Talk Talent To Me

  “You are never too busy to be innovative!” These are the wise words of today’s guest, Daniel Benavides, Director of Recruitment at Recursion. Daniel joins us for this episode of Talk Talent to Me to tell us about his background, what made him become a recruiter, what he loves most about it, and why he believes there should be some sort of school for potential recruiters. We delve into Recursion's incredible inclusion model and strategy and where it came from before Daniel tells us about their employee resource groups, why they are a real community, and so much more! Our guest also shares the best career advice he has ever been given and reminds us to stay innovative throughout our careers.    Key Points From This Episode: How Recursion integrates inclusive policies based on its company culture into the business.  Where its inclusion strategy came from and how an employee resource group (ERG) assists.  Daniel shares his approach to making an ERG an actual community of diversity.  How to include everyone in Pride Month and turn employees into allies.  Daniel tells us about his background, why he went into recruiting, and what he loves about it. The importance of trying different things to see what works.  Why there should be a recruiting school of sorts to help potential recruiters in their careers.  The best career advice Daniel has ever received from someone.   Tweetables:   “I can only speak to my lived experience – I can’t speak to the experience that our [Latinx or Black employees] have – so being able to have an ERG that is focused on that pillar or that marginalized group is key so we can ensure our policies are more inclusive.” — @benavidesdaniel [0:05:47]   “There is an incredibly important piece of having an executive sponsor that believes in the value of diversity, equity, and inclusion and that it makes us stronger.” — @benavidesdaniel [0:09:02]   “You change the world [and] make an impact [by bringing] everybody along the journey. It’s not just on the backs of one underprivileged or marginalized group; we are all working towards the same goal and making the world a better place.” — @benavidesdaniel [0:15:02]   “The only way we’re going to find out if something works is if we try it.” — @benavidesdaniel [0:18:32]   “Be innovative [and] question the status quo!” — @benavidesdaniel [0:30:16]   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   Daniel Benavides on LinkedIn Daniel Benavides on Twitter Recursion Talk Talent to Me Hired  

The recent radical improvement of AI has shaken up the world, and as more AI tools become available and easily accessible, the concerns surrounding the implications of AI on our future grow stronger by the day. But AI should be embraced and not feared, and to help us explain why, we are joined by two talent specialists who are using AI to improve their daily operations. We kick off the show with the Director of Talent Sourcing at Activision Blizzard, Justin Ghio. Justin shares how he ended up in his current role before explaining how he and his team use AI with a practical demonstration for the live audience. After Justin shows us how to use AI to its full potential in recruiting, we welcome José Cong to the show. José is the VP of Talent and Culture at Humane, and his impressive resume includes being part of the team who brought the iPhone 1 to market (working under Steve Jobs!). José came out of retirement to join Humane and after explaining why he made this decision, he reiterates why AI is the future, why it should be embraced and not feared, how AI has improved his recruitment process, and how he and his team are using AI responsibly. At the end of the day, AI is there to support people rather than replace them, and to find out how AI can be used to improve diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging at the office, press play now!    Key Points From This Episode:   Introducing Justin Ghio as he explains his chance encounter with Dennis Rodman.  Justin’s background and his role as the Director of Talent Sourcing at Activision Blizzard.  How the Activision Blizzard recruiting team is using AI.  Why AI cannot and will not take over jobs in recruitment.  Demonstrating how Justin uses freely available AI technology for interviews and onboarding.  He explains how to use AI to its full potential.  Welcoming today’s second guest, the VP of Talent and Culture at Humane, José Cong. José’s background and the work he did for Apple for the iPhone 1.  Why he chose to come out of retirement to work at Humane; realizing that AI is the future.  How José and his talent team are implementing AI tools.  His reasons for why AI should not be feared.  A look at how AI is improving Humane’s interview and assessment process.  What José looks for in new team members.  How he still creates great candidate experiences in today’s remote work landscape.  The way he ensures that he and his team are using AI in a responsible way. How AI can help to eliminate unconscious biases to systematically improve DEI in the office.   Tweetables:   “We are constantly leveraging a lot of the new, latest, and greatest technologies to ensure [that] we’re not getting left behind” — @Just_in_Games [07:20]   “[AI] is not going to take your job; it’s just going to let you do things quicker.” — @Just_in_Games [09:53]   “That’s the power of ChatGPT and some of this AI technology: It’s not output-based, it’s input-based. We are always going to be the input — don’t be scared that it’s going to take your job; you are the key that unlocks its potential.” — @Just_in_Games [15:57]   “[Steve Jobs] was my direct boss, but the people underneath him were equally as impatient. There was a tremendous amount of pressure [at Apple] in terms of yielding results; we were literally racing the clock to get [the iPhone 1] out.” — @Jose_Cong [31:39]   “Unretiring was not an easy decision — life was pretty good, it was really good actually. But, the feeling that there was a paradigm shift potentially happening is what perked my interest — and I started to look into what AI was.” — @Jose_Cong [34:29]   “I hate the terminology ‘artificial intelligence’; it’s augmented intelligence. If we think about it from that perspective, we’re going to be less intimidated by it and we’re going to be more open-minded.” — @Jose_Cong [41:01]   “It’s not about hiring someone that can do the job; it’s about finding someone who is going to buy into what we’re doing, and who’s going to be passionate about participating and building what we have.” — @Jose_Cong [45:45]   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   Justin Ghio on LinkedIn  Justin Ghio on Twitter  Activision Blizzard   ChatGPT  José Cong on LinkedIn  José Cong on Twitter  Humane  Talent Acquisition Week Talk Talent to Me Hired  

Today’s episode is coming to you from our NYC Live Event, and will not be our usual type of episode! It’ll be more like a “town hall meeting” so grab onto your seats as we talk about generative AI and its role in the world of talent and acquisition. Our first amazing guest is Jenny Cotie Kangas, a friend of the show and force to be reckoned with. Our second guest is the innovative Chief Technology Officer at Hired, Dave Walters. In our discussion we cover how Jenny is conceptualizing AI and leveraging it best, why you don’t have to be afraid of generative AI, and she talks us through some examples of how to use ChatGPT. Dave recaps his opinion on the first half of the session with Jenny, and shares his thoughts on setting generative AI policies at work and why it’ll be important. We also dive into Local Law 144, as well as some other questions asked by our audience members. This is a great episode on all things generative AI, so don’t miss out!   Key Points From This Episode:   Rob introduced today’s live event and the mission behind it. He introduces our first guest; Jenny Cotie Kangas. Jenny shares her background and how she wound up where she is today. How she’s conceptualizing AI in her role and making sure to leverage it best. Don’t be afraid of generative AI: calling up the ‘hat’ you want the AI tool to wear. An introduction to ChatGPT and what generative AI is. Jenny takes us through live examples of using ChatGPT; including prompts and more. Things to remember when using ChatGPT or generative AI.  How Jenny uses generative AI in her day-to-day. Checking for bias and why that’s necessary. Bringing in a situation and asking for options. We answer “What are sharp questions?” (a live example).  Jenny talks about prompts and how to create them.  Can you give too many inputs to ChatGPT as a prompt? Rob introduces our next guest: Chief Technology Officer, Dave Walters. His reactions and thoughts on Jenny’s segment of the session. The difference between ChatGPT and Google.  Dave’s thoughts on his team using ChatGPT for 80% of their work: setting policies. Moving past the hype of AI into the real world of AI: democratizing AI.  Other AI tools that use generative AI (other than ChatGPT). We discuss Local Law 144: what it is and when to be concerned about it.  Who is verifying or validating data presented to us through generative AI?  Legal pushback they’ve received since using these AI tools.  The best career advice our guests have ever received.    Tweetables:   “I leverage AI to enable me, the human, to be able to go further and faster at work.” — @CotieJenny [0:06:33]   “One of the things to remember is, [with] any sort of generative AI, you have to ask the right sharp question to get the answer.” — @CotieJenny [0:15:13]   “Don’t upload all your business secrets into ChatGPT, that’s probably not a smart thing to do, and I would avoid doing that!” — Dave Walters [0:25:48]   “I would recommend to everybody — make sure you are getting policies in place — so that your teams know what to do and what not to do [with generative AI]. Don’t let that policy we don’t use it, that is a bad approach and you will fall behind.” — Dave Walters [0:26:13]   “These laws, at a very very high level, are meant to ensure that we’re using technology for good.” — @CotieJenny [0:37:22]   “[Generative AI] is not smart enough to figure out what is factual and what is not factual, today. It’s a big problem — one of the biggest challenges with generative AI, it’s going to have to be solved, [and] it’s not easy to solve.” — Dave Walters [0:39:37]   “Any time something is new it’s a lot easier to attack it than to try and understand how we can put effective guardrails in place so that we can use this for good.” — @CotieJenny [0:42:47]   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   Jenny Kangas on LinkedIn Dave Walter on LinkedIn Hired ChatGPT Open AI Local Law 144 (Holistic AI) Talk Talent to Me Hired  

One of the biggest mistakes made by employers when hiring early-career talent is assuming that the recruiting part is over when someone signs an offer. Today’s guest is Ben Siegel, the founder and CEO of the HR technology company, Abode, who knows what it feels like to be left in the lurch after a job offer and is doing his best to ensure it doesn’t happen to others. Abode began as a corporation that hired out students to mow lawns for $25 an hour and has since evolved into a thriving company that helps other companies attract and retain early-career talent across the job spectrum. Early-career talent these days is largely comprised of Gen-Z’ers and in this episode, Ben, who is a Gen-Z’er himself, explains what this generation of job seekers is looking for and debunks some of the common misconceptions that older generations have about them.    Key Points From This Episode:   Ben shares the origin story of Abode.  Issues in the talent acquisition space that the pandemic brought to light.  Factors that are much more important than the school you attend. Roles that Abode’s customers are hiring for.  Lessons learned through the research Abode conducted with 5000 Gen-Z job seekers.  Misconceptions that older generations have about Gen-Z. How employers can build trust amongst their Gen-Z employees. One of the biggest mistakes employers make when hiring early-career talent.  The process that should follow a job-offer-signing.  Things that employers need to communicate to early-career talent. The service that Abode offers to employees and employers. Parting words of wisdom about how to retain early-stage talent.   Tweetables:       “It doesn’t matter where you go to school. If you have the skills and work hard, you can go work at Morgan Stanley. You don’t have to be at Harvard to do that anymore.” — Ben Siegel [0:06:28]   “You can boil everything [Gen-Z job seekers] want down into four main things; transparency, connections, respect, and expectations.” — Ben Siegel [0:08:04]   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   Ben Siegel on LinkedIn Abode Talk Talent to Me Hired  

Tranforming Lives Through Tech: Click Here to Donate  With a background in software engineering, Tony brings his technical expertise to the process of TA. Tune in to hear what motivated this pivot, why he is uniquely positioned to work in this role, and what he loves most about recruitment. Tony shares his perspective on when it is necessary to insist on working on-site, drawing on what the data says about remote work and productivity. He shares an inside perspective on Hearst’s strategy to keep employees and consumers happy, and what he considers the best use of ChatGPT. Hear about Tony’s introduction to the industry, building a team for a fintech firm and realizing he had a knack for it, and what made him want to stick with it. He also tells listeners about an opportunity he found to give back, and how you can get involved.  Key Points From This Episode: An introduction to today’s guest, Tony Kochhar. Hearst’s strategy to keep its employees happy, and its response to the COVID19 pandemic How Hearst diversifies investments in different industries. Tony’s view on roles where it is necessary to work on site. His perspective on why executives might want to push to have people in the office. What the data says about remote work and productivity. Tony’s background in software engineering and entrance into acquisition. What he realized when AI appeared on the scene. How he realized AI could be used in recruitment.  Navigating legal concerns. The best use of ChatGPT. Moving from tech to recruitment.  The first team he built for a fintech firm. What made him want to stick with recruitment. Why recruitment is life-changing.  Finding a way to give back. How you can get involved with the donation program.    Tweetables: “When AI suddenly emerged almost like a bomb several months ago, I subscribed to all these various blogs and magazines, and immediately I knew, I said, ‘this is a very big deal’.” — Tony Kocchar [0:11:02]   “Treat [ChatGPT] like a really smart assistant that you’ve always wanted and now you have access to.” — Tony Kocchar [0:16:44]   “There’s a very human aspect to talent acquisition and I think that’s what kept me here.” — Tony Kocchar [0:21:15]   “You have to believe in the companies and you have to believe in the people you are representing and recruiting, your candidates.” — Tony Kocchar [00:21:56]   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   Tony Kochhar on LinkedIn Hearst ChatGPT Talk Talent to Me Hired Donation Program  

For Erica, finding the right kind of employees, ones that are prone to growth and seeking out challenges, is fundamental to success, and she talks about why this individual attitude is the number one thing she looks for in prospective hires. She also lists a few of the other factors that make up good employees and why there are no perfect candidates out there.   Key Points From This Episode:   Lessons and reflections from this year's ATD Conference.  Erica shares her background and path to her current role at Wellthy.  Strategies for assessing and dealing with employee disengagement. Why treading water should always be addressed.   Why engaged employees are the best kinds of company ambassadors.  Different ways that individuals can distinguish themselves.   Erica talks about confronting the challenges of the remote workplace. The role of recruitment in the talent life cycle.  Erica shares where she wants to be in five years!    Tweetables:   “In HR in general, - the path is never straight, for most people.” — Erica Maureen [0:04:22]   “I really loved putting the processes in place but I wanted to make sure there was a quality effect in order to make sure that the patients were having this great experience.” — Erica Maureen [0:05:25]   “After a while I got sick of working for a large corporation and working for a hospital center and I really wanted to get into tech.” — Erica Maureen [0:06:13]   “If you have employees that are stagnant, guess what, they are not going to be engaged.” — Erica Maureen [0:09:21]   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   Erica Maureen Wellthy  ATD  Talk Talent to Me Hired  

 In this episode, Shally tells us about his new position at LTK, how it’s changed the way he looks at money, why we need to try to find talent-sourcing tools other than LinkedIn, the importance of balancing application friction, and how to optimize the applications coming in (especially when it’s free to apply). He explains why he sees the set-up of an interview to be the first marker of recruitment success, even if the interview never even takes place before he delves into the vast multitude of components that go into hiring. Finally, he tells us how he measures the success of recruitment and why it’s not only based on the number of hires. Key Points From This Episode: A warm welcome to today’s guest, Shally Steckerl. Shally’s role at LTK, how he would up there, and how it differs from his previous roles. The lessons he’s learned in his new role at LTK and why he sees money in differently now.  Shally explains the challenges with LinkedIn when it comes to recruitment at the moment. The balance we have to achieve in friction for job applications and when to reduce it. How to talk someone out of applying to a job they’re not fit for when the application is free.  Why he thinks the applicant tracking system is inadequate. Shally tells us what a positive indicator of recruitment quality is: an interview being set up. How recruiters can contribute to the interview process, even in the smallest way.  The components responsible for hire and how much responsibility the recruiter takes.  Why measuring the success of recruitment only on the number of hires is futile.   Tweetables:   “As a recruiter, day-to-day, you want all the money to spend on all the tools because you don’t know what’s going to work.” — @shally [0:15:43]   “You want to reduce friction so that you’re not making it inordinately awkward and difficult to apply but you also don’t want to reduce friction to a point where people can indiscriminately apply. There’s that fine balance.” — @shally [0:16:46]   “You can’t affect the interview-to-offer ratio when people are for three times what you’re willing to pay.” — @shally [0:30:23]   “I think measuring a recruiting team based on number of hires is absolutely ridiculous.” — @shally [0:31:40]   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   Shally Steckerl on LinkedIn Shally Steckerl on Twitter LTK Chat GPT Talk Talent to Me Hired  

TT2M Live in NYC. Elsie Rooftop, Midtown. 6PM. REGISTER HERE TT2M Live in SF. Minna Gallery, SoMa. 6PM. REGISTER HERE   How can we leverage technology to allow us to do more of what we are best at? Welcome to another episode from the floor of Talent Acquisition Week in San Diego, California. Today, we are speaking to Justin Ghio about AI in the world of talent acquisition. Drawing on his experience in at Activision Blizzard, Justin explains everything he knows about AI in the talent sphere, the reason it is misunderstood, how it can best be used, and why it is time to escape the fear. You will also find out how to understand AI, its limitations, the correct way to view it, and how to make it work for you. If you’re still hesitant, Justin gives examples of how AI will make your day easier, open up your schedule, and give you more time to do the parts of your job you like. Tune in to hear why AI will not steal your job but make you better at it! Key Points From This Episode: Justin reflects on his speech at TA Week in San Diego.  The current perception of AI in the talent world. How we need to view AI. Examples of how AI is used in talent activities. Justin’s opinions on boolean searching and its current relevance. How Activision Blizzard uses AI and skill adjacency in their talent acquisition. How AI can help with decision-making. The technology Activision Blizzard uses and how it works. Realities of AI in the HR industry. The conversations Justin has around AI and its growing popularity. Three questions Justin asks to make sure he is using the correct AI tools. How to get buy-in to use AI within your company. Why AI can only get you 70-80% of the way. The best career advice Justin has received.   Tweetables:   “AI can’t do everything from start to finish for me. What it can do is give me 10 options to look at faster than I can think through one option.” — @Just_in_Games [0:02:44]   “AI lets you be lazy. Instead of sending a follow-up message, you click a button to automate follow-ups.” — @Just_in_Games [0:06:50]   “How can we leverage technology to allow us to do more of what we are best at?” — @Just_in_Games [0:13:33]   “Just because you’re great [at something], doesn’t mean you have to do that forever.” — @Just_in_Games [0:21:02]   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   Justin Ghio on Twiter Justin Ghio on LinkedIn Activision Blizzard Talent Acquisition Week ChatGPT Talk Talent to Me Hired  

  Maryjo Charbonnier isn’t afraid of a challenge. In fact, throughout her career, she has sought out difficult problems so that she can be part of the solution. Her passion for change-making has led her to her current position as the Chief HR Officer at Kyndryl, an IBM spin-off which is now the world’s largest startup with over 90,000 employees and $19 billion in revenue. In this episode, Maryjo and I do a deep dive into what it takes to cultivate and maintain a thriving company culture. Maryjo is a real expert on cultural processes, and leaders and HR professionals in any field will benefit from the wisdom she shares today!    Key Points From This Episode:   Maryjo shares the origin story of Kyndryl. The work that Maryjo and her team did to ensure that Kyndrl was a successful spin-off. Three core elements of any company culture.  Defining the culture at Kyndryl (“The Kyndryl Way”) and the process they have gone through to develop it.  Why Maryjo advises HR professionals to seek out difficult problems.  What Maryjo loves about being part of business and cultural transformations. Maryjo’s thoughts on how culture is created. The role of HR professionals in the development of company culture.  Values that Kyndryl aspires to embody.  The importance of getting continuous feedback when building a company culture.  An overview of Maryjo’s career journey to date.  Advice for getting the most value out of your career as an HR professional.    Tweetables:   “When spins happen, they are a chance to both do a big transformation on the business side and also in HR.” — Maryjo Charbonnier [0:02:45]   “Culture manifests in three different ways; behaviors, systems…and symbols.” — Maryjo Charbonnier [0:05:05]   “In an HR career, it’s important, if you really want to accelerate your career, to seek the heat. Go where the big problems are because those are where everyone has eyes, and if you can make the difference it can really help accelerate your career path.” — Maryjo Charbonnier [0:12:26]   “I think about [culture] as a garden. It’s a garden that needs to be tended and cultivated. Yes, if left to its own devices, it will just grow organically, but that may or may not be what you want.” — Maryjo Charbonnier [0:15:19]   “One of the most important things HR people do is listen to what isn’t said.” — Maryjo Charbonnier [0:16:36]   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   Maryjo Charbonnier on LinkedIn Kyndryl Kyndryl on LinkedIn Walking the Talk Talk Talent to Me Hired  

Sometimes the best approach to a challenge is to start from scratch! When Jenny Cotie Kangas lost most of her memories as a result of a head injury, she had to undergo a process of extreme relearning. Though the experience came with hardships and frustrations, it turned out to be hugely beneficial to her professional life.  During this episode, Jenny shares how learning to explain things in their simplest form, eliminating biases and blindspots, and employing reverse engineering strategies can lead to true organizational change.   Key Points From This Episode:   The life-changing event that Jenny experienced in 2020.  Systems that Jenny has created to enhance her productivity and well-being.  Jenny’s approach to recovering after her head injury.  The difference between an issue and a symptom.  Why being able to simplify information is such a valuable skill.  How to build optimal processes within an organization.  An example of how incorrect assumptions can affect a business.  The benefits of reverse engineering.  Why Jenny delved into UX research after her head injury.  One of the biggest changes that took place in Jenny as a result of her head injury.  How to become aware of your blindspots and biases.    Tweetables:   “When resources are thin and budgets are thin, it’s absolutely critical that you build your strategies that are going to mitigate issues, not mitigate symptoms.” — @CotieJenny [0:24:27]   “In the HR and talent acquisition space, the terms that we use, even within our organizations, they’re in our vernacular and we understand them, but we don’t always level set the definitions of those.” — @CotieJenny [0:25:56]   “When you storytell something in a way that makes sense to a 10-year-old – all of a sudden everybody can understand it. Not just the top 10% or the most experienced in your organization, but everybody can. And when you’re trying to actually make change happen, your goal is to hit everybody, not just the top 10%.” — @CotieJenny [0:28:00]   “If you don’t know what good looks like, you can’t actually reverse engineer good.” — @CotieJenny [0:29:39]   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   Jenny Cotie Kangas on LinkedIn PandoLogic Talk Talent to Me Hired