HR Interviews Playlist

The world is a volatile place. Inflation, conflict, elections and AI, to name a few, have meant a lot of things in business are taking a pause. Mergers and acquisitions are no exception. However, things are still moving, and signs of new life are everywhere. That's why we invited Georgios Markikus, managing partner at Venero Capital Advisors to the Textkernel booth in Paris at UNLEASH World to chat about the state of M&A. From the recent Clevy acquisition by Fountain to the current thawing of markets to how hungry private equity is at the moment to make things happen. Turns out, there's a lot of dry powder out there, which not only makes this interview interesting, but necessary for anyone who makes their living in workforce businesses.

Three and a half years on from the first pandemic lockdowns, the debate about returning to the office still rages on. However, despite all the noise this year, as some large well-known companies tried yet again to force their employees back to the office, many employers have embraced the reality of remote and hybrid and are working hard to adjust and deal with the challenges of having a distributed workforce. 

Culture and connection are often cited as reasons companies want to bring people back to their offices, particularly when supporting the new generation entering the workforce. So, what are remote and hybrid organizations doing to address these challenges without invoking a mandatory return to the office? 

My guest this week is Dena Singleton, Chief People Officer at Kajabi. Kajabi strongly focuses on developing its culture and building connections within its organization, and Dina has some excellent advice to share.

In the interview, we discuss:

• The unique market that Kajabi serves

• TA challenges

• Job vs Opportunities

• Building culture and connection

• Foster community

• Supporting the new generation in the workforce

• Onboarding

• The impact of AI on the talent function

• The future of work

Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

The last 18 months have seen colossal talent market disruption in the tech industry, with large-scale layoffs continuing as the companies attempt to rebalance after a post-pandemic hiring frenzy. So how has this ongoing disruption affected start-up and scale-up businesses in the tech sector, and what lessons could the wider talent acquisition community learn from the way talent strategies are being reshaped

My guest this week is Lorraine Buhannic, SVP & Head of Talent at VC firm Juxtapose. Lorraine advises Juxtapose's portfolio companies on the talent strategies they need to hire, develop and retain high-performing talent in these very volatile times. 

In the interview, we discuss:

• Current market challenges

• Recruiting CEOs

• Developing a board-level community of talent

• Why talent is even more critical in a downturn

• The compression of middle management

• The long-term implications of losing experienced managers

• Why the most interesting jobs are often at early-stage companies

• Removing silos in the talent function

• The impact of leadership on hiring and retention

• What does the future look like

Subscribe to this podcast in Apple Podcasts.

They care more about results than how things operate under the hood.

Transforming TA into a strategic function that can prove its long-term value to the business has been a critical topic on the show this year. 

AI, uneven talent markets and challenging economic factors continue to cause widespread market disruption, and TA leaders need to drive their function in a more strategic direction. As we race towards 2024, I will continue to seek out strategic thinkers who can share the insights we need to move the industry forward.

My guest this week is Marcel Rütten. Marcel is a consultant, author, podcaster, conference organiser and former Global TA Leader who knows what it takes to build a highly strategic TA function.

In the interview, we discuss:

• Talent market trends

• Proving TA's strategic importance to the C-Suite

• Aligning TA strategy with business strategy

• Uncovering the real issues in hiring and retention

• Tools and technologies

• Root cause analysis 

• The balance between time, cost and quality

• Using data to analyse candidate behaviour

• What impact will generative AI have on talent acquisition

• What will recruiting look like in 5 years?

Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

The impact data can have on business outcomes, and what's involved with AI, data and automation.

The rapid development of AI and the increasing sophistication of skills-based hiring methodologies are two potent forces shaping the future of talent acquisition. 

So what kind of future can we look forward to, and will we see the increase in talent mobility and the decrease in bias that we need to make hiring more equitable and ensure employers have better access to the talent they need?

My guest this week is Ben Porr, Chief Customer Officer at Harver. Ben is a highly experienced I/O psychologist who has been working to reduce bias in the hiring process. Ben's knowledge and experience have given him expert insights that can help us understand what the future of talent acquisition looks like when you combine the power of AI with the potential of skills-based hiring.

In the interview, we discuss:

• The biggest challenges in the talent market

• Bottlenecks in the hiring process

• The evolution of skills-based hiring

• Increasing talent mobility

• Strategies to reduce bias

• Combing pieces of evidence 

• Does AI increase or decrease bias?

• AI as a job creation tool

• How can talent acquisition better use data

• What does the future look like, and how quickly will the recruiter's role change?

Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Talent Acquisition is in a state of fast-accelerating disruption, and it has never been more critical for TA leaders to demonstrate the strategic value of their function. However, in the current volatile environment, many organisations are still struggling to get the essential elements of recruiting right.

So what should TA teams be focusing on to make sure they are fit for purpose in an uncertain future?

My guests this week are Kurt Bridge and Christian Le Loux from Macramé Consulting. Kurt and Christian are both highly experienced TA Leaders. They have much advice to share on building the right foundations for talent acquisition and implementing effective data-driven recruiting.

In the interview, we discuss:

• How do TA Teams innovate

• Fractional leadership and scalability

• Building a foundation to be strategic

• Operating models, workflows and experience

• What is data-driven recruiting?

• Proving strategic value to the organisation

• Combating short-termism

• What will TA look like in the future?

Listen to this podcast in Apple Podcasts.

The future path of remote work, and how AI fits in.

AI and recruiting have been extensively discussed this year in podcasts, blogs, conferences, webinars and LinkedIn posts. However, the one angle I've not seen covered is what it is like to recruit for AI professionals. 

Such a new industry means a severe shortage of experienced talent, and AI companies must work hard to outsmart their talent market competition.

My guest this week is Lauren Saltus, a Senior Recruiter at Runway, an AI research company focused on the creative sectors. In our conversation, Lauren shares her experience of refocusing to become a specialist AI recruiter and discusses some of the critical factors that influence talent in this area. There are some great insights here, not just for AI recruiting but for anyone who is operating in a market where there is a significant skill shortage.

In the interview, we discuss:

• The current state of tech recruiting and why AI recruiting is different

• Creating a research brand to attract talent

• Individual managers as talent magnets

• Diverse hiring, bias and recruiting people with untraditional backgrounds

• Training AI on diverse datasets

• What is the future for recruiters?

Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.