HR Interviews Playlist

Tune in to witness Rodney Gilmore, sports analyst by day and aspiring legal eagle by night. From his childhood streets of Oakland to the polished floors of ESPN, Rodney dishes on everything from racial dynamics to the heartbreaking rigors of choosing the right tie for broadcast. As they dive into topics like unconscious bias and diversity, prepare for a rollercoaster of "did they really just say that?" moments. Whether it's reminiscing about the good old days of juggling footballs and law books, or unraveling the enigma of ESPN’s cultural evolution from boys' club to big tent. Expect a mix of nostalgia, name-dropping, and nuanced takes on why college athletes should maybe, possibly, get a slice of the revenue pie. Don't miss out on this exhilarating exploration of sports, law, and the art of staying relevant in both.

It's becoming evident that we are at a critical pivot point for talent acquisition. While the debates around AI are sucking up most of the attention, massive shifts are happening in terms of the shelf life of skills, ongoing challenges with skills acquisition, and upskilling people for a very different future world of work.

So, how should employers think about skills, and how can talent acquisition gain the future focus it needs to drive organizational value?

My guest this week is Lisa Monteith, Head of Talent Acquisition and onboarding for HSBC UK. In our wide-ranging conversation, we talk about the skills challenges facing organizations and the importance of taking a long-term view.

In the interview, we discuss:

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A full transcript will appear here shortly.

In this episode, Desiree Goldey, director, talent operations & culture at ZRG Partners, dives into the transformation of talent acquisition (TA) from a cost center to a revenue driver. She underscores the pivotal role of data in showcasing TA's contribution to revenue growth through metrics like cost per hire and quality of hire. Goldey emphasizes the need for HR and TA to collaborate closely with other departments, such as marketing, to enhance overall efficiency. She also touches on the impact of automation on recruiting processes and the future of HR in a more automated and flexible landscape. Goldey advocates for updating outdated processes and embracing a hybrid work model for better talent management. She concludes with a call for data-driven decision-making in HR and TA, especially in diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

Somewhere between 15% and 20% of the population is neurodivergent. The majority have yet to receive a formal diagnosis, and a significant number of those with a diagnosis choose not to share it publically. Over the last few years, we've seen a growing number of employers taking steps to be more neuro-inclusive, which is great to see. However, there is still a long way to go with recruiting, as most hiring processes contain significant barriers for neurodiverse people. There is also a danger that the move to AI-driven recruiting may make things worse if neuro-inclusion isn't proactively prioritized.

So, what steps can employers take to embed neuro-inclusion in their recruiting processes effectively?

My guest this week is Tania Martin, a neuro-inclusion consultant who was previously Head of EY's Neuro-Diverse Centre of Excellence in the UK and Ireland. In our conversation, Tania discusses the shortcomings of the traditional recruiting process and how we can rethink it to be better for everyone.

In the interview, we discuss:

• Harnessing neurodiversity in the workforce

• How EY's Neuro-Diverse Centre of Excellence was set up

• Why can making recruiting processes more neuro-inclusive be good for everyone?

• Accessing untapped pools of talent

• Intimidating job specs

• Assessment and spiky profiles

• Helping people to show their best selves during the interview process

• Educating hiring managers

• The role of technology

• What will neuro-inclusion look like for future generations in the workforce?

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In this riveting episode, Chad Sowash is fresh from the disciplinarian delights of the army and has decided that his next battlefield is...podcasting. Brace yourselves for tales of grit and grime that somehow segue into the importance of gap years and personal development.

Chad shares why he traded textbooks for infantry and football for firearms. Get ready for an exploration into the dizzying heights of military discipline, where the only thing more terrifying than the training is Chad's love for it.

As we dive deeper, Chad pontificates on leadership — a topic as vast and unfathomable as his transition from military muscle to corporate crusader. Ever wondered how yelling at people to do push-ups can help you navigate the boardroom? Chad's your guy. He'll also touch on his flirtation with mixed martial arts.

And just when you thought it couldn't get more eclectic, Chad shares his foray into the wild world of podcasting with "The Chad and Cheese Podcast".

Join us as we dissect the life and times of Chad Sowash, a man who's teaching us all that you can take the sergeant out of the military, but you can't take the military out of the podcast. Expect unsolicited advice, bewildering career pivots, and a whole lot of Chad.

Brace yourselves for the roller coaster ride of snark that is the "Chad and Cheese Podcast." It's your audacious dive into the world of HR, where co-hosts Chad Sowash and Joel Cheesman take no prisoners and spare no feelings. Each episode is a concoction of brash opinions, industry insights, and a healthy dose of mockery, aimed at anyone within earshot. Join us as we dissect the recruiting world, interview industry bigwigs like Blair Fambro from Hershey, and generally wreak havoc in the most delightful way possible. If you're looking for political correctness, you've taken a wrong turn somewhere.

In this riveting episode, Chad Sowash is fresh from the disciplinarian delights of the army and has decided that his next battlefield is...podcasting. Brace yourselves for tales of grit and grime that somehow segue into the importance of gap years and personal development.

Chad shares why he traded textbooks for infantry and football for firearms. Get ready for an exploration into the dizzying heights of military discipline, where the only thing more terrifying than the training is Chad's love for it.

As we dive deeper, Chad pontificates on leadership — a topic as vast and unfathomable as his transition from military muscle to corporate crusader. Ever wondered how yelling at people to do push-ups can help you navigate the boardroom? Chad's your guy. He'll also touch on his flirtation with mixed martial arts.

And just when you thought it couldn't get more eclectic, Chad shares his foray into the wild world of podcasting with "The Chad and Cheese Podcast".

Join us as we dissect the life and times of Chad Sowash, a man who's teaching us all that you can take the sergeant out of the military, but you can't take the military out of the podcast. Expect unsolicited advice, bewildering career pivots, and a whole lot of Chad.

This week we welcome longtime TA practitioner Author of Hiring Humans Craig Fisher

• Craig brings a wealth of experience and passion to his new book, Hiring Humans. 

• Practical tips and key takeaways are written for HR and TA as deskside reference and refresher.

• The 5:1 content generation template gives you the cadence and consistency to build your personal brand as a recruiter. 

• Craig has built a community for TA with TalentNet events.Twice a year, the conference is a safe space with honest conversations, case studies and featured speakers. 

In this podcast episode, the boys chat with Kyle Samuels, founder & CEO at Creative Talent Endeavors. The conversation revolves around the intricacies of executive search, focusing on retained executive search and its traditional practices. The discussion highlights the challenges and dynamics of the industry, including high fees, limited diversity, and the impact of remote work on recruitment. Kyle emphasizes the importance of human connection in the workplace and suggests ways for startups to navigate their first executive search. The episode concludes with a light-hearted note about Kyle's favorite Taco Bell meal.

Economic challenges, technology innovations, changing attitudes to how and where we work, and a new, very different generation entering the workplace. These are just some of the forces driving change across the whole of the people function.

In this second compilation episode of interviews I recorded at Transform earlier in the year, I speak to two of the most innovative HR Executives out there about the changing Talent landscape.

My first guest, Donald Knight, Chief People Officer at Greenhouse, shares his insights on the current challenges for CPOs, the importance of developing curiosity, and the need to eliminate the laggard approach that has categorized HR for so long. 

My second conversation is with John Baldino, President of Humareso. This was the final interview I recorded at the conference, and we reflect on the event, our key learnings from it, and the future of HR in an AI-driven world.

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