Talk Talent To Me

Ken Bouchard, VP of Talent Strategy at BJ's Wholesale Club, joins Rob to break down how he led a full-scale HR transformation—without losing sight of the business. From splitting strategic and ER functions, to killing off "HR vanity projects," Ken explains how he restructured his team to be faster, sharper, and more aligned to outcomes. Plus, he shares why some projects should be shelved even if t...

Trisha Degg joins Rob to unpack her zigzagging path through sales, HR, venture capital, and back to the hiring trenches as Head of Global TA at Rush Street Interactive. She shares how "Googling her way through HR" (pre-AI!) made her a sharper TA leader, why she hired a former recruiter to wrangle ATS chaos, and how her team is using AI to reverse-engineer their best hires. From global hiring hurdl...

TTTM welcomes back Dom Farnan, who shares her journey from being the CEO of DotConnect to her current role as Head of Business Recruiting at Groq. Dom discusses the challenges and learnings from her transition, the importance of communication in leadership, and the need for a tailored recruiting process that aligns with the company's values. She emphasizes the significance of educating hiring mana...

Show Notes & Key Takeaways Show Notes EnterpriseDB CHRO Einav Lavi shares how she transformed from finance instructor to business-focused HR leader by speaking the language of executives—revenue, costs, and ROI. She details challenging a COVID-era 20% layoff mandate with data-driven alternatives that saved nearly $1M, leading company-wide AI implementation, and positioning HR as "builders of the b...

Show Notes Lucia shares her unconventional career philosophy: choose companies over jobs. With experience at Yahoo, Patreon, and six years at Virta, she argues that job titles, managers, and compensation frequently change, but company mission remains stable. The conversation explores Virta's unique hiring challenge of needing 20-50 healthcare coaches and providers within weeks due to unpredictable...

Gianna Driver, a seasoned Chief People Officer shares her stance on eliminating cover letters and resumes, the mutual evaluation process during job searches, and the critical questions candidates should ask to assess company culture. Gianna emphasizes the importance of in-person interactions and offers valuable advice for job seekers navigating a challenging market.   Takeaways Should we eliminate...

Helen Burns, the Global Talent Director at Owkin, about her unique journey in talent acquisition. Helen shares her transition from freelance consulting to an in-house role, the importance of long-term talent strategies, and the challenges of building a talent team in a rapidly changing industry. They discuss the significance of employer value propositions, company culture, and navigating imposter...

Summary In this episode, Rob interviews Jonathan Graber, the head of talent at Gynger, discussing his journey from agency recruiting to in-house talent acquisition. They explore the challenges and rewards of transitioning roles, the importance of setting deadlines in hiring, and the diverse responsibilities that come with working in a startup environment. Jonathan shares insights on managing prior...

JP, Chief People Officer at Metropolis, emphasizes the need to reframe the return to office narrative, highlighting the irreplaceable value of human connection and collaboration that cannot be replicated through remote work alone. He shares insights on fostering a culture of access and the responsibilities that come with managing a large workforce post-acquisition. In this conversation, John-Paul...

Elizabeth explains how succession planning reveals far-reaching insights about the state of talent in an organization. As Director of Talent Management and Organizational Development at Cerence AI, Elizabeth has prioritized generating individual development plans (IDPs) for all employees. Elizabeth emphasizes that employees should take ownership of their careers and seek out opportunities for grow...

Mike Mroczka is an interview coach, author, software engineer, and consultant specializing in helping hiring organizations eliminate cheating in their interview processes. Mike shares the challenges posed by AI tools in coding interviews, the distinction between using resources and cheating, and the necessity of evaluating candidates' foundational knowledge. Mike shares insights on how organizatio...

Lia Economos discusses the evolution of interview processes, particularly in the context of integrating AI tools and adapting to the changing landscape of technical interviews. She emphasizes the importance of structured interviews as companies grow and the need to design interview questions that challenge candidates beyond the capabilities of AI. The discussion also touches on the ethical implica...

In today's fast-paced world where candidates are always looking for the next opportunity, it's rare to find someone dedicated to growing within one organization. As today's guest Lani Montoya demonstrates, internal growth may be the best way to develop exceptional people leaders. Lani is the Chief People Officer at Pernod Ricard, the world leader in premium international wines and spirits, and she...

What does it take to build a people-first hiring culture from the ground up, without sacrificing speed or scale? In this episode of Talk Talent to Me, returning guest Anna Chalon, Head of People at Runway, shares how she intentionally navigated her career from startup to acquisition and back again, fueled by a love for building and a clear sense of purpose. She unpacks her criteria for choosing th...

What do the Sunday scaries have to do with how happy you are at work? Today we sit down with Molly Minczeski, the Director of Talent Acquisition & Employer Brand at MANSCAPED, the global men's lifestyle consumer brand and male grooming category creator trusted by over 12 million men worldwide. Molly unpacks what the Sunday scaries really mean and why work-life balance looks different for everyone....

  Kenzie discusses her tansition from big tech to an AI startup, and how positive hiring manager relationships are more important than specific AI upskilling.  Key Points From This Episode:   Welcoming Kenzie (Keller) Hoelscher to the show. Kenzie tells us about herself and how she got into recruitment.  A little bit about Kenzie's fascinating career.  The importance of building relationships with...

Referrals are an active, internal marketing campaign that recruitment leaders need to leverage alongside their external marketing campaigns. Today, global talent leader Neeti Upreti joins the show to discuss the power and importance of referrals in the recruitment industry. Hear all about Neeti's incredible career, why recruiting isn't only a push but also a pull, the importance of senior leadersh...

Rich shares invaluable insights from his time at Google and Facebook, explaining why he transitioned into the startup world and how Anyscale is tackling the challenges of machine learning talent acquisition. We also discuss the importance of sourcing differentiation, the role of AI in recruiting, and why every employee should think like a recruiter.    Key Points From This Episode:   Why Rich left...

  In the age of AI and rapid technological evolution, skills planning has become a greater challenge than ever before. But how else can businesses ensure clear succession paths across their organizations? As we dive down this rabbit hole, we are joined today by Lupe Colangelo, the Director of Alumni Engagement and Employer Partnerships at General Assembly – a company focused on closing the global...

How is AI shaping the candidate experience, from the application to the interview to signing on the dotted line? Here to brief us on the current state of AI in human resources is People AI Evangelist, Global HR Futurist, and HR Director at Avalanche Gaming Studios, Johannes Sundlo. Johannes is passionate about driving HR strategies such as workforce modeling, strategic staffing, performance calibr...

Grace reveals her unique perspective on elite talent shaped by her career as a Juilliard-trained pianist. From mastering the nuances of excellence in music to identifying top-tier talent in the corporate world, Grace shares how her deep understanding of what sets people apart fuels her approach to hiring and leadership. She dives into the strategic side of talent acquisition, explaining why busine...

Ciara shares her journey from dreaming of being a CPO as a kid (briefcase in hand!) to leading global people strategies, the challenges of stepping into an internal leadership role, and the power of data-driven decision-making in HR. She breaks down Skillsoft's strategy cascade, a system that ensures every employee's work drives company success, and reveals how generative AI is changing the game f...

Today's guest, Dr. Serena Huang, champions the crucial role of data experts in people teams, showing how people analytics can lead to smarter talent decisions. A globally recognized speaker and innovator, Dr. Huang has a unique background as a data executive at Fortune 100 companies and a Chief Data Officer in the startup world. Her work goes beyond numbers, using data to create healthier, more pr...

Benjamin explains how he and his team measure candidate ROI, how he's improved the candidate selection process, what to be wary of when using AI in TA, and the opportunities that await between what a candidate already knows and what they're expected to learn in their new role. To end, Benjamin walks us through key data points that, when paid attention to, will help a company improve its candidate...

How do you create a career that reflects your values while staying open to unexpected opportunities? Today, we speak with Sam Simmons, Chief People and Internal Operations Officer at the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), about embracing adaptability and authenticity. Sam shares her incredible career journey, starting in higher education and pivoting into recruiting, tech, professional s...