Talking TA

In this episode, Denise Chaffin sits down with David Warren, founder of Oomiyasa and former digital transformation leader at companies like Zara and Salesforce, to unpack one of the most overlooked challenges in modern organizations, the loss of tacit knowledge.

David explains why companies have become good at documenting processes but struggle to capture judgment, experience, and decision-making insight, the kind of knowledge that ...

Candidate experience is no longer an HR side conversation, it is a direct reflection of your brand.

In this episode, Denise Chaffin sits down with Eric Smuda, customer and employee experience leader and former executive at major consumer brands, to unpack why candidates should be treated like customers, not transactions. Drawing from decades of experience in highly competitive industries, Eric explains how moments of friction, lack ...

In this episode of Talking TA, Denise Chaffin sits down with Michael Goldberg, Senior Director of Talent Acquisition Operations at U.S. Renal Care, for a candid and deeply practical conversation about the future of recruiting. Michael shares his career journey from frontline recruiting into TA operations and explains why operations, metrics, and project management are becoming mission-critical for modern TA teams.

Together, Denise a...

In this episode of Talking TA, Denise talks with Steven Swan, CEO of The Swan Group, about the rise of the “bionic employee” and the dramatic shifts happening across IT, business operations, and talent acquisition. Steven explains how AI is transforming technical roles, creating hybrid talent that blends business understanding with technical literacy. He covers how coding tasks are changing, why business partner roles are surging, ...

In this episode, Denise sits down with Pernille Weitemeyer Larsen, Head of Global Talent Acquisition for Creative Force and co founder of Denmark’s largest TA network. Pernille shares an inside look at how TA is evolving and what needs to change for recruiters to become strategic partners instead of support staff. The conversation explores the outdated nature of traditional recruitment processes, why job posts should function more ...

In this episode, Denise Chaffin sits down with industryanalyst and publisher Matt Charney to break down the real state of recruiting and what the TA community can expect in 2026. Matt brings deep context from years across recruiting, analytics, media, and workforce insights, giving a grounded and balanced view of what’s actually happening beneath the noise.

The conversation covers the difference between a recessionand a reset, the i...

In this episode, Denise Chaffin sits down with Seth Stover, founder and CEO of Tide Rise, a company transforming outsourcing into a force for global good. What began as a small project in Malawi evolved into a scalable model of economic empowerment and opportunity. Seth shares how his team turned a conversation about unemployment into a thriving business that connects skilled Malawian talent with global companies—creating sustainab...

In this episode, host Denise Chaffin sits down with Gina Riley, career transition coach and author of Qualified Isn’t Enough, to explore why great talent often gets overlooked—and how to fix it. Drawing from her “Career Velocity” framework, Gina shares a nine-step process that helps leaders clarify their unique value proposition, tell their career stories with confidence, and show up as “rare candidates” in a competitive market. Th...

Recruiters beware — the future is already here. In this episode of Talking TA, host Denise Chaffin sits down with Gail Houston Associate Director at Grail and Jim Schnyder, President of Recruiting Advisors, to explore how AI is reshaping the recruiting landscape. As co-directors of the DFW Texas Recruiters Network, they’ve spent years training recruiters to stay on the leading edge — from the early days of social sourcing to the ri...

In this episode of Talking TA, host Denise Chaffin reconnects with longtime colleague Meredith Leitch, who transitioned from a 25-year career at Intel into a purpose-driven second act. Meredith shares her journey through Encore Fellowships with The Fedcap Group, where experienced professionals bring corporate expertise to the nonprofit sector.

They explore how retirement is being redefined—not as an ending, but as a chance to find n...

In this special annual panel discussion, host Denise Chaffin welcomes back Courtney Schuelke, Jamie Starner, and Michael O’Brien to revisit the state of work in 2025. Together, they share insights across industries—retail, restaurants, and technology—highlighting rising turnover rates, the challenge of employee ghosting, and the creative ways companies are trying to retain talent. Courtney discusses Sephora’s attempts at flexible s...

Rebecca Carr, CEO of SmartRecruiters, joins Denise Chaffin to discuss the company’s recent acquisition by SAP and what it means for the future of talent acquisition technology. Rebecca shares her journey from recruiter to product leader to CEO, her perspective on the ATS market’s evolution, and how AI is reshaping recruiting workflows. She explains how SmartRecruiters is pioneering AI-driven solutions like Winston, an agent designe...

Joseph Burns, CEO of Lupa, joins Denise Chaffin to share why the future of hiring isn't about replacing recruiters with AI, but empowering them. Drawing from personal experience building and shutting down an AI recruiter, Joseph walks through the trade-offs, risks, and realities of automation in TA. He shares how Lupa uses AI to enhance decision-making, how cultural context matters in global hiring, and why his team blends human em...

In this episode, Denise Chaffin sits down with David Manaster, the longtime CEO and founder of ERE Media, to reflect on the past, present, and future of talent acquisition. With over 25 years at the forefront of recruiting media, David shares stories from the early internet days, the rise of job boards, and the massive shifts brought by AI. They dive into the evolution of sourcing, the changing nature of industry conferences, and h...

In this episode of Talking TA, Denise Chaffin sits down with Jared Bruss, Enterprise Account Executive at Gem, to explore the transformation of the recruiting industry through the eyes of a sales leader. With over a decade of experience at ZipRecruiter and Gem, Jared shares unique insights into how technology—particularly AI, CRMs, and talent harvesting tools—is reshaping workflows, improving sourcing, and helping teams manage incr...

In this episode, Denise Chaffin is joined by Phil Strazzulla, founder of SelectSoftware Reviews, to dive deep into the world of HR technology. Phil shares how HR leaders can avoid costly mistakes when selecting software, why incentives shape product quality, and how AI is shifting what’s possible in recruiting and performance management. From the value of open APIs to the ethics of automation, this episode offers practical advice f...

Shannon Milhollin, founder of Empower Your Event, joins the podcast to unpack how internal and recruiting events can drive real business results. She discusses the ROI of experience, how purposeful design influences culture, and why comfort, connection, and creativity should be central to every internal event. From rethinking job fairs to aligning HR and sales teams, Shannon brings a fresh, strategic take on event planning that goe...

In this compelling episode of Talking TA, host Denise Chaffin welcomes Weslie Ricks, a global accessibility and disability consultant and founder of Divergent Talent Consulting. Together, they dive deep into the evolving conversation around neurodiversity, disability inclusion, and the return on investment for accessible hiring practices. Weslie shares eye-opening insights on the challenges neurodivergent individuals face in the wo...

Denise Chaffin is joined again by Jim D’Amico, VP of Talent Acquisition at Caliber Collision, to discuss the transformation of recruiting from a game of attraction to a strategy of influence. Jim breaks down how psychology, storytelling, and peripheral engagement form the new ecosystem of TA. They explore real-world applications like IP targeting, persona development, and storytelling archetypes, providing actionable strategies for...