How do niche manufacturers compete for talent against industry giants?

In this episode of Talent Talk, Becca O'Toole sits down with Gregory Ganley, VP of HR at Raycap, to discuss the unique challenges of recruiting for "low volume, high mix" advanced manufacturing. Unlike highly repeatable automotive lines, Raycap requires an adaptable workforce, leading them to recruit talent from unexpected sectors like the food and steel industries.

Key Takeaways:

- Creative Sourcing: Why hiring from "secular industries" (like food service) builds a more adaptable manufacturing team.

- Retaining Skilled Trades: Proven tactics to keep welders and technicians, including skill set bonuses and pay-for-performance models.

- The 9-Box Debate: How to modernise traditional performance management tools to provide honest, actionable feedback.

- Diversity in Action: How advertising in local immigrant newspapers helped Raycap build a thriving, diverse female workforce in production roles.

Speakers:

Gregory Ganley – Vice President of Human Resources at Raycap
Becca O'Toole – Sr. Partnership Development Director at Cengage Group

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#talenttalks  #manufacturing  #hrstrategy  #skilledtrades  #welders #recruiting  #employeeengagement  #upskilling  #workforcedevelopment #humanresources

How do you spot future leaders and hire technical talent in a competitive market?

In this episode of Talent Talk, Becca O'Toole sits down with Matt Stauffer, Director of Global Talent Acquisition at Crane Payment Innovations, to break down the "Ability, Aspiration, and Agility" framework for identifying high-potential employees. They also explore the "Flow to the Work" strategy, which prevents burnout by cross-training teams, and discuss practical ways to assess technical skills during the hiring process.

Key Takeaways:
- The 3 A's: How to identify Ability, Aspiration, and Agility in your workforce.
- 70-20-10 Model: Why 70% of development should come from on-the-job experience.
- "Flow to the Work": Cross-skilling strategies to increase agility and reduce burnout.
- Technical Hiring: Balancing speed with quality using practical simulations.

Speakers:
Becca O'Toole – Senior Partnership Development Director at Cengage Group
Matt Stauffer – Director of Global Talent Acquisition for Crane Payment Innovations

Follow @readytohire for more Talent Talk episodes helping leaders build stronger teams and shape the future of work 

#talenttalks #highpotential #manufacturing #reskilling #talentacquisition #702010rule #hrstrategy #readytohire #workforcedevelopment

Are annual engagement surveys enough to stop turnover?

In this episode of Talent Talk, Rick Martin joins Nick Montalbine, Founder of Intervoice Analytics, to discuss why "risk-proofing" your organization through succession planning is essential. They explore the "Buy vs. Build" talent strategy, how to identify critical roles, and why qualitative listening often beats quantitative data when retaining top talent.

Key Takeaways:
- Business Continuity: Why succession planning is vital for risk management.
- Critical Roles: 4 questions to determine which positions you can't live without.
- Skill vs. Will: Why you can teach skills, but you must hire for grit.
- The "Subway Map": Creating nonlinear career paths to boost retention.

Speakers:
Nick Montalbine – Founder, Inner Voice Analytics
Rick Martin – Sr. Business Development Director at Cengage Group

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#talenttalks #successionplanning #employeeengagement #hrstrategy #workforcedevelopment #talentmanagement #futureofwork #retention

In this episode of Talent Talk, Becca O'Toole joins Adair Minteer, Sr. HR Business Partner at Textron Aviation, to dismantle the myth of work-life balance. Adair introduces the "Glass vs. Plastic Ball" analogy—a powerful framework for leaders and working parents to identify which priorities can bounce back and which will shatter if dropped.

They also dive into why "Strategic Workforce Planning" is the most critical tool for modern HR, moving beyond spreadsheets to build genuine bench strength from the shop floor to the C-suite.

Key Takeaways:
- The Juggling Act: How to prioritize critical "glass" tasks over resilient "plastic" ones.
- Human-First Leadership: Transitioning from policy enforcement to being a true business partner.
- Strategic Planning: Techniques for identifying talent gaps and future-proofing your team.
- Measuring Success: Balancing quantitative data with qualitative employee sentiment.

Speakers:
Becca O'Toole – Senior Director Talent Acquisition at Confidential
Adair Minteer – Sr. HR Business Partner at Textron Aviation

Follow @ReadytoHire for more insights on building stronger teams and shaping the future of work.

#talenttalks #humanresources #worklifebalance #strategicplanning #hrleadership #workingparents #readytohire #futureofwork

In this episode of Talent Talk, we sit down with Jaylene Cogswell, Senior Director of Talent Acquisition at Confidential, to discuss how TA leaders are adapting to a rapidly changing world.

Jaylene explains why the traditional 3-5 year strategic workforce planning model is no longer realistic and how TA functions must pivot to an agile, operational workforce plan with a 6-12 month outlook to drive real success and manage talent absorption.

Learn which analytics actually move the needle for your business! Jaylene breaks down the crucial focus on Cost, Quality, and Speed, and deep dives into the importance of using cost metrics (like cost avoidance and marginal impact) to demonstrate the measurable value of the TA function to executive leadership.

Key Takeaways:

• Shift to Operational Workforce Planning: Abandon the 3-5 year strategic plan for an agile, operational plan with a 6-to-12-month outlook.
• Bridge the Leadership Gap: Use short-term planning to manage talent absorption and calculate the "gap to goal" to align executive vision with operational reality.
• Focus on Business-Centric Analytics: Track metrics based on Cost, Quality, and Speed. Prioritize Cost Metrics (especially marginal impact and cost avoidance) to prove TA's value.
• Clarify Organizational Roles: A Center of Excellence (COE) is strategic (program design), while a Shared Service model is tactical (day-to-day execution).
• Insourcing is a Key Trend: A growing number of organizations are insourcing recruitment functions to reduce costs and gain better control and quality.
• Industry Roadblock: The biggest challenge is the manufacturing industry's "hard-coded" nature and its lack of "appetite for change" to quickly adopt progressive strategies.
  
  

Speakers:

• Jaylene Cogswell
  Senior Director Talent Acquisition at Confidential
• Becca O'Toole
  Senior Partnership Development Director at Cengage Group

Follow  ⁨‪@ReadytoHire‬  for more Talent Talk episodes on building strong teams and preparing for the future of work.

#talenttalk #leadership #successionplanning  #workforcedevelopment  #futureofwork  #hr  #employeeengagement #CostMetrics #HRAnalytics

Most leaders don’t realize their influence has an expiration date. 

In this episode, Rick Martin sits down with Mike Nelson, Senior Fellow at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, to discuss how to future-proof your workforce, plan for succession, and make sure your team thrives—even when you move on.

Key Takeaways:

• Why every leader needs a succession plan
• How to spot and grow critical talent before it’s too late
• When to develop leaders internally vs. bring in fresh perspectives
• How small conversations today prevent big disruptions tomorrow
  
  

Speakers:

• Mike Nelson – Senior Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
• Rick Martin – Sr. Business Development Director, Cengage Group
  
  

Follow @ReadytoHire for more Talent Talk episodes on building strong teams and preparing for the future of work.

#talenttalk  #leadership  #successionplanning  #workforcedevelopment  #futureofwork  #hr  #employeeengagement

How do you create career pathways that actually work in healthcare?

In this episode of Talent Talk, Rick Martin talks with Geoffrey M. Roche, Senior Vice President of Healthcare Solutions at Rise Point, about helping frontline healthcare workers grow, designing credential-based programs, and building a workforce ready for today and tomorrow.

Key Takeaways:

• Turn entry-level and frontline roles into real career growth opportunities
• Use early experiences, apprenticeships, and certifications to prepare      employees for meaningful careers
• Boost retention and engagement while improving patient care
• Make a lasting, life-changing impact on employees and the organization
  
  

Speakers:

• Geoffrey M. Roche – Senior Vice President, Healthcare Solutions, Rise Point
• Rick Martin – Sr. Business Development Director, Cengage Group
  
  

If you care about workforce development, healthcare leadership, or empowering your team, this episode is full of insights you can apply right away.

Follow @ReadytoHire for more Talent Talk episodes helping leaders build stronger teams and shape the future of work.

#healthcareworker  #upskilling  #careergrowth  #workforcedevelopment  #talenttalk  #healthcareleadership

Can leadership really change patient outcomes?

In this episode, Rick Martin, Sr. Business Development Director at Cengage Group, sits down with Bijan Zandbod, Talent and Organizational Effectiveness Principal Consultant, to show how strong leadership, smart HR practices, and engaged teams can close critical gaps in healthcare.

They explore why hiring for collaboration and leadership skills matters more than ever, how small leadership choices make a big difference, and why anyone at any level can step up and lead. Packed with real-world insights and data-backed strategies, this conversation is a must-watch for anyone in healthcare, HR, or leadership.

Key Takeaways:

• Transformational leadership reduces errors and improves patient satisfaction
• Engaged teams have 78% less absenteeism and 21% lower turnover
• Behavioral interviewing helps hire the right people
• Leaders at any level can make an immediate impact

Speakers:

• Bijan Zandbod – Talent and Organizational Effectiveness Principal Consultant, Freelance
• Rick Martin – Sr. Business Development Director, Cengage Group
  
  

Follow ‪‪@ReadytoHire for more Talent Talk episodes helping leaders build stronger teams, improve patient care, and shape the future of work.

#talenttalks  #healthcareleadership  #patientoutcomes  #hr  #leadership  #futureofwork  #readytohire  #employeeengagement  #collaborativeskills #behavioralinterviewing #nursing  #workforcedevelopment

Why is the job market so tough right now?

If you feel like your applications are disappearing into a black hole, you’re not alone.

In this episode of Talent Talk, Rick Martin speaks with Cassie Thiessen, AVP of Talent Acquisition at Chartus, for a candid look at what’s really happening in today’s job market. With 18 years of recruiting experience, Cassie shares the biggest challenge job seekers face (and it’s not what you think) and explains why we’ve seen four different job markets in just the last five years.

If you’re feeling frustrated with your job search or wondering how to stand out, this episode is a must-listen.

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#TalentTalk #FutureOfWork #JobSearch #LinkedIn #Recruiting #CareerAdvice #Hiring #JobSeekers #ReadyToHire

Your skilled workforce is retiring, and the next generation isn’t stepping in. So how do you close the skills gap?

In this episode of Talent Talk, Rafael Silva, HR Director at Whirlpool, shares his "Build, Buy, Borrow" strategy to tackle today’s talent shortage. He explains how Whirlpool created a four-year apprenticeship program that brings in 15 to 20 new apprentices each year, transforming entry-level operators into highly skilled, well-paid technicians.

This conversation delivers actionable insights for HR and operations leaders who want to strengthen their workforce pipeline, improve retention, and prepare for the future of work.

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#TalentTalk #HR #Manufacturing #WorkforceDevelopment #SkillsGap #Apprenticeship #Retention #Leadership #Whirlpool #FutureOfWork #ReadyToHire