HR, Hustle & Home Life: Michelle Keefe’s Balancing Act - The Balancing Act
Talent Insights
In this episode of The Balancing Act, host Sarah Sheridan sits down with Michelle Keefe, VP of HR at Bowes Professional, to talk about her inspiring journey from administrative roles to HR leadership. Michelle shares how she built her career by embracing challenges—including launching an office overseas with zero experience—and how she managed years of heavy business travel while raising her son. She also discusses the evolution of workplace flexibility, the impact of strong leadership on work-life balance, and why companies must treat employees with trust and respect. Whether you're a...
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The Crumbling Entry-Level Job Market- The 10 Minute Talent Rant
Talent Insights
The entry-level job market is bad! Crowd: “How bad is it?” It’s so bad that journalism majors are having an easier time finding work than computer science grads. (That part isn’t a joke. 6.1% unemployment vs. 4.4%.) Despite a strong overall job market, recent grads are getting squeezed. “Entry-level” roles now require experience, companies have slashed college recruiting programs, and AI is replacing a lot of junior work entirely. But why is this happening? And what can new grads do about it? and unpack all that in The 10 Minute Talent Rant,...
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Q2 Check-In: A Slower Start, Promising Momentum - The Hirewell Update
Talent Insights
In this quarterly update, Emily and Ryan hosted Hirewell CEO, Matt Massuci, where they dove into company-wide and practice-specific hiring trends from the start of 2025. While January and February lagged behind expectations—down 10% year-over-year—March brought a 25% surge, signaling renewed momentum. Executive search and interim hiring are on the rise, even as Solutions work has slowed. Despite external factors like Liberation Day causing brief delays, the last six weeks were the strongest of the year, especially the past two. Practice leads weigh in with mixed performance: CF and GTM are...
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When Life Isn’t Balanced: Thriving in the Rhythm of Parenthood & Profession - The Balancing Act
Talent Insights
In this episode of 'The Balancing Act,' host Sarah Sheridan interviews Suzanne Jakstavish, an HR executive with over five years of experience and a mother to a 15-year-old son with autism. Suzanne shares her unique career journey, the impact of her parents' professions, and how her experiences have shaped her leadership style. The conversation delves into the challenges and joys of raising her son, the lessons he has taught her about leadership, and the importance of work-life integration. Suzanne also discusses the evolving support for working parents, the importance of flexibility in the...
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Candidate Experience Has Never Been Worse - The 10 Minute Talent Rant
Talent Insights
Candidate Experience sucks right now. That’s it. That’s the show. If you think back to 2021, when the job market was on fire, it was top of mind for everyone. Not just LinkedIn think pieces, but companies poured lots of time and effort into white-glove interview interview processes. Now that the market cooled off, so did the effort. But there’s a disconnect: attracting talent isn’t any easier right now. In fact, it’s harder when you inadvertently cut corners. and explain why ignoring candidate experience is costing companies big in The 10 Minute Talent Rant,...
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The Business of People: Malvika Jethmalani on Strategic HR in 2025 - Beyond the Offer
Talent Insights
🎧 Rethinking HR: Strategy, Growth & the Post-Corporate Shift We sat down with Malvika Jethmalani—3x CHRO turned founder of Atvis Group—to talk about what great HR really looks like in 2025. From performance management and manager effectiveness to people-first AI transformations, Malvika shares what companies are getting wrong—and how to fix it. She also dives into the perks (and real challenges) of leaving corporate life to start her own advisory firm. Whether you're leading HR or just partnering closely with it, this one’s packed with practical wisdom.
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How AI Will Make Or Break Recruiting - The 10 Minute Talent Rant
Talent Insights
It’s been nearly 2.5 years since ChatGPT was released. Since then, our LinkedIn feeds have been littered with panic-porn telling us if we don’t use LLMs that make us sound like robots, we’ll be left behind. Whelp. They were half right. Wrong use, but perhaps the correct end result. We are–slowly but surely–starting to see the real effects of AI in hiring. Both for the recruiting function, and everyone’s careers. and call out why “prompt engineering” won’t save your job—but knowing what you’re doing might—in The 10 Minute Talent Rant, Episode 110,...
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The Job Market Is… Confusing? - The Hirewell Update
Talent Insights
The 2025 job market has everyone scratching their heads. One minute, we’re seeing strong job numbers. The next? Layoffs. Some companies are scaling fast, others are stuck in hiring freezes. It’s a mixed bag—and it's creating uncertainty across the board. In this episode, Ryan & Emily break it all down: 🔹 The rise of temp-to-perm and extended interview processes 🔹 How hesitation is impacting hiring 🔹Advice for both employers and candidates navigating the confusion “The market isn’t broken—it’s just cautious.” That nuance is key. And how you respond to...
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What Everyone Gets Wrong About Executive Search - The 10 Minute Talent Rant
Talent Insights
Rolodex. But that’s exactly what legacy firms want you to think. They sell prestige. They sell access. They sell fear. And some companies buy it—because no one wants to screw up a high-profile hire. Here’s the truth: access is the easy part. Executives respond more than anyone. The real challenge? Fit. Immersion. Results after the hire. And most firms skip that part entirely. and rip the curtain off the smoke-and-mirrors world of exec search—and explain why most firms are failing their clients (badly) in The 10 Minute Talent Rant, Episode 109, “What...
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From Corporate to CEO: Margot Nash’s Journey to MindMetrix - The Balancing Act
Talent Insights
In this episode of The Balancing Act, host Sarah Sheridan chats with Margot Nash, co-founder and CEO of MindMetrix. Margot opens up about her unconventional career path—from selling makeup at Estée Lauder to leading product teams at tech startups, and ultimately launching her own company in the mental health space. She shares the challenges of balancing entrepreneurship with raising two young kids, the surprising lessons she’s learned as a first-time CEO, and how she and her husband manage the daily juggle of work, family, and self-care. If you’ve ever thought about leaving corporate to...
info_outlineRepeat after me: do not talk politics at work. Or on LinkedIn.
Or in job interviews. Or on first dates. Or at Thanksgiving dinner.
Unfortunately for those of us in the business world, 2025 ruined it. There’s just no way around the fact that tariffs are the issue driving the business climate right now. Every client, candidate, and partner is asking about it—or struggling because of it.
So maybe, just maybe, talking policy isn’t just okay—it’s necessary. Dare I say, productive.
So get ready for a little nuance from Jeff Smith and James Hornick in The 10 Minute Talent Rant, Episode 107, "Talk Policy, Not Politics”