Offer Accepted

In this episode of Offer Accepted, host Shannon Ogborn welcomes Dr. Kalifa Oliver, Director, Employee Experience Analytics Strategy at Ford. Kalifa brings her expertise in psychology and human resources to the table, discussing the importance of recognizing candidates as human beings throughout the hiring process. She emphasizes the continuum of employee experience, starting from the application phase and extending through the candidate's journey in the organization.Kalifa dives into the challenges at the intersection of recruiting and employee experience. She highlights the often overlooked aspect treating internal candidates with the same high-touch experience as external candidates. The discussion turns towards internal mobility within companies, exploring how organizations often fail to capitalize on the skills and talents of their existing workforce, leading to missed opportunities in talent retention and development.The conversation concludes with Kalifa advocating for soft exit strategies in companies. She stresses the importance of providing supportive exits for employees, ensuring they leave without feeling traumatized or undervalued. This approach not only preserves the company's reputation but also fosters a positive, ongoing relationship with former employees who become ambassadors for the organization.

In an engaging episode of Offer Accepted, Virgile Raingeard, an authority in the Compensation space, sheds light on the crucial topics of compensation transparency and strategy. Virgile challenges the traditional view that compensation shouldn't be a primary concern for candidates, emphasizing that it's actually a top priority for most job seekers. This discussion is an eye-opener, highlighting the importance of transparent and fair compensation practices in attracting and retaining talent.Furthermore, Raingeard delves into the intricate relationship between compensation strategies and company culture. He argues for the development of compensation plans that not only align with market standards but also reflect the organization's core values and beliefs. He offers a deep dive into how compensation strategies can be crafted to reinforce a company's ethos and goals.This episode is an essential listen for professionals interested in understanding the nuances of compensation in the context of talent acquisition and hiring

In this episode of Offer Accepted, Shannon Ogborn sits down with Reggie Williams, Head of Tech Talent at Bain Capital Ventures, to explore the nuanced world of recruiting. Reggie and Shannon delve into the ever-evolving landscape, emphasizing the need to adapt to market shifts and craft winning candidate engagement strategies that truly make an impact.The conversation unfolds to reveal the delicate balance between offer acceptance rates and quality hiring in the tech industry. They dissect actionable strategies for elevating your offer acceptance rates, including the art of decoding candidate motivations and providing a realistic job preview. Reggie also sheds light on the precise equilibrium recruiters must maintain, juggling speed and precision. Throughout the discussion, Reggie emphasizes the power of active listening and shares practical techniques for leveraging it as a means to respond to the unique needs of every candidate.

In this episode of Offer Accepted, we delve into the world of marginal gains in recruitment with Luke Eaton of Welltech, a health and wellness software company. Luke shares insights on the intricacies of building talent acquisition functions from scratch, particularly in challenging environments.He emphasizes the unique challenges that come with scaling talent acquisition in rapidly growing companies, highlighting the pivotal role of data in empowering recruiters to make the hiring process more efficient and less burdensome. Rather than always advocating for an increase in headcount, Luke argues for the importance of enhancing processes through the utilization of tools, systems, and best practices. The conversation turns toward the concept of marginal gains in recruitment. Luke underscores how making small, continuous improvements at each stage of the recruitment process can lead to substantial overall progress. Drawing inspiration from other industries and concepts, such as the Theory of Constraints, Luke's perspective offers a fresh outlook on recruitment, stresses the need for strategic thinking and a commitment to continuous improvement in talent acquisition. 

In this episode of Offer Accepted, Shannon Ogborn sits down with Willem Wijnans, Ashby’s EMEA Sales Lead. Willem, a veteran in scaling companies and recruiting functions, shares his journey and insights into the world of talent acquisition.Willem discusses his transition from sourcing to structured hiring, emphasizing the importance of tooling and operations. He shares his passion for candidate experience, a concept he initially dismissed but later embraced. Willem also highlights the importance of measuring and influencing this aspect of talent acquisition.The conversation focuses on the role of recruiters and hiring managers in the hiring process. Willem stresses the importance of clear communication and the detrimental effects of ghosting candidates. He also shares his thoughts on the design of the hiring process, advocating for strategic thinking to avoid killing the pipeline and candidate experience. Tune in for a deep dive into the intricacies of talent acquisition.

In this episode of Offer Accepted, host Shannon Ogborn sits down with Marty Hauck, Founder of The People People Group. They start with the nitty-gritty of recruiting, discussing the importance of choosing the right tools and systems for your team. Marty emphasizes the need for autonomy and creativity in the process, advocating for a balance between individualized workflows and centralized tools.The conversation then shifts to the significance of compliance and integration when selecting recruiting tools. Marty warns against the allure of cheap solutions, pointing out the hidden costs that may arise from a lack of compatibility with pre-existing systems. He also highlights the importance of considering the scale of the company and future business outlook when making these decisions.Finally, Marty shares his unique perspective on honesty in the recruiting process. He argues for transparency about the challenges a candidate might face in a role, suggesting that this approach builds trust and leads to better long-term outcomes. The episode wraps up with Marty sharing where listeners can learn more about him and The People People Group.

In this episode of Offer Accepted, Natan Fisher, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of SingleSprout, shares his unique perspective on the hiring process, emphasizing the importance of understanding what a job is not and what failure looks like in a role. He believes that mismanaged expectations often lead to employee turnover, and that success should be clearly defined in terms of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and goals.Natan highlights the importance of identifying non-negotiable must-haves for a role. These can range from compensation and skills to culture fit and location. He advises hiring managers to limit their non-negotiables to four key points, with the rest being nice-to-haves. This approach, Natan argues, helps to create a clear and realistic picture of the job.Natan's hot take on recruiting is that understanding customers and their needs should be directly connected to the recruiting process. He encourages companies to align their hiring process with their business process, ensuring that the people they hire can effectively meet their customers' needs. Natan's insights offer a fresh perspective on the hiring process, emphasizing the importance of clear communication, realistic expectations, and customer-focused recruiting.

In this episode of Offer Accepted, Jermaine Murray, the Founder of JupiterHR, returns to discuss establishing an authentic personal brand with host Shannon Ogborn. Known as “the Jobfather," Jermaine's mission is to increase the representation of black talent within the tech industry. JupiterHR offers a wide range of services, from career coaching and recruitment to HR advisory consultation.Establishing a strong personal brand for Jermaine came as a product of his personal goal to help increase black representation in tech. Jermaine walks through how a viral post he wrote on recruiting jumpstarted a desire to bring transparency and information to his community and people who lacked it. Not reinventing the wheel, Jermaine used social media he was comfortable with to grow his voice and brand.Diving in deeper, Jermaine points out that with consistency and meeting your audience where they are, you will develop a loyal following. He suggests that aiming to build a community over amassing followers is a great strategy. Keeping your “code” front and center will also help that community grow because people will know what you are all about.

In this episode of Offer Accepted, Shannon Ogborn hosts Lyndsey Anderson, Head of Talent Acquisition at Literati, and AJ Price. The conversation revolves around the power of second chances in the hiring process.Lindsey and AJ share their experiences with hiring individuals from marginalized groups, highlighting the benefits of this approach. They note that these employees often exhibit higher retention rates and engagement levels, contributing positively to the company culture.The discussion also covers the practical aspects of integrating second-chance employees into the workforce. From initial site visits by caseworkers to accommodating certain restrictions, the guests provide valuable insights into the process. They emphasize the importance of flexibility and understanding, ensuring every employee feels a sense of belonging within the organization.This episode offers a compelling look at how Literati's unique hiring approach benefits the company and provides opportunities for individuals seeking a fresh start.

In this episode of Offer Accepted, Shannon Ogborn sits down with Heather Doshay, a Partner at SignalFire. The conversation dives deep into the world of talent acquisition and management, focusing on the importance of structured interviews.Heather shares insightful research, revealing that candidates with a structured interview were 35% happier — even when rejected. She goes on to share How structured interviews mitigate biases and promote fairness The concept of homophily (the tendency to favor those who remind us of ourselves) and how structured interviews can counteract this biasHer take in the debate over cover lettersThe episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in talent acquisition and management strategies.