Freedom of Work

Freedom of Work is for HR and people teams, founders, or anyone looking to better prepare for the future of work. You'll find engaging discussions with experts and leaders on navigating the day-to-day experience of global hiring, what the future of work may look like, and how flexible work is changing the game. We'll dive deep into various topics around remote and hybrid work, global expansion, hiring trends, and more. This podcast is hosted and presented by RemoFirst.com, a full-service Employer of Record solution that manages every aspect of a company’s global employment needs.

Freedom of Work 2025: Voices That Shaped Work 12/29/2025

What 300 HR & People Leaders Reveal About Global Hiring Trends 12/23/2025

The Secret Currency of Top Talent (Hudson Brock at AlloHire) 11/26/2025

The Secret Currency of Top Talent (Hudson Brock at AlloHire) Host Leah Cottham sits down with Hudson Brock, CEO and Founder of AlloHire, to explore what truly sets top talent apart in today's rapidly changing work environment. Hudson shares his framework for identifying A players through three key traits that go far beyond traditional resume screening. The conversation dives into how AI is reshaping recruiting processes while emphasizing why human connection remains essential for emotional career decisions. Hudson introduces the concept of vocational capital and building career equity, explaining how the best talent views work as adding value to others rather than just collecting paychecks. They discuss practical strategies for supporting employee development, from creating learning margins throughout the week to implementing alliance-based employment relationships. The discussion also covers global hiring opportunities and challenges, including cultural intelligence and combating remote work loneliness through intentional team building. Key topics covered: [00:00] Intro [02:30] Defining A-Players with Humble, Hungry, Smart Framework [05:18] Building Trust in Interview Processes [07:23] Algorithm Bias in Applicant Tracking Systems [10:21] Resume Writing Skills Gap for Gen Z [13:02] Attract Don't Chase Career Strategy [14:05] Performance Image Exposure Career Framework [17:16] Employer Brand vs Job Description Gaps [22:01] Quick Apply Application Response Rates [24:42] Practical AI Applications in Recruiting [27:24] Audio Messages Breaking Through AI Noise [30:30] Over-Relying on AI Technology Risks [33:15] Deep Fakes and Fake Candidates [36:51] Vocational Capital and Career Equity [42:00] Mobility and Meaning for Next Generation [44:34] Creating Learning Margins for Remote Teams [52:15] Global Hiring Cultural Intelligence Challenges [59:31] Hiring Red Flag Common Denominators [1:03:53] Shadowing as Interview Process Innovation Tune in for actionable insights on attracting top talent and building meaningful career partnerships in the modern workplace. /episode/index/show/a3015ff1-3cf9-4687-9183-8d79187ab848/id/39154145

AI Won’t Kill Remote Jobs It Will Supercharge Them (Marissa Goldberg) 11/13/2025

AI Won’t Kill Remote Jobs It Will Supercharge Them (Marissa Goldberg) Host Leah Cottham sits down with Marissa Goldberg, founder of Remote Work Prep, to explore how AI is reshaping remote team management without replacing human workers. Marissa brings years of experience building AI powered operational solutions for distributed teams and shares practical insights from her journey since 2015. The conversation tackles common misconceptions about remote work productivity and reveals how overwork is actually more prevalent than underwork in remote environments. Marissa breaks down her human centered approach to AI adoption, emphasizing the importance of starting with problems rather than tools. She shares specific examples like automated Slack thread summarization and performance review tracking that help teams work more efficiently. The discussion covers transparent AI interfaces, human in the loop safeguards, and practical tips for leaders looking to implement AI without creating fear among team members. Key topics covered: [00:00] Intro [01:37] Remote work misconceptions and overwork reality [03:06] Biggest misconception about remote workers [06:23] AI tools transforming remote team management [08:09] Starting with problems not tools [09:24] People first approach to AI adoption [12:07] Human centered AI in practice [14:24] Documentation automation for remote teams [18:02] Slack emoji automation for decisions [21:51] Performance review tracking made easy [25:12] Human in the loop safeguards explained [29:13] Leadership mistakes in AI adoption [31:43] Personal AI productivity tools [34:38] Advice for AI hesitant workers [36:25] AI reducing context switching strategies [41:34] Future of async first remote work [45:00] Risks without human centered approach [47:11] Balancing technology with team culture This episode offers actionable strategies for remote leaders ready to leverage AI while protecting team culture and human strengths. /episode/index/show/a3015ff1-3cf9-4687-9183-8d79187ab848/id/39019130

What Happens When Remote Teams Ignore Culture (Renita Käsper) 10/23/2025

What Happens When Remote Teams Ignore Culture (Renita Käsper) Leah Cottham sits down with Renita Käsper, a global talent acquisition leader with 20 years of experience building multicultural teams across Asia Pacific, Europe, and beyond. Renita shares why cultural intelligence has become essential for remote leaders managing distributed teams and explains the critical difference between hiring globally and actually setting teams up for success. The conversation explores how unintentional systems and processes can silence diverse voices, even when companies have good intentions about building inclusive teams. Renita walks through real examples of cultural miscommunication in remote settings, from misunderstood urgency levels to the dangers of acronym-heavy onboarding processes. She emphasizes that cultural intelligence goes beyond one-off training sessions and must be embedded into daily communication systems, feedback processes, and leadership approaches. Key topics covered: [00:00] Intro [04:53] Cultural intelligence as core leadership skill [09:22] Defining cultural intelligence and curiosity [14:17] Treating others as they want to be treated [20:03] Remote first companies need intentional cultural systems [26:05] Unintentionally silencing cultural voices in global teams [31:23] When remote teams become afraid to speak up [34:08] Embedding cultural intelligence from the start [38:32] Building culturally intelligent onboarding processes [50:00] Buddy systems and connection tools like Donut [54:54] Moving beyond culture fit to culture enrichment [1:02:43] Building relationships before focusing on tasks [1:04:57] Ask more questions and assume less This episode offers practical strategies for remote leaders looking to move beyond culture fit toward what Renita calls culture enrichment, where teams intentionally leverage diverse perspectives rather than defaulting to homogeneous hiring practices. /episode/index/show/a3015ff1-3cf9-4687-9183-8d79187ab848/id/38619355