. They also delve into biases and how to handle challenging stakeholders who go against HR policies. Kesha shares her stories and insights on navigating these situations. Tune in to gain valuable perspectives on managing stakeholders in the workplace.
Highlights
[00:01:30] Mental health care coverage.
[00:06:09] Challenges in talent acquisition.
[00:09:14] Tying process to specific outcomes.
[00:12:38] Retaining top employees and engagement.
[00:18:21] Challenging stakeholders pushing boundaries.
[00:21:55] Mitigating work conflicts effectively.
[00:27:17] Employees must wash hands.
[00:29:09] Disagree and commit.
Guest:
Keshar Sheridan is the Head of People at Grow Therapy. With over a decade of experience in the People and Talent spaces at fast growing, rapidly scaling startups, Keshar has a depth of experience across talent acquisition, people management, people operations, and more. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keshar-sheridan-77940b6/ ------
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In this episode, Amir Bormand interviews Kelly Kinnard, the Operating Partner and Head of Talent at Khosla Ventures. They discuss the importance of improving the candidate experience and avoiding pitfalls in the hiring process. Kelly shares insights and strategies for creating a positive candidate experience and highlights the mission of Khosla Ventures to invest in companies that positively impact society. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to enhance their hiring practices and create a better experience for job candidates.
Highlights:
00:07:49 Candidate experience is crucial.
00:11:26 Long hiring processes hinder success.
00:16:03 Communication is key for candidates.
00:22:46 Candidate experience is crucial.
00:28:35. Candidates don't get better, they get different.
00:29:03 Treat candidates like external customers.
Guest:
Kelly Kinnard is an Operating Partner at Khosla Ventures, where she leads the talent team to advise our portfolio companies and helps recruit senior executives.
Prior to joining KV, Kelly was the Talent Partner at Battery Ventures, where she managed talent globally across the 125+ venture/growth companies in their portfolio.
Previously, she was the executive leadership recruiter for the president of Oracle, and recruited 50 senior technology executives at the VP/SVP/EVP level and above to lead the company’s cloud efforts. Earlier, she did executive search for the retained search firms Riviera Partners and SPMB, both of which represent venture capital-backed and emerging growth companies working with the most promising portfolio companies of top-tier VC firms.
Kelly graduated from Whittier College and studied in Denmark and Italy.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellykinnard/
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In this episode, I am joined by Jose Benitez Cong, the VP of Talent and Culture at Humane. We discuss the importance of managing the candidate experience and shifting away from a yes or no mentality in the hiring process. Jose shares insights on how to approach talent acquisition strategically and the value it brings to organizations. We also learn more about the company, Humane, which is set to reveal more on November 9th. Tune in to gain valuable insights on improving the hiring experience and fostering a mindset shift in talent acquisition.
Highlights:
[00:02:14] Rethinking the impact of devices.
[00:06:13] Hiring with confidence.
[00:09:05] Extracting value from "no" decisions.
[00:14:04] Creating a hiring strategy.
[00:18:07] Going back to the beginning.
[00:20:43] Lessons learned from mistakes.
[00:24:13] Recruiting as sales vs. engineering.
[00:30:05] Optimizing the hiring process.
[00:33:09] Approach every new search from a forensic perspective.
[00:36:53] Structuring a business for success.
Guest:
Jose Benitez Cong is currently the VP of Talent and Culture and Humane. Formerly co-founder & CEO at Plause (HR engagement platform), Google ($3.2B acquisition of: Nest), Nest Labs (early employee), and Apple (early employee iPod, iPhone, Special Projects Group, Advanced Technologies, Camera, Imaging, Acoustics), LSI, and RBK Executive Retained Search (early nvidia, Micron, Alteon).
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In this episode, Adriana Roche, Head of Talent at Uncork Capital, joins Amir Bormand to discuss the importance of getting back to basics as people leaders. She shares insights on the fundamentals companies should focus on during lean times and highlights healthy people practices for early-stage startups. Uncork Capital, a seed investor, has been supporting startups for almost 20 years and invests in a range of technology companies, including consumer, marketplace, frontier, and B2B SaaS. Tune in to gain valuable perspectives on building successful teams and nurturing early-stage companies.
Highlights:
[00:02:32] Getting back to basics.
[00:06:07] The reactive nature of HR.
[00:08:00] Metrics in talent and sales.
[00:12:56] Surveying stakeholder needs.
[00:15:23] Grabbing a seat at the table.
[00:18:37] Healthy people practices.
[00:26:23] Building with stakeholder input.
[00:28:29] Tough conversations and disagreeing.
Guest:
Adriana Roche has seen firsthand many of the team-related issues startups face. She joined Uncork from Mural, a maker of visual team collaboration software, where she was Chief People Officer as the company grew from 150 employees to 900 in just two years. Prior to that, Adriana was VP, People and Places at Segment, a customer data company that grew from 50 people to 650 in four years and was acquired by Twilio in 2020. Earlier, Adriana led employer branding and managed a large recruiting team at Dropbox. She was also a recruiting manager at Salesforce and a recruiter at Google.
Born and raised in Venezuela, Adriana immigrated to the U.S. when she was seventeen. She earned a Master’s degree in Organizational Psychology at New York University and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at College of the Holy Cross.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianaroche/
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Please message me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)
n this episode, Amir Bormadn interviews Suzanne Crettol, Head of Talent Acquisition @ CommerceIQ, about streamlining processes. Suzanne shares her consultative approach to talent acquisition, emphasizing the importance of listening, assessing, and leading appropriately. She discusses her background in retail operations and sales and how it has shaped her perspective on building teams and processes. Tune in to learn more about streamlining processes and the underutilization of ATS.
Highlights
[00:01:27] Importance of listening in recruitment.
[00:06:40] Metrics in talent acquisition.
[00:08:10] Building a repeatable process.
[00:14:35] Underutilization of ATS.
[00:15:31] LinkedIn as a recruiting tool.
[00:19:11] Timing and reaching out to candidates.
[00:22:05] Always staying ahead in hiring.
[00:28:34] Using analytics for recruitment.
Guest:
Suzanne Crettol is a skilled eCommerce recruitment expert who specializes in connecting exceptional talent with the right career opportunities. She takes a consultative approach by evaluating the individuals' skills, values, interests, and the role and company's requirements to ensure alignment and retention. She currently leads a Global Talent Acquisition team for a high-growth eCommerce SaaS startup. Previously, she owned an Executive Search Firm, where she played a crucial role in recruiting top eCommerce talent across the Consumer Goods industry, including SaaS, manufacturers, agencies, and more. Her exceptional knowledge of Talent Acquisition Strategies and Consumer Goods has earned her a reputation as a go-to consultant for numerous organizations.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzanne-c/
Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Talent Tango, and we would appreciate it if you would take a minute to rate and review us on your favorite podcast player.
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Have questions or want to cover specific topics with our future guests?
Please message me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)
In this episode, host Amir Bormand interviews Rich Adao, the Head of Talent at Anyscale. They discuss various aspects of recruiting, including the market, hiring managers' perception of the market, and the state of recruitment and recruiters. Rich shares his responsibilities as the head of talent and how his team recruits top talent for engineers, product managers, marketers, and salespeople. Tune in to gain insights into the world of recruiting and the challenges faced in finding the right talent.
Highlights
[00:01:03] Responsibilities of a head of talent.
[00:05:31] Retaining top talent during COVID.
[00:09:31] Educating hiring managers.
[00:12:09] Hiring for long-term value.
[00:16:46] Paired sourcing and training.
[00:18:21] The craft of recruiting.
[00:21:20] Choices in your career.
[00:25:01] Improving your pitch better.
Guest:
Rich Adao is currently the Head of Talent at Anyscale, a tech startup in San Francisco focused on helping companies scale their AI and ML applications (they're hiring!). Earlier in his career, he was a senior recruiter at organizations such as Google and Facebook. Rich has more recently been a Recruiting leader at Udemy and helped build them up from a 150 person company to over 1400 employees in 4+ years. He believes in a strong work ethic that stems from his Chicago-born roots.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richadao/
Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Talent Tango, and we would appreciate it if you would take a minute to rate and review us on your favorite podcast player.
Want to learn more about us? Head over at https://www.elevano.com
Have questions or want to cover specific topics with our future guests?
Please message me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)
In this episode, Joe Doyle, the Director of Talent Acquisition at Harness, joins the show to discuss the topic of leverage within talent acquisition. Joe shares insights on the ebb and flow of supply and demand in the hiring market, especially during times of booms and busts. He emphasizes the importance of being proactive and prepared for these cycles, even though it may be challenging to anticipate them. Tune in to gain valuable insights on navigating hiring trends and planning for success in talent acquisition.
Highlights:
00:01:16 Leverage in talent acquisition.
00:08:28 Remote work has changed salary dynamics.
00:11:26 Leverage in job market is shifting.
00:20:03 Searching for the “right” hire
00:25:21 Clear hiring criteria is essential.
00:29:10 Adjusting talent acquisition during downturn.
Guest:
Joseph Doyle is a global recruiting leader for Harness.io, a modern software delivery platform and hyper-growth startup. Prior to Harness, Joseph helped grow AppDyanmics from 150 - 2000 employees prior to the acquisition of AppD by Cisco. Joseph also has experience working on the side of Silicon Valley giant Apple and being hands-on post the Cisco acquisition and integration of teams. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdoyleta/ ---
Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Talent Tango, and we would appreciate it if you would take a minute to rate and review us on your favorite podcast player.
Want to learn more about us? Head over at https://www.elevano.com
Have questions or want to cover specific topics with our future guests?
Please message me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)
In this episode, Beth Scheer, Talent Partner at Homebrew, talks about the drivers for hiring a coach and what to look out for while going through the process.
Key Takeaways:
- Why would a founder should look for a coach?
- Big commitment to hiring a coach
- Make sure you do a reference check with people the coach has worked with the right questions are a must.
- A good coach for someone else might not be the right coach for you
- How to interview a coach
- Costs of hiring a coach
- Red Flags to look for when hiring a coach
About today’s guest:
At Homebrew, Beth Scheer works closely with founders and their executive team members as an advisor on all things Talent-related, including recruiting, diversity & inclusion, compensation, onboarding, and people operations. Before Homebrew, Beth spent 5+ years at Salesforce leading executive search, sales leadership search and the sales growth/professional services recruiting teams. Before that, she built the Google AdSense team in 2003 and then spent 6 years hiring for business operations, corporate communications, and various engineering teams. She is a proud graduate of The Colorado College with a BS in Psychology.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethscheer/
beth@homebrew.co
___
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In this episode of the podcast, the host interviews Anna Chalon, Head of People at Runway, a content creation platform powered by machine learning. The discussion focuses on building a feedback culture, with Anna defining it as ingrained in the day-to-day without additional efforts. Topics covered include the benefits of a feedback culture, the steps to building one, and lessons learned from implementing it at Runway. The episode offers insights into creating a healthy culture where employees can learn, grow, and thrive.
Highlights:
[00:01:51] Feedback culture defined
[00:04:13] Demystifying feedback culture.
[00:08:06] Giving and Receiving Feedback.
[00:11:44] Giving constructive feedback.
[00:17:10] Radical candor and feedback.
[00:19:27] Psychological safety and inclusion.
[00:23:24] Company culture and feedback.
[00:29:26] Feedback training in triads.
[00:31:37] Giving Feedback and Validation.
[00:35:08] Feedback culture in relationships.
[00:40:03] Culture of remote vs hybrid.
Guest:
Anna Chalon is originally from Paris, France, where she studied Private Law before moving to London to study guitar and songwriting and eventually moving to NYC in 2012.
She pursued a singer-songwriter career for a few years, allowing her to receive a Green Card and transition into a different career!
She joined the Recruiting team at Percolate, a Marketing SaaS company, and led the department a few years later. She then went on to join Frame.io as the 50th employee to build the Recruiting and DE&I functions.
For 4.5 years there, she helped the company scale to over 300 by the time of its acquisition by Adobe. She stayed on for six months post-acquisition to work on integration initiatives before transitioning to a new role as Head of People at Runway.
Runway is a Series C content creation software powered by AI. The company has scaled from 30 to 45 employees in less than a year and has exciting growth plans for the remainder of 2023.
Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Talent Tango, and we would appreciate it if you would take a minute to rate and review us on your favorite podcast player.
Want to learn more about us? Head over at https://www.elevano.com
Have questions or want to cover specific topics with our future guests?
Please message me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)
Host Amir Bormand meets with Trish Pandya, the Senior TA Manager at Alluxio. She and Amir discuss the significance of mentors - and how forming a meaningful connection with the right mentor can help you grow professionally and personally.
Highlights
3:12 - Trish shares why she began to search for a mentor.
8:29 - What qualifies someone as a mentor?
14:13 - How to know if mentorship is or isn’t working for you.
18:48 - Trish offers her insights on becoming a better mentor to her team.
Guest:
Trish Pandya is a Talent Acquisition Leader with 10 + years of experience in the San Francisco Startup Arena as a recruiter for startups that empowers minorities, including the female, minority, and underrepresented communities in the San Francisco Bay Area, and aspires to do this nationwide. She is currently the Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition at Alluxio, which is an open-source data orchestration software for the cloud for enterprise companies.
She aspires to spread the word with a twisted sense of humor about her views on talent acquisition/recruiting, thoughts on diversity and unbiased hiring, scaling teams with structure, the importance of mentorship, and of course, the crazy world of working in tech. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trishnapandya/ ___
Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Talent Tango, and we would appreciate it if you would take a minute to rate and review us on your favorite podcast player.
Want to learn more about us? Head over at https://www.elevano.com
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Please message me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)
On this episode of The Talent Tango, host Amir Bormand talks with TA Leader Elena Stefanopol about recruiting strategies. The two explore subjects like velocity and data-driven hiring as well as working on a remote/international team.
Highlights:
05:09 - Elena shares how she’s used metrics to remain efficient during a mass hiring phase.
07:52 - Know when it’s time to hire externally.
12:07 - Here’s how a structured interview process can benefit hiring managers.
18:04 - Maintaining morale when there’s a reduction of your workforce.
22:58 - Talent Debt is real. Here’s how to deal with it.
Guest:
Elena Stefanopol is a talent acquisition leader with a passion for establishing recruiting functions from the ground up and building strong inclusive global teams. Her experience spans various industries and geographies, having worked in both Europe and the US with non-profit, tech, and gaming companies.
Before joining Labelbox 2 years ago to build the internal recruiting function, she led recruiting for Airbnb’s R&D team.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenastefanopol/
___
Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Talent Tango, and we would appreciate it if you would take a minute to rate and review us on your favorite podcast player.
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Have questions or want to cover specific topics with our future guests?
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In this episode of The Talent Tango, our host Amir Bormand meets with Andrew Zuckerman, talent leader. Talent Acquisition strategy is the main topic; Amir and Andrew discuss the importance of properly timing talent acquisition initiatives and supporting them with a strong product roadmap.
Highlights:
00:03:00 - Andrew Zuckerman discusses the steps his talent acquisition team takes when staffing fast-growing companies and startups.
00:05:48 - What qualities should you look for when hiring talent for entry-level/low-skill roles?
00:08:45 - Andrew shares his strategy for determining if a candidate can grow into a new role.
00:13:59 - When should you hire contractors, and when should you hire salaried employees?
00:16:16 - Building an effective leadership team without overextending yourself or your resources.
00:22:17 - Andrew shares the benefits of managing his Talent Acquisition Team like a Product Team.
About Andrew Zuckerman:
Andrew Zuckerman is a leader in people operations for high-growth, venture-backed tech startups. Andrew is passionate about creating authentic relationships between companies and their employees. He frequently speaks as a podcast guest on creating employee experiences and talent strategy for startups. Andrew has a master's degree in human resources from New York University and a bachelor's degree in communications from Emerson College.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-zuckerman-7939b154/ ___
Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Talent Tango, and we would appreciate it if you would take a minute to rate and review us on your favorite podcast player.
Want to learn more about us? Head over at https://www.elevano.com
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Please message me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)
In this episode, Krystal Cooper Head of People Operations at Vizion, talks about building out the people ops function from scratch.
Key takeaways:
- Look at a fractional CHRO if you aren’t growing past a certain size
- Compliance and legal aspects of people ops
- When should you start a people ops function
- Where do you start
- How much is too much to implement?
- Making sure benefits are equitable
- Moving fast but doing things right
- Focusing on buy-in and process
About today’s guest:
Krystal Cooper brings over 15 years of People Operations experience as a servant leader and business partner, specializing in supporting the growth and transformation of organizations while fostering an entrepreneurial culture built on trust, employee development, individuality, and making employees feel valued.
She has partnered with startups from Seed to D-round funding and mid and large-size businesses, helping them scale their organizations. She has developed and implemented key initiatives that directly impact employee engagement and job performance while supporting business objectives, ensuring brand and culture growth, and building an inclusive and diverse team.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/krystalwcooper/
___
Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Talent Tango, and we would appreciate it if you would take a minute to rate and review us on your favorite podcast player.
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In this episode, Brian Bailey, Sr Manager of Technical Recruiting at Achieve, discusses how to manage a fully remote technical recruiting team successfully.
Key takeaways:
- Re-evaluating mentoring and onboarding process.
- Delivering training when bandwidth is limited
- Break up training into smaller increments
- Be approachable to create safe spaces to discuss things
- Balancing autonomy and accountability (via OKRs)
- Four relationship-building characteristics.
About today’s guest:
Brian Bailey
Dynamic and Energetic Technical Recruiting Leader with 17 years of experience in staffing and recruiting. He has the mindset of getting things done the right way and partnering with hiring leaders to hire and find the best technical talent. Brian enjoys traveling with his family, playing soccer and golf, and being competitive in anything he does. Brian has worked in the staffing industry, the fintech industry, and the SaaS space.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianibailey/
___
Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Talent Tango, and we would appreciate it if you would take a minute to rate and review us on your favorite podcast player.
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Key takeaways:
- Monthly calendar of planned Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion events
- Getting employee engagement
- Finding events that work within a remote setting
- Lessons learned and what has/hasn’t worked
Meet: Katie Conti is a senior talent acquisition professional with 20 years of experience in resource management and recruiting. Working with a belief that understanding the business is the key to truly collaborating and partnering, she looks to have Talent Attraction be a strategic part of an organization’s success. She is currently focused on building a diverse, robust five-star healthcare IT talent pool at HealthEdge. Katie’s passion for building teams and impacting culture with every hire is evident.
You can connect with Katie via LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-conti
I hope you enjoyed the episode, the best place to connect with me is on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand). Please send me a message if you would like me to cover certain topics with future guests.
Key takeaways:
-Too much process can get in the way of positive candidate and recruiter experiences
-
Understanding the “why” helps in adopting new processes
-
Making sure what is put in place meets company goals and is done with purpose
Meet: Nadine Silverman has over 14 years of talent acquisition experience, including leadership experience ranging from hyper-growth startups to global Fortune 500 companies. She is currently the Head of Talent Acquisition at Freenome, a biotech startup on a mission to prevent cancer through early detection by a simple blood test. Prior to Freenome, Nadine worked for companies including Symantec, Facebook, Tesla, and SolarCity.
You can connect with Nadine via LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadineabichahine/
I hope you enjoyed the episode, the best place to connect with me is on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand). Please send me a message if you would like me to cover certain topics with future guests.
Key takeaways:
Focusing on community and not culture
Eliminating the usage of the term “culture”
People that are outside the box
It’s not about fitting, but rather a community add
Meet: Erin McCann is the Vice President, People Operations for SevenFifty, a fully distributed organization that is modernizing the beverage alcohol industry.
Erin is a SHRM-CP, and in her current role, she leads the People function and all its components (hiring; onboarding; talent management; DEI and Community; coaching; performance management; HR). With a background that spans customer success, SaaS integrations, sales, and marketing, Erin is well-versed in most aspects of company operations. She started her career in hospitality and has landed in the ever-changing world of B2B SaaS startups.
You can connect with Erin via LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/eehubbs/
I hope you enjoyed the episode, the best place to connect with me is on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand). Please send me a message if you would like me to cover certain topics with future guests.
Key takeaways:
Don’t undervalue your “other” experiences
Talent professionals need to battle bias
Leveraging a cover letter to convey more context
Reentering the workforce and compensation
Meet: Candi Kenney leads the awesome Talent Acquisition Team at Clari. With over 15 years of recruiting experience and a Human Resources background, she knows first hand how to be an effective, strategic talent partner. Candi has a passion for helping others find their passion as well as driving positive change across Talent and Hiring teams.
You can connect with Candi via LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/candikenney/
I hope you enjoyed the episode, the best place to connect with me is on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand). Please send me a message if you would like me to cover certain topics with future guests.
Meet: Jeff Hopkins has 7 years within the talent acquisition space across agency and internal. Currently leading the build-out of talent acquisition within a growing health tech start-up called Nomad Health. A firm believer that kindness is the most important characteristic for success within a people function.
You can connect with Jeff via LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jchopkins/
I hope you enjoyed the episode, the best place to connect with me is on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand). Please send me a message if you would like me to cover certain topics with future guests.
Meet:
Fiorella Bariani, Head of Recruiting, at Flatiron and has been with the company for 6 years. Fiorella has been helping to build teams since Flatiron was just under 100 employees (currently ~1k employees). Prior to joining Flatiron, Fiorella worked at another mission-driven company focused on education technology.
Prior to working in Recruiting, Fiorella was a mental health counselor, focusing on working with populations across underrepresented and low socioeconomic groups. Fiorella has an MBA from Baruch College and has a Masters in Psychology from Adelphi University.
Meet: Marissa Parillo is passionate about building scalable recruiting programs, hiring high-performing teams, and navigating through the challenges of hyper-growth phase organizations. She is the Senior Director of Business Recruiting at Datadog, a SaaS monitoring, and security company, overseeing global recruiting for sales, pre-sales, marketing, and G&A. As the first recruiter on the ground at Datadog, she has built a recruiting team who has contributed to more than 17x growth of Datadog seeing them grow from 120 people to over 2200 people worldwide.
You can connect with Marissa via LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/parillorecruit/
Meet: Ana Batista is the People Operations Manager at Kindbody, a start-up leading inclusive holistic reproductive health, fertility, and family-building care. Ana, a native New Yorker, graduated from Barnard College at Columbia University where she discovered her passion for Human Resources. Her career has led her to work in a variety of companies and industries such as Simon & Schuster, Jonathan Adler, and Morgans Hotel Group (now SBE). She is a true generalist, tackling HR needs from recruiting and onboarding, benefits and employee relations, to performance management, policy compliance, and more! In her spare time, Ana is the President of the Executive Board at her sorority alumnae chapter of Alpha Chi Omega supporting their philanthropy, Domestic Violence Awareness, and is a plus-size model and fashion influencer.
You can connect with Ana via LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anabatistaphr/
Meet: Ryan Elberg - Upon joining Albert in April of 2020, Ryan brings his expertise in talent for hyper-growth startups from his prior roles as Head of Talent at tech companies such as Datadog (Nasdaq: DDOG) and Bread (acquired by Alliance Data for 450M).
At Datadog, Ryan was an early employee and managed the global tech and product talent teams, as they grew to 1000 employees. Ryan oversees the People team at Albert who optimizes the employee lifecycle from recruiting to human resources and office management.
In his spare time, Ryan is an avid fitness enthusiast and spends most of his free time with his wife, his son and his dog finding new Southern California hiking trails.
You can connect with Ryan via LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanelberg/
Meet: Kareem Medas- Head of Recruiting at Thirty Madison a direct to consumer subscription-based health company bringing specialized care and treatment for chronic conditions.
If you have any questions for Kareem, please feel free to reach out to him via:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kareemmedas/
Meet: Harry Dannenbaum - Head of Recruiting at Coda. Grew up in London, came to the US for university - where he studied History. Jumped into the tech world right after graduation, where he joined Box and subsequently helped grow the company from 160-2000+ people, leading the Technical Recruiting team.
If you have any questions for Harry, please feel free to reach out to him via LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-dannenbaum-34809432/
Meet:
Jon Volk is the Director of Recruiting at Unusual Ventures focused on delivering the first critical hires for our portfolio companies, while establishing the recruiting process along the way. An experienced recruiting leader, Jon started his career in Silicon Valley working for tech giants Google and Amazon, before moving on to the hyper-growth startup, AppDynamics. There, he helped grow the company from 180 to over 300 people. He then moved on to run global recruiting for internet-of-things company, Silver Spring Networks, where he completely rebuilt the recruiting function to support their global needs, all while making key leadership hires critical to the company’s growth. Jon returned to AppDynamics to run engineering recruiting in 2016, helping to grow the company to over 2,000 people, leading recruiting efforts through its acquisition by Cisco, and establishing an AppDynamics-first engineering arm in Prague. He’s very excited to help CEOs and entrepreneurs take their companies to the next level by establishing processes and hiring great people. Jon graduated from the University of Arizona with a BA in political science. If you would like to get in contact with Jon, please reach out to him via: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonvolk/ https://twitter.com/jonv1919
Great conversation with Gabrielle Hughes of Gong.io!
She is responsible for employer branding and recruiting marketing efforts. She has had an interesting journey to end up in this particular role.
She shares with us how she transitioned from a social/content role to employer branding. And what you can do to help your organization get the ball rolling on creating engaging employer branding content.
To get in touch with Gabrielle, connect with her:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielleh/
Instagram:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gabriellehughes?lang=en
I had been looking to interview an engineering executive to get their insights into the hiring/recruiting process.
And to my great fortune, I was able to have Michelle Grover on the podcast. Michelle is a VP of Development at SAP focused on a variety of products including Hipmunk, Concur Mobile, and TripIt.
I appreciate Michelle being on the podcast as she shares with us:
- Her journey into engineering
- Views on diversity and inclusion
- Advice on how recruiters can work more closely with engineering teams
- How delegating is her productivity hack
To get in touch with Michelle, connect with her:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-grover-24b835149/
Recruiters' schedules are very hectic and fast-paced. You need to handle a ton coming at you. So I started to ask my guests about their favorite productivity tip.
The list is pretty interesting and has helped add a few new tricks to my toolbox!
I hope you enjoy and can benefit from some of these productivity tips!
I had a great conversation with Devin Schroeder. He started his career in the sports world and then transitioned into recruiting. Talk about a big adjustment after having worked for the Oakland Raiders and San Francisco Giants!
Flash forward a few years and Devin is the Head of US Talent Acquisition at Funding Circle. He is responsible for a distributed team in the US where the team is hiring in ultra-competitive environments.
We talk about:
- Moving from an agency to an in-house role
- When HQ is based in another country
- Sell the company mission
- Transitioning out of the sports world
To get in touch with Devin, connect with him:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devin-schroeder-3321aa45/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrdevin37/
What IF...🤔🤔🤔
You’ll never know how door B would have been...so stop thinking about it.
Making a job change can definitely be scary. But trust your instincts and regret is far scarier than making the wrong choice.
In this episode, we talk about the challenges of having to make a decision and living with it. And if your decision doesn't go well, most people dwell on the alternative of what could have been.
I thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with Shreya Iyer.
Shreya is a Splunk veteran. Having been at Splunk for almost 9 years, pre-IPO, she’s worked with almost every function within the company. She is the Director of Talent Acquisition, Sales and G&A. In her role, she is responsible for hitting aggressive headcount targets for a constantly evolving Sales and G&A function, executing global Talent initiatives, building the Talent framework for Splunk and managing a best-in-class team. She gets to interface with Global leaders, present at conferences, and see firsthand why Splunk is such a special place to work.
Here are some of the topics Shreya touched on :
- 4:43 - 6:08 Picking diverse risk-takers
- 7:19 - 8:18 Managing bias
- 12:12 - 14:28 Grass is greener
- 27:59 - 29:19 Company sells itself
- 31:48 - 32:38 Change management through data
To get in touch with Shreya, connect with her:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shreyac/
Automation is great, as long as it’s not impersonal.
Do you feel like you’re talking to a bot or a real person? It changes the candidate user experience.
In this episode, we talk about what's needed to take the candidate experience to the next level. And you have to remember that every step of the process is being judged.
Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
Rarely do we know what we want from the get-go.
Changing your mind is ok. It happens to everyone and it happens a lot. But you must realize that any changes you make might have a ripple effect past you.
In this episode, we talk about how changing requirements or your mind has associated impacts. And this is ever-present in recruiting!
Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
I had an awesome recording session with Ashley Fejes.
Ashley is an experienced recruiter having worked for both startups and enterprise companies. Recently, she left her role at SnackNation as Talent Acquisition Manager to tackle a new position at Snap.
We covered a few topics in this episode:
- Employer branding
- Event marketing
- Documenting processes
- Ashley’s go-to productivity hack
To get in touch with Ashley, connect with her:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyfejes/
Shhhhhh...Listen more and talk less!
Definitely an underutilized skill during the interview process. Try to avoid the “rambling on and on” pitfall by listening more.
If you’ve lost your audience’s attention, then does it matter what you’re saying anymore?
Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
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Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
It’s a tug-of-war battle for lots of candidates between salary vs job title vs responsibilities. And this is all before interview #1 even happens.
No one wants to waste their time and the more we can foster open dialogue the better the interview experience can be for all parties.
But when a hiring manager sees salary requirements what goes through their mind? Do they start setting expectations up front? Have they determined in their minds what they need to see to pay X?
Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
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Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
The smallest improvements over time lead to big gains.
If you’re coachable, regardless of your job title, you’ll be always learning and making adjustments to keep improving.
Getting or giving feedback is one thing, what you do with it, that’s how you win the game.
In this episode, we talk about how coachability is one of the core competencies that we interview for.
Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
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Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
Stop focusing on statements of good intent.
You know what I'm talking about. Saying you are gonna but never do.
We are all guilty of this. And it's a vicious cycle. It gets you nowhere.
In this episode, we talk about focusing on commitments and actions over talking a big game and not following through.
Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
Great conversation with Natalie Heim, where she is the VP of People at Domio.
Prior to Domio, Natalie led Human Resources at Maesa. She has over a decade of experience in recruiting and human resource management in both startups, large corporations and recruiting agencies. She has worked in this capacity at JP Morgan, Google, NewsCred, WorkMarket, Morgan Stanley, Liberty Mutual, and Robert Half. Natalie earned her MBA and B.S at Mount Saint Mary College and her HR certification from Cornell University.
We talk about:
- Growing your toolkit as you progress in your career
- Building 30, 60, 90 day plans when you first start
- What to do when things don’t go right
To get in touch with Natalie, connect with her:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliepheim/
What do you suck at!? It’s equally if not more important than knowing what you’re good at.
Put more time into what you’re good at, not what you’re bad at. Find people to support their weaknesses.
If you’re not sure what those are, ask friends/family for their opinion.
In this episode, we dive into how to balance your strengths and weaknesses when looking for a business partner.
Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
People love complaining and you tend to hear more about the negative than the positive.
Getting feedback on your interview process is a challenge.
The more feedback you and your team can get, the better adjustments to the candidate experience can be made.
We talk about how important it is to treat your interview process like it's being judged every step of the way because it is!
Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
Repeat business is the best business.
Getting your business relationship on a first name basis is the ultimate success.
The repeat part comes from providing value and maintaining dialogue on a consistent basis.
Who do you give repeat business to? Amazon? Costco? Nordstrom? 🤔
Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
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Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
Resumes are CONTENT!
If your content (aka resume) isn’t engaging, you won’t get a call back anymore.
Think with the end in mind when crafting your resume. Who is going to consuming your content?
Make sure it’s filled with engaging facts about your background that tell your best story.
The goal of a resume is to get the “call” and then you take it from there.
Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
Me, me, me…but, it’s not about YOU!
Partnering means, understanding what the other person/team/client needs.
You can’t solve a problem without identifying what the business needs are.
In this episode of the Daily 10, we’re talking about building better relationships between recruiters (internal/external) and hiring managers. And a lot of this is driven by how much value you can provide.
Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
I had the pleasure of speaking to Angela Mayhew on this episode of the Talent Tango Podcast.
Angela Mayhew has been at FabFitFun for 3 years where she has helped the company grow from 50 employees to 650+! As one of the first Recruiting/People Team hires, she has witnessed first hand what it's like to scale during a continuous hyper-growth stage. Prior to FabFitFun, Angela has worked in recruiting functions across many industries, including Entertainment, SaaS, and Sports. Angela is originally from Upstate New York and received a BA Degree in Communications/Journalism from Saint John Fisher College.
We talk about:
- Growing at an incredible pace of hiring
- Focusing on diversity
- Handling fast-changing requirements
I hope you enjoy listening to Angela’s insights :)
To get in touch with Angela, connect with her:
Instagram: @angela_mayhew
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelamayhew/
So how do you like your burger? Coffee? Pizza? Do you like email better? Text? Phone? Skype? We all have preferences and it’s our job to take the time to find out what your candidates/clients prefer, especially in how to communicate with them. We talk about finding the right medium when dealing with hiring managers and candidates in this episode. Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
An open job order is a project. And all projects have time, budget, scope.
Applying those aspects to the recruitment process will give all stakeholders a better chance for success.
Listen to hear our discussion about how treating job orders as projects allows you to make sure you are managing stakeholder expectations.
Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
Your resume should tell the best story of you.
A hiring manager only spends so long reviewing before making a decision.
In this episode of the Daily 10, we’re talking about the resume’s context and how that could be the difference in getting an interview or not. And sometimes it’s not just highlighting all the good, but calling out maybe the one thing missing.
Either way, candidates have many different avenues to showcase themselves and to offer more context into who they are.
Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
Scorecards. Competencies. Process.
Many of our clients are beginning to share their hiring scorecards with us so that we can better understand how they are hiring. That allows us to better identify candidates that will be relevant to their search.
In this episode of the Daily 10, we’re talking about hiring processes. We speak to many different organizations and we can see the differences between processes. Depending on maturity, we see impacts on the candidate experience and end result. And the companies that understand their companies are a step ahead!
Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
In this episode of The Talent Tango, I had the pleasure of speaking to Suzie Anthony.
In her role as VP of People & Culture, Suzie is responsible for making SessionM an awesome workplace by combining culture, innovation, leadership and inclusiveness. She drives the overall people strategy and loves spending time with SessionM-ers to keep her finger on the pulse within the organization. She brings with her more than 10 years of global HR experience at rapidly growing technology companies, focused on empowering people and delivering exceptional business results.
I had a great conversation with Suzie and hope you enjoy!
To get in touch with Suzie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzie-anthony-55b0542/
It’s the start of fantasy football season!!!
You know people are going to play. How do you handle it?
In this episode of the Daily 10, we’re talking about the revving up of fantasy sports teams in the fall and the impact they have on teams. Are they a drain or do they bring people together? I think a lot depends on how your organization views its value.
Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
Real estate agents work very hard to stay top of mind. They leave note pads, flyers, throw community events, etc. They do all this to be the real estate agent that has shown value. That could be market knowledge or being apart of the community. They want to be the agent you turn to if/when you are ready.
In this episode of the Daily 10, we’re talking about staying top of mind with candidates. Too many times recruiters are looking to catch candidates at the right time. That’s really hard.
Try to stay top of mind. Find a way to provide value. Be apart of the community. You can find your own thing that works for you. But your goal is to be top of mind of your candidates when/if they start looking.
The Daily 10 comes to you everyday giving you an insight into the day-to-day of recruiter's lives.
Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
As a recruiter, you will never be the practitioner.
And you know what - that is ok!
In this episode, we are talking about recruiters and relating to their audience. For the most part, very few recruiters were actual practitioners of the roles they recruit for. And you know what, that’s ok. They can make up for that with gaining deeper functional understanding of the roles they recruit for. And in turn, can have deeper conversations with their candidates and hiring managers.
The Daily 10 comes to you everyday giving you an insight into the day-to-day of talent acquisition life.
People aren’t going to listen to you until you build trust.
What is your viewpoint when you see 3 total Yelp reviews vs seeing 2000+. Something to be said about how we evaluate what is trusted.
In this episode of the Daily 10, we’re talking about recruiters being able to influence the process through timing and trust. We are managing a process and our experience can make a massive impact. But first people need to value your voice before they will listen to you.
Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
In this episode of The Talent Tango, I had the pleasure of speaking to Prem Kumar. Prem is the CEO and Founder of Humanly, an AI platform that qualifies job candidates and answers their questions along the way.
Before launching his own company, Prem led the product management and design teams at TINYpulse, an employee engagement company that empowers organizations to build world-class cultures with real-time people data. He also spent a decade working with Microsoft in various product capacities and has been blogging for the Society of Human Resource Management for the last five years.
I had an amazing conversation with Prem in this episode.
To get in touch with Prem, connect with him on his socials:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/premskumar/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/premkumartweets?lang=en
It’s always tricky when you start talking about salary. No one wants to make it about the money...but guess what bills must be paid. So there is a portion of it that has to be about the money.
In this episode of the Daily 10, we’re talking about the dance that happens when you bring compensation into the equation. For the most part, hiring managers need to stay within company parameters and will not overpay. And candidates do not want to leave earnings on the table. And boy those negotiations keep us on our toes!
The Daily 10 comes to you every day giving you an insight into the day-to-day of agency life.
Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
Hiring is not easy. Defining competencies to understand your hiring process is even harder.
In this episode of the Daily 10, we’re talking about when a hiring manager has gone through 40 candidates and 10+ onsites and still can’t seem to find the right person. Might it be a case of not knowing who they are looking for? Or they're looking for someone that they haven’t articulated?
The Daily 10 comes to you every day giving you an insight into the day-to-day of recruiters lives.
Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
What does happiness look like to you?
Maybe it's interacting with your co-workers, maybe it's relaxing at home. Whatever makes you happy, it can have a big impact on your performance and productivity in the office.
In this episode of the Daily 10 we're discussing employee happiness and its effects on retention rates, employee satisfaction, and overall workflow and output within the team or company.
The Daily 10 comes to you everyday giving you an insight into the day-to-day of agency life. Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
Problems with your productivity? There’s an easy fix: change your habits.
Distractions are everywhere, but with the right mindset, you won’t even notice them.
Tune into this episode of the Daily 10, where we share how it doesn’t matter if you’re in a crowded Starbucks, your cubicle or your home office. You can stay productive just about anywhere if you’re willing.
The Daily 10 comes to you everyday giving you an insight into the day-to-day of agency life. Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
If your hiring manager wants a purple unicorn of a candidate but can’t spend time telling you about the skills and experience they’re looking for...you are in for a super challenge. We should be building bridges to ensure seamless knowledge transfer for both internal and external recruiters.
In this episode of the Daily 10, we’re unpacking the relationship between clients and recruiting agencies. How do you keep a line of communication open between both parties? What happens when recruiters are left in the dark?
The Daily 10 comes to you everyday giving you an insight into the day-to-day of agency life. Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
Reputation is everything in the hiring process.
In this episode of the Daily 10, we’re talking about the knock-on effect that happens when a candidate only puts half their energy into a coding challenge. Don’t burn your bridges before they’re even built!
The Daily 10 comes to you everyday giving you an insight into the day-to-day of agency life. Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
If you post or send something online, there’s every chance that people will see it, share it or screenshot it. Once it’s out there, it’s there forever.
In this episode of the Daily 10, we’re sharing the details of a seriously unprofessional email that Arash was sent recently. What would you do if this happened to you? We want to hear!
The Daily 10 comes to you everyday giving you an insight into the day-to-day of agency life. Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
Our job is to deliver high quality candidates to our clients. Beyond that, everything is out of our control.
If a client decides to hire our candidate? Great, but it's not our choice.
If a candidate decides to leave that job a few months in? That's unfortunate, but again... not our choice!
In this episode of the Daily 10, we're asking why recruiters are on the hook when hiring decisions go wrong. How fair are guarantee periods for recruiters?
The Daily 10 comes to you everyday, giving you an insight into the day-to-day of agency life.
Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
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Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
In this episode of The Talent Tango, I had the pleasure of speaking to Gem Garcia.
Gem is the Founder of Spectrum Talent Management Consulting. Spectrum is dedicated to providing "holistic consulting to early stage startups". This includes developing a unique brand identity and company culture to attract exactly the right talent for that business.
Gem's consulting process begins by asking the all-important question, "Who are you?", something she picked up in her twenty years of agency and in-house recruiting. You'll hear more about how Gem leverages this focus on branding and culture to develop ultra personalized talent acquisition strategies for her clients.
For Gem, building out teams aren't just about filling roles quickly. In this episode, you'll learn how Gem's talent acquisition strategies focus on creating "teams that become families." Listen in to hear more about how Gem uses this approach to give high-growth startups an edge against their Bay Area competitors. This includes focusing on selling a company's projects and achievements instead of their perks, moving away from metrics-driven recruiting and developing detailed and thought-out D&I practices.
If you want to get in touch with Gem, reach out to her via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gemgarcia/
When do recruiters become ‘trusted advisors’ to their clients and candidates?
In this episode of the Daily 10, we’re talking about how every recruiter can go beyond the roles and responsibilities of their typical day-to-day and become consultants for the people they work for. It helps to establish trust and build long term relationships with candidates and clients alike.
The Daily 10 comes to you everyday giving you an insight into the day-to-day of agency life. Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
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Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
What hurdles have you overcome?
In this episode of the Daily 10, we’re talking about what risk-taking looks like in a career-setting. What training and support do you need to be successful? How do you get over the need for everything to be perfect?
We’re ‘paid to be pros’ at our job. That added pressure might make it difficult to rip off the bandaid and try something new. But everyone has to start from somewhere, and sometimes taking that leap of faith might be the best decision you could ever make.
We want to hear about the achievements you’ve made after taking risks!
The Daily 10 comes to you everyday giving you an insight into the day-to-day of agency life. Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
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Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
It’s a lot faster to text someone back than it is to respond to their emails or voicemails… especially if that someone is a recruiter!
In this episode of the Daily 10, we’re talking about the benefits of leveraging text messages to reach candidates quickly. People are glued to their phones. So when a text comes in, there’s a pretty good chance that it’ll flash across your candidate’s screen while they’re looking at it.
The Daily 10 comes to you everyday giving you an insight into the day-to-day of agency life. Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
So you find the perfect candidate, their background is impressive, their skills are great… but they get rejected because they don’t show enough passion for the company.
In this episode of the Daily 10, we’re talking about why business founders need to understand that employees aren’t going to bring the same level of enthusiasm to their business are they do. They haven’t put the same amount of blood, sweat and tears into this business as the founders have, and that’s to be expected! Passion for an industry is great, but passion for a company only really develops on the job, not during the interview process!
The Daily 10 comes to you every day giving you an insight into the day-to-day of agency life. Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
Do you know how well your job portal is doing? Who is looking at the traffic analytics to determine that?
In this episode of the Daily 10, we’re asking how effective career portals are for companies who could be producing other, more useful content for job seekers instead. Candidates are trying to understand what they are going to be doing and who they will be working with. Companies are spending massive budgets on a career portal that gives candidates an incomplete picture.
The Daily 10 comes to you every day giving you an insight into the day-to-day of agency life. Listen and subscribe: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
Everyone loves going on PTO. Heck who doesn’t!
But what about the work and people that aren’t taking time off that have to pick up the slack.
In this episode of the Daily 10, we’re talking about what happens when someone is out of the office and the rest of the team has to show up. You have to have processes in place to make sure there is a clean handoff and continuity when the person returns.
Amir and Arash Bormand are the Co-Founders of Elevano, a California-based recruitment agency that does things differently. From managing client and candidate relationships to improving your productivity and time management, the Daily 10 gives you an insight into the day-to-day of agency life.
Subscribe to the podcast: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
Feedback. Feedback. Feedback.
Sure you need to set up the interview. But what happens after that is absolutely key...for the current and future candidates you work with.
In this episode of the Daily 10, we’re talking about gauging candidate interest and making sure you are following up. A core part of our job is to constantly find out more information and gain depth in terms of what our candidates and hiring managers want. With more information, we can help guide the process and provide push back to the hiring team if necessary.
Amir and Arash Bormand are the Co-Founders of Elevano, a California-based recruitment agency that does things differently. From managing client and candidate relationships to improving your productivity and time management, the Daily 10 gives you an insight into the day-to-day of agency life.
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
As recruiters, we won’t actually do any of the jobs we recruit for - aside from recruiter roles :)
But it is part of our job in ramping up to understand as much as we can about the roles we work on.
In this episode of the Daily 10, we’re talking about how as recruiters we can go about ramping up their knowledge to become even more dangerous in their recruiting game. This can be from shadowing subject matter experts to hitting Google really hard.
Amir and Arash Bormand are the Co-Founders of Elevano, a California-based recruitment agency that does things differently. From managing client and candidate relationships to improving your productivity and time management, the Daily 10 gives you an insight into the day-to-day of agency life.
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
Who doesn’t love to snack!
Every office that puts snacks out has to go through a process of figuring out what to put out. Simple right. Nope
In this episode of the Daily 10, we’re talking about how something like snacks requires thought and due diligence to figure out what to offer. You certainly want to be aware of people with dietary restrictions and you want to put out a balance of snacks that people will enjoy. Someone has to figure that out. And depending on the size of your organization this gets more complex.
Amir and Arash Bormand are the Co-Founders of Elevano, a California-based recruitment agency that does things differently. From managing client and candidate relationships to improving your productivity and time management, the Daily 10 gives you an insight into the day-to-day of agency life.
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
Candidate experience is a hot topic.
In every facet of your life, you are always looking at experience. So it would imply that the interview process will be evaluated the same. You will remember the positive or negative experience and emotions above all else.
In this episode of the Daily 10, we will be talking about how a candidate had such an offputting experience with one interviewer that she no longer was considering the opportunity. And the hard part about this is that the interviewer is in HR.
Amir and Arash Bormand are the Co-Founders of Elevano, a California-based recruitment agency that does things differently. From managing client and candidate relationships to improving your productivity and time management, the Daily 10 gives you an insight into the day-to-day of agency life.
Listen and subscribe to the podcast: https://amirb.me/thetalenttango
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
In this episode of The Talent Tango, we’re speaking to Amanda Gerhardt-King.
Amanda is the Director of Talent Acquisition at CB Insights, an intelligence platform that analyzes millions of data points on venture capital, startups, patents, partnerships and news mentions to forecast technology trends.
Since joining their Talent Acquisition team, Amanda has seen CB Insights scale from 60 to 250 employees. Anticipating to add about 70 new people to the company before the end of 2019, she leverages unique communication and organization strategies to get the job done.
Amanda is a seasoned talent acquisition specialist with a background in both agency and in-house experience. In her current position, she manages a team of eight dedicated to hiring candidates who are ‘Happy, Helpful, Humble and Hungry’. These “Four H’s” aren’t just the hiring criteria: they’re also at the core of CB Insights itself.
In this episode, Amanda shares how she incorporates company culture into the hiring process, including her process for promoting CB Insight’s employer brand. This includes putting her own recruiters through, ‘Unicorn Training’, a process designed to increase productivity and reduce the quality issues that come with too much multitasking. As the Director of Talent Acquisition, Amanda also works on forecasting and budgeting for headcounts. Her day-to-day gives you an insight into what it takes to scale and manage everything talent acquisition at a growing startup.
If you want to get in touch with Amanda, please reach out to him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandagerhardt/
What happens when your candidate starts ghosting you?
We’re recruiters. We’re not strangers to candidates ignoring our emails, texts or phone calls.
But when that candidate has already accepted our client’s job offer and starts dodging us, that’s when we have an issue.
In this episode of the Daily 10, we’re telling the story of one candidate we had who never returned from their overseas vacation after accepting a role with our client. What stops candidates from sending a quick text or email to close the loop? What about the ‘ripple effect’ that happens when clients are left their time, money and resources wasted?
Spoiler alert - the next day we recorded the candidate rescinded their acceptance ;)
Amir and Arash Bormand are the Co-Founders of Elevano, a California-based recruitment agency that does things differently. From managing client and candidate relationships to improving your productivity and time management, the Daily 10 gives you an insight into the day-to-day of agency life.
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
Upgrading your software applications is like getting a shiny new toy… only there’s more of an adjustment period.
It’s like moving houses: you pack up all your files and folders and bring them over to a new system. But then you’re left wondering how you’re going to organize it all.
In this episode of the Daily 10, we’re talking about the challenging ‘in-between’ period where you’re tying up loose ends on your old software while starting projects on your new one, and all the other short-term chaos you deal with while adjusting.
Made a vendor change recently? We want to hear how it’s going for your team!
Amir and Arash Bormand are the Co-Founders of Elevano, a California-based recruitment agency that does things differently. From managing client and candidate relationships to improving your productivity and time management, the Daily 10 gives you an insight into the day-to-day of agency life.
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
In this episode of the Daily 10, we’re talking about how we’ve ditched the dreaded ‘Monday morning meeting’ into a more streamlined process that borrows from project management methodologies.
How much do people really accomplish in one hour, sit-down meetings?
Whether it’s daily standups, one-on-one or group meetings, share what’s working for your team with us!
Amir and Arash Bormand are the Co-Founders of Elevano, a California-based recruitment agency that does things differently. From managing client and candidate relationships to improving your productivity and time management, the Daily 10 gives you an insight into the day-to-day of agency life.
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
In this episode of the Daily 10, we’re talking about what happens when clients go dark after an interview round. It’s not just a communication issue between candidate and client. It puts the client’s reputation on the line, too.
So, what needs to change?
In this episode, we tackle this all-important question by discussing how ‘closing the loop’ with candidates lets clients stay in control of the narrative.
Remember, candidates are modern-day consumers. If they’re not happy with their experience, they’ll take to social media and let people know about it. And no company likes a scathing Glassdoor review!
Amir and Arash Bormand are the Co-Founders of Elevano, a California-based recruitment agency that does things differently. From managing client and candidate relationships to improving your productivity and time management, the Daily 10 gives you an insight into the day-to-day of agency life.
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
What does productivity look to keep organized? How about those who keep their files in an 'organized mess'?
In this episode of the Daily 10, we’re sharing two different perspectives on productivity and time management.
We might organize our workdays differently, but if there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that it doesn’t matter how you manage your time. As long as you’re keeping yourself accountable.
Whether it’s starting a written to-do list, emailing notes to yourself or just remembering to keep a mental checklist: productivity is something we can all improve on.
Amir and Arash Bormand are the Co-Founders of Elevano, a California-based recruitment agency that does things differently. From managing client and candidate relationships to improving your productivity and time management, the Daily 10 gives you an insight into the day-to-day of agency life.
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the #Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
What’s the best way to onboard your employees?
Pre-recorded training save you time and money. Employees can always refer back to them if they need to. But on the flip side, they might set the wrong tone about how you manage your team.
Sometimes, though, the cost of taking half a day to train employees live and in-person just doesn’t make sense.
Is there a happy medium here?
Tune in to the latest episode of the Daily 10 to and tell us what you think.
Amir and Arash Bormand are the Co-Founders of Elevano, a California-based recruitment agency that does things differently. From managing client and candidate relationships to improving your productivity and time management, the Daily 10 gives you an insight into the day-to-day of agency life.
Connect with Amir and Arash, and join the Daily10 conversation:
- Amir -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamirbormand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamirbormand/
Web: https://www.amirbormand.com
- Arash -
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashbormand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArashBormand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arashbormand/
In this episode of The Talent Tango, I had the pleasure of speaking to Natalie Ledbetter about diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Natalie has over 16 years of experience in People Operations with a strong focus in Human Resources, Talent Acquisition, and Employee Experience. Natalie’s passion for developing company culture through talent acquisition has seen teams scale by up to 750%.
In this episode, you’ll hear how Natalie’s upbringing in Southeast Asia gave her the adaptability she needed to navigate the fast-paced NYC startup ecosystem. The same upbringing taught Natalie important lessons about diversity of gender, religion, ethnicity, and orientation: all paving the way for a successful career dedicated to making people feel welcomed and included in the workplace.
If you want to get in touch with Natalie, please reach out to him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-ledbetter/
In this episode of The Talent Tango, we’re speaking to Brandon Sligh.
Brandon is the Director of Recruiting at HOVER Inc. They’re a San Francisco-based tech company that leverages smartphone cameras to create accurate and measured 3D models of any home.
Brandon boasts over a decade of experience in talent acquisition. He got his start on the agency side before transitioning in-house to work for companies like Scribd, MongoDB, and Sift. With experience in both individual contributor and leadership roles, Brandon has seen success supporting the rapid growth of engineering, sales, marketing, and G&A organizations.
Brandon’s story gives you an insight into what the transition from agency recruiting to in-house is really like: including how third-party recruiting taught Brandon the ‘foundations’ of the industry, and the lessons he took with him when he went internal. In this episode, you’ll also hear how Brandon is running recruiting at a booming startup, the challenges of recruiting other recruiters, and his thoughts on the state of diversity and inclusion in Silicon Valley.
If you want to get in touch with Brandon, please reach out to him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bsligh/
Ep 4 with Leigha May - moving from side hustle to your own business “A candidate can forgive you for not getting the job, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel. So if we can keep that authentic connection throughout the recruiting process, that’s how people are going to leave a great impression of you, whether they got the job or not.”
In this episode of the Talent Tango, we’re speaking to Leigha May. Leigha is a Los Angeles-based Certified Coach for life, spirit and career guidance. After spending an entire decade in the recruiting and HR space, Leigha launched her own practice in life and career coaching. Transitioning from her work at big-names like The Honest Company, Omaze, and SpaceX, Leigha is now focusing full-time on her coaching practice. She’s dedicated to supporting men and women to create the lives they crave!
Want to learn how YOU can turn your side hustle into your 9 to 5?
Throughout this podcast, you’ll hear how Leigha moved from in-house talent acquisition and HR to running her own, full-time business.
During this episode, Leigha shares how her unique, people-centric recruiting and HR strategies paved the way to building her own life and career coaching business. Listen in to learn how Leigha leverages her talent acquisition experience to shape and improve people’s career trajectory, and their lives, on a daily basis:
- What it’s like to recruit across industries (1:51)
- How Leigha’s side hustle became her full-time gig (4:57)
- Why every client deserves a personalized approach (6:06)
- It’s all about the people: how Leigha’s transition from recruiting to life and career coaching made sense (7:45)
- Leveraging authenticity to shake up recruiting norms (11:16)
- The key to progress in the recruiting industry (14:36)
- Making smart career choices: how Leigha helps clients look at the bigger picture (16:17)
- Leigha’s No.1 marketing tip for people running their own business (18:20)
- When career advice becomes life advice (23:09)
Get to know Leigha’s business more by visiting https://www.leighamaycoaching.com/ and following her socials:
Ep 3 with Brendan Orf (Manager of Talent Acquisition, Bullhorn) - global hiring with a distributed team Brendan Orf is the Manager of Talent Acquisition at Bullhorn, which is a leading cloud computing company that helps staffing and recruiting organizations transform their businesses.
I loved my chat with Brendan. He has a fantastic enthusiasm for the industry, and you can tell he has a strong desire to succeed.
He started his career off in the agency space before shifting into corporate roles.
For the last two years, Brendan has been responsible for managing Bullhorn’s global talent acquisition team. He has nine distributed direct reports. His team is hiring across multiple time zones.
We could have kept talking for hours, but we did cover some interesting topics in this conversation. Here are some of the highlights of this episode:
- The passion for impacting people’s lives
- Taking medical leave and coming back to meet a new report on his team
- Hiring across the United States, UK, and Australia - and how to line it all up
- Trusting your recruiting team is the only way to succeed
- Managing expectations are different depending on what location you are recruiting for
Hopefully, I can have him back on again to talk about global hiring and scaling teams!
You can connect with Brendan Orf on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bullhornrecruiter/
Ep 2 - Brandon Randazzo - making Glassdoor work for you by getting your CEO behind it In this episode of the Talent Tango, we’re speaking to Brandon Randazzo. Currently the Head of Recruiting at Invoice2go, Brandon oversees talent acquisition for both the company’s North America and Asia Pacific offices. In this podcast, you’ll hear how Brandon leverages over two decades of experience in the recruiting world to attract and keep the best technical talent in Silicon Valley.
During this episode, you’ll learn how Brandon went from unexpectedly landing himself in the recruiting space, to how he helped one startup make 200 new hires in a quarter. You’ll hear more about his transition to internal recruiting from an agency, what it takes to recruit for overseas roles, and why the candidate experience is still everything in the talent acquisition game.
Join us to hear about the tips, tricks, and tactics Brandon’s learned along the way: * Quality vs. Quantity: the biggest difference between agency and internal recruiters (4:42) * What it’s like to build up a candidate pipeline for the other side of the world (13:01) * Why attracting top talent is all about the “candidate experience”, and how companies need to handle on-site interviews to keep the candidates interested (19:15) * The power of social proof: how every recruiter can use Glassdoor to sell roles to candidates (23:55) * Invoice2go’s secret to keeping employee satisfaction and retention rates high (25:11) * “Now Hiring”: Brandon’s simple but effective plans to reach hundreds of new people every day with this inexpensive marketing tactic (32:09) * The art of storytelling, and how it’s helping Invoice2go to stay ahead of the competition for the best engineering talent in Silicon Valley * You never know when you’ll need your “recruiting hat”: hear the advice Brandon wants every recruiter to remember (40:46)
Interested in hearing more from Brandon Randazzo? You can find him here:
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-randazzo-8a941b/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/HWbrandazz
Thanks for tuning in to another episode of The Talent Tango. Have your own thoughts on talent acquisition? We’d love to hear them!
Ep 1: Introduction to the Talent Tango Calling all hiring managers, recruiters, and staffing superstars!
Join us in the first episode of The Talent Tango, where host Amir Bormand dives into everything talent acquisition. Amir is the Co-Founder of Elevano, a California-based recruiting company. He helps hundreds of people find more fulfilling jobs every year.
In this episode, Amir shares how he is unique to the recruiting industry. As a former engineer himself, he could still jot out a few lines of code! He’s seen tech recruiting from both sides: during his engineering career, he constantly saw agency recruiters take shortcuts, and use deceptive practices all for their own benefit.
In this episode, Amir dives into the importance of leveraging new technologies and techniques to reach clients and candidates efficiently. For Amir, it’s all about the intersection between digital marketing, technology and recruiting. Here’s what you can expect to hear:
- The evolution of advertising: from generic to ultra-personalized (3:26)
- The problem with ‘short-term sales thinking’ in the recruiting industry (5:24)
- How digital content can boost your candidate engagement (6:02)
- The art of staying in touch: the strategy that every hiring manager or recruiter can start using (8:20)
- Investing in content creation vs. relying on third-party sites (11:33)