HR Interviews Playlist

After all the commentary and debate about AI and talent acquisition over the last two years, we are finally starting to see what this brave new world might look like as many technology providers roll out new AI-driven products and services.

While it is clear that massive changes are coming to the way companies hire talent, there are still many unanswered questions and contradictory views on what the future will look like.

I wanted to get a different perspective on things, so this week, my guest is Shashank Saxena, a Managing Partner at Sierra Ventures. Sierra Ventures is an early-stage VC firm that has made several investments in AI-driven HR software companies. In our conversation, Shashank gives us some alternative visions of what the future of work might look like and implications for talent acquisition.

In the interview, we discuss:

• How is the world of work changing

• AI use cases and the speed of adoption

• Does AI make TA more efficient, or does it completely disrupt it?

• Are AI-powered job seekers cheating?

• Can AI make hiring decisions?

• The implications of AI agents on white collar work

• What does the future of HR and Recruiting Technology look like?

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After many years of being seen as tactical, TA has the unique opportunity to reposition itself as a strategic function with insights to shape business strategy. However, this will only happen with a significant degree of transformation, and those TA teams that stick to doing what they have always done are at risk of further downsizing or being automated away altogether. 

So, what do TA Leaders need to do to harness the current forces of change and reinvent their function

My guest this week is Lyndsey Taylor, head of Global Talent Attraction at Brooks Automation. Lyndsey has a wealth of experience in TA transformation, strategic workforce planning, and driving change. She shares her perspectives on the future of TA, the rise of strategic workforce planning, and breaking down traditional HR silos.

In the Interview, we discuss:

• How the work of TA is changing and the forces driving that change

• How can TA influence business outcomes?

• Aligning metrics to business goals

• Internal mobility and reskilling 

• What role can TA play in Strategic Workforce Planning

• How to be more strategic

• What does AI make possible

• Enhancing the candidate experience

• Reducing bias

• Breaking the silos in HR

• What should TA look like in 3 years time?

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From the SmartRecruiters booth at the HR Tech conference, the guys interviewed Stefan Premdas, who transitioned from a background in biomedical engineering to HR, focusing on talent operations and recruitment at various firms before joining sweetgreen. Stefan discussed the evolving HR landscape, introducing the concept of "people experience" and how his team at sweetgreen manages the entire employee lifecycle with an emphasis on integration. He highlighted sweetgreen's approach to employee engagement and retention, leveraging automation not only to improve customer service but also to enhance recruitment efficiency and candidate experience. Stefan touched on retention strategies for recruiters, focusing on providing clear paths for future career growth, and announced upcoming initiatives like a comprehensive Employee Value Proposition exercise aimed at solidifying sweetgreen's brand identity. He also addressed the natural diversity within sweetgreen's workforce, the current state of automation in their operations, and future expansion plans. Key technology tools like their Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and video interview systems were also mentioned, underscoring the tech-driven approach at sweetgreen.

From the SmartRecruiters booth at the HR Tech conference, the guys interviewed Stefan Premdas, who transitioned from a background in biomedical engineering to HR, focusing on talent operations and recruitment at various firms before joining sweetgreen. Stefan discussed the evolving HR landscape, introducing the concept of "people experience" and how his team at sweetgreen manages the entire employee lifecycle with an emphasis on integration. He highlighted sweetgreen's approach to employee engagement and retention, leveraging automation not only to improve customer service but also to enhance recruitment efficiency and candidate experience. Stefan touched on retention strategies for recruiters, focusing on providing clear paths for future career growth, and announced upcoming initiatives like a comprehensive Employee Value Proposition exercise aimed at solidifying sweetgreen's brand identity. He also addressed the natural diversity within sweetgreen's workforce, the current state of automation in their operations, and future expansion plans. Key technology tools like their Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and video interview systems were also mentioned, underscoring the tech-driven approach at sweetgreen.

Company culture is a fundamental selling point for attracting the right talent to an organization. However, in many cases, it is talked about in a cliched, inauthentic way during the hiring process. Culture is also often portrayed in terms of the working environment or via specific perks rather than being something that holistically represents the organization.

So, how can TA teams use culture as a genuine magnet to attract talent in a post-pandemic world where work has fundamentally changed?

My guest this week is Kirstie Eustace, Chief Admin Officer at Steward Partners. Steward Partners is an excellent example of an organization that puts their culture front and centre in there hiring process, and Kirstie has some excellent insights and advice to share

In the interview, we discuss:

• The definition of culture in a corporate context

• How does culture translate into employee and candidate experience?

• Prioritising wellbeing

• Using culture to stand out in talent acquisition

• Storytelling with real examples

• Giving candidates direct access to existing employees and the leadership team

• The role of technology

• What does the future look like

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From the Shaker Green Room at RecFest USA, Dean Da Costa joins Chad & Cheese to share fresh recruitment advice. He urges recruiters to challenge norms, verify AI-generated data, and focus on the human touch. Da Costa emphasizes personal branding, as candidates often research recruiters, and suggests exploring platforms beyond LinkedIn to reach diverse talent. He highlights the irreplaceable value of genuine interactions over automation and advocates for a supportive, knowledge-sharing recruiter community.

Live from the SmartRecruiters booth at the HR Tech conference in Las Vegas, the boys hosted a session with Patti Tabris, Senior Director of Talent Acquisition at ResultsCX, who shared insights into leveraging employee referrals for recruitment. With 20,000 employees, ResultsCX has seen tremendous success by generating over 400,000 referrals in two years, highlighting referrals as a potent yet often underutilized recruitment strategy. Patti emphasized that continuous improvement and innovation in their referral program, named ReferCX, not only reduces hiring costs but also enhances candidate quality and company culture. The program's effectiveness is boosted by integrating marketing strategies at launch and robust backend technology to handle referral tracking and bonus calculations. The company has implemented a tiered incentive system linked to employee retention and uses a leaderboard to boost engagement without extra costs. The referral initiative extends beyond immediate hires, creating a pool of future candidates, and is integrated into the company's onboarding process through a mobile app. This program, accounting for 25-30% of hires, focuses on internal culture but plans to explore external referrals and enhance gamification. The success of ReferCX is measured through clear goals, tracking, and employee feedback, demonstrating its significant impact on both employee satisfaction and retention.

Whenever we talk about recruiting automation, there is always a persistent narrative in favor of retaining the human touch in some way, shape, or form. While technology now enables us to interact in increasingly conversational ways, there's still an irreplaceable quality in human-to-human, face-to-face dialogue that no machine or video can fully replicate.

So, how can we enhance the effectiveness of our conversations in both professional and personal settings? And could asking more powerful, thoughtful questions lead to better hiring outcomes? 

My guest this week is Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Topaz Adizes, founder of experience design studio The Skin Deep. Having conducted over 1,200 filmed conversations exploring human connection, Topaz has gained profound insights into what makes questions transformative. In our discussion, he shares what his work has taught him about crafting questions that break down barriers and foster authentic dialogue—lessons that can help us all engage more meaningfully in the workplace and beyond.

In the interview, we discuss:

• Lessons learned from filming 1,200 conversations

• How conversations build relationships

• Avoiding power plays and making a safe space for conversation

• The importance of well-constructed questions

• Curiosity and openness in job interviews

• The power of bringing unrelated concepts together

• Connective questions

• Listening versus speaking

• Can AI write effective questions?

• The differences between face-to-face and virtual conversations

• What's the future of workplace conversations?

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I know that many of you would agree that we are now beyond saturation point with the hype around AI in TA. It's clear that one way or another, gen AI is going to become ubiquitous in the software that we use. So, rather than discussing it as a topic on its own, we need to look carefully at the current and future impact on TA in terms of use cases, innovation, and the potential to rethink hiring.

So what are the proven use cases for AI right now, where are we missing opportunities, and how will things develop in the short term?

My guest this week is Mark Chaffey, Co-Founder and CEO of Hackajob. We discuss current AI use cases and lessons TA can learn from Gen AI's impact on software engineering.

In the interview, we discuss:

• The current state of the tech hiring market

• Concerns over developing early career talent

• The impact of AI on software engineering

• AI isn't just about automation. It's about being ten times better.

• Why AI will always match better than humans

• The role of TA

• The hype cycle

• Critical questions to ask vendors

• Data governance and integration

• What will things be like in both the short and long-term future?

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Get ready to dive into the wild world of sports biz with Debbie Spander, the CEO of Insight Sports Advisors—a boutique sports media agency where deals happen, dreams are made, and retired athletes try not to be the “Remember that guy?” stories! Debbie’s gone from slinging legal briefs as a sports lawyer to negotiating contracts as a sports agent, and she’s spilling all the tea. She tackles the big stuff, like what athletes should do when hanging up the cleats (because “Can I still wear these?” is sadly not a retirement plan). Debbie also dishes on the rise of social media influencers in sports—because these days, athletes don’t just train for game day; they train to drop fire selfies.

This convo isn’t just business; Debbie gets personal! She opens up about her family's sports journalism legacy, the thrill (and chaos) of navigating NIL (name, image, likeness) for college athletes, and the crucial balance between on-field glory and off-field hustle. Plus, she shares advice for aspiring female sports lawyers because, let’s face it, this industry could use more women throwing down on and off the field. Expect laughs, insights, and maybe a few “Wait, what?” moments as Debbie dives into what it’s like being a true sports insider in a constantly changing game.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Debbie Spander and Insight Sports Advisors

03:14 Debbie's Journey: From Sports Lawyer to Agent

05:52 The Landscape of Sports Representation

09:06 Transitioning Athletes: Preparing for Second Careers

11:59 Identifying and Nurturing Talent in Sports Media

15:01 Challenges Faced by Retired Athletes

17:46 The Rise of Social Media Influencers in Sports

20:58 Advice for Aspiring Female Sports Lawyers

24:10 The Future of Women in Sports Representation

25:27 The Importance of Role Models in Sports

27:06 Balancing Ambitions: Athletes and Off-Field Pursuits

28:14 Content Creation: New Models in Sports Media

30:59 Evaluating Podcast Potential in Athletes

32:21 Lessons from a Sports Writing Legacy

35:30 The Role of Family in Shaping Careers

37:54 Boutique vs. Large Sports Agencies

39:46 Motivation and Client Relationships in Sports Management

41:45 Navigating the NIL Landscape

46:50 The Future of College Athletics and NIL