The Frontlines

Tim Sackett

Welcome to The Frontlines, the podcast that finally shines a spotlight on the most overlooked and most essential part of our workforce: frontline, high-volume hourly workers. Hosted by industry insiders Tim Sackett and Madeline Laurano, The Frontlines dives into the real-world challenges, frustrations, and opportunities shaping how organizations hire and how people experience the hiring process. Because let’s be honest—this is the part of hiring we’ve ignored for decades. We post jobs and hope people show up. That doesn’t cut it anymore. Each episode brings a raw, unfiltered look at what’s really happening, from broken application processes that take weeks (for jobs people need today), to outdated hiring systems designed for corporate roles but forced onto hourly workers. Tim and Madeline combine decades of hands-on experience with real stories from the field, both from employers trying to hire at scale and from workers navigating a system that often feels stacked against them. But this isn’t just another HR podcast full of executive interviews. The Frontlines goes deeper. You’ll hear directly from the people living it, the candidates, the workers, the managers, alongside data, research, and practical insights on what’s actually working (and what’s not). From AI-driven hiring transformations to mobile-first application experiences, from workforce demographics to the realities of shift work and internal mobility, this podcast tackles the conversations our industry hasn’t been having… but should. If you care about hiring, retention, or just building a better experience for the people who keep your business running, this is your front-row seat to the future of work.

Episodes

  1. 4 days ago ·  Video

    The Frontlines with Caliber's Jim D'Amico

    What happens when frontline recruiting isn’t just high volume—but every open role directly impacts revenue? In this episode of The Frontlines, Tim Sackett sits down with Jim D’Amico, the longtime talent acquisition leader heading recruiting for Caliber Collision, the nation’s largest collision-repair provider. With nearly 1,900 locations across 43 states and approximately 34,000 employees, Caliber faces an enormous hiring challenge: finding highly skilled auto-body technicians in a market where virtually every qualified candidate already has a job—and plenty of options. Jim takes us inside the recruiting operation Caliber has built to compete at that scale. He breaks down a technology ecosystem anchored by Workday and enhanced by CRM, messaging, interview-intelligence, and AI tools. You’ll hear how Caliber removes application friction with a fast-apply process, reaches candidates through the channels they actually use—including text, WhatsApp, iMessage, and social messaging—and keeps talented prospects engaged long after the initial “no.” The conversation also digs into one of Tim’s favorite subjects: treating recruiting like a measurable, repeatable sales funnel. Jim explains why recruiter interviews are Caliber’s bellwether metric, how four recruiter interviews ultimately produce one hire, and why the organization aims to fill 40% of its openings every month. These numbers don’t exist to micromanage recruiters. They help leaders identify bottlenecks, forecast hiring capacity, justify additional resources, and protect teams from unsustainable workloads. Jim and Tim also explore where AI is delivering real value—and where it still has room to improve. From using Claude for hyperlocal competitive research to creating AI-powered job simulations, the opportunity isn’t simply to automate recruiters’ work. It’s to give recruiters the time and intelligence to become better marketers, advisors, and persuaders. Key takeaways include: Why speed is everything when recruiting in-demand frontline talent How to eliminate unnecessary application friction without losing candidate data The recruiting-funnel metrics that predict hires weeks in advance How data can increase recruiter capacity without creating a culture of micromanagement Why job simulations may be one of AI’s most valuable hiring applications How Caliber targets talent through radio, Spotify, WhatsApp, iMessage, and localized messaging Why great recruiting is ultimately about attraction, persuasion, and long-term relationship-buildingThis episode is sponsored by Workday and Paradox, whose technology helps organizations modernize hiring, improve candidate experiences, and build more connected frontline workforces. If you lead talent acquisition, recruit skilled frontline workers, or want to understand how technology, analytics, and human persuasion can work together, this episode is packed with ideas you can put to work immediately.

  2. 25 Aug ·  Video

    The Frontlines with Valvoline Instant Oil's Sarah Wright

    What if your frontline hiring process could fill stores faster, improve candidate quality, and eliminate the need for managers to conduct most interviews? That’s exactly what Valvoline Instant Oil Change is doing—and in this episode of The Frontlines, Sarah Wright explains how they pulled it off. Recorded live at Workday Horizons in Atlanta, Tim Sackett and Madeline Laurano sit down with Sarah, Head of Talent Acquisition at Valvoline Inc., to unpack the company’s remarkable transformation across recruiting, workforce scheduling, and frontline operations. With approximately 2,400 corporate and franchise locations across the United States and Canada—and no signs of slowing down—Valvoline needed a technology strategy capable of supporting serious growth at scale. Sarah explains how Valvoline partnered with Workday and Paradox to automate the front end of its hiring process. Candidates visiting the company’s career site are greeted by “Megan,” Valvoline’s conversational chatbot, which engages applicants around the clock, asks initial screening questions, and moves qualified candidates forward. Instead of spending their days buried in administrative work, recruiters can concentrate on candidate quality and the conversations that matter. Then Sarah reveals the part of Valvoline’s model that may leave TA leaders asking, “Wait—you can actually do that?” For technician positions, Valvoline recruiters screen and interview candidates before sending hiring-ready talent to store managers for final approval—without requiring the manager to conduct another interview. This model is built on deep trust between recruiters and operations. Valvoline even tested whether returning to manager-led, in-person interviews would improve retention. It didn’t. It simply doubled the company’s time to hire, delayed staffing, and potentially affected store revenue. Sarah shares how Valvoline builds that trust by embedding recruiters into the business. Recruiters visit stores, participate in weekly calls, develop strong relationships with operational leaders, and—in some cases—even become certified technicians themselves. They aren’t outsiders filling requisitions; they operate as true members of the operations team. The conversation also explores how workforce data is helping Valvoline schedule employees around actual customer demand, reduce labor costs, create more accurate hiring forecasts, and give frontline managers valuable time back. Sarah offers an honest look at change management, including why executive sponsorship matters, how involving employees creates change champions, and why thoughtfully designed pilots are essential when introducing new technology. This episode is sponsored by Paradox by Workday, helping organizations transform high-volume hiring with conversational AI, automated screening and scheduling, and faster, mobile-first candidate experiences. For TA leaders trying to hire faster, earn the trust of operations, improve frontline recruiting, and turn automation into measurable business value, this episode is packed with practical ideas worth stealing.

    The Frontlines with Valvoline Instant Oil's Sarah Wright

  3. 25 Aug ·  Video

    The Frontlines with Carter's Jason Smith

    What happens when a 161-year-old iconic brand decides it’s time to reinvent how it hires? In this episode of The Frontlines, Tim Sackett and Madeline Laurano sit down—live from Workday Horizons in Atlanta—with Jason Smith, Director of Talent Acquisition at Carter’s, to talk about the company’s journey from decentralized recruiting to an AI-enabled hiring strategy spanning retail stores, distribution centers, and corporate teams. Jason shares how Carter’s began using Paradox in 2022 to solve an urgent high-volume hiring challenge. During peak season, the company may need to hire hundreds of distribution center employees at once—and it competes for that talent with some of the largest employers in the country. Carter’s realized it couldn’t always win on pay, but it could win on speed. By automating candidate engagement and interview scheduling, the TA team can now move applicants from application to an in-person interview in as little as 24 to 48 hours. After proving the model in its distribution centers, Carter’s expanded it into corporate hiring and, most recently, across its retail stores. But this conversation goes far beyond efficiency. Jason explains how Carter’s is deliberately choosing where automation belongs—and where human interaction still matters. Scheduling, routine communication, and other administrative tasks can be automated. Hiring decisions, meaningful candidate conversations, and the relationships between recruiters and business leaders remain human. The goal isn’t to remove recruiters; it’s to give them the capacity to become better talent advisors. The group also tackles some of the most fascinating—and controversial—questions facing TA today. When Carter’s receives 20,000 applications for just 70 college hires, can traditional recruiting processes genuinely give every qualified candidate a fair chance? Is AI rejecting candidates, or can it actually help more people get considered? Should candidates be allowed to use ChatGPT to prepare for interviews, strengthen their resumes, or organize their responses? And where is the line between smart preparation and candidate fraud? Jason also discusses the renewed importance of in-person campus recruiting, candidate expectations for speed and convenience, multilingual hiring experiences, and why even a part-time applicant still wants to speak with a real person before accepting a job. This episode is sponsored by Paradox by Workday, helping organizations simplify high-volume hiring through conversational AI, mobile-first candidate experiences, automated scheduling, and faster connections between employers and talent. If you’re trying to balance AI, automation, candidate experience, recruiter capacity, and the human moments that make hiring work, this episode delivers a refreshingly practical look at how one of America’s most recognized brands is doing it on the frontlines.

    The Frontlines with Carter's Jason Smith

  4. 7 Aug ·  Video

    The Frontlines with Discount Tire's Chris Bodlovic

    In this episode of The Frontlines Podcast, host Tim Sackett sits down with Chris Bodlovic, Head of Talent Acquisition Strategy and Systems at Discount Tire, to explore how one of America’s largest tire retailers is rethinking hourly hiring across more than 1,100 locations. Drawing on leadership experience at Discount Tire, Cisco Systems, and Amazon, Chris shares a practical, data-driven perspective on recruiting frontline talent at scale while preserving the human experience that defines the company’s culture. Chris takes listeners inside Discount Tire’s effort to compete for talent in a challenging hourly labor market. The company hires people without prior tire experience, trains them from the ground up, and offers a legitimate path from an entry-level store position to running a location with significant earning potential. The challenge is communicating that career opportunity to candidates who may see only a physically demanding hourly job—and who can often earn similar wages doing easier work elsewhere. Tim and Chris dig into how Discount Tire is reducing time to contact, using conversational automation to engage candidates whenever they are ready, and giving local managers the flexibility to move quickly. Chris reveals that nearly 90% of candidates offered an automated conversational path choose it, approximately 88% complete it, and more than 40% engage outside normal business hours. The goal isn’t to eliminate recruiters or managers—it’s to use technology to get qualified, interested candidates to meaningful human conversations faster. The conversation also challenges talent acquisition leaders to stop treating retention as someone else’s problem. Discount Tire’s workforce data uncovered a striking connection between scheduled hours and turnover: retention peaked at roughly 21.2 hours per week, while employees receiving 15 hours or fewer experienced dramatically higher attrition. That discovery reframed a perceived recruiting problem as a workforce planning and scheduling problem. Finally, Tim and Chris look ahead at AI’s role in frontline talent acquisition—from intelligent scheduling and automated interviewing to personal career agents that may eventually bring jobs directly to workers. Chris also warns against “artificial expertise”: AI tools built by people who don’t understand recruiting, selection, bias, or the quality of the underlying data. For TA leaders working in retail, hospitality, manufacturing, distribution, healthcare, or any high-volume environment, this episode offers a powerful reminder: recruiting technology only creates value when it solves the right business problem. If you want to hire faster, retain longer, improve workforce planning, and prepare for the next generation of AI-powered talent marketplaces, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

    The Frontlines with Discount Tire's Chris Bodlovic

  5. 27 Jul ·  Video

    The Frontlines Live from Atlanta

    The Frontlines Podcast is live from Atlanta with Madeline and Tim talking to hiring leaders from Valvoline Inc., Carter's, and Lowe's!  Sarah White, Head of TA for Valvoline, Jason Smith, Director of TA for Carter's, and Dave Sansavera, Sr. Director of Field TA for Lowe's, share their insights around what's working in hiring frontline talent in today's challenging environment.

    The Frontlines Live from Atlanta

  6. 24 Jun ·  Video

    The Frontlines with 7-11's Rachel Allen

    Welcome to The Frontlines, the podcast that finally shines a spotlight on the most overlooked and most essential part of our workforce: frontline, high-volume hourly workers. Hosted by industry insiders Tim Sackett and Madeline Laurano, The Frontlines dives into the real-world challenges, frustrations, and opportunities shaping how organizations hire and how people experience the hiring process. Because let’s be honest, this is the part of hiring we’ve ignored for decades. We post jobs and hope people show up. That doesn’t cut it anymore. Each episode brings a raw, unfiltered look at what’s really happening, from broken application processes that take weeks (for jobs people need today), to outdated hiring systems designed for corporate roles but forced onto hourly workers. Tim and Madeline combine decades of hands-on experience with real stories from the field, both from employers trying to hire at scale and from workers navigating a system that often feels stacked against them. But this isn’t just another HR podcast full of executive interviews. The Frontlines goes deeper. You’ll hear directly from the people living it, the candidates, the workers, the managers, alongside data, research, and practical insights on what’s actually working (and what’s not). From AI-driven hiring transformations to mobile-first application experiences, from workforce demographics to the realities of shift work and internal mobility, this podcast tackles the conversations our industry hasn’t been having… but should. If you care about hiring, retention, or just building a better experience for the people who keep your business running, this is your front-row seat to the future of work. The Frontlines is presented by Workday's Frontline Workforce Management Solutions.

    The Frontlines with 7-11's Rachel Allen

  7. 15 Jun ·  Video

    The Frontlines - 2026 Employment Branding Report

    What does the future of employer branding look like in an AI-driven hiring world? In this episode of The Frontlines Podcast, host Tim Sackett sits down with Amit Parmar, CEO and Co-Founder of Cliquify and former talent leader at IBM, Deloitte, and Thermo Fisher Scientific, to unpack the findings from the highly anticipated 2026 State of Employer Branding Report. Based on insights from global talent acquisition and employer branding leaders, the report reveals how the world's leading employers are adapting their hiring strategies, employer brand investments, and talent attraction efforts in a rapidly changing labor market. Tim and Amit dive into the biggest trends shaping recruiting and frontline hiring today, including the growing influence of AI on candidate applications, the rise of social media as the highest-quality source of talent, and why employee storytelling is becoming more important than traditional job advertising. They discuss why organizations continue to underinvest in employer branding teams, how global companies are structuring their employer brand functions, and why social-first recruiting strategies are outperforming many legacy talent acquisition approaches. The conversation also explores practical insights from the report, including employer branding budgets, technology stacks, content creation challenges, employee advocacy programs, and the increasing need for personalized candidate journeys. Amit shares lessons learned from building Cliquify into a successful HR technology company without venture capital funding, while offering actionable advice for CHROs, talent acquisition leaders, recruiting professionals, and employer brand practitioners looking to improve hiring outcomes in 2026 and beyond. If you're interested in employer branding, recruiting technology, candidate experience, talent acquisition strategy, frontline hiring, employee referrals, AI recruiting, social recruiting, workforce planning, or the future of work, this episode delivers data-backed insights and real-world examples you can put into action immediately. In This Episode: Key findings from the 2026 State of Employer Branding Report Why social media is becoming the top source of quality hires How AI is changing candidate behavior and recruiting processes The future of employee storytelling and talent attraction Employer branding team structures, budgets, and technology trends Frontline hiring strategies that actually work Why employee referrals remain the gold standard for hiring success How to build a stronger employer brand in the next six monthsListen now to discover how leading organizations are winning the battle for talent and why employer branding has become one of the most strategic investments in recruiting today.

    The Frontlines - 2026 Employment Branding Report

  8. 27 Apr ·  Video

    The Frontlines with Workday's Adam Godson

    If you think frontline hiring is “solved,” this episode is about to challenge everything you believe. In this must-listen conversation, Tim Sackett and Madeline Laurano sit down with Adam Godson—the former CEO of Paradox and now the driving force behind talent products at Workday—to unpack what’s really broken (and what’s finally working) in frontline hiring. Adam’s story alone is worth the listen. From detasseling corn in Iowa to hanging “Now Hiring” signs on highways to leading one of the most influential talent tech portfolios in the world, he’s lived every layer of this problem. And that real-world experience shows up in how he thinks about hiring today: simple, fast, and brutally honest about what actually matters. The big takeaway? Most companies are still overcomplicating the hell out of hiring. You’ll hear why the traditional application process is filled with useless friction (seriously—why are we still asking for a supervisor’s name from two jobs ago?), and how the best organizations are winning by focusing on just a few critical questions: Can the candidate work? Will they show up? Can they do the job? That’s it. But this episode goes way beyond theory. Adam shares real examples that will make you rethink your entire process—like the candidate who applied via a drive-thru receipt and was hired within days, or how companies are cutting time-to-hire from weeks down to hours. We’re talking about a world where the top organizations can hire in under five hours, while others are still taking weeks—and losing talent because of it. Tim and Madeline also dig into one of the most painful truths in talent acquisition: speed is the new competitive advantage. If you’re slow, you’re not just inefficient—you’re invisible. Candidates aren’t ghosting you…they’re getting hired somewhere else. And then there’s the candidate experience. From multilingual hiring breakthroughs to eliminating the dreaded “black hole,” this episode shows how conversational AI and better communication are finally closing the gap between candidates and companies. Imagine applying, scheduling, and getting hired in a single, seamless flow—no waiting, no guessing, no frustration. Oh—and if you think this is just for hourly workers? Think again. Adam makes a compelling case that the same expectations are coming for white-collar hiring, whether companies are ready or not. The conversation also zooms out to the bigger picture: workforce planning, internal mobility, shift flexibility, and how connected systems can finally align business needs with talent in real time. Bottom line: this isn’t just about hiring faster—it’s about fundamentally redesigning how work gets done. If you care about the future of frontline work, talent tech, or just want to understand why some companies are fully staffed and thriving while others are constantly struggling, this episode delivers. Hit play. This is the frontline reality check HR has been waiting for.

    The Frontlines with Workday's Adam Godson

  9. 1 Apr ·  Video

    Coming to your from the Frontlines of Hiring!

    Welcome to The Frontlines, the podcast that finally shines a spotlight on the most overlooked and most essential part of our workforce: frontline, high-volume hourly workers. Hosted by industry insiders Tim Sackett and Madeline Laurano, The Frontlines dives into the real-world challenges, frustrations, and opportunities shaping how organizations hire and how people experience the hiring process. Because let’s be honest, this is the part of hiring we’ve ignored for decades. We post jobs and hope people show up. That doesn’t cut it anymore. Each episode brings a raw, unfiltered look at what’s really happening, from broken application processes that take weeks (for jobs people need today), to outdated hiring systems designed for corporate roles but forced onto hourly workers. Tim and Madeline combine decades of hands-on experience with real stories from the field, both from employers trying to hire at scale and from workers navigating a system that often feels stacked against them. But this isn’t just another HR podcast full of executive interviews. The Frontlines goes deeper. You’ll hear directly from the people living it, the candidates, the workers, the managers, alongside data, research, and practical insights on what’s actually working (and what’s not). From AI-driven hiring transformations to mobile-first application experiences, from workforce demographics to the realities of shift work and internal mobility, this podcast tackles the conversations our industry hasn’t been having… but should. If you care about hiring, retention, or just building a better experience for the people who keep your business running, this is your front-row seat to the future of work.

    Coming to your from the Frontlines of Hiring!
  • 9 Episodes

About

Welcome to The Frontlines, the podcast that finally shines a spotlight on the most overlooked and most essential part of our workforce: frontline, high-volume hourly workers. Hosted by industry insiders Tim Sackett and Madeline Laurano, The Frontlines dives into the real-world challenges, frustrations, and opportunities shaping how organizations hire and how people experience the hiring process. Because let’s be honest—this is the part of hiring we’ve ignored for decades. We post jobs and hope people show up. That doesn’t cut it anymore. Each episode brings a raw, unfiltered look at what’s really happening, from broken application processes that take weeks (for jobs people need today), to outdated hiring systems designed for corporate roles but forced onto hourly workers. Tim and Madeline combine decades of hands-on experience with real stories from the field, both from employers trying to hire at scale and from workers navigating a system that often feels stacked against them. But this isn’t just another HR podcast full of executive interviews. The Frontlines goes deeper. You’ll hear directly from the people living it, the candidates, the workers, the managers, alongside data, research, and practical insights on what’s actually working (and what’s not). From AI-driven hiring transformations to mobile-first application experiences, from workforce demographics to the realities of shift work and internal mobility, this podcast tackles the conversations our industry hasn’t been having… but should. If you care about hiring, retention, or just building a better experience for the people who keep your business running, this is your front-row seat to the future of work.

Information

  • Creator
    Tim Sackett
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    9
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    The Frontlines