How is AI shaping the candidate experience, from the application to the interview to signing on the dotted line? Here to brief us on the current state of AI in human resources is People AI Evangelist, Global HR Futurist, and HR Director at Avalanche Gaming Studios, Johannes Sundlo. Johannes is passionate about driving HR strategies such as workforce modeling, strategic staffing, performance calibrations, and compensation structures that impact the organization. He begins today’s conversation with his thoughts on how candidates use AI for their applications. Tuning in, you’ll learn how to distinguish between helpful AI news and background noise, how AI impacts the traditional vendor selection process, why and how Johannes developed his own ATS, and a close examination of how AI disrupts current HR workflows. We also explore the pros and cons of automating the recruiting process, the margins of error AI is expected to operate in, and the risks and rewards of making your own AI tool instead of waiting for one that you can buy.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Johannes’s thoughts on candidates using AI for applications. 

• Insight into the subsection about AI in HR on his FullStack HR Podcast.

• How he distinguishes between real AI news and inconsequential background hype.

• Ways in which AI will impact the traditional vendor selection process. 

• Reasons that Johannes decided to develop his own applicant tracking system (ATS). 

• How AI disrupts and improves current HR work processes. 

• The highs and lows of an automated recruiter. 

• Understanding the acceptable margins of error for AI compared to humans. 

• Risks and rewards of developing your own AI tool versus waiting to buy it off the shelf. 

• Why your data is more valuable than you know. 

• Practical tips to help you create your own AI tools.

Quotes:

“[In AI], it’s hard to sort between what’s hype, what’s real, what’s tangible, [and] what we can ignore. It’s super hard to [make] that distinction, even for me.” — @jsundlo [05:28]

“If we don’t start thinking about how [AI’s] impact will look and feel in the future, we might just end up in a future which we don’t like.” — @jsundlo [09:10]

“Our data is valuable, our data is important, and we too easily give it away right now.” — @jsundlo [36:15]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Johannes Sundlo

Avalanche Studios Group

Johannes Sundlo on LinkedIn

Johannes Sundlo on X

Johannes Sundlo on YouTube

FullStack HR 

FullStack HR Podcast

The Talent Company

LHH Recruitment Solutions

Grace reveals her unique perspective on elite talent shaped by her career as a Juilliard-trained pianist. From mastering the nuances of excellence in music to identifying top-tier talent in the corporate world, Grace shares how her deep understanding of what sets people apart fuels her approach to hiring and leadership. She dives into the strategic side of talent acquisition, explaining why businesses can't always hire "A-players," how to align hiring with company readiness, and the power of talent intelligence in predicting industry shifts. If you're ready to move beyond transactional recruiting and start thinking like a business leader, this episode will inspire you to elevate your approach to talent acquisition. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Insight into Grace’s journey from classical pianist to talent leader.

• Learning from both excellence and mediocrity to recognize top talent.

• The balance of humility and ego in exceptional leaders.

• How ambition and self-awareness drive career growth.

• Reasons that companies need diverse talent, not just A-players.

• Aligning hiring with company readiness and strategic timing.

• Why talent teams must think beyond job descriptions.

• Using talent intelligence to predict industry shifts and hiring opportunities.

• Moving from order-taking to strategic talent acquisition.

• What goes into making the transition from recruiter to business leader.

• The role of workforce planning and finance in hiring strategy.

• Leveraging validated data to influence hiring decisions and market entry.

• Talent intelligence as the "magic sauce" for strategic hiring.

• Grace weighs in on JPMorgan Chase CEO’s viral remote work rant.

• Practical advice for talent pros looking to become true strategic partners!

Quotes:

“Exceptional talent has this great balance – between humbleness and ego. – You're saying, ‘Hey, I'm great,’ because you have to rally others to follow you, and then you have to have the humbleness to listen.” — Grace Niwa [0:07:07]

“In an organization, you're looking for team collaborators. You're looking for team leadership. You're not looking for that one rock star [who everybody just rallies around] because there's a danger in that.” — Grace Niwa [0:10:54]

“I see talent acquisition as a sales and marketing team. Before you start doing the selling, you’ve got to understand the market research.” — Grace Niwa [0:20:13]

“[Talent acquisition] is more than just filling recs.” — Grace Niwa [0:24:39]

“Surround yourself with people who are like-minded. There are a bunch of us out there who believe in this new way of working.” — Grace Niwa [0:39:50]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Grace Niwa on LinkedIn

Vertex Pharmaceuticals

'‘Salty’ Jamie Dimon sparks controversy with bold remarks against WFH in viral debate' 

LHH Recruitment Solutions

Ciara shares her journey from dreaming of being a CPO as a kid (briefcase in hand!) to leading global people strategies, the challenges of stepping into an internal leadership role, and the power of data-driven decision-making in HR. She breaks down Skillsoft’s strategy cascade, a system that ensures every employee’s work drives company success, and reveals how generative AI is changing the game for HR analytics. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• From County Cork to the C-suite: Ciara’s path to becoming a CPO.

• The power of listening and widening your perspective when stepping into a leadership role.

• Fixing a disconnected remote team and the small changes that made a big impact.

• Why Ciara always wanted to lead HR and how her analytical brain helps her do it.

• Insight into the AI revolution in HR: turning scattered data into real business insights.

• How every role is a tech role and why HR pros must upskill in AI and analytics.

• Benefits of a company AI co-pilot (and why you probably shouldn’t use ChatGPT).

• Skillsoft’s strategy cascade and the secret to aligning people with company goals.

• Streamlining organizational structure for speed, clarity, and real business impact.

• The art of subtraction and why HR needs to stop doing outdated tasks and focus on impact.

• Tips for executives to inspire organizational engagement in strategic goals.

• Lean in, step up, and follow your passion: Ciara’s advice for aspiring HR leaders!

Quotes:

“To have influence in a boardroom or at the C-suite [level], it's important you're able to demonstrate that the activities your functions provide to the organization actually drive tangible business outcomes.” — Ciara Harrington [0:10:33]

“It doesn't matter if you're in IT, HR, finance, [or] product, every role is a technical role [these days]. As a result, every single employee or team member at every company needs to be up-skilling themselves in data, generative AI, and data and analytics.” — Ciara Harrington [0:15:04]

“That's how we want people to think about things: every time you're making a decision on how to spend your time, it should be on one of these five things. Our logic is, if every single person at our company does that, we will meet our business outcomes.” — Ciara Harrington [0:29:25]

“Do not follow the money. Follow the job. The money will follow you.” — Ciara Harrington [0:35:25]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Skillsoft

Ciara Harrington

Ciara Harrington on LinkedIn

Talk Talent to Me

LHH Recruitment Solutions

Today's guest, Dr. Serena Huang, champions the crucial role of data experts in people teams, showing how people analytics can lead to smarter talent decisions. A globally recognized speaker and innovator, Dr. Huang has a unique background as a data executive at Fortune 100 companies and a Chief Data Officer in the startup world. Her work goes beyond numbers, using data to create healthier, more productive workplaces. A Wiley author and sought-after lecturer at top MBA programs, she’s passionate about empowering the next generation of leaders with data-driven insights. In this episode, Dr. Huang discusses her journey into the people side of business, why data experts are vital to talent teams, and how people analytics can transform decision-making. She also dives into the data behind remote work trends, pawternity, and the inspiration for her book; sharing valuable insights on the art of data storytelling in talent leadership.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Winning the fight with talent leadership: the importance of installing data experts on the people team. 

• She unpacks the value of people analytics and how it generates valuable information.

• How she works with CHROs to define their actual problem.

• Data storytelling with people data: what makes it different.

• The verdict (and her opinion) on pawternity. 

• We look at the current data on remote work and the push for office returns: making decisions based on informed data (from your people!) 

• How Dr. Huang decided to write her book and what topic she wanted to focus on. 

Quotes:

“What holds people back is the data quality. You can have great dashboards but when the underlying data is not trustworthy, no one is going to do anything with the data.” — @SerenaHuangPhD [0:10:27]

“Having autonomy, having the agency to decide where, how, and what you work on [is what matters] as humans. [And] I think that’s why remote work was so successful during COVID, for a short while, [and] that shocked everyone.” — @SerenaHuangPhD [0:21:38]

“For validation, I also found that people are much happier on Fridays. No matter where you are, no matter where you’re working, [on] Fridays, everyone’s mood is better!” — @SerenaHuangPhD [0:27:58]

“I think we are just starting on this AI journey and what AI can do. So much is yet to be seen!” — @SerenaHuangPhD [0:33:51]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Serena Huang

Dr. Serena Huang on LinkedIn

Data with Serena

The Inclusion Equation: Leveraging Data & AI For Organizational Diversity and Well-being

LHH Recruitment Solutions

Benjamin explains how he and his team measure candidate ROI, how he’s improved the candidate selection process, what to be wary of when using AI in TA, and the opportunities that await between what a candidate already knows and what they’re expected to learn in their new role. To end, Benjamin walks us through key data points that, when paid attention to, will help a company improve its candidate experience, and he shares vital advice for approaching a new job with the right attitude.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Design and R&D TA Manager for EMEA at Flex, Benjamin Tarmann describes his new role. 

• His daily tasks as he grapples with and embraces new responsibilities.

• The ins and outs of Flex and how Benjamin measures ROI. 

• Candidate selection, improving foundational processes, and using the right metrics. 

• Exploring the dangers of automation in TA and how to use AI responsibly.  

• The opportunity gap between a candidate’s expertise and the demands of their new role.

• Data points to note for improving your company’s candidate experience. 

• Benjamin’s parting advice on how to best approach a new job. 

Quotes:

“It’s good to have somebody who’s familiar with the process to take a look at the process and analyze [it] because otherwise, you will either not even be aware of the issues in the process or you will be very confused by – [what] you see in the data.” — Benjamin Tarmann [05:01]

“I’m really lucky that I have a boss that gives me almost boundless independence and very minimal supervision.” — Benjamin Tarmann [07:31]

“The whole [Flex] organization lives and dies by the fact that we’re constantly working to improve our processes and systems and tools and methods.” — Benjamin Tarmann [08:55]

“We want to focus on internal candidate selection. We want to ensure that people have an avenue for career growth.” — Benjamin Tarmann [12:42]

“Don’t be afraid of diversity. Don’t be afraid of trying something else.” — Benjamin Tarmann [30:05]

“Have the bravery to try something that’s outside of your comfort zone, it will make you a better leader down the road.” — Benjamin Tarmann [31:53]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Benjamin Tarmann on LinkedIn

Flex

Talk Talent to Me

LHH Recruitment Solutions

How do you create a career that reflects your values while staying open to unexpected opportunities? Today, we speak with Sam Simmons, Chief People and Internal Operations Officer at the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), about embracing adaptability and authenticity. Sam shares her incredible career journey, starting in higher education and pivoting into recruiting, tech, professional sports, and now the LPGA. We explore how embracing career pivots and remaining open to fortuitous opportunities can shape personal growth and career success. Find out how to foster trust and transparency in the workplace, understand the importance of employee value propositions beyond surface-level perks, and uncover how recruiters and leaders can navigate changes effectively. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• The power of career pivots and how staying open to new opportunities can shape your path.

• Sam's journey from higher education to leadership roles across different industries.

• Transparency and trust in building organizational culture and fostering engagement.

• Sam's perspective on employee value propositions (EVPs) and how to develop them.

• Stay interviews and how they provide insights into retention and employee satisfaction.

• Tips for assessing organizational culture and identifying companies aligned with your values.

• Why Sam accepted the position at the LPGA and her goals for the role.

• Her approach to navigating ambiguous roles and finding clarity in the workplace.

• Steps for creating partnerships with hiring managers and setting realistic expectations. 

• How lifestyle and mission play into modern recruitment and what this means for recruiters.

Quotes:

“You choose how you show up [or] rise to the occasion. Try to make the best of or something out of the circumstances that you are in and [don’t] put too much pressure on yourself to do it perfectly.” — Samantha Simmons [0:03:53]

“It is better to know what exactly you are walking into as much as possible because you know there are bunches of surprises that await you once you get into the actual role.” — Samantha Simmons [0:15:34]

“I am very introspective by nature. It helps a lot with my job and being able to maintain a cool head.” — Samantha Simmons [0:31:55]

“Ask questions [and] make sure you are clear. You are trying to make placements that endure, but the only way you get there is through a partnership.” — Samantha Simmons [0:36:17]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Samantha Simmons on LinkedIn

Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA)

LHH Recruitment Solutions

In a world where workplace culture typically lives on posters and slideshows, how do you ensure it’s felt and lived every day? Joining us to explore this vital question is Frank Kellenberg, VP Global Head of Culture & Inclusion at Sandoz. With a career spanning leadership roles at Ingram Micro, Adidas, and Novartis, Frank is a culture champion and inclusion advocate with an inspiring mission: to bring humanity back to the workplace! In this episode of Talk Talent to Me, Frank shares the story of Sandoz’s cultural transformation following its spinoff from Novartis, including how the organization defined its own identity, shaped its unique values, and cultivated psychological safety to empower employees to speak up. From using employee feedback as a foundation to building a culture that drives both belonging and performance, Frank unpacks what it takes to ensure that company values aren’t just words but a way of working. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Transitioning from Novartis to Sandoz: a strategic cultural shift to forge a unique identity.

• Three questions that shaped Sandoz’s cultural evolution: what to discard, keep, and introduce.

• What it looks like to ensure that company values are more than just a poster on the wall.

• How Frank defines company culture using a three-layered housing metaphor.

• Why openness and transparency play an important role in Sandoz’s interview process.

• Difficulty attracting and retaining talent and other risks of neglecting workplace culture.

• Insight into the significance of employee feedback (including former employees).

• Psychological safety as a red flag signal for cultural issues in an organization.

• Measuring cultural success through surveys, unscripted employee feedback, and more.

• Going beyond curated narratives to uncover the true state of organizational culture.

• How leadership engagement and informal conversations foster cultural alignment.

• Frank's predictions about the growing importance of workplace culture.

Quotes:

“We integrated [Sandoz’s values and reflected them] in processes, tools, and performance management – so that, at the end, people could not just read it on a poster on the wall, ‘Here are our four values,’ but really experience it.” — Frank Kellenberg [0:08:32]

“You can have a great facade. You can have great architecture or a great house with great furniture. But if the people are not representing it, not living it, [or don’t] like to live in the house, then you have a problem. – This is how I would describe company culture.” — Frank Kellenberg [0:12:06]

“We came from a culture in which people had the feeling they [couldn’t] speak up. That was a signal for us that there was no psychological safety in the organization that people feel safe to speak up, to ask questions, to challenge the status quo.” — Frank Kellenberg [0:21:50]

“If an organization doesn’t care about [workplace culture], they will struggle.” — Frank Kellenberg [0:32:22]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Frank Kellenberg

Frank Kellenberg on LinkedIn

Sandoz

Sandoz People & Culture

LHH Recruitment Solutions

Until recently, business or occupational psychologists have been rarities who mostly get hired as contracted consultants. But now, companies are beginning to see their undeniable value, and there’s a drive toward having an in-house business psychologist in all workplaces. Today we welcome Dr. Hamira Riaz, Executive Talent & Assessment Director. Dr. Hamira begins with how she switched from clinical psychology to HR before explaining why occupational psychologists should be an in-house norm for all businesses. We unpack the skills needed to be an expert in Dr. Hamira’s field, how the psychological contract between employees and businesses has changed through the years, the constant yo-yo of power between talent and employers, and why potential is an important subject to modern employees. We also learn about our shadow selves and how it affects our work, the role of resilience in breaking through shadows, how Dr. Hamira ensures that she gets the information she needs when speaking to business leaders, and AI’s role in the future of HR. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Dr. Hamira Riaz describes her career pivot from clinical psychology to HR.

• Why in-house occupational psychologists will become a staple in most businesses.

• The skills and knowledge required to be an expert business psychologist.

• How the psychological contract between employees and businesses has evolved. 

• Exploring the perpetual seesaw of power between talent and employers.

• Why potential matters, and work motivations in a post-COVID society.

• The environments in which potential is expressed and realized. 

• How our shadows affect our work, and how to assess and alleviate shadows in the office. 

• The role of resilience in breaking through shadows, and how to recharge your resilience.

• What Dr. Hamira is listening for when speaking to business leaders about their needs. 

• Why she's very interested in how someone spent their 20s when making her valuations. 

• The future of HR with AI.  

Quotes:

“That psychological contract between an employee and a company has fundamentally shifted. We want different things out of work than we ever did before. Our tolerance and threshold for what's okay in terms of the boundary between our personal life and professional life has shifted, and we're never going to go back.” — @HamiraRiaz [08:00]

“The Human Potential Movement has been around for decades, since the 60s. I've never known potential as a subject to be as much in the minds of HR professionals as it is now.” — @HamiraRiaz [10:16]

“We're all deserving of these opportunities at work, and we don't need to wait for a professional in the HR function to tell us that we are talent and tell us that we have potential.” — @HamiraRiaz [14:01]

“I love the gift of time. I don't think anybody loves you more than when you give them back some time.” — @HamiraRiaz [32:11]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Hamira Riaz

Dr. Hamira Riaz on LinkedIn

Dr. Hamira Riaz on X

Lloyds Banking Group

Volvo

Martyr!

Talk Talent to Me

LHH Recruitment Solutions

 Orlando shares insights from his many years of experience and how he is giving back to the career-searching community through his coaching. He outlines his advice on how to navigate the interview process, especially when you’re asked to do free labor as a candidate, and how to view things from both sides of the recruitment process. Orlando also tells us about his role at Mosaic, his approach to long-term talent development, how to implement a holistic talent strategy, and much more.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Some background on today’s guest, Orlando Haynes, and his impressive CV.

• How Orlando has given back to the career-searching community through his coaching.

• What to expect from a 60-minute clarity call with Orlando.

• The most common questions Orlando gets as a coach on his clarity calls.

• Advice on how to construct your resume based on your audience.

• Unpacking the interview process from the perspective of the interviewer and the candidate.

• Reflections on unusual, unreasonable, and unethical interview processes.

• What to do when you’re asked to do free labor as an interview candidate.

• Orlando’s role at Mosaic Company and his approach to long-term talent development.

• Balancing the need to have a position filled with investing in hires who need time to develop.

• Advocating for a holistic talent strategy and how companies need to showcase themselves.

• Orlando’s recruitment predictions for 2025.

Quotes:

“It's not that we assessed whether you're a good or bad candidate overall in that five or six seconds, but [it’s] that five [to] six seconds of review let us know to pick up the phone call to learn more.” — Orlando Haynes [09:21]

“The big thing for us [at Mosaic] is [the] relationship. It's more about the long-term relationship, but it's also the education piece, whether you're a good fit for the organization or not.” — Orlando Haynes [24:01]

“[It’s important] to showcase a day in the life, [for example] ‘what does the office look like?’ – People may not say it as much, but they consider those things. Job seekers consider the space and location where they want to work.” — Orlando Haynes [36:07]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Orlando Haynes on LinkedIn

Book a 60 Minute Coaching call with Orlando

Talk Talent to Me

LHH Recruitment Solutions

Explaining the resilience of modern talent acquisition pros is Brandon Jeffs, the Director of People and Talent at TLDR – one of the largest newsletters in the world with daily summaries of the most interesting stories in startups, tech, and programming. Brandon’s career is focused on empowering the employee-employer relationship, and he walks us through the best practices for cultivating lasting relationships in the talent ecosystem. We discover why he started The Revol•TA Podcast and what he’s learned from the guests on his show before unpacking the doggedness of modern recruiters, how recruiters can improve their job security, whether it’s better to be a generalist or specialist, and what it takes to be an exceptional talent acquisition specialist. We also learn more about TLDR, Brandon’s protocol for making really fast hires, and the role of AI in the future of talent and recruiting.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Brandon Jeffs explains what inspired him to start his show, The Revol•TA Podcast. 

• The best practices for forging meaningful relationships in the talent ecosystem. 

• What Brandon has learned from the guests who’ve appeared on his show. 

• Why recruiters are willing to do gritty and often thankless work. 

• Whether there’s a way for recruiters to be recession-proof in the likelihood of being laid off.

• An age-old debate: Generalists versus specialists. 

• The characteristics of a great job offer

• His protocol for understanding a candidate’s motivations, and why this matters.

• Insight into the markings of a great recruiter.  

• Where preparation meets opportunity and the importance of timing.  

• The ins and outs of TLDR, with details on a particular serendipitous role fill. 

• Understanding Brandon’s method for making really fast hires. 

• How the future of talent acquisition is linked to the possibilities of large language models. 

Quotes:

“The main driver for me is what can I give back to other people?” — Brandon Jeffs [04:50]

“The community is what brings us together. If you show up for other people, they will show up for you.” — Brandon Jeffs [11:52]

“If you have the fundamentals and the curiosity to learn new things, you can apply those to ways and roles that you may not think of.” — Brandon Jeffs [17:57]

“It’s really interesting to see how we position brand and prestige and pedigree in this larger game of capitalism.” — Brandon Jeffs [24:10]

“A great recruiter can fill roles on time but an exceptional one can create moments of serendipity.” — Brandon Jeffs [29:47]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Brandon Jeffs on LinkedIn

The Revol•TA Podcast 

TLDR 

LHH Recruitment Solutions