From A People Perspective (The People People Group)

In this conversation, David Paffenholz, founder of PeopleGPT, shares insights into his journey from education to entrepreneurship, the impact of social media on business growth, and the challenges and opportunities in the recruiting landscape. He discusses the features and functionality of PeopleGPT, the importance of addressing bias in AI, and the evolving role of recruiters in the age of technology. David also highlights the company's growth, market position, and future developments, emphasizing the significance of building a strong company culture in a virtual environment.

BTW for the keen listeners, here's a link to the David's go to album by Peter Fox.

In this episode of 'From a People Perspective', host Martin Hauck engages with Hilary Wagner, Chief People and Talent Officer at Tribe Wellness, discussing various aspects of recruitment, the impact of AI, and the importance of transparency in hiring practices. They explore the challenges faced by recruiters, the myths surrounding AI in recruitment, and the significance of continuous learning in the ever-evolving landscape of HR. Hilary shares her experiences in writing, publishing, and her involvement in health technology, emphasizing the need for recruiters to adapt and innovate in their approaches.

Marlon shares his entrepreneurial journey and the origin of Michael's Global Trading. He provides insights into the process of managing office furniture and equipment when a business moves or shuts down. Marlon also discusses his biggest project to date, clearing out 13 floors of furniture for a major construction company, and the impact it had on his business. He shares his plans for the future, including exploring import-export opportunities, and offers advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Andrew Tan and I dive into the multi-faceted challenges of being new to a country and finding work despite having an excellent educational background and a robust list of work experience.

I sit across from the latest marvel in AI, the voice chat version GPT-4, developed by OpenAI. We talk about how AI can assist HR and Recruitment professionals, the risks associated and I go full blown hard hitting journalist and ask it some questions about the drama at OpenAI this weekend.

This podcast and The People People Group is made possible by our sponsors, if you're not a member, check out Canada's most engaged HR/Recruitment/Operations community by heading over to www.thepeoplepeoplegroup.com.

• The Leadership Agency is one of North America and the UK's best boutique startup recruitment agencies
• Level up your employee recognition with Chocolate Soup's awesome custom mini-figurines and more
• Singer Steinberg Group Benefits Specialists, if they can't help you they'll intro you to someone awesome who will
• SpringLaw is Canada's first (and best) virtual employment law firm
• Wavy is a culture management platform for flexible teams

Regina Gerbeaux is the tactical, operations-driven coach for top-tier CEOs, operators, and investors. She is also a founder in interested in food tech, and an operator obsessed with putting structure to chaos. Previously, she was the COO at Mochary Method, Head of Operations at On Deck, and founder of a profitably-bootstrapped startup (sold in 2019).

Regina is passionate about helping people of the highest integrity build successful companies and solve some of the world’s most challenging problems. Her interests are in startups, sustainable company culture, stoicism, and using tech for positive social impact.

Regina open-sources all of her write-ups and templates online at https://www.coachingfounder.com/. Her tactical templates and operational write-ups have been referenced and used by fast-scaling companies including dYdX, BioRender, StageGlass, and many more.

For more reading, please visit https://www.coachingfounder.com/ and follow Regina on LinkedIn and Twitter.

From A People Perspective and The People People Group is made possible by our sponsors, if you're not a member, check out Canada's most engaged HR/Recruitment/Operations community.

• Wavy is a culture management platform for flexible teams
• The Leadership Agency is one of North America and the UK's best boutique startup recruitment agencies
• SpringLaw is Canada's first (and best) virtual employment law firm

Shownotes:
(0:32) - Intro

(3:25) - Icebreakers

(7:50) - Finding Strength In Difficult Times

(13:10) - From Music To Teaching

(14:53) - Building A Business

(16:50) - Discovering Tech

(17:37) - Understanding Scaling

(18:51) - Starting A Company To Get Into School

(22:23) - Learning To Code

(23:54) - Life At OnDeck

(30:54) - OnDeck Fellowship

(41:53) - Success Contributors

(45:50) - What's Next

(48:30) - Misunderstanding People Ops

(55:08) - Fixing Culture

(57:25) - From A CEO's Perspective

(1:00:00) - Tightening Up Ops

(1:07:00) - RIFs With Compassion

(1:11:00) - Finding Good Leaders

(1:13:43) - Closing Remarks

In this episode of 'From a People Perspective', host Martin Hauck engages with Sejal Patel Daswani, a seasoned HR leader, discussing her unique career journey, the importance of management consulting in HR, and the evolving landscape of HR technology. They explore the challenges of scaling companies, the role of mentorship, and the impact of AI on HR practices. Sejal shares insights on building a strong culture in large organizations and the mission of Deputy in supporting frontline workers. The conversation emphasizes the need for connection, belonging, and continuous learning in the workplace.

In this conversation, Angela Payne and Charles Fortier discuss their journey in founding LeedHR, focusing on the importance of emotional intelligence in leadership. They share personal stories, insights on navigating emotional intelligence assessments, and the transformative experiences they've had with clients. The discussion also touches on the cultural readiness for emotional intelligence work, the role of AI in leadership, and the significance of curiosity and flexibility in personal and professional development.

Elsawy Yehia is a curious soul and seasoned product and design leader in tech. With career adventures spanning over 20 years, 6 countries, 7 industries, 13 brands, and over a dozen public speaking engagements. He is most fulfilled when helping people grow to become better thinkers and makers.

We covers how Elsawy came into the world of product, design, leadership and how to apply design principles to your candidate and employee experiences.

From A People Perspective and The People People Group is made possible by our sponsors, if you're not a member, check out Canada's most engaged HR/Recruitment/Operations community.

• The Leadership Agency is one of North America and the UK's best boutique startup recruitment agencies
• Wavy is the culture management platform for flexible teams
• Wealthsimple For Work has group RRSPs for your employees that looks and feels like a modern day RRSP program
• SpringLaw is Canada's first (and best) virtual employment law firm

Shownotes:

00:00 – Introduction

(3:20) – How many companies are doing a good job of designing the employee/candidate experience?

(5:30) – Icebreaker question

(9:10) – Reflection on past work, leading to where he is today

(13:25) – Refining your character, learning more about yourself

(14:50) – How Elsawy got to where he is today

(20:35) – “You have to have been a player to become a coach”

(24:40) - “Building people who love building great products”

(33:20)– Elsawy’s Manifesto

(37:25) – Origin of why Manifesto was created, how can People Ops folks apply this practise for themselves?

(45:10) – Coming to interviews with a framework on leadership

(47:00) – The importance of trust building with products

(57:40) – ‘Pre-totyping’

(1:07:05) – Elsawy’s upcomingbBook; Product People: A Journal of Laughter and Tears

(1:10:20) – Closing remarks

In this episode of 'From a People Perspective', host Martin Hauck speaks with Nancy Konopinsky, an on-demand COO and founder of Naked Consulting. They discuss Nancy's journey from studying psychology to a successful career in marketing and operations, her transition to consulting, and her focus on empowering women entrepreneurs. The conversation also touches on the importance of mindset, leadership challenges, and the role of AI in business.

Jamie Hoobanoff, Founder of The Leadership Agency answers a few questions raised that members of The People People Group had on assessing skills when it comes to leaders.

In this episode, Martin interviews Dr. Adam Zeman, a researcher who has studied aphantasia for the past 10 years. They discuss the concept of aphantasia, which is the inability to visualize mental images, and its implications for individuals' experiences and creativity. Dr. Zeman shares that aphantasia is not a disability but rather a variation in human experience. They also explore the challenges of understanding and describing different subjective experiences, as well as the potential subtypes and genetic factors associated with aphantasia. Dr. Zeman provides resources for further exploration of the topic.

The energetic Aly Harji joined me on the podcast to LITERALLY INVITE YOU ON A CANADIAN ROCKETSHIP (almost literally) and while I had him on the line, we talked about how he broke into recruitment in tech and the lessons he learned from helping Shopify scale from 2,000 people to over 14,000 while he was the Talent Sourcing Manager for Commercial and Executive Search at Shopify.

From A People Perspective and The People People Group is made possible by our sponsors, if you're not a member, check out Canada's most engaged HR/Recruitment/Operations community.

• Wavy is a culture management platform for flexible teams
• The Leadership Agency is one of North America and the UK's best boutique startup recruitment agencies
• SpringLaw is Canada's first (and best) virtual employment law firm

Here's the timestamps for the episode:
(2:15) – How they met.

(7:26) – What is SpaceRyde?

(13:00) – What talent is SpaceRyde looking for?

(15:00) – Is Spaceryde’s similar to SpaceX?

(17:15) – Aren’t you getting bored of Earth?

(19:30) – What is Spaceryde looking for in terms of talent?

(22:50) – How to get in touch with Aly! Email: Aly@spaceryde.com

(24:00) – Aly's origin story

(28:00) – Hospitality is a gateway to recruiting?!?!

(30:00) – Getting the opportunity

(32:30) – Transferrable skills

(35:25) – Value of experience from retail/hospitality; experiential learning

(36:55) – Aly’s journey to working for Shopify

(49:50) – Helping growing teams at different stages; startups, scale ups, enterprises…

(53:50) – Does hiring someone who interviews great for the position always translate to someone who performs incredibly well?

(58:05) – Importance of seeing how someone approaches their ‘craft’

(1:04:00) – Lessons from scaling up

(1:06:15) – Scaling vs. Flailing?

(1:07:50) – Aly's final thoughts... :heart:
 
 From A People Perspective is humbly hosted by Martin Hauck and perfectly produced by Krish Dineshkumar.

Kai Algar shares her career journey, which has been characterized by adaptability and a diverse range of experiences. She started in business and accounting, then pursued interior design and real estate. She later explored UX and found her passion in applying it to employee experience. Kai has worked in startups, consulting, and recruitment, constantly learning and adapting to new challenges. She emphasizes the need for businesses to future-proof themselves and build equitable models in the changing world of work. In this part of the conversation, Kai and Martin discuss the need for a shift in the way education is done and the importance of self-education and self-reflection. They also explore the limitations of the current system and the need for a more flexible and adaptable approach to work. Kai emphasizes the importance of building small and medium-sized businesses that focus on sustainability and quality rather than infinite growth. They also discuss the need to dissolve hierarchies and empower employees through an employee-owned model. Finally, they touch on the challenges of scaling and pivoting in larger companies and propose a squad model as a solution. The conversation explores the need to hire for the right qualities and create decentralized work environments. It emphasizes the importance of employee ownership and equitable compensation. The discussion also touches on the challenges faced by founders and the potential of generalists in the future of work. The guest shares their vision of building tools and structures to enable a more sustainable and engaging work culture.

Melissa Nightingale and Johnathan Nightingale are the founders of Raw Signal Group, literal and figurative owners of http://worldsbestnewsletter.com/ and beyond knowing too much about coffee and kale, they also know too much about building the leadership culture and connections most founders are striving towards. We talk about why it's so elusive, and a bunch of other really random yet insightful stuff. You're here to listen not read so dive on in.

Key Moments: 

(1:00) – Icebreakers!

(12:06) – Describing themselves to the uninitiated

(13:16) – You don’t leave exec roles just for money

(15:00) – Building better bosses!

(19:55) – Stories that remind why

(29:20) – Sticker Culture, ‘R.A.C.I’ acronym

(32:00) – Martin’s time as a…Free Mason?!?!

(34:45) – Building culture not a cult

(41:20) – The most frustrating part

(48:30) – Coherence is important

(1:01:00) – ‘Thank you note Applicants,’ having preferences in your hiring process

(1:16:00) – Managers don’t want to hate their work/life

(1:20:30) – Asking “what happens if we don’t do X?"

(1:26:20) – Everyone wants a cheat code...

(1:34:08) – Closing Remarks

This podcast and The People People Group is made possible by our sponsors, if you're not a member, check out Canada's most engaged HR/Recruitment/Operations community by heading over to www.thepeoplepeoplegroup.com.

- The Leadership Agency is one of North America and the UK's best boutique startup recruitment agencies
- SpringLaw is Canada's first (and best) virtual employment law firm
- Wavy is a culture management platform for flexible teams

Alysha M. Campbell didn't start out in People Ops, she went from multiple roles in business analytics to recruitment, to HR. Carving a path for herself and landing at notable companies like The Economist as their Senior Global HR Business Partner before starting CultureShift HR a company borne of an unrelenting need that now fills her cup.

She is a 4x award-winning, best-selling author and a highly respected Strategic Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leader with a decade of experience encompassing all facets of Human Resource Management and DEI. From executing successful multi-million dollar workforce diversity and optimization projects to spearheading inclusive employee culture initiatives, Alysha has truly seen and done it all in the DEI space.

Alysha and I dive into the behind the scenes of the self, the journey of self discovery and what sparked her starting her own firm.

Shownotes
(00:56) – Introduction

(03:05) – Icebreakers

(07:40) – Magic behind Alysha’s social media 

(09:40) – the story of Alysha career history; birthing CultureShift HR
(21:20) – how Alysha worked towards carving her own path

(26:00) – What are the most impactful resources Alysha has used?

(32:44) – What did and didn’t work for Alysha during the discovery period

(37:04)– Understanding what freedom looks like from yourself before sharing with others

(40:00) – People who supported Alysha along the way

(47:14) – Intentions around who Alysha wants to work with
(52:40) – Reactions to divestment from DEI initiatives

(1:00:45) – Importance of investing in people/equity in the workplace

(1:06:15) – Finding balance amidst the intensity of working in DEI

(1:13:00) – What’s on Alysha’s vision board

(1:17:00) – How to stay in touch with Alysha!

(1:18:40) – Closing remarks

In this episode of From a People Perspective, host Marty engages with Ali and Brandon from Progress Place, a community center dedicated to supporting individuals with mental illness. They discuss the Clubhouse model, which emphasizes community, belonging, and co-designing programs with members. The conversation highlights the importance of transitional employment programs in providing opportunities for individuals to reintegrate into the workforce while addressing stigma and promoting mental health awareness in the workplace. The episode also touches on personal insights, challenges faced during the pandemic, and the significance of open communication in fostering a supportive environment.

Ashley Good, CEO and founder of Fail Forward, discusses the importance of embracing failure and creating a healthy relationship with it. She shares her personal journey and the inspiration behind starting Fail Forward.

Takeaways

• Failure is a natural part of life and should be embraced as a learning opportunity.
• Creating a healthy relationship with failure involves destigmatizing it and having open conversations about it.
• Organizations need to shift their mindset and embrace risk and innovation in order to adapt to a rapidly changing world.
• Embrace failure as a learning opportunity and create a culture that allows for open discussions about what didn't work.
• Focus on the small things that you have control over and gradually build the skill of killing low-value work.
• Challenge the bias towards constantly being busy and prioritize the right things over doing things right.
• Develop a healthy relationship with failure by practicing self-compassion and giving yourself grace.

Chapters
(00:00) Introduction and Door Number C

(03:00) Aliens and Favorite Albums

(06:01) The Importance of Failure

(10:11) Grocery Bag Indulgences

(13:32) Ashley's Journey and the Birth of Fail Forward

(23:30) Selling Failure as a Business

(27:26) Why Failure is Hard for Us

(31:20) The Importance of Learning from Failure

(35:09) The Momentum Around Failure

(36:37) Saying No to Low-Value Work

(37:39) Embracing Failure as a Learning Opportunity

(41:45) Killing Projects and the Value of Retrospectives

(50:57) Challenges of Work-Life Balance and the Pressure to be Busy

(01:13:31) The Importance of Self-Compassion in the Face of Failure

Shannon Ogborn shares her career journey with us, from being an assistant to jumping into tech and making her way into the world of recruitment operations at Hired, moving onto and away from Google and now leading community and RecOps at Ashby. Shannon shares a ton of amazing takes on the space and shares some key points on ensuring your recruitment practices are inclusive by design.

This podcast and The People People Group is made possible by our sponsors, if you're not a member, check out Canada's most engaged HR/Recruitment/Operations community by heading over to www.thepeoplepeoplegroup.com.

- The Leadership Agency is one of North America and the UK's best boutique startup recruitment agencies
- SpringLaw is Canada's first (and best) virtual employment law firm
- Wavy is a culture management platform for flexible teams

(1:00) – Introduction

(2:22) – Should we really call it an ATS!?

(4:50) – Icebreakers

(12:00) – Takeaways from learning photography as a hobby

(14:00) – History of Shannon’s journey in HR/Recruitment

(21:18) – Meaningful people along Shannon’s journey

(25:50) – Shannon’s POV on anonymizing profiles of candidates

(31:00) – Best part of being a recruiter; changing status quo around hiring practices

(35:00) – Shannon’s experience and tips for folks looking to work at larger companies

(42:00) – Diversity hiring, how to be intentional in hiring

(53:21) – Who Shannon modelled her practices after, influences, etc 

(59:41) – What’s most exciting about working for Ashby

(65:46) – What Shannon is most excited about with the market and Ashby’s role in addressing problems

(74:10) – Closing remarks

In this episode Martin Hauck and Amy McLellan discuss the challenges of job seeking in the current market, particularly in light of recent layoffs. They explore the importance of community support, effective job search strategies, and the mindset shifts necessary during career transitions. The conversation emphasizes the value of networking, building supportive communities for job seekers, and the unique journeys individuals face in their job searches. They also touch on the metrics for engagement in community building and the potential for creating virtual spaces for job seekers to connect and support one another.

This episode format doesn't have a name yet, but they're short, sweet and mini interviews with interesting people who are looking for their next thing.

Meet Vincent Loris! He's looking for interesting Senior Product Designer positions. He's an ex-Founder of a music / e-comm marketplace.

This podcast and The People People Group is made possible by our sponsors, if you're not a member, check out Canada's most engaged HR/Recruitment/Operations community by heading over to www.thepeoplepeoplegroup.com.

- The Leadership Agency is one of North America and the UK's best boutique startup recruitment agencies
- SpringLaw is Canada's first (and best) virtual employment law firm
- Wavy is a culture management platform for flexible teams

Sarah Brekelmans shares her journey from working in the car rental industry to founding her own recruitment agency, Brightly. She discusses the frustrations with technology in remote recording, her passion for marketing, and the importance of taking risks on high potential hires. The conversation explores the challenges and misalignment in evaluating and hiring marketers. It emphasizes the importance of finding the right marketing leader and understanding their strengths and areas that need support.

Chapters
(12:55) Background and Early Career
(19:23) Favorite Pizza and Album
(24:16) Transition to Recruitment
(29:00) Realization and Shift to Sales
(34:33) Taking Risks on High Potential Hires
(37:48) Niche Recruitment in Marketing
(40:24) Misalignment in Evaluating Marketers
(44:17) Finding the Right Marketing Leader
(46:51) Hiring Challenges for Founders and CEOs
(49:18) Identifying Strengths and Outsourcing
(53:14) Evaluating Marketing Leaders
(56:06) Changing Landscape of Hiring
(59:24) Pressure Testing the Hiring Manager
(01:02:30) Brightly's Focus and Expertise

In this episode of 'From a People Perspective', Martin Hauck interviews Michael Martocci, CEO of Swag Up, discussing the importance of branding in the swag industry, the impact of swag on employee experience, and innovative uses of swag in recruitment. Michael shares lessons learned from previous ventures, the significance of company culture, and how AI is shaping the future of business operations. The conversation emphasizes the need for companies to be deliberate in crafting employee experiences and the value of maintaining a strong team dynamic.

Marsha Shandur and I talk about how to apply the science, magic and art of using storytelling to creating a captivating employer brand and levelling up the employee experience. Given that storytelling is the oldest form of communication, our brains are hardwired to respond better to those who communicate effectively.

Marsha has coached some of the most amazing speakers and helped countless organizations level up their communication skills, here's some of the wonderfully nice things they've said about working with her.

Marsha was kind enough to create a summary and resource page for some of the things we covered in the podcast and you can check that secret link here.

From A People Perspective and The People People Group is made possible by our sponsors, if you're not a member, check us out online, on LinkedIn, on Instagram or Twitter to learn more about North America's most engaged people operations community.

• Wavy is a culture management platform for flexible teams
• The Leadership Agency is one of North America and the UK's best boutique startup recruitment agencies
• SpringLaw is Canada's first (and best) virtual employment law firm

 Hosted by Martin Hauck and produced by Krish Dineshkumar

In this episode of 'From a People Perspective', Martin Hauck and Michaud Garneau explore the themes of personal growth, performance, and the art of clowning. They discuss the journey from aspiring circus performers to realizing the importance of hard work and vulnerability in skill development. The conversation delves into the balance of praise and effort, the role of the clown in reflecting audience emotions, and the significance of community support in professional growth. In this conversation, Michaud Garneau discusses the intersection of performance art, particularly clowning, and corporate culture. He emphasizes the importance of vulnerability, authenticity, and the challenges of bringing one's full self to work. The dialogue explores the nuances of professionalism, the need for safe spaces in the workplace, and the significance of effective communication, particularly through public speaking. Michaud shares insights on how to frame messages for leadership and the importance of understanding the audience's perspective. The conversation concludes with a focus on the tangible results of effective communication and the ongoing journey of personal development.

The HR Podcast and startup veteran, Alison Kaizer graced the podcast with her knowledge on all things recruitment, leadership and figuring yourself out to figure everything else out. While she's no stranger to these conversations, she did save a few good stories and lots of wisdom for this episode.

From A People Perspective and The People People Group is made possible by our sponsors, if you're not a member, check out Canada's most engaged HR/Recruitment/Operations community.

• Wavy is a culture management platform for flexible teams
• The Leadership Agency is one of North America and the UK's best boutique startup recruitment agencies
• SpringLaw is Canada's first (and best) virtual employment law firm

Shownotes:

(1:15) – Intro

(3:45) – Icebreakers!

(8:50) – The Journey Into Recruiting

(16:00) – Going International

(21:40) – Knowing Your Role

(23:30) – From Player To Coach

(26:35) – Getting Into VC

(31:25) – What's Next?
 
 From A People Perspective is humbly hosted by Martin Hauck and perfectly produced by Krish Dineshkumar.

Mike Bettley shares his journey in recruitment, starting from a sales-focused recruitment agency to working at Google and then transitioning to smaller companies. He emphasizes the importance of recruitment in solving business problems and the need for transparency in the decision-making process. He also discusses the challenges and potential drawbacks of remote work and the importance of understanding the unique needs and culture of each organization when hiring. In this conversation, Martin Hauck discusses the importance of maintaining integrity in the hiring process and the need to constantly work on normalizing a high conversion rate. He emphasizes the value of incorporating a sense of ownership in the talent acquisition process and acknowledges the reality that employees may not stay with a company for a long time. Martin also highlights the significance of metrics in recruiting and the need to analyze and infer from them to improve effectiveness. He encourages talent leaders to have a business owner mindset and to understand the perspective of their CEO and other leaders in order to make a greater impact.

Julian D'Angelo, the founder of Talin joins me on the podcast and we dive into his scrappy beginnings as an entrepreneur, the impact of mentorship, how recruitment is missing the boat on growth marketing and then go down the AI rabbit hole and it's impacts into recruitment.

From A People Perspective and The People People Group is made possible by our sponsors, if you're not a member, check out Canada's most engaged HR/Recruitment/Operations community.

• Wavy is a culture management platform for flexible teams
• The Leadership Agency is one of North America and the UK's best boutique startup recruitment agencies
• SpringLaw is Canada's first (and best) virtual employment law firm

Shownotes:

(1:39) – Icebreakers
(5:38) – Teenage Side Hustles

(10:32) – Julian then and now

(16:37) – “ I do not believe in the concept of being self made…”

(18:27) – Mentorship received from Brent Stirling & the significance of mentorship

(24:28) – Founding Julian’s company, Talon

(31:17) – Growth marketing tools & the importance of personalization

(40:20) – Opportunity costs for Recruiters

(42:47) – AI, Chat GPT, benefits of AI use for Recruiters

(53:45) – Consequences of pessimistic outlook towards AI

(57:09) – Julian’s closing remarks

In this unusual podcast episode, Martin and an AI named Maya explore the intersection of artificial intelligence and human resources. They discuss the innovative technology behind Sesame, the potential of AI in recruitment, and the importance of addressing unconscious bias. The conversation also delves into the ethical responsibilities of AI developers and concludes with a reflection on the human element in hiring processes.