Looks Good on Paper

Anita Chauhan
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Looks Good on Paper flips hiring on its head. Hosted by Andrew Wood and Anita Chauhan, we dive into why CVs and "perfect fits" are overrated. Through fun, insightful conversations with industry experts, we explore how skills, potential, and real experience should be the focus of hiring... not what looks good on paper. Quick, candid, and packed with actionable insights, we’re here to rewrite the rules of hiring, one episode at a time.

  1. Fair, Equitable Hiring Needs a Retention Strategy (S2E14)

    19H AGO

    Fair, Equitable Hiring Needs a Retention Strategy (S2E14)

    Hiring more women in tech isn’t enough if companies can’t retain them. In this episode, Gillian Emerson, Head of Talent & Partnerships at Toast, breaks down what actually drives equity, flexibility, and long-term retention in modern hiring. Just a few things that we cover in this week's episode: Why diverse pipelines fail without retention-first systemsHow flexibility and choice impact women staying in techWhat happens when company names and credentials are removed from candidate reviewsHow return-to-office mandates affect hiring and retentionWhere AI helps hiring—and where it quietly creates new risks🍞 About This Week's Guest Gillian Emerson is the Head of Talent & Partnerships at Toast, where she helps tech companies hire and retain more women by redesigning recruiting systems from the ground up. As one of Toast’s first employees, Gillian helped build its recruiting function while also growing a membership community that supports women in tech across North America.  📄 About Looks Good on Paper / Willo Every week Looks Good on Paper explores how trends in hiring, talent, and work are going beyond what shows up on a résumé. Episode Chapters 00:00 – Welcome & Gillian’s journey to Toast 01:40 – Building Toast’s recruiting function from scratch 03:50 – Why women leave tech—and why retention matters 04:50 – The biggest hiring mistake companies keep making 06:40 – Flexibility, choice, and return-to-office policies 09:00 – Rethinking how candidates are evaluated 11:00 – Why pedigree and big names can mislead hiring 13:30 – Hiring beyond resumes and “shiny” credentials 16:00 – How Toast experiments with different hiring approaches 17:30 – AI in hiring and its unintended consequences 19:00 – Hiring and recruiting trends for 2026 ⭐ Enjoying the show? Follow Looks Good on Paper, leave us a rating, and share this episode with someone rethinking how hiring really works. Show Resources Willo: willo.video - The most cost-effective way to screen candidates at scale. Interview candidates anywhere & at any time CV Free Toolkit: cvfree.me/join - Break up with the CV and get everything you need to modernize your hiring approach with skills-based assessments Anita Chauhan: linkedin.com/in/anitachauhan - Connect with the host

    20 min
  2. The Talent Signal Recruiters Often Miss (S2E13)

    JAN 21

    The Talent Signal Recruiters Often Miss (S2E13)

    Shanal Kazi breaks down why so many hiring decisions still optimize for comfort over capability — and what changes when you stop treating the CV as your strongest signal. We cover the hidden bias against non-linear careers, and what “better signal” could look like in 2026. What you will learn: The real cost of hiring for polish and big brand namesThe hidden bias toward linear career paths (and what it screens out)How to assess capability, self-awareness, and growth without over-indexing on CVsWhy role clarity and honesty matter more than “culture fit” clichésWhat 2026 hiring should prioritize as AI becomes embedded in the process👓 About Our Guest Shanal Kazi is an experienced Manager of Engagement & Inclusion and Talent Management, With more than 14 years of experience across organizational development, culture, and enterprise change in complex global environments. She brings a global lens shaped by living across countries, rebuilding her career as an immigrant in Canada, and seeing first-hand how resumes can hide the attributes that actually predict success. 📄 About Looks Good on Paper / Willo Looks Good on Paper is a podcast by Willo exploring how hiring, talent, and work are changing beyond the resume. ▶ Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/bU29ODKDmmQ Chapters 00:00 — Welcome + why this episode starts 2026 00:54 — A career that “doesn’t make sense on paper” 01:45 — Early career barriers and bias in hiring 03:15 — What resumes fail to capture about candidates 04:28 — Biggest hiring mistake: comfort over capability 06:17 — Role clarity, honesty, and working across cultures at Samsung 08:09 — Hidden bias: linear careers (and why it’s flawed) 10:58 — If CVs disappeared: what replaces them 14:00 — 2026 trends: AI, transparency, and diversity of thought If this episode was useful, follow the show and leave a quick rating or review — it helps more hiring teams find these conversations. Show Resources Willo: willo.video - The most cost-effective way to screen candidates at scale. Interview candidates anywhere & at any time CV Free Toolkit: cvfree.me/join - Break up with the CV and get everything you need to modernize your hiring approach with skills-based assessments Anita Chauhan: linkedin.com/in/anitachauhan - Connect with the host

    16 min
  3. Why Hiring More People Is the Wrong Fix (And What High-Growth Companies Do Instead) (S2E12)

    JAN 14

    Why Hiring More People Is the Wrong Fix (And What High-Growth Companies Do Instead) (S2E12)

    Most companies think growth means hiring more people. According to Mike Bettley (Senior Director of Talent, StackAdapt), that mindset is exactly what leads to wasted budgets, bloated teams, and stalled growth. In this episode of Looks Good on Paper, Mike explains why hiring is the most expensive decision a company makes — and why adding headcount is often a lazy substitute for real strategy. Drawing on his experience at Google, Thomson Reuters, and OpenCare, Mike breaks down how high-growth companies decide who to hire, when to hire, and what problem each role is actually meant to solve. This is a must-listen for founders, hiring managers, recruiters, and talent leaders navigating today’s volatile job market. In this episode, we're covering Why “we need more people” is usually the wrong answerHow to identify the real business bottleneck before hiringWhen scaling too early creates long-term damageWhy company pedigree (Google, Meta, etc.) is a misleading hiring signalWhether CVs still matter in an AI-driven hiring marketThe skills talent leaders will need heading into 2026👤 About Mike Bettley Mike Bettley is Senior Director of Talent at StackAdapt, leading global hiring across a company that has grown from 800 to over 1,600 employees in just two years. His career spans Google, Thomson Reuters, and high-growth startups, giving him a rare perspective on what actually works at every stage of scale — from scrappy startups to global enterprises.   👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelbettley/ About Looks Good on Paper Looks Good on Paper, powered by Willo, explores modern hiring, talent strategy, leadership, and how work is changing beyond what shows up on a résumé. Episode Chapters 00:00 – Why hiring is more dangerous than people think  01:40 – From Google to startups to StackAdapt  03:10 – Why hiring is the most expensive business decision  04:15 – The biggest hiring mistake companies keep making  05:30 – Headcount vs solving real business problems  07:00 – CEOs, hiring strategy, and the 80/20 rule  08:25 – Why hiring too far ahead backfires  09:25 – The hidden bias of company pedigree  13:55 – Can hiring work without CVs?  15:50 – Writing, communication, and AI-era skills  19:45 – The skills talent leaders need in 2026  21:40 – Final thoughts Show Resources Willo: willo.video - The most cost-effective way to screen candidates at scale. Interview candidates anywhere & at any time CV Free Toolkit: cvfree.me/join - Break up with the CV and get everything you need to modernize your hiring approach with skills-based assessments Anita Chauhan: linkedin.com/in/anitachauhan - Connect with the host

    23 min
  4. The Real Reason CVs Are Failing: 8 Leaders Talk Volume, Bias, and What Comes Next (S2 Cut)

    12/18/2025

    The Real Reason CVs Are Failing: 8 Leaders Talk Volume, Bias, and What Comes Next (S2 Cut)

    What happens when you remove CVs from the hiring process? In our season 2 supercut, our leaders debate bias, volume, video, AI, and what truly helps candidates stand out. What You’ll Learn in This Episode Why CVs feel both essential and outdated for modern hiring teamsHow video, portfolios, and short‑form content change candidate evaluationWhere AI‑guided screening is improving fairness and scalabilityWhat candidates really worry about when asked for extra materials (like Looms)The growing expectation that employers must modernize, too—not just candidates🎬 Our Season 2 Supercut This episode brings together a range of hiring leaders—from high‑volume talent teams reviewing 35,000+ monthly applications to people‑first organizations like Clio, Float, Remote and PurposeMed—each sharing real‑world experience on what breaks and what improves when you move beyond the traditional CV. Their perspectives highlight the evolving landscape of candidate experience, modern screening tools, and the push for more equitable, human‑centred hiring practices. 🎧 About the Show Looks Good on Paper is a Willo-powered podcast where talent leaders and founders share real hiring insights to help teams build fairer, more thoughtful hiring processes. 👉 https://www.willo.video/  📺 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/-pQoGAfacxI 💬 Follow us on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/willovideo/  ⏱ Episode Chapters 00:02 — What if CVs disappeared tomorrow? 00:26 — Vanilla resumes & missed opportunities 00:43 — Bias, LinkedIn profiles & recruiter friction 01:08 — The cover‑letter love/hate divide 01:18 — CVs as structure vs. limitation 01:38 — What makes a candidate stand out today 01:55 — Beyond experience: solving ambiguity + panel comfort 02:30 — Candidate choice & PurposeMed’s AI‑guided screening 02:53 — Using AI to improve equity and conversation quality 03:14 — Looms, burden, and candidate trust 03:40 — A world without CVs: video as the new first impression 04:14 — Employers must evolve if candidates are expected to 04:34 — What CVs miss & layering deeper context 05:00 — Closing thoughts: modern hiring, modern tools 📌 We’ve got plenty more hot takes, so if you enjoyed this episode, follow/subscribe and leave a quick rating or review. Are you a talent leader and want to be on the show? Let us know! Show Resources Willo: willo.video - The most cost-effective way to screen candidates at scale. Interview candidates anywhere & at any time CV Free Toolkit: cvfree.me/join - Break up with the CV and get everything you need to modernize your hiring approach with skills-based assessments Anita Chauhan: linkedin.com/in/anitachauhan - Connect with the host

    6 min
  5. Plan Earlier, Hire Smarter - Emergency Hires Can Really Sabotage Great Decisions (S2E11)

    12/10/2025

    Plan Earlier, Hire Smarter - Emergency Hires Can Really Sabotage Great Decisions (S2E11)

    Hiring rarely fails because teams don't care-it fails because decisions get rushed. In this episode, Tia Fomenoff (VP of People at PurposeMed) breaks down why reactive hiring, charisma bias, and burnout quietly undermine great teams-and how people leaders can plan ahead instead. In this episode we’ll talk about Why waiting too long to hire turns roles into "emergencies"How reactive hiring leads to burnout and poor decision-makingThe hidden bias toward charismatic candidates-and how it shows up in interviewsWhy introverted candidates often outperform louder onesHow PurposeMed is thinking about AI, automation, and human-first hiring for 2026👤 Guest Bio Tia Fomenoff is the VP of People at PurposeMed, where she's helping build an accessible, compassionate healthcare system for underserved communities through brands like Freddy, Freida, and Fourier. With a non-traditional path spanning nonprofit work, digital marketing, and scaling teams at Unbounce, Buffer, and Thinkific each from 20 employees over 500, Tia brings a people-first, practical approach to hiring, culture, and growth. 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiafomenoff/  🎧 About the Show Looks Good on Paper is a Willo-powered podcast where talent leaders and founders share real hiring insights to help teams build fairer, more thoughtful hiring processes. 👉 https://www.willo.video/  📺 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/-pQoGAfacxI 💬 Follow us on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/willovideo/  ⏱ Episode Chapters 00:00 - Welcome & intro to Tia Fomenoff 00:47 - From nonprofit work to tech & people leadership 02:48 - Why Tia joined PurposeMed 03:41 - The biggest hiring mistake: waiting too long 05:25 - Reactive hiring, burnout, and exhausted leaders 06:09 - Planning proactively with hiring managers 07:47 - Hidden bias: charisma vs substance 09:56 - How introverted candidates get overlooked 10:50 - Can you remove CVs from hiring? 11:25 - Application questions, cover letters, and effort 13:10 - Offering candidates choice in interviews 14:45 - Hiring trends for 2026: AI with intention 16:40 - Long-term sourcing and building pipelines early 17:10 - Wrap-up and what's next 📌 We’ve got plenty more hot takes, so if you enjoyed this episode, follow/subscribe and leave a quick rating or review. Are you a talent leader and want to be on the show? Let us know! Show Resources Willo: willo.video - The most cost-effective way to screen candidates at scale. Interview candidates anywhere & at any time CV Free Toolkit: cvfree.me/join - Break up with the CV and get everything you need to modernize your hiring approach with skills-based assessments Anita Chauhan: linkedin.com/in/anitachauhan - Connect with the host

    18 min
  6. What 74% of Companies Are Getting Wrong - and Why They Lose Out on Great Talent (S2E10)

    12/03/2025

    What 74% of Companies Are Getting Wrong - and Why They Lose Out on Great Talent (S2E10)

    Global hiring is changing faster than most teams can keep up. In this episode, Remote's Senior Director of Onboarding & Business Operations, Noelle Pittock, shares how her team screens 35,000+ applicants a month all while staying human.  On this week’s episode, you'll learn Why hiring only within commuting distance quietly kills your talent strategyHow to turn company values into real behaviors in a fully remote workforceWhat "CV bias" looks like-and how Remote is designing around itHow agentic and generative AI can open up equity in early-stage screeningThe top skills and trends Remote is watching for HR leaders heading into 2026👓 About the guest Noelle Pittock is the Senior Director of Onboarding and Business Operations at Remote, where she leads a global team of 100+ specialists across EMEA and APAC. With a background in B2B and content marketing, she brings a uniquely creative lens to operations, overseeing Remote's employer of record division and helping companies onboard and pay global talent quickly, compliantly, and with a standout service experience. 📌 About Remote Remote is a global HR company that helps businesses hire, manage, and pay talent anywhere in the world-compliantly and seamlessly. From employer-of-record services to global payroll and benefits, Remote gives teams the infrastructure to scale across borders with confidence. 📄 About Looks Good on Paper / Willo Looks Good on Paper is your weekly source for hot takes from modern talent leaders, recruiters, and  powered by Willo, the async video platform helping teams hire faster-and more thoughtfully - at scale. ⏱ Chapters 00:16 - Welcome to Looks Good on Paper & intro to Noelle 00:25 - What Remote does & Noelle's role leading 100+ global specialists 01:49 - The biggest hiring mistake: only hiring within office radius 02:40 - Flexibility, talent shortages & why local hiring is failing (Remote data) 04:16 - Turning values into real behaviors on global remote teams 05:32 - Remote's public handbook & cultural infrastructure 06:38 - Values that evolve as your company grows 07:19 - Hidden leadership bias: cloning your top performer's CV 08:39 - Why CVs don't predict success & how Remote hires differently 09:43 - "We're already kind of CV-free": 35,000 applications a month 10:39 - Using agentic & generative AI to open up equity in screening 11:43 - Ditching "3-5 years experience" in job descriptions 12:48 - Making hiring criteria more progressive and candidate-friendly 13:30 - Are we missing great people with AI filters? 14:42 - Hiring trends for 2026: generalists, global flexibility & automation 15:52 - Cultural competency as a hiring superpower 16:24 - Final thoughts & closing on the future of work ⭐ Enjoyed this conversation with Noelle Pittock? Follow or subscribe and leave a quick rating or review to help more talent leaders discover the show. 🙋🏽‍♂️ Building global teams or rethinking hiring? We’d love to hear from you — reach out if you want to be on the podcast. Show Resources Willo: willo.video - The most cost-effective way to screen candidates at scale. Interview candidates anywhere & at any time CV Free Toolkit: cvfree.me/join - Break up with the CV and get everything you need to modernize your hiring approach with skills-based assessments Anita Chauhan: linkedin.com/in/anitachauhan - Connect with the host

    17 min
  7. Same Work, Same Pay: Float’s Julia Fulton Talks Pay Transparency and Why Cover Letters Stink (S2E9)

    11/25/2025

    Same Work, Same Pay: Float’s Julia Fulton Talks Pay Transparency and Why Cover Letters Stink (S2E9)

    This week Julia Fulton (Float) joins us on Looks Good on Paper to break down why hiring in 2025 has got to shift away from praising perfection, to rewarding potential. From compensation transparency to why she’s never read a cover letter, Julia breaks down what top teams are doing (and should be doing) differently in 2025. In this week's episode we'll cover: Why sharing compensation upfront changes everything for candidates (and why everybody deserves to know)How hiring the "perfect fit" conceals the hidden bias that limits team growthWhat might help replace the CV - and why authentic responses matter more👧🏻 Guest Bio Julia Fulton is the Talent Manager at Float, a global, async-first company whose philosophy is all about doing your best work, while living your best work life. Float is fast on the rise, and for Julia, it’s all about championing the candidate experience, and having complete transparency — rooted in her own path into tech, and the belief that great hiring balances rigor with undoubtable humanity. 📄 About Looks Good on Paper / Willo Looks Good on Paper is your weekly source for hot takes from modern talent leaders, recruiters, and  powered by Willo, the async video platform helping teams hire faster-and more thoughtfully-at scale. Chapters  00:00 – Intro to Looks Good on Paper & Julia Fulton (Float)  00:54 – Julia’s hiring philosophy and Float’s async global model  02:15 – Biggest hiring mistake: hiding compensation + key details  03:45 – The “Spider-Man meme” salary dance and why it’s broken  04:26 – Float’s radical transparency + public employee handbook  04:45 – “Same work, same pay” across geographies  06:38 – Candidate experience, no ghosting, and re-engaging talent  08:03 – Hidden bias: hiring perfection vs. growth potential  09:41 – Non-traditional backgrounds and the skills we underestimate  11:41 – If CVs disappeared: application questions & Loom alternatives  14:19 – Why generic cover letters (even AI ones) fail  16:18 – Letting candidates present in their strength format  17:38 – Role skills vs. interview skills  18:12 – AI in hiring: where it helps and where humans stay vital  19:49 – Going analog again: protecting voice and culture  20:37 – BoBo the cat cameo + wrap-up Are you a talent leader and want to be on the show? Let us know! We’ve got plenty more hot takes, so if you enjoyed this episode, follow/subscribe and leave a quick rating or review. Thanks for listening! Show Resources Willo: willo.video - The most cost-effective way to screen candidates at scale. Interview candidates anywhere & at any time CV Free Toolkit: cvfree.me/join - Break up with the CV and get everything you need to modernize your hiring approach with skills-based assessments Anita Chauhan: linkedin.com/in/anitachauhan - Connect with the host

    21 min
  8. Don’t Trust the First 10%: Process Is the Problem, Says Ashby’s Jim Miller (S2E8)

    11/18/2025

    Don’t Trust the First 10%: Process Is the Problem, Says Ashby’s Jim Miller (S2E8)

    Jim Miller, VP of People & Talent at Ashby, joins Anita to unpack what’s really broken in modern hiring—from over-indexing on referrals to misusing AI in recruiting. If you’re a founder, talent leader, or recruiter, this one’s a playbook episode. What you’ll learn in this episode: Why over-relying on employee referrals can quietly damage quality of hire, talent density, and cultureHow Ashby designs job postings and closing dates to review 100% of applicants fairlyA practical framework for protecting hiring manager time and raising the hiring barWhy resumes aren’t going away anytime soon—and what a “choose your own adventure” application flow could look likeHow intentional AI deployment will reshape hiring volumes and productivity by 2026Guest Bio: Jim Miller, VP People & Talent at Ashby Jim Miller leads the People and Talent team at Ashby, a modern recruiting platform built for high-growth teams. With 25+ years in talent acquisition, Jim has hired software engineers in London agencies, built Google’s early engineering org in London, led global inbound recruiting for 4–5 million applications a year, and even co-designed Google’s in-house ATS in just 30 days. After leading TA at FullStory and becoming an Ashby customer, he pitched himself into his current role—where he now helps teams scale hiring with both rigor and empathy. About Willo / Looks Good on Paper Looks Good on Paper is a snackable podcast for people leaders, recruiters, and founders, powered by Willo—the async video interview platform that helps teams hire more thoughtfully at scale. 📌 Chapters 00:17 – Welcome to Looks Good on Paper & intro to Jim Miller 00:47 – Jim’s journey: agencies, Google, FullStory, and pitching himself into Ashby 02:10 – The biggest hiring mistake: over-relying on employee referrals 04:13 – How Ashby treats referrals, inbound, and sourcing as one unified pipeline 05:54 – The hidden bias: only reviewing a slice of your applicant pool 07:38 – Using deadlines and data to review 100% of candidates (without burning out teams) 08:53 – Protecting hiring manager time while improving quality of hire 09:54 – Could we remove CVs completely? Legal, risk, and workload realities 12:11 – “Choose your own adventure” applications and helping candidates find the right role 13:58 – Jim’s 2026 prediction: intentional AI, productivity, and fewer hires 16:18 – Parkinson’s Law, Pomodoro, and making AI efficiency real for teams 16:51 – Wrap-up, Ashby resources, and where to learn more ⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the show, leave a rating or review, and share it with someone in your talent or founder circle—it really helps us reach more listeners. Show Resources Willo: willo.video - The most cost-effective way to screen candidates at scale. Interview candidates anywhere & at any time CV Free Toolkit: cvfree.me/join - Break up with the CV and get everything you need to modernize your hiring approach with skills-based assessments Anita Chauhan: linkedin.com/in/anitachauhan - Connect with the host

    18 min
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About

Looks Good on Paper flips hiring on its head. Hosted by Andrew Wood and Anita Chauhan, we dive into why CVs and "perfect fits" are overrated. Through fun, insightful conversations with industry experts, we explore how skills, potential, and real experience should be the focus of hiring... not what looks good on paper. Quick, candid, and packed with actionable insights, we’re here to rewrite the rules of hiring, one episode at a time.

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  • Creator
    Anita Chauhan
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    68
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Looks Good on Paper
  • Show Website
    Looks Good on Paper