Talk Talent To Me

From his decade at Merrill Lynch, followed by a decade at OppenheimerFunds, to his current position as Chief Human Resources Officer over at Vitech Systems, Andy Doyle knows what questions he needs to be prepared to field and how best to represent his talent in the boardroom. In this episode, he fills us in on how he strikes the balance between profitability and compensation and how bonuses and salary increases are typically calculated. He shares what he learned from his move from large organizations to an ‘adolescent’ company, what he found needed the most attention upon commencement, and we discuss the immense power of company culture and what needs to be put in place in order to nurture it, as well as what it means to cultivate culture in a remote world. Andy also explains what Vitech has done to actively engage with employees and shares some tips on how to propagate culture from afar. Key Points From This Episode: Introducing Andy Boyle, Chief Human Resources Officer at Vitech Systems. Who Vitech’s board is comprised of. Find out how Andy prepares for board meetings with investors. How Andy strikes the balance between profitability and compensation. Insight into how bonuses and salary increases are calculated. The vital partnership between the CHRO and CFO of a company. Andy’s experience of moving from large companies like OppenheimerFunds and Merrill Lynch to a smaller company like Vitech. In what area Andy felt he could be most impactful when he started working at Vitech. The factors that go into making a company a great place to work. Why it’s important to build a social contract between employees and the organization. The power of a great company culture! How Andy’s approach to engaging with employees has had to change due to the pandemic. The adverse effects of remote work, and how to propagate culture in a remote world. The benefits of a change of scenery amidst the remote work lifestyle.   Tweetables:   “If you don't have a great CFO, your job as CHRO is very, very difficult.” — Andy Doyle [0:07:00]   “I think that [the] social contract becomes the foundation of a strong company culture.” — Andy Doyle [0:15:19]   “I've seen the power of what great company culture can do in my career and, when you don't have that, it doesn't matter what your strategy is.” — Andy Doyle [0:15:33]   “People will care about their company when they feel their company cares about them. The leaders of the organization have to do that, not just with what they say, but with their actions.” — Andy Doyle [0:16:23]   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   Andy Doyle on LinkedIn Vitech Systems Talk Talent to Me Hired

For today’s episode, we are thrilled to welcome Cyril George, who currently serves as the Global Talent Acquisition Lead at General Motors, and started his career doing talent acquisition at Ford Motor Company. We kick off our conversation by discussing how to choose your meetings, why too many people are often included, and how to ensure you only attend what you need to. Next Cyril expands on the effort he’s made to hire from diverse backgrounds by focusing on a combination of outside perspectives and domain experience in his effort to build a balanced team. Tuning in you’ll also hear a deep dive on tech stacks, the webinar that inspired Cyril’s vision, and a breakdown of how they have built and integrated theirs. Cyril also shares how he approaches vendors, including which questions to ask to ascertain whether their product is a good fit for your company. Today’s episode is jam-packed with excellent tips and useful insights, so make sure you tune in to hear it all!   Key Points From This Episode:   Introducing today’s guest, Cyril George, Global Talent Acquisition lead at General Motors (GM). Why Cyril is extremely selective about the number of meetings he has to attend in a day. What Cyril’s typical day looks like and how he supports his teams. A breakdown of Cyril’s teams and their functions. Cyril’s background in talent acquisition and his previous position at Ford. The big campaigns and goals that Cyril is currently focusing on. Insights into GM’s investment in electric and autonomous driving vehicles. The huge increase in hiring at GM and the forces behind it. How Cyril has scaled up recruitment to meet the demand of the business. Cyril’s refreshing perspective on outside pitches on technological innovations. Cyril’s teams’ tech stack and how they determine theirs. The role of integration between different platforms when you are building your tech stack. Why the integration needs to be seamless to best accommodate candidates and hiring managers. Which questions to ask vendors to ensure they can supply what your organization needs. The one message Cyril wants to share about recruiting: stop sharing unsolicited advice and let recruiters do their job.   Tweetables:   “One of the things I do is I really focus on clearing my calendar as much as possible. One of the things that I practice is to rigorously reject the amount of meetings that I have to attend in a day.” — Cyril George [0:01:27]   “50% of my leadership team was hired in the last two years. We made it a point to ensure that we hire people from very diverse backgrounds.” — Cyril George [0:10:17]   “I personally think that those are some of the most important meetings where you need to be involved. You need to understand what the technology can do, and you need to show your full commitment in terms of how important that piece of technology is going to be towards your future goals.” — Cyril George [0:24:52]   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Cyril George on LinkedIn Talk Talent to Me Hired

The shift from an individual contributor into leadership is something that most people will face in their career at some point, and it's not always an easy decision. Director of People Ops and Total Rewards over at OwnBackup, as well as an accomplished opera singer, Shane Long is here to talk about his jump into leadership and take us through how he arms recruiters to be more effective during the offer stage and throughout. In this conversation, we dive into the best ways for startups to navigate total rewards, previously known as benefits and recognition, and the importance of identifying what motivates people, be it a candidate or team member. Shane weighs in on how to compete when there's a FANG company's comp offer that outpaces yours, before discussing that intricate matter of equity, transparency, and answering questions that are and aren't being asked. You'll hear about some frank feedback that was hard to hear but formed a crucial part of Shane's growth, plus the oddest and coolest advice he received early in his career that swung his decision to pursue leadership from a 'no' to a 'yes' and deeply influenced his leadership style. We also get a sneak peek behind the curtain of his enablement sessions with recruiters and learn the importance of empowering recruiters to be the most knowledgeable person in the room, and what that empowerment looks like in practice. He's a true powerhouse of leadership from a hugely successful startup that's experiencing endless and exponential growth, year after year, and we hope you can join us for another fantastic conversation!   Key Points From This Episode:   An introduction to Shane and a brief sprint through his illustrious opera career. How studying business and organizational psychology prepared him to be a recruiter. A great leader that impacted his early career and his decision to jump into leadership.  The oddest and coolest advice he's ever received. Hear about the type of leadership that most people react negatively to.  The frank feedback that was hard to hear but ended up pivoting his communication style. We discuss total rewards in the SaaS industry and why it's better to start at an early stage. Always revisiting candidate motivations, plus how to compete with FANG comp offers. A peek into the enablement sessions and calls that Shane does with recruiters. Diving into misunderstandings about equity and how to best navigate those conversations. Working with managers to coach them through figuring out what motivates their teams. Talking about what motivates different people and how to find the right questions to ask!   Tweetables:   “At the end of the day, for me, I want to have a positive impact on my team and on their development, and empower them to have the same impact on the organization.” — Shane Long [0:09:36]   “First and foremost, it's not just about comp you want to sell, you've got to sell the company as well. You've got to package the company in a way that's going to be appealing to [the candidate].” — Shane Long [0:15:40]   “A lot of companies keep equity structure, and logistics and calculations really close to the chest or really close to the top of the organization. I say that recruiters are the frontline, they're the ones talking to these candidates. They need to be the most knowledgeable about it.” — Shane Long [0:19:33]   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   Shane Long on LinkedIn OwnBackup Talk Talent to Me Hired

Today we are thrilled to sit down with Loralyn Mears, Ph.D., who is the founder of STEERus, a soft skills development company that works specifically with the Gen Z community to train up their soft skills as a pathway to success and productivity. We kickstart the conversation with a discussion on redundancy hires and strategy, before diving into how our mainstream education systems are creating soft-skill deficiencies by stunting vocabulary and growth around emotional articulation. Loralyn shares her thoughts on what shaped Gen Z and how this created a generation that uses their voices for what matters and aren’t afraid to walk away, before elaborating on the ways that employer mindsets are shifting. We also have a rich conversation all about the current anti-work movement and the many realizations that people have had since they no longer have to commute, plus you'll hear some valuable parting advice for anyone looking to create their own security and benefits outside of the corporate golden cage. To hear Loralyn’s perspectives on everything from tattleware and the Pomodoro method to how she recommends managing your notifications and why everyone is so burned out, tune in now!   Key Points From This Episode:   Hear how Loralyn was fully remote long before we all put on our COVID slippers. The impact of members of a bootstrapped startup team getting sick. The concept of strategically building redundancy into their codebase. A bit about her rich background and how she ended up going into soft skills development. Diving into broken relationships and the results of being deficient in soft skills. How our education funnels us and doesn't teach us to articulate our emotions or full self.  Diving into the relationship between mass education and the current anti-work movement. What shaped Gen Z and how they learned to raise their voices for what matters. Discussing the Tang Ping phenomenon and concern over the climate crisis Finding employers who put people before process. The realizations people have had since commute and office pressure has reduced. How the concept of a workweek still works but there needs to be latitude on either side.  Talking about tattleware, the relevance of middle management, and the Pomodoro method. Death of a thousand cuts and how Loralyn manages her notifications. Hear Loralyn's insights into why everyone is so burned out and what the answer is.  The need for a shift in the employer mentality of ownership over their employee's time. Discussing people working multiple jobs, and how remote doesn't mean disengaged. Hear some excellent advice on what to do to break out of the 'golden cage' of benefits.    Tweetables:   “The final outcome [of deficient soft skills] is broken relationships. People have much higher anxiety because they’re uncertain on how to proceed. They don’t know if it’s a safe space, they don’t know how to regard it.” — @steerus_io [0:08:51]   “[Gen Z] were shaped by the climate crisis, 9/11, all of these horrific things. They said, ‘You know what? I’m going to do what matters. I want to do what matters to me.’ They learned how to raise their voices.” — @steerus_io [0:13:38]   “Process has been put ahead of people for so long, that people are starting to rebel from it.” — @steerus_io [0:16:55]   “Gen Z knows their worth more than any other generation, and they’re not afraid to walk away.” — @steerus_io [0:18:22]    “Through this pandemic epiphany, [we need to] take the time to reflect and to say, ‘What matters to me? What am I willing to tolerate? What am I not willing to tolerate?’ Again, back to that self-awareness and starting there.” — @steerus_io [0:38:27]    Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   Dr. Loralyn Mears on LinkedIn STEERus STEERus on Twitter Talk Talent to Me Hired

 At the forefront of the HR field's expansion into the new territory of Web3 is Nicholas Strange, CEO and Founder of Crypto Talent. We start the discussion today with why Nicholas felt it was the right time to found Crypto Talent and how he ended up in the position to do so. We break down what Web1, Web2, and Web3 are, how they differ, and what the big tech companies have been saying about Web3, plus some amazing statistics about the rate of growth of HR in the space. Nicholas explains why there is such a boom in HR-related jobs and how job-seekers can stand out through their passion projects. Tune in to learn how Web3 is breaking down the barrier of pay-gates in education and the power of allowing the individual autonomy over their own data. Key Points From This Episode: An introduction to Nicolas Strange, CEO and Founder of Crypto Talent. How Nicolas ended up in a space where he felt the time was right to found Crypto Talent. What the big tech companies are saying about where Web3 is going.  A crash course on what Web1, Web2, and Web3 are.  What the skill differences are between Web2 and Web3 and how this relates to hiring.  How the Web3 space is overcoming education and skills training pay gates.  The HR job opportunities expansion in the Web3 space and why it’s happening. How passion projects might make people more appealing to employers. Why culture fit is so much more important than skills fit, and how Nicolas uses this when suggesting candidates.  Where he sees for the future of HR with the advent of Web3 and the role of the Metaverse. Empowering the individual: how Web3 enables job seekers to profit off their own data.  How the blockchain could stand in place of CVs and references.  Using virtual reality in job fairs: how COVID-19 started this trend, and where Web3 will take it.   What Nicolas and his partners are working on now: a training and education platform.     Tweetables: “The time is now for a lot of people to transition their career [to the Metaverse] as well as to start a company to help support that transition.” — @strangeviews15 [0:06:49]   “All of these underlying technologies that are being built are going to allow for individuals to own their interaction more on the internet, which is going to provide security and privacy for all as well as peer-to-peer transactions and less third-party authentication.”— @strangeviews15 [0:11:29]   “One thing that often gets misconstrued about the talent that is being hired into Web 3 is that people [think], ‘I have to be a solid developer, I have to be a smart contract developer. I have to have some very specific technical knowledge on to transition to my career.’” — @strangeviews15 [0:12:02]   “One of my biggest passions is this opportunity to reshape those traditional learning routes and training routes, which were sectored off to certain communities that were able to afford the resources to go get that training and education.” — @strangeviews15 [0:17:11]   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   Nicholas Strange on LinkedIn Nicholas Strange on Twitter Crypto Talent Talk Talent to Me

  Today on Talk Talent To Me, we are joined by career and leadership coach Amy Scialdone. After 25 years in corporate, her passion for developing people moved her to start her own executive coaching and leadership development company called The Empowerment Key. In this conversation, you'll hear how she wound up in HR, occupied her seat at the VP table, and has been guiding others ever since. This episode is packed with advice on the power of the pause, the top areas for improvement that most leaders struggle with, and insights into different types of promotion and selection processes, plus we learn a bit about Amy's work with the vital all-female C-suite network called Chief before diving into her 6-month The Empowered You program. Amy outlines how this training guides the process of self-inquiry necessary to lay the internal foundations of energy leadership, through showing up with self-regulation, awareness, and connection.    Key Points From This Episode: An introduction to Amy Scialdone and her 25 years in corporate before starting The Empowerment Key. What moved her to pivot out of her VP title to delivering her training independently. How she found clarity on her boundaries and what her coaching role would entail. The power of the pause and finding the thread throughout your career. How she learned HR and always had a seat at the table. What it means to put the business lens on HR. The “I-to-we” skills that she thinks many leaders lack, and why. The key principle for career success: doing your own internal work. Talking about the role of proper communication in long-term leadership and team output. Amy shares some insights into different selection and promotion processes. Hear about the work she's doing with the incredible female C-suite network, Chief. Some of the common challenges women face in male-dominated industries.  An outline of the work she does in 6-month The Empowered You program.   Some final wit and wisdom on self-reflection, how to take a pause, and the three O's.     Tweetables:   “We learned to incorporate the business into the decisions we made. I always had a seat at the table and didn’t know how not to.” — Amy Scialdone [0:09:09]   “[The secret to career success is] understanding yourself, regulating yourself and then understanding how that really works with others. And then understanding how others are different and how to make those connections.” — Amy Scialdone [0:14:25]   “All you can control is you. My three big things are; gaining clarity on who you really are and how you’re showing up. Then, that builds your confidence and it helps build that connection.” — Amy Scialdone [0:14:37]   “Hopefully from an HR lens and from an executive leadership team role, you are putting people in place that can help make a difference, that can help make an impact but you are also providing them the support they need to grow into those role.” — Amy Scialdone [0:21:24]   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Talk Talent to Me Amy Scialdone on LinkedIn The Empowerment Key Chief Rob Stevenson on LinkedIn Hired

The veteran community holds an incredible pool of highly educated and experienced talent, and yet they remain marginalized and underutilized when it comes to corporate employment. Joining us today on Talk Talent to Me is Chip Mardis, partner at Greenlight Connections, a veteran-owned, full-service talent acquisition and staff augmentation company that specializes in sourcing top talent from the military community. Chip guides us through the particular difficulties that a veteran may experience when transitioning into corporate America, and goes on to highlight how America is not well-prepared with regard to how to interact with the massive bank of talent coming out of the military. We discuss the biases and preconceived notions that this demographic faces, as well as the numerous positive qualities and skills which should stand out as an asset to any company, before diving into the various things that businesses can consider and do to make meaningful change and start placing hires. Tune in to hear this important and moving conversation today!   Key Points From This Episode: Introducing Chip, and his diverse military and retail background. A bit about what led him to found this company. Why it's difficult for veterans to transition into the corporate world and be received there.  Some of the challenges Chip faced when searching and applying for jobs after the military. The tenuous transferring of leadership and skills during this kind of transition. What recruiting organizations should know when they're interacting with veterans. The nature of the military family unit and why military spouses are often overlooked. The many valuable qualities that make veterans and military spouses an asset. Chip shares the wariness of military spouses and veterans due to being marginalized. The importance of credibility with this demographic and how Chip has achieved that. Some markers of these career journeys, including location and success in medicine. Some other factors to consider such as childcare and adequate compensation. Hear about the fantastic work of the Veterans Administration and Hiring Our Heroes.  Where to reach out to in order to hire more talented individuals like this.   Tweetables: “The military demographic as a talent source is a mystery on both sides of the isle. The candidates, either the veterans as well as the military spouses that are leading are somewhat unsure or unclear how to go ahead and pursue a career strategy and job search strategy.” — Chip Mardis [0:04:44]   “[There are] two sides. I don’t think the hiring forum understands the incredible value that a military veteran or a spouse can bring to the program. And there’s this huge gap where our veterans really don’t know how to conduct job searches and how to adequately prepare.” — Chip Mardis [0:05:54]   You need to calibrate that these are incredibly successful people that have stood by our country. Not to wave the flag but candidly, they have, and have just worked their tail off to be in this position. I think it’s an honor to talk to a veteran.” — Chip Mardis [0:11:03]   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   Chip Mardis on LinkedIn Greenlight Connections The Veterans Administration Hiring Our Heroes The Limited Designer Shoe Warehouse nCino Corporation Talk Talent to Me Hired

We have a special guest on the show today: Lou Adler, Founder and CEO of the Adler Group. A fountain of knowledge, he is also the author of the Amazon bestsellers, Hire With Your Head as well as The Essential Guide for Hiring and Getting Hired. In this episode, Lou reflects on his 25-year advocacy of fixing a broken hiring system. He shares some perspectives on the art of generating referrals, thoughts on the sourcing process that have gotten him kicked out of sourcing conferences, and what he thinks is truly required in this day and age to find and make the best hires. Lou also draws some stories from his decades of experience about his use of boundaries and communication around the expectations placed on recruiters, important ways to guide a hiring manager to be prescriptive about the work needs, and some insight into the responsibility of a CEO in talent acquisition and prioritization.    Key Points From This Episode:   Introducing Lou and his 25-year mission to overhaul the hiring process.  How great new tools don't change the fact that the best people are still hired by referrals.  How sourcers need basic sourcing skills but also excellent phone, recruiting, and referral generation skills. How the best recruiters are network managers.  The concept that Lou would build a search firm or a sourcing career on.  Some examples of conversations where Lou extracts the real needs of the role to be filled.  Compromising on the skills required but never on the real-life work to be done.  That many hiring managers need help with clarifying expectations.  He shares the key reason why companies don't hire the best people. Hear what some studies had to say about what really drives peak job performances. Reflecting on how to set boundaries in being a strategic partner versus taking orders.  A couple of great offerings you can expect in his book Hire With Your Head. Lou discusses dealing with unreasonable expectations and communication around that. The fascinating story of how he got into recruitment. Where Lou would start if he was beginning his career in 2022!   Tweetables:   “Every year, new great tools come out but, if everyone has these great tools, nothing gets better. Everyone has average performance. What hasn’t changed is the best people still get hired via referrals.” — @LouA [0:04:30]   “It is about building a network. You’ve got to get on the phone and talk to people, meet people, go to conferences, speak at conferences, get in front of business groups, and become a subject matter expert in your field.” — @LouA [0:36:22]   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   Lou Adler on LinkedIn Lou Adler on Twitter Adler Group Hire With Your Head The Essential Guide for Hiring and Getting Hired Boolean Q12 The American Workforce Index Project Oxygen Talk Talent to Me Hired

Joining us on today’s installment of Talk Talent to Me is Jack Kelly, senior contributor at Forbes Magazine, to share some accurate and well-formed insights into where we've come from as recruiters, where we're going, and the larger impact of some of the changes we're seeing in the industry right now. Jack kicks us off with a brief story of how his cat helps him write every day and the journey that landed him at Forbes, before diving into his role there, and the ways he intentionally chooses positive stories on innovation and wellbeing over the doom-and-gloom headlines that ensure clicks from readers. Hear his thoughts on automation and how it's taking away some very necessary human elements in the recruitment and interview space, as well as creating negative knock-on effects that can be overwhelming and demotivating. He then addresses the inadequate responses on the biggest issues that leadership is seeing right now, and reflects on some examples of current efforts to recruit people in this hot market. We also discuss the future of work as it pertains to employer-employee relationships, including hybrid work versus remote work, flexibility, and a phenomenon called over-employment. Finally, Jack reflects on what each generation group has dealt with over the last few years and what this could mean for the future.    Key Points From This Episode: How Jack ended up at Forbes and how his cat helps him write.  Living longer and a possible new podcast called Talk Mortality to Me. The growth of Jack's role at Forbes due to his wealth of real-world perspectives. What draws him to the stories he covers, and why he's in it for more than the clicks.  Thoughts on modern interview processes, ghosting, and the HR tech industry as a whole. The overwhelming knock-on effects of noise from the easy-apply process. The big issues he sees when talking to C-level people. Problems with acceptable practices in today's climate. Discussing the pros and cons of giving feedback during the application process. The pressures on the hiring manager and the pitfalls of hiring via consensus. Hear Jack's thoughts on the “future of work” and employer-employee relationships. Jack shares a fascinating blog that is revolutionizing remote working and job-juggling. Reflections on what the different generations have dealt with in the last few years.   Tweetables:   “An object in motion stays in motion. I'm a big believer in, you have to do things and get out there and try things, even if you fail, because each time you're going to learn and then you're going to be introduced to something else.” — @jackjaykelly [0:01:50]   “Even though it's against my own interest, I rather still try to bring some positivity into [the media], some happiness into it, to make people feel empowered.” — @jackjaykelly [0:10:02]   “In a way, if you're adding technology, you're taking away that human element that's so important, because it makes such a difference.” — @jackjaykelly [0:14:26]   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   Jack Kelly on Twitter Jack Kelly on LinkedIn Compliance Search Group Overemployed Talk Talent to Me Hired

Today we're diving into the prioritization of chasing happiness with the Global Head of Talent Acquisition over at Shutterstock, Valerie Vadala. Hear about Valerie's career journey from law school to her current position, why introverts make the best recruiters, and the importance of finding a job that fits your personality! You'll learn how Shutterstock is transforming how people make creative content, as well as the ways she is ensuring that their new brand message becomes internally impactful.    Key Points From This Episode:   Meet Valerie and learn a little about her life working from home in New York. About Shutterstock's hybrid model and how people feel about returning to the office.  On being a closet introvert and how sometimes you have to fake it 'til you make it.  Hear Valerie's journey from law school to how she wound up at Shutterstock.  A great book recommendation on finding a job that fits your personality. Valerie's natural affinity for recruiting, and that temp staffing is a great stepping stone.  How Shutterstock is transforming into a one-stop content marketplace. How Valerie's approach has shifted as she's moved up the ladder into management. Why she's a Don Draper and happiness is her true north.  Discussing work-life balance, changing roles, and how settling for less isn't an option for her. Some reasons why being a recruiter is the best job in the world.  Valerie tells us about her big project at Shutterstock right now. Talking about the contentious handwritten thank you note, plus a tactic she wants to try! Getting hired in the pandemic, and reflections on why Valerie chose to work there. Ensuring that their new brand message is internally impactful and not just optics.  How to maintain a competitive edge, and knowing when to let go. Tweetables: “If anybody is looking to break into recruiting, [temp staffing] is a great way to do it because the learning curve is very steep and very brave. You start to assess personality a lot, it’s a very important piece of it if somebody’s going to fit.” — Valerie Vadala [0:07:15]    “Just to really enjoy the work you do, to feel appreciated and to feel like you want to please these people is huge.” — Valerie Vadala [0:14:05]    “[An employee has] to like coming in here every day, you have to like the people you work with. You have to have a laugh now and then. Whatever it is that feeds your soul instead of sucks your soul, it has to be part of your brand.” — Valerie Vadala [0:24:31]    Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   Valerie Vadala on LinkedIn Shutterstock Wells Fargo Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type Myers Briggs Experian OppenheimerFunds on LinkedIn Talk Talent to Me Hired