Talent Insights

AI is changing tech hiring, but the job titles are still catching up. AI engineer. AI agent engineer. Machine learning engineer. Data scientist. Forward deployed engineer. Some of these roles are new. Some are old roles with new tools. And some get used interchangeably even when they should not. In this episode of Stacked: Tech Hiring Insights, Matt Mulcahy breaks down what these AI and engineerin...

Most hiring conversations focus on filling open roles. This episode focuses on what happens after the hire is made. Bill Gates and Rosanna Snediker sit down with Pat Sullivan , CFO of A-Rent Test Equipment , to talk about hiring inside growth-stage companies and why so many scaling problems actually trace back to people decisions. The conversation gets into: hiring for adaptability instead of perf...

Hiring demand is back. But the playbook changed. Companies still need talent. They just don't want to overhire, lay people off, and do it all over again. So what are they doing instead? In this episode of Stacked, we break down: The real reason RPO demand is gaining serious momentum again When to build internal TA vs bring in outside help Why AI is flooding pipelines with more noise, not better ca...

In this episode of Beyond the Offer, Penny Vamvakaris, Head of Talent Acquisition, North America at Weber Shandwick, breaks down what it really takes to build recruiting inside a performance-driven agency. From aligning hiring to revenue and future capability to using AI without losing judgment, Penny shares hard-earned lessons from 25+ years in consulting, startups, and global agencies. If you wa...

AI isn't just changing how companies build. It's changing who gets hired. We're seeing a spike in fake candidates, AI-polished résumés, and hiring teams buried in noise. At the same time, demand for embedded RPO support is climbing fast. In this episode, Matt Massucci and Mark Slocum talk about: Why community is a competitive edge again How curated founder and CIO events are driving real conversat...

In this episode of The Hirewell Update , Ryan Ross is joined by Charlie Saffro, founder and CEO of CS Recruiting, to announce and unpack a major move, CS Recruiting is now part of Hirewell. They dive into how CS Recruiting began, what's made the firm a standout in supply chain and logistics recruiting, and why this partnership just makes sense. From shared values and client experience to expanded...

In this episode of The Balancing Act , Ashley McCray-Ford gets real about: The identity shift that hit hard after maternity leave Why grieving her "old self" helped her thrive as a mom and a leader What it was like to pause Harvard Business School to care for her dying father and why she'd do it again The surprising power of therapy, choice, and giving yourself grace How she's helping others recla...

She froze her eggs at 31. She met her husband three months later. She didn't tiptoe around IVF—she owned it, even at work. In this episode of The Balancing Act, Rosanna gets real about: What egg freezing and IVF actually look like (physically and emotionally) Why she kept her appointments visible on her calendar—and how it changed her team culture What companies can do beyond maternity leave to ac...

In this episode of The Hirewell Update , Ryan Ross welcomes Jeff Smith to talk through why now, not January, is the critical window for 2026 hiring plans. They break down what proactive talent strategy actually looks like, why waiting until Q1 is a losing move, and how the smartest companies are blending internal recruiting with flexible RPO support to meet demand without overcommitting. From sign...

Sarah Sheridan sat down with Amanda Hausmann, a former attorney who hit her limit juggling work and motherhood — and turned her burnout into a business that helps other moms do less.  They talk about the meltdown that changed everything, the app she built to connect overwhelmed parents with practical support, and the everyday tools that helped her stop reacting and start living.  Whether you're sc...

Bill and Rosanna sat down with Evan Shy, CEO of HTD Talent, to unpack why tech hiring is still a mess and what actually works when it comes to building capability inside modern teams. They get into:  Why "entry-level" now requires 3 years of experience What guided development actually looks like inside an enterprise How to embed senior talent that trains while shipping Why AI isn't the answer unle...

No guest this week — just Bill and Rosanna going deep on 15+ years in recruiting. From the early days of talent search to the trends shaping 2025, they share what's changed, what hasn't, and what every hiring leader needs to know right now. In this episode: How the market really moves The rise of private equity hiring When to bring in RPO support Why great executive hires are never just luck A few...

Six years off. One massive comeback. Zero regrets. In this episode of The Balancing Act , Sarah Sheridan sits down with Susan Scutt, private equity operator, single mom, and comeback queen. She walked away from work to raise her daughters. Then walked back in and built a bigger, bolder career. We get into: The role she turned down (and why it wasn't worth it) What her kids taught her about leaders...

We sat down with Andrew Zuckerman to talk about what small and scaling businesses get wrong about HR and how to fix it. From 48-hour compliance assessments to rebuilding onboarding in a pinch, Andrew explains how fractional HR can solve real problems fast. If you're a founder, ops leader, or someone building the HR function from scratch, this one's packed with practical insight.

Whelp, that's a wrap. After 20 years, James is leaving the recruiting industry behind. And Hirewell. And the 10 Minute Talent Rant. But not before taking a few parting shots at the recurring issues in the recruiting space that never seem to go away. Jeff Smith and James Hornick stick a fork in their show in The 10 Minute Talent Rant, Episode 116: "The Final Rant"  

This week, Sarah Sheridan chats with Mike Sharifi, a private equity exec and dad of two, about what it really takes to show up fully — at home and at work. From daily calendars to dishes, lead parenting to late-night laptop sessions, Mike shares how his family finds balance in a fast-paced world. Tune in to hear how being a present parent has made him a more thoughtful leader — and how he's rewrit...

In this episode of Beyond the Offer, we talk with Eric Buntin, TA leader at Amazon, Randstad, and Bath & Body Works, about what it takes to build scalable, strategic, and people-first recruiting teams. From structured hiring to AI, employer branding, and internal mobility, Eric shares hard-earned lessons that every TA leader should hear.  

This summer, the job market is shifting gears! In "The Summer Slowdown" episode of The Hirewell Update, join Ryan and Emily as they dive into the typical recruitment trends seen during the warmer months. Discover why hiring might feel a bit more relaxed due to vacationing decision-makers, and how candidate availability can fluctuate with some taking holidays and recent graduates entering the marke...

Weird aspect of the AI era: more and more candidates are first learning about companies after they applied. You read that right. When the bots apply for you, job postings aren't the final stop on your job seeking journey, they're your first. So if your company is hiring, the talent attraction process has been flipped on it's head. Jeff Smith and James Hornick do a deep dive on how the talent attra...

In this episode of The Balancing Act , host Sarah Sheridan sits down with Michelle Keefe, VP of HR at Bowes Professional, to talk about her inspiring journey from administrative roles to HR leadership. Michelle shares how she built her career by embracing challenges—including launching an office overseas with zero experience—and how she managed years of heavy business travel while raising her son....

Evolving HR in Private Equity Pam Perry is on the mic to share 40+ years of HR insights. From corporate to PE to launching her own HR consulting firm. In this episode, she dives into: Building HR teams and structures for scale Guiding founders through growth and transition Navigating culture in hypergrowth and remote work Why HR should lead the AI transformation, not fear it Plus, real talk for HR...

Here's what we're seeing right now: Pickiness over location. Lengthy salary negotiations. And a feeling that candidates need to sell themselves more. This all sounds exactly like what we saw 2 years ago. And 6 years ago. And (ugh) 10 years ago. And it's not like these, or any other hiring issues, don't get talked about in the industry. They just keep coming back like clockwork. Jeff Smith and Jame...

Stop me if you heard this one: "People won't be replaced by AI. They'll be replaced by people who use AI." That's a big talk track that's gone around. Also, wrong. People are definitely getting replaced by AI. And that's the current state of AI in hiring. No one can predict the future. Gurus end up looking like idiots. Jeff Smith and James Hornick discuss things they were already wrong about (so y...

In this episode of The Balancing Act, host Sarah Sheridan interviews Kate Dohaney, the global CEO of Orb Group and mom to two. Kate shares her unique path from performing artist to executive leader, detailing her transition through the music industry, advertising, and major roles at The Wall Street Journal and NewsCorp. She emphasizes the importance of resilience, being data-driven, and the power...

In a new episode of Beyond the Offer, Amy Onori joins Rosanna Snediker and Bill Gates to share her journey from media planner to SVP of Talent Acquisition at Publicis Media. They cover: Taking smart career risks Building trust through recruiting strategy Creating efficient, scalable recruiting ops  An episode packed with insight for leaders, recruiters, and anyone navigating career growth. Tune in...