How Great Leaders Rebuild Broken Trust
The Talent Tango
In this episode of The Talent Tango, Amir sits down with Ashley Utz, Chief People Officer at Happy Money, to explore the complex task of rebuilding trust within organizations—especially during periods of change like layoffs, restructuring, or leadership transitions. Ashley offers a nuanced perspective on the differences between personal and organizational trust, shares frameworks like Covey’s “Speed of Trust” model, and emphasizes the critical role of middle managers in trust-building. With timely insights and practical strategies, this conversation is a must-listen for HR and talent...
info_outline
Why Talent Acquisition Needs a Project Manager’s Mindset
The Talent Tango
In this episode, Amir sits down with Greg Russell, VP of Talent Acquisition at CoverGenius, to unpack why talent acquisition should be treated like project management. They explore how applying frameworks like the project management triangle (scope, cost, time) can elevate recruiting conversations, drive better alignment, and ultimately improve hiring outcomes. From setting expectations with hiring managers to negotiating trade-offs, this episode reframes TA as a strategic, structured discipline—not just a reactive function. 🧠 Key Takeaways: TA is not just sales—it’s strategic...
info_outline
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,...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outlineWhat 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 the “why” behind hiring, not just the “what.”
-
Consulting habits stick. Structured thinking, stakeholder alignment, and data storytelling carry over.
-
Downturns are growth opportunities. Expand into comp, HR ops, or mobility when hiring slows.
-
Being technical earns trust. Know the frameworks and you’ll win over hiring managers.
-
Influence through storytelling. Great recruiters don’t just screen—they sell talent internally.
📌 Quote of the Episode
“If there’s a problem, go fix it. Senior leaders value people who push through and figure out how to get the job done.” – Frank Cebek
🕒 Timestamped Highlights
-
00:22 – Intro to Frank and the theme of long-term careers in talent
-
01:05 – What SeatGeek really does: primary SaaS + ticket marketplace
-
04:27 – Building adaptability by working with Bay Area startups
-
06:30 – Internal vs external recruiting: same values, different tempo
-
08:18 – Bringing consulting rigor into in-house roles
-
11:21 – Staying technically fluent to earn credibility with engineering
-
14:14 – Showing recruiter value even when you're not the final decision-maker
-
16:30 – Telling the story behind “unknown” developers in a .NET Core migration
-
18:45 – How to use downturns to upskill, not exit the industry
-
23:18 – Why business context fuels career longevity in TA
-
25:28 – Connect with Frank on LinkedIn for more TA and HR tech insights