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. 💡 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, we dive deep into community building and the hiring challenges founders face with Michelle McHargue. As an early-stage investor, Michelle has a front-row seat to the pressure founders experience when hiring top talent. We explore why founders are so selective, how curated communities can impact hiring, and why hiring at early-stage startups is uniquely difficult.
Key Takeaways
✅ Top Talent Is Subjective: Every startup defines “top talent” differently, making hiring a challenge.
✅ Early-Stage Hiring Is Cutthroat: Startups compete for the same small pool of talent, especially engineers.
✅ Startups Wait for the Right Fit: Unlike larger companies, startups won’t settle—they wait for a “perfect” hire.
✅ Community Building Is a Long Game: Curated talent communities can be an invaluable resource for founders.
✅ Founders Can Be Too Fixated: Many are overly focused on specific skills, limiting their hiring pool.
✅ Hiring Pressure Is Real: Founders juggle hiring with investor expectations, product development, and growth.
✅ Interview Bias Exists: Many hiring processes are designed for a specific type of candidate, unintentionally narrowing the talent pool.
✅ Delegation Matters: Founders often struggle to let go but must delegate hiring to scale effectively.
Timestamped Highlights
⏳ [00:01:24] - Defining "top talent" and why it's subjective at startups.
⏳ [00:02:40] - Why early-stage hiring is more competitive and challenging.
⏳ [00:05:00] - The role of curated talent communities in startup hiring.
⏳ [00:07:28] - Why talent curation is a long game, not a quick fix.
⏳ [00:10:39] - How founders can become too focused on specific skill sets.
⏳ [00:14:10] - Interview biases and why hiring processes can unintentionally exclude great talent.
⏳ [00:17:29] - When founders start to listen and seek hiring advice.
⏳ [00:19:13] - The overwhelming pressure of hiring while managing a startup.
⏳ [00:22:33] - When founders finally start delegating hiring decisions.
Quote of the Episode
💡 “Hiring is so important, but it’s the one thing founders can’t focus on all the time.” – Michelle McHargue
Connect with Michelle McHargue
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellemchargue/
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