Talk Talent To Me

Today we are joined by the Co-founder of Puck, Tali Rapaport. Tali is passionate about helping employees find the right work environment based on their specific stories. Tuning in, you'll hear all about Tali and what drove her to start Puck. She elaborates on the importance of transparency in the job application process, why you need to connect with each individual person's story, as well as the challenges she has encountered in her line of work. We also discuss the disconnect Tali sees in what employees hear and what they see about their roles as well as what she thinks people want to see when applying for a job. Next, we look into why day-to-day tasks are not selling points when searching for employees before diving into Puck's use of podcasts and audio to tell personal stories. Tali also talks us through the way today's work environment affects Puck, how candidates are matched with employees and vice-versa, along with why recruitment marketing is imperative. Finally, Tali explains what she sees as 'storytelling' in her line of work. Key Points From This Episode: An introduction to today's guest, Tali Rapaport. A bit about Tali's background and what drove her to start her company, Puck. The importance of being transparent about what a particular job requires of employees. The challenges Tali saw while she was working with Lyft. The importance of connecting with employees and their specific 'stories.' How Tali figured out that there's a disconnect between what employees read about their roles and what they see. What Tali thinks people want to see when applying for a job. Why day-to-day tasks are a terrible thing to sell on in the job application process. When Tali realized that these application problems were significant enough to start a company that would address them. The solution she envisions for these problems: audio rather than video. How Puck makes use of podcasts. Puck's goals for the audio they create: the use of personal story. Where Puck's innovative content is used. The current state of how people expect to do work and how it influences the way that Tali presents her company. How Tali finds candidates that fit into a company's work-life approach and vice versa. Why the fit on title and salary isn't enough. Tali explains the Puck interview process. Why Tali thinks large companies should have a person dedicated to recruitment marketing. What Tali means when she talks about 'storytelling.' Where the name "Puck" comes from. Tweetables: "You don't need to be communicating to a lot of people to communicate clearly and with specifics. I think that that's part of the storytelling that people are missing." — @TaliR [0:08:43] "There's a difference between what people put in a job description and the questions candidates want answered when applying to the job." — @TaliR [0:10:14] "It's so much easier to connect with a story about a person than it is to connect with a bullet point. That's a bullet that someone will read and forget. It helps you as a storyteller, as a company, as an individual make a lasting impression on the people that are considering joining you." — @TaliR [0:18:12] "The right team for you is not the right team for me or the next person who comes in. So if you can sell on your team, that's, I think, the best." — @TaliR [0:24:45] Links Mentioned in Today's Episode: Tali Rapaport on LinkedIn Tali Rapaport on Twitter Puck Talk Talent to Me Hired

Today, we welcome Dom Farnan back to the podcast! She is the Founder and Chief Conscious Connector at DotConnect. Dom begins by giving us a rundown of who DotConnect is as a company and a breakdown of some of their recent projects. Then, she opens up about the introspection that led to her discovering that she'd been a toxic boss. That leads to Dom describing how she knew that she needed to shift her focus, how her personal development coach made her focus on the right things, and how her personal growth led to positive organizational changes at work, creating a healthier work culture. We find out why performance-based values alone are not enough for DotConnect, what the company's core values are, how our guest ensures that the company values and the work being done are interconnected, and the type of responsibilities that she places on her team leaders' shoulders. The change in values altered the way that Dom and DotConnect do business and she stresses the importance of only saying yes to healthy business propositions. In this information-packed episode, you'll learn how DotConnect differs from other RPOs, what scrum methodology is and how it applies to the talent space, and how Dom and her company made some changes after retrospective sessions with clients. Key Points From This Episode: A warm welcome to our returning guest and friend of the podcast, Dom Farnan. Who DotConnect is as a business and what they've been working on recently. When Dom shifted her focus and how she knew that it was the right time. What her personal coach directed her to focus on: herself. Creating awareness around a toxic work culture and developing a healthier one. How she was able to introspect and find clarity on her toxic behaviors as a boss. The organizational changes at work as a result of her personal triumphs. Why performance-based values were not enough for Dom and her company. How Dom ensures that the company's core values and the actual work being done are interconnected. How the change in values has altered the way she chooses business partners. The specifics of how DotConnect is different from other RPOs. What 'scrum' looks like when applied to the talent space. An example of something Dom stopped doing after a retrospective session with a client. Why some recruiters lose their love for caring for and wanting to help people. How to regain a lost passion: go back to what brings you joy! Identifying the negative aspects of your job and calling them out. Tweetables: "We look at ourselves as conscious connectors who are excited to help build companies, through building meaningful relationships and actually making hiring enjoyable.." — Dom Farnan [0:02:54] "It's been a couple of years of personal self-development work, but that inner work and healing has really transformed my business." — Dom Farnan [0:04:12] "It's really hard to just have a set of values that's all about numbers, metrics, and performance when we have emotions, and we are highly irrational human beings in our human experience, and everybody has different things going on in their lives that impacts their ability to perform." — Dom Farnan [0:10:24] A lot of our work still comes from my personal network of when I was recruiting. I actually love that, because we walk in and we have this solid level of trust and understanding with each other. We almost skipped to the really good part of a relationship." — Dom Farnan [0:15:08] "Care and consideration. Literally, care and consideration. That's it. When they would ask me, 'How do you have all these clients?' or 'Where are you getting all this work?' I'm like, 'I don't know. It's magic. I guess I just care.'" — Dom Farnan [0:23:25] "Whatever the situation is, it's always someone else's stuff. It's never your own stuff. All you can control is your response and your energy, not everybody else's. I think once you have that shift, recruiting is not that bad." — Dom Farnan [0:27:02] Links Mentioned in Today's Episode: Dom Farnan on LinkedIn Dom Farnan on Instagram Dom Farnan Website DotConnect The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership Talk Talent to Me Hired

Joining us today is the SVP of HR and Talent Acquisition at MGAC, Stephanie Cramer. MGAC has recently branched out to the UK and our guest speaks about taking stock of talent within a global organization, how to formulate a practical action plan after a major acquisition, and the details of her particular approach to the tech stack. It is important to advertise the company culture from the perspectives of current employees and Stephanie gives examples of how she accomplishes this through in-house recruitment videos. You'll learn of the difficult questions she receives from candidates, before giving her opinions on a real experience that rob had on LinkedIn. After debating whether salary information should be available to candidates upfront, we take a closer look at a member of Stephanie's team who made an extremely successful transition from admin to talent! Stephanie has an abundance of advice to give and if you've been looking for answers regarding all things HR and TA, tune in now! Key Points From This Episode: How our guest, Stephanie Cramer, took an accidental midday sabbatical, which ultimately helped her mental health. A brief discussion on the movie The Gray Man. Stephanie breaks down what MGAC do as a company, What her role entails, and how she ended up working there. How she takes stock of the talent situation in a global organization. Formulating a practical action plan after a big acquisition. The specifications of her approach to the tech stack. Why it's necessary to advertise company culture from the perspective of the current employees. How Stephanie ended up choosing Comparably for her company. What she would ask and say to employees, as a director, when filming promo videos. The tough questions that candidates ask in an interview that may be difficult to answer. Rob shares a real experience he had on LinkedIn and Stephanie gives her thoughts on it. Taking a closer look at whether salary information should be available to candidates upfront. The hires our guest is currently making and the growth of her team. An MGAC staff member, based in LA, who successfully transitioned from admin to talent. Recruiting from the perspective of what makes the candidate happy. Stephanie's advice to those who are looking to follow a similar career path to hers. Tweetables: "I firmly believe that when you lead a people function, it's all about connecting with the people." — Stephanie Cramer [0:05:01] "I can speak 'till I'm blue in the face about what it means to be an MGAC employee, but nothing is going to be better than actually listening to a firsthand account." — Stephanie Cramer [0:08:17] "When my team starts talking to people, right off the bat, we try and answer those questions. But being able to provide any sort of transparency around [salary] is going to help us too." — Stephanie Cramer [0:13:33] "Being able to have an HR presence, even if it is in recruiting and talent acquisition, was very beneficial." — Stephanie Cramer [0:20:45] "One is slow down and the other is stop listening to the imposter syndrome. Believe in yourself." — Stephanie Cramer [0:26:27] Links Mentioned in Today's Episode: Stephanie Cramer on LinkedIn MGAC Talk Talent to Me Hired

Joining us today is the Head of Talent Acquisition at Buf, Ben Caggia. Ben started by studying medicine, even going as far as taking the MCAT, before realizing that he is actually more passionate about talent acquisition. We get an understanding of Ben's love for the trenches, why you should find a job aligned with your passions and interests, how to make the shift from individual contributors to management, and what he believes are the attributes of a great manager. As a bonus, Ben tells us why it's important to ask the right questions at interviews and how you should trust your gut to guide you towards the right company. This conversation goes against the grain compared to previous episodes, in the best way possible! Key Points From This Episode: How he is spending his office time: hands-on with roles. What recruiters struggle with when not completely backed by the company. A combination of building the pipeline and understanding exactly who you are looking for. How he is grateful for all the support he received at Buf. What Buf as a company does, and Ben's role in it. Buf as a utopia for engineers. Ben's professional background and how he ended up in talent. His love for being in the trenches. How he made the decision that medicine wasn't for him. Finding a job that aligns with your passions and interests. Making the shift from individual contributor to management. Wanting to help people as the cornerstone to the decisions he's made. The attributes of a good manager, according to Ben. Whether there's a cap on being the IC if you don't want to pursue management. How to know if you are speaking to the right companies: trust your gut. Why it's important to do the research and ask the right questions at interviews. Tweetables: "I'm a little bit spoiled at Buf. The team is incredibly involved in recruiting. They recognize how valuable it is as a function." —@BeNYCtech [0:01:50] "There's elements of it that just aren't fun. That's why you get paid to do the job. But it's about finding the job that you're most excited in that aligns with your passions and interests, where it doesn't actually feel like work. Even the bad parts are bearable." —@BeNYCtech [0:16:54] "I knew pretty early on that I had my sights set on management. I think it's the hardest leap to take in your career." —@BeNYCtech [0:18:11] "I think a good manager is ultimately one that's a servant to their reports, and somebody that's a shield, and is constantly looking at ways to improve their workflows and make their lives a little bit easier." —@BeNYCtech [0:19:32] Links Mentioned in Today's Episode: Ben Caggia on Twitter Ben Caggia on Instagram Ben Caggia on LinkedIn Buf Talk Talent to Me Hired

Today's guest is Jennifer Sutton, the Global Head of Diversity, Equity & Belonging at Instacart, a grocery delivery and pick-up service in the United States. Jennifer originally worked in finance but made the transition to HR and diversity over 14 years ago. Jennifer's approach is to couple diversity hire strategies with genuine mental frameworks to reach an organization's diversity goals. In today's show we find out about Jennifer's background in finance, her transition to HR, the benefits of diversity to an organization, common mistakes organizations make regarding inclusion strategies, the importance of identifying root causes, and much more. Key Points From This Episode: We find out about Jennifer's professional background and her current role. Her professional journey from finance to HR and diversity. The benefits of non-recruiting qualifications to HR. Why mixing competencies is a key part of diversity hiring. How to change career paths if your current role is not fulfilling. The type of team you should surround yourself with. Jennifer's approach to her role at Instacart and her system design. Making the systems already in place for diversity hiring sustainable. The organizational mindset needed to make a genuine impact on diversity. The importance of identifying the root cause of the lack of diversity. Tweetables: "It's not necessarily about how the role is designed but what is needed to succeed in that role." — Jennifer Sutton [0:06:37] "It should be people that potentially, not only can mentor you but also sponsor you. And I use those words very intentionally because they're different when done right." — Jennifer Sutton [0:11:07] "It's a level of trust and vulnerability that I've been able to leverage and I celebrate being able to have those conversations." — Jennifer Sutton [0:15:59] "If that belief system is flawed and if that belief system might be giving advantages unintentionally, but still giving advantages to some and not others, you will never have a healthy process." — Jennifer Sutton [0:18:31] Links Mentioned in Today's Episode: Jennifer Sutton on LinkedIn Hired Talk Talent to Me

Dubi tells us of his three most recent hires and how he goes about ensuring that diverse candidates are being brought into the company. He explains the pressures that hiring managers place on him and how he is able to navigate through scheduling conflicts between candidates and his team. There is a growing trend for on-demand interviews and our guest breaks down some of the issues that arise therein, as well as a close examination of the mistakes being made by companies when they hire technical engineers. In our conversation, you'll learn how tech companies are contradicting their ingenuity, what the ideal number of interviews should be, what Socotra's interview process is like, and how and why the cultural interview is a good way of assessing how a candidate will fit into the company. Dubi explains how other companies are lazy not to send rejection letters, before leaving us with an inspirational story of how he gave a second chance which led to incredible success. Key Points From This Episode: Introducing our guest, Dubi Ben-Shoham, and A quick look at his current work week: he made three key hires. How Dubi makes sure that diverse candidates are being hired. The pressure placed on him by hiring managers. What he does to set realistic expectations for his managers. How he balances the calendars of his execs. Scheduling conflicts that arise between candidates and hiring managers. The growing precedent of on-demand interviews. Breaking down the problems surrounding the hiring of engineers. Whether the technical interview activities are relative to the job itself. How, for all their ingenuity, tech companies are still hiring in a dated way. What the ideal number is from Dubi's perspective. A sneak peek at Socotra's interview process. The culture interview as a good assessment of how the candidate will fit in at the company. How candidates 'fake it' more at skills interviews rather than cultural ones. What Socotra does differently to be more respectful to candidates. Why other companies do not send rejection letters: Dubi thinks it's laziness. An inspirational story of success gained through a second chance. Tweetables: "One of my strong suits is, I know that I'm the expert in the relationship and the hiring managers are not. So I just set realistic expectations from the onset." — Dubi Ben-Shoham [0:04:23] "If you ever want to have another podcast about how I want to revolutionize the technical recruiting process, I've spent a lot of time trying to figure that out." — Dubi Ben-Shoham [0:11:30] "Tech companies are supposed to be the most forward-thinking companies but they're still interviewing engineers like it's 1999, and it doesn't make any sense." — Dubi Ben-Shoham [0:15:33] "The time it takes usually to interview candidates, the process, it all should be reviewed on a regular basis, just to make sure we are doing the right thing and candidates are feeling good about it." — Dubi Ben-Shoham [0:17:50] "I applied to 300 jobs, seriously. I got to be a candidate for so long and it just showed me everything bad about recruiting." — Dubi Ben-Shoham [0:21:53] "Managing expectations was the first thing I learned as a recruiter. If you're good at that, then you'll be good at what you do." — Dubi Ben-Shoham [0:23:52] Links Mentioned in Today's Episode: Dubi Ben-Shoham on LinkedIn Socotra Karat Talk Talent to Me Hired

Director of Talent Acquisition at Oshkosh Corporation, DJ Braemer gives us a rundown of the good work that Oshkosh does and how he ended up in his current role. Working in the agency setup gave our guest invaluable experience, but he also reveals why he would never go back. You'll learn about why he chose to go into management, how he discovered his leadership skills through sport, whether he misses the hustle and bustle of recruiting, and why his time in the dark side of HR was a major moment in his career. DJ believes that Oshkosh is an industry leader in diversity hiring and he tells us all about his company's willingness to provide flexible job opportunities. Do you think that the hybrid module of talent acquisition is one we should aspire to? Find out what DJ Braener thinks by tuning into this episode! Key Points From This Episode: Introducing today's guest, DJ Braemer, and ascertaining his current headspace. DJ's professional background, how he ended up at Oshkosh, and what his role entails. Why he would never go back to an agency setup. What made our guest want to pursue a role in management. Learning about leadership through sports. Whether DJ misses the hustle of actual recruiting. The medium long-term projects and big campaigns that he is currently working on. Why Oshkosh are champions of diversity hiring: walking the walk. An explanation of his time in the dark side of HR. How to bridge the gap between being the leader and requiring more industry knowledge. Deciding if HR is a necessary stop on the way to higher leadership levels in the talent space. Oshkosh's ability to provide flexible opportunities. TA as a necessary leadership role in today's market. How DJ's company is able to contribute talent in meaningful ways to each different team/brand. Choosing the hybrid model of TA and the circumstances under which it should be used. Our guest's advice to prospective employees: work hard, put in the time, and find a company that promotes from within. Tweetables: "I would never go back and start my career in a different place. I just got so much good experience from that." — DJ Braemer [0:04:31] "The first one is around diversity hiring. This continues to be a major topic, for good reason. I'm proud of Oshkosh because we're really walking the walk." — DJ Braemer [0:10:05] "I had never led any type of core HR team or work before. I grew as a leader because it was the first time I had to lead work that I had never done myself. That was a really big moment in my career." — DJ Braemer [0:14:34] "It is surrounding yourself with the people that do know. It is asking a lot of questions. It is admitting to not knowing the answer all the time, and just being humble." — DJ Braemer [0:16:15] Links Mentioned in Today's Episode: DJ Braemer on LinkedIn Oshkosh Corporation Talk Talent to Me Hired

Our guest today is VP of Talent Network at Redpoint Ventures, Atli Thorkelsson. In our conversation, he gives us a bit of background on Redpoint as a company, how he ended up there in his current role, and what his day-to-day job entails. Atli tells us how he adds value to the founders he speaks to and shows us some of the blind spots that many of them encounter. We get an understanding of his hiring process and why he and Redpoint place relationships at the pinnacle of importance. You'll learn about making your hiring process deliberate, how to quantify your talent acquisition, what the common trends in current talent acquisition are, and how a company benefits differently from hiring executives as opposed to other staff. Key Points From This Episode: Introducing today's guest, Atli Thorkelsson, and what his venture capital firm does. What Atli's role entails as VP of Talent Network. How he manages to be valuable when offering advice to founders. Why many founders encounter blind spots. Atli's process when someone comes to him looking to step up their talent function. The importance of starting with your own network. Why it's necessary to keep track of relationships. How Atli ended up at his current company, Redpoint Ventures. How a steppingstone turned into a path. What the interview process was like when he was being hired. How Redpoint evolved to prioritize the Talent Network. Operationalizing the hiring process so that it's deliberate. How Atli and his team can measure their hiring processes. Leaning further into the relationship aspect of talent acquisition. The different possible company outcomes when hiring executives versus other staff. Common themes he has seen in the talent acquisition environment. Atli's reasons for the current trend of prospective employees preferring to enter a company at ground-level as opposed to chasing a 'sure thing'. How candidates, on the talent side, should approach the equity conversation. The questions to ask when assessing whether your stake in the company is meaningful. Knowing the difference between the strike price and the current valuation. Atli's parting words of advice for those looking to forge a career in talent. Tweetables: "We think of talent as a network function. I think that's the reason that we're distinguished." —@AThorkelsson [0:01:37] "We're really just looking for, 'How do we help you see around corners? How do we prescribe or help you think about things that maybe you wouldn't ordinarily be thinking about?'" —@AThorkelsson [0:03:31] "Track those relationships and keep those people in mind as your company builds, because maybe somebody that's not right, right now, is going to be right down the future." —@AThorkelsson [0:06:29] "I wanted to work a little bit more closely with the founders, be a little bit more both emotionally, and literally, invested in the success of the people that I was placing." —@AThorkelsson [0:09:09] "Now's a really good time to push for more equity and take a little bit more risk on the cash side, because a lot of really great companies get built-in recessions." —@AThorkelsson [0:24:22] Links Mentioned in Today's Episode: Atli Thorkelsson on Twitter Atli Thorkelsson on LinkedIn Redpoint Ventures Talk Talent to Me Hired

VP of TA and Development at Hillsdale, Elizabeth Goncalves explains how to execute and build trust and the importance of defining priorities, leadership development, and structuring and delivering individualized leadership programs within your business. She also shares her advice for how to structure your career, skillset, and drive in order to find and secure your dream job. Key Points From This Episode: Elizabeth's background and how she ended up in her current role. How she decided on Hillsdale and grew in her role there. Executing and building trust How her work priorities shifted as she built up trust for the function of her role. Her approach to taking the temperature of what the organization needed. Leadership development: how she plans to approach the project and deliver it to their team. How Elizabeth is going about figuring out what a leader needs to grow and how to deliver it. Her advice for how to structure your career, upskill yourself, and then go out and find your dream job: always raise your hand! Tweetables: "One thing that I've learned in my career thus far: If something scares you, you walk through it. You don't back away from it." — Elizabeth Goncalves [0:06:48] "It took someone like me, who understands what it takes to have a successful firm and to have successful relationships, to come in and asked questions, and then to determine where that would fit in under our priorities." — Elizabeth Goncalves [0:13:52] "It doesn't matter how many years of leadership you have under your belt. There are always things that we can be doing better." — Elizabeth Goncalves [0:21:07] Links Mentioned in Today's Episode: Elizabeth Goncalves on LinkedIn Hillsdale Talk Talent to Me

Tresha Moreland has over 30 years of experience in HR leadership, serving as CHRO for a slew of big-name organizations. Tresha defines 'meaningful workplaces' for us before giving us an in-depth analysis of what it means to be a workforce planning specialist. It is better to have a holistic approach to workforce planning and Tresha tells us how it could be beneficial to delegate important conversations, how to go about doing it, and laying out the importance of having a mentorship program. We finish off with an educational conversation about creating a culture of great communication and good practices in the workplace, highlighting the importance of knowing your employee's hearts and minds before they hand in their resignation. Key Points From This Episode: What Tresha's current role is and what her job entails. Why she switched from an internal role to a consulting position. How her motivation shifted to wanting to impact as many lives as possible. What a 'meaningful workplace' is: a space with a meaningful purpose. Characterizing the scope of Tresha's offerings. What workforce planning is and what it means to be a workforce planning specialist. Taking a look at a holistic approach to workforce planning. How to start the retirement conversation with lower-level employees and candidates. The benefits of having a mentorship program. Why it's a good idea to delegate important conversations and how to do it. How to create understanding and a sense of community in a remote-work world. Creating a culture of great communication and good daily practices. Why you should fully understand the hearts and minds of your employees before their resignation. Tresha's example of 'stay interview' questions. Her words of advice for those looking to follow her trajectory and forge a career in HR. Tweetables: "I'm among millions of other workforce members who are now reassessing their priorities. We've seen through the pandemic that life is short. We knew that intuitively, but now we're seeing it firsthand." —@HRCSuite [0:02:52] "I've reassessed my priorities, and I see now that I want to make a bigger difference in the world. I want to be a part of something where I'm making an impact and having some meaning or purpose that goes beyond just the daily grind." —@HRCSuite [0:03:14] "People are looking for purpose over popcorn. They want to be a part of something where they're making a difference, something bigger than themselves." —@HRCSuite [0:04:43] "I don't know about you, Rob. But I'm not liking surprises much anymore. I'm pretty sure leaders and HR professionals throughout the nation are feeling the same way." —@HRCSuite [0:06:02] "I'm a workforce planning specialist, and I'm a data nerd." —@HRCSuite [0:06:41] "What you want to do, getting into the career, take a look at your values and what makes you tick, and then look for organizations that might align and support you in that way." —@HRCSuite [0:26:28] Links Mentioned in Today's Episode: Tresha Moreland on Twitter Tresha Moreland on LinkedIn Talk Talent to Me Hired