How do you create a career that reflects your values while staying open to unexpected opportunities? Today, we speak with Sam Simmons, Chief People and Internal Operations Officer at the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), about embracing adaptability and authenticity. Sam shares her incredible career journey, starting in higher education and pivoting into recruiting, tech, professional sports, and now the LPGA. We explore how embracing career pivots and remaining open to fortuitous opportunities can shape personal growth and career success. Find out how to foster trust and transparency in the workplace, understand the importance of employee value propositions beyond surface-level perks, and uncover how recruiters and leaders can navigate changes effectively.

Key Points From This Episode:

• The power of career pivots and how staying open to new opportunities can shape your path.

• Sam's journey from higher education to leadership roles across different industries.

• Transparency and trust in building organizational culture and fostering engagement.

• Sam's perspective on employee value propositions (EVPs) and how to develop them.

• Stay interviews and how they provide insights into retention and employee satisfaction.

• Tips for assessing organizational culture and identifying companies aligned with your values.

• Why Sam accepted the position at the LPGA and her goals for the role.

• Her approach to navigating ambiguous roles and finding clarity in the workplace.

• Steps for creating partnerships with hiring managers and setting realistic expectations.

• How lifestyle and mission play into modern recruitment and what this means for recruiters.

Quotes:

“You choose how you show up [or] rise to the occasion. Try to make the best of or something out of the circumstances that you are in and [don’t] put too much pressure on yourself to do it perfectly.” — Samantha Simmons [0:03:53]

“It is better to know what exactly you are walking into as much as possible because you know there are bunches of surprises that await you once you get into the actual role.” — Samantha Simmons [0:15:34]

“I am very introspective by nature. It helps a lot with my job and being able to maintain a cool head.” — Samantha Simmons [0:31:55]

“Ask questions [and] make sure you are clear. You are trying to make placements that endure, but the only way you get there is through a partnership.” — Samantha Simmons [0:36:17]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Samantha Simmons on LinkedIn

Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA)

LHH Recruitment Solutions

In a world where workplace culture typically lives on posters and slideshows, how do you ensure it’s felt and lived every day? Joining us to explore this vital question is Frank Kellenberg, VP Global Head of Culture & Inclusion at Sandoz. With a career spanning leadership roles at Ingram Micro, Adidas, and Novartis, Frank is a culture champion and inclusion advocate with an inspiring mission: to bring humanity back to the workplace! In this episode of Talk Talent to Me, Frank shares the story of Sandoz’s cultural transformation following its spinoff from Novartis, including how the organization defined its own identity, shaped its unique values, and cultivated psychological safety to empower employees to speak up. From using employee feedback as a foundation to building a culture that drives both belonging and performance, Frank unpacks what it takes to ensure that company values aren’t just words but a way of working.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Transitioning from Novartis to Sandoz: a strategic cultural shift to forge a unique identity.

• Three questions that shaped Sandoz’s cultural evolution: what to discard, keep, and introduce.

• What it looks like to ensure that company values are more than just a poster on the wall.

• How Frank defines company culture using a three-layered housing metaphor.

• Why openness and transparency play an important role in Sandoz’s interview process.

• Difficulty attracting and retaining talent and other risks of neglecting workplace culture.

• Insight into the significance of employee feedback (including former employees).

• Psychological safety as a red flag signal for cultural issues in an organization.

• Measuring cultural success through surveys, unscripted employee feedback, and more.

• Going beyond curated narratives to uncover the true state of organizational culture.

• How leadership engagement and informal conversations foster cultural alignment.

• Frank's predictions about the growing importance of workplace culture.

Quotes:

“We integrated [Sandoz’s values and reflected them] in processes, tools, and performance management – so that, at the end, people could not just read it on a poster on the wall, ‘Here are our four values,’ but really experience it.” — Frank Kellenberg [0:08:32]

“You can have a great facade. You can have great architecture or a great house with great furniture. But if the people are not representing it, not living it, [or don’t] like to live in the house, then you have a problem. – This is how I would describe company culture.” — Frank Kellenberg [0:12:06]

“We came from a culture in which people had the feeling they [couldn’t] speak up. That was a signal for us that there was no psychological safety in the organization that people feel safe to speak up, to ask questions, to challenge the status quo.” — Frank Kellenberg [0:21:50]

“If an organization doesn’t care about [workplace culture], they will struggle.” — Frank Kellenberg [0:32:22]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Frank Kellenberg

Frank Kellenberg on LinkedIn

Sandoz

Sandoz People & Culture

LHH Recruitment Solutions

Until recently, business or occupational psychologists have been rarities who mostly get hired as contracted consultants. But now, companies are beginning to see their undeniable value, and there’s a drive toward having an in-house business psychologist in all workplaces. Today we welcome Dr. Hamira Riaz, Executive Talent & Assessment Director. Dr. Hamira begins with how she switched from clinical psychology to HR before explaining why occupational psychologists should be an in-house norm for all businesses. We unpack the skills needed to be an expert in Dr. Hamira’s field, how the psychological contract between employees and businesses has changed through the years, the constant yo-yo of power between talent and employers, and why potential is an important subject to modern employees. We also learn about our shadow selves and how it affects our work, the role of resilience in breaking through shadows, how Dr. Hamira ensures that she gets the information she needs when speaking to business leaders, and AI’s role in the future of HR.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Dr. Hamira Riaz describes her career pivot from clinical psychology to HR.

• Why in-house occupational psychologists will become a staple in most businesses.

• The skills and knowledge required to be an expert business psychologist.

• How the psychological contract between employees and businesses has evolved.

• Exploring the perpetual seesaw of power between talent and employers.

• Why potential matters, and work motivations in a post-COVID society.

• The environments in which potential is expressed and realized.

• How our shadows affect our work, and how to assess and alleviate shadows in the office.

• The role of resilience in breaking through shadows, and how to recharge your resilience.

• What Dr. Hamira is listening for when speaking to business leaders about their needs.

• Why she's very interested in how someone spent their 20s when making her valuations.

• The future of HR with AI.

Quotes:

“That psychological contract between an employee and a company has fundamentally shifted. We want different things out of work than we ever did before. Our tolerance and threshold for what's okay in terms of the boundary between our personal life and professional life has shifted, and we're never going to go back.” — @HamiraRiaz [08:00]

“The Human Potential Movement has been around for decades, since the 60s. I've never known potential as a subject to be as much in the minds of HR professionals as it is now.” — @HamiraRiaz [10:16]

“We're all deserving of these opportunities at work, and we don't need to wait for a professional in the HR function to tell us that we are talent and tell us that we have potential.” — @HamiraRiaz [14:01]

“I love the gift of time. I don't think anybody loves you more than when you give them back some time.” — @HamiraRiaz [32:11]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Hamira Riaz

Dr. Hamira Riaz on LinkedIn

Dr. Hamira Riaz on X

Lloyds Banking Group

Volvo

Martyr!

Talk Talent to Me

LHH Recruitment Solutions

Orlando shares insights from his many years of experience and how he is giving back to the career-searching community through his coaching. He outlines his advice on how to navigate the interview process, especially when you’re asked to do free labor as a candidate, and how to view things from both sides of the recruitment process. Orlando also tells us about his role at Mosaic, his approach to long-term talent development, how to implement a holistic talent strategy, and much more.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Some background on today’s guest, Orlando Haynes, and his impressive CV.

• How Orlando has given back to the career-searching community through his coaching.

• What to expect from a 60-minute clarity call with Orlando.

• The most common questions Orlando gets as a coach on his clarity calls.

• Advice on how to construct your resume based on your audience.

• Unpacking the interview process from the perspective of the interviewer and the candidate.

• Reflections on unusual, unreasonable, and unethical interview processes.

• What to do when you’re asked to do free labor as an interview candidate.

• Orlando’s role at Mosaic Company and his approach to long-term talent development.

• Balancing the need to have a position filled with investing in hires who need time to develop.

• Advocating for a holistic talent strategy and how companies need to showcase themselves.

• Orlando’s recruitment predictions for 2025.

Quotes:

“It's not that we assessed whether you're a good or bad candidate overall in that five or six seconds, but [it’s] that five [to] six seconds of review let us know to pick up the phone call to learn more.” — Orlando Haynes [09:21]

“The big thing for us [at Mosaic] is [the] relationship. It's more about the long-term relationship, but it's also the education piece, whether you're a good fit for the organization or not.” — Orlando Haynes [24:01]

“[It’s important] to showcase a day in the life, [for example] ‘what does the office look like?’ – People may not say it as much, but they consider those things. Job seekers consider the space and location where they want to work.” — Orlando Haynes [36:07]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Orlando Haynes on LinkedIn

Book a 60 Minute Coaching call with Orlando

Talk Talent to Me

LHH Recruitment Solutions

Explaining the resilience of modern talent acquisition pros is Brandon Jeffs, the Director of People and Talent at TLDR – one of the largest newsletters in the world with daily summaries of the most interesting stories in startups, tech, and programming. Brandon’s career is focused on empowering the employee-employer relationship, and he walks us through the best practices for cultivating lasting relationships in the talent ecosystem. We discover why he started The Revol•TA Podcast and what he’s learned from the guests on his show before unpacking the doggedness of modern recruiters, how recruiters can improve their job security, whether it’s better to be a generalist or specialist, and what it takes to be an exceptional talent acquisition specialist. We also learn more about TLDR, Brandon’s protocol for making really fast hires, and the role of AI in the future of talent and recruiting.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Brandon Jeffs explains what inspired him to start his show, The Revol•TA Podcast.

• The best practices for forging meaningful relationships in the talent ecosystem.

• What Brandon has learned from the guests who’ve appeared on his show.

• Why recruiters are willing to do gritty and often thankless work.

• Whether there’s a way for recruiters to be recession-proof in the likelihood of being laid off.

• An age-old debate: Generalists versus specialists.

• The characteristics of a great job offer

• His protocol for understanding a candidate’s motivations, and why this matters.

• Insight into the markings of a great recruiter.

• Where preparation meets opportunity and the importance of timing.

• The ins and outs of TLDR, with details on a particular serendipitous role fill.

• Understanding Brandon’s method for making really fast hires.

• How the future of talent acquisition is linked to the possibilities of large language models.

Quotes:

“The main driver for me is what can I give back to other people?” — Brandon Jeffs [04:50]

“The community is what brings us together. If you show up for other people, they will show up for you.” — Brandon Jeffs [11:52]

“If you have the fundamentals and the curiosity to learn new things, you can apply those to ways and roles that you may not think of.” — Brandon Jeffs [17:57]

“It’s really interesting to see how we position brand and prestige and pedigree in this larger game of capitalism.” — Brandon Jeffs [24:10]

“A great recruiter can fill roles on time but an exceptional one can create moments of serendipity.” — Brandon Jeffs [29:47]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Brandon Jeffs on LinkedIn

The Revol•TA Podcast

TLDR

LHH Recruitment Solutions

How is AI reshaping the recruitment landscape, and what does it take to implement it effectively? Today, we sit down with returning guest Marcus Sawyerr to delve into the potential of AI-powered recruitment. Marcus is the Founder and CEO of EQ app, an AI-driven platform designed to connect people and knowledge to drive business growth. Marcus is a pioneer in leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance sales, marketing, and recruitment processes. Recognized as one of the top influential leaders in the staffing industry, Marcus has also served as an advisor to prominent venture capital firms and startups. In our conversation, we delve into the intricacies of deploying AI into an HR tech stack and how AI-powered recruitment strategies are shaking up the industry landscape. We discuss the reasons behind AI becoming front and center in the recruitment industry, explore the different use cases of AI in recruitment, and unpack the fundamentals of implementing AI in HR workflows. Marcus also explains the essential considerations of implementing AI, the paradigm shifts AI is creating in the industry, and what companies get wrong about it.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Recent trends in AI and why the recruitment industry is beginning to embrace it.

• The different potential use cases of AI within the overall hiring workflow.

• Common misconceptions of AI in recruitment and missed opportunities within the industry.

• How AI is disrupting traditional recruitment workflows and enhancing productivity.

• Why AI is not a "silver bullet" for problems and why a deep understanding of it is vital.

• The hype cycle around AI and its role in connecting people to the technology.

• Ways to distinguish between valuable AI solutions and overhyped tools.

• Insight into the internal and external company aspects of implementing AI.

• Marcus’ approach to identifying workflow gaps and building trust with teams and the C-suite.

• The potential of AI to enhance workflows and help grow small businesses.

• Recommendations for recruitment leaders to begin deploying AI strategies.

• Final takeaways and an update on the EQ AI Community.

Quotes:

“The difference now is that AI allows a new workflow and a new way of doing things, which you may not have considered [before].” — @Marcussawyerr [0:07:55]

“The way that we work and interact with machines — is evolving at a rapid pace that we haven’t seen before.” — @Marcussawyerr [0:15:46]

“It’s really about thinking how you use AI technology to perform better in real life.” — @Marcussawyerr [0:29:00]

“If you are inside of an organization, you’ve got to figure out how can you drive [AI] proactively or do something else on the side to help you do extra and do more.” — @Marcussawyerr [0:32:14]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Marcus Sawyerr on LinkedIn

Marcus Sawyerr on X

EQ app

EQ AI Community

The Adecco Group

'EQ Community Founder Marcus Sawyerr'

LHH Recruitment Solutions

Christine shares how her background has enabled her to treat with the most technical talent in the market, and details her approach of developing young talent as well as luring niche talent away from academia.

Key Points From This Episode:

• A bit about Christine’s career and how she landed at Quantum Motion.

• Christine tells us about the engineering company she was part of.

• Her opinion on being a generalist versus specializing in something.

• A breakdown of Quantum Motion, what they do, and their hardware search.

• Christine tells us about the kinds of people they hire at Quantum Motion.

• The two very different ways of hiring for a startup (academia and industry).

• How they develop the talent that they need on their own as well.

• Christine tells us how she can tell if someone has used ChatGPT.

• Some advice for anyone wanting to apply for a role in quantum.

• What they are looking for when recruiting at Quantum Motion.

Quotes:

“The reality is, if there’s no hardware, there is no quantum computing.” — @xtine08 [0:20:28]

“It’s tricky to hire because we do get a lot of interest.” — @xtine08 [0:31:06]

“Stay tuned! I think in the next two or three years there will be a lot more opportunities in the [quantum] space.” — @xtine08 [0:32:06]

“If you’re applying for a role in quantum, really think about what about quantum that excites you because there’s so much hype around this area as well.” — @xtine08 [0:33:09]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Christine Ng on LinkedIn

Christine Ng on X

Quantum Motion

Local recruiting for a global brand is not always as synchronous as it could or should be. Joining us with the solutions to this problem is the Head of Talent Acquisition for Europe and Latin America at Munich Re, Nuria Munoz. We discuss the importance of large company gatherings and how to maximize that time before unpacking the value of building both internal and external work relationships. Nuria then describes the efforts of her team in merging local hires with the company’s global vision, the many hats she has to wear in her current role, how she plans on improving the traditional way of making hires in insurance, and the undeniable importance of building a talent pipeline for your business. We end with Nuria’s protocol for cultivating interest in the insurance industry, Munich Re’s approach to succession and workforce planning, the ins and outs of what our guest has dubbed “the skills economy”, and her final words of wisdom for those hoping to follow a similar career path.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Nuria Munoz unpacks the global Munich Re team after the company’s recent conference.

• Making the most of large company gatherings and the importance of building relationships.

• How Nuria and her team merge local hires with the company’s global vision.

• The many hats she wears as the Head of Talent Acquisition for Europe and Latin America.

• Why the traditional way of making hires in insurance is unsustainable.

• Exploring Munich Re’s approach to its relationships with talent agencies.

• Industry branding: how Nuria cultivates interest in insurance.

• The ins and outs of succession and workforce planning at Munich Re.

• Unpacking the skills economy: skills matching and transferable skills.

• Nuria’s parting words of wisdom and advice.

Quotes:

“I’m trying [to get] the [talent] agencies [to] change their business models so that they bring me something that is different; that is more sustainable long-term.” — @NuriaLorMun [0:12:05]

“When you start looking at ‘what’s next, what’s next, what’s next,’ sometimes you miss the ‘right now.’” — @NuriaLorMun [0:28:47]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Nuria Munoz on LinkedIn

Nuria Munoz on X

Munich Re