The guys talk to Matt Hilbig from OMC, Inc about the state of HR from the perspective of the job seeker.  The discussion covers the current labor market, bad behavior by both candidates and recruiters, the reputation companies develop over time by how they treat applicants, and, of course, the word "strategic."  

Guest appearance by Rizzo.  
 

Matthew Hilbig is Executive Vice President and co-owner of OCM, Inc., a 40-year-old career transition services and HR consulting firm. He is president of the Central Utah SHRM Board and serves on the Employment Advisory Council for the state of Utah as well as the UVU HR Advisory Board. He’s also a member of Salt Lake SHRM.  Matt had a successful career in sales before becoming a consultant and career coach, where he’s helped over a thousand clients with their job search.  He has a BS in Mass Communications (Public Relations emphasis) from the University of Utah and an MBA from Grand Canyon University. Matt is a major bookworm, Jeopardy! Junkie, and Mountain Dew fiend. His latest endeavor is learning Spanish.

Learn more about Matt Hilbig at: https://www.ocminc.com/
Learn more about Tony "Two Weeks' Notice" Benjamin at: https://www.thegrangellc.com/
Learn more about Steven "Big Deal" Smith at: https://thehiringtreebook.com/ 

The guys sit down and talk to Josh Brecheisen about working in HR while being religious, recruiting, how to become the best version of yourself and the future of AI in helping people find jobs.  Josh discusses the idea that, in the future, AI bots will find everybody a job instead of individuals applying for jobs. 

Josh is a recruiting leader, trainer, and speaker. He's recruited for top brands such as Dell-EMC, VMWare, and LogMeIn.  His career has been focused on stepping into recruiting teams in difficult situations and establishing recruiting industry best practices, building teams from the ground up, and increasing team performance.  He's been a contributor and speaker at SourceCon and the Recruiting Trends conferences.  Not to mention he was part of a national championship volleyball team at BYU. 

Learn more about Josh at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshblife/
Learn more about Tony "Two Weeks Notice" Benjamin at: https://www.thegrangellc.com/
Learn more about Steven "Big Deal" Smith at: https://thehiringtreebook.com/

Tony's band, Two Weeks' Notice, will be playing on Monday night of the Work Elevated Conference (September 22) at Big Daddy's Pizzeria in Provo.  Find out more at https://www.facebook.com/share/1BNhzqyE7Z/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Register for the Work Elevated Conference at: https://utahworkelevated.com/ 

The guys leave the Red Seat empty for an episode and talk the lawsuit against Workday and the implications for AI use in recruiting.  They discuss how you can protect your company and what to ask vendors to provide when you evaluate their AI products.  The guys also talk recent changes in recruiting and the marketing principles associated with them.  The current state of HR also comes up, of course, and Tony again reminds everybody that HR owns culture.  Rizzo The Dog joins the podcast at the very end and agrees with everything Tony said.  

Learn more about Tony "Two Weeks' Notice" Benjamin: https://www.thegrangellc.com/ 
Learn more about Steven "Big Deal" Smith: https://thehiringtreebook.com/
Rizzo The Dog was born on Wednesday, November 2, 2016.  He was named after Anthony Rizzo, who played for the Chicago Cubs.  The Cubs won the World Series on that day.  Steve, of course, is a Cubs fan.  (There is some dispute about the date the Cubs won the Series because it was after midnight locally when they won, but prior to midnight in Utah where Steve was watching the game.)    

Listeners are invited to Join Steve and Tony at the Work Elevated conference on September 22 and 23.  Register at: https://www.utahworkelevated.com/  You can also join the guys on September 22 at 6:00pm at Fat Daddy's Pizzeria (across the street from the conference) where Two Weeks' Notice will perform live.  

The guys speak to Xavier "X" Cugnon about veterans, the skills they bring to the private sector, how employers can ask about a veteran's story, and the transition from military to civilian life. Oh... and there's a story about a great big cat.   

Xavier Cugnon is the Vice President of Human Resources at Lookout Pest Control. With over 15 years of progressive HR leadership, Xavier blends business acumen with a people-first philosophy that has helped forge best in class HR Teams throughout his career.  Beyond the office, Xavier serves as Board Chair of SHRM-Atlanta and has spent ten years guiding hundreds of professionals to certification as an adjunct professor for the SHRM certification prep course. He holds a master’s degree in human resources from Villanova University and proudly carries forward the values forged during his service as a United States Marine, collaborating closely with Veteran Service Organizations nationwide.  His commitment to service and community has recently earned him the Warrior Alliance Impact Award and a spot on Atlanta’s Best Self Magazine’s “40 & Fabulous” class of 2024. Offstage, he continues to proudly earn his incredible wife Kristin and is an obnoxious dad to 19-year-old daughter Margaux.

Learn more about Xavier "X" Cugnon at: www.linkedin.com/in/xavier-cugnon 
Learn more about Tony Benjamin at: https://www.thegrangellc.com/ 
Learn more about Steven J Smith at: https://thehiringtreebook.com/ 

Additional Links for Veteran related organizations as mentioned in the podcast: 
https://www.veohero.org/ - Veterans Empowerment Organization ( a healing campus that allows veterans to rebuild their lives)

https://thewarrioralliance.org/ - The Warrior Alliance ( connects Warriors with the customized resources)

https://atlvets.org/speakers/zack-a-knight/ - ATLVets (individualized roadmaps for career and business success)

https://vetlanta.org/ - Vetlanta (Connecting Veterans with Community)

Tony and Steve talk to Kate Thompson for a fresh take on HR.  Tony rambles on about perfume, and Kate drops some fantastic wisdom. They talk about the benefit of being required to solve problems, self care, finding out who's perfume is overpowering the office, and the definition of boring/bad HR.  Steve coins the phrase "Cold Played", and the jokes just never stop coming.  

And yes... the email to the podcast is [email protected]... no matter what Tony says at the end.  Send us your guest ideas, topic ideas, and how you first met Steve.  

Kate Thompson is an HR Generalist with a strong background in employee relations, ADA/FMLA, and benefits. She currently works at Mountain Land Physical Therapy, supporting 70+ locations in multiple states. She especially enjoys helping managers approach tough conversations with clarity and confidence, and turning feedback into real growth.  Kate earned her bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management from Utah Valley University. Her early experience was focused in onboarding, compliance, and benefits before growing into more employee-facing work. Outside of the office, she’s a lifelong skier and endurance athlete. Kate finished a full Ironman in November 2024 and still chases big goals (and powder days) any chance she gets.

Learn more about Kate Thompson at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate--thompson/
Learn more about Tony "Two Weeks Notice" Benjamin at: https://www.thegrangellc.com/
Learn more about Steven "Big Deal" Smith at: https://thehiringtreebook.com/

In this episode, the guys talk to Rachel Child about her story, how she got into HR, the effect of firing a lot of people on a young practitioner, the generational differences between older and younger workers, and even a story about an HR professional who was answering email while in delivery.  

Rachel Child is a certified HR Practitioner, Consultant, and Business Instructor (Weber State) who loves to help people identify their strengths and teach leaders to balance policy and consistency with empathy and inclusivity; building loyal and exceptional leaders and teams.  

Learn more about Steven Big Deal Smith: https://thehiringtreebook.com/ 
Learn more about Tony "Two Weeks' Notice" Benjamin: https://www.thegrangellc.com/ 

Have topic Ideas? Want to ask a question?  Email Steve and Tony at [email protected].  

In this episode the guys tackle breaking news with the Red Seat empty.  Stay tuned at the end of the episode for a special treat.  Weird Al, you're welcome to cover the song.  

Learn more about Steven "Big Deal" Smith at https://thehiringtreebook.com/ 
Learn more about Tony "Two Weeks Notice" Benjamin at https://www.thegrangellc.com/

Lyrics:  
He used to be C E O
 A brand new CHRO, he was living the dream
 But in the evening, he held her close

Wandering from the life he chose

Deciding to roll the dice

They attended a concert that night

List’ning to the crowd, they sang

Bodies pressed together, then they swayed

One minute, they were not in sight

Rising up, dancing in the light

The camera moved causing an awful scene

Unaware they showed on the screen

She saw the Kiss Cam, and fell in hiding

Cov’ring her face to avoid deriding

He looked up, pulled his hands away,

Hiding himself in what looked like shame

For some reason Chris thought them shy

But once they’d gone, there was never, kissing up on the screen

And that was when they shattered the dream

It was a wicked and wild fling

Social blown up by just one scene

Shattering marriages with all their fun

People couldn’t believe what they had done

Comments filled with so much hate

Wantin’ their heads on a silver plate

So go ahead and toss your rocks at them

All of you who are without sin.

She saw the Kiss Cam, and fell in hiding

Cov’ring her face to avoid deriding

He looked up, pulled his hands away,

Hidin’ himself in what looked like shame

For some reason Chris thought them shy

But once they’d gone, there was never, kissing up on the screen

And that was when they shattered the dream

Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh
 Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh
 Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh
 Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh
 Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh

She saw the Kiss Cam, and fell in hiding

Cov’ring her face to avoid deriding

He looked up, pulled his hands away,

Hidin’ himself in what looked like shame

For some reason Chris thought them shy

Perhaps St. Peter will never, ever listen to their pleas

For that was when they shattered their dreams

- Steven "Weird AL" Smith

We'd love your reactions, comments, and ideas for future episodes.  Contact us at [email protected].  
In this Episode we talk to Priscilla Wadman about her story and how she got into HR, her view of the state of the art, and what it means to really support employees.  Priscilla gives a fantastic roadmap to building an HR career.  

With a distinguished career in human resources, Priscilla Wadman is driven by a commitment to operational excellence, employee advocacy, and organizational integrity. She specializes in building inclusive, legally compliant, and strategically aligned HR practices that elevate both people and performance.  Currently at AW Services, she leads a team that provides full-spectrum HR services to more than 2,500 employees across over 30 charter schools and companies spanning industries such as education, steel manufacturing, and construction. She brings deep expertise in employee relations, workplace investigations, regulatory compliance, and strategic talent development.  Throughout her career, Priscilla has earned a reputation for balancing business needs with human impact, guiding leaders through complex HR challenges, minimizing legal risk, and fostering cohesive, values-driven teams. Her leadership style is collaborative and solution-oriented, grounded in service, mentorship, and continuous improvement.  In addition to her operational work, she has taught HR professionals as a PHR/SPHR instructor, consulted on employee benefits strategies, and led key initiatives in policy development, workplace culture, and compliance. She remains active in the HR profession through board service, speaking engagements, and advisory roles.  Outside of her professional life, Priscilla is most proud of her family. Married for over 20 years, she is the proud mother of two sons and treasures the time they spend together.  She is deeply grateful for the opportunities, challenges, and growth her career has offered and looks forward to what lies ahead. 

You can learn more about Steven "Big Deal Smith" at: https://thehiringtreebook.com/ 
You can learn more about Tony "Two Weeks Notice" Benjamin at: https://www.thegrangellc.com/ 

The podcast now has its own email so you can tell us how much you LOVE the podcast.  Contact us at [email protected]. 

In this episode the guys leave the "Red Seat" empty, recapping the first four episodes and introducing themselves to listeners.  Steve shares an incredibly inspirational story of the death of his son and the amazing HR professional that helped him through it.  Tony shares the moment his life changed forever when he decided to take debate in high school and the truly unique teacher that shaped the way he saw logic and argument. The guys discuss the recent SCOTUS ruling Ames V Ohio Dept of Youth Services and discuss the reverse discrimination cases coming.   

- Steve has been in corporate recruiting since Feb 2005 after earning a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Brigham Young University. In 2008 he helped with the foundation of ApplicantPro, focusing heavily on small employers to enhance their ability to manage applicant flow. He consults with thousands of companies in hundreds of industries on sound hiring principles and marketing methodologies to attract applicants through proven marketing, SEO practices, and now, artificial intelligence.

- Tony Benjamin is a unique HR leader with more than 20 years of experience working for some of Utah’s oldest, fastest-growing, and most well-known companies. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Vernal Area Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Trustees at Ashley Regional Medical Center, and the Board of Directors at Utah SHRM. He chaired the Work Elevated Conference (WECon) — the state HR conference — for two years and is a regionally recognized authority on building successful company cultures.  Tony holds an MBA from the University of Phoenix, a Bachelor’s degree from Utah State University, and is a certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR). He is married to a woman out of his league, has three brilliant kids he doesn’t deserve, and lives in Vernal, Utah.

Learn more about Steven "Big Deal Smith" at https://thehiringtreebook.com/ 
Learn More about Tony "Two Weeks Notice" Benjamin at https://www.thegrangellc.com/ 

Katey Connell is a force for transformation—on stage, in the workplace, and through her podcast, Become Alive. A dynamic Senior Talent Acquisition Manager at an advertising agency, Katey is known for doing things differently. She pioneered culture-first screening interviews to protect and elevate company culture, helping hire not just for skills, but for core-values. As a former SeaWorld Dolphin and Whale Trainer turned motivational speaker, certified life coach, group fitness instructor, and blackbelt in Taekwondo, Katey knows what it means to evolve—and she’s on a mission to help others do the same.
After hitting rock bottom in her own life, Katey learned to get comfortable in the uncomfortable. “Because that’s where growth happens—and that’s where you truly become alive.” Now living her ‘cloud 9’ life, she uses her personal story as a tool to empower others to realize and reach their full, God-given potential. Her philosophy? “Stop telling yourself you can’t. Make the scary decisions. They’re the ones that lead to real change.”
Katey brings her radiant energy, big smile, and deep conviction into every space she enters—whether she’s recruiting top talent, speaking at national events, or coaching others through their own breakthroughs. She resides in San Diego, California, where she surfs the big waves, hikes mountain trails with her dog, and serves in her local church.
Catch her on the Become Alive Podcast, book her to speak at your next transformative event, or partner with Become Alive: Recruiting to find your next top-tier hire. What sets her apart? She’s the only her. And what sets you apart? 
Information about Katey Connell https://www.kateyconnell.com/ 
Information About Tony Benjamin https://www.thegrangellc.com/ 
Information About Steven J Smith https://thehiringtreebook.com/