161. Nora Burns, AKA The Undercover Candidate, Unfiltered Full Interview - Special Episode

Truth, Lies, and Work is an award-winning psychology podcast from the HubSpot Podcast Network, hosted by Chartered Occupational Psychologist Leanne Elliott and business owner Al Elliott.

This episode is part of our Unfiltered Series, featuring the full, raw, unedited interviews with some of the most inspiring voices in workplace culture. Today, we welcome Nora Burns, better known as The Undercover Candidate and a trailblazer in redefining recruitment and workplace culture.

🗓️ Episode Overview:

First featured in Episode 74, Nora brings her groundbreaking research to the table, sharing eye-opening insights from over 250 undercover job interviews and frontline work experiences in Fortune 500 companies.

If you’re navigating January’s prime recruiting season—whether as a job seeker or a hiring manager—this episode is packed with revelations that will transform the way you think about hiring, onboarding, and workplace culture.

🎧 Key Topics Covered:

The Undercover Candidate Project

• Nora’s unique journey of posing as a job candidate to uncover unethical, lazy, and sometimes illegal hiring practices.

How Recruitment Shapes Workplace Culture

• Why recruitment is the foundation of a strong workplace culture and how poor candidate experiences can set the tone for mistrust and disengagement.

Trends in Onboarding and Leadership

• Insights into why onboarding fails, how managers “throw corporate under the bus,” and the critical gap in developing leadership courage.

Addressing Bias in Hiring

• The dangers of bias in traditional hiring processes and how AI might amplify these issues if not managed carefully.

What Employers Get Wrong About Hiring

• The pitfalls of ghosting candidates, neglecting communication, and undervaluing the candidate experience.

Nora’s Upcoming Book

• A sneak peek into Nora’s 2024 releases, including a mini book collection and her full-length book on the undercover candidate and employee experience.

💡 Key Takeaways:

• Recruitment is the starting point of the employment relationship—get it right, and the results will ripple throughout your culture.
• Poor hiring practices not only harm your reputation but can cost you future candidates and customers.
• Strong communication and respect for candidates' time are non-negotiable for building trust and engagement.

Resources:

Connect with Nora: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noraburns/

Pre-purchase Nora's book: https://www.theleadershipexperts.com/shop

🎧 What’s Next in the Series:

Join us next week for an unfiltered conversation with Bruce Daisley, where we’ll explore resilience and rethinking work-life balance.

General Support with Mental Health and Well-being

If you have been affected by any of the themes in this episode, or are currently struggling with your mental health, the following resources may be useful.

Mind website: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/

If you are feeling in distress or despair, including feelings of suicide, please do consider calling the Samaritans for free on 116 123 (UK) or email jo@samaritans.org (Rest of World)

Connect with Al and Leanne

Join the Conversation on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork/

Connect with Al on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott/

Connect with Leanne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne

Email: Hello@truthliesandwork.com

Book a Call with Al & Leanne: https://oblonghq.com/book/