Episodes

  • Ep 676: Why Behavioral Science Is The Future Of Talent Acquisition

    Ep 676: Why Behavioral Science Is The Future Of Talent Acquisition
    Feb 9 2025
    Talent acquisition is fundamentally about people making decisions, but how often do we stop to consider why people make the decisions they do? Whether it’s a recruiter screening a resume, a hiring manager assessing a candidate or a successful applicant deciding whether to accept the role, behavioral science plays a role in every step of the process. Yet, despite its power, the psychology of hiring goes unnoticed, operating in the background rather than being used strategically. What if we could harness it to improve candidate experience, reduce bias, and make hiring more effective? My guest this week is Stephen Reilly, an experienced Global Talent Acquisition & Talent Transformation Specialist. In our conversation, he explains how behavioral science and psychology influence hiring, why recognizing these patterns is critical, and how TA leaders can apply these insights to transform their processes. In the interview, we discuss: Behavioral science and behavioral psychology Why behavioral science is so vital in TA right now Transparency in the candidate experience Small interventions that make a massive difference How recruiters are already using behavior science but might not realize it Apply science at scale to recruiting. Process optimization and evolution Advice to TA leaders on the first steps to take Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.
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    36 mins
  • Ep 675: Hiring Without Limits: Why Accessibility Matters

    Ep 675: Hiring Without Limits: Why Accessibility Matters
    Feb 9 2025
    At a time when DE&I initiatives are facing increasing hostility, it's more important than ever to highlight the real value of inclusive hiring. Beyond being the right thing to do, inclusive hiring broadens talent pools, fosters innovation, and ensures that organizations tap into the full spectrum of people's skills and potential. But what does true accessibility in hiring look like, and how can companies create recruitment processes that are genuinely fair for everyone? My guest this week is Ron Fish, Global Talent Acquisition Leader at Ivanti and a passionate advocate for disability inclusion in the workplace. Ron is at the forefront of championing accessibility not just to comply with regulations but to build environments where everyone can succeed. In the interview, we discuss: How a revelation about the corporate career site accelerated Ron's journey as an advocate for disability inclusion. Optimal work environments work for everyone. How accessibility has massively advanced inclusion and belonging at Ivanti When bias outweighs common sense Focusing on skills and abilities Treating people as individuals rather than labels Accommodations in the hiring process, how simple changes can make a huge difference Why individuals with disabilities might be reluctant to disclose their needs during the recruitment process, and what strategies can address these concerns Shifting the perception of disability to make hiring more inclusive Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.
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    25 mins
  • Ep 673: Seeing Skills Differently: Lessons from Elite Sports

    Ep 673: Seeing Skills Differently: Lessons from Elite Sports
    Feb 7 2025
    Have you ever wondered how an elite baseball player can track a 95-mile-per-hour fastball and actually connect? Or how a Premier League footballer can deliver a perfect pass over half the pitch to a moving teammate? The way elite athletes develop their attributes and build skills has big lessons for how we need to think about talent and hiring in the workplace. We've been discussing skills-based hiring and skills-based organizations for a while now. As the need for skills agility grows, we must deepen our understanding of the attributes, skills, and potential to make better hiring decisions. One area that uses cutting-edge science to do this is elite sport. My guest this week is Dr. Daniel Laby, a Sports Vision Ophthalmologist who works with elite athletes and top baseball teams, including the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox. This is a really fascinating discussion with some important lessons for HR and Talent Acquisition, for example, why we should emphasize future potential over past performance, the importance of recognizing that sometimes there is a specific order in which skills need to be developed, and why average can sometimes be mistaken for best in skills assessment. In the interview, we discuss: How do you improve elite performance? Working with Red Bull and Trent Alexander-Arnold A common misconception about vision The importance of specific attributes in specific sports Nature, nurture and brain plasticity The skills pyramid How small changes make a big difference The role of technology Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts Follow this podcast on Spotify. A full transcript will appear here shortly
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    26 mins
  • Ep 673: The Route To Skills-Based Hiring

    Ep 673: The Route To Skills-Based Hiring
    Feb 3 2025
    The move towards skills-based strategies in organizations is still a big topic. This is unsurprising, as the advantages are significant. Skills-based thinking solves critical business challenges by better aligning talent strategies to business goals and offering the skills agility many employers badly need. Skills-based hiring also widens talent pools and challenges the entrenched mental models that sometimes form barriers to companies hiring the talent they actually need. However, the road to being a skills-based organization is long and complex, and only a small minority of employers are making real progress. So, what needs to change? How can AI be harnessed? How can we anticipate future skills needs? And how should TA teams be reimagined to make skills-based hiring a reality? My guest this week is Jen Cunningham, VP of Global Talent Acquisition at Pearson. Pearson is leading the way with skills-based people strategies, and Jen has a wealth of experience and insight to share. In the interview, we discuss: How TA is evolving Elevating the candidate experience Agility, resilience, and authenticity Better alignment between people strategy and business strategy How do you identify and validate skills? Internal and external agility How the traditional structure of HR is changing. Data, strategy, and influence What skills should TA teams have in the age of AI? What does the future look like? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.
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    30 mins
  • Embracing Upskilling and Micro-Learning w/ Darnell Hill

    Embracing Upskilling and Micro-Learning w/ Darnell Hill
    Feb 3 2025
    From the Shaker Green Room at RecFest USA, Darnell Hill, Vice President of Talent Acquisition at AAA Mountain West Group, joins The Chad & Cheese to discuss the company's transformation and his insights into the HR landscape. He shares how AAA is redefining its brand beyond its traditional association with roadside assistance, venturing into areas like AAA Smart Home and auto repair partnerships, while also reflecting on past initiatives. The conversation explores unexpected trends in 2024. Looking ahead to 2025, Hill underscores AI’s potential to enhance hiring quality, going beyond just improving the candidate experience. He also discusses employee retention and development strategies, advocating for micro-learning and prioritizing candidates with growth potential over those with strictly relevant experience.
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    12 mins
  • Ep 672: Are Career Sites Evolving Quickly Enough?

    Ep 672: Are Career Sites Evolving Quickly Enough?
    Jan 31 2025
    Career Sites still play a central role in talent acquisition, but are they evolving quickly enough? With many employers still working in career site redevelopment cycles that take years rather than months, are they keeping pace with candidate expectations and rapid advances in technology? My guest this week is Bas van de Haterd, who is returning to the show to give us his annual update on the career site research he has been running for the past 18 years. The latest edition looks at 100 data points across the careers sites of 550 large employers to determine the key trends and just how quickly career sites are evolving. In the interview, we discuss: What does the career site landscape of 2025 look like? What's new, what's getting worse, what's getting better Rethinking Job advert design Ghosting The role of corporate podcasts How Conversational AI is killing legacy chatbots The one thing employers can do to radically improve their results What does the future look like Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Following this podcast on Spotify A full transcript will appear here shortly.
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    23 mins
  • Ep 671: Balancing AI & The Human Touch

    Ep 671: Balancing AI & The Human Touch
    Jan 28 2025
    Frontline hiring is more competitive than ever, with speed and efficiency now critical for success. However, the challenge doesn't stop at making the hiring process faster; employers also need to stand out from their competition by offering a high-quality candidate experience and having a recruiting process that allows them to showcase what makes their organization unique. It's clear that AI-powered recruiting is already driving speed and efficiency in frontline hiring for many large organizations, but what's the right balance between technology and humans to deliver an exceptional candidate experience and highlight an organization's unique culture? My guests this week are Sonja Breuer, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, and Aaron Einhorn, Senior HR Business Partner at Hamra Enterprises. In our conversation, they share how Hamra has successfully leveraged AI-powered recruiting technology to reduce their time-to-hire from 13 days to just 4. They also discuss how this has enabled them to better highlight the values, benefits, and culture that make Hamra Enterprises a uniquely attractive employer. In the interview, we discuss: Hamra's unique culture and employee programs Using AI to radically reduce time to hire Maintaining a consistent and engaging candidate experience Combining conversational AI with purposeful human connections Why speed, experimentation, and agility are critical in AI-powered recruiting. What happens if the AI makes a mistake? Building a true partnership with their technology vendor to drive innovation. What does the future look like Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.
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    27 mins
  • HR Trends and AI Risks: Keith Sonderling

    HR Trends and AI Risks: Keith Sonderling
    Jan 27 2025
    Onstage at Outsolve's HR Gumbo Conference in New Orleans, Keith Sonderling, the former Commissioner of the EEOC, joins Chad & Cheese to discuss major trends in employment discrimination and the evolving role of AI in HR. He notes a significant spike in discrimination charges post-recession, particularly age discrimination, followed by increases in sexual harassment, equal pay, and racial discrimination claims due to various societal movements and events. Sonderling highlights the broad applicability of the Executive Order on Cybersecurity across all sectors and the challenges of managing discrimination claims, especially with the rise in religious exemptions post-COVID vaccine mandates. He also addresses the complexities of returning to office post-pandemic, disability discrimination, particularly mental health claims, and generational workplace dynamics. The conversation delves into the legal implications of AI in hiring, emphasizing the need for bias audits and the potential for AI to reduce traditional hiring biases if properly implemented. Lastly, the guys touch on the legislative landscape for AI in HR and the risks of fraud in emerging tech like the metaverse, concluding with the importance of clear policies and verification processes to ensure fairness and compliance.
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    58 mins