HR Interviews Playlist

When we last spoke to Rebecca Carr, she was the interim CEO at SmartRecuiters, a popular ATS. Fortunately, the "interim" title has been removed and now she's just CEO. Of course, that comes with a whole new set of challenges, and we were more than happy to visit with her at the HR Technology conference to check-in on how it all went down, what's the current state of the business and what the future holds. It's a candid look into the inner workings of SmartRecruiters, as well as so other players in the recruitment space.

Buckle up, folks! This episode of HR’s Most Dangerous Podcast comes straight from the green room at Recfest USA in Nashville, sponsored by Shaker Recruitment Marketing. Chad and Joel sit down with the one and only Rachel Morgan, VP of Client Services at Shaker, to talk about the glamorous world of recruitment marketing—mimosas in hand, of course.

Rachel takes us on a wild ride from her days of wrestling with job boards (RIP SimplyHired) to the modern marvels of programmatic advertising and employer branding. Spoiler alert: AI is still the buzzword, and job seekers are still stuck in application limbo. Rachel drops some truth bombs.

And for you TikTok skeptics out there, prepare to clutch your pearls—yes, people are finding career advice and jobs on the same platform where they learn to dance badly in 15 seconds.

But the real meat of the episode? It’s all about gatekeeping! Want to get your shiny new HR tech in front of Shaker? Be prepared for some "American Idol" realness, where only the best get through.

Enjoy!

Skills-based organizations and skills-based hiring have been some of the hottest topics of the year. While it is hard to find anyone who disagrees that this way of thinking about talent strategies has enormous benefits, there is still much debate about some of the practicalities around strategy and implementation.

I spoke to two genuine HR thought leaders in my fourth and final set of interviews recorded at this year's HR Technology Conference. Heather Jerrehain, VP of Product Management - Employee Workflows at Service Now, and Mike Bollinger, Global VP of Strategic Initiative at Cornerstone on Demand

Both shared their thoughts and insights on the power of skills, the journey towards skills-based organizations, and their sense of what the future might look like.

In the interviews, we discuss:

• The impact of AI on jobs, work, and skills

• How AI is revolutionizing skills analysis and intelligence

• Using data from the hiring process to get a fuller picture of a person's skills

• The power of skills-based mobility

• Advice on building skills-based strategies

• How to get started

• The importance of not overcomplicating the process

• What types of organizations are already successfully implementing skills-based strategies

• Soft skills versus hard skills

• Skills development and the value for employees

• Integrating technology into skills-based hiring and development.

• What will things look like in five years' time?

Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Technology is evolving quickly, and advances in AI are likely to change Talent Acquisition forever. If you are a regular listener to this podcast, you will know that I firmly believe there is an opportunity here to make recruiting better for everyone, with the potential for AI to increase effectiveness, efficiency, and experience exponentially. I call this Recruiting Nirvana. However, other less favorable future scenarios still exist, and there is only a short window of time for TA's future to be in its own hands.

It is critical; then, that TA Leaders keep up to date with the art of the possible when it comes to AI and technology and have a clear vision of the future, they are moving towards.

At the recent HR Technology Conference, I sat down with six practitioners and analysts to find out what they thought the biggest challenges are in TA at the moment, which of the current use cases of AI they feel are most valuable, and, most importantly, what their own vision of Recruiting Nirvana looks like.

In this episode, you will hear from:

A huge thank you to Gem for hosting me at their booth at HR Tech so that I could have these conversations.

Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

In this episode, Brian Johnson and Chad Sowash discuss the inspiring story of James Mims, the creator of Mims Bands, a unique product that combines baseball cards with wristbands. They explore the entrepreneurial spirit, the importance of perseverance, and the role of founders in startups, emphasizing the significance of character and vision in achieving success. The conversation highlights Mims' journey, his relationship with mentor Dusty Baker, and his legacy as the only black vendor in Major League Baseball.

Chapters

00:00 The Genesis of Mims Bands

04:46 Entrepreneurial Spirit and Relentlessness

10:23 The Importance of Founders in Startups

12:01 A Legacy of Perseverance and Recognition

In this episode of The Chad and Cheese podcast, recorded live from The Shaker Green Room at Recfest USA, Chad and Joel sit down with Nicole Stephens, Recruitment Marketing Manager at Floor & Decor. Nicole who shares her approach to employer branding and recruitment marketing, focusing on making work environments better and more enjoyable. She emphasizes the importance of doing more with less, offering actionable insights on maximizing impact with zero-dollar budgets.

Nicole also highlights how companies can enhance their candidate experience without spending a fortune, using examples from brands like Microsoft and Duolingo. She digs deep into the challenges talent acquisition professionals face, stressing the need to understand the business and make meaningful changes, rather than focusing solely on metrics like social media likes.

The discussion touches on important topics like employee advocacy, retaining talent, and the critical role of data in recruitment. Nicole shares practical advice on collaborating with other departments, automating processes without losing the human touch, and the importance of taking action, no matter how small. Finally, Nicole’s call to "work like a European" and embrace more holidays underscores her belief that breaks lead to better productivity and creativity.

ENJOY!

In this episode of the Chad and Cheese podcast, Euan Cameron, CEO at Willo, returns for a Firing Squad reunion. The conversation covers the journey of Willo since their first appearance on the podcast in August 2021, including their fundraising efforts and product evolution. Euan shares that Willo recently raised $2 million in funding, bringing their total funding to over $3 million.

He also discusses the importance of maintaining a frugal mentality and the challenges of dilution. The episode concludes with a discussion on Willo's customer base, which has grown to 12,150 customers in 195 countries, and their global reach in interviewing candidates from every country in the world. Willo has experienced significant changes since their last conversation, including the shift to candidates being comfortable on camera and the move upstream to larger enterprise organizations.

They have developed a platform capable of interviewing and assessing candidates through video, audio, text, multiple choice, and assessments. The company has seen success in the US market, with 60% of their revenue coming from the US. They attribute their success to word-of-mouth referrals and delivering the best customer experience. Integrations have been important for SMBs, but not a major acquisition channel for larger organizations. The team has grown organically and is doubling in size over the next year. Willo is focused on automating the onboarding process and improving the efficiency of the next steps after assessment.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Firing Squad Reunion

07:59 - The Importance of a Frugal Mentality in Startup Success

09:44 - Navigating the Challenges of Dilution

15:05 - Global Reach: Interviewing Candidates from Every Country

17:35 - Moving Upstream to Enterprise Organizations

20:24 - Success in the US Market

23:28 -Importance of Integrations for SMBs

27:23 - Delivering on Time to Hire

29:18 - Balancing AI and Human Involvement

32:43 - Team Growth and Future Plans

Last week, I attended The HR Technology Conference in Las Vegas. The event was full of energy and optimism for the future as hundreds of vendors showcased new AI products and AI integrations. Everyone was playing up the new heights of efficiency and effectiveness AI can take us as an industry.

However, there was much debate about the level of genuine innovation on offer and a sense that rather than thinking radically and reinventing what we do, we were just looking at faster ways of solving old problems that don't live up to AI''s potential to challenge the status quo.

Here are three interviews I recorded at the show to help you make up your own minds about the levels of innovation we are currently seeing.

First up is Allyn Bailey from SmartRecruiters who predicted the rise of recruiterless recruiting on the show last year. I was interested to see how far she thought we had come on that journey and what was going to happen next.

The second interview was with Josh Sklüt, co-founder of MyStandard, who was undoubtedly the vendor trying to be the most disruptive, with a very different way of looking at the relationship between employers and potential employers.

The final interview is a conversation with David Nason, founder and CEO of HireBrain, who seeks to better align hiring managers and recruiters and who were winners of the Pitchfest competition at the conference. 

Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Round up is the monthly show on The Recruiting Future Podcast channel that highlights episodes you may have missed and gives you my take on some of the key learnings from the guests.

Episodes mentioned in this Round Up:

Ep 639: Inclusive Interviews Inspired By NASA

Ep 640: What Is The Value Of TA?

Ep 641: How Is TA Evolving?

Ep 642: Augmenting Talent Acquisition

Ep 643: Career Activism

Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts

In this episode of *Talent Chasing*, hosted by Brian Johnson and Chad Sowash, the focus is on entrepreneur James Mims and his journey in founding Mims Bands, a wristband company that has become an iconic part of Major League Baseball (MLB) history.

James shares how, as a senior at the University of Southern California, he came up with the idea for personalized wristbands for athletes, starting with a prototype for baseball player Dusty Baker. Over time, Mims Bands became widely recognized, worn by many notable MLB players like Eric Davis and Tim Raines. Despite facing numerous challenges, including resistance from MLB and the Players Association, Mims persevered and got his product used by over 130 players.

Mims reflects on the obstacles he faced as a Black entrepreneur, from difficulties gaining access to stadiums to dealing with legal battles. The conversation also highlights how Mims promoted individualism in a highly structured sport like baseball. Brian and Chad emphasize the lessons from his experience, particularly around persistence, relationships, and the critical role of talent in both sports and business.

The episode ends with a discussion of Mims' major accomplishments, including his partnership with Topps and the induction of his product into the Baseball Hall of Fame, cementing his legacy in the sport.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

01:19 Taking a Risk: Going for Your Unique Idea

08:11 Empowering Athletes through Individualism

14:54 The Lack of Player Marketing in Baseball

19:55 Breaking Barriers: The First Black Vendor in Baseball

23:57 Navigating Challenges and Building a Successful Business

37:50 The Journey of Mims Bands: Perseverance and Success

47:34 Overcoming Challenges with the Major League Baseball Players Association

59:42 The Power of Individualism in the Sports Industry

01:05:07 From Tops Project 70 to the Hall of Fame: A Pinnacle Achievement