Big Fish in the Talent Pool Erin McDermott Peterson

Kelley Shoemaker is the Director of Recruiting at Minneapolis based Ryan Companies US, Inc., where she brings the emotional intelligence she has learned throughout her career to this people-centric business every day. In a business that thrives on diversity and productivity, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic and racial unrest of 2020, EI comes in handy! With previous experience in finance, operations, and advertising, Kelley brings a unique perspective to creating opportunities for those who desire to lead with confidence, ambition, and humility.

In this episode, Erin and Kelley discuss the importance of inclusivity and diversity as well as learning from our past mistakes. Kelley maintains the key to success is pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone while keeping people at the forefront. She encourages those she mentors to find their voice, confidence, and gain an outside perspective, as they evolve into their greatest potential.

Topics Discussed:


Learning to balance confidence and humility
The power of discovering great career options (eg. the Trades!) before High School
The importance of hustle and why it’s necessary for long term goals
How change accelerates our success and what we can learn from our mistakes
Inspiring people to see different perspectives outside of their own
Building authentic employment branding based on a strong corporate culture
Inclusivity in the workforce through diverse voices and backgrounds
Helping women find their confidence (and voice) in a male-dominated workplace
How asking for help as a strength few possess
Pushing ourselves to set big scary goals
Learnings from adversity and life’s greatest challenges


Connect with Kelley Shoemaker
Company Website: https://ryancompanies.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelleyshoemaker/

Connect with Erin Peterson

Erin is a Talent Acquisition Consultant, Interim Leader and RPO Advisor with PeopleResults. She has led TA and RPO globally for some of the most successful organizations in the world including Accenture, Aon Hewitt, and Amazon.

She translates her unique global experience to help clients with TA strategy, employment branding, onboarding, candidate experience, and recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) decisions.


Connect on Social

Website: https://www.people-results.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/erinpeterson
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ErinMcPeterson

Katrina Collier, a.k.a. The Searchologist, is the highly sought after Recruitment facilitator, keynote speaker, author of The Robot-Proof Recruiter and The Robot-Recruiter Mastermind & Certification, co-host of The #SocialRecruiting Show, and founder of DisruptHR in the UK. Drawing on her early-career experience as a recruiter, sourcer, and manager, she has helped thousands globally become better TA professionals and grow their careers. Originally from Australia, Katrina now lives in London and brings an energetic, cheeky, and infectious style to the topic of humanizing recruiting.

Even more interesting than her many accomplishments is her drive to do all of it with an eye to philanthropy. Her primary cause is Hope for Justice which aims to end human trafficking and modern slavery. Katrina uses every opportunity, including the proceeds from her book to boost their mission. For Katrina, personal values are intermingled with work, and she encourages all those she touches to work and serve with passion and authenticity to make a difference regardless of role or level, but especially for those who are leaders.

Topics Discussed:


Bringing human connectivity back into recruitment training
Cultivating self-awareness, curiosity, and empathy as a recruiter
Applying your values and strengths to the Candidate Experience
The most critical considerations in the hiring process
The number one thing that will stop candidate ghosting
Bravery and fearlessness in giving feedback


Connect with Katrina Collier


Website: https://www.thesearchologist.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrinacollier/?jobid=1234
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KatrinaMCollier
Podcast: https://www.thesearchologist.com/the-podcast/


Resources


Company Website: https://disrupthr.co
The Robot-Proof Recruiter by Katrina Collier: https://www.thesearchologist.com/the-robot-proof-recruiter/
The Robot-Proof Recruiter Mastermind: https://www.thesearchologist.com/mastermind/
The Values Factor by John Demartiniti: https://www.amazon.com/Values-Factor-Creating-Inspired-Fulfilling/dp/0425264742

Connect with Erin Peterson

Erin is a Talent Acquisition Interim Leader and RPO Advisor with PeopleResults. She has led TA and RPO globally for some of the most successful organizations in the world including Accenture, Aon Hewitt, and Amazon.

She translates her unique global experience to help clients with TA strategy, employment branding, onboarding, candidate experience, and recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) decisions.


Connect on Social
Website: https://www.people-results.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/erinpeterson
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ErinMcPeterson

Nate Ollestad is no stranger to fast-growing companies, and it’s a good thing. As a tech recruiting veteran, he has cut his teeth in the agency world, then at Google, Rackspace, and Duo Security, and now applies that growth experience to building the team from the ground up at Literati.com, the “Stitch Fix™ of children’s books”. As the Austin, TX-based startup unintentionally benefits from the world sheltering in place during the Covid-19 pandemic, Nate and his team are meeting the challenge of doubling their employee base by blending “new school” technology with “old school” core recruiting fundamentals.

In their discussion, Nate and Erin dig deep into what makes a strategic and credible leader, including knowing your craft and not being afraid to move around and toggle from leader to individual contributor to learn new skills. They also review the personal experiences and challenges that have helped Nate refine his style, his TA tech stack priorities, personal branding goals, and his best advice to future leaders.

Enjoy this fun, casual and fast-paced discussion regarding all things TA and leadership.

Topics Discussed:


Understanding your “why?” in terms of the candidate experience
The value of recruiting experience gained across different industries
The importance of structured change management in business transitions
Partnering with new TA technology and tool vendors to help them help you
Striving for excellence and authenticity in leadership
Giving back, contributing and mentoring the next generation of leaders

Connect with Nate Ollestad


LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nathanollestad
Twitter: https://twitter.com/N8stad
Company Website: https://literati.com/careers/

Connect with Erin Peterson

Erin is a Talent Acquisition Interim Leader and RPO Advisor with PeopleResults. She has led TA and RPO globally for some of the most successful organizations in the world including Accenture, Aon Hewitt, and Amazon.

She translates her unique global experience to help clients with TA strategy, employment branding, onboarding, candidate experience, and recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) decisions.


Connect on Social
Website: https://www.people-results.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/erinpeterson
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ErinMcPeterson

Robin Erickson is a Principal Researcher for The Conference Board and is a rare returning BFitTP guest. She has a Ph.D. in Organizational Communication and spent the majority of her career in professional services (#Deloitte, #EY, #McKinsey ) until she became a research analyst. She now conducts ground-breaking research on HR, Talent Acquisition, Engagement, and Retention best practices.

In this interview, Robin shares her research with @TheConferenceBoard #TalentAcquisition pivots during the global pandemic. As we dig into how we can learn from and bounce back from COVID-19, Robin gives innovative examples from companies using the situation for good. Listen in and be inspired by how your company and team can seize positive and productive opportunities during COVID-19.

Topics Discussed:

● Best Practices for helping employees impacted by the global pandemic
● Short vs. long-term goals during COVID-19
● Using the opportunity to work on employee engagement and a great candidate experience
● Practical ways to use technology to stay engaged
● Finding innovative alternatives to layoffs
● Ways to manage survivor guilt for employees left behind
● Finally using virtual interviews consistently (because of no alternative!)
● Pivoting TA resources to add value in other ways
● Bouncing back to the workplace when it’s deemed safe

Connect with Robin Erickson
● LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/robinericksonphd
● Twitter: https://twitter.com/RAEricksonPhD

Additional Resources from Robin Erickson and The Conference Board:

● Navigating Talent Acquisition in a Changing World
https://conference-board.org/topics/natural-disasters-pandemics

● Finding Innovative Alternatives to Layoffs
https://www.conference-board.org/publications/finding-alternatives-to-layoffs

● Conducting Compassionate Layoffs
https://conference-board.org/publications/conducting-compassionate-layoffs

For organizations starting to think about returning to the workplace:

● Through a Glass Darkly: Preparing to Return to the (Reimagined) Workplace
https://conference-board.org/topics/natural-disasters-pandemics

● Reset & Recovery Planner: Return to the (Reimagined) Workplace (Excel)
https://conference-board.org/publications/reset-and-recovery-planner

● Link to The Conference Board HC COVID-19 Curated Hub with all of their published content.
https://conference-board.org/topics/covid-19-human-capital-responses

Connect with Erin Peterson

Erin is a Talent Acquisition Interim Leader and RPO Advisor with PeopleResults. She has led TA and RPO globally for some of the most successful organizations in the world including Accenture, Aon Hewitt, and Amazon.

She translates her unique global experience to help clients with TA strategy, employment branding, onboarding, candidate experience, and recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) decisions.


Connect on Social
● Website: https://www.people-results.com
● LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/erinpeterson
● Twitter: https://twitter.com/ErinMcPeterson

Nancy Johnson, VP of Talent Acquisition and Development for workforce solutions provider Adtalem Global Education brings a wealth of cross-industry HR experience from organizations like Caremark, RR Donnelly, and SaraLee.

In this interview, Nancy shares how in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, her teams are exercising agility, creativity, and continued productivity, leveraging their experiences from recent hurricane-impacted regions. No stranger to challenges, Nancy talks about her own “curiosity with a little bit of impatience” that has shaped her career choices, and the experiences that have taught her how to effectively influence strategy, drive change and manage internal politics - critical skills for current and future TA Leaders.

Topics Discussed:


The value of TA through the broader HR lens
Agility as a key skill in response to global change
Cultivating the “softer side” of relationships to accompany a bias for action
Engaging internal customers on the bigger picture of TA metrics and anecdotes
Adtalem Global Education’s pivot to 100% online courses for 30,000 nursing students to help meet the COVID-19 challenge

Connect with Nancy Johnson


LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-johnson-59948727

Connect with Erin Peterson

Erin is a Talent Acquisition Interim Leader and RPO Advisor with PeopleResults. She has led TA and RPO globally for some of the most successful organizations in the world including Accenture, Aon Hewitt, and Amazon.

She translates her unique global experience to help clients with TA strategy, employment branding, onboarding, candidate experience, and recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) decisions.


Connect on Social
Website: https://www.people-results.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/erinpeterson
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ErinMcPeterson

Of all the Talent Acquisition Leader jobs I’ve seen, the most unique has to be Rob Dromgoole’s role at The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. And check your stereotypes about Native Americans at the door, because it’s not what you think. Their guiding principles are Faith, Family, and Culture, and The 10 Commandments are posted outside of every Choctaw Nation building. Servant leadership is the norm and they open every meeting with prayer.

But Rob is no stranger to unique and challenging TA leader roles. He brings a load of experience recruiting impossible-to-find skill sets into out-of-the way geographies like Nuclear Engineers and Physicists to arid eastern Washington for Pacific Northwest National Laboratories.

As a former editor and photojournalist for the US Army, Rob learned early in his career about the art of storytelling. Later while at Executive Search Firm ROI, Rob shares how his former boss would point out random individuals walking by in downtown Seattle and would ask him to “share their story”, as weaving an individual’s story eventually became a differentiator for him.

We also discuss how Choctaw Nation’s diverse TA Team is navigating through the COVID-19 challenge, adapting to virtual work while supporting their need for connection with each other. When we focus on the needs of our own communities, Rob told me, we are able to create opportunities for others to grow and prosper.


Topics Discussed:


Why storytelling is essential to leadership and Talent Acquisition
How diversity cultivates Choctaw’s strong community and TA team
The importance of faith, family, and culture in Choctaw’s employment brand
Navigating and adapting to change through a global pandemic
Servant leadership as the key to Choctaw’s success


Connect with Rob Dromgoole
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dromgoole
LinkedIn - CNO: https://www.linkedin.com/company/choctaw-nation-of-oklahoma/