Advertise on podcast: The Breakthrough Hiring Show: Recruiting and Talent Acquisition Conversations

In this episode, host James Mackey talks with Jeremy Lyons, Co-Founder of RecOps Collective, about what recruiting operations really includes, why AI rollouts often fail without clear context, and how hiring culture shows up in the data. They discuss scheduling automation, the hidden cost of automating entry-level roles, and practical ways to stay credible while working with vendors and partners. Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision, for making this show possible!    Follow us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/82436841/ SecureVision: #1 Rated Embedded Recruitment Firm on G2! https://www.g2.com/products/securevision/reviews Thanks for listening!

Host James Mackey sits down with Jennifer Anker, a talent acquisition executive who has built and led recruiting organizations at Illumio, Twilio, Wiz, and Okta. Long before recruiting, Jennifer studied animal behavior and worked with marine mammals - an experience that shaped the calm, positive-reinforcement leadership style she still uses today. Jennifer and James explore how to deliver direct feedback with empathy, use positive reinforcement as a genuine management philosophy, and build teams that feel empowered to challenge ideas - including their leader’s. They also discuss overcoming imposter syndrome, creating a culture of “disagree and commit,” and adapting coaching to what motivates each individual. The conversation closes with a practical look at AI in recruiting, from note-taking tools to custom AI agents, and why recruiters who learn to work alongside AI will have a significant advantage over those who don’t. Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision, for making this show possible!    Follow us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/82436841/ SecureVision: #1 Rated Embedded Recruitment Firm on G2! https://www.g2.com/products/securevision/reviews Thanks for listening!

We sit down with Michael Prem, Head of Recruiting at Skyflow, to explore how growing up across Sri Lanka, Zambia, and Toronto shaped his coaching-first approach to hiring and leadership. He explains why he values hard work over “perfect-for-the-moment” talent, especially in fast-moving startup environments where priorities shift every few months. Along the way, we connect competitive sports, startup pace, and the rise of AI in recruiting to one core idea: adaptability and trust win over time. Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision, for making this show possible!    Follow us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/82436841/ SecureVision: #1 Rated Embedded Recruitment Firm on G2! https://www.g2.com/products/securevision/reviews Thanks for listening!

Vincenzo Fasulo grew up in Benevento, Italy, a city older than Rome. After moving to the U.S. during one of the most uncertain chapters of his life, he built an unconventional path from receptionist to Head of Talent at SafeBreach. In this conversation, he shares how that journey shaped the way he leads TA today: looking past the resume, giving people a chance, and building recruiting systems that can keep up with AI. Connect with host James Mackey on LinkedIn! Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision, for making this show possible!    Follow us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/82436841/ SecureVision: #1 Rated Embedded Recruitment Firm on G2! https://www.g2.com/products/securevision/reviews Thanks for listening!

Aurelien Drieu is Qonto's Head of Talent Acquisition. Over the past six years, he's helped scale the company from 200 to 1,700+ employees. In this conversation, he shares how his team uses AI to move faster without trading off on quality - from automating dashboards and building in-house agents that take on repetitive but high-leverage prep work (persona finalisation, interview grids, job descriptions, case studies) to note-taking, AI interviewing tests, and testing candidates' AI fluency during the interview process. The result: a 25% productivity gain between late 2025 and Q1 2026, and a clear point of view on why the next phase of recruiting won't be won by the most automated teams, but by those that pair automation with sharper human judgment. Connect with host James Mackey on LinkedIn! Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision, for making this show possible!    Follow us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/82436841/ SecureVision: #1 Rated Embedded Recruitment Firm on G2! https://www.g2.com/products/securevision/reviews Thanks for listening!

What does it actually take to grow as a talent leader when the playbook keeps changing? Chelsea Kovak, Head of Global Talent Acquisition at TaskRabbit, shares how she thinks about AI, data, tooling, and the skills recruiters need to build in a market that’s moving faster than ever. Along the way, she reflects on her path from sales to talent acquisition, the value of being a connector, and why adaptability may be the most important skill in modern recruiting. Connect with host James Mackey on LinkedIn! Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision, for making this show possible!    Follow us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/82436841/ SecureVision: #1 Rated Embedded Recruitment Firm on G2! https://www.g2.com/products/securevision/reviews Thanks for listening!

Growing up between Canada and East Africa, Michael Kieran’s childhood was shaped by international communities, close encounters with elephants and lions, and experiences that challenged the way he saw the world. He brings that same perspective to building high-performing recruiting teams grounded in consistency, ambition, and continuous growth as a Fractional Talent Leader. In this conversation, he shares why the best TA organizations think differently about performance, AI, and what it really means to become world-class. Connect with host James Mackey on LinkedIn! Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision, for making this show possible!    Follow us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/82436841/ SecureVision: #1 Rated Embedded Recruitment Firm on G2! https://www.g2.com/products/securevision/reviews Thanks for listening!

Jessica Wheeler went from growing up in Vancouver, Washington to building talent programs at some of the biggest names in entertainment and gaming, including Hulu, Activision, and Take-Two Interactive. Now VP, Global Head of TA Strategy at Take-Two, she shares how scaling Hulu from 500 to 3,000 employees, leading through reputation challenges at Activision, and centralizing TA across 2K, Zynga, and Take-Two shaped her leadership style.  Connect with host James Mackey on LinkedIn! Intro (00:00) Background (00:46) Career (06:52) Ta (29:22) Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision, for making this show possible!    Follow us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/82436841/ SecureVision: #1 Rated Embedded Recruitment Firm on G2! https://www.g2.com/products/securevision/reviews Thanks for listening!

Adam Spector’s path has never been conventional, from leaving DC for boarding school to pivoting from law school into tech and startups. Now Founder & CEO of Chore, he shares how building companies, learning from early startup failures, and obsessing over AI shaped his belief that founders should rethink hiring entirely. His message is simple: don’t hire unless you absolutely have to. Connect with host James Mackey on LinkedIn! Intro (00:00) Background (00:46) Career (13:08) TA (20:49) Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision, for making this show possible!    Follow us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/82436841/ SecureVision: #1 Rated Embedded Recruitment Firm on G2! https://www.g2.com/products/securevision/reviews Thanks for listening!

Mary Price grew up as a first-generation American, learning early lessons in grit, integrity, and trust from her family and her uncle’s shoe repair shop. Today, as the founder of Penfield Talent, she brings that same people-first philosophy to talent leadership, executive search, and helping companies build high-trust teams. In this conversation, she shares how she balances empathy with high standards, what AI can and can’t replace in recruiting, and the inside story of leading GTM hiring at Slack through the Salesforce acquisition, when her team doubled the sales organization in one year during COVID. Connect with host James Mackey on LinkedIn! Intro (00:00) Background (00:46) Career (09:02) TA (37:38) Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision, for making this show possible!    Follow us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/82436841/ SecureVision: #1 Rated Embedded Recruitment Firm on G2! https://www.g2.com/products/securevision/reviews Thanks for listening!

Katie Potter, VP of Talent Operations at Healthie, grew up in upstate New York with a deeply competitive spirit — skiing by age three and racing against high schoolers before she was even a teenager. In this episode, she shares her unconventional path from studying forensic psychology to discovering Industrial & Organizational psychology, ultimately leading her into the world of talent acquisition and helping scale hiring at high-growth startups. She also discusses how she’s leveraging AI to build faster, more thoughtful, and more candidate-centric recruiting processes in today’s evolving hiring landscape. Connect with host James Mackey on LinkedIn! Intro (00:00) Background (00:46) Healthie (13:30) AI (17:06) TA (33:53) Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision, for making this show possible!    Follow us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/82436841/ SecureVision: #1 Rated Embedded Recruitment Firm on G2! https://www.g2.com/products/securevision/reviews Thanks for listening!

Kelsey Hersh grew up between two completely different worlds: one grounded in structure, the other filled with artists, Burning Man gatherings, and weekly fire dancing circles. Now Head of Talent Acquisition at Hometap, she brings that same ability to navigate different environments into building values-driven teams and trusted hiring partnerships. In this conversation, she shares why adaptability, human connection, and long-term fit matter more than ever in an AI-driven hiring landscape. Connect with host James Mackey on LinkedIn! Intro (00:00) Background (00:46) Talent Acquisition (17:41) Advice/ Growth (32:48) Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision, for making this show possible!    Follow us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/82436841/ SecureVision: #1 Rated Embedded Recruitment Firm on G2! https://www.g2.com/products/securevision/reviews Thanks for listening!

Liam Naughton grew up in a hyper-competitive environment, from nonstop sports to a 35-day wilderness trip that pushed his limits early on. Now Head of Recruiting at Merge, he’s applying that same mindset to building scalable, AI-driven systems while stepping into a new chapter of leadership and fatherhood. In this conversation, he shares how discipline, system thinking, and learning to push through tough moments continue to shape how he operates. Connect with host James Mackey on LinkedIn! Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision, for making this show possible!    Follow us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/82436841/ SecureVision: #1 Rated Embedded Recruitment Firm on G2! https://www.g2.com/products/securevision/reviews Thanks for listening!

Lauren Valencia grew up in a small town outside Seattle, where adventure, sports, and early problem-solving shaped a non-traditional path into recruiting. Now Head of Talent at Socket, she’s scaling teams quickly while rethinking org design, first-in hires, and what actually drives success in a startup. In this conversation, she shares why recruiters need to think like founders, how to evaluate real builders, and why picking your hires like you pick your inner circle is so crucial. Episode mentioned: EP 187 with Joe Wilson Connect with host James Mackey on LinkedIn! Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision, for making this show possible!    Follow us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/82436841/ SecureVision: #1 Rated Embedded Recruitment Firm on G2! https://www.g2.com/products/securevision/reviews Thanks for listening!

Mallory Planck started her career in the middle of the 2009 recession, figuring things out in real time without a clear path. That grind took her from door-to-door sales into talent acquisition, where she now serves as Head of TA at Drata. She talks about managing expectations in a people-driven role, the pressure to keep up with AI, and why learning to slow down might be the hardest skill to build. Connect with host James Mackey on LinkedIn! Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision, for making this show possible!    Follow us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/82436841/ SecureVision: #1 Rated Embedded Recruitment Firm on G2! https://www.g2.com/products/securevision/reviews Thanks for listening!