Talk Talent To Me

Angela Briggs-Paige, Chief People Officer at Acelero Learning, joins Rob to share why HR is not your friend—and that’s a good thing. Angela breaks down how she shows up as a business leader first and a people expert always. She shares how she earned her seat at the boardroom table, what it really takes to build employee-led career paths, and why performance reviews need a serious glow-up. Plus: Angela’s approach to employee growth (spoiler alert: it involves passports), starting her own fractional CPO business, and never, ever being out-peopled. 📌 Key Takeaways Why HR isn’t your friend How to speak “business” instead of “HR” to get heard in leadership rooms The courage it takes to challenge decisions in the boardroom “I will not be out-peopled”: Angela’s mantra for CPO credibility How Acelero is replacing performance reviews with employee-led “career passports” The mindset shift from “how do we keep people?” to “how do we make staying a meaningful choice?” Why enabling managers as coaches, not judges, is the key to performance development The case for giving employees homework before their 1:1s How expanding her portfolio beyond HR helped Angela grow as a business leader What her fractional CPO venture People Power is teaching her about right-sizing HR strategy for scale   🔗 Links Angela Briggs-Paige on LinkedIn LHH Recruitment Solutions  A Beautiful Working World A Soundbeam Studios Production

Michelle Brooks, Chief People & Culture Officer at Security Compass, joins Rob to unpack what it really means to lead with “compassionate candor.” She shares how feedback norms are shifting for Gen Z, how she built a truly strategic people function without a traditional HR background, and why HR’s identity crisis is holding the industry back. Plus, Michelle gives a front-row look at how her team is driving AI adoption across the business—from launching an internal AI council to treating AI like the biggest change management initiative of the decade. This episode is packed with spicy takes, real talk about feedback, and a blueprint for how HR and IT can actually partner to move AI from buzzword to business driver.   📌 Key Takeaways Why Gen Z wants more feedback, and how to deliver it with “compassionate candor” The problem with radical candor and how it’s been quietly rebranded Why feedback is often withheld from leaders, and how Michelle invites it in The myth that HR needs permission to have a seat at the table How Michelle’s background in sales and recruiting helped her avoid HR “learned helplessness” Why HR still suffers from an identity crisis How Security Compass is treating AI adoption as a company-wide change management initiative The structure and purpose of their internal AI council, governance committee, and AI champions program The growing alliance between HR and IT How to make the business case for leading AI adoption from the people function 🔗 Links Michelle Brooks on LinkedIn LHH Recruitment Solutions  A Beautiful Working World A Soundbeam Studios Production

Katya Laviolette, Chief People Officer at 1Password, joins Rob to unpack how the company scaled from a scrappy, consumer-first startup to a 1,400-person B2B security powerhouse. She shares why shifting from B2C to B2B hiring isn’t just about adding new roles—it’s about evolving core competencies. Katya also explains how her team uses “anti-recruiting” to scare off the wrong candidates, and how being brutally honest during the hiring process actually leads to better retention. Plus: why every company is a train ride, and you don’t have to ride the whole way. 📌 Key Takeaways Why 1Password eliminated the “Apply Now” button—and what it means for candidate experience How hiring changed as the company shifted from B2C to enterprise B2B The buy-vs-build approach to talent in cybersecurity and SaaS Why “anti-recruiting” is a crucial part of high-growth hiring How to design an interview loop that screens for ambiguity tolerance The difference between relevant experience and transplanting culture Why some hires are “lifers” and others join for a chapter—and that’s OK Katya’s metaphor for growth: scaling a company is like a train ride Why strong employer branding should repel as much as it attracts How candidate curiosity and specificity signal long-term success   🔗 Links Katya Laviolette on LinkedIn LHH Recruitment Solutions  A Beautiful Working World A Soundbeam Studios Production

Rob reconnects with longtime friend and HubSpot’s VP of Talent Acquisition & Mobility, Becky McCullough, for a conversation that spans nearly a decade of growth, both personal and organizational. Becky shares how trust, flexibility, and curiosity have kept her at HubSpot for 10+ years, and why she encourages her team to take recruiter calls (really). They also dig into HubSpot’s AI-first approach to hiring, performance, and engagement, including how they’re assessing AI fluency without bias, and why “show your prompt” might be the new “show your work.” Plus: Becky’s spicy take on why direct reports shouldn’t be part of hiring their boss.   📌 Key Takeaways Why Becky encourages her team to take phone screens with external recruiters—and how it builds trust HubSpot’s shift from reactive HR to strategic workforce planning How AI fluency is becoming table stakes in hiring (and how to assess it equitably) The role of trust in employee engagement surveys—and why honesty is a signal Why Becky believes direct reports shouldn’t help hire their boss How HubSpot uses Qualtrics and AI to synthesize feedback fast The balance between fast AI adoption and responsible implementation Why hiring is (still) a team sport—and TA shouldn’t be “the hiring police” 🔗 Links Becky McCullough on LinkedIn LHH Recruitment Solutions  A Beautiful Working World A Soundbeam Studios Production

✍️ Episode Description  Jessica Swank didn’t set out to be a Chief People Officer—but when the opportunity found her, she said yes. Now CPO at Box, Jessica joins Rob to share her unconventional career journey and how she’s helping lead the company into its next era as an AI-first organization. She explains why AI is more about change management than tech, what it means to build cross-functional partnerships that work, and why every Boxer (even the CEO) has to pass an AI quiz. Jessica also reveals how Box rolled out an internal AI agent that writes job descriptions in seconds, and why “return on time” is her new favorite metric. Plus: a cameo from Jeep, her 7-year-old’s favorite GPT agent. 📌 Key Takeaways Jessica’s journey from recruiter to Chief People Officer Why she nearly said no to the CPO role at Box What it’s really like to lead HR during a global shutdown How Box is approaching AI as a cross-functional, people-first initiative Why HR should lead AI strategy—not just adoption Box’s three-pillar framework for AI: Optimize, Elevate, Amplify The ROI of AI? Try ROT—Return on Time How Box built an AI agent that drafts JDs from intake calls Why every employee at Box is required to pass an AI enablement course How to grow with a company instead of being outgrown by it Why “get comfortable being uncomfortable” is still the best career advice 🔗 Links Jessica Swank on LinkedIn LHH Recruitment Solutions  A Beautiful Working World A Soundbeam Studios Production

Jim Conti, Talent Partner at Hyde Park Venture Partners, joins Rob to unpack what it really means to support startups from the VC side. He shares how his role has evolved from operator to advisor, why he often tells founders not to hire, and what makes a great first head of marketing hire. Jim also explains how talent leaders can earn influence without ownership, translate TA metrics into business outcomes, and become the first call when founders hit a crisis. Plus: the real reason boards don’t care about your hiring speed. 📌 Key Takeaways: What a talent partner actually does at an early-stage VC How to support portfolio companies without getting embedded full-time Why hiring should be a last resort—not a first instinct The bowling bumper metaphor for talent advisory How to guide founders through hiring their first execs How to build trust and become the first phone call when things go sideways Why talent teams need to shift from “function” to “impact” when reporting to boards Common TA metrics boards don’t care about—and what they do want instead Why talent leaders must stay curious about AI, automation, and tooling The evolution of recruiting from high-volume hiring to strategic headcount planning   🔗 Episode Links: Jim Conti on LinkedIn LHH Recruitment Solutions  A Beautiful Working World A Soundbeam Studios Production

Delivery Hero’s Chief People and Sustainability Officer, Ana Mitrasevic, joins Rob to challenge the status quo of performance management. Drawing on her experience in both HR and product, Ana makes the case for replacing rigid review cycles with tech-enabled, real-time performance enablement. She shares her vision of a two-sided internal talent marketplace, explains why traditional career ladders don’t cut it anymore, and offers a smart hiring hack that both CFOs and CPOs can get behind. Plus, a friendly invite to watch high-drama basketball in Serbia.   Key Takeaways: Why performance enablement should replace traditional performance management How technology can identify real-time strengths and skill gaps without a manager’s input Why annual reviews and rigid nine-box grids no longer serve high-performing teams How to build an internal talent marketplace that empowers nonlinear, skill-based career moves How to use "next-level-down" backfills to create internal mobility and reduce costs What HR can learn from product management: test, iterate, de-prioritize Why values and behaviors may matter more than skills in internal hiring How to scale talent discovery beyond one-off relationships and gut feeling Ana Mitrasevic on LinkedIn LHH Recruitment Solutions  A Beautiful Working World A Soundbeam Studios Production

Tina Bright wasn’t looking—but Inter-Con Security found her anyway. In this episode, Tina shares how a well-timed drink with the CPO turned a polite decline into a fast-tracked offer. She unpacks her playbook for entering a new org, from low-hanging fruit wins to tech stack audits, and explains why TA leaders should stay curious about the latest tools (even when they’re not buying). Tina also reflects on evaluating career moves with intention—and why working for someone who gets TA can be a game-changer. Key Takeaways: How a casual drink turned into a senior leadership role The importance of surveying stakeholders early in a new role Low-lift, high-impact wins to build credibility fast Evaluating ATS and CRM options that actually fit the business Why TA leaders should demo new tools—even without a buying need How to spot when a company is truly invested in talent acquisition Tina’s three-question framework for evaluating new opportunities Why company culture (and who you report to) really matters Tina Bright on LinkedIn LHH Recruitment Solutions  A Beautiful Working World A Soundbeam Studios Production

Ken Bouchard, VP of Talent Strategy at BJ’s Wholesale Club, joins Rob to break down how he led a full-scale HR transformation—without losing sight of the business. From splitting strategic and ER functions, to killing off “HR vanity projects,” Ken explains how he restructured his team to be faster, sharper, and more aligned to outcomes. Plus, he shares why some projects should be shelved even if they succeed, what HR can learn from restaurants, and how a little time in Iceland goes a long way for clarity. Key Takeaways: Why BJ’s split employee relations from strategic HR—and how it improved both How to kill off “HR vanity projects” (even the successful ones) A practical framework for aligning HR work to real business outcomes Why HR pros should treat internal teams like customers The value of front-of-house/back-of-house thinking in HR org design Why experience across multiple HR domains leads to better leadership How to grow your career in HR when key processes only happen once a year The importance of postmortems—even when things go well   Ken Bouchard on LinkedIn LHH Recruitment Solutions  A Beautiful Working World A Soundbeam Studios Production

Trisha Degg joins Rob to unpack her zigzagging path through sales, HR, venture capital, and back to the hiring trenches as Head of Global TA at Rush Street Interactive. She shares how “Googling her way through HR” (pre-AI!) made her a sharper TA leader, why she hired a former recruiter to wrangle ATS chaos, and how her team is using AI to reverse-engineer their best hires. From global hiring hurdles to cleaning up messy data, Trisha proves that building scalable talent processes is as much about grit as it is strategy—plus, there's tomatoes. Lots of tomatoes Key takeaways: Why cross-functional experience makes for stronger talent leaders How to clean up and future-proof your ATS and headcount data The value of hiring scrappy, fast learners into ops roles Using AI to identify common traits among top performers Tips for globalizing recruiting processes across 20+ countries How to build a strong CPO relationship (and why it matters) Trisha Degg on LinkedIn LHH Recruitment Solutions  A Beautiful Working World A Soundbeam Studios Production