In this episode of Offer Accepted, Shannon Ogborn sits down with Willem Wijnans, Ashby’s EMEA Sales Lead. Willem, a veteran in scaling companies and recruiting functions, shares his journey and insights into the world of talent acquisition.

Willem discusses his transition from sourcing to structured hiring, emphasizing the importance of tooling and operations. He shares his passion for candidate experience, a concept he initially dismissed but later embraced. Willem also highlights the importance of measuring and influencing this aspect of talent acquisition.

The conversation focuses on the role of recruiters and hiring managers in the hiring process. Willem stresses the importance of clear communication and the detrimental effects of ghosting candidates. He also shares his thoughts on the design of the hiring process, advocating for strategic thinking to avoid killing the pipeline and candidate experience. Tune in for a deep dive into the intricacies of talent acquisition.

In this episode of Offer Accepted, host Shannon Ogborn sits down with Marty Hauck, Founder of The People People Group. They start with the nitty-gritty of recruiting, discussing the importance of choosing the right tools and systems for your team. Marty emphasizes the need for autonomy and creativity in the process, advocating for a balance between individualized workflows and centralized tools.

The conversation then shifts to the significance of compliance and integration when selecting recruiting tools. Marty warns against the allure of cheap solutions, pointing out the hidden costs that may arise from a lack of compatibility with pre-existing systems. He also highlights the importance of considering the scale of the company and future business outlook when making these decisions.

Finally, Marty shares his unique perspective on honesty in the recruiting process. He argues for transparency about the challenges a candidate might face in a role, suggesting that this approach builds trust and leads to better long-term outcomes. The episode wraps up with Marty sharing where listeners can learn more about him and The People People Group.

In this episode of Offer Accepted, Natan Fisher, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of SingleSprout, shares his unique perspective on the hiring process, emphasizing the importance of understanding what a job is not and what failure looks like in a role. He believes that mismanaged expectations often lead to employee turnover, and that success should be clearly defined in terms of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and goals.

Natan highlights the importance of identifying non-negotiable must-haves for a role. These can range from compensation and skills to culture fit and location. He advises hiring managers to limit their non-negotiables to four key points, with the rest being nice-to-haves. This approach, Natan argues, helps to create a clear and realistic picture of the job.

Natan's hot take on recruiting is that understanding customers and their needs should be directly connected to the recruiting process. He encourages companies to align their hiring process with their business process, ensuring that the people they hire can effectively meet their customers' needs. Natan's insights offer a fresh perspective on the hiring process, emphasizing the importance of clear communication, realistic expectations, and customer-focused recruiting.

In this episode of Offer Accepted, Jermaine Murray, the Founder of JupiterHR, returns to discuss establishing an authentic personal brand with host Shannon Ogborn. Known as “the Jobfather," Jermaine's mission is to increase the representation of black talent within the tech industry. JupiterHR offers a wide range of services, from career coaching and recruitment to HR advisory consultation.

Establishing a strong personal brand for Jermaine came as a product of his personal goal to help increase black representation in tech. Jermaine walks through how a viral post he wrote on recruiting jumpstarted a desire to bring transparency and information to his community and people who lacked it. Not reinventing the wheel, Jermaine used social media he was comfortable with to grow his voice and brand.

Diving in deeper, Jermaine points out that with consistency and meeting your audience where they are, you will develop a loyal following. He suggests that aiming to build a community over amassing followers is a great strategy. Keeping your “code” front and center will also help that community grow because people will know what you are all about.

In this episode of Offer Accepted, Shannon Ogborn hosts Lyndsey Anderson, Head of Talent Acquisition at Literati, and AJ Price. The conversation revolves around the power of second chances in the hiring process.

Lindsey and AJ share their experiences with hiring individuals from marginalized groups, highlighting the benefits of this approach. They note that these employees often exhibit higher retention rates and engagement levels, contributing positively to the company culture.

The discussion also covers the practical aspects of integrating second-chance employees into the workforce. From initial site visits by caseworkers to accommodating certain restrictions, the guests provide valuable insights into the process. They emphasize the importance of flexibility and understanding, ensuring every employee feels a sense of belonging within the organization.

This episode offers a compelling look at how Literati's unique hiring approach benefits the company and provides opportunities for individuals seeking a fresh start.

In this episode of Offer Accepted, Shannon Ogborn sits down with Heather Doshay, a Partner at SignalFire. The conversation dives deep into the world of talent acquisition and management, focusing on the importance of structured interviews.

Heather shares insightful research, revealing that candidates with a structured interview were 35% happier — even when rejected. She goes on to share 

• How structured interviews mitigate biases and promote fairness 
• The concept of homophily (the tendency to favor those who remind us of ourselves) and how structured interviews can counteract this bias
• Her take in the debate over cover letters

The episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in talent acquisition and management strategies.

In this episode of Offer Accepted, Shannon Ogborn hosts Adam Horne, the Co-Founder of Open Org. They start with the importance of both internal and external transparency in the workplace and how it builds employee trust and loyalty.

Adam emphasizes the power of vulnerability and openness, even when a company isn't perfect. He encourages leaders to embrace their flaws, control the narrative, and openly discuss improvement initiatives. This approach, he argues, resonates with candidates and employees alike, fostering a stronger connection to the business.

The conversation also explores the concept of an open org accreditation, a public commitment to external transparency. Adam believes every job advert should include reasons why candidates might not want to apply, providing a unique perspective on recruitment strategy. 

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in fostering transparency and trust in their organization.

In this episode of Offer Accepted, Leah Knobler, VP of People at Help Scout, shares her insights on the hiring process. She discusses the importance of continuous improvement in recruiting teams, drawing parallels with sales and marketing, where constant evaluation and refinement are the norms. Leah emphasizes the need for transparency and learning from successes and failures in the hiring process.

Leah also delves into the specifics of the hiring process at Help Scout. She talks about the value of retrospectives, where they analyze the hiring process for each role filled, learning from their experiences and making necessary adjustments for future hires. She shares how this approach has helped them identify bottlenecks and improve their hiring timeline.

Finally, Leah shares her hot take on hiring. She believes that many people struggle with hiring and that those who think they're great at it are often the worst. She advocates for respecting candidates' time and compensating them for any work or projects they do as part of the hiring process. 

Tune in to learn more about Leah's approach to hiring and how Help Scout is innovating in this space.

In this episode of Offer Accepted, Shannon Ogborn sits down with Jermaine Murray, the Jobfather and founder of Jupiter HR. Murray's firm is a powerhouse in the HR world, offering career coaching, recruitment services, and HR advisory consultation. 

The mission? To boost the representation of black talent within the tech industry.

On the note of increasing diversity in your recruiting pipelines, Murray encourages companies to look to curate external partnerships with those who are already in touch with communities they want to engage in. Of importance, however, is helping your organization understand that budget can be a necessary and expected resource for these partnerships. A small budget is ok, but no budget may hinder your progress. 

Investing in people is at the heart of Murray's strategy. He emphasizes that growth is a two-way street. Both the employee and the employer benefit from this investment. 

Tune in to hear more about Murray's insights on recruitment and the importance of diversity in tech.

In this episode of Offer Accepted, Shannon Ogborn hosts Jim Miller, VP of People and Talent at Ashby. Jim shares his unique approach to hiring, emphasizing the importance of understanding the business case for open roles.

This episode is a treasure trove of insights for anyone involved in hiring and talent acquisition. Jim Miller leverages his experience from Ashby, Google, and Fullstory to dive deeply into the value of inbound recruiting and how to optimize online and internal recruiting sources.