In this episode, you will learn how modern talent acquisition leaders improve hiring outcomes while protecting the human side of recruiting. The conversation explores how healthcare organizations handle massive hiring volumes, why candidate experience still matters in a competitive labor market, and how recruiting teams use data to connect HR metrics to real business outcomes. Ryan Henning, Director, Talent Acquisition, Highmark Health, shares practical insights on internal mobility challenges, reducing time to fill, improving candidate experience, and how talent acquisition teams influence patient outcomes by hiring the right people faster.

Key Takeaways:

Recruiting teams can dramatically reduce time to fill while maintaining strong candidate experience.

Hiring the right people faster directly impacts patient care and operational performance in healthcare.

Internal candidates often take longer to hire than external candidates, even though they are known employees.

Talent acquisition leaders must translate HR metrics into business impact when speaking with executives.

Candidate experience matters even in uncertain job markets and should never be taken for granted.

Lowball offers or poor communication can damage employer reputation and long-term hiring success.

Data helps talent acquisition teams influence leadership decisions and demonstrate business value.

Recruiters should operate as consultants to hiring managers, not just resume processors.

Early career and high school pipeline programs are becoming critical in healthcare workforce planning.

Process improvements in interview scheduling and hiring workflows can significantly improve hiring speed.

Connect with Ryan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-henning-phr-0376901a/

Also mentioned in this conversation: Episode 180 on reducing recruiting cycle time: https://megaphone.link/DIRED7119433062

Timestamps:

00:00 Why candidate experience still matters today

02:00 Ryan Henning’s role leading talent acquisition at Highmark Health

04:00 Why healthcare organizations recruit talent starting in high school

06:00 The long-term workforce strategy behind healthcare pipelines

11:30 Hiring 10,000 employees while improving recruiting metrics

14:30 Translating HR data into business impact for executives

18:00 Why internal hiring often takes longer than external hiring

22:30 How recruiting experience affects employee performance

24:00 Fixing interview scheduling and recruiting process inefficiencies

26:00 Lessons on collaboration and knowledge sharing in recruiting

Top Keywords:

candidate experience in recruiting

healthcare talent acquisition strategy

internal mobility hiring challenges

reducing time to fill roles

healthcare recruiting pipeline

talent acquisition metrics and data

recruiting process improvement

early career healthcare programs

HR business impact of recruiting

healthcare workforce shortages

If you are wondering how AI is changing candidate fraud and what recruiters can do about it, this episode breaks it down in practical terms. In this conversation, Terry Terhark, CEO at NXTThing RPO, shares what he is seeing firsthand across enterprise recruiting teams. You will learn what candidate fraud really looks like today, how AI tools are helping applicants misrepresent skills and identity, and what talent acquisition teams can do to protect their hiring process without overreacting. The discussion includes real-world examples of fake resumes, AI-assisted interviews, dual employment, falsified references, and remote hiring risks, along with concrete steps to reduce bad hires and improve hiring integrity.

Key Takeaways

Candidate fraud today is more sophisticated and often powered by AI tools.

Fraud can include fake resumes, fake locations, fake identities, falsified work eligibility, and stand-in interviewees.

AI tools can provide real-time interview answers, making it harder to assess real capability.

Some candidates hold dual full-time remote jobs without disclosure.

The cost of hiring a fraudulent candidate is far higher than candidate ghosting.

Employers must clearly define what counts as acceptable AI

Requiring ID checks during video interviews can help verify identity.

Asking candidates to share their screen during assessments can expose AI assistance.

More companies are returning to in-person interviews to reduce fraud risk.

Training recruiters and hiring managers to spot red flags is a critical first line of defense.

Connect with Terry on e-mail: [email protected]

Connect with Terry on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terryterhark/

Timestamps

00:00 What Is Candidate Fraud Today

04:30 AI Tools Perfecting Resumes

09:15 Real Stories of Fake Remote Hires

14:00 The True Cost of a Bad Hire

18:20 Dual Employment and Remote Risks

22:45 Practical Ways to Verify Identity

27:30 In-Person Interviews Making a Comeback

31:00 Creating Clear AI Usage Policies

35:40 Training Recruiters to Spot Fraud

39:00 The AI Arms Race in Hiring

Keywords

candidate fraud in hiring

AI in recruiting

fake resumes

AI interview cheating

remote hiring risks

dual employment fraud

identity verification in recruitment

background check best practices

AI hiring policies

talent acquisition challenges

Guest: Robin Barbacane, Chief Talent Development Officer,

In this episode, you will learn how to successfully

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Connect with Robin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinbarbacane/

In this episode, you’ll learn how intentional people practices help fast-growing organizations maintain culture, trust, and connection as they scale. The conversation explores how HR leaders can design meaningful employee experiences, hire for the right mindset, strengthen culture beyond perks, and build human connection in distributed and hybrid environments—all while supporting business growth. Join us as Emma Belconis shares practical, real-world lessons from helping a healthcare fintech company grow rapidly without losing its human core.

This episode is supported by Insperity.

Key takeaways:

Connect with Emma on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-belconis/

Timestamps:

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AI is not ending HR but accelerating its evolution into a more strategic function.

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Show Links/Resources:

Join host Ben Eubanks for a thought-provoking conversation with Dr. Cari Miller about one of the most pressing questions in today's workplace: When does using AI cross the line from productivity tool to cheating? From academic integrity to job applications and workplace performance, they explore the blurred boundaries of AI usage and what it means for workers, employers, and the future of work. This episode tackles the double standards, ethical dilemmas, and practical realities of AI adoption in hiring and beyond.

Timestamps

Episode Topics & Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction & Guest Background
0:50 - Dr. Cari Miller's Research on AI & Worker Impacts
3:00 - Academic Integrity vs. AI Literacy Debate
5:00 - Defining AI "Cheating" in Education
5:40 - Domain Knowledge & Copyright Considerations
6:50 - Spell Check Analogy: Tools vs. Cheating
11:00 - The Hiring Double Standard
12:30 - Should We Test Candidates on AI Skills?
13:50 - 61% of Jobs Don't Match Interview Descriptions
15:20 - The Broken Application Process
17:30 - Emotional Toll of Job Searching
18:00 - Networking & Volunteer Work Strategy
19:40 - Ben's Story: Volunteering to Break Into HR
21:20 - Genuine vs. GPT: When Does AI Feel Like Cheating?
23:30 - Disclosure & Context Matter
25:00 - Survey Results: What Employers Consider Cheating
27:00 - The AI Arms Race in Job Applications
30:00 - The Entry-Level Crisis
30:50 - Learning in the File Room: Foundation Skills
32:00 - Junior vs. Senior Workers Using AI
33:00 - The DOS to Windows Analogy
35:30 - CEOs vs. Managers: Who Decides on AI?
36:30 - AI Procurement & Process Design
38:30 - Finding the Middle Ground
39:00 - Connect with Dr. Cari Miller on LinkedIn
40:15 - Closing Thoughts

Connect with Cari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cari-miller/

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🎧 Episode 219 

Guest: Amandeep Shergill

In this episode, we explore the realities of modern recruiting, the pressure of “doing more with less,” and the challenge of navigating uncertainty in today’s global talent market. Ben and Amandeep discuss how economic shifts, evolving business priorities, and organizational ambiguity shape the day-to-day experience of recruiters.

Amandeep shares practical examples from his career—ranging from prioritizing high-impact roles to building stronger partnerships with business leaders. This conversation dives deep into what it truly means to be a strategic advisor instead of a reactive firefighter in talent acquisition.

You’ll hear insights on:
 • Market uncertainty and its effect on TA planning
 • Productivity vs. unrealistic “do more” expectations
 • The role of tech and efficiency in the future of TA
 • How recruiters can better understand business impact & prioritization
 • Real-world examples of shifting from reactive to proactive hiring
 • Why understanding revenue, OKRs, and leadership goals changes recruiting outcomes

Whether you're a recruiter, hiring leader, or people leader, this episode provides immediately applicable frameworks for better decision-making in TA.

⏱️ Timestamps

00:03 – Welcome to Episode 219
00:16 – Introducing guest Amandeep Shergill
00:55 – Amandeep’s background and global role at Automattic
01:59 – Life outside of work: parenting, sports, and model building
03:16 – Creativity, hobbies & high performance
04:49 – The biggest recruiting challenges today
05:11 – How economic uncertainty shapes hiring plans
05:54 – Productivity, efficiency & “doing more with less”
06:28 – The disconnect between expectations and TA bandwidth
07:22 – Why “doing more” isn’t a real strategy
08:06 – What investment vs. volume actually means for TA
09:46 – Moving from reactive to proactive recruiting
10:26 – Practical strategies for strategic partnership
10:30 – Amandeep’s story from Intuit: prioritizing 38 open roles
11:48 – Understanding business impact behind hiring requests
12:49 – Revenue today vs. revenue tomorrow: prioritizing for impact
13:58 – Why recruiters must understand OKRs, revenue, and strategy
14:46 – Pausing hiring until business impact is clear
15:13 – How proactive planning creates better long-term outcomes

🔗 Connect with Amandeep

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandeepsshergill/?originalSubdomain=uk

🎓 Learn more about HR Summer School

https://hrsummerschool.org

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In this episode of We’re Only Human, Ben Eubanks talks with Travis Hunsicker about the power of curiosity, trust, and belonging in shaping great leadership. From the warehouse floor to executive coaching, Travis shares lessons on how to see people for who they can become—not just who they are today. Together, they explore why leaders must first build trust before driving performance, how genuine curiosity opens doors to growth, and what it means to create space where people truly belong.

Listeners will hear practical advice on developing talent, coaching with empathy, and recognizing potential before it’s visible. Whether you’re a manager, a mentor, or simply someone who wants to lead more authentically, this conversation is a reminder that human connection is at the heart of every lasting impact.

Connect with Travis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hunsicker/

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction and Episode Setup
 03:15 Travis’s Journey: From Forklifts to Leadership Coaching
 08:40 The Moment That Changed His Perspective on People
 12:25 Why Trust Must Come Before Performance
 17:42 How Curiosity Builds Stronger Leaders
 22:10 Seeing Potential Before Others Do
 26:35 Creating a Culture of Belonging and Growth
 31:18 Coaching Conversations That Unlock Confidence
 35:27 Real-World Examples of Human-Centered Leadership
 39:42 Final Reflections and Key Takeaways

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🎧 Episode Description

In this episode of We’re Only Human, host Ben Eubanks sits down with Jason Thrasher, one of the most inspiring voices from HR Summer School, to explore how choosing joy can transform your work, leadership, and life.

Jason shares his belief that “joy is now”—not something you wait for, but something you choose every day. From his journey in HR to lessons learned from country music and Chick-fil-A, he reveals how gratitude, authenticity, and purpose can create a culture that people truly want to be part of.

The conversation dives deep into the mindset of joyful leadership, practical ways to bring joy into daily work, and how self-awareness and connection empower teams. You’ll hear personal stories, actionable insights, and a reminder that owning your joy is the first step to owning your impact.

Check out HR Summer School: https://hrsummerschool.org

🕒 Timestamps

00:00 Introduction and Episode Setup
 01:20 Meet Jason Thrasher — From Music Dreams to HR Leadership
 02:45 “Joy Is Now” — Why Joy Can’t Wait for Tomorrow
 04:38 Practical Habits for Choosing Joy Every Morning
 05:56 The Culture You Create Determines the Audience You Keep
 07:40 Balancing Joy and Mental Health in the Workplace
 09:50 Real-Life Story: “Thank You for Coming to Work Today”
 11:55 How Joy Drives Engagement, Belonging, and Productivity
 13:24 The Sound of Joy — How Music Changes the Atmosphere
 14:35 Breaking Out of the “Check-the-Box” Mindset
 15:20 Knowing Your Why and Leading with Purpose
 16:40 Just Own Yourself — The Simplicity of Authentic Joy
 17:35 Final Reflections and Takeaways

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Episode Description

In this episode, we explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the world of HR — not by replacing humans, but by amplifying what makes us uniquely effective: empathy, creativity, and connection. The conversation digs into how HR leaders can use AI responsibly to simplify workflows, enhance decision-making, and create more human-centered experiences for employees. You’ll hear how organizations can strike the right balance between automation and authenticity, and why embracing AI doesn’t mean losing the human touch.

We also discuss the mindset shift HR professionals need to stay ahead in a rapidly changing world, and how curiosity and adaptability have become the most valuable leadership skills of all.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction and Episode Setup
 04:32 The AI Conversation: Fear vs. Opportunity
 09:15 How HR Can Use AI Without Losing Humanity
 14:48 Practical Examples of AI in Recruiting and Talent Development
 19:56 The Mindset Shift: Curiosity, Creativity, and Adaptability
 24:20 Redefining the Role of HR in an AI-Driven Workplace
 28:37 Advice for Leaders Navigating Change
 32:10 Final Thoughts and Takeaways

Connect with Lane:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lanem1/

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