DE Talk

DirectEmployers Association
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For DirectEmployers, it’s all about valuable connections and meaningful conversations. DE Talk brings together HR and workforce experts for candid conversations on the issues, trends, and technologies shaping today’s workplace. From OFCCP compliance and federal contractor requirements to equal employment opportunity, recruiting, talent acquisition, AI in hiring and selection, and emerging workforce trends, each episode delivers practical insights, expert perspectives, and actionable ideas to help HR professionals navigate change and strengthen their strategies.

  1. 4d ago

    Reframing Disability Accommodations as a Performance Strategy, Not a Risk File

    What if the accommodation request on your desk is one of the best performance tools you have? Too many organizations still treat disability accommodations as a compliance task: a box to check, a cost to contain, a risk to manage. That mindset may be costing them productivity, retention, and talent. Most accommodations cost nothing to implement, and more than a quarter of Americans have a disability, most of them invisible. Your workforce likely already includes people who could do their best work with the right support. In this episode of the DE Talk Podcast, host Michelle Krefft of DirectEmployers Association sits down with Charlie Kramer, founder of Disability Reimagined, for a candid conversation about why accommodations belong in your performance strategy, not your risk file. Drawing on life with 96% vision loss and years of coaching both employers and the disability community, Charlie shares accommodations that may surprise you, the one golden rule every manager should follow when an employee asks for support, and a quick, practical step HR and talent acquisition teams can take this month. If you’ve ever wondered how to make accommodations simpler, more effective, and better for your entire team, this episode is for you. Enjoy the DE Talk Podcast? Hit follow in your podcast app so you never miss an episode. For updates on webinars, events and more, subscribe at DirectEmployers.org/Subscribe. Stay connected with DirectEmployers on LinkedIn, Facebook and X.

  2. Oct 12

    The End of "Jobs Near Me": Conversational AI Is Changing How Candidates Find Jobs

    "Jobs near me" has been the most common job search for 20 years, and with the introduction of AI, it's on the verge of disappearing. Candidates have stopped typing keywords. They're asking ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude for jobs that fit their experience, their schedules and their lives. If your jobs aren't in the handful of answers those tools give, candidates never see you. And because the AI platforms share no search data, most employers have no idea what candidates are asking. In this episode of the DE Talk Podcast, host AJ Selvey of DirectEmployers Association sits down with Ben Russell, co-founder of SonicJobs, to talk about what's changed, the misconceptions costing employers good candidates, and how CareerGPT brings a ChatGPT-style conversation to your existing career site without replacing your website or ATS. Ben also shares early CareerGPT data showing that more than half of candidate conversations lead to an application start. What you'll learn: Why "jobs near me" may soon disappear as candidates move to natural-language searchWhy being left out of AI answers makes employers invisible to job seekersHow good and bad application friction affect completion ratesHow CareerGPT adds conversational AI to your existing career site without an ATS overhaulWhy future career sites will need to serve both candidates and AI agentsEnjoy the DE Talk Podcast? Hit follow in your podcast app so you never miss an episode. For updates on webinars, events and more, subscribe at DirectEmployers.org/Subscribe. Stay connected with DirectEmployers on LinkedIn, Facebook and X.

  3. Sep 28

    Section 503 Changes: What Employers and the Disability Community Need to Know

    As of September 21, 2026, a Final rule from the OFCCP removed three long-standing Section 503 requirements for federal contractors: the 7% utilization goal, the related annual data analysis, and the CC-305 disability self-identification form. In this episode, guest host PJ Rossi of Forte Advisory Group and HR Compliance Consultant at DirectEmployers talks with disability advocate Felicia Nurmsen, Founder of Inclusion Without Illusion, about what the change means in practice, bringing together an HR compliance practitioner view and an advocacy view on the same set of questions: how employers might approach measurement and accountability without a required benchmark, the distinction between self-identification and disclosure and what that means for employees with non-apparent disabilities, how AI-driven hiring tools intersect with accessibility and accommodation, and how employers and their nonprofit and workforce-agency partners might evaluate their recruitment relationships going forward. This podcast is for general discussion purposes only and should not be considered as legal advice. Enjoy the DE Talk Podcast? Hit follow in your podcast app so you never miss an episode. For updates on webinars, events and more, subscribe at DirectEmployers.org/Subscribe. Stay connected with DirectEmployers on LinkedIn, Facebook and X.

  4. Sep 14

    Fixing the Application Black Hole with Dalia’s Sam Fitzroy

    In this episode of the DE Talk Podcast, host Shannon Offord sits down with Sam Fitzroy, co-founder and CEO of candidate conversion platform, Dalia. Bringing over 15 years of industry experience—including key leadership roles at Indeed and The Muse—Fitzroy offers a candid look at the friction points plaguing modern recruitment. Together, they break down the flaws of volume-based hiring models, the impact of AI auto-apply tools flooding applicant tracking systems, and why making job applications overly complex harms both candidates and employers. Fitzroy also shares how talent acquisition teams can optimize content for generative AI search engines and previews Dalia’s upcoming candidate-support initiative designed to ensure job seekers never feel alone in their search. Enjoy the DE Talk Podcast? Hit follow in your podcast app so you never miss an episode. For updates on webinars, events and more, subscribe at DirectEmployers.org/Subscribe. Stay connected with DirectEmployers on LinkedIn, Facebook and X.

  5. Aug 24

    EEO Data in Flux: Navigating the EEOC's Proposal to Rescind EEO-1 Reporting

    For almost 60 years, the EEO-1 Report has been a fixture for employers—love it or hate it, everyone knows the drill. Now the EEOC wants to get rid of it, and nobody's quite sure what comes next. In this episode, Alicia Wallace talks with Nita Beecher of Fortney Scott about what's actually going on: why the EEOC is targeting EEO-1 reporting and the rules behind it, what EEOC leadership has said about how employers can still use this data, and why dropping federal reporting doesn't mean the legal risk goes away. They also get into the uncertain position employers might find themselves in—no requirement to collect the data, but still very much exposed to discrimination claims if they don't. It's a candid conversation for anyone who handles this work and is trying to figure out what to do next, not just what the headlines say. This podcast is for general discussion purposes only and should not be considered as legal advice. Enjoy the DE Talk Podcast? Hit follow in your podcast app so you never miss an episode. For updates on webinars, events and more, subscribe at DirectEmployers.org/Subscribe. Stay connected with DirectEmployers on LinkedIn, Facebook and X.

  6. Mar 23

    Reworking Recruitment: AI, a Frozen Job Market & the Human Edge

    The headlines say unemployment is low. The front lines tell a different story. In this episode of DE Talk, Jeff Gill sits down with Brian Fink, managing partner of The ReWork Group and author of Talk Tech to Me, to unpack what's really happening in today's talent market—and what it means for the future of recruiting. From trust erosion in tech hiring to AI's role as a force multiplier for mid-size companies, Brian challenges conventional wisdom and makes the case that in a frozen, patience-driven market, the recruiters who win are the ones doubling down on relationships, curiosity, and human judgment—not just automation. Enjoy the DE Talk Podcast? Hit follow in your podcast app so you never miss an episode. For updates on webinars, events and more, subscribe at DirectEmployers.org/Subscribe. Stay connected with DirectEmployers on LinkedIn, Facebook and X.

  7. Mar 9 ·  Bonus

    Cutting Through the Noise with AI-Powered Recruitment

    In this episode of the DE Talk podcast, host Shannon Offord, VP of Partnerships at DirectEmployers, sits down with seasoned executive and strategist Brad Boggs, founder of JobFlow. With over 20 years of experience in the recruitment technology space, Boggs shares how his new platform uses "powerfully simple" AI solutions to fix the broken cycle of mass job applications and overwhelmed hiring teams, ultimately building more inclusive and effective hiring pipelines. Whether you are a job seeker looking to stand out or an employer looking to slash your time-to-fill, this conversation offers a roadmap for navigating the evolving AI-powered recruitment landscape. Enjoy the DE Talk Podcast? Hit follow in your podcast app so you never miss an episode. For updates on webinars, events and more, subscribe at DirectEmployers.org/Subscribe. Stay connected with DirectEmployers on LinkedIn, Facebook and X.

  8. Feb 23

    Merit, Myths, and Measurement: Navigating the New ROI of Workplace Diversity

    What happens to workplace diversity when the regulatory landscape shifts overnight? In this episode, compliance consultant Alicia Wallace and former Fortune 500 Chief Diversity Officer David Casey move beyond theory to discuss the reality of leading through change. Drawing on their history of managing hundreds of successful audits for some of the most recognizable brands, Alicia and David offer a masterclass in practitioner-level strategy. They pull back the curtain on what it really takes to bridge the gap between strict EEO compliance and meaningful culture, including how to go beyond “table stakes” as compliance is just the starting point, lessons from both sides of the OFCCP desk as the auditor and audited, and finally, a candid look at why merit-based hiring isn't a threat to diversity, but a tool for data-grounded decisions. Enjoy the DE Talk Podcast? Hit follow in your podcast app so you never miss an episode. For updates on webinars, events and more, subscribe at DirectEmployers.org/Subscribe. Stay connected with DirectEmployers on LinkedIn, Facebook and X.

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About

For DirectEmployers, it’s all about valuable connections and meaningful conversations. DE Talk brings together HR and workforce experts for candid conversations on the issues, trends, and technologies shaping today’s workplace. From OFCCP compliance and federal contractor requirements to equal employment opportunity, recruiting, talent acquisition, AI in hiring and selection, and emerging workforce trends, each episode delivers practical insights, expert perspectives, and actionable ideas to help HR professionals navigate change and strengthen their strategies.

Information

  • Creator
    DirectEmployers Association
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    75
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 DE Talk
  • Show Website
    DE Talk