Get ready to rev up your end-of-year reflections with the ultimate highlight reel from Hiring on All Cylinders! In this milestone 50th episode, we’re diving into the most impactful conversations of the year—where talent strategy meets innovation, and leadership transforms the future of work.

From mastering quality hires to embracing AI, from authentic leadership to building unstoppable teams, these expert insights will leave you inspired, informed, and ready to take your talent game to the next level. Whether you’re a loyal listener or just hopping on board, this episode is the perfect way to close out 2024 and gear up for what’s next.

Join host Chris Abbass and guest Christine Ng, Head of People at Quantum Motion, as they delve into the intricacies of hiring for niche and deep tech talent. In this episode, Christine shares her insights from working with various technical environments, including her current role in quantum computing. She discusses the challenges of sourcing specialized talent, building targeted sourcing strategies, and the importance of authenticity in recruitment. Whether you're in deep tech or interested in the field, this conversation offers valuable perspectives on navigating a competitive talent pool.

Join Chris Abbass, CEO of Talentful, on Hiring on All Cylinders as he sits down with Allison Allen, co-founder at Leadership Rewired and strategic advisor at Texni, to discuss the paradigm shift in Talent Acquisition leadership. Allison shares her insights on how the role of TA Leaders is transforming in response to recent challenges like the Great Resignation, the move towards skills-based hiring, and the integration of AI in recruiting. Discover strategies to future-proof your TA function and demonstrate the true value of TA in driving organizational success.

Join Chris Abbass as he explores the evolving recruitment industry with Dominic Joyce. From the importance of feedback and human-centric methods to the groundbreaking role of AI, we delve deep into modern challenges and solutions in Talent Acquisition. Discover how empathy, transparency, and technology can transform candidate experiences and boost hiring outcomes. Tune in for actionable insights on leveraging AI, improving feedback practices, and achieving a balanced and effective TA strategy.

In this episode of Hiring on All Cylinders, Chris Abbass sits down with Alexa Lane from Placements IO to dive deep into building recruiting operations from the ground up. Alexa shares her personal experience in creating a foundational recruiting framework, partnering with company founders, prioritizing hiring needs, and implementing key tools like ATS systems. We also discuss the critical importance of a streamlined interview process, candidate experience surveys, and leveraging AI to enhance efficiency. Tune in for expert advice on recruiting strategy, managing hiring challenges, and future trends in talent acquisition.

In this episode of 'Hiring at All Cylinders,' Chris Abbass sits down with Jessie Zwaan, COO of Talentful and best-selling author, to delve into the importance of commerciality in talent acquisition leadership. They discuss Jessie's career journey, the significance of financial literacy in TA roles, and how to think and act more commercially. Jessie shares insights on the challenges faced by TA leaders, the impact of strategic goal alignment, and the future of TA in an ever-evolving industry. Tune in for practical tips on becoming a more commercially savvy TA leader.

Quality of hire (QoH) is the metric of the moment – but it’s notoriously difficult to define. In this episode, Chris sits down with Ben Sesser, CEO of BrightHire, to talk about the evolving importance of this metric and explore how businesses can unpack its potential. Ben recommends proven strategies for defining, capturing, and measuring QoH so it can be exploited to support organizational goals. They also discuss how talent intelligence platforms like BrightHire can improve QoH by driving excellence in the hiring process, weeding out fake candidates, and unlocking meaningful, actionable data insights. Tune in and learn how to make “quality over quantity” less of a mantra and more of a strategic MO.

Teams are changing. The notion of a core, centralized workforce is losing ground to a brave new world of contractors, skills mapping, and distributed hiring. In this episode, Chris sits down with Joao Martires, COO of YunoJuno, to dig deep into the trend and explore its implications for teams and talent leaders. Drawing on his first-hand experience, Joao explains how organizations are harnessing flexible talent strategies to drive innovation, improve diversity, and become more adaptable and competitive in an increasingly volatile market. They also discuss how freelancer management technologies like YunoJuno can alleviate anxieties around legal and compliance issues while making the hiring process simpler, faster, and more flexible. Tune in and learn how to keep pace with an evolving talent landscape.

Are leaders doing enough to address the emotional impact of their decisions? In this episode, fractional HR advisor Brian Evje joins Chris to unpack the problem of invisible change. While change is an external force, Brian explains, invisible change is an internal struggle – and if it’s ignored or mismanaged, its aftershocks can damage team dynamics for many months to come. However, by engaging with team members, validating their emotions, and accepting that your role is more about stewardship than solutions, you can bolster team cohesion and ultimately find your voice as an authentic leader. Tune in for a masterclass in change management, ethical leadership, and bringing the invisible into the light.

In this episode, host Chris Abbass is joined by Benji Encz, CEO and co-founder of Ashby, to explore the theme of 'doing more with less' in Talent Acquisition (TA). They discuss trends in TA, the evolution of technology and tools, and how AI and automation are reshaping the hiring landscape. From leveraging historical data and AI to enhance efficiency, to the rise of self-service models in recruitment, Benji shares deep insights and practical advice on driving productivity in today's competitive market. Whether you're a TA leader or simply interested in the future of recruitment, this conversation is packed with valuable takeaways. Don't miss out!

In this episode of Hiring in All Cylinders, host Chris Abbas welcomes Jim Turbek, Head of Global Recruiting at Box, for a discussion on the journey to recruiting leadership. Jim shares his rich experience and insights on transitioning into people leadership. The conversation delves into the motivations behind wanting to lead, the importance of responsibility-centric versus reward-centric leadership, and the significance of introspection for aspiring leaders. You will gain invaluable advice on building trust of your team, the pivotal role of reliability and credibility, and the strategic importance of operational rigor. This episode is a treasure trove for anyone considering a move into leadership or aiming to enhance their leadership skills, offering practical tips and motivational guidance for navigating the complex journey of becoming an effective leader.

After so many booms, busts, hires, and layoffs, is it any wonder that CEOs are hesitant to invest in talent acquisition? In this episode, Chris sits down with Beth Armstrong, Talent Acquisition Lead at media group VaynerX, to explore how TA leaders can adapt, improvise, and succeed when resources are limited. Drawing on her extensive experience leading lean teams, Beth emphasizes the importance of hiring adaptable recruiters, managing stakeholder expectations, and embracing small failures to serve the bigger picture. She also shares insights on prioritizing recruitment tasks, using limited tools effectively, and maintaining team morale amid high demands. Watch now for a masterclass in making do and taking charge.

In this episode of the Hiring on All Cylinders podcast, Chris is joined by James Hudson, Talent Acquisition expert with a background at global brands like Nike and Levi's. Together, they delve into the post-pandemic shift happening in talent acquisition. James explores how the pandemic prompted a reevaluation of work norms and career trajectories, urging companies to adapt their strategies to retain talent effectively.

The discussion delves into the transformative potential of AI in talent acquisition, highlighting its potential to have a huge positive impact on candidate experiences and the role of a Recruiter. James emphasizes the importance of data-driven narratives to advocate for talent initiatives and explores the rising trend of leveraging employee personal brands for organizational messaging.

Join Chris and James as they navigate the future of recruitment innovation, where AI promises to revolutionize candidate engagement and empower recruiters to become lifelong career partners. Tune in for an insightful exploration of the evolving landscape of talent acquisition!

What is a team? In this episode, leadership advisor and award-winning author AJ Thomas joins Chris to explain why traditional definitions don’t cut it anymore. If we reframe teams as any group of people collaborating together, she argues, we can transcend scoreboard anxiety and mobilize the shared connections and curiosities that help us win. For AJ, the key is to focus on the journey, not the jump shots. By celebrating the small successes behind every victory, we enable genuine engagement and can harness a more holistic approach to hiring, leadership, and decision-making. The conversation also covers the impact of technology and AI on team dynamics, what talent leaders can learn from Gen Z, and why the résumé could soon be a thing of the past. Watch now to hear more inspiring insights and expert predictions on the future of work.

In this Hiring in All Cylinders episode, host Chris Abbass sits down with Siadhal Magos, CEO and co-founder of Metaview. They delve into the innovative application of AI in the interview process and talent acquisition. With backgrounds as hiring managers, Siadhal and his team approach recruitment from a unique perspective, emphasizing the critical role of interviews in decision-making and data collection. Metaview's AI-driven note-taking streamlines time-consuming interview documentation, allowing recruiters to focus on engaging and building relationships with candidates. The discussion explores how Metaview enhances efficiency and provides valuable insights, empowering recruiters to optimize their hiring strategies. Listen in to learn how to transform your recruitment practices using the power of AI.

In our new podcast episode, host Chris Abbass sits down with Steve Bartel, co-founder of Gem, to explore the dynamic intersection of technology, sales and recruiting. Steve delves into the transformative power of AI in recruitment, drawing parallels with cutting-edge tools like Gong and Loom. Together, they navigate the evolving landscape of talent acquisition technology, stressing the significance of innovation, scalability, and vendor reliability. Steve sheds light on Gem's dedication to supporting startups through a complimentary program and offers invaluable advice for TA leaders navigating the tech landscape. Touching on concerns about vendor lock-ins and the future of TA, they envision AI's potential in revolutionizing application review, sourcing, and candidate rediscovery. Tune in for an insightful discussion on how technology is reshaping the future of talent acquisition.

In this episode of "Hiring in All Cylinders," Andrew Trout, Head of Talent at FalconX, discusses the challenge of creating a flawless hiring process. He stresses the importance of aligning organizational goals and addressing biases while balancing speed, quality, diversity, AND candidate experience. Andrew explores the potential of AI tools to revolutionize recruitment tasks, envisioning a future where automation streamlines processes, allowing focus on judgement assessment and relationship-building. His techno-optimism shines through as he advocates for a balance between human capabilities and technological advancements. Andrew's insights offer a roadmap for organizations navigating talent acquisition in competitive markets, emphasizing the need to invest in both human skills and innovative technologies. Tune in for practical advice and forward-thinking perspectives on enhancing hiring processes.

In the latest episode of Hiring On All Cylinders, Talentful's CEO and co-founder, Chris Abbass, dives deep with Carla McIntosh, VP of Global Talent Acquisition and Contingent Workforce at Reddit, on the nuances of candidate assessment. Beyond the conventional parameters of IQ and EQ, they explore the significance of Adaptability Quotient “AQ”. Carla, drawing from her unique experiences, including her time in the Air Force, discusses the importance of adaptability in navigating challenges and ensuring success. As talent strategies evolve, so should our approach to recognizing and valuing adaptability

How do you build an efficient talent acquisition team to double company revenue and headcount?

In this episode, Tony Le, Senior Director of Recruiting Operations and Enablement at Contentful, tells Chris how he has focused on operational excellence when setting Contentful’s talent acquisition team up for success. He stresses the importance of partnering effectively with hiring managers and shares tips on how to recruit strategically through turbulent times.

In this episode, Fastly’s Head of Global Talent Acquisition, Shirin Parineh, joins Chris to discuss the role of Talent Acquisition in sustainable growth. Their conversation covers what good leadership looks like, upskilling team members and how to be an effective partner to the wider business. Shirin also touches on Fastly’s growth through uncertain times and how a conservative approach to scale can pay off in the long term.

This episode is a great listen for aspiring talent leaders who want to build an established career in the Talent Acquisition space.

In times of great organizational transformation, storytelling can be a leader’s most powerful communication tool. In this episode, Jocelyn Lai, Global Head of Talent Acquisition at Duolingo, joins Chris to talk about the power of storytelling in talent acquisition to spark action and inspire people to join a mission. Join us and listen to our podcast today.

When is it right to hire for potential? And when should you rely on experience and expertise? Holly May, Chief People Officer at Datavant, sits down with Chris to discuss how onboarding high-growth potential talent has helped increase the size of the company (by 10x) in four years. She covers the importance of defining culture at an early stage and argues that a lean team of top performers can easily outstrip a much larger team of mid-level performers when it comes to impact and value.

Noting that there’s no singular approach to scale that suits all businesses, Holly shares tips on identifying what will work for your organization.

Welcome to our first episode of the Hiring On All Cylinders podcast. Meet our first guest, Becky McCullough, VP of Global Recruiting at HubSpot, the #1 CRM platform for scaling businesses. Starting her career in Finance, Becky speaks about her move into the People and Talent space during a tenuous time in the market after the Great Recession in 2008. Becky discusses how to be a strong people leader and drive organizational change in small and bold ways during uncertain times. Tune into this episode to hear Becky's experience and tips on building strong talent teams, getting buy-in from senior leaders during times of change, and measuring success when scaling rapidly.

Wondering what it’s like to hire at the cutting edge of Web3? This episode features Matt Schwinden, Head of Talent at The Graph, an indexing protocol for organizing blockchain data. He joins Chris to discuss why recruiting talent for Web3 doesn’t always follow established processes, how The Graph have adapted their hiring approach to address this, and what the key skill sets are to look out for. Tune in to discover Matt’s thoughts on the role TA plays in uncovering the right talent for the next generation of web technology.

For Sasha Katz Murphy, company values aren’t just words – they’re actions. In this episode, she joins Chris to explain how she transformed ActiveCampaign’s values into a company-wide framework for hiring, development, and performance evaluation. As Global Head of Talent Acquisition, Sasha embarked on a year-long, cross-functional collaboration to define and crystallize the core behaviors that drive success among ActiveCampaign’s staff. The result was The AC Way: a unique talent management framework that’s helping the marketing automation firm improve interview effectiveness, mitigate bias, and manage candidate expectations. Tune in to hear how Sasha project-managed this monumental task, as she shares valuable insights for talent leaders who want to make their company values work harder.

As the co-founder of WorkTripp, Sally Page has the opportunity to work with plenty of founders and senior leaders on how they can create memorable offsite experiences to engage employees. In this episode, Sally argues that an offsite should be regarded as a strategic initiative to boost employee engagement and help achieve company goals. In conversation with Chris, she covers how to plan the perfect offsite, how frequently to run them, how the in-person experience is crucial in an increasingly remote world, and how you can measure the impact of offsite events. Tune in to hear Sally and Chris discuss how the offsite should be seen less as a ‘nice-to-have’ reward, and more as a crucial tactic for aligning your people to your goals.

This episode poses the question everyone in TA is talking about: how will AI impact Recruitment? Host Chris is joined by Matthew Parker, Director of International Talent at Procore, to discuss what we should expect from the integration of AI into our daily workload. They cover AI’s crucial role in interview data collection, how it can improve candidate experience, which tools to look out for and, crucially, how it will change the way we set up our TA teams. Chris asks the all-important question of what the AI-powered future of TA looks like, and what we have to be optimistic about. This episode is not to be missed for those looking to lead TA teams of the future.

For many tech recruiters, India represents both a wellspring of capability and an uncharted territory. In this episode, Chris chats to Jeremy Bushaw, VP of Global Talent Acquisition at Informatica, to learn how he steered the data management firm through the fast-moving Indian recruitment market. Jeremy opens up about the challenges of hiring in an unfamiliar cultural environment and shares first-hand advice to help TA leaders stake their claim in a fiercely competitive space. The conversation also covers the importance of technology in global talent acquisition, as Jeremy explains how he harnessed AI and automation tools to increase reach, bolster DE&I initiatives, and cut time to fill by around 30%. It’s a jam-packed episode that will inspire anyone looking to tap into new territories and new talent.

What can you learn from a breadth of experience across different roles and in different leadership positions? In this episode, Kelly Cartwright, VP of Global Talent Acquisition at Splunk, tells us how her wide-ranging experience has taught her the importance of data in TA leadership decision-making. She discusses how data can be used to drive real business impact through strategic headcount planning and argues that we should reframe who the real ‘customer’ is when thinking about team growth.