Talk Talent To Me

VP of Talent Acquisition at New Western, Rahul Yodh, shares insights on the revenue impact of hires, interview philosophies, and evolving the perception of talent acquisition. He discusses the New Western business model, career transition from law to TA, and the importance of showcasing TA ROI. Rahul emphasizes transparency in the job search process and balancing speed with quality in staffing sales roles.

Today on the show we are joined by Dr. Scott Whiteford, Director of Leadership Analytics at Talent Plus, a strength-based management company that is rooted in positive psychology. Their mission is centered on understanding an individual’s greatest strengths and how best to utilize those strengths, both for selection and development. In our conversation, we delve into what it means to focus on strengths rather than weaknesses, the importance of self-reflection, and how to become increasingly specialized as you progress in your career. Scott also shares his advice for young people on how to discover their strengths, the importance of looking at the whole person when you want to hire successfully, and how to form a constructive partnership with your hiring manager. Key Points From This Episode:   Get to know our guest, Scott Whiteford, and his career at Talent Plus. Scott’s role as Director of Leadership Analytics at Talent Plus. The size of the organizations that Talent Plus usually works with. How Talent Plus gathers the information they need to help their clients. What Talent Plus clients are typically looking for. Why Talent Plus is rooted in positive psychology and how they implement it. What it means to focus on strengths rather than weaknesses in business. What can be learned from the way sport approaches strengths and weaknesses. How to tell whether a Performance Improvement Plan is being made in good faith. The importance of specialization in your career. Scott’s advice to young people on negotiating with their superiors. How to use self-reflection to understand your strengths and weaknesses. What happens when hiring managers and leaders don’t understand the whole person. How Scott uses assessments as part of his role. The importance of building a diverse leadership team. Scott’s parting advice for hiring managers.   Tweetables:   “The companies that we work with are really interested in how they can help their employees, leaders, managers, [and] frontline folks to be more successful.” — Scott Whiteford [0:04:29]   “As I progress in my career, I actually become more specialized, even within the role that I have here at Talent Plus. By becoming more specialized, I tend to do more and more things that I really enjoy.” — Scott Whiteford [0:17:57]   “I really like it when my students and my young leaders take control of their careers, because they'll find it more rewarding.” — Scott Whiteford [0:21:46]   “Understand what parts of your job you like, what parts you don't like, where you're good, where you're not so good. The better prepared you are to have that conversation with your leader, the more likely you're going to see a strong outcome.” — Scott Whiteford [0:23:00]   “We really want a diverse leadership team with lots of independent thought.” — Scott Whiteford [0:32:49]   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   Scott Whiteford on LinkedIn Talent Plus Talk Talent to Me Hired

  Given the current economic climate, employers and employees around the world are becoming better acquainted with the reality of layoffs each day. Joining us to discuss the ins and outs of layoffs are co-founders of Thrive HR Consulting, Rey Ramirez and Jason Walker. Rey and Jason have both held multiple roles in HR for many years, having worked for the likes of Cisco Systems and BMC Software. In this episode, they provide insight into the current hiring (and firing) landscape and the push and pull of navigating the continuation of remote work post-pandemic. We discuss the factors affecting layoffs, the typical layoff process, who’s most at risk, and how to mitigate that risk.    Key Points From This Episode: Introducing HR titans and cofounders of Thrive HR Consulting, Rey Ramirez and Jason Walker. Rey and Jason’s respective backgrounds, and how they came to found their company. Insight into the current hiring market: deglobalization and AI advancement. How small to mid-size companies are benefitting from large corporation layoffs. The continuation of remote hiring and hybrid work setups. Why employers generally prefer employees to work in the office. The challenges of phasing out remote work. The typical layoff process and which positions are most at risk. How to make yourself indispensable and mitigate the risk of being laid off. The importance of networking and how to do so effectively. How to anticipate layoffs. Under what circumstances a company will offer severance.    Tweetables:   “There’s still competition in the hiring market. We’re talking a lot about what we call deglobalization. ” — Jason Walker [0:04:29]   “Remote hiring is continuing. The last 24 months have shown us that work can be done, whether it’s recruiting work [or] development work, remotely.” — Rey Ramirez [0:07:40]   “The key in the future is [going to be] having space that encourages people to connect.” — Rey Ramirez [0:14:44]   “You’ve got to treat employees respectfully because the same people you’re laying off today are the ones you’re going to be trying to re-recruit in nine months.” — Jason Walker [0:21:26]   “Quiet always means there’s something looming on the horizon.” — Jason Walker [0:39:44]   “You’ve always got to be networking. You should always be looking into the jobs that are out there to understand what’s available at any given moment.” — Rey Ramirez [0:44:34]   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   Rey Ramirez on LinkedIn Jason Walker on LinkedIn Jason Walker Email Thrive HR Consulting Talk Talent to Me Hired

Joining us in conversation are two guests from Hire Hopkins, the recruiting arm of Johns Hopkins University. They are Executive Director Alia Poonawala, and Associate Director Emma O'Rourke Powell. We kick off our conversation with a detailed look at the career journey that brought each of our guests to their current roles, and what motivates them most. Alia and Emma have a white glove approach and share how building an infrastructure streamlines and supports the recruitment process. Key Points From This Episode:   Today’s topic: university recruitment. Welcome to our guests: Executive Director Alia Poonawala and Associate Director Emma O’Rourke Powell with Hire Hopkins. Alia’s background in education and focus to bring outcomes-focused, data-driven, ROI approach to higher education. Emma’s story of recruitment to Hire Hopkins after working in higher education for 10 years. Her focus on women’s equity and advocacy. The far-reaching influence of Farouk Dey, VP at Johns Hopkins University. Challenges posed by bureaucracy in higher education. How the ‘Red Ocean’ principle results in a bidding war between top paying companies. One-on-one work and data-driven work within Alia and Emma’s white glove approach. How creating an infrastructure and formula has streamlined their recruitment process. Starting with historical data and observing what has worked for employers in the past. Reframing job descriptions to generate interest from your target market of employees. Why flexibility is vital in the resume process. Where Alia and Emma’s insights on the upcoming generation comes from.  Translating between employers and higher education professionals. Why Alia and Emma encourage companies to consider international talent. Why it is so beneficial for international students to be driven and committed to their US role.   Tweetables:   “Here at John Hopkins University, my work is in helping ensure that our underrepresented students have equal opportunities in internships and in jobs when they graduate.” — Emma O’Rourke Powell [0:06:55]   “What I learned from the boot camp world is that most people learn by doing.” — Alia Poonawala [0:15:11]   “The companies that do well are the ones that are teachable and willing to experiment” — Alia Poonawala [0:22:25]   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   Alia Poonawala on LinkedIn Emma O’Rourke Powell on LinkedIn Farouk Dey on Twitter Johns Hopkins University Talk Talent to Me Hired

Not everyone follows a linear career path, and pursuing a non-traditional route can often equip you with useful skills you wouldn’t otherwise have acquired. Our guest today, Wesley Gilbert, Global Head of Talent Acquisition at On, has had a varied and eventful career journey. After becoming disillusioned with the acting industry while running an events company, Wesley Gilbert discovered his enthusiasm for recruitment through pure chance. In our conversation, Wesley shares how a fortuitous encounter facilitated his first recruitment job at Google, what he learned during his time there, and how he realized the inflexibility of a larger organization wasn’t for him. We spend some time discussing his time at Uber, how he landed a job there, and why he finds the early-stage startup environment so stimulating. He goes on to expand on his passion for problem-solving and how working in an entrepreneurial environment has helped him become a well-informed leader. We also discuss the pressure many of us experience to become more specialized (and the benefits of being a generalist) before Wesley shares his advice on how to become a well-informed leader. There’s no correct way to approach your career, and Wesley is living proof of that. Tune in for a refreshing perspective that will inspire you to follow your curiosity and find environments that allow you to thrive!   Key Points From This Episode:   Introducing today’s guest, Wesley Gilbert, Head of Talent Acquisition at On. Learn why Wesley describes himself as being on a never-ending search for talented people. Why agreeing on the perfect candidate is easier than agreeing on the perfect pizza. Wesley’s early career as an actor and his experience running an events company. The surprising story of how Wesley entered the industry as a recruitment coordinator at Google. What Wesley learned from working at Google and why it wasn’t a perfect fit for him. Wesley’s time at Uber and how being at a rising startup allowed him to grow. What Wesley has learned about the work environments that motivate him. Wesley’s appreciation for the high rate of problem-solving that you need to do at an earlier stage startup. How Wesley became Head of Talent Acquisition at On. The mix of leaders Wesley has worked with and what he has learned from them. The pressure generalists often experience from managers to become more specialized. The strengths and benefits of being a generalist leader. Wesley shares his enthusiasm for sourcing. Why sourcing is often oversimplified and how to attract high caliber talent to the role. Wesley’s advice on how to build a career that allows you to become a well-informed leader.   Tweetables:   “I realized really quickly that this was a great place to learn about recruitment. They have a lot of best-in-class processes. And they have a really great team.” — Wesley Gilbert [0:07:20]   “I started to realize that, ‘Hey, this is actually a really interesting career where you get to have a ton of impact on people and really help to make their dreams come true.’” — Wesley Gilbert [0:07:36]   “I realized that very quickly, I didn't fit in an environment that was quite as big as Google and gave me so much inflexibility.” — Wesley Gilbert [0:08:10]   “I think the sign of a good leader is that they surround themselves with people that are better than them, that are smarter than them.” — Wesley Gilbert [0:20:18]   “It doesn't matter how senior you are when you come into a company. We're going to give you some autonomy, we're going to give you some scope. And we're going to give you the trust to go and do that. And that means that you just attract a completely different caliber of people.” — Wesley Gilbert [0:27:47]   “Don't be afraid to take a sideways move. Don't always feel like you're chasing that next promotion, or you're chasing that next stage in your career. There's absolutely no race to the end.” — Wesley Gilbert [0:30:15]   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   Wesley Gilbert on LinkedIn On Talk Talent to Me Hired

  For departments that are supposed to be working in tandem, HR personnel and recruiters are often putting each other down and devaluing the other’s role. Today’s guests have rectified the situation and are showing us exactly how it should be done, with HR and TA working side-by-side to deliver a hit podcast, The Career Saloon. Carla Patton is VP of HR at RAPP, and her twin sister, Camille Tate, is Head of Talent at Strava. The pair give us a breakdown of their podcast and explain why they started it, before detailing exactly how they ended up in their current careers.  We discuss how to turn a bad interview into a valuable one, why it’s vital to be self-aware and own your mistakes, and why personal branding is inherent in every one of us. As Carla and Camille explain why they’ve never switched from HR to TA and vice versa, they give us their take on their least favorite aspects of the opposite department. Carla’s passion for TA is mirrored by Camille’s love for HR and after telling us which type of person is suited for each of their career paths, they explain why recruiters need to up their game and be more deliberate in their approach, and how technological advancements are making people forget about human-centric work departments.   Key Points From This Episode: Introducing today’s guests, twins Carla Patton and Camille Tate. Our guests break down their podcast, The Career Salon, and explain why they started it.  Why Carla wanted Camille’s blog (which turned into their podcast) to have more HR content. HR versus recruitment: each twin’s journey to their current roles. How to turn around a bad interview.    The importance of taking ownership of your mistakes and being self-aware. Stripping personal branding down to its foundation.  Why they’ve never switched from HR to talent and vice versa.   The aspect of recruitment that Carla likes the least.  What Camille dislikes most about HR and why she only does the work of her job title. How candidates can read the mood of the recruiter. Why recruiters need to put out the right energy and be deliberate in everything they do.  How technology is making the world forget that HR and recruiting are human-focused.  The circumstances under which Carla believes a person is more suited for HR than recruiting.  When Camille thinks that someone should pursue recruiting instead of HR.   Tweetables: “Like most people in HR, HR chose me; I didn’t choose it.” — @peepcenteredhr [0:07:01]   “People are always watching you. It doesn’t matter if you think they aren’t; they are always watching you. If you don’t think you have a personal brand, you do.” — @camilleRecruits [0:09:53]   “If you make a mistake, own it. Own it, and then rectify it.” — @camilleRecruits [0:14:14]   “I do what works for me. I know myself. I am self-aware.” — @peepcenteredhr [0:25:18]   “The recruiting function is super important because we are like the cheerleaders, the welcome mats for the company. And if your welcome mat is tired, worn out, raggedy, then that’s a disservice, and you shouldn’t be doing that job.” — @camilleRecruits [0:33:40]   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   Camille Tate on LinkedIn Camille Tate on Twitter  Carla Patton on LinkedIn  Carla Patton on Twitter The Career Salon  The Career Salon on Instagram  The Career Salon on Facebook  The Career Salon on Twitter Talk Talent to Me  Hired

Here to talk tales of acquisition with me is Jodi Cohen, Director of Talent Acquisition at Tombras. We dive into her journey as a recruiter and how she ended up in-house at Tombras. She shares significant insights about the difference between working for an agency versus working in-house, how she brought urgency and speed to Tombras, and how she keeps moving quickly while putting processes in place. Jodi shares her thoughts on the roles and responsibilities of a director of talent acquisition, and why being hands-on is essential! We also discuss sending the no-update-update email and her thoughts on sending a rejection email.    Key Points From This Episode:   What it looks like before everyone disappears for the holidays at Tombras. Where Jodi is with the planning of 2023. Jodi shares her journey as a recruiter. More about her role as Director of Talent at Tombras. How she transitioned from agency to in-house for Tombras. Why she decided that going in-house was appealing and something she wanted to do. Her experience in being in-house and how it differs from agency work.  How she brought urgency and speed to Tombras. Jodi talks about the different processes she implemented at Tombras. How she keeps moving quickly while putting processes in place. Her take on the role and responsibilities of the Director of Talent Acquisition.  How she is trying to learn about what it means to be looking for a job in the current state of things. Sending the no-update-update email and why it’s important. We discuss a ChatGPT generated email. We talk about rejection emails and how Jodi approaches them. Her thoughts on when someone doesn’t send a rejection email. Why you should put some responsibility on the candidate.  Advice to people in the talent space as they figure out what is their next move.   Tweetables:   “Coming from the recruiting agency side has really helped me see the full picture.” — Jodi Cohen [0:08:23]   “I am still very reluctant to pass on any responsibilities through the hiring process. Anything that’s communication with the candidate, I’m still going to take on, because that ensures that the relationship with the candidate is going to be maintained throughout the process.” — Jodi Cohen [11:04]   “How are you ever going to stay hands on with the trends if you're not in the trenches?” — Jodi Cohen [0:13:30]   “I think a common frustration across the board with recruiting, no matter what the market, is the whole kind of ghosting, non-responsiveness piece.” — Jodi Cohen [0:15:57]   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   Jodi Cohen on LinkedIn ChatGPT Tombras Talk Talent to Me Hired

  As educational standards constantly change, is it still necessary to hire talent based solely on their educational background, or is there something else recruiters should be looking out for? Joining us today to help answer that question is the Head of all Talent Acquisition for India at Informatica, Aditya Singh. India has become a major source of talent for many companies based outside of the country, and our guest explains why India is unique in the talent that it produces. We learn about the country’s current surge in technical skills development, why startups remain the focus of many Indian investors, how Informatica has increased its uptake of offshore development centers, and what the company is planning for its long-term internal skills development. Aditya then explains the importance of an individual having soft skills and keen critical thinking ability, and why recruiters need to take these skills more seriously when hiring their talent. We end with our guest giving noteworthy advice to new and mid-career TAs who are looking to grow in the industry.    Key Points From This Episode:   A warm welcome to the Head of all Talent Acquisition for India at Informatica, Aditya Singh. Aditya’s professional background and a breakdown of his current role.  His educational history and a closer look at his HR coursework.  Whether new innovations first happen in HR or TA. New and future TA innovations that excite Aditya the most.  Why Informatica and other companies are betting big on India as a source of talent.  The wave of growth in technical skills that India is currently experiencing.  Why Indians are choosing to invest heavily in startups.  How Aditya has witnessed Informatica’s steady increase in hiring from India.  Understanding the value of offshore development centers, and how he formed that strategy. Informatica’s long-term internal skill development plan.  The importance of having a strong, detailed workforce plan. How to work out an accurate 10-year skills development plan as technology rapidly changes.   Why critical thinking is vital for the individual in the workforce.  T-shaped learning and why it’s a smart educational principle to adopt.  How Aditya screens his candidates for soft skills. Why he believes that soft skills can be learned over a long period.  The problems hiring managers have with choosing talent based on their soft skills.  How our guest would go about changing the mentality of recruiters.  His advice to new and mid-career TAs who are looking to grow in the space.     Tweetables:   “India is one of the biggest deals for Informatica and the most critical one. From a technology standpoint, we are in the right space, because a lot of the development, product development, hiring, everything happens in India.” — @addypal [0:07:09]   “India is very focused on STEM sciences from an education standpoint. We've been brought up in a way of saying that 15 years of education is a must. Don't even think about dropping out. It's a mindset which we carry” — @addypal [0:08:04]   “I think we need to get away from role-based positions. The guardrails of education are slowly moving out. I think that we find the person who's able to deliver, focus on the result and what the individual brings to the table, and then the background of the individual.” — @addypal [0:14:02]   “Your ability to solve complex problems [is very important], because no problem will be similar in nature. If it is similar in nature, you get automated, as simple as that.” — @addypal [0:17:01]   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   Aditya Singh on LinkedIn Aditya Singh on Twitter Informatica What are T-shaped skills? Talk Talent to Me  Hired

The workplace is rapidly changing and there is an increasing focus on the mental health, wellness, goals, and happiness of employees. Joining us today is the incredible Amy Cappellanti-Wolf to discuss her interesting HR philosophies and help us find the right way to help onboarding employees integrate successfully. Amy is the global chief people officer and transformation leader at Cohesity and has had an extensive career at a multitude of companies, namely Frito-Lay and Disney. In this episode, you’ll hear all about how Amy landed at Cohesity, how her education has served her in her career, what the company is currently focusing on, and the changes Amy has made since starting there. We also discuss how Amy suggests we lead onboarding in order to secure an employee’s retention and help them engage in the work they’re doing, the importance of having diversity on a leadership level, the manager’s role, career path building, gradation, how to measure perspective, and much more! Amy even gives us an example of how to plan an employee’s onboarding process before she tells us how she approaches problem-solving with her teams. Lastly, Amy tells us why she loves her job, what her hopes are for the future, and shares some advice for anyone wanting to work in an HR role.  Key Points From This Episode:   A (detailed) introduction to today’s guest, Amy Cappellanti-Wolf’s professional background. How Amy landed her current role at Cohesity.  How having an educational background has contributed to Amy’s career.  How Amy thinks the role of HR has changed over the last two years.  Amy tells us what is going on at Cohesity at the moment.  The importance of diversity and inclusion in leadership levels.  Why Amy wanted to change the mindset of the employees at Cohesity.  How Cohesity measures people’s perspectives.  How to lead an employee during onboarding to secure retention and engagement. Amy gives us an example of a plan for an employee’s successful onboarding experience. Why Cohesity has started to create career path building.  Amy explains what gradation is. Why Amy believes that each employee owns their career and the manager's job is facilitation. How Amy approaches team problem-solving and delegating tasks.  How Amy has built her career on learning from failures and why she loves her job.  Amy shares some advice for listeners aiming to land up in a VP, CHRO, or HR kind of role.  Why Amy prefers big dogs: more to hug and more to love.    Tweetables:   “Really great HR is all about consulting to the business, providing solutions that support the business growth and the employee growth. Its risk mitigation, it's also helping leaders be their best because the best leaders also create better teams.” — @AmyCappellanti [0:05:19]   “If you start early on with lower numbers, the law of numbers works for you. If you try to introduce DNI when you're a larger enterprise company, a lot of numbers work against you.” — @AmyCappellanti [0:08:58]   “You get much better business outcomes when you've got a diverse set of people versus a homogeneous set of people.” — @AmyCappellanti [0:09:28]   “There's a ton of studies that if you don't get onboarding, right within the first month to 60 days, retention drops drastically after the first year of employment. It's not only the right thing to do for your employees, but there's real business value and doing that.” — @AmyCappellanti [0:17:11]   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   Amy Cappellanti-Wolf on LinkedInAmy Cappellanti-Wolf on Twitter Cohesity Talk Talent to Me Hired

Respecting History, Protecting the Future, and Maintaining Healthy Office Culture with Hadley Haut   Episode 288: Show Notes   Candidates should approach the company they want to work for with deliberate ambition, armed with adequate research and the will to uphold that company’s values. Today’s guest, Hadley Haut, did exactly that on her way to becoming Executive Director of Talent and Culture at The Atlantic. One thing that her company has managed to do successfully is maintain its office culture after the difficulties of the pandemic, and our guest explains just how they did it and why working in-office is still extremely valuable for all employees. Key Points From This Episode: Introducing Hadley Haut, Executive Director of Talent and Culture at The Atlantic. The Atlantic’s history and how the idea of abolishing slavery led Hadley to her current role.  How she deals with the pressures of upholding the company’s legacy. Whether it’s important for candidates to be connected to the history of the company. The pros of being deliberate in choosing the company you want to work for.  Hadley’s process of joining The Atlantic and how she carved out a role for herself.  What she did in the early days after being hired to address culture at The Atlantic.  Her assessment of agencies and what they can do to improve.  Why agencies are becoming more formulaic and doing less to build real relationships. How she’d assess whether an agency was doing or saying the right things. The campaigns she’s busy working on now.  How to adjust and maintain harmony in a hybrid office environment post-pandemic. Why working in-office is still valuable.  Hadley’s advice to people who are looking to forge a career in her line of work.     Tweetables: “[At The Atlantic] you’re a part of history, on the right side of it. So, speaking truth and approaching ideas in new and not always comfortable ways.” — @HadleyHaut [0:05:10]   “It’s really hard looking for a job, and no one should be treated with anything other than respect.” — @HadleyHaut [0:23:00]   “When you’re ready for a new job, the best thing you can do is reach out to a company where you really want to work, because that’s the first thing anyone who is hiring you will notice.” — @HadleyHaut [0:38:09]   “When there’s a personal connection to something, life is more fulfilling, you do better work, you change, you make a difference in the world.” — @HadleyHaut [0:38:36]   “We could use a little more kindness in this world.” — @HadleyHaut [0:39:31]   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   Hadley Haut on Twitter Hadley Haut on LinkedIn  The Atlantic The Case for Reparations Ta-Nehisi Coates Hired