The Talent Economy Podcast

HR leadership is the silent composer of a successful music industry. In this episode, Warner Music Group’s Masha Osherova discusses leading a company filled with creative ambition and shaping the future of music with HR.

One of the “big three” recording companies in the music industry, Warner Music Group operates in over 50 countries and represents major artists such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dua Lipa, and Ed Sheeran. In 2021, Warner Music Group won the Diversity in the Workplace accolade at the Women in Music Awards.

As Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, Masha Osherova has been instrumental in crafting a culture that matches Warner Music Group’s creative aspirations. Since joining the company in 2006, Osherova has overseen all aspects of Warner Music Group’s people functions worldwide.

On the podcast, Osherova joins Toptal’s Michelle Labbe to discuss curating a creative ecosystem that supports artists from breakthrough to stardom.

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HR leadership is evolving in the digital world. Upstart Chief People Officer, Becca Gelenberg, joins the podcast to discuss pioneering talent strategies that embrace AI, flexibility, and remote work. 

Upstart launched its AI-based lending platform in 2012 with the ambitious goal to improve access to credit for all. Its advanced technology helped the company win the 2022 National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions Services Innovation Award and earn a market capitalization of over $2 billion as a public company. 

With leadership experience from global tech companies including Google and HP, Gelenberg guides Upstart’s innovative approach to work and recruitment while ensuring her HR strategies align with the company’s business goals.

Speaking with Toptal’s Michelle Labbe, Gelenberg discusses her commitment to employee empowerment and how Upstart retains a competitive advantage as the AI marketplace grows increasingly competitive.

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Founded in 1963, Comcast has grown into a leading global media and technology company with hundreds of millions of customers and viewers across its range of products and services. With its blend of innovative technology and captivating entertainment, Comcast provides a collaborative, forward-thinking work environment, which achieved ninth place on Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list in 2023.

As Executive Vice President of Human Resources for the company’s connectivity and platforms division—including Comcast Xfinity, one of the largest Internet providers in the US—Bill Strahan has been at the forefront of delivering an ambitious employee benefits package and ensuring Comcast continues to innovate. 

Drawing on his three decades of HR expertise, Strahan speaks to Toptal’s Chief People Officer Michelle Labbe about the universal truths of his profession and how to lead the way with integrity.

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Founded in 1973, the FedEx corporation has become one of the world’s largest transportation companies. Delivering in more than 220 countries and holding a valuation of $90 billion, FedEx attributes its success to a simple philosophy of “People, Service, Profit.” These three words embody a cycle: Employees deliver on services that generate profits, and FedEx reinvests these profits into the workforce.

Mike Lauderdale’s understanding of the company’s operations is invaluable. After 40 years at FedEx, he is currently serving as Vice President of Human Resources. In a conversation with Toptal Chief People Officer, Michelle Labbe, Lauderdale explains how the company culture has changed during his time with FedEx, and how it has maintained its people-centric mantra amid a rapidly changing industry.

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Spanning more than 220 countries and territories, Booking.com provides millions of unforgettable journeys with its straightforward travel and accommodation services every year. A team of hybrid employees enables its customers’ adventures and has contributed to a thriving workplace. Booking.com was recognized for providing the Best Leadership Teams and Best Global Culture in 2023 by Comparably, a site for employees to rate companies. It was also included on Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies list for 2024 and was named one of Forbes’ World’s Best Employers in 2023. 

As Chief People Officer and SVP, Paulo Pisano guides the exceptional work environment at Booking.com. Arriving at the company in early 2020—just as the pandemic began to cause significant upheaval in the tourism industry—Pisano helped employees navigate this turbulent period and flourish in a new hybrid work setting. Since 2021, he has also served as Executive Vice President and CHRO of Booking Holdings, the parent company for Booking.com, KAYAK, OpenTable, Priceline and Agoda.

Joining Michelle Labbe on The Talent Economy podcast, Pisano talks about what he has learned over the last few years, his expectations for the future, and how the experiences and cultural enrichment that Booking.com provides to its customers plays into company culture.

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Founded in 1911, IBM has been at the center of the dynamic technology industry for decades. With more than 285,000 employees in over 175 countries, IBM maintains its position as a global leader and excels on the frontiers of hybrid cloud technology and artificial intelligence. 

The company's commitment to employee satisfaction has earned IBM a place on Forbes' Top 500 Best Companies for Diversity in 2023, a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index, and five stars on Newsweek's 2023 list of America's Greatest Workplaces for Diversity. IBM's dedication to innovation also extends to workplace culture, diversity, and inclusivity.

Kitty Chaney Reed, IBM’s Chief Leadership, Culture, and Inclusion Officer, brings over 25 years of technology and business experience to the role. Chaney-Reed has consistently championed workplace diversity and inclusion, leading a global team in addressing societal issues that impact IBM employees and their communities. 

Her accomplishments include being an alumnus of the Distinguished Leadership Atlanta program, receiving the Georgia Diversity Council's 2015 Most Powerful and Influential Woman Award, and serving on IBM's Black Executive Council. Chaney Reed is dedicated to cultivating an inclusive environment and leveraging the strengths of a diverse workforce to create a workplace where employees can thrive.

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Instacart is a same-day grocery delivery service that seeks to make grocery shopping accessible to everyone. Founded in 2012, Instacart experienced exponential growth during the COVID-19 pandemic and became a household name as the general public turned to the service amid lockdowns and social distancing measures. During the first two months of the pandemic, Instacart delivered more food than Walmart.

Today, Instacart serves customers across the US and Canada, offering an extensive network of more than 1,200 retailers and spanning more than 80,000 locations.

Instacart’s people-centric company culture has been recognized as one of the best places to work in the Bay Area. With a flexible remote work policy, take-what-you-need vacation time, and a “Four Year Fill-Up” program that provides four weeks off after four years of employment, the company continues to be forward-thinking in its employee support and talent approach.

Christina Hall joined Instacart in 2020 as the company’s first CHRO. With more than 20 years of experience in HR, she has worked with renowned tech leaders like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Intuit. At Instacart, Christina is instrumental in driving the company’s growth and well-being while ensuring a thriving work culture for its employees and independent contractors.

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Gena Smith, Chief Human Resources Officer of LVMH North America, joined Michelle Labbe, Chief People Officer of Toptal, on the latest episode of The Talent Economy podcast.LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, is a renowned luxury goods conglomerate headquartered in Paris. The company’s diverse portfolio of brands includes household names such as Moët & Chandon, Hennessy, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Fendi, Givenchy, Dom Pérignon, and TAG Heuer. LVMH operates as an ecosystem where each brand maintains its unique DNA and heritage while benefiting from synergies within the group.Smith plays a key role in fostering LVMH’s signature culture of creative excellence among the company’s 40,000 North American employees. Prior to joining LVMH in 2011, she spent more than a decade working closely with leading retail and luxury brands through notable industry consultancies. Based in New York City, Smith also serves on the board of the Fashion Scholarship Fund, a nonprofit association that supports young talent as they seek to realize their career ambitions in the fashion industry.

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With past speakers such as the CEOs of Dell and Wikipedia, and the COO of Reddit, the Web Summit annual conference, founded in 2009, has become a critical meeting place for the tech community. 

At this year’s event in Lisbon, Katie Bolger, Community Lead and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program Manager for Web Summit, joined Toptal’s Chief People Officer Michelle Labbe to discuss the 2022 conference, Web Summit’s Women in Tech program, and ensuring equity in representation among attendees and speakers.

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Laura Heisman, VMware’s Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer , and Michelle Labbe, Toptal’s Chief People Officer, met at Collision 2023 in Toronto to discuss VMware’s core principles and the latest developments in AI and the tech industry.

VMware is a leading software company that specializes in virtualization and cloud computing solutions. With a keen eye on innovation, VMware has established itself as a trusted partner for organizations worldwide.

As one of its leading lights, Laura Heisman has played a pivotal role in shaping VMware’s marketing vision and driving impactful initiatives. Heisman is a highly accomplished technology executive with more than three decades of experience in marketing and communications. Her leadership philosophy revolves around communicating effectively, unlocking human potential through generative AI, and fostering community. Heisman’s dynamism and commitment to innovation continue to shape VMware and drive its success in the tech landscape.

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Jordan Fisher, founder and CEO of Standard AI, joined Michelle Labbe, Toptal’s Chief People Officer, at Collision in Toronto on The Talent Economy podcast. Fisher discussed the company’s groundbreaking “checkout-free” shopping solution and other achievements of Standard AI. 

With a diverse background spanning computational fluid dynamics, securities regulations, video games, machine learning, and retail, Fisher has dedicated his career to product research and development. Standard AI has reached many significant milestones under his leadership as the field of artificial intelligence becomes increasingly competitive.

With Standard AI, customers no longer need to scan their items or pay at a kiosk. Instead, they simply scan their phones at the exit and a series of AI-powered cameras generate a receipt based on the items that customers picked up.

Utilizing its next-generation technology, Standard AI aims to continue augmenting human interactions within physical spaces while providing tailored product experiences. Its approach has the potential to revolutionize retail and expand to other industries.

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Life is Good is the original positive lifestyle brand, dedicated to spreading the power of optimism through art and messaging. Co-founders and brothers Bert and John Jacobs originally set out to design T-shirts that inspired people to celebrate simple pleasures, and focus on what’s right in the world and our lives instead of what’s wrong. In 1994, after five years of disappointing sales and with just $78 to their names, Bert and John designed their first Life is Good tee and discovered how those three simple words could help people to focus on the good.

For almost 30 years, Life is Good has been building a “culture of optimism” through its online shop and 4,500 retail stores. Life is Good’s mission “to spread the power of optimism” isn’t just a marketing angle—it influences every part of the brand, from company culture to philanthropy.

Tom Hassell, president of Life is Good, joined Toptal’s Chief People Officer Michelle Labbe on The Talent Economy podcast. 

For the past three years, Hassell has overseen the Life is Good e-commerce business as it has grown from $30 million in annual revenue in 2017 to over $86 million in 2020. Outside of his role at Life is Good, Hassell has served in leadership roles at a diverse group of companies, including Lord & Taylor, Perry Ellis, Ann Taylor, and Eastern Mountain Sports. He is thrilled to have the opportunity to serve as the President of Life is Good, where spreading the power of optimism is both the company mission and his personal passion. 

In this episode, Hassell discusses his journey in the apparel industry, his work at Life is Good, the power of optimism, Life is Good’s social work through the Life is Good Playmaker Project, and more.

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As the largest mutual life insurance company in the US, New York Life has been advising policyholders on investment decisions for more than 178 years.

Toptal’s Chief People Officer Michelle Labbe spoke with Kathleen Navarro, New York Life Insurance’s Senior Vice President and Head of Human Resources Business Enablement on The Talent Economy Podcast.

Kathleen Navarro leads New York Life Insurance’s integrated diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, and manages the HR business partners, strategy and analytics teams. During Navarro's tenure, the company has received broad recognition for its inclusion efforts, including being named one of the Best-of-the-Best Corporations by the National Business Inclusion Consortium in 2022.

Navarro has held a range of roles in finance, strategy, and operations since joining New York Life Insurance in 1994. She has been recognized as a Top 10 Champion of Global Diversity by DiversityGlobal and was included on the Top 50 Chief Diversity Officers list issued by the National Diversity Council.

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Vimeo, a video-sharing website that allows members to view, upload, and share videos, was a top competitor to YouTube when it launched in 2004. But in 2017, Vimeo saw an opening to pivot to a software as a service company, offering tools for independent creators to produce, upload, and share their own content. In May of 2021, Vimeo went public and soon afterwards, Crystal Boysen joined the company as Chief People Officer. 

In her role, Boysen has led various initiatives aimed at cultivating an engaged, diverse, and inclusive culture at Vimeo. 

In addition to sharing her career story, Crystal Boysen offered her HR philosophy, as well as her perspective on leading in a hybrid environment, crafting meaningful benefit packages, and more. 

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With past speakers such as the CEOs of Dell and Wikipedia, and the COO of Reddit, the Web Summit annual conference, founded in 2009, has become a critical meeting place for the tech community.

At the 2022 event in Lisbon, Portugal, Katie Bolger, Community Manager, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Web Summit, joined Toptal’s Chief People Officer, Michelle Labbe. They discussed the conference, Web Summit’s Women in Tech program, and equity in representation among attendees and speakers.

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Branch is a deep-linking and mobile-attribution platform that helps companies build and measure user journeys. 

In 2014, Mada Seghete co-founded Branch on the fundamental principle that breaking down silos on the internet is critical to a brand’s ability to build engaging and relevant end-user experiences. 

Branch initially focused on delivering a deep-linking solution to navigate the complex mobile ecosystem and get users to the right destination. Its platform now also powers mobile attribution for 50,000+ of the world’s most advanced apps, helping companies like Airbnb, Pinterest, Slack, Ticketmaster, Tinder, Starbucks, and Yelp measure their users’ journeys. 

While attending Web Summit in Lisbon, Seghete, Branch’s current Managing Director and VP of Marketing, joined Toptal’s Chief People Officer Michelle Labbe to discuss creating Branch, women in tech, the future of work, and her Web Summit experience. 

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Toptal is a network of the world’s top talent in business, design, and technology that enables companies to scale their teams on demand. Founded in 2010 and now the world’s largest fully remote company, Toptal has served more than 21,000 clients and has a global network of talent in 140+ countries.

Kimberly Hall, Toptal’s VP of Revenue Operations, sat down with Toptal’s CEO Taso Du Val at Toptal’s Women in Tech Lounge at Web Summit 2022 in Lisbon. Du Val shares insights into the future of work, Web3, the financial benefits of implementing a remote workforce, and more.

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Suzy is a leading global consumer insights platform that integrates quantitative and qualitative research with high-quality audience insights into a single connected research cloud. In this episode of The Talent Economy podcast, Anthony Onesto, Suzy’s Chief People Officer, speaks with Toptal’s Chief People Officer, Michelle Labbe.

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Chegg is a connected platform enabling students to learn more in less time—and at reduced costs. The company offers discounted textbooks, online tutoring, and other student services, while providing diverse employee upskilling and development opportunities. Debra Thompson is Chegg’s Chief People Officer, infusing the brand’s culture of innovation, transparency, wellness, and work/life balance throughout the company. Previously, she served as Director of Compensation, Benefits, and HR Operations at Amyris and held directorial and managerial roles at RMS, CNET Networks, and Lucent Technologies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and personnel administration/industrial relations from California State University, East Bay.

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Users depend on Yelp for great customer reviews but how do its remote team members depend on one another? CPO Carmen Amara (née Orr) talks about the company’s recent transition to remote work, how the company invests in employee well-being, and what a thriving culture looks like. Carmen Amara joined Yelp with 20 years of HR experience. Her main focus has been on transitioning the company into a remote environment. 

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The Recording Academy® goes beyond the GRAMMYs®, investing in its artists, community, and employees. Shonda Grant, Chief People & Culture Officer, recounts how the Recording Academy adapted to the pandemic, partnered with nonprofit organizations and artists, and invested in employee development and leadership training. Grant oversees the Recording Academy’s talent acquisition, organizational development, compensation, and employee safety and well-being; she also serves as the executive coach to the senior management team. 

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Functioning as an all-remote company requires a unique set of skills, including flexibility, understanding, and streamlined communication. As Chief People Officer of the innovative DevOps platform GitLab, Wendy Barnes knows how to identify and promote these skills. In this episode of The Talent Economy, Barnes shares insight on remote work, recruitment, retention, and employee well-being.

Barnes brings more than 20 years of HR experience to GitLab. Prior to joining the tech company, she served as CHRO at Palo Alto Networks, helping scale processes as their employees grew in number from 750 to 5,000. With her keen problem-solving skills and experience with diverse, global companies, she cultivates a positive and inclusive work environment.

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The constant change in the financial market may be challenging to keep on top of, which is why MarketWise partners with researchers to better inform self-directed investors. Change also comes from within, as MarketWise’s mergers and acquisitions strategy has grown the company from just under 300 employees in 2017 to more than 800 currently. CHRO Cynthia Cherry talks about how MarketWise attracts and retains top talent and the importance of a healthy culture.

Cherry became the CHRO at MarketWise in 2018 and built its human resources function. Her HR strategy focuses on employee relations and talent acquisition. 

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At Omni Hotels & Resorts, individual employees are empowered to make decisions that can have a big impact on the guest experience and the company. Joy Rothschild, CHRO of Omni, discusses the “power of one” concept, the importance of workplace culture, and why connecting authentically with talent matters in today’s job environment.

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Adobe, the software company responsible for PDFs and Photoshop, is regularly listed among the best places to work and is considered a top employer when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion. One of the people responsible for fostering this culture is Brian Miller, Adobe’s Chief Talent, Diversity & Inclusion Officer. Miller joined Adobe after serving as Chief People Officer of Impossible Foods and spending almost a decade in progressive talent development roles at Gilead Sciences Inc. He holds a master’s degree in education from Harvard University.

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How does the country’s largest supermarket chain manage more than 400,000 employees across the country? Tim Massa, Senior VP and Chief People Officer of Kroger, dives into the company’s comprehensive programs for employee engagement, such as diversity training, environmental volunteer opportunities, and leadership conferences.

Tim Massa has more than 30 years of HR experience—20 of it with Procter & Gamble. Massa worked for P&G in several cities across the US before completing an international assignment in Poland. He eventually joined Kroger in 2010 as the Corporate VP of Human Resources, and in 2014, became Kroger’s Senior VP and CPO. 

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Zoom meetings have become the norm for hybrid, remote, and in-office environments, defining a monumental shift in how and where work gets done. Jodi Rabinowitz, Head of Talent and Organizational Development at Zoom Video Communications, talks about how the company maintained its cohesive work culture during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how Zoom has helped companies stay connected even as the very nature of work has shifted. 

Rabinowitz has worked in leadership development for more than a decade. She has held senior roles in corporate and nonprofit organizations, including OppenheimerFunds, BNP Paribas, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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It’s all fun and games and work at Amazon Games—thanks to their Chief of Staff, Liz Egol. The video game company maintains employee satisfaction by weaving gaming throughout its culture, and it makes an impact, as Egol’s onboarding efforts boast a 78% satisfaction rate. She began her career with Amazon in 2007, then joined Amazon Games in 2020. Egol wields empathy, authenticity, and flexibility to produce a collaborative and satisfying work environment.

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Chief People Officer of theSkimm, Lisa Dallenbach, reverses the old-time narrative of the high-pressure newsroom. In this episode, Dallenbach shares how theSkimm supports its employees by addressing obstacles, both personal and professional. By offering programs such as the respected “Sacred Hour” and providing tutoring services for employees’ children, theSkimm works to cultivate and champion a healthy work environment. 

Prior to joining theSkimm, Dallenbach worked as Chief People Officer of Silverline, was CHRO of Mindshare, and led Human Resources at Digitas.

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Wholesale retailers, such as BJ’s, proved crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only did the pandemic attract customers, but it also necessitated the hiring of new employees and the need to retain current ones. Mark Griffin, Chief Human Resources Officer of BJ’s Wholesale Club, discusses the ways in which the company retains and grows its employee base and maintains customer loyalty. Griffin also discusses how the company prioritizes the safety, health, and well-being of its workers and customers. 

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How can large organizations retain their talent and offer upward mobility to their diverse employee pool? Tanya E. Spencer, Chief Diversity Officer for GE Gas Power, describes how GE creates opportunity and fosters inclusivity to meet the changing, and sometimes unpredictable, future of work. 

Read more: (Toptal link shortener to Staffing show notes)

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The soul of flexible workplace culture is trust, says Catherine Moy, Chief People Officer of BDO, one of the nation’s leading professional services firms.

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How does an international communications firm ensure employee well-being in times of extreme uncertainty? Patti Clarke, Global Chief Talent Officer of Havas Group, speaks with Michelle Labbe, Toptal’s Chief People Officer, about rising anxiety levels among workers and how companies can help.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has forced all sectors to change, but perhaps none has been affected more than healthcare. To keep employees motivated, Cardinal Health, one of the country’s largest healthcare companies,  established a sense of belonging by creating a culture of transparency and communication. This led to a robust hybrid work environment, cohesive company mergers, and an increase in retention and diversity.

Ola Snow began her career with Cardinal Health nearly 20 years ago as regional director of the pharmaceutical segment’s human resources department. She continued to support other functions, including legal and public affairs, prior to becoming SVP of HR in the medical segment. After six years in this role, Snow became Cardinal Health’s CHRO in 2018.

In this episode, we discuss Snow’s passion for people that started, and continues, with her family. Her father ran local arenas and baseball stadiums and, as a child, she would accompany him to work. These experiences led her to embrace the power of vulnerability and authenticity—qualities that foster an inclusive workplace. Building on such personal anecdotes, Snow segues into Cardinal’s plans for diversity and inclusion, details how she has handled more than 25 mergers and acquisitions, and provides advice on preparing for the workplace of the future. 

Snow is also involved in many community organizations, including the Cardinal Health Foundation, Baxter Credit Union, Ohio State University’s Women and Philanthropy, and the Go Red for Women’s National Leadership Council. She speaks about her passion for Flying Horse Farms, a transformative camp for children with serious illnesses, where she presides as a board member. 

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The past two years have been the most challenging in recent memory for the hospitality and travel industries. Hyatt Hotels Corporation has met these challenges by prioritizing employee well-being and focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion. In this episode, we speak with CHRO Malaika Myersabout how Hyatt’s mission to care for guests starts with caring for employees, and how the company is looking to an untapped talent pool both to fill its ranks and provide opportunities for young people. 

Malaika Myers has been Hyatt’s CHRO since 2017. In this role, she sets and implements the hospitality company’s global HR enterprise strategy. She previously served as SVP of Human Resources for consumer products company Jarden Corporation and CHRO for Arysta LifeScience. She has also held various senior management roles at consumer products company Diageo. Prior to that, Myers spent more than 10 years at PepsiCo Inc., which she joined after serving in several HR roles at FMC Corporation, an agricultural sciences company.

Myers shares what attracted her to the HR field and reflects on the differences between working in the consumer products industry and the hospitality sector. She discusses the difficult decisions the company made as the COVID-19 pandemic forced people to cancel travel, and how Hyatt created a Care Fund to help employees struggling amid the furloughs and layoffs of 2020. Myers also discusses Hyatt’s diversity initiative, Change Starts Here, and how it has been met with enthusiasm by employees across the company.

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For many CTOs and directors of engineering, building scalable and successful software engineering teams can be difficult, due in large part to competing pressures and responsibilities. In addition to managing growing teams, they are tasked with keeping an eye on overall business objectives and navigating the pressures of their leadership roles—overcoming technical challenges, motivating the teams, planning for scale, settling disputes, tracking key metrics, and reporting to executive management—all of which require them to make countless vital decisions daily.

Toptal’s new e-book, Architecting Scalable Engineering Teams, helps leaders build the right team structure to overcome technical challenges, motivate talent, plan for scale, and track key metrics. In this accompanying podcast, Toptal Director of Engineering Marco Santos interviews Josh Holat, the Chief Technology Officer and Co-founder of Cube, a company dedicated to making FP&A faster, smarter, and simpler. Marco is also joined by Nik Patel, Chief Technology Officer and Co-founder at Cohesion, a cloud-based IoT company for smart buildings.

This episode highlights three of the e-book’s five team models, acknowledging that any given structure for success rests largely on an organization’s size, industry, and product:

●      Stakeholder-focused squads. At Toptal, these squads are integral to building strong relationships between engineers and business stakeholders to ensure consistent delivery of business value.

●      Front-end/Back-end split structure.Cube, a financial analysis and planning platform, employs two different leaders—one to helm the front-end team and another focused on the back-end team.

●      Satellite teams. AtCohesion, a cloud-based IoT company for smart buildings, satellite teams ensure rapid scale and eliminate the complexity of hiring, onboarding, paying, and managing each team.

Across all five models, engineering leaders recognize the value of temporary help—whether it’s to build their teams or to add expertise that they may not have in-house.

“Sometimes, a project needs to get done, but the leadership team isn’t sure if the increased capacity will be necessary in the long run,” says Santos. “That is why so many startups rely on talent networks like ours to augment their teams. When you have an extra load, it’s really nice to have an amazing network of talent that can help scale up.”

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The COVID-19 pandemic not only brought about sweeping changes to the way we work, but it also offered crucial insights into what employees truly want and need from their employers. In this episode, we speak with Tracy Layney, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer of iconic apparel company Levi Strauss & Co., aboutthe adjustments the company has made since the pandemic when it comes to flexibility, wellness, and overall work-life fit. She shares the lessons the pandemic has taught her and why she feels strongly that these learnings shape the workplace of the future. 

Layney is responsible for Levi’s people strategy on a global scale, including recruiting, employee engagement, talent management, compensation and benefits, HR technology, and HR communications. She brings more than 20 years of experience in human resources and organization strategy to her role. 

Prior to joining the company, Layney served as Senior VP and CHRO of Shutterfly,  a leading retailer of personalized photo-based products. Before that, she spent 10 years at Gap Inc., where she held numerous HR senior leadership roles. Layney has also held positions at PwC/IBM Business Consulting Services where she worked with Fortune 500 clients in the high tech, financial services, retail, and healthcare industries. She is active in the HR thought-leader community and serves on the Board of HR People & Strategy, the executive network of the Society for Human Resource Management.

Also in this episode, Layney talks about what it was like to work in the Bay Area at the beginning of the dot-com boom and how she discovered her passion for organization strategy. She discusses how navigating the early days of the pandemic called for crisis-management skills, and how Levi’s pledged to emerge from the most tumultuous times stronger than ever. Finally, she explains why empathy is so integral to leadership, and why the company offered an artificial intelligence bootcamp to its employees.  

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Big companies have often treated efforts to build a cohesive corporate culture as an afterthought. More recently, however, and particularly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders like Angela Santone, Senior Executive Vice President of Human Resources for AT&T, have begun to realize that cultivating a positive environment is integral to maintaining a dedicated workforce. Santone says that in order to fulfill its mission of putting customers first, AT&T focuses on caring for the employees who serve those customers, creating an inclusive culture that helps it attract and retain exceptional talent, even in the face of the Great Resignation.  

Santone, who oversees AT&T’s global human resources strategy, leads a team of HR experts rethinking the company’s talent development practices, total rewards and benefits programs, and culture initiatives. She was appointed to the role in 2019 after serving as Chief Administrative Officer of AT&T. 

Before joining AT&T, Santone served as Executive Vice President and Global Chief Human Resources Officer at Turner Broadcasting System Inc., where she led a global HR strategy. Her executive oversight included talent acquisition and retention, learning and development, employee engagement, workplace culture, wellness, corporate responsibility, diversity and inclusion, succession planning, and global security.

In this episode, Santone talks about keeping employees safe during COVID-19, how her experience as a woman in the corporate world led her to implement AT&T’s generous and flexible benefits program, what she’s doing to retain employees during the Great Resignation, how to blend company cultures during a merger, and why it’s crucial to involve employees when designing culture initiatives. 

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For those of us who continue to work remotely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve come to enjoy the flexibility that comes from it. But for many of us, there’s also a flip side: seemingly endless Zoom calls, lack of socializing, and an all-around feeling of burnout.In this episode, we speak with Scott Domann, Chief People Officer of Calm, the software company behind one of the leading mindfulness and meditation apps, about how the company is working hard to make sure its own employees benefit from Calm’s wellness philosophy. 

Domann joined Calm as the first CPO in July 2020, overseeing people, learning, development, recruitment, and operations. Domann, who holds a master’s degree in psychology and industrial organization from NYU, previously led HR teams at Honey, Netflix, Spotify, and Facebook. In his work, Domann strives to create corporate cultures founded in inclusion, creativity, and positive action, and to raise the bar for building world-class teams.

In this episode, he discusses the mindfulness practices that he has picked up since he began working at Calm, why having a high emotional quotient is so important, and the tools that Calm offers to help people develop a mindful leadership style. He also shares steps that HR leaders can take to promote a culture of wellness in their companies, and how admitting, “I don’t know,” can be a powerful management tool. 

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The COVID-19 pandemic forced massive changes to many aspects of our everyday lives, but few things were affected more than the way we shop for and obtain our food. In this episode,we speak with Mike Theilmann, CHRO of food and drug retailer Albertsons Companies,about how COVID-19 encouraged the company to work toward greater efficiency and spend more energy retaining and engaging their employees.

Theilmann has more than 25 years of global experience across retail, hospitality, consumer goods, and venture capital. As CHRO of Albertsons, he leads diversity and inclusion, talent development, acquisition and engagement, and learning and capability development across all areas of business. He holds both Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in physics from Gustavus Adolphus College and University of Nebraska-Lincoln, respectively. 

Theilmann shares just how critical grocery employees are as frontline workers,the ways Albertsons is working to retain its employees, and why he focuses so much of his effort on talent. He also discusses how the competency model helps evaluate transferable skills and talent among employees, and tells us the one piece of advice he would give other retail HR leaders.

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How Albertsons HR is working closely with the company’s communications team to ensure that everyone is on the same page.

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We’re currently experiencing a massive shift in the goals and philosophies of corporate culture. More and more, organizations are providing resources for their employees not only to improve their work experience, but also to improve their lives as a whole. 

In this episode, we speak with three members of Diageo, the multinational alcoholic beverage corporation that represents renowned brands like Johnnie Walker, Ketel One, Captain Morgan, and many others. Laura Watt, Executive Vice President for Human Resources of Diageo, North America; Caroline “Cabs” Rhodes, Global Inclusion & Diversity (I&D) Director and HR Director, Corporate Functions; and Jeanine Dooley, Head of I&D, Diageo, North America, explain how Diageo is a leader for global brands who want to tell a story and impact social change. 

Laura Watt serves as a member of the North America and Global HR Leadership teams. She has 25 years of experience in HR and transformational leadership roles.

Cabs Rhodes is responsible for the development and implementation of Diageo’s inclusion and diversity policies, practices, and progressive frameworks across all global markets, alongside her HR-directed strategic responsibilities.

Jeanine Dooley has worked at Diageo for 19 years, holding various operational and project management roles and leading strategic initiatives. In her current role, she combines her functional expertise with her passion to drive Diageo North America’s inclusion and diversity initiatives.

These leaders discuss howDiageo is making strides to ensure that each employee feels like a valuable member of their team, how they’re taking employee health seriously, and the fascinating lessons learned by being part of a global corporation. We learn about the steps Diageo is taking to make employees feel like they belong, how a hybrid work model can be a recipe for success, and how remote work ended up making the international company feel more united than ever. 

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Some insight on the theorized “mass resignation” that may be coming as COVID-19 rates start to ease. 

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The last year and a half has caused massive changes in all of our lives, both personal and professional. What if a company decided not only to embrace those changes, but also to use them as a catalyst for large-scale evolution in the way we work and in the way we think about work?In this episode, we speak with Leena Nair, the first female, the first Asian individual, and the youngest ever Chief Human Resources Officer of Unilever, about what the company is doing to create a radically flexible work model—and the benefits that approach can hold for everyone involved.  

Nair heads a pioneering agenda for Unilever’s 149,000-strong workforce. Under her direction, the London-based company has achieved a 50/50 gender balance across global leadership and now offers a living wage across its supply chain. Her expertise has driven business growth to €50 billion. Nair began her Unilever career at Hindustan Unilever, where she became the first woman on the management committee in 90 years, heading HR. She was also appointed the first woman on the Unilever South Asia leadership team and was responsible for Unilever’s growth in five markets with a business size of around €6 billion. Nair has continued to redefine how big business can contribute to the environment and society; she has a reputation for putting the people at the heart of the business, driving growth, and taking risks to create a better business and a better society.

Nair speaks about the unprecedented flexibility that Unilever is currently piloting with its workforce, how the company encourages its employees to be lifelong learners, and her push to continue valuing all the lessons learned over the last 18 months. She also shares with us the lesson Unilever learned about treating every country’s workforce according to the country’s own culture, and why it’s so important that the company continue to support its employees in every way possible, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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With ever-evolving goals in an always-changing corporate world, it can be difficult for a traditional HR approach to keep up. Employing strategies that revolve around numbers and data has allowed one company to stay at the top of its game, even in the face of an unpredictable work environment. In this episode, we speak with Melissa Werneck, Global Chief People Officer of The Kraft Heinz Company, about how analytics can translate to a successful HR blueprint.

Werneck joined Kraft Heinz in 2013 to implement a new performance methodology and integrated management system. She began her career as a logistics analyst with Ambev, before moving on to stints with Claro and Sadia. Before her time with Kraft Heinz, she served as Performance Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer of America Latina Logistica. She holds a degree in chemical engineering from the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil and an MBA from the Federal University of Rio De Janeiro.

Werneck speaks about how her background in data allows her a more agile take on different performance metrics. She also shares with us the link she’s found between her first love, chemical engineering, and HR, and how it all has to do with turning raw materials into polished final products.

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Many employers understand that their employees are the key to making their businesses successful. Yet, once those workers move on, companies typically don’t keep in contact with them. Should they? In this episode, we speak with Kim Seymour, Chief People Officer of WW International Inc. (formerly Weight Watchers) and Jeff Wald, an angel investor, entrepreneur, and bestselling author, about the value of maintaining relationships with past employees and where the future of work as we know it might be headed. 

In her role, Seymour oversees all aspects of WW’s human capital plan, with a strong emphasis on talent, leadership, diversity, and organizational effectiveness. She spent the previous two decades in HR leadership roles at American Express, Home Depot, and General Electric. Seymour currently serves on the board of directors of RHR International and the board of trustees of Fisk University, a historically Black college. A graduate of both the University of Tennessee at Martin and Vanderbilt Law School, Seymour also holds an MBA from Indiana University. As an expert in business culture and talent, she is often asked to share her forward-thinking HR strategies and personal leadership philosophies with a variety of global audiences. 

Jeff Wald is the Amazon bestselling author ofThe End of Jobs: The Rise of On-Demand Workers and Agile Corporations, about how companies and workers reacted to the last three industrial revolutions. He is the founder of three tech companies, including WorkMarket, purchased by ADP, and Spinback, acquired by Buddy Media, now owned by Salesforce. He is also an angel investor and startup adviser. Wald serves on the board of directors at TRANSFR Inc., ModusLink, and Costar Technologies. He holds two degrees from Cornell University, and is an alumnus of Harvard Business School. In 2020, Wald announced the $10 million Future of Work Prize that will reward The End of Jobscontributor whose prediction about what the workforce will look like in 2040 proves the most accurate. 

Seymour and Wald discuss what they think will be the COVID-19 pandemic’s most lasting influences on the world of work, what shorter employee tenure means for company culture, and why we should be thinking about ex-employees as ambassadors. They also talk about why healthy employer/employee relationships depend on keeping open lines of communication and not taking things personally, and how to create team success within a hybrid work structure.

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As companies work to eliminate bias from their recruiting processes, some are turning to artificial intelligence to help them build a more inclusive workforce. In this episode, we speak with Suzan Morno-Wade, CHRO of Xerox,about how AI—coupled with an emphasis on building human connection—is helping the iconic company hire the best talent.  

Morno-Wade has been the CHRO ofXerox since 2018. She joined the company in 2016 as Vice President of Global Total Rewards, leading the company’s compensation and benefits strategy. She has more than 20 years of experience in HR leadership for global companies, including Hess, Quantum, Mitsubishi, General Electric, and Quaker Oats. In addition, she serves on the board of directors of A Better Chance, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to increase the number of well-educated young people of color in the United States. In 2019, Black Enterprise named Morno-Wade to the list of Most Powerful Women in Corporate America. She holds a Bachelor of Science in accounting from the University of Illinois.

Morno-Wade shares why she believes it’s critical to quantify diversity and inclusion efforts, how the last 18 months have spurred organizations to better anticipate employee needs, and why she feels a responsibility to prepare people for change. She also discusses the decision to have employees return to in-person work and why she believes adaptability and resilience are the two most important skills in today’s business climate. 

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As technology continues to evolve, so must the way we learn and work. In this episode, we speak with Dan Domenech, CHRO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise Financial Services, about integrating virtual reality into employee training, and how the immersive experience optimized the learning process.

Domenech has almost three decades of experience holding HR leadership positions at several Fortune 500 companies. Over the years, he has honed his focus on building talent pipelines and leadership capability, while also creating passionate, forward-leaning cultures. At HPE Financial Services, he works with the president and CEO to drive business transformation, talent value management, and company culture. 

Prior to joining HPEFS, Domenech shaped organizational culture and empowered employees at companies including Johnson & Johnson, Dun & Bradstreet, and American Express.Domenech holds a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University, where he also serves as VP of the school’s Latino Alumni Association, as well as an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business.  

Domenech talks about why the time is right to introduce virtual reality training for employees, the role a growth mindset plays in candidate success,and preparing for the post-COVID-19  pandemic colleague experience.He also discusses how HPE has managed to maintain their rich company culture throughout the pandemic,promoting diversity and equality in a corporate environment, and why it’s so important to encourage career growth and upward mobility for employees.

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The year 2020 offered innumerable lessons about our individual communities and even society as a whole.As we begin to wind down from a tumultuous year, many corporations are looking to their workforce to see what they can do to elevate them. In this episode, we speak with DJ Casto,Executive Vice President and CHRO of Synchrony, one of the nation’s premier consumer financial services companies,about the initiatives companies can take to help build up their employees. 

At Synchrony, Casto is responsible for engaging employees in the company’s strategic business imperatives and building people-led development programs that strengthen culture, drive business growth, and nurture the company’s talent as a competitive advantage. He began his career at PepsiCo in human resources field operations, advancing to lead labor and employee relations for the North American beverages business, where he managed union awareness strategies before advancing to the role of Senior Director of Global Organization Development. He holds a master’s degree in industrial relations and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from West Virginia University. Casto serves on the boards of Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG), buildOn, and West Virginia University MSIR Executive Alumni.

In this episode, Casto provides an in-depth look at Synchrony’s Education as an Equalizer program, and how important education is in creating an ecosystem for success. He also discusses how remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic has helped the company align business goals, and how it has affected the way Synchrony employees work, including insight into the three different “hubs” the company has put into place—and what that means for the future of their working environment.

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Over the past year and a half, there have been seismic shifts in the workplace as we know it. Through these massive changes, many aspects of corporate culture have been reevaluated.In this episode, we speak with Donna Morris, Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer of Walmart Inc., about how people are the company’s most important asset and the ways she’s working toward building a better, more inclusive organization. 

Morris has more than 20 years of leadership experience in delivering innovative people solutions, developing and managing agile teams, and helping to build a high-performance culture that promotes diversity and inclusion. As a member of Walmart’s executive committee, she is responsible for attracting, retaining, and developing talent for one of the world’s largest private employers. 

Morris joined Walmart after 18 years at Adobe, where she served as CHRO and Executive Vice President of Employee Experience. She has also led a number of worker-friendly initiatives, including expanding family leave policies and simplifying standard HR processes. Morris holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Carleton University and serves on the board of directors at Marvell Technology Inc. 

Morris shares insightsabout her dedication to building transparency and accountability around Walmart’s hiring process, as well as what it takes to create a more diverse, representative workforce. She also discusseshow Walmart is educating employees in tech, what it’s like to join a multibillion-dollar company during a pandemic, and how the company is creating future-ready associates. 

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The prospect of hiring new employees and growing a team that not only works well as a unit, but also fosters a productive, creative, and healthy work environment is a daunting one. In this episode, we speak with Steven Tristan Young, Chief Marketing Officer of Poshmark, about why it’s so important to hire individuals who elevate his team. 

At Poshmark, the leading US social commerce platform, Young is responsible for driving growth, product marketing, customer life cycle, brand marketing, public relations, and social media marketing. Prior to Poshmark, Young was Vice President of Growth at Grubhub, the US’ leading online and mobile food ordering company. During his seven-year tenure, he managed the company’s customer and market-level growth programs, driving double-digit growth year over year. He has also held leadership positions at DirecTV, American Express, Endurance International Group, and Puma. He spearheaded the marketing efforts for American Express’s flagship Black Card and Platinum Card portfolios, both the market leaders in premium card marketing. He is a graduate of The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and is an alumnus of Harvard Business School.

Young discusses his strategy in taking his team to the next level, the roundabout way he ended up in his role at Poshmark, and how he uses the interview process to figure out who’s going to make an exceptional employee.He also shares the challenges involved in hiring from a pool of highly accomplished prospects, the one interview question he never asks his candidates, and the responsibilities involved in being a corporate leader and a member of the LGBTQIA community. 

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In an ever-changing world, the employer-employee relationship is more crucial than ever before. After nearly a year and a half of remote work and video meetings, properly managing employee burnout has become one of the most important factors in corporate success. In this episode, we speak with Mai Ton, Chief People Officer of Kickstarter, about what happens when a company takes the time to listen and respond to its employees’ needs. 

 Ton has spent the last 20 years leading all aspects of human resources in several businesses. She was the first Vice President of HR at six companies, where she helped build the people function from scratch. Ton has won 14 awards for her companies and was named to the list of the Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology, Top 50 Tech Leaders in 2019, and Top 20 Tech Trailblazers from Insights Magazine. She is a board member of LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics), a nonprofit organization that helps Asian and Pacific Islanders achieve equality through education, leadership, and empowerment. She is also an advisor to some of the newest HR technology software companies. 

 In this episode, Ton shares her thoughts on the exhaustion of working remotely through COVID-19, the evolving culture of startups, and what happens when the way of work stagnates. She also talks about the rapidly changing future of work, why the pandemic caused Kickstarter to flourish, and her new book, Come Into My Office: Stories From an HR Leader in Silicon Valley.

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The past 14 months have changed the way we work. And as workplaces grow more flexible, companies can begin to adapt their cultures in creative ways. In this episode, we speak with Kristin Johnson, Chief Human Resources Officer of Fortune 500 company Edward Jones, about what reopening can look like. 

Johnson joined the premier financial services firm in 1995 as a member of the internal audit department, and continued to climb the ranks over the next 24 years. In November 2019, she was appointed Chief Human Resources Officer and began leading efforts to attract, develop, and engage the 49,000-person workforce with a commitment to diversity and inclusion. She serves as a senior executive sponsor of Edward Jones’ Black/African American and Young Professionals Business Resource groups, as well as serving on the boards of the Center of Creative Arts, Webster University, and the Saint Louis Fashion Fund.

Johnson shares insights into why being a human-centered company matters, the importance of respecting the individual, and what it’s like to work as a high-ranking executive in a male-dominated industry. She also discusses the challenges corporations face in a post-pandemic world, including effectively communicating in a remote environment while still focusing on employees’ continuing education. 

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As lack of transparency in the hiring process is becoming a thing of the past, we ask our guest, Austin Belcak, CEO of Cultivated Culture, what this transition to greater openness looks like for both companies and job candidates.

Belcak pursued a bachelor’s degree in biology from Wake Forest University and put his minor in entrepreneurship to the test after a harrowing experience working in healthcare put him back on the job market. He had sent more than a hundred resumes in 30 days without getting a response, when Belcak designed a solution: a system to get employed by the companies he dreamed of working for. His method was so effective that he landed interviews and offers from Twitter, Google, and Microsoft. 

Belcak, whose strategies were featured in Forbes, Business Insider, Fast Company, and Inc. Magazine, shares his ideas about what candidates and companies should do differently to get the best out of the hiring process. We discuss one-way interviews, and why most candidates don’t like them. We also touch on the importance of referrals and their role in employee retention. You will hear Belcak’s vision of how assessments should be run and what candidates can do to differentiate and highlight their resumes. 

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A healthy, empowering, and people-centered culture is vital for any company to thrive, but leaders must model the company’s culture every day for it to take root. Toptal’s Chief People Officer Michelle Labbe speaks about this with Ana White, Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer of F5 Networks.

Ana White earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and a minor in Economics from Seattle University. She graduated with honors and received both academic and athletic scholarships. Early in her career, White discovered that her love for people was more prominent than her other passion, her love of numbers. Before joining F5 Networks, she worked as a Compensation Consultant at Watson Wyatt Worldwide and as General Manager of Human Resources at Microsoft. 

White, who is dedicated to generating social impact through her work, shares her thoughts on the importance of bringing the company’s culture alive through rewards and recognition and focusing on creating an environment of support and positive feedback rather than a competitive one. We also speak about how crucial it is for companies to provide a platform for employees to realize the personal satisfaction that comes from helping the community and what F5 Networks is doing to raise awareness about mental health issues. 

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The COVID-19 pandemic produced what might be the largest workforce disruption since the Great Depression; its effects on the global economy are devastating. Unemployment in some areas hit 30%, which turns the economic crisis into a human resources crisis. Our guest, Christy Pambianchi, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer of Verizon, explains how her company has transformed recruitment, hiring, and retention, given the chaotic scenario. She describes the challenges of maintaining the company’s values and culture in a virtual environment. 

Pambianchi has more than 30 years of experience working as an HR professional. She has a bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University. Before Verizon, she worked for 10 years as HR Director at PepsiCo Inc. When the internet revolution arrived, her passion for communication and technology spurred her to join Corning Inc., optic fiber inventors. She worked her way up in the company, becoming Executive Vice President of the People and Digital department. 

Creating People + Work Connect while at Verizon is definitely among her career highlights. The idea came about as an answer to the HR crisis generated by the pandemic. The free, online employer-to-employer platform helps companies that need talent or are displacing workers to quickly identify and fill positions. 

The hiring process is also evolving, according to Pambianchi. Companies used to hire for job titles, looking for workers who fit into a specific role. Nowadays, it is more about skills and every worker’s attributes and interest in learning. She believes the skill economy will gain even more prevalence in the next decade. 

Plus, Pambianchi shares her thoughts on the best way to assist workers during the unstable times we are going through and the silver linings of the pandemic’s effect on companies.

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Companies have faced many challenges during the pandemic, but the best ones prioritized their employees’ mental and physical health—and were successful as a result. In fact, the only way to maintain a healthy work environment is to make sure staff feels safe, heard, and valued. 

Joining Toptal’s Thought Leadership Lead Editor Meredith Bodgas today is Roche Diagnostics’ Bridget Boyle, People and Culture Business Partner, Enterprise Diagnostics North America. She is the former Vice President and Senior HR Business Partner of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and has more than 25 years of experience working in HR. 

Since Boyle joined Roche Diagnostics in 2007, she has helped transform its culture and beliefs, leading to a strong and sustainable relationship with employees, customers, and patients.

In this episode, we talk about how Roche increased its retention rate during the pandemic, all while creating and distributing key COVID-19 tests and diabetes-care products. We also talk about the company’s tactics to prevent employee burnout, the importance of nurturing connections, and how to make workers feel secure and cared for. She explains how Roche dealt with internship programs, recruiting, and much more in an inspiring conversation. 

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The value proposition in the relationship between companies and employees is changing. A company's prestige or pay scale is not at the center anymore; people are. Toptal’s Chief People Officer Michelle Labbe speaks about this with Eric Hutcherson, Executive Vice President, Chief People and Inclusion Officer of Universal Music Group (UMG).

Eric Hutcherson earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from New York University and a master’s degree in sports management and administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He worked in sports marketing, public relations, and HR for several companies, including the Boston Celtics, Foot Locker, Marsh & McLennan, and the NBA, before joining UMG. Looking back at his journey, he believes that he was always looking for the best way to maximize people's personal and professional lives.

Hutcherson, who specializes in people and culture at UMG, gave his thoughts on this change in value proposition and how companies attract talent by emphasizing their focus on diversity, inclusion, and belonging. He also talks about how and why companies must earn their employees' commitment, the four questions to determine if a company deserves people's greatness, and more. 

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How would you define the digital transformation of the workplace? Prior to the pandemic, many had begun incorporating some remote work into their schedules, and virtual meeting platforms were helping to keep distributed teams connected; cut to the present day, the transformation has been accelerated, and these practices have become daily standards. Today’s guest,  Amy Loomis, PhD, describes digital transformation as “the intersection of technology and organization —a cultural change that is reshaping how location is approached in the workforce.”

Loomis is Research Director of IDC’s worldwide Future of Work market research service. Her research looks at how varying technologies influence workers’ skills and behaviors, organizational culture, and worker experience, and how the workspace itself enables the future enterprise. Prior to IDC, she spent 15 years at IBM and was Co-founder of IBM’s Think Academy, a global digital learning platform and program designed to engage employees and partners in learning about emerging technologies and digital transformation.

In addition, Loomis is an independent analyst and Founder of Loomis Digital Learning, consulting with a range of clients from Fortune 100 organizations to startups on digital transformation, learning, and employee engagement. She speaks candidly about the importance of education and how organizations can best navigate the accelerated transformation during the pandemic, offers insight on how leaders can effectively shift their operations while keeping their teams empowered and connected to their work, and provides examples of companies that are successfully leading the charge.

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Much of the conversation surrounding the staffing industry and the future of work has been centered on the US and Europe. Today, we speak with Yasmin Kumi, Founder of Africa Foresight Group (AFG), and Rasheeda Seshie, AFG’s Partner and Chief People Officer.

AFG is the leading platform for freelance consulting services on the African continent. Over the past three and a half years, the organization has evolved into a fully female-led business that runs a network of more than 100 consultants, helping midsize and enterprise companies.

Kumi and Seshie, who both held prior roles at McKinsey, speak candidly about their vision for AFG, how the organization came to be, and why talent networks are uniquely positioned over traditional consulting to address the needs of the African continent. They also speak to how AFG is working to attract and nurture key talent and the opportunities available to those engaging in the talent economy across the continent.

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When you think about your career, do you think within the context of your current position? If you were to take into account the kind of life that you want and the things that you most value, how would that redefine your definition of success?

These are the types of questions that today’s guest, Lisa Hufford—author, founder, and CEO—faced when she became a new mother. Driven by a desire for flexibility and freedom to do the work she wanted and to do it where she wanted, Hufford founded Simplicity Consulting in 2006. Simplicity Consulting is the preferred on-demand business consultancy for the new world of work and home to top marketing, communication, and program and project management experts in the Seattle area.

A five-time honoree on the Inc. 5000 list as one of the fastest growing private companies in America and recognized as one of Washington’s largest female-owned companies by Puget Sound Business Journal, Simplicity Consulting is female-founded and run, with an all-female leadership team.

During our conversation, Hufford offers key insights from her first book, The Personal Brand Playbook, and advice on how we can all begin to reenvision our careers on our terms.

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When you think about a talent company, what roles come to mind? More than likely it’s a project manager, software developer, or copywriter. Have you ever thought about remote HR freelancers?

Today, we are joined by Emma El-Karout, Founder and Managing Director of One Circle, an online platform connecting businesses with on-demand, freelance HR experts from around the world. One Circle provides businesses with access to quality HR consultants who can support the full employee life cycle, providing organizations with transparent reviews, track records, and a secure payment ecosystem.

El-Karout discusses the events of her childhood that inspired her work and world outlook, the disruption of the traditional HR role, and how One Circle is empowering HR leaders to take their rightful place in the talent economy while providing in-house HR teams with an infusion of innovation, creativity, and knowledge sharing.

Links

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As more teams are settling into their remote work experiences, a number of challenges have surfaced: prolonged workdays, increased time spent in meetings, feelings of loneliness among employees, and frustration from managers struggling to effectively manage their distributed teams.

In this episode, we are joined by Shiran Yaroslavsky, CEO and Founder of Cassiopeia, a startup that empowers managers who lead fully or partially remote teams to maximize their workplace experience through data. Cassiopeia offers a solution that delivers actionable insights to help boost team collaboration, belonging, and mental health by analyzing communication patterns within and between teams. A former product manager, Yaroslavsky was featured in 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30 in Israel.

She discusses how Cassiopeia is utilizing data to help teams better navigate how they work and how they want to work. She also shares her professional journey from intellectual property litigation to tech CEO, a transition inspired by Yaroslavky’s desire to connect directly with people and wanting to pivot “from advising to creating.”

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“Mobile First” has become the reigning mantra for a number of organizations and platforms, and it was only a matter of time before the staffing industry joined the ranks. Paul’s guest today is Ahmad Kadhim, the head of product at TimeSaved, a platform that provides mobile-first workforce management solutions that help to attract, manage, and deploy a workforce in a timely and effective manner.

Ahmad takes us on a journey through the evolution of his career. Having originally studied biopsychology and economics, he shares how both fields have helped to shape his career in technology and the staffing industry, providing him with a deep understanding of varying cognitive biases, and how they inform user behavior. He and Paul also deep dive a bit into the important work that TimeSaved is doing, and Ahmad sheds light on the company’s two-phased mission of promoting a seamless mobile experience that promotes a powerful feedback cycle.

Connect with Ahmad:

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As the nature of work continues to evolve, more platforms spring up in an effort to tackle the pain points of staffing, for both the talent and the organization. Easing friction in the hiring process is paramount, and Vivek Anand, the founder of Workonomix, has a unique vision for doing so. Anchored in blockchain technology, Workonomix is a verified, portable worker passport that reduces friction delays in the hiring process. Vivek believes that a single, trustable professional identity owned by the talent is fundamental to the future of work, and he founded Workonomix for that reason: “to ease the life of a worker and accelerate the hiring process for the employers.”

Paul and Vivek discuss the inconsistencies in various talent profiles, the challenges posed for talent who work through multiple platforms, the benefits of blockchain technology, and Workonomix’s mission to ensure that organizations are able to hire the right person tomorrow.

Connect with Vivek:

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There are currently five generations in the workforce, with millennials representing almost 30% of new managers. It’s no secret that younger generations tend to disrupt the status quo, and while this new group of leaders has certainly shaken things up, being so misunderstood upon entering the workforce led to a number of widely held mischaracterizations of their work ethic.

Today, Paul speaks with Gabrielle Bosché, president of The Millennial Solution and co-founder of The Purpose Company helping organizations and leaders bridge the generational gap. Gabrielle is also an international speaker and best-selling author (The Purpose Factor, 5 Millennial Myths: The Handbook For Managing and Motivating Millennials, etc.). She and her husband Brian have been called the “next generation's motivational titans,” having worked with celebrities, US military officials, presidential campaigns, and Fortune 500 companies.

Connect with Gabrielle:

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The future of work is here and it’s redefining how and where teams collaborate. In this episode, Paul speaks with Mariano Suarez-Battan, co-founder and CEO at MURAL, a visual collaboration workspace for modern teams. Mariano, a three-time co-founder and an inventor by trade, is on a mission to inspire, enhance, and connect imagination workers so they can collaborate and problem solve, building what he calls the imagination cloud.

Connect with Mariano:

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What if the secret to your organization’s success existed outside of the organization? Hackster.io is a testament to this, having used top freelance talent to achieve exponential growth. Hackster, an Avnet community, is the world's fastest-growing developer community for learning, programming, and building hardware.

Arthur Beavis, an award-winning marketing professional and Hackster’s CMO and editor-in-chief, joins Paul for a discussion on how the company successfully evolved into a community where talent meets opportunity and how top freelance talent helped Hackster News become the go-to resource for staying abreast of the latest trends and cutting-edge technologies in IoT, wearables, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.

Connect with Arthur:

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Have you ever thought about an organization as a living entity? Think about it. Much like our bodies’ organizations, as Parker Lee describes, are “living, breathing networks with integrated holistic systems that will thrive in a networked fashion” and can build the necessary defenses to fight off any type of invasion or, in their case, innovation—making it challenging to enact even the slightest change.

Parker Lee, Global Managing Partner at Territory Global, says it’s essential that companies are clear about their WHY: the reason(s) they want to enact change. He joins Paul for a conversation about the Work Forward movement and how Territory helps companies structure a plan of action (the HOW), and provides insight on how the future of work can be embraced today.

Connect with Parker:

LinkedIn

The Art of Opportunity: How to Build Growth and Ventures Through Strategic Innovation and Visual Thinking (by Marc Sniukas, Parker Lee, Matt Morasky)

Learning Done Right & Done Remotely

Contact Territory

Work Forward: Get Involved

Transcript of this episode

Parker Lee:

I'm so tired of people talking about the future of work because the future can be achieved right now. It's not about the let's look way out there and maybe we'll get there, or what new shiny little toys are there. It's about taking advantage of all the different tools, and approaches, and resources, et cetera that exist today.

Introduction:

There's a revolution taking place right now. Talent and intelligence are equally distributed throughout the world, but opportunity is not. The talent economy: the idea that at the center of work is the talent, is the individual.

Paul Estes:

Companies today face a global war for talent. High-skilled talent is demanding flexibility around the way they work and the way they live. This podcast brings together thought leaders, staffing experts, and top freelancers to talk about the evolving nature of work and how companies can navigate these changes to remain competitive, drive innovation, and ensure success. Welcome to The Talent Economy Podcast. I'm your host, Paul Estes.

Today, my guest is Parker Lee, managing partner at Territory Global. Parker joins us today to discuss a new way of working and the impact that a collaborative, co-creative working environment can have on both talent and the organization.

Parker Lee:

As you said, I'm managing director at Territory. I love speaking about working forward transformation, about helping people and teams achieve better outcomes and results.

Paul Estes:

Now, before we get into your organizational behavior background, long-range planning, your journey to Territory Global is quite an interesting one, to say the least. Tell me a little bit about your love for music and how that took you to Caesars Palace.

Parker Lee:

I had been in music and passionate about it since a little boy and played piano and trumpet. And then all through school, drum major of the Cal Aggie Marching Band when I was at UC Davis. Formed my own little madrigal group, had a barbershop quartet, did a lot of singing, and that. Upon getting out of UC Davis, broke my parents' heart when I told them instead of being president of the United States, I was going to sing on the streets of San Francisco and I was a busker.

That led to getting a night in a club, and then multiple nights, then quitting my job and doing that. We became the number one club act, did five national tours, got on MTV. It was a remarkable experience.

I figured at that point in your life, if... You can't do that when you have a family and later, so I said, "Now's the time." It was remarkable. It was a very different time than it is right now.

Paul Estes:

It was back when MTV actually played music on television, right?

Parker Lee:

That's the only way we got the video on the... They needed content, and it was all they do. It was a running video, quote, "show." So it was their very beginning, and it was a blast. This was in '80, '81, somewhere in there.

I did find the love of my life, got married, had our first child. I went out on tour at three months. Came back at six months, and my daughter rolled over in the crib when I walked into the room and started crying. I said, "That's it. I'm out."

The next day, I got a phone call from a friend of mine from UC Davis who had gotten a job at Caesars Palace. He had engineered a transition there to be in charge of advertising, entertainment, and PR, and he needed somebody he could trust. He picked up the phone and called me and said, "Would you come down and run the entertainment department of Caesars Palace?" I interviewed, said, "There's no way," and then he said, "You don't get it, Parker. It's the same thing you've been doing. You just need to put butts in the seats. That's the goal. Just a few more zeros after the contracts from what you've been doing." I went, "Okay, I'm in."

It was amazing. I was able to take advantage of my passion for arts, and performing, and entertainment. I met Frank Sinatra on my first day on the job, and Diana Ross, Rodney Dangerfield, Tom Jones, Wayne Newton, Crosby, Stills & Nash, James Brown, et cetera. Some are still alive, some aren't. But it was great. Then I did the special events. Grand Prix auto racing in the parking lot, boxing matches. It was insane.

Paul Estes:

How did you get from that to really understanding organizations and how collaboration and co-creative working environments unlock innovation?

Parker Lee:

My passion when I was in school was... and I wrote my own major because that's what I wanted to understand better... was in organizational development, long-range planning, and organizational design. I started studying it. Because there wasn't a program there, UC Davis had a way where you could write your own major. So I was just researching on my own.

I said the form of education is actually flawed greatly because it has just rote learning and you just regurgitate back stuff that you're passed passively. I said, "There is a better..." You have to be engaged. Learning is lifelong. Learning is not passive, it's active.

I had an idea for a research center on campus run by students that would enable students to get grants for doing independent learning and to do programs that would enhance education and their community and have engagement. I got a grant, one of only two student grants from the federal government, and that program was started. So my passion started in school. I just took a little detour in music.

Now, that said, while in music and then I went into sports marketing, I still was studying and watching how do organizations improve, find engagement, do planning, do transformation, change management, build innovative programs. I left that life when... Just like Jerry Maguire, I was a sports agent briefly. I got fired, came back to the Bay Area at the beginning of technology, and started getting into how do you grow small businesses, entrepreneurial businesses. How do you start them, grow them, manage them, do the sales and marketing, do the business development, and do the innovation programs? I've been doing that for now 25 years.

Paul Estes:

Now, when you look at organizations and the rise of technology and distributed teams, I mean, one of the things we talk about on this podcast often is sort of anti the construct of an organization. Not completely, but it starts to push against this idea of a hierarchical organization. How do you see the evolution of organizations in the work that you do today or from when you first started studying this in college up to today?

Parker Lee:

Well, it's funny. In college, and you've got to keep in mind, I was in school in the '70s, which brands me right there for the use of alternative ways of getting enlightenment. However, while there, one of the things that came into my brain was organizations are living. They are organisms. They're alive so that they... They have systems, they have processes, they have a life cycle, and they have to have everything moving in an integrated fashion for health and growth. I think that still holds true. There are in fact books now called The Living Organization and other things.

So it is seeing them as not hierarchical, as linear, but seeing them as integrated holistic systems-based groups that will thrive in a networked fashion. The infusing of technology in that is what has put it on steroids, where there is the capability of doing this even more effectively now, I believe.

Paul Estes:

What are some examples where you think in your studies, in the journey that organizations have gotten this concept right? Where they've looked at an organization not as an org chart per se, but sort of a living, breathing network.

Parker Lee:

I sadly can think of a few on a huge multinational basis that have done it well. There are bright lights of that and pockets of it where they'll start innovation programs, or teams of people operate in a Holacracy or in an integrated team-based approach that is flat, that relishes and encourages experimentation, that uses remote working to its advantage.

But I don't know any organizations of the large ones that are doing it. There are many startups that do this. Part of that is scale. It's hard. The larger you get, the more you are building rigor mortis into the organization, just because like a body, it naturally fights innovation, because innovation is like an invasion coming into the well-oiled parts of your body that's invading it. It's finding a way to not make that so it's a negative disruption, but it's a positive disruption, I think.

Paul Estes:

In your work, what are some of the things that you coach organizations on as they aspire to have a more innovative or co-collaborative environment? Because I've experienced companies saying, "I want innovation. I want all of these things," and then when you actually go to put the program in place, I think to the point you made earlier, it's like an invasion. It is so foreign to the living body of the large organization, that they didn't know what they were getting into.

Parker Lee:

Yeah, you're exactly right. This comes into our transformation practice, change management, et cetera. It is destined to fail if there is not. There are a few key things that have to happen. Support from the top. If there is no full endorsement and backing and understanding at the very top leadership, executive leadership, it'll fail, because you'll be creating something below it, and it starts to rise and it gets squashed. Either budgets pulled away, people get moved to other areas, and it falls apart. I've seen that half a dozen times. That's number one.

Number two, it can't be done by a consultant. The consultant can be the Sherpa or the guide and help, but it has to be organically bred, and developed, and nurtured internally, which means there has to be... And there's another part of it. There needs to be a shared vision. Where are we going? Why do we want to get there? There has to be an understanding of what are the resources required internally and externally to get there. There has to be an understanding of what are the things that are going to prevent us from getting there. Which can be anything from systems, process, technology, talent, any of that. And there has to be a plan. It takes resources to do this. It takes focus and resources. It's like running a campaign that has... It should have a start and a stop. There have to be measures. How do we know when we're going to get there? What does it look like when we get there? How do we know as we're progressing, and measure that?

Those are some of the key elements, but most organizations will look at that academically but then can't put it into practice. That's where it will fail.

Paul Estes:

Sometimes, companies don't know why. When you talk to companies and you outline all of the items that you just mentioned, how many of them actually know the why behind what they're aspiring to do?

Parker Lee:

The five whys, as we say. Very few. Usually, that needs to be established obviously right at the get-go, because there has to be a case for change. There's a compelling reason. Sometimes, it's external factors. Sometimes, it's internal. More commonly, it's a combination of the two. But that needs to be understood, otherwise, you can't garner the champions or the advocates. That's another thing that has to happen.

When you're breeding this internally within the organization, again, it can't be done by a consultant. There have to be people that have the passion, have the understanding, and have the "This is why we have to do this." There has to be a reason to do it. It’s oftentimes our culture, it’s toxic, or it has to be competition coming in, or the world around us is changing way too rapidly, and if we don't, we're going to be ostriches with our heads in the sand. It's usually a combination of all of those, and then clearly seen, so that now build a plan, design a plan.

But it's designed by the people in the org. They have to get it. Because it's the context of the organization that drives how you're going to accomplish it.

Paul Estes:

Now, you talked about the high-level management buying it. So the main leader who's going to give permission for a team to do maybe work differently. Maybe say, "Hey, look, this team's going to work in a distributed fashion. We're going to bring on-demand people into the organization so we can get the expertise that we need to accomplish this goal." How do you educate those middle managers that are going to be impacted? Because now you're asking them to do something new and, to your comment earlier, to do something risky. There's an old saying that no one was ever fired for hiring IBM, right? I mean, just that-

Parker Lee:

Amen. There you go.

Paul Estes:

... general idea. So middle managers are not, in many cases, incented to embrace new ideas. What do you tell those groups when you actually go and implement an innovation program from Territory?

Parker Lee:

That's one of the rocks, one of the barriers that has to be gotten around as you look at the culture of the organization and the decision-making process and governance understanding. There needs to be an acknowledgment from upper management, middle management, and the people that are actually doing all the work that that situation exists. Then you create tools and processes, and endorsements, and systems that will give them an alternative path, and reinforce that, and reward it.

It will be different with every organization. Sometimes, it's literally in the compensation system. Sometimes, it's in the technology that's used. Sometimes, it's in the way that they conduct meetings. Sometimes, it's in the actual workflow and governance of how work is approved, and executed, and delivered. All of that is... Again, it comes back to this holistic look at it with the organization determining what those are.

What we found, though, it's very few organizations that have the knowledge and understanding. So how do you do that? The how is the most important part. That's where you usually do bring in somebody like Territory or otherwise, that says, "We've done this in lots of places. Here are the best practices. Now, which ones are going to work for you? You decide you embrace it. We'll help you build some of the tools, but you're the ones that are going to have to pick up that hammer and start putting together that new house. It's not us." Otherwise, it doesn't stick.

Paul Estes:

I want to plug your book because when we first met, I got a copy of it, The Art of Opportunity. If people have not seen the book, it's more of a practitioner's guide to finding opportunities than it is a textbook that I would read. One of the things that stuck out to me is how visual it was.

When I was going through the book, it explains to me how to think about driving transformation and change, but in a very visual language. I know you're also passionate about design thinking. Tell me a little bit about what inspired the book and how you think of innovation as it relates to visual thinking.

Parker Lee:

It's crucial. Humans are visual creatures since cave people. It's how we... You drive, you may find you do everything. Storytelling is one of our core areas. We believe you'll accelerate understanding, clarity, action by having visualization in there.

In the book, we have five key principles. One of them is visualization and storytelling. So we practice what we preach in saying, "It will help you get to that goal, or objective, or outcome faster, better." And it brings people along because storytelling is very emotional. It gets to a different place in your brain. Because we believe in that as a core principle, we said, "We have to have the book emulate that." That's why we designed it in a visual way. The table of contents is a reader's journey, so you see what you're going to experience, what you're going to use, and get there.

We use that in everything that we do: in how we engage with our customers and our clients from the very first conversation to the end of it, to the deliverables. It's because it's what we believe is more effective and impactful.

Paul Estes:

It was also a very approachable book, the topics in the book around opportunity and business model. I mean, there were some meaty topics in the book, but the book itself was approachable. Like you said, it took me through a journey that says, "Hey, problem-solving." It was a visual journey on problem-solving, which I found very interesting and very engaging. So if there's anyone who is thinking about innovation and thinking about transformation, The Art of Opportunity is a good starting point.

I also found myself jumping into different places and being equally as engaged no matter where I landed. So it was kind of an interesting experience as compared to sort of a standard business book.

Parker Lee:

By intent, designed that way. It's funny, even one of our senior facilitators just picked it up recently and used it for one of the engagements he had, where he cherry-picked three or four of the activities that are in there. Because he was able to put them together in a very different pattern, but use them to get the outcomes that he needed to achieve. So it's fun that you're able to let people kind of use it in their own context. That was another intent, it's saying, "You may be a startup, you may be a huge multinational. There isn't a prescriptive path. Here are lots of jewels, and gems, and ideas. Put them together in your own pattern."

Paul Estes:

Yeah, the patterns in the book were, I think, one of the things that resonated with me because I've been in both large companies and small companies. There were a lot of commonalities and like you said, brain food in the book… that made me think… so it's a great workbook.

On Territory's LinkedIn page, it states that Territory helps you break free of well-worn yet ineffective or unsatisfying approaches to problem-solving. Help me be specific. What are the ones today or this year or last year that you see next year that are the main challenges blocking organizations from really taking advantage of opportunity?

Parker Lee:

I believe it's in conducting business in the same way and thinking it will give you the same outcomes. We've had a lot of strategy sessions where they have us do, an offsite or otherwise, and we attack that even in the practice what we preach, where we say, "We are basically facilitating their ability to observe and see the obstacles, the barriers, and the context of the world as it's working, both in the organization and outside them, to then lay a path for what are the critical initiatives we have to undertake for us to succeed." So it is in a combination of strategy.

I think the other thing that we're all seeing right now is, with coronavirus, et cetera, a lot of heat and spotlight on remote working. It's how do we weave that into the way of having teams be more effective? One of our core principles is about diversity, and not just in diversity of race or other, it's the diversity of thought and diversity of personality in ways of thinking. That implies team-based. With a more diverse team, you have better outcomes, because it makes the ideas... They become battle-tested, and new ideas will surface. That's some of the other stuff that we try to put forward is bring in a group. Our approach, in what you were describing and what Territory says, is much of it workshop-based, whether it's remote or in person, it's visual-based, and it's taking a different tact on going after the problem that you're addressing so that you'll have a different outcome.

Paul Estes:

You do both in-person consulting and remote consulting. Tell me the difference between the two.

Parker Lee:

Radically and significantly different. We are huge proponents of remove the technology and eyeball to eyeball because we as humans thrive on the kind of social aspects of creating ideas and building off of each other, et cetera. You don't always have that luxury. With climate change and with now coronavirus, et cetera, you can't always be in the same place and take advantage of that. So the design of the experience has to change dramatically.

When you can be in one place, and I think there are times when it's mandated otherwise, you take advantage of that. When you can't, you can either do the hybrid of a few pockets of people, or one group is in one place and then others dial in, or you have everybody 100% remotely. In each one of those scenarios, you design and architect the meeting differently. There are different roles that are required. Sometimes, for example, when there are more remote working, you need to ensure that there is a scribe, there's a digital manager of the technology that's going on that keeps things going, there's somebody that's taking care of questions and how to order that, there's the facilitation or lead of what's going to happen with the experience, there's the preplanning and how that's done either as a group or independently, and there's the communication of what happens in and then outside of the session. You try to get the same outcome. It's just the process has to be different and designed.

Paul Estes:

I think you said something really important. Actually, I experienced this earlier this week here in... We live in Seattle. My wife works at Microsoft, and everybody's working from home. For the first two days, she was getting... She's got a team. They work in Azure, the cloud. They were working in the same way that they would work at the office. You could see her coming down, getting kind of frustrated, and then she started to realize, "I need to change the way I work. I can't be in back-to-back meetings from 9:00 to 5:00," and she needed time to get up and do different things. She needed time to write things down.

There's a different way of working when you're working with distributed teams. I think many organizations try to apply the way they work when they're all located in the same hallway to a distributed working environment. To your point, you have to adapt the way you work to who you're working with and the modality by which you're working.

Parker Lee:

Completely right. I just did a post. I'm working in our Work Forward site on writing an article about working remotely and the barriers and the challenges and how to overcome those and get there. It takes a different way of working.

Paul Estes:

Yeah, and we'll make, we’ll post that in the show notes. Tell me a little bit about the Work Forward Summit.

Parker Lee:

It came from an... I met with Jim Kalbach from MURAL. We were having a beer in New York about a year ago. I said, "I'm so tired of people talking about the future of work because the future can be achieved right now. It's not about the let's look way out there and maybe we'll get there, or what new shiny little toys are there. It's about taking advantage of all the different tools, and approaches, and resources, and time-shifting, et cetera that exist today."

The other thing that I brought up is that you talk with any company, you bring up Microsoft. They say, "The future of work is Teams, and is Surface Hubs, and are in our SharePoint platform." Okay, you're smart. Then MURAL would say, "Well, it's asynchronous, synchronous creative platforms that are in the cloud." Steelcase would say, "You have to have the right physical situation." WeWork says, "Well, it's being able to be flexible and get in when you want. Sometimes together and sometimes apart." You're all pretty children. The answer is it's all of that.

Paul Estes:

That's right.

Parker Lee:

That's when we said, "Okay, so how do we tackle that and talk about it?" I said, "Well, Jim, let's bring together a group of smart people that can go through a day of trying to articulate: So what are we talking about here? What does it look like? How might we address it? And how do we maybe create the tools or the ways people can become and activate the conversation at their own organizations for what they might do about it?" That was the genesis of the Work Forward Summit. We held it last... I think it was in October. And came out with, "What does work look like? What are the work activities? What is it today? What can it be? And then what can we do about it to try to make it better?"

We now have a site and we're trying to, quote, "build a movement." The people that all showed up, we finished the summit and said, "What's next? What do we do?" They all said, "There's a 'there' there. This is big. We're signing up for being a part of the founders of the movement. Let's make this thing viral and go." So there's a Work Forward site now. Go to workforward.co. That's where it is.

We're just starting. I, we, Territory doesn't plan on doing all the work. It is people. Sign up on a Slack channel. We're trying to get new events, and create assessments, and build other tools, and have further delineation of what does Work Forward look like. I'm really excited about it, obviously. You can tell that, right?

Paul Estes:

I can.

Parker Lee:

Yeah. But I think there's something there for us because it is making the business of work better. That's what it is. It's not that there's a single answer. You have a passion about the gig economy, which is part of working forward, but it's the sole answer. It's a critical answer, but it's not the only part. We all have a place to play in this.

Paul Estes:

That's one of the things that I've liked about your work is bringing together both the physical, and the remote, and the various technologies that are all trying to give a value proposition. I like to say often the future of work is here. It's just not evenly distributed. That's how I think about it. Because I run into people that are way ahead of me, and then I run into people that are way behind me, and then I run into a lot of people who are kind of in the same ballpark that I'm in as it relates to adopting technology and really pushing against the standard ways that work gets done.

Parker, thank you so much for taking time to chat with me today. If somebody wants to learn more about you, The Art of Opportunity, Work Forward, or anything else at Territory, what's the best way to get in touch?

Parker Lee:

We have a contact form on the Work Forward site, on Territory's site. Reach out to me on LinkedIn. Any of those would be great.

Paul Estes:

Sounds great. We'll keep all that information in the show notes. Thanks again.

Parker Lee:

It's been great. I appreciate your candor, your honesty, and your curiosity. Keep doing the work that you're doing.

Paul Estes:

I'm your host, Paul Estes. Thank you for listening to The Talent Economy Podcast. Learn more about the future of work and the transformation of the staffing industry from those leading the conversation at staffing.com, where you can hear from experts, sign up for our weekly newsletter, and get access to the best industry research on the future of staffing. If you've enjoyed the conversation, we'd appreciate you rating us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts, or just tell a friend about the show. Be sure to tune in next week for another episode of the Talent Economy.

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The best products are those built to address and solve a problem. Amir Salihefendić did just that in his college dorm 13 years ago. He built a simple task management app to help him stay organized. That app would eventually become Todoist, one of the world’s most popular to-do list apps with nearly 25 million users.

Salihefendić, Founder and CEO of Doist, leads a fully distributed team of more than 70 people located in 30 countries. Doist went on to address its own challenges with productivity and collaboration with the launch of Twist, an asynchronous communication platform that offers a calmer and more organized user experience.

He credits the “remote-first” movement and his ability to hire the most talented team members—no matter where they live—as the secret to success.

Links:

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We talked with Dr. Jonathan Wright about the diagnostic and economic challenges that need to be overcome before patients can fully take advantage of the benefits of telemedicine.

Learn more about Dr. Wright’s practice and research, or connect with him on Twitter:

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Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a very small percentage of marketing, advertising, and PR agencies were engaging with the talent economy—most operated primarily with their in-house teams. The pandemic forced an immediate workforce transition and has collectively challenged the world’s views on where and how work can be done. However, imagine having insight into the benefits of contingent work 10 years ago. Now, imagine making the choice to shift your agency to an open talent model, disrupting an industry that, up until three months ago, still firmly believed that the best work could only be done in-house.

This week’s guest is Ryan Gill, CEO & co-founder of Communo, a talent marketplace for freelancers and agencies in the advertising, marketing, and PR space. Prior to Communo, Ryan was the co-founder and president of Cult Collective, an international engagement agency, and co-founder of The Gathering, a world-class annual summit that brings together some of the top CMOs and leaders from the biggest brands and more than 5,000 to the mountain resort town of Banff, Alberta.

Ryan is also the author of two books, the latest being Fix: Break the Addictions That Are Killing Brands. Most importantly, he’s a husband and a father of two little girls.

Ryan joins Paul for a deep dive into his experience launching Communo: how he’s spent the past 10 years helping to shape the talent economy narrative, shining a light on the benefits offered to both talent and clients, and advocating for the future of work. Ryan says that you should never build a company for the past, but for the future... and 10 years ago, he did just that.

Questions I ask:

In this episode, you will:

Connect with Ryan:

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If you could design your best life, what would it entail? Are there aspects of your personal life that you feel, if addressed professionally, would create greater harmony in your life? For example, how many of you have creative outlets that are completely removed from your professional lives? What would it mean to have an organization consider the totality of your talents and not just those that pertain to a particular role?

This week’s guest is David Nuff, Principal at Nuff, a design agency that works with brands to translate their values into tangible, visual assets. David is also part of the Toptal network, where he serves as a freelance design consultant and a contributor to Toptal’s Speakers Academy. David and Paul speak candidly about the many missed talent opportunities that organizations face when, despite their communicated support, they refuse to take a chance and consider candidates with diverse experiences moving away from traditional role requirements.

David goes on and speaks to how being raised with an appreciation for both the arts and sciences influenced his career, and offers key advice to both organizational leaders and freelancers on how to navigate remote team dynamics. A key takeaway that David offers is that to the degree people can build their best lives, they will do their best work. For him, it’s location independence, and having that opportunity has cultivated a sense of personal happiness and a diverse set of experiences that inspires his work.

Questions I ask:

In this episode, you will:

Connect with David:

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“Think outside the box” is a famous adage. Yet many of us—as we advance in our education and begin to specialize in our careers—begin thinking more within the boxes defined by our areas of expertise. While our specialties are important and necessary, they can often create blind spots. It turns out that the majority of the problems faced by large organizations are solved by people outside of the organization. Companies are engaging talent from the gig economy and crowdsourcing platforms to partner with internal experts and tackle issues.

HeroX, a spin-off of XPRIZE, is the world’s largest problem-solver community and number one crowdsourcing platform. They empower everyday people to create, compete, share, and work with some of the world’s largest companies to solve some of the hardest problems.

HeroX Co-founder and CEO Christian Cotichini is a four-time founder with more than 20 years of experience leading startups and high-growth technology companies. He joins Paul to discuss remote work, the (literally) out-of-this-world problems that HeroX is helping to address, the future of work, and the innovative opportunities Christian believes crowdsourcing allows organizations.

Questions I ask:

In this episode, you will:

Connect with Christian:

Abundance (Peter Diamandis & Steven Kotler)

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With suddenly remote educational institutions being in the spotlight recently, why has employee learning and development (L&D) gone under the radar? Many companies offer L&D resources to their teams—it’s among the top benefits discussed during the interview process. With the sudden shift to remote working, Paul welcomes Keith Keating for a conversation about how L&D has been impacted during this time and how L&D leaders are faring.

Keith is a learning and development professional, a self-proclaimed problem solver, and a workforce futurist. He works for a Fortune 500 company based in Detroit, Michigan. He opens up candidly about his personal experience with this remote work shift and how he’s managed to tap into the beauty of this time.

Paul and Keith discuss the shock this has had on the L&D industry, forcing a 10+ year virtual learning roadmap into effect overnight. Most importantly, Keith speaks to the importance of mental health and how essential it is that CEOs make the necessary changes to support their teams, evolving into what he calls “Chief Empathy Officers.”

Connect with Keith:

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When did you first realize the benefits of remote work? Were you hearing requests from your employees for more flexibility around their work?

Was it talent-driven? Did you realize that requiring employees to be on-site was limiting your ability to attract top talent?

For those of you who are still on the fence about remote work, what’s still giving you pause?

Iwo Szapar is a remote work advocate and the CEO of Remote-how. Remote-how is a platform powered by and for the community of leaders of distributed teams from 128 countries. Described as an online campus where you get to meet and grow with top remote managers from all around the world, Remote-how is at the forefront of the remote work revolution as the ultimate solution for remote education, recruitment, and international employment. Iwo is also a sought-after speaker and the founder of The Remote Future Summit, the largest virtual event focused on remote work featured in Forbes and BBC.

Iwo and Paul discuss his journey into remote work and how he’s worked with C-suite executives and HR leaders to broach the topic, turning their “I don’t know about this…” into a “Maybe it could work, how can it be done?” While getting top-level buy-in is key, the real challenges with remote work tend to occur with front-line management, ensuring that these leaders are properly equipped to manage and support a team they cannot see.

Once US states begin to reopen, organizations will be faced with how to properly re-integrate their teams back into a fully on-site or hybrid work structure. Iwo speaks to the importance of educating the market and providing leaders with examples and resources. He also offers his expertise on how managers and HR leaders can prepare for team inquiries about fully or partially maintaining their remote work status.

Questions I ask:

In this episode, you will learn about:

Connect with Iwo:

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This week’s episode welcomes a new host to The Talent Economy Podcast, Toptal’s Chief Economist, Erik Stettler. Many of you may remember Erik from his interview with Paul earlier this year (Putting a Dent in the Universe: Introducing Toptal Chief Economist Erik Stettler). Paul and Erik, along with other key members of the Toptal team, will host different episodes of the podcast, each offering their unique perspectives on the Future of Work and introducing us to key leaders from within the industry and their respective networks.

Toptal’s Head of Projects, Stephanie Currier, joins Erik for his first episode. Stephanie holds three degrees from Northwestern University and Clarkson University. She has been in the IT management and consulting industry for about 10 years, where she started as an IT analyst and iteration manager at ThoughtWorks in Chicago, working with distributed teams for clients across multiple industries including fintech, eCommerce, and healthcare. Stephanie subsequently moved into program and product management roles for two startups.

She has been working with Toptal for the last three years. As the head of projects, she manages a team of delivery managers that curate and manage entire teams of Toptal talent to deliver successful client solutions.

In Part 1 of their conversation, Erik and Stephanie deep dive into a discussion about current events, how their personal passions have influenced their professional outlooks, the opportunities that remote work allows, and the importance of being output-driven. They also offer advice on how to alleviate client concerns around working with a remote team.

Questions Erik asks:

In this episode, you will learn about:

Connect with Stephanie:

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The conversation continues….

As mentioned in Part 1, this week’s episode welcomes a new host to The Talent Economy Podcast, Toptal’s Chief Economist, Erik Stettler. Many of you may remember Erik from his interview with Paul earlier this year (Putting a Dent in the Universe: Introducing Toptal Chief Economist Erik Stettler). Paul and Erik, along with other key members of the Toptal team, will host different episodes of the podcast, each offering their unique perspectives on the Future of Work and introducing us to key leaders from within the industry and their respective networks.

Toptal’s Head of Projects, Stephanie Currier, joins Erik for his first episode. Stephanie holds three degrees from Northwestern University and Clarkson University. She has been in the IT management and consulting industry for about 10 years, where she started as an IT analyst and iteration manager at ThoughtWorks in Chicago, working with distributed teams for clients across multiple industries including fintech, eCommerce, and healthcare. Stephanie subsequently moved into program and product management roles for two startups.

She has been working with Toptal for the last three years. As the head of projects, she manages a team of delivery managers that curate and manage entire teams of Toptal talent to deliver successful client solutions.

In Part 2 of their conversation, Erik and Stephanie discuss current events and their impact on remote work. With so many being forced into working remotely, it’s likely that remote work could be defined under these circumstances. Erik and Stephanie speak to the importance of viewing remote work as its own paradigm, understanding your team, how they work, and ensuring there's an open line of communication. They close the conversation on an optimistic note, acknowledging the impact of the current crisis and shining a light on the opportunities available to both organizations and talent: “Some of our best innovators came from downtimes. This is the time to be productive and to think about what you’re best at and what you can succeed in.” -Stephanie Currier

Questions Erik asks:

In this episode, you will learn about:

Connect with Stephanie:

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I’m joined this week by Brad Johnson, a consultant who works for a large professional services company and its advisory practice. He’s in the people and org competency and works primarily with large tech companies.

Prior to current events, Brad’s office presence mirrored that of his clients, and he usually found himself on site. That’s where the magic happened: relationships were built, meetings held, presentations made, and pitches conducted to attract new business. Cut to a month or so ago when most of Brad’s clients had to shift their operations to a remote work structure, forcing him to do the same.

Brad and I speak candidly on how the remote work shift has impacted the client-consultant dynamic, how he and his team have adjusted to the transition being longer than they originally expected, and the importance of the virtual experience being enhanced to match, or exceed, the richness offered from in-person interaction.

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This week, we are launching Toptal’s “Rise of Remote” series, a special edition of The Talent Economy Podcast, featuring advice and perspectives from experts in remote work. Prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic that has accelerated the gradual advance of remote work into a stampede, we thought it was extraordinarily relevant to create a special series dedicated to hearing from experts on how to succeed when working remotely. So who better for me to speak with about this topic than Taso Du Val, CEO of Toptal, the world’s largest fully remote company. Taso also serves on the board of multiple organizations, advising on talent strategy and innovation for Fortune 100s and nonprofits.

Taso and I kick off the “Rise of Remote” series with a conversation about the state of remote work, Toptal’s best practices for leading a high-performing, fully distributed team, work-life balance, and what companies will be best positioned for the Future of Work.

Questions I ask:

In this episode, you will learn:

Connect with Taso:

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This week, we are launching Toptal’s “Rise of Remote” series, a special edition of theTalent Economy Podcast, featuring advice and perspectives from experts in remote work. Prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic that has accelerated the gradual advance of remote work into a stampede, we thought it was extraordinarily relevant to create a special series dedicated to hearing from experts on how to succeed when working remotely. We continue the conversation with Toptal’s VP of Talent Operations, Christy Schumann.

Schumann is accountable for ensuring successful client outcomes by delivering the right talent from our global network, matched to client business needs and time frame. She spent more than a decade in management consulting at Bain & Company and later joined Rackspace as general manager of their cybersecurity business.

Schumann discusses remote work productivity, the importance of defining success for your team, remote work tools, Toptal’s strong culture, and her predictions on what the future holds for the global workforce.

Some Questions Asked:

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Links:

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This week, we are launching Toptal’s “Rise of Remote” series, a special edition of The Talent Economy Podcast, featuring advice and perspectives from experts in remote work. Prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic that has accelerated the gradual advance of remote work into a stampede, we thought it was extraordinarily relevant to create a special series dedicated to hearing from experts on how to succeed when working remotely. In this episode, I’m joined by Toptal’s VP of Product, Kleanthis Georgaris.

Kleanthis drives the evolution of Toptal's platform and associated products, working closely with operations and engineering teams to drive and support our hypergrowth by providing a seamless, on-demand experience for clients and network talent. He specializes in digital talent networks, leveraging a diverse background at Microsoft, McKinsey, and many early- and late-stage startups, as well as launching a startup of his own.

Kleanthis and I discuss remote work best practices and how to structure a product team in, and for, a remote environment. We deep dive into the importance of communication, transparency, work-life balance, and how to overcome the “trust barriers” that often stereotype remote work.

Questions I ask:

In this episode, you will learn:

Connect with Kleanthis:

Email: kleanthis@toptal.com

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This week, we are launching Toptal’s “Rise of Remote” series, a special edition of The Talent Economy Podcast, featuring advice and perspectives from experts in remote work. Prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic that has accelerated the gradual advance of remote work into a stampede, we thought it was extraordinarily relevant to create a special series dedicated to hearing from experts on how to succeed when working remotely. In this episode, I speak with Sachin Bhagwata, Interim VP of Enterprise at Toptal.

Sachin is responsible for building and managing Toptal’s enterprise business, which includes business development, product & service definition, account management, and team development. Sachin leads a team of sales executives, client partners, and sales development representatives who all work to deploy a unique model that delivers the very best talent to Toptal’s clients. He has more than 15 years of experience delivering exceptional results to executive leaders at Fortune 500 organizations, specializing in key account management, revenue management, digital consulting, and digital innovation.

Sachin and I discuss his experience transitioning from working on-site to a fully distributed, remote workforce, the eye-opening lesson he learned about how collaboration works in remote teams, best practices for cultivating and supporting work-life balance, and his advice on how to build camaraderie within a remote sales team. Sachin also provides insight into what the new normal will be for Fortune 500 companies 18 months from now.

Questions I ask:

In this episode, you will learn:

Connect with Sachin:

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This week, we are launching Toptal’s “Rise of Remote” series, a special edition of The Talent Economy Podcast, featuring advice and perspectives from experts in remote work. Prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic that has accelerated the gradual advance of remote work into a stampede, we thought it was extraordinarily relevant to create a special series dedicated to hearing from experts on how to succeed when working remotely. In this episode, I speak with Mike Dowhan, VP of SMB sales at Toptal.

Mike is responsible for developing winning go-to-market strategies, coaching excellence, and for driving growth within the small and mid-sized clients incorporating inside sales, sales operations and enablement, account and relationship management, and outside and specialist sales roles to continue Toptal’s hyper-growth trajectory. He brings more than 20 years of experience in management, sales, operations, and technology from Morningstar, The Boston Consulting Group, and Goldman Sachs.

Mike and I discuss what it takes to be successful in consultative sales, how Toptal is helping its small business clients with their remote work transition, the importance of flexibility, and the opportunities that it can afford talent, and we share insights into best practices for working remotely.

Questions I ask:

In this episode, you will learn:

Connect with Mike:

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This week, we are launching Toptal’s “Rise of Remote” series, a special edition of The Talent Economy Podcast, featuring advice and perspectives from experts in remote work. Prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic that has accelerated the gradual advance of remote work into a stampede, we thought it was extraordinarily relevant to create a special series dedicated to hearing from experts on how to succeed when working remotely. Today, I’m speaking with Toptal’s CTO, Ismael Peinado.

Ismael leads the company's engineering organization, driving process and culture to ensure top-quality delivery from our team of world-class engineers. Ismael was formerly the CEO and co-founder of Blue4, a distributed multimedia system used in the aerospace and entertainment industries. He leverages more than 20 years’ experience in providing commercial, operational, and technical leadership for B2B, B2C, and government organizations from early-stage startups to large, high-growth market leaders.

Ismael and I discuss his past fears about remote work, how flexibility can allow for more efficiency and support work-life balance, and the importance of creating a culture designed for a remote work environment—one that promotes collaboration, autonomy, trust, and empowerment.

Questions I ask:

In this episode, you will learn:

Connect with Ismael:

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This week, I’m joined by Ed Pederson, the VP of Product Development at Kelly Services, and my Toptal colleague, Rory Spanier.

Ed is a subject matter expert in product development, design thinking, operational execution, strategic sourcing, operational procurement, and Lean Six Sigma processes. He leads a team of product developers who produce net new products across the Kelly enterprise.

Rory is the director of Staffing Programs at Toptal and specializes in solving challenging enterprise client-talent needs. Rory kicks off our conversation with an exciting announcement!

Questions I ask:

In this episode, you will learn about:

Connect with Ed and Rory:

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In this episode, we’re joined by Lori, who works at a Fortune 50 aerospace company. Due to the nature of the business, manufacturing, the majority of the team’s communication was done in person. Current events forced a complete shift and required more virtual engagement. The challenge is, while many companies were already equipped with the basic technology needed to support a remote work transition, Lori’s organization was not.

Lori and I discuss her experience with the transition, the key role technology plays in supporting effective communication, how the team is managing the new work structure, and what she hopes to learn from it all.

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In this episode, I’m joined by Kyle Hutchinson, his wife Jen, and their family. During the first part of the conversation, Kyle and I do a bit of a temperature check on his remote work experience.

When we spoke, Kyle, who works at an eCommerce company in Seattle, was six days into his remote work experience. We discuss some of the initial pain points, what he’s doing to settle into his new normal, what he misses most about being in the office, and what’s intriguing him the most about this transition.

Jen later joins to talk about her experience with having Kyle home. Jen is a stay-at-home mom who’s also been impacted by current events, now having Kyle and their two kids home full-time. She speaks to the adjustments she’s made and what they’ve done to work through some of the initial challenges.

In this episode, there were also two very special cameo appearances made by a surprise host and a surprise guest.

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Welcome to Toptal’s Rise of Remote podcast series. In just a few short weeks, the shift to remote work catapulted forward 10 years. The pandemic forced companies around the world to suddenly go remote, not out of a desire to experiment with a new way of working, but out of a necessity to keep their businesses afloat.

Prior to the pandemic, we sat down for a conversation with Toptal’s VP of People, Michelle Labbe. Michelle is accountable for Toptal’s People and Recruiting teams, creating and maintaining a world-class experience for all Toptal team members through hiring, developing, and retaining top talent. Previously, she served as chief people officer at ICR. Her 20+ year career has included senior talent leadership roles across both the startup and agency worlds, spanning multiple industries.

In this episode, Michelle offers key advice on how to adjust to and thrive in a remote work environment. We discuss her experience transitioning to a fully distributed organization, how a remote environment can allow for more personal connections within the team, and we deep dive into Toptal’s culture. Michelle says, “at Toptal, your life and your location fit into your work, and not vice versa - your work doesn’t dictate where you live or how you live your life.”

Some questions asked:

In this episode, you will learn:

Connect with Michelle

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Much of the news these past few weeks has been centered around businesses and their transition to remote work environments. Education is another field that, within a matter of days, was also forced into a remote structure.

In this episode, I’m joined by Mark Kalal. Mark teaches first grade at an independent school and shares his experience with how he, and his school, prepared to transform their curriculum and student engagement into a distance learning environment. He also sheds light on the impact that current events are having on students in schools, and environments, with limited resources.

Remote engagement isn’t just limited to students. A silver lining has been that the flexibility of teleconferencing has allowed for a more personable, engaging, and participatory experience during parent-teaching conferences - an option that, once on-site learning resumes, Mark will continue to offer.

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In this episode, we’re joined by Jen Kalal, senior program manager at Amazon. Jen works in recruiting and manages the team’s capacity, figuring out how many new hires are needed, where they’re going to be hired, and how many recruiters are required to help achieve the goal.

One of the most challenging areas right now is human capital, and Jen provides insight into some of the adjustments that had to be made when Amazon gave the directive for remote work.

Jen and I also discuss her biggest challenge, greatest lesson, and some of the technological and operational pain points that the team has had to overcome working remotely—and how, in the midst of everything, she’s become a more empathetic person and manager.

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This week, we’re joined by Kerry Brown, VP of workforce adoption at SAP, who is also a speaker, thought leader, and strategist. At SAP, Kerry focuses on the Future of Work: how jobs will change, where we work, how we work, and who we work with. Kerry has a passion for making employees successful at their jobs and helps companies achieve organizational excellence with SAP.

A self-proclaimed SAP evangelist, Kerry joined the company 15 years ago and spent 12 years as an SAP customer. She previously worked for Coca-Cola Enterprises, Baker Hughes, and CSR. In addition, Kerry is an international speaker and advisor on the Future of Work, workforce adoption, and change management, interacting with diverse global occupational cultures and industries, including many Fortune 1000 customers.

Kerry joins for me a conversation on the Future of Work, education, reskilling, generational trends, and the power shift that’s occurred from organizations to talent.

Questions I ask:

In this episode, you will learn:

Connect with Kerry:

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In this week’s episode, we’re joined by Corinne Ripoche, president of Pontoon Solutions. A division of The Adecco Group, Pontoon is a global HR outsourcing company that drives the acquisition of permanent talent and manages contingent and project workforce on behalf of organizations in more than 100 countries.

Corinne joined Pontoon in 2017, after almost 15 years at The Adecco Group. A staffing industry leader and visionary, Corinne repositioned it from a regionally managed operation to a global delivery model with trusted industry specialization.

Corinne and I discuss the importance of having an entrepreneurial spirit, how the concept of work has transformed across generations, the landscape and future of the global workforce, and her innovative approach to leadership - one that has firmly positioned Pontoon as an industry disruptor.

Questions I ask:

In this episode, you will learn:

Connect with Corinne:

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This week’s episode welcomes Marcus Sawyerr, CEO of YOSS - a cloud-based talent platform connecting high-demand skills with flexible global opportunities. YOSS originated from an R&D lab within The Adecco Group. Marcus, a staffing industry veteran, is responsible for creating and leading the digital agenda for one of the largest HR solutions providers in the world.

Driven by his passion for making a positive impact in the lives of others and helping people reach their highest potential, Marcus is committed to making YOSS the most trusted destination for the talent economy. He joins us for a conversation about his career journey, the staffing industry’s digital transformation, the impact of AI and automation, plus his thoughts on the convergence of staffing resources.

Questions I ask:

In this episode, you will learn:

Connect with Marcus Sawyerr

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In this week’s episode, we’re exploring the other side of the talent economy - the talent.

I sit down with Melissa Morgan, who is a designer, freelancer, and marketing strategist. Melissa is a key contributor in the Toptal network, and we discuss her journey into freelancing. Three years ago, she found herself unhappy at her full-time job. Wanting to be anywhere else, she made the choice to bet on herself and lean into her passions. Melissa always loved solving problems—and before she knew it—she found herself being paid to provide creative solutions.

Melissa talks to us about her personal and professional journey—from how she came to be a designer to her transition from a full-time employee to freelancer. She also shares some of her freelance success stories and offers key advice on how to navigate some of the challenges.

Questions I ask:

In this episode, you will learn:

Connect with Melissa Morgan:

Resources:

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With 10 resumes submitted, what determines if there are five prospective candidates instead of two?

That’s right - it’s the recruiter.

In this episode, I’m joined by Ken Lazarus, the CEO of Scout Exchange. We discuss the talent economy, AI-powered recruiting - i.e., the role that data and AI play in the process, and how - for every job (and I mean every job) - there is someone out there poised with a very specific skill set to quickly and efficiently find candidates to fill those roles. This is where Scout Exchange comes in.

Scout Exchange is an AI-driven online marketplace where organizations are matched with expert recruiters to help them find talent. Scout Exchange lists everything from directors of medicine to chicken pluckers.

Ken and I discuss the role of AI in talent acquisition, the dynamics of the recruiter-candidate relationship, and how important it is to foster a sense of trust. We also speak at length about the importance of diversifying the talent pool and how Scout Exchange is working to identify and mitigate decision biases.

Some questions I ask:

In this episode, you will learn:

Connect with Ken Lazarus:

LinkedIn

Scout Exchange

Resources:

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

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This week, we welcome Erik Stettler to both the show and the Toptal team. Erik recently joined Toptal as chief economist. A longtime member of the network and advocate of the talent economy, he discusses his work with Toptal and what he’s most looking forward to in his new role.

Erik began his career as an economist and data scientist, tasked with helping the global financial market manage large-scale challenges. Having experienced firsthand the impact and benefits of the global talent economy, Erik is committed to bridging the gap between talent and opportunity.

Erik says, “talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not.” It was this thesis that inspired him to co-found his VC fund Firstrock Capital, investing only in companies that have embraced the global talent economy and remote work. We speak at length about the risks and rewards of leveraging global talent, the opportunities it can afford both organizations and individuals, and what the future holds for talent and technology.

Some questions I ask:

In this episode, you will learn:

Connect with Erik Stettler:

Resources:

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Why are we selling our bodies to the companies we work for?

We only have one life – there’s a better way to spend it than sitting in an office for 10 hours a day. Remote work provides more flexibility as well as opportunities to earn more money and spend more time with loved ones. That’s exactly what Thomas Jajeh evangelizes every day.

In this episode, I talk with Thomas Jajeh, the CEO of twago, about how massive online talent platforms are changing the way the world works. Thomas himself created the leading platform for talent in Europe, which stands at the forefront of the modern workplace, encouraging individual freelance experts and companies to collaborate on projects together.

In our conversation, we discuss how these freelance platforms have advanced over time, how they will continue to evolve, and why companies need to jump on board to remain sustainable.

Get ready to learn about how freelance marketplaces are taking the world by storm. 

Some questions I ask:

In this episode, you will learn:

Connect with Thomas Jajeh:

LinkedIn

twago

Email

Resources:

That Will Never Work by Marc Randolph

The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman

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Technology is moving faster than it ever has before—and as slow as it ever will again.

Technology makes productivity essentially limitless. The ability to access global talent and hire skilled freelancers means that there are no restrictions around what work can get done, and when.

In this episode, I talk with Cara Bedford, director of marketing at CompuVision, who is also the managing editor of Disruption Magazine and the product owner of Taskify. With all of this on her plate, Cara manages hundreds of projects at a time—all of which are successfully completed through the help of freelancers.

Over the last few years, Cara unwillingly shifted away from working with agencies to hiring freelancers, which ended up being the best change she could imagine. In our conversation, Cara shares her early experiences with the talent economy, how to hire a freelancer, and what lessons she’s learned through trial and error. Cara also offers advice about key characteristics to look for to find the best freelancer available.

Get ready to learn from Cara about the benefits of hiring freelancers and her best practices in finding the best talent for the job.

Some questions I ask:

In this episode, you will learn:

Connect with Cara Bedford:

LinkedIn

Twitter

CompuVision

Resources:

Boldby Peter Diamandis

Disruption Magazine

Taskify

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There’s a new wave of innovation coming along, with all sorts of new companies entering the staffing industry. The economy is on the rise with more open job opportunities than people looking to fill them. For the first time, the talent is in the driver’s seat.

In this episode, I talk with Barry Asin, the president at Staffing Industry Analysts. As a leader in the staffing industry, Barry knows full well that what got staffing firms this far will not get them any further. The talent revolution is fully underway, and Barry sits at the forefront.

In our conversation, Barry discusses the explosion of jobs and gig work in what seems like an overnight digital transformation. As we dive in, Barry also shares his experiences at Taco Bell University and explains how the lessons learned there apply to his work today, how organizational leaders can take the next step toward embracing flexibility, and what the future of work really looks like.

Get ready to learn how the digital transformation disrupts the cyclical nature of the economy and how this will impact the future.

Some questions I ask:

In this episode, you will learn:

Connect with Barry Asin:

LinkedIn

Resources:

Staffing Industry Analysts

Breaking Throughby Mike Cleland and Barry Asin

“The Gig Economy and Human Cloud Landscape: 2019 Update”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

That’s what Mathilde Fouque’s digital nomad life looks like. In her life, Mathilde visited 33 countries around the world. In the past 18 months, as a digital nomad, she has visited 29 American states, and 15 US national parks—all while steadily holding down her position at GE.

In this episode, I talk with Mathilde about her transition into the world of remote work and what her first year of travel looked like. She shares stories about becoming a digital nomad, how her colleagues handled it, and why this newfound freedom continues to inspire her to be an outstanding employee at GE.

Get ready to learn about Mathilde’s adventures as a digital nomad and how companies can help create experiences like this for their employees.

Some questions I ask:

In this episode, you will learn:

Connect with Mathilde Fouque:

LinkedIn

Resources:

“12 months living as a digital nomad” by Mathilde Fouque 

7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.