Talk Talent To Me

Jessica is the Head of Talent Acquisition at Atlantic Street Capital Advisors, as well as the host of the Jess Get Hired Podcast. In this episode, she introduces us to her podcast, explaining the topics she covers, and some of the recurring themes and pieces of advice that come up. You’ll hear how Jessica got her current position at Atlantic Street Capital Advisors, the value of networking (and how to do it), and her recommendations on how other recruiters can find their next positions. She also sheds some light on her role at Atlantic Street Capital Advisors, what she is working on, and some of the recruiting processes her team implement in the companies they acquire. For valuable tips on how to build a network, what the must-have tools for any HR tech stack are, and why cover letters are actually a waste of time, make sure not to miss today’s conversation!

Key Points From This Episode:

• The Jess Get Hired Podcast and how it started during the pandemic.
• Jessica’s ultimate goal to leave corporate America and start her own consulting company.
• Some of the recurring themes and pieces of advice that come up on Jessica’s show.
• Jessica’s recommendations for how recruiters can find their next role.
• Thoughts on the LinkedIn trend of Social Saturday.
• How Jessica got her current position and the value of networking.
• Jessica’s role at Atlantic Street Capital Advisors and what she is working on.
• Some of the recruiting processes that Atlantic Street Capital Advisors put in place in the companies they acquire.
• Major challenges faced by Jessica and her team, like introducing technology investments.
• The types of tech that they introduce and must-have tools for any HR tech stack.
• Jessica’s views on the cover letter and whether or not it has any value.
• How to avoid posting a cover letter and still get the job!

Tweetables:

“One day, [when I get out of corporate America], then this will be my brand. Hopefully, I can take what I’ve learned through podcasting and all the people that I’ve met along the way and turn it into some type of consulting business.” — Jessica George [0:05:25]

“Not all HR people are good recruiters and not all recruiters can do HR. That’s just fact!” — Jessica George [0:16:41]

“I hate cover letters. I think it’s a waste of time. As someone who looks at hundreds of resumes a week, the last thing I want to do is read through the fluff of a cover letter. I’d rather get to the nuts and bolts of your resume and see the key things that I need to see” — Jessica George [0:26:46]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Jessica Fiesta George

Jess Get Hired Podcast

Atlantic Street Capital Advisors

Talk Talent to Me

Hired

Joining us in conversation today is Rick Jordan, Senior Director of Talent Acquisition over at DICK’S Sporting Goods. You’ll hear the story of how DICK’S was started and how Rick landed his current role with them with a background in hospitality and talent. DICK’S is a pandemic success story, and Rick tells us about the unexpected turn of events that resulted in the business thriving despite the restrictions. You’ll also hear about the exciting projects that DICK’S is working on at the moment, and why, in the current market, we need to think more like marketers and less like human resource people.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Meet today’s guest, Rick Jordan, with DICK’S Sporting Goods.
• The story of how DICK’S started in New York before opening corporate campus in Pittsburgh.
• Why Pittsburgh is called the Steel City and how it has evolved over the last 15 years.
• Rick’s background in hospitality and talent and how he ended up in his current role.
• Why nothing beats Resorts World Las Vegas.
• How DICK’S navigated the pandemic and what they are doing today to reach their goal of $15 million by 2025 (plus the role that talent plays).
• The natural upswing in interest in golf thanks to its natural social distancing.
• The new store where you can buy big brands: Going, Going, Gone!
• DICK’S House of Sport stores that have opened in Rochester and Knoxville.
• Why brick and mortar stores are far from dead.
• The leaders that Rick works with across his company and their team dynamic.
• The role of the TA Focus Project Manager
• Why we need to think more like marketers in the current market and less like HR people.
• The difference that having been funded to tell the story has made.
• Why Rick believes that the war on talent is over, and that talent won!
• Why people no longer settle for a job, but seek opportunities they are excited about.
• The mini war that is going on within HR talent and the power of investing in a strong team.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Rick Jordan on LinkedIn

DICK’S Sporting Goods

Talk Talent to Me

Hired

Karen Weeks is the founder of Shine at Work, a coaching company geared toward setting people up for career success. She is also the Chief People Officer at Obviously, the innovation influencer agency. When we spoke to Karen, she had only been at Obviously for a week, and she spilled the tea on how she landed the job and how she’s adjusting to her new role. We also discuss the changes she’d make to Obviously’s onboarding process, why she prioritizes relationships above all else (and how she builds them in a new environment), and how to gently rock the boat at your new job while “proving yourself” as a new employee. Karen believes that you cannot be interviewed without asking questions, and she outlines some of the questions that potential recruits should be asking. Then, we learn about Shine at Work, the importance of “why” in their intake process, common characteristics of successful clients, and the trends that Karen sees being adopted by many in the future of HR.

Key Points From This Episode:

• How Karen landed her new job and how she’s settling into her role at Obviously.
• The changes she’d make to Obviously’s onboarding process after going through it herself.
• How she went about building relationships at her new job and what she prioritizes.
• The balance between gently rocking the boat and trying to prove yourself as a new employee.
• Who Karen listens to and engages with first when trying to understand a new company.
• How she prepared for the interview for her current role.
• Finding the problem: the questions you should be asking in your recruitment interview!
• How Karen feels when recruits don’t ask questions in their interviews.
• The ins and outs of the company she founded, Shine at Work.
• A peek into Shine at Work’s intake process and the importance of “why.”
• Perseverance and other traits of success.
• The trends and technologies Karen sees flourishing in the future of HR.

Quotes:

“Strong managers make you, as a leader, stronger.” — @career_changers [17:56]

“What’s the right time to work with us? – When you’re trying to think about what to do. The reason for that is because you’re honestly in a better place emotionally to go through that decision-making.” — @career_changers [25:57]

“I always want people to be running towards something, whether that’s an internal opportunity, staying where you are and re-engaging, or changing jobs. Doing it before you’re at the breaking point is actually the healthier time to do it.” — @career_changers [26:29]

“If you’re working with a personal trainer and you hit your weight goal or your marathon goal – you don’t usually stop working them – They help you stay in shape. That’s what we also do with folks. Your career is a journey. We can partner with you along the way as well.” — @career_changers [28:03]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Karen Weeks on LinkedIn

Karen Weeks on X

Obviously

Shine at Work

Talk Talent to Me

Hired

Womply's Director of Talent Acquisition Kathy Razvan explains how she revamped an entire sales hiring process, as well as the ideal relationship between recruitment, HR, and key stakeholders.

For departments that are supposed to be working in tandem, HR personnel and recruiters are often putting each other down and devaluing the other’s role. Today’s guests have rectified the situation and are showing us exactly how it should be done, with HR and TA working side-by-side to deliver a hit podcast, The Career Saloon. Carla Patton is VP of HR at RAPP, and her twin sister, Camille Tate, is Head of Talent at Strava. The pair give us a breakdown of their podcast and explain why they started it, before detailing exactly how they ended up in their current careers. We discuss how to turn a bad interview into a valuable one, why it’s vital to be self-aware and own your mistakes, and why personal branding is inherent in every one of us. As Carla and Camille explain why they’ve never switched from HR to TA and vice versa, they give us their take on their least favorite aspects of the opposite department. Carla’s passion for TA is mirrored by Camille’s love for HR and after telling us which type of person is suited for each of their career paths, they explain why recruiters need to up their game and be more deliberate in their approach, and how technological advancements are making people forget about human-centric work departments.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing today’s guests, twins Carla Patton and Camille Tate.
• Our guests break down their podcast, The Career Salon, and explain why they started it.
• Why Carla wanted Camille’s blog (which turned into their podcast) to have more HR content.
• HR versus recruitment: each twin’s journey to their current roles.
• How to turn around a bad interview.
• The importance of taking ownership of your mistakes and being self-aware.
• Stripping personal branding down to its foundation.
• Why they’ve never switched from HR to talent and vice versa.
• The aspect of recruitment that Carla likes the least.
• What Camille dislikes most about HR and why she only does the work of her job title.
• How candidates can read the mood of the recruiter.
• Why recruiters need to put out the right energy and be deliberate in everything they do.
• How technology is making the world forget that HR and recruiting are human-focused.
• The circumstances under which Carla believes a person is more suited for HR than recruiting.
• When Camille thinks that someone should pursue recruiting instead of HR.

Tweetables:

“Like most people in HR, HR chose me; I didn’t choose it.” — @peepcenteredhr [0:07:01]

“People are always watching you. It doesn’t matter if you think they aren’t; they are always watching you. If you don’t think you have a personal brand, you do.” — @camilleRecruits [0:09:53]

“If you make a mistake, own it. Own it, and then rectify it.” — @camilleRecruits [0:14:14]

“I do what works for me. I know myself. I am self-aware.” — @peepcenteredhr [0:25:18]

“The recruiting function is super important because we are like the cheerleaders, the welcome mats for the company. And if your welcome mat is tired, worn out, raggedy, then that’s a disservice, and you shouldn’t be doing that job.” — @camilleRecruits [0:33:40]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Camille Tate on LinkedIn

Camille Tate on Twitter

Carla Patton on LinkedIn

Carla Patton on Twitter

The Career Salon

The Career Salon on Instagram

The Career Salon on Facebook

The Career Salon on Twitter

Talk Talent to Me

Hired