Talent Insights

In this episode of The Hirewell Update, hosts Ryan Brown and Emily Goor discuss strategies for increasing employee engagement and connection during the holiday season, especially in a remote work environment. They explore various ways companies can foster a sense of community and retention, such as virtual team celebrations, personalized gift exchanges, flexible time off, and community service ini...

Be careful what you wish for.   We've long said recruitment technology is comically behind the times. (Feel free to go way back and watch episode 6, " Why Does HR Technology Suck? ") Historically, it's the last place for new innovation when there's more money to be made creating sales or marketing tech.   But if you work in recruiting and you looked at your inbox over the last year, you probably n...

In this episode of Beyond The Offer, hosts Bill Gates and Rosanna Snediker speak with Daina Gjemre, Head of HR at Renovo Solutions, about her journey from journalism to HR and her experience at FCB Global and ST Residential. They discuss the challenges of managing HR in a PE-backed, growth-focused company, integrating acquisitions, benchmarking benefits to stay competitive, handling busy periods,...

When we started this little podcast, we thought "What can we possibly complain about? We're gonna run out of material after a dozen episodes."   But recruiting is the gift that keeps on giving. The problems we need to solve are never-ending. So much so that even we've forgotten half the stuff we've ranted about at this point.   So to celebrate the milestone, Jeff Smith and James Hornick will sift...

Join hosts Bill Gates and Rosanna Snediker in Episode 5 of Beyond The Offer, where they speak with Lisa Watson, Director of Talent Acquisition at ASC Engineering Solutions. They discuss the challenges of building a recruiting function in a merged organization, adapting to market changes, new tools, and the evolving needs of candidates. Tune in for insights into corporate vs. agency recruiting, bui...

In this episode, we cover Forbes' insights on the current white-collar job market, highlighting a surge in job opportunities in sectors like construction, government, and healthcare, while the white-collar market faces challenges. Hiring processes have become more complex, with longer timelines averaging over 22 weeks for job seekers. Sectors such as communications, media, and tech are experiencin...

As the 10 Minute Talent Rant inches closer to the century mark, you may be wondering "what is it that these guys actually do?" Besides make short form video podcasts, of course.   And if you did ask that question, it's timely. Hiring is picking up. Our business is picking up. And we do have a distinctly different view of what talent acquisition should look like. Which benefits everyone.   So befor...

In this episode of The Hirewell Update, hosts Ryan Brown and Emily Goor chat with Scott Wells, Director of Hirewell's Cannabis Practice. Scott shares his journey from Cresco Labs to Hirewell, offering insights into the cannabis industry's growth, challenges, and future. He discusses scaling Cresco Labs, the sector's unique hiring needs, and Hirewell's strategy to support this evolving market. Tune...

In this Hirewell Update episode, hosts Ryan Brown and Emily Goor delve into how Gen Z is reshaping workplace culture with a strong focus on wellness and mental health. They discuss the increasing importance of work-life balance, the normalization of taking mental health days, and how to set boundaries in remote work. The conversation highlights the need for employers to adapt to these changes to s...

More is not always better. And the killer combo of Easy Apply buttons and 1 click AI resume customization pushed inbound applications to the max.   Here's the harsh reality: we're quickly approaching the point where inbound applies are so far off the mark – and in such high quality – that it's easier to fill openings by not posting any jobs at all. Outbound "headhunting" is becoming less time cons...

The title for this one says it all. But if you read it too fast, you may have missed the word "analysis."   Trashing employment data is a national pastime for people who follow the labor markets. But that's an easy thing to do…if you don't understand what it's telling you. Or rather, when someone else's poor analysis led you astray.   James Hornick and Jeff Smith rip into everyone who rips into em...

In this episode of Beyond the Offer, hosts Rosanna Snediker and Bill Gates chat with Sonya Heer, Talent Acquisition Operations Manager at Delta Dental. Sonya reflects on her 16-year recruiting career, her shift into TA operations, and the role of communication, technology, and data. They also discuss work-life balance, inclusive benefits, and debunk common recruiting misconceptions while sharing t...

Every year I keep hoping some new recruitment tech will come along and save us. And every year I'm disappointed.   Sure, a lot of cool stuff has come out. But nothing seems to knock LinkedIn (or in other sectors, Indeed) off its pedestal. The new-new is always "in addition to" not "instead of" the incumbents.   Why is that? James Hornick and Jeff Smith do a deep dive on what it will take for a fun...

In this episode of Beyond the Offer, hosts Rosanna Snediker and Bill Gates interview Michelle Lee, Senior Director of HR at Signode. Michelle discusses her transition from social services to HR, the differences between small and large organizations, and strategies for employee engagement and retention, particularly in remote settings. She highlights the benefits of global collaboration, the impact...

A client of ours recently had a leadership level finance & accounting search that got over 600 inbound applicants. That's not the shocking part. Anyone who works in recruiting has this happen on a fairly regular basis.   The shocking part: 2/3 of them were actually good. Skill sets were all in the ballpark. This wasn't a "Easy Apply button gone wrong" situation.   And we're talking to more and mor...

Why is everything moving so slow in hiring right now? Every recruiter we talk to – internal and external – says the same thing. More steps in the process. More people added. Longer decision times.   Mind you, two years ago things were moving at breakneck speeds. No one could hire fast enough. What happened?   Well, a lot. And there's more pressure than ever to get every hire right.   James Hornick...

In this episode of the Beyond the Offer podcast, hosts Bill Gates and Rosanna Snediker chat with Sakena Gardner, Head of Talent at Revecore. Sakena shares her journey from aspiring lawyer, inspired by her mother's staffing agency experience, to leading in talent acquisition. The discussion touches on the importance of quality over quantity in hiring, the challenges of diversity and inclusion, the...

We humans love to oversimplify things into binary choices. Dogs vs cats. Drake vs Kendrick. Democrats vs Republicans.   And an "Employer's Market" vs a "Job Seeker's Market."   In reality, we're never fully in one or the other. Prevailing sentiment might lead you to believe employer's have the upper hand right now…except unemployment is 4.1% and counter offers are on the rise.   James Hornick and...

In this episode of Beyond the Offer, hosts Bill Gates and Rosanna Snediker talk with Tonya Wallach, Head of HR at Broadstreet Impact Services. Tonya shares her journey from aspiring CIA agent to leading HR at companies like Kraft Foods, Abbott, and the U.S. Soccer Federation. She discusses the evolving HR landscape, the role of technology and data, and the importance of employee experience. Topics...

Another day, another AI tool that promises to change the world. But won't.   It's not a big leap to think we're at the peak of the AI hype cycle. But in recruitment – a sector already trailing the technology curve – what if it actually makes things worse?   Who is going to train AI on a good interview process if there isn't already a good interview process? What happens when an AI bot breaks down...

It's amazing how so many companies tout how they're great places to work, then ghost you after an interview. I love irony.   Corporate arrogance and poor candidate experience seem to go hand-in-hand. They're well-known issues. But no matter how much they're talked about, it seems like they only get worse over time. And it's often ghosting victims (read: literally everyone) who perpetuate it when t...

The 10 Minute Talent Rant, Episode 90 "Gen Z's 12% Unemployment, Explained"   It came as a shock to pretty much everyone that the unemployment rate among 20-29 year old college grads is hovering at 12%. While the economy in total is under 4%.   The question is: Why? What caused such a disparity? And who is to blame?   The answer? There's no one cause. You can point your finger in pretty much every...

In the inaugural episode of the Beyond the Offer podcast, hosts Bill Gates and Rosanna Snediker discuss the landscape of talent acquisition and human resources with Kailey Mack, Director of HR at Therapy Partners Group. Kailey shares her unconventional journey into HR, the importance of empathy and transparency in recruiting, and the impact of COVID-19 on the HR profession. She offers insights on...

What do you call recruiting that doesn't result in a hire? A complete waste of time. There's no better (worse?) way to spin your wheels than focusing on things that don't get you any closer to a hire. Because your metrics have you focusing on all the wrong things. Good metrics keep you on track. Bad metrics lead to unproductive busy work.  James Hornick and Jeff Smith break down the pitfalls of ma...