Becoming a Hiring Machine

Resumes vs. cover letters: which is the best way to truly evaluate a candidate? Or is this decision simply choosing the lesser of two evils?  In this Trending Topics episode, Sam and Lex explore the flaws and frustrations associated with these traditional methods and discuss the need for innovation. So much about recruitment has changed in the past decade — yet the oft-complained about resumes and...

Exit interviews are often missed opportunities for companies to gather valuable feedback from employees — especially those who are leaving on quote-unquote "good terms." In this episode, our resident Tactical Tuesday queen, Vivien, walks us through the four different kinds of exits (employee resignations, layoffs, firings, and changing team) and what insights each kind of associated exit interview...

100 EPISODES! Holy cow. That's 100 episodes of tactical tips, trending topics, mic drops, interviews with industry leaders, and more. It's been a blast (or a BAHM!) so far — and we're just getting started.  To celebrate our 100th episode, we brought on two former guests and Loxo's Founder & CEO to share their wisdom. Louise Archer, Tim Sackett , and Matt Chambers all chime in on topics like AI...

This Tactical Tuesday conversation explores the changing dynamics of work-life integration — and the subsequent need for a more holistic approach to performance reviews. Throughout, Vivien and Sam emphasize the importance of personal connection, setting the stage, and outlining the agenda at the beginning of the review. The conversation also highlights the significance of reviewing achievements, a...

In this thought-provoking episode, Loxo's CEO Matt Chambers interviews Kelli Vukelic, CEO of N2Growth, to discuss the future of executive search and recruitment agencies — with a focus on how technology is very rapidly transforming the industry.  Throughout the conversation, the two will talk about everything from purpose-driven work, to how search firms can become more tech-enabled, and beyond. M...

We're resurfacing our first-ever Tactical Tuesday episode — because even a full year later, it's extremely relevant (maybe even moreso now than it was then). In this special replay episode, Sam welcomes Vivien Maron, one of our in-house recruitment brainiacs, to discuss the intersection of recruitment and ChatGPT. Vivien emphasizes the struggle in finding great talent, which has led recruiters to...

For this conversation, we bring in Kosti Theoharides, who works at AC Talent in their international and UK football arm. You may be wondering, What do sports have to do with recruitment? And the answer is: probably a lot more than you'd think. Throughout the episode, Sam and Kosti discuss the process of attracting and signing top soccer players, the importance of building relationships ( sound fam...

You can always count on a Tactical Tuesday episode with Vivien to bring the actionable tips you can walk away with and implement immediately. This conversation continues our recent Tactical Tuesday trend of digging into interview styles *(following up on our recent episode on new-hire welcome interviews ). Here, we focus on the importance of stay interviews in managing and nurturing a team — aka c...

Trades are gaining attention from Gen Z as a viable career option, leading to a surge in enrollment in vocational schools and trade programs — so what does this mean for the job market, and for recruiters? Throughout this Trending Topics conversation, Lex and Sam dig into some of the forces at play here — and what is pushing Gen Z to question the value of higher education and pursue other vocation...

On this quick-hitter Tactical Tuesday episode, Sam dives into some practical strategies to not only maintain but also expand your existing client base. This episode serves as a great follow-up to Episode 85 , where we discuss tactics to land more clients. Now, we’re focusing on how to keep them engaged and satisfied. Sam details three strategies that are designed to deepen the relationships with y...

You can't afford to make a bad hire — but how can you take steps to actively avoid doing so? This conversation with Paul Stansik, PE Operating Partner at ParkerGale Capital, will shed a light on this and so much more.  Through a four-step framework he's built for effective hiring, Paul shares an absolute masterclass in this episode, detailing everything from how important it is to know what you wa...

Our Tactical Tuesday queen, Vivien, is back to talk about the importance of conducting thorough welcome interviews for new hires. Why? This initial meeting is not just about introductions, but rather serves as a foundation for the employee's journey within the company. What is a welcome interview? What should it cover? When should it happen? Who should be involved? All of these questions and more...

In this conversation, Sam is joined by Mike Peditto, Director of Talent at Teal, The Realistic Recruiter on Instagram and TikTok, and host of the Corporate Pizza Party Podcast. Together, they chat through common misconceptions in the hiring process. There are a lot of misleading statistics floating around out there — so in this episode, we get down to brass tacks on resumes, the role of cover lett...

In this Tactical Tuesday episode, we explore what happens after a candidate has started a new job. As a recruiter, you've done a great job of matching candidate to placement — but what comes next?  Throughout the conversation, Sam and Vivien emphasize the importance of staying in touch with both the candidate and the hiring manager to ensure a successful placement — establishing check-ins with the...

In this episode, Loxo's CEO Matt Chambers joins us for one of his classic Mic Drops. This time? He predicts that the best recruiting agencies in the future will operate like technology companies. He explains that some agencies are already building their own software and leveraging technology to improve their workflows and processes — however, building a full end-to-end recruiting platform is a com...

In this Tactical Tuesday episode, Sam and Vivien discuss the differences between job hoppers and high growth individuals, highlighting the changing job market and the need to rethink how tenure is viewed. Job hoppers are characterized by short stints in similar positions with no growth or upward movement — and on the other hand, high growth individuals seek new challenges, take initiative, and are...

In this Trending Topics episode, Sam and Lex discuss the challenge of standing out in a noisy digital environment. Everyone's feeling the impacts of digital burnout right now — whether you're a recruiter, a marketer, or a salesperson.  In an environment in which everyone is getting inundated with messages nonstop, how do you stand out? How do you create truly personalized content that goes beyond...

In this bite-sized Tactical Tuesday episode, Sam shares three tactics to help recruiters land more clients.  Differentiate and stand out from other recruiters Make one-to-one, unscalable efforts to showcase the effort and pride in the job Present potential candidates to the client upfront to demonstrate the value of working with the recruiter Some of these tactics may be controversial — but we bel...

In this Trending Topics episode, Sam and Lex discuss the pros and cons of a topic that sounds nice in theory, but may not be as practical as many would hope: skills-based hiring . Throughout the conversation, we explore the reasons behind the shift in hiring practices — ranging from the changing value of college degrees, the impact of labor shortages, and rapidly-changing market conditions. There...

In this Tactical Tuesday episode, Sam and Vivien discuss the art (and science) of everyone's favorite part of recruitment...candidate cold calling. Throughout the conversation, they emphasize the fact that cold calling is still an effective method for reaching potential candidates — but that there are a few key considerations to keep in mind if you want to increase your chances of success. With th...

In this episode, we're joined by Joe Ray, Manager of Marketing and Experience at Lighthouse Technology Services. Joe and Sam dig into the concept of brand ambassadors and how they can be empowered to drive better results for a company. But first: what even is a brand ambassador?! Brand ambassadors are individuals who share their experiences and insights, building trust and influence with others —...

In this Tactical Tuesday that feels more like a Mischief Monday, Sam and Vivien discuss the worst advice given to recruiters. They highlight the importance of building a positive reputation and avoiding misleading tactics that are often shared online. Instead of settling for cheap tricks and scammy ploys, Sam and Vivien suggest recruiters focus more on building relationships and maintaining open c...

In this Mic Drop episode, Loxo's CEO Matt Chambers joins us to discuss the common issue of recruiters not using their Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). Because you could have the best tech ever, but if user adoption is low...well, what's the point?!  Together, Matt and Sam explore why this problem persists despite advancements in technology and the changing recruitment landscape. The biggest takea...

In this super-short Tactical Tuesday episode, Sam dives into a vital but often overlooked aspect of business development for recruitment agencies: positioning oneself as the product. Drawing from his experience in marketing, Sam shares a simple strategy to differentiation: freely sharing the knowledge, expertise, and unique methodologies that set you apart from the pack, and building trust from th...

In this Trending Topics episode, we discuss the rise of work trials in the hiring process, diving deep into pros and cons, logistics, and more.  Throughout the conversation, we touch on: When a work trial makes sense and when it isn't really suitable The pros and cons of work trials — including their ability to assess candidate skills and culture fit The timing of work trials in the hiring process...