Redefining the Employee-Employer Contract
The Talent Tango
In this episode, Amir sits down with Suzanne McGovern, Chief People Officer and HR veteran, to explore how the employee-employer relationship has fundamentally changed. From the aftermath of COVID-19 and rise of remote work to shifting generational expectations and the role of company culture, they dig into what leaders need to do to build trust, adapt to new work models, and attract talent in a post-pandemic world. 🔑 Key Takeaways: The contract has changed: COVID-19 was a major inflection point, permanently altering what employees expect from work—especially around flexibility,...
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Startups Don’t Scale Without Real Culture
The Talent Tango
In this episode, Brittany Blumenthal, VP of People at HiddenLayer, shares how early-stage startups can intentionally define and evolve their culture. She breaks down the challenges of working with strong founder imprints, the importance of documenting culture as a living contract, and how to build feedback loops that go both ways. If you're scaling a team and want culture to grow with it, this episode offers tactical insight and hard-earned lessons. 🔑 Key Takeaways: Culture Starts With the Founder’s Imprint Founders often shape company culture unintentionally. People leaders must help...
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The Employer Branding Strategy That Worked
The Talent Tango
In this episode of The Talent Tango, Amir sits down with Caitlin Kamm, Director of People Growth at Envoy, to unpack a real-world employer branding initiative tailored specifically for engineering talent. Caitlin walks through how her team developed a laser-focused EVP to support a return-to-office mandate—balancing culture, candidate persona, and business needs. From strategy to stakeholder alignment to creative execution, it’s a playbook for anyone in talent roles grappling with attracting high-caliber candidates in a hybrid world. 💡 Key Takeaways: Start with specificity: Crafting...
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Why Is Feedback So Awkward?
The Talent Tango
In this episode of The Talent Tango, Amir Bormand is joined by Heather Cassar to unpack the nuances of giving and receiving feedback in the workplace. From real-time feedback practices to performance reviews, Heather shares practical tips on how to build trust, motivate teams, and make feedback a natural part of company culture—without making it awkward. Whether you're in HR, a people leader, or a manager navigating hybrid teams, this episode offers a human-centered approach to feedback that boosts both trust and performance. 🔑 Key Takeaways: Feedback must be real-time, detailed, and...
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From Founding Team to Future Leaders: Hiring with Intent
The Talent Tango
In this episode, Amir sits down with Girish Mirchandani, Head of Talent at WestBridge Capital, to unpack the nuances of executive recruiting across stages and geographies. From Series A scrappiness to global scale-ups, they explore what makes a successful hire, how founders should engage in the process, and why hiring for today often trumps hiring for tomorrow. Girish also offers a behind-the-scenes look at managing cross-border buildouts and aligning stakeholders on both sides of the globe. 🔑 Key Takeaways: Hire for the stage you're in: Optimizing for the current growth phase is more...
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Bringing AI into the Interview Process
The Talent Tango
In this episode of The Talent Tango, Amir speaks with Allison DiDominick, Senior Technical Recruiting Manager at Flexport, about adopting AI interview tools to tackle inefficiencies in the hiring process. From delayed scorecards to inconsistent feedback, Allison walks us through the problem Flexport faced, the pilot implementation of BrightHire, and how AI tools are improving recruiter workflows and evidence-based hiring. đź’ˇ Key Takeaways: Problem First, Then Tool: Flexport struggled with delayed or incomplete scorecards, especially in non-tech roles, which impacted hiring timelines and...
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Build a Long-Term Career in Talent
The Talent Tango
What does it take to thrive in talent—even when hiring freezes hit? In this episode, Amir talks with Frank Cebek about building a durable, impactful career in talent acquisition and people leadership. From surviving market downturns to translating business context into recruiting value, Frank shares his journey from consultant to senior people leader—and what skills made all the difference. This one’s packed with practical advice for recruiters, HR leaders, and anyone in people ops navigating today’s volatile job market. 💡 Key Takeaways Business fluency sets you apart. Understand...
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The Talent Roadmap: Strategy, Stakeholders, and Staying Ahead
The Talent Tango
In this episode, Amir sits down with Ashley Wines from Carta to dig into what it really means for talent teams to be proactive, not reactive. They unpack the need for talent leaders to embed themselves into the business earlier, how to build trust fast, the importance of internal product roadmaps, and how to handle stakeholder dynamics—especially when you're navigating complex matrix organizations. Whether you’re an HRBP, TA leader, or people ops pro, this episode is your blueprint for becoming a strategic talent partner. 🔑 Key Takeaways Embed Early: Talent needs to be in the room...
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Setting the Stage for Influence as Head of People
The Talent Tango
In this episode, Amir sits down with Michelle King, Head of People and Talent at Notable Health, to break down what it really means to have a strategic relationship with the CEO. From spotting red flags in the interview process to pushing back (with impact) once you're in the seat, Michelle shares lessons from the trenches—no fluff, all substance. This episode is a must-listen for anyone in a people/talent role looking to elevate their business partnership game and hold their own in the executive room. 🔑 Key Takeaways: Start Before You Start: The foundation of a strong CEO relationship...
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The Candidate Experience Toolkit: Referrals, Follow-Ups & CRM
The Talent Tango
In this episode, Amir Bormand is joined by Kate Esterman, Director of Global Talent Acquisition at Integral Ad Science. Together, they dive deep into the ever-evolving landscape of candidate experience, discussing how market shifts—from candidate-driven to client-driven—impact the way companies engage talent. Kate shares actionable strategies, real-world examples, and her perspective on balancing high-touch human interactions with the scalability of automation, all while maintaining a standout candidate journey. Whether you're scaling your TA team, facing hiring freezes, or juggling...
info_outlineIn this episode, host Amir Bormand sits down with Meg Sahni, Senior Director of Talent at Radical Ventures, to explore the intricacies of hiring for early-stage AI companies. With AI's rapid growth, Meg shares valuable insights on navigating a highly competitive talent market, building effective early teams, and establishing a strong employer brand.
Key Takeaways:
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AI Startup Talent Categories: Understanding the differences between "AI-first" companies building foundational models and "applied AI" companies leveraging existing models.
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Strategic Team Building: Recruiting top-tier talent across research, engineering, and product management to support AI-first and applied AI initiatives.
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Employer Branding: The importance of participating in conferences, publishing technical content, and engaging in hackathons to attract and retain AI talent.
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Candidate Motivations: Why aligning with candidates' motivations and clearly articulating company vision are crucial for securing top talent.
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Lean Team Dynamics: How small, experienced teams at the staff and principal levels outperform in early-stage startups.
Highlights with Timestamps:
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[00:01:35] Breaking down AI-first vs. applied AI companies and their distinct talent needs.
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[00:03:30] Challenges in recruiting specialized roles like machine learning engineers and data infrastructure experts.
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[00:07:38] Competitive hiring strategies: Crafting compelling narratives and discussing compensation philosophy.
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[00:09:37] The role of employer branding in attracting high-caliber talent.
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[00:14:52] Candidate decision-making: Weighing compensation and stability against impact and innovation.
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[00:19:47] Best practices for early-stage hiring: Avoiding over-hiring and prioritizing high-impact roles.
Engage with Meg Sahni: Connect with Meg on LinkedIn to continue the conversation about hiring strategies in AI startups and beyond: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meg-sahni/
Tune in to this episode for actionable advice on building successful teams in the fast-paced world of AI!