Hiring Happy Hour

I don't throw this around lightly, but Matt Alder is one of those people who just GETS it. Like, really gets it. Matt has been quietly pointing around every corner in TA before the rest of us even knew the corner existed. And in this episode, he did NOT hold back. 👀 We got into what separates real AI innovation from the shiny stuff that never delivers. We talked about the internet era as a mirror to where we are right now, and we went deep on something that not enough people are asking... if AI frees up recruiter time, what exactly are recruiters going to DO with it? 💡 That question alone could reshape how you think about your team's value. Only 37% of hiring leaders say they feel prepared for AI today. After this conversation, I think that number is both alarming AND not surprising. But there's a path forward and Matt lays it out in a way that's clear, honest, and zero hype. This one is a must-listen if you're navigating TA transformation, building a team strategy, or just trying to figure out what's real in a very noisy world. 🙌 🔗 Full episode links in the comments! #HiringHappyHour #TalentAcquisition #HiringStrategies #AIinHiring #TALeadership

Okay, I have been waiting to share this one. 🙌 Alan Walker, Co-Founder and CEO of Udder, was my first CEO guest on Hiring Happy Hour, and wow, did he deliver. 🎙️ Three months after launching Udder with just a few hundred pounds, COVID shut the world down. Most people would've folded. Alan and his co-founder Jeremy? They pivoted, stayed fast, and started landing major clients while bigger firms were furloughing their staff. That's founder mode in real life. 💪 But honestly, the thing I keep coming back to from this conversation is the migration vs. transformation distinction. So many of us use those words interchangeably, and Alan made it crystal clear: they are NOT the same. If you're just moving from one system to another and doing the same things you always did... that's a migration. Transformation is about changing behavior, improving outcomes for hiring managers, recruiters, AND candidates, and actually moving the dial. 🧠 We also got into how Udder has delivered 600+ HR tech implementations (a LOT of those on SmartRecruiters 💚), what makes someone ‘part of the herd’ and why design time at the start of a project is the thing that separates a 3-month go-live from a 12-month nightmare. 🎧 🔗 Full episode links in the comments! #HiringHappyHour #TalentAcquisition #HRTransformation #TALeadership #Podcast

Okay. I say "over the moon" a lot. I know. But THIS time? I mean it MORE than usual. 🌙✨ This week on Hiring Happy Hour I got to sit down with Steve Hardy, five-time CMO, Forrester Marketing Executive of the Year, and honestly one of the most thoughtful leaders I've gotten to work alongside. 💚 We got into the messy, exciting reality of what it looks like when a company is moving almost TOO fast, and why Steve wouldn't have it any other way. 160% more capabilities shipped in a year, a doubling of engineering resources in under 90 days, and an AI assistant now woven into nearly 60% of all hires on the platform. That's not a slide deck, that's just Tuesday at SmartRecruiters. But what hit me most wasn't the stats (even though you KNOW I love a good stat 😅). It was the reminder that you cannot influence the market unless you have an inspired team. Steve lives that. And the fact that he started a "Sip Club" to bring his team together during one of the hardest seasons of his career? Yeah... that's the kind of leader I want to learn from. 🔗 Catch the full episode now with the links in the comments! #HiringHappyHour #TalentAcquisition #HiringStrategies #TALeadership #SmartRecruiters #HRInnovation

This week’s Hiring Happy Hour guest is not just a pretty face 😉   I am so so excited that I got to sit down with Preeti Woods. I met Preeti during the SmartRecruiters x Amazon Web Services (AWS) DSP implementation, and we became fast friends. There's something about sitting across from someone in a conference room and just knowing, this person gets it. She knows what she wants, she knows how to get there, and she will hold every single person accountable along the way. Politely, of course. And y'all, Preeti defies all odds. Team of one. COVID as her backdrop. A hard launch deadline she couldn't move. And somehow, she still broke an Amazon record, 48,000 associates started in a single Thanksgiving week. Let that sink in. 💪 What makes her exceptional isn't just the scale, it's that she never lost sight of the people on the other end of the technology. Every product decision came back to one question: would this actually delight my customer? DSP owners, warehouse associates, candidates applying on mobile at midnight. She built for all of them. 💚 If you're in TA, tech, or just love hearing from someone who genuinely DOES THE THING, this one's for you. 🔗 Catch the full episode now with the links in the comments! #HiringHappyHour #TalentAcquisition #HiringStrategies #TALeadership #AIPoweredHR #HRTransformation #PodcastEpisode

Some episodes just stick with you. This is one of them. 💚 Jamie Szymkowiak, Head of TA at EcoVadis and former UK political advisor, said things in this conversation that I still think about. I genuinely believe this one gets more valuable the second time you hear it. Jamie walked into his first recruitment role as a disabled person and was nearly turned away before the interview even started. He didn't just push past it. He became trainee of the year and a top 5% biller. And then he spent the rest of his career making sure others didn't face those same barriers. What stayed with me this time around? The reminder that inclusive hiring isn't a strategy deck or a policy document. It starts with one sentence in a job description that says: we see you, and we've got options. If you missed this one the first time, now's your moment. If you caught it before, trust me, there's something new in it for you. 🙌 🔗 Full episode link in the comments! #HiringHappyHour #InclusiveHiring #TalentAcquisition #DisabilityInclusion #TALeadership

Roles reversed. Mic flipped. Nerves: very much present. 😅 This week's episode of Hiring Happy Hour is a special one! We flipped the whole thing on its head. My dear friend (and sister from another mister 💚) Erin P. Diamond, our Global Head of Content & Comms at SmartRecruiters, took over the host seat and flipped the script in the best way. We got into how I accidentally ended up in HR, my Ted Lasso enablement program, what I actually believe about AI, my 104-year-old German-speaking grandmother, the Tin Can phone I bought my kids, and why I really go to book club. 🎾🍸 Oh, and the hat collection made a special appearance. 🧢 Safe to say the tables have officially turned…and I survived. 😂 🔗 Catch the full episode now with the links in the comments! #HiringHappyHour #TalentAcquisition #HiringStrategies #TALeadership #AIPoweredHR #HRTransformation #PodcastEpisode #ChangeManagement

Y'all. Carrie Brophy is on Hiring Happy Hour, and I genuinely could not be more excited about this one. 🙌 Carrie is one of those rare humans who is equally fluent in tech AND people, and if you've ever sat through a painful implementation, you'll immediately understand why that combination is pure gold. ✨ In this episode, she walks us through two of the most impactful transformations of her career: helping Credit Suisse hit a 40% internal mobility rate and simplifying Anglo American's hiring process across a wildly diverse global portfolio down to just THREE processes. Yes. Three. 🤯 We talked executive buy-in, hypercare, design principles, working mom superpowers, and the one rule that saved an entire implementation: if it's not Legal, Fiscal, or Regulatory, it doesn't get its own process. If you are in TA, HR, or anywhere near a tech transformation right now, this episode is your blueprint. 💚 🔗 Catch the full episode now with the links in the comments! #HiringHappyHour #TalentAcquisition #HRTransformation #TALeadership

This episode had me taking notes. 😄📝 This week on Hiring Happy Hour, I sat down with Ed Zetusky, Director of Talent Acquisition at Comoto Family of Brands, and what he’s built is so much more than just a referral program. Yes, there are the big, fun moments and point-based competitions, cash prizes, company-wide recognition, and an end-of-year Olympic-style celebration (complete with a custom podium and medals 🏅) But what really stood out to me is why it works. It’s not just about incentives, it's about creating something people actually want to be part of. Something that makes them feel recognized, invested, and excited to bring others into the company. And that shift from program to culture is what makes all the difference. Would something like this work at your company? 💚 🔗 Catch the full episode now with the links in the comments! #HiringHappyHour #TalentAcquisition #HiringStrategies #TALeadership #AIPoweredHR #HRTransformation #PodcastEpisode

Okay, this one gave me ACTUAL goosebumps. More than once. 😅 This week on Hiring Happy Hour, I sat down with Jamie Szymkowiak, Head of TA at EcoVadis, former political advisor to the UK House of Commons, disability rights advocate, and (bonus!) someone who taught me that the national animal of Scotland is a unicorn. 🦄 Clearly, this was meant to be. But here's the thing, beyond all the credentials, Jamie's story is one of the most powerful I've heard. He walked into his first recruitment role as a disabled person and was almost turned away before the interview even started. He didn't just overcome it. He used it. Trainee of the year. Top 5% biller. And a lifelong passion for making sure others don't face those same barriers. We talked about what accessible hiring ACTUALLY looks like in practice, why AI interviewing can unintentionally exclude the people you most want to reach, and the three things any organization can do RIGHT NOW to start building more inclusive processes. This episode is one I'll be thinking about for a while. 💚 🔗 Full episode link in the comments! #HiringHappyHour #InclusiveHiring #TalentAcquisition #DisabilityInclusion #HRLeadership

I've been through Deloitte M&A strategy sessions. I've seen the decks, the frameworks, the "integration playbooks." 📋 But nothing, and I mean NOTHING, prepares you for actually LIVING through it. 😅 This week on Hiring Happy Hour, I got to sit down with one of the most grounded, thoughtful, and genuinely authentic leaders I know: Lehua Stonebraker, our SVP of People & Culture at SmartRecruiters. 💚 She's led TA through EIGHT acquisitions in 18 months at Dayforce. Eight. And now she's guiding us through our integration into SAP. What hit me hardest? The reminder that change management isn't about having all the answers, it's about bringing people ALONG for the journey. Transparency, curiosity, and open-mindedness aren't soft skills. They're the whole game. Plus she dropped the most perfectly timed Nemo reference and I am absolutely here for it. 🐟 If you or your team is navigating an acquisition, this one's for you. 🔗 Links in the comments! #HiringHappyHour #TalentAcquisition #HiringStrategies #TALeadership #AIPoweredHR #HRTransformation #PodcastEpisode