Elizabeth Pingle

Great Talent Acquisition and hiring strategies aren't built in isolation, they're built in rooms like the one I was in last night. HIGHER Community brought together some brilliant TA leaders for an evening of honest, high-quality conversation about where Talent Acquisition is headed. The best thing you can invest in right now? Your network of peers who will share insight and keep it real. Thanks for another awesome evening HIGHER Community!

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Since joining BrightHire, I’ve had the opportunity to spend time with dozens of talent leaders, and one theme that comes up consistently is quality of hire. Recruiting teams are spending more time asking hard questions about interview quality, consistency across interviewers, and whether the way we evaluate candidates is truly leading to better outcomes, not just faster hires. As hiring becomes more data-informed, the conversation is shifting. Getting the right insights from interviews matters, but what really moves the needle is understanding how those insights show up after someone is hired and using them to improve future hiring decisions. Because this challenge shows up across so many organizations, we’re bringing together two TA leaders who’ve built and scaled people-first hiring systems to share how they're using AI intentionally to support better interviews and stronger hiring decisions. This Thursday, January 22, our co-founder and CEO Benjamin Sesser will host a conversation with Tracy St.Dic, Global Head of Talent at Zapier, and Nicole Thomsen Hirsch, Sr. Director of Talent and Operations at Lattice. I had the opportunity to work closely with Tracy at Zapier (and love that we get to partner in this capacity! 😊) and saw firsthand how deliberate she was about evolving interview quality and consistency as the company scaled. That focus wasn’t incidental; it was foundational to hiring strong, values-aligned talent. And in my conversations with Nicole at Lattice, what stands out is her commitment to understanding how interview signal shows up after someone is hired, and using that insight to continue refining the process. If you’re thinking about how to use AI to elevate human judgment in hiring, I hope you’ll join us. 👇 Link to the session in the comments!

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Right now, every recruiting conversation feels like The Hunger Games, except instead of fighting to the death, everyone is battling over two percentage points on a fee. And I get it. We’re not in a full-blown growth economy. Budgets are tight. CFOs are circling spreadsheets like vultures. Everyone’s scraping to show they “saved money.” But here’s the joke: shaving 2–3 points off a recruiter fee doesn’t save you money. It costs you time. And in this market, time is the one thing you can’t afford to waste. Think about it: you’re fighting me over five grand while losing a candidate who could generate a million. That’s not strategy. That’s financial cosplay. It’s like skipping guac at Chipotle to save $3, then making your own at home which cost $12 and took you 20 minutes. The real prize isn’t the discount. The real prize is hiring the right rep before your competitor does. So if you want to play Hunger Games with fees, fine. Just don’t be shocked when the only thing you win is second place.

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One thing I’ve noticed working with teams that live in shared inboxes like finance@, hr@, billing@, or payroll@: Most teams don’t realize how chaotic things have gotten until volume spikes. At low volume, a shared mailbox feels manageable. People reply. Things get handled. It mostly works. Then the volume grows. Now you’ve got emails getting buried, two people replying to the same message, sensitive threads forwarded internally, and zero clarity on what’s actually been handled versus what’s just been read. At that point, many teams assume the answer is a full ticketing system. And to be fair, ticketing systems solve some problems. But they often introduce new ones: • They pull teams out of email entirely, even though email is where the work originates • They add process overhead that feels heavy for finance or HR teams that aren’t support desks • They require constant admin work just to keep the system usable I’ve seen teams spend months migrating, training, and adapting workflows only to realize the system is fighting how they actually work. What’s interesting is that the core problem usually isn’t email itself. It’s the lack of visibility, ownership, and accountability inside the inbox. That’s where tools like Hiver come in. Instead of forcing teams into a separate ticketing world, it adds structure directly on top of email. Ownership, collaboration, automation, and reporting without asking teams to abandon Gmail or Outlook. For a lot of non support teams, that difference matters. Not every team needs a heavyweight ticketing platform. Sometimes they just need their shared inbox to stop feeling like a black hole.

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There’s one moment in the annual compensation cycle I always slow down for and build into my calendar. It’s after leaders submit their decisions. But before anything is loaded into the HRIS. At that point, the work feels done. But the outcomes aren’t locked yet. That makes it the right time for a final gut check to catch any meaningful inconsistencies or issues while they’re still easy to fix. The carousel below outlines the checklist we use at BambooHR to do a final review of merit and promotion decisions. What else would you add to this?

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If you've followed Coura for any period of time, you know we focus on supporting non-technical founders, many of them women and people of color, because I was once in their shoes. It was hard to find someone who understood my experience and could help me navigate it. So when people talk about "funding more underrepresented founders," myself included, I keep needing people to understand: this isn't a talent problem. Our clients are unequivocally experts in their fields, and yet they're still having to defend whether they "understand the problem they're trying to fix." Coura can't fix structural bias. What we try to do is sit with founders who are figuring this out in real time, help them make investor-grade decisions, build something real within their budgets, and decide whether traditional VC is even the right path for them, given the hoops so many of them have to jump through. If you're a first-time, non-technical founder wrestling with whether to chase VC at all, or an investor who's genuinely trying to move more capital toward underestimated founders, I want to hear how you're navigating it. How can we all help each other out here?

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Seattle ✈️ Fort Lauderdale. 3,000 miles. One mission: pour into people. “Employees don’t leave companies, they leave leaders.” And the data backs it up — 71% of voluntary turnover stems from poor management. But here’s what I think we miss in that conversation Retention isn’t just a leadership problem. And it’s not just an HR problem. It’s what happens — or doesn’t happen — between the two. When HR and leadership operate in silos, employees fall through the cracks. HR creates the programs. Leaders execute them. But if there’s no real partnership — no shared accountability, no ongoing dialogue — none of it sticks. The numbers tell the story. 84% of highly engaged organizations hold managers accountable for engagement compared to just 53% in less engaged ones. Companies that invest in leadership development see a 32% reduction in turnover. And 42% of employees who voluntarily left said their manager or organization could have done something to prevent it. That last one gets me every time. COULD have. Not “there was nothing we could do.” Could have. That’s why I’m on this plane right now. Not just to train leaders on our mission and values — but to build a real partnership between HR and our leadership teams. To make sure we’re not just talking about retention. We’re building it. Together. Because the best retention strategy isn’t a program. It’s a relationship — between HR and the leaders who show up for their people every day. This week, we get to work. #Leadership #HRLeadership #EmployeeRetention #PeopleFirst #HRPartnership #LeadershipDevelopment #MissionDriven

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Talent Ops is one of those roles that people don’t think about. Until things go sideways. I’ve been in this role at Airalo for almost a year and a half now, and if I’m honest, I’m still growing into it. But I get asked by friends and family what I actually do most of the time (or I see that "wait, what?" look on people's faces). Think of it this way: If the ATS stops sending interview invites, and candidates are ghosting by accident? If the expensive AI tool stops populating feedback forms and managers suddenly have to - gasp - actually write down their own notes? (What a concept, right?) That’s when people start looking for me. When the systems break, recruiters have to stop recruiting to fix them. My job is to make sure they don’t need to stop. But it’s not just about fixing what’s broken. It’s about building what’s next. YAY - that’s the best part! We don't just talk about "Quality of Hire" as a concept. We build the actual infrastructure to measure it. We bridge the gap between a background check and a seamless first day of onboarding. Maintenance is one thing. Creation is another. I’m planning to share more of the "behind-the-scenes" of how we build the talent engine here at Airalo over the next few months. But first, I'm curious - for those of you in specialized roles, how do you explain what you actually do to your friends?

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What a great learning week we had with BetterUp at Uplift 2026 in San Francisco. Thank You! As I’ve been reflecting, a few thoughts I’m taking back into our work I would share, things most of us know, and grounded in data. https://lnkd.in/ezR6EnFX AI transformation is, of course, about the technology, the tools, access, integration, and rethinking workflows, all so critical. And how we build the conditions around all of that will really matter. More AI usage doesn’t mean better performance. Its the combination of technical and human conditions that matters, when leaders create clarity, and teams have the space to experiment and learn. It also requires getting clear on where human contribution can matter most: Discernment - knowing what’s relevant and high quality Judgment - deciding what to act on Perspective - applying context and experience These are critical to ensuring quality in a world of increasingly AI-generated output. Our week together was a good reminder for me that in moments of this level of transformation, leadership matters more than ever.

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I’ve had the opportunity to see firsthand the professionalism, communication, and relationship-building skills that Michael brings to every client interaction. He embodies what a strong Senior Account Manager should be — proactive, strategic, dependable, and genuinely invested in client success. Whoever brings him onto their team will be gaining a true asset.

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From workforce shortages and retention struggles to compliance pressures and evolving labor regulations, contractors are navigating an increasingly demanding employment landscape. The companies that succeed are the ones that treat HR as a strategic advantage, not just an administrative function. Our latest article explores the most pressing HR challenges facing SoCal contractors and practical ways to stay competitive while protecting your people and your business. Read more and strengthen your workforce strategy: https://lnkd.in/gfHkkmT7 #ABCSoCal #ABCMeritShopProud #ConstructionHR #WorkforceDevelopment #SouthernCaliforniaConstruction #MeritShop #ConstructionLeadership

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I think one of the kindest things you can do for a colleague is to schedule Slack DMs for when they're on-line vs. sending when they've gone home (West Coast messaging East Coast) or when they're just getting their day started (East Coast messaging West Coast). It's a great way to indirectly commit to observing shared boundaries, helps create levels of gradation in urgency of message (e.g., if I *do* message you outside of what I know are your working hours, it probably is important), and is FREE TO DO. The inverse usually makes me feel like a colleague is operating under an "I sent the message, now it's off my plate and up to you" model, which forces me to maintain a boundary on my own, figure out if the message is truly urgent, and costs me time to discern all of the above. Anyone else?

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The job market right now is incredibly tough. I talk to multiple people every week who have twenty plus years of experience, strong performance histories, and real accomplishments, yet they have been unemployed for months. Many are applying nonstop and still getting declined for reasons that were never listed in the job posting. Specific industry experience. Advanced analytics. Niche skills that were never mentioned yet suddenly become reasons to pass on great talent. This is happening across levels and industries. It is discouraging. It is exhausting. And it is something far more people are struggling with than we talk about publicly. Does this sound familiar? Has it happened to you or someone you know? When hiring teams rely on hidden or shifting criteria, we unintentionally push away strong candidates. We miss out on people who bring adaptability, emotional intelligence, leadership, curiosity, and the ability to learn quickly. These qualities drive long term success far more than a perfectly matched background. It made me reflect on hiring differently. What truly matters when we choose someone for our teams? What are we actually hiring for? And are we being clear from the start? I would love to hear from others. If you had to narrow it down, what are you really hiring for right now? What qualities matter most? What is a true must have versus a nice to have? Your perspectives may help someone who is struggling feel seen and supported or help a hiring manager see talent differently. #hiring #talentacquisition #jobsearch #leadership #futureofwork #careers #peopleandculture #hrcommunity #workplace #recruiting #jobseekersupport

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Sawlted mozz or unsawlted... 🧀 where do you stand???? We tackled the 𝘣𝘪𝘨 questions in our latest Candid Convo with Andrea Kayal, our CRO (and proud New Jerseyan and hater of fish). Every month at Help Scout, we host a super chill AMA-style Zoom hangout with one of our senior leaders. The topics range from mozzarella preferences to meaningful career advice — and that’s the point. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬? ✨ Humanize our leaders — in a remote company, you don’t bump into execs in the hallway. This creates intentional moments of connection and real talk. ✨ Build trust — leaders who are open to any question (from most embarrassing moments to business strategy) show up as approachable, not untouchable. ✨ Keep it real — work feels lighter and culture feels stronger when you see the human side of leadership. Sometimes the best way to start a deep conversation is with the best kind of chicken parm!!!! #companyculture #remotework #leadership Enjoy this sneak peek 👇😆

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Yelp’s Chief Culture Officer, Miriam Warren, shared a great piece diving into the impact of our 21 Yelp Employee Resource Groups (YERGs). She shares that nearly half of our workforce belongs to at least one group, and nearly 4 out of 10 Yelpers belong to more than one (which is much higher than the U.S. national benchmarks reported by Pew Research). What I love is that our YERGs host virtual programming that is open to everyone, covering real-world skills like navigating AI, home buying, and leadership. Miriam shared that 93% of Yelpers agree Yelp fosters an inclusive environment, and having access to these kinds of open, supportive spaces is a huge reason why 🌟 Check out her full post here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gu7PHXub  #LifeAtYelp #FiveStarCareer

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I see more and more colleagues taking meetings during their PTO, working through evenings and weekends. Y’all, we need to rest. We can run marathons, but we have to sleep, eat, and rest our minds. Taking a meeting during PTO keeps you hooked into work, preventing you from disconnecting, resetting, and coming back with fresh eyes. Rested people can do amazing work. Exhausted people will make mistakes, think too narrowly, and fail to process new information. Take your rest, remember that you are a whole person, and then come back to work ready for another challenge.

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Boomerang employees (employees who leave a company and later return) can be controversial. Not everyone is a fan of hiring back people who decided to leave. When I led the Scottsdale office at Yelp, dozens of our team members left to go to another company. When things didn't work out as they expected, many of them asked to return and about half of them did. Many stayed for years and successfully grew their careers after they returned. Boomerangs can be great hires, since they already know the business and can usually jump right back in where they left off. They also are self-selecting back into something that's known, which can make them less risky hires. I've recently noticed Opendoor is hiring back a lot of talented team members who left years ago, which is encouraging. But not everyone is a great rehire. Here are the 5 questions I consider when deciding whether to hire back a former team member: 1) Were they at the company for at least a year before they left? (if not, it's hard to have a strong signal on performance and know they have the resilience to stay committed this time around) 2) Were they a strong performer? (they should be better than what you would expect to get if you were to go out to the market and hire for the role) 3) Did they leave on good terms? (some of the people who left Yelp just stopped coming to work and didn't even let us know they were leaving - that was deal breaker) 4) Are they running toward something vs. running away from something? 5) Did the circumstances that led them to leave change meaningfully such that their reason for leaving has been addressed and they will be likely to stay long-term? When hiring back former team members, I prefer to make the experience as seamless as possible (not making them interview for the role if they left recently, for example). I'd be curious to hear other people's experiences. Feel free to share below!

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