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...
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From Math to People Leadership
The Talent Tango
In this episode, we dive into Brittany Rohde’s unconventional journey into the HR and people space. With a background in mathematics and a love for admin, Brittany has successfully navigated the world of people operations, compensation, and leadership. We explore how she transitioned from a math degree into HR, her philosophy on taking opportunities, and why she believes every people team should have an engineering component. Key Takeaways 🔹 Diverse Backgrounds Can Drive Success – Brittany’s transition from math to HR showcases the power of transferable skills and how technical...
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The Power of Transparency in Hiring
The Talent Tango
In this episode, Amir Bormand is joined by Cory Eustice, a seasoned talent leader, to dive into the importance of transparency in the hiring process. They explore how organizations can improve candidate experiences, hiring outcomes, and long-term retention by fostering open and honest conversations from the very start. Key Takeaways: Transparency in Hiring Matters – Candidates should be given a full, honest picture of the role, the company, and the challenges they might face. Hiring Managers Play a Role – Recruiters must work closely with hiring managers to ensure they openly discuss both...
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Why Onboarding Matters as Much as Hiring
The Talent Tango
In this episode, Amir sits down with Meg Henry, Head of People & Talent at Companyon Ventures, to explore why onboarding deserves just as much attention as hiring. Meg shares practical insights on structuring an effective onboarding process, ensuring a smooth transition for new hires, and increasing business efficiency through thoughtful onboarding. If you’re in a people or talent leadership role, this conversation is packed with valuable takeaways to refine your onboarding strategy. Key Takeaways ✅ Onboarding is often neglected – Companies spend months hiring but little time...
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Cracking the Code of Talent Playbooks
The Talent Tango
In this episode, we dive deep into Talent Acquisition (TA) playbooks—how recruiting leaders bring their experiences, frameworks, and best practices into new roles, and how they adapt them to different company environments. Henry shares his insights on onboarding into a new company, assessing existing hiring practices, and implementing change management strategies that actually stick. Key Takeaways: 🔹 The Art of the TA Playbook – Bringing structured frameworks from past roles, but adapting them based on company culture and business needs. 🔹 Assess Before You Act – Why it’s crucial...
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Aligning Talent Strategy with Business Needs
The Talent Tango
In this episode of The Talent Tango, Amir Bormand is joined by Alex Kim, Head of Talent at NewLimit, to discuss the nuances of expectations and requirements in talent acquisition. They dive into how talent professionals can better understand and serve domain experts, establish success criteria, and adapt to the unique challenges of niche and bleeding-edge industries like biotech. Whether you're an early-career recruiter or a seasoned talent leader, this conversation offers invaluable insights into building trust, setting realistic expectations, and aligning talent strategies with business...
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Community Building & Founder Hiring Pressure
The Talent Tango
In 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,...
info_outlineIn 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:
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Start Before You Start: The foundation of a strong CEO relationship begins in the interview process. Ask tough questions and look for signs of trust across the ELT.
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Business Acumen Isn’t Optional: Michelle stresses that understanding the business is critical. Process alone won’t get you a seat at the table—insightful problem-solving will.
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Pushback Is Partnership: Don’t default to yes. Strong people leaders challenge assumptions and influence decisions, even when it’s uncomfortable.
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First 90 Days Matter: Use that window to deeply understand the business and build credibility. Skip the cookie-cutter playbook—adapt to the org’s context.
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Train for Influence Early: People functions need to develop business fluency across all levels, not just at the top. Siloed ops teams can’t build real impact.
⏱️ Timestamped Highlights:
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[00:01:00] – What defines a healthy CEO–People partnership (hint: trust and strategic tension).
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[00:03:00] – Why the relationship starts before day one—what to ask in interviews to spot red flags.
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[00:07:00] – How Michelle probes for trust dynamics across the ELT during hiring.
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[00:08:00] – The blueprint for the first 90 days—how deep business knowledge fuels impact.
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[00:11:00] – Process ≠progress: why strong relationships are built through solving business problems, not running playbooks.
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[00:15:00] – Why leaders can’t hide behind “process comfort” if they want a seat at the table.
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[00:22:00] – The art of saying no: Michelle’s case for pushing back and protecting the business.
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[00:26:00] – Why transparency about your leadership style in the interview phase sets the stage for success.
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[00:28:00] – Final thoughts: if the org isn’t ready for tough conversations, it’s probably not the right seat.
đź’¬ Quote of the Episode:
“If you continue to say yes to everything, you become known as that person. And then it's just like—I'm not coming to you for strategy. I'm just coming to you to execute. You become an order taker, not a strategic partner.”