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Recruit Rockstars Podcast

Recruit Rockstars is the only podcast on the people part of PE & VC portfolio companies.
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Now displaying: October, 2017
Oct 31, 2017


2? 5? 13?

I’ve long thought about what is the optimal number of candidates to interview for a position. Before choosing, how do I know I’ve seen enough? The right one?

I like choice. We all do. We want to feel like our options are limitless.

But there’s a role to fill. And time isn’t on our side. So what’s the right number?

I went in search of the answer.

And I came up with Josh Narva, Global Head of Talent, from the amazing company Sonos. I worship their products ... smart speakers installed in my home (and yours?)

Josh has been at this recruiting game for a long time. And he’s developed a surprising point of view on the question of “How Many?” His answer will shock you.

In this 20-minute conversation, we talk about how many candidates to interview, how long a search should really take, and what homework you’ve got to do upfront when hiring.

Oct 26, 2017

If you’ve ever started a company, one of the most confusing questions is when to start building a new function … Marketing, Sales, Business Development, and the like.

And which one to build first? And should you start by recruiting the senior leader or junior folks? Plus, how do you upgrade that leader when the role outgrows them?

It’s all pretty daunting.

So I turned to one of my favorite Silicon Valley venture capitalists for the answers.

Greg Sands heads Costanoa Ventures, which he created after a successful tenure as Managing Director at the legendary Sutter Hill Ventures. 

Greg’s on the board of Quizlet, DemandBase, Intaact, and countless others. And he takes a deeply personal and pragmatic approach to building companies.

A little trivia for Gen X’ers: Greg was the first product manager at Netscape Communications, where he wrote the initial business plan and coined the name “Netscape” 

You might miss that browser. But don’t miss this 20-minute fascinating discussion with Greg.

 

Oct 24, 2017

Leaders matter. But leadership matters ever more. Even if it means sub-optimizing the individual, in order to maximize the output of the whole team.

When it comes to leadership, today’s guest Dave Ulrich, is a world-renowned expert. 

He’s been ranked as the #1 management guru by Business Week, profiled by Fast Company as 1 of the world’s top 10 creative people in business, a top 5 coach in Forbes, and recognized on Thinkers50 as one of the world’s leading business thinkers. Whew!

He’s authored 30 books … including this year’s ‘Victory Through Organization: Why the War for Talent is Failing Your Company and What You Can Do About It’

Dave is also Professor at University of Michigan School of Business. He studies how organizations build capabilities of leadership, speed, learning, accountability, and talent by leveraging human resources.

In this 20-min conversation, Dave & I examine how you can get the most out of your team, the pitfalls to avoid, and why “How?” is the single most important question you can ask.

Oct 19, 2017

It’s always refreshing to find someone passionate, who will actually express a strong point of view. 

But when that person really knows their stuff, it’s even better.

Matt Charney is Executive Editor of Recruiting Daily. So he has an incredible view across the recruiting process. He sees the biggest mistakes that hiring managers make, and knows the best practices that actually work during this war for talent.

If you want to reduce your cost per hire, reduce your time to hire, and overall just hire stronger talent, then invest 20-minutes with me and Matt.

Get a pen. I didn’t stop taking notes during this episode.

 

Oct 17, 2017

Whether your a CEO, Founder, or Investor, adding the perfect independent board member is one of those rare opportunities to create immense value for your company.

Yet, most mess it up  :-(

I wanted to find out how, when, and why — to do it right. And most importantly, what type of candidate makes an exceptional independent board member.

So, I sought out the expert. 

And I found her. Patricia Lenkov heads Agility Executive Search based in NYC. Following successful stints at the legendary Spencer Stuart and Heidrick & Struggles, she created Agility and has placed a broad array of board members.

In this 20-minute interview, Patricia reveals step-by-step how you can strengthen your board. And the biggest pitfalls to avoid.

Oct 12, 2017

I’m on Millennial overload. 

12.9 million Google results for “Millennial employees” … its inescapable. 

YES, this vital group is the future of our workforce. Yet there’s likely still a large segment of your current (and prospective) employees that is older than age 36 (Generation X’ers).

So, I tracked down an expert on how to balance the two. Their needs & preferences couldn’t be more different.

Todd Raphael is Editor-in-Chief of ERE Media, the longest running & most trusted source for information about recruitment, talent acquisition, and talent management.

In this 20-min interview, Todd reveals how to accommodate & attract people GenX’ers. And how to ensure you don’t over-correct.

 

Oct 10, 2017

It’s brutal out there. Trying to hire Rockstars? The unemployment rate hasn’t been this low in decades.

So, it’s a seller’s market … and talented professionals are the sellers.

Here’s proof. 

Mike Podesto is Chief Career Finder at Find My Profession, a talent agency for busy executives. He’s turned executive search upside down; the agent represents executive candidates.

For a small percentage of your salary, they’ll manage your entire job search. Clients get a career advisor, a redesigned resume, opened doors, and guaranteed interviews.

I’m not sure this is the start of a trend, but it sure is indicative of how competitive the market has become. Invest 20 minutes with me & Mike, and find out.

Oct 5, 2017

You’ve hired a killer VP of Marketing. Your VP of Sales is ahead of plan. So, now it’s time to bring in your first VP of Talent … or to upgrade the one you already have.

You can’t afford to blow this decision. Because this is potentially the most vital player on your team.

So, I went in search of the expert to show you how to go about it. And I found her… in Cincinnati.

Not only is Jennifer McClure the CEO of Unbridled Talent, but also she’s CEO of DisruptHR, the information exchange that connects HR leaders nationally. 

On top of that, she’s led the HR function and been an executive recruiter for years.

In this 20-minute discussion, Jennifer reveals what you need to look for, when to hire your VP of Talent, how to interview candidates, and the big pitfalls to avoid. You can’t afford to miss this episode.

Oct 3, 2017

Why can’t companies seem to give the best talent what they’re seeking? And why do so many great candidates fail to impress employers? 

Most importantly, why is there a 50% failure rate in new hires? That’s right … 1 out of 2 new hires bomb in their first year.

So, I went in search of answers. And I found Jeff Altman, the Big Game Hunter. For years, he was a top executive recruiter - helping companies fill their vacancies with Rockstars.

Then, Jeff switched sides. And began to coach executives on their career progression & leadership. 

So he’s uniquely-qualified to diagnose the disconnect that exists top companies and top talent. Invest 20 minutes with Jeff - your company will thank you, and your personal career will thank you.

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