The POZCAST: Decoding Success with Adam Posner

NHP Talent Group, Adam Posner
  • 5.0 (119)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Weekly

Career & Life Journeys: Hosted by Adam Posner, he interviews top experts, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders from the world of Entrepreneurship, Talent Acquisition, Personal Growth, and other world-class amazing humans to decode their success via their insights into their own career journeys and personal growth. The goal of #thePOZcast is to showcase amazing humans who share their stories to inspire you to harness your inner tenacity to drive your life and career forward. Adam Posner is the Founder and Managing Director @ NHP Talent Group- a boutique NYC-based staffing agency with expertise in marketing, media and advertising.

  1. 1d ago

    Redefining Talent Acquisition: Mike Fitzsimmons on the Launch of Brilliant (LIVE @ RecFest US 2026)

    Thanks for listening, and please follow us on Insta @NHPTalent and www.youtube.com/thePOZcast For all episodes, please check out www.thePOZcast.com Our friends at Dalia brought you these episodes from RecFest US 2026! Dalia helps employers convert more career-site traffic into qualified applicants by giving job seekers a universal candidate profile that eliminates repetitive applications and streamlines the application process. Learn more (link below) https://www.dalia.co/audit?utm_source=pos And thanks to our friends at Purple Acorn for their partnership! Learn more at https://purpleacornnetwork.com/   Key TakeawaysShift to Positive Impact Metrics: Instead of focusing only on the financial cost of a bad hire, talent acquisition teams should prioritize measuring the positive business outcomes driven by quality hires.Compounding Hiring Intelligence: Recruitment tools shouldn't act as isolated gates. Aggregating insights from candidate resumes, behavioral assessments, AI screening, and live interviews provides a holistic view of a candidate.Modernized Reference Checking: Standardized reference checks combined with candidate self-assessments serve as key confirmatory tools while uncovering red flags and fake credentials.Two Tiers of Application Fraud: "Little fraud" involves candidates using AI tools to pad resumes, whereas "big fraud" involves deliberate identity deception or cybersecurity risks. Automated metrics like "suspicion ratings" help flag non-human behavior early in the ATS funnel.Intelligence-Driven Onboarding: Data collected during the evaluation process should directly inform post-hire activities, such as generating personalized 90-day learning and development plans.Realistic Outlook for HR Tech Founders: Building venture-backed HR software is extremely tough due to high market fragmentation and a restricted buyer ecosystem; long-term sustainability requires strong cash management.Chapters00:00 - Introduction & Welcome Live from Recfest 202600:44 - The Origin of Crosschq & The Need for Quality-of-Hire Data02:44 - Shifting the Focus: From Bad Hire Cost to Quality Outcomes04:12 - Evolving Reference Checks into Confirmatory Diligence06:35 - Building Compounding Intelligence Across Selection Gates08:14 - Eliminating Bias with Rigorous IO Psychology Science09:03 - Tackling Talent Fraud: Little Fraud vs. Big Fraud10:33 - ATS Integrations & Candidate Suspicion Ratings11:53 - Autonomous AI Interviewers vs. Live Interview Intelligence13:00 - Boundaries for AI Usage by Candidates14:55 - The 90-Day Regret Question for Senior Candidates16:43 - Bridging the Gap: Connecting Candidate Intelligence to Onboarding & L&D19:20 - The Brilliant Vision & The Future System of Action22:56 - Reality Check & Advice for HR Tech Founders25:21 - Where to Connect & Wrap-Up

    Redefining Talent Acquisition: Mike Fitzsimmons on the Launch of Brilliant (LIVE @ RecFest US 2026)

  2. 5d ago

    The True Cost of "Unbelievable" Employer Branding: Kellie McCann (Live @ RecFest USA)

    Thanks for listening, and please follow us on Insta @NHPTalent and www.youtube.com/thePOZcast For all episodes, please check out www.thePOZcast.com Our friends at Dalia brought you these episodes from RecFest US 2026! Dalia helps employers convert more career-site traffic into qualified applicants by giving job seekers a universal candidate profile that eliminates repetitive applications and streamlines the application process. Learn more (link below) https://www.dalia.co/audit?utm_source=pos   Key TakeawaysAuthenticity Beats Polished Marketing: Overly polished or generic branding crumbles when candidate expectations don't match the real onboarding experience, leading to early turnover.Speak Leadership's Financial Language: To drive real organizational change, frame employer brand issues around data—such as turnover costs, drop-off points in the recruiting funnel, and direct impacts on the P&L.Empower Employees with "Swim Lanes": Enable authentic employee advocacy by setting clear guidelines rather than strict, restrictive barriers.Conduct Initial Diagnostics: A baseline diagnostic helps map the gap between internal reality and external perception, identifying quick wins versus items that need budget.Chapters00:00 – Introduction & Recfest Highlights00:42 – The Transition from Recruiting to Employer Branding01:56 – Pitfalls in Employer Branding: Leadership & Reputation Gaps03:26 – Using Data to Shift Leadership Mindsets & Protect the P&L05:01 – Emerging Trends: AI Tools & Employee Advocacy06:56 – The Employer Brand Diagnostic & Action Plan07:49 – Empowering Employees to Share Authentic Stories08:49 – Community Connection & Final Thoughts

    The True Cost of "Unbelievable" Employer Branding: Kellie McCann (Live @ RecFest USA)

  3. Nov 2

    Human First Recruiting: Navigating AI and Niche TA with Hope Pace (Live @ RecFest USA)

    Thanks for listening, and please follow us on Insta @NHPTalent and www.youtube.com/thePOZcast For all episodes, please check out www.thePOZcast.com Our friends at Dalia brought you these episodes from RecFest US 2026! Dalia helps employers convert more career-site traffic into qualified applicants by giving job seekers a universal candidate profile that eliminates repetitive applications and streamlines the application process. Learn more (link below) https://www.dalia.co/audit?utm_source=pos   Key TakeawaysAuthentic Communication Over Interrogation: Interviews should feel like reciprocal conversations rather than rigid Q&A sessions to ease candidate anxiety and yield authentic responses.Meet Candidates Where They Are: Traditional platforms like LinkedIn or standard job boards don't reach every candidate pool; platforms like Handshake, TikTok, and local grassroots events often work better for early-career and specialized frontline talent.Targeted AI Adoption: While AI capability in HR is growing exponentially, companies don't need to implement AI for everything; core processes, culture alignment, and human connection must come first.Empathetic Rejections: Deliver rejection notices with direct human empathy and personal care, not automated templates, to preserve the candidate relationship.Chapters00:00 – Introduction & Guest Welcome00:22 – Key Rehab Overview & Scope01:05 – Hope’s Journey from Sales to Talent Acquisition02:32 – Candidate Experience & Respecting Job Seekers' Time03:22 – Overcoming Hiring Shortages in Rural Healthcare Markets05:07 – Rethinking Sourcing: Moving Beyond LinkedIn & Traditional Job Boards07:18 – Leveraging Social Media & Handshake for Gen Z08:56 – How to Identify and Hire Great Recruiters10:25 – Conference Insights: The Rise of AI vs. The Need for Humanity13:06 – Handling Candidate Rejections with Empathy14:44 – Closing Thoughts & Where to Connect

    Human First Recruiting: Navigating AI and Niche TA with Hope Pace (Live @ RecFest USA)

  4. Oct 29

    Bringing "The Helpful Place" to Life in TA with Ace Hardware’s Steph Nikitas (LIVE @ RecFest US 2026)

    Thanks for listening, and please follow us on Insta @NHPTalent and www.youtube.com/thePOZcast For all episodes, please check out www.thePOZcast.com These episodes of #thePOZcast from RecFest USA in Nashville are brought to you by our friends at Dalia. Dalia helps employers convert more career-site traffic into qualified applicants by giving job seekers a universal candidate profile that eliminates repetitive applications and streamlines the application process. Learn more (link below) https://www.dalia.co/audit?utm_source=pos Key TakeawaysCulture Drives the TA Model: Ace Hardware’s store philosophy—starting customer interactions with "What can I help you find today?"—translates to the recruitment process by placing curiosity, helpfulness, and core values at the center of candidate interactions.Standardization Scaled Success: The TA team developed "The Ace Wave of Hiring," a standardized "Req to Check" framework that aligns recruitment evaluation directly with on-the-job performance metrics and core competencies.Strategic Use of AI: Ace Hardware uses AI tools (such as Paradox/Grace) for scheduling, communication, image generation, and hyper-specific interview guides, but avoids full automation in interviews to keep human connection front and center.Overcoming Automation Friction: Shifting to simplified application processes (like Workday/Indeed Easy Apply) significantly increased top-of-funnel applicants, requiring careful adjustments with conversational AI to balance candidate ease with candidate quality.Unconscious Bias Awareness: True bias reduction in recruiting stems from self-awareness, continuous team training, and evaluating talent strictly based on skills, experience, and core values rather than names or backgrounds.Compassionate Candidate Experience: Delivering rejections with empathy and clear feedback turns a difficult moment into a constructive experience for job seekers, reinforcing brand loyalty even when candidates aren't hired.Chapters00:00 – Introduction & The Ace Hardware "Helpful Place" Brand01:03 – Extrapolating Core Store Values to the Talent Acquisition Process03:26 – Steph Nikitas’ Journey & Overview of Ace's TA Structure04:18 – Storytelling and Impact: What Draws Candidates to Ace Hardware05:27 – Building TA from the Ground Up & "The Ace Wave of Hiring"07:05 – Top-of-Funnel Friction, Easy Apply, and Implementing Paradox (Grace)09:14 – Navigating AI for Interview Scheduling & Human Control10:58 – The Role of AI vs. Automation in Preserving Human-Centric Culture12:29 – Practical AI Use Cases: Recruitment Marketing, Sourcing & Interview Guides14:21 – Defining the Modern Recruiter: Storytelling, Judgment & Unconscious Bias17:17 – Team Spotlight: Celebrating the Deployment of the Ace Wave Project18:25 – Managing Candidate Rejections with Compassion and Empathy19:47 – Golden Advice for Job Seekers & Where to Connect

    Bringing "The Helpful Place" to Life in TA with Ace Hardware’s Steph Nikitas (LIVE @ RecFest US 2026)

  5. Oct 26

    Grilling Up Authenticity: Chris Krull on Human-Centric Recruiting at Five Guys (LIVE @ RecFest US)

    Thanks for listening, and please follow us on Insta @NHPTalent and www.youtube.com/thePOZcast For all episodes, please check out www.thePOZcast.com Our friends at Dalia brought you these episodes from RecFest US 2026! Dalia helps employers convert more career-site traffic into qualified applicants by giving job seekers a universal candidate profile that eliminates repetitive applications and streamlines the application process. Learn more (link below) https://www.dalia.co/audit?utm_source=pos Key TakeawaysOperational Background Builds Credibility: Recruiters with hands-on operational experience build instant trust, buy-in, and a shared language with hiring managers.Recruiters as Strategic Partners: Shifting talent acquisition from transactional "order takers" to strategic business partners elevates the overall quality and impact of hiring.Internal Mobility Over External Hiring: Five Guys prioritizes promoting store general managers into recruitment roles, teaching them recruiting skills rather than trying to teach outside hires the company culture.Immersive Onboarding for External Hires: External hires spend time working in stores—cooking, cleaning, and experiencing operations firsthand—to live the company's core values.Candidate Experience Protects Brand Value: Avoiding candidate ghosting and communicating clearly is vital because job candidates are also prospective customers.AI Should Enhance, Not Replace, Human Interaction: Five Guys uses AI for automated interview transcriptions to help recruiters practice active listening, while strongly opposing fully automated or one-way robotic interviews.Chapters00:00 - 00:56: Introduction and RecFest Experience00:56 - 02:35: Chris Croll's Transition from Operations to Talent Acquisition02:35 - 03:50: Evolving TA from Order-Takers to Strategic Business Partners03:50 - 04:47: Internal Hiring and Immersive Store Training for Recruiters04:47 - 06:05: Empathetic Recruiting and Setting Transparent Expectations06:05 - 07:35: Assessing Cultural Alignment and Maintaining a People-Centric Business07:35 - 08:52: Candidate Attraction Strategies and Recruitment Platform Partnerships08:52 - 10:06: Protecting the Candidate Experience and Preventing Candidate Ghosting10:06 - 12:00: Utilizing AI Tools for Interview Transcriptions and Active Listening12:00 - 13:30: Debating AI in the Interview Process and Human Interaction13:30 - 14:06: Best Practices and Ethics for Candidates Using AI14:06 - 15:00: Celebrating Team Culture, Retention, and Company Longevity15:00 - 15:39: Where to Connect with Chris Croll & Closing Remarks

    Grilling Up Authenticity: Chris Krull on Human-Centric Recruiting at Five Guys (LIVE @ RecFest US)

  6. Oct 22

    Transforming Global Hiring: How Marriott Innovates with VP Meghan Rhatigan (LIVE @ RecFest USA 2026)

    Thanks for listening, and please follow us on Insta @NHPTalent and www.youtube.com/thePOZcast For all episodes, please check out www.thePOZcast.com #thePOZcast Thanks, Dalia, for sponsoring these episodes LIVE from RecFest USA. Dalia helps employers convert more career-site traffic into qualified applicants by giving job seekers a universal candidate profile that eliminates repetitive applications and streamlines the application process. Learn more (link below) https://www.dalia.co/audit?utm_source=pos Chapters00:00 – Introduction & Career Background: Megan Ratigan outlines her 15-year journey at Marriott, her transition from organizational change management back to talent acquisition, and the necessity to disrupt hiring post-2021.01:48 – Post-Pandemic hiring challenges: The impact of hotel re-openings, labor shortages across industries, and why speed became the ultimate differentiator.03:02 – Automating the Interview Process: Implementing automated interview scheduling, saving 17 days in time-to-fill, and scaling across 10,000 hotels globally.05:28 – Top-of-Funnel Strategy & Application Redesign: Shortening application and assessment lengths using inline evaluations managed by behavioral science PhDs.07:44 – Leverage Organic Brand Reach over Job Boards: Why 60% of Marriott’s applicants come directly to their career site, resulting in higher retention, higher quality of hire, and minimal reliance on paid job ads.11:24 – Streamlining the Candidate Experience: Removing unnecessary interview steps, combining screening with full interviews, and empowering recruiters to act fast.13:28 – Fraud Prevention & In-Person Verification: Utilizing anti-fraud tech, biometrics during background checks, and bringing back in-person interviews for headquarters positions.15:00 – Ethical AI Use for Job Seekers: How candidates can leverage AI effectively for interview preparation and resume polishing without over-engineering.16:04 – The Purpose & Future of Recruitment: Why recruiters must evolve beyond transactional hiring to become broader talent management consultants and continuous learners.18:50 – Shoutouts & Final Job-Seeker Advice: Recognizing team members giving back to the community and offering networking strategies for navigating the modern job market.Key TakeawaysAutomation Drives Speed: Automating interview scheduling alone cut Marriott’s overall time-to-fill by 17 days.Organic Intent Matters: Candidates who apply directly through a company's career site stay longer and perform better than passive clicks from external job boards.Eliminate Process Friction: Combining initial candidate screening calls directly into recruiter interviews saves step-time and keeps qualified applicants engaged.Fight Application Fraud Early: Enterprise organizations are integrating multi-step fraud detection, biometrics, and selective in-person interviews to combat bad actors.Targeted Networking Over Mass Applying: Job seekers should focus on target companies and build genuine relationships with industry leaders rather than "posting and praying".

    Transforming Global Hiring: How Marriott Innovates with VP Meghan Rhatigan (LIVE @ RecFest USA 2026)

  7. Oct 19

    Human-First Recruitment: Tracie Campbell on Candidate Care at St. Jude (LIVE @ RecFest 2026)

    Thanks for listening, and please follow us on Insta @NHPTalent and www.youtube.com/thePOZcast For all episodes, please check out www.thePOZcast.com #thePOZcast is proud to welcome Dalia as our newest partner. Dalia helps employers convert more career-site traffic into qualified applicants by giving job seekers a universal candidate profile that eliminates repetitive applications and streamlines the application process. Learn more (link below) https://www.dalia.co/audit?utm_source=pos Key TakeawaysPrioritize Candidate Care: St. Jude’s recruitment strategy centers around "candidate care," ensuring applicants receive clear communication, support, and feedback throughout the hiring process to eliminate the feeling of application "ghosting."Maintain the Human Touch Over AI: While acknowledging AI's potential for streamlining operational processes, St. Jude emphasizes human review for hiring decisions—especially when evaluating transitional skills and soft qualities that technology cannot fully assess.Recruiters as Brand Ambassadors: Recruiters are the primary entry point to an organization; their role extends beyond sourcing talent to advocate for candidates and clearly communicate the company’s mission and values.Resume Advice for Job Seekers:Avoid rigid rules like limiting a resume strictly to two pages if additional context is necessary.Avoid vague "objective statements" that might prematurely disqualify you from other open roles.Omit profile pictures from resumes to reduce unconscious bias during candidate screening.Prepare and Advocate: Talent acquisition teams should set candidate expectations by offering preparation tools and insight into interviewers' backgrounds rather than leaving candidates to navigate interviews blindly. Chapters 00:00 – Introduction & RecFest 2026 Welcome01:25 – Tracie Campbell’s Recruiting Career Journey02:18 – Talent Acquisition at St. Jude: Managing Diverse Roles for 8,000 Employees04:13 – Training Recruiters as Brand Ambassadors and Gatekeepers05:40 – Implementing a "Candidate Care" Strategy08:03 – Evaluating Transitional Experience with Compassion09:28 – Candidate Attraction Tools & Recruitment Marketing11:10 – The Role of AI in Recruiting: Soft Touch vs. Automation13:40 – Walking Through the Application and Rejection Process14:23 – Defining and Combating Application Ghosting16:32 – Future of the Modern Recruiter Role17:22 – Highlight: Sarah Strain’s Leadership Evolution18:38 – Golden Advice for Job Seekers & Resume Tips21:26 – Where to Connect with Tracie Campbell & Closing Remarks

    Human-First Recruitment: Tracie Campbell on Candidate Care at St. Jude (LIVE @ RecFest 2026)

  8. Oct 16

    Good Think: The Science of Smarter Teams: Damon Centola

    Thanks for listening, and please follow us on Insta @NHPTalent and www.youtube.com/thePOZcast For all episodes, please check out www.thePOZcast.com #thePOZcast is proud to welcome Dalia as our newest partner. Dalia helps employers convert more career-site traffic into qualified applicants by giving job seekers a universal candidate profile that eliminates repetitive applications and streamlines the application process. Learn more (link below) https://www.dalia.co/audit?utm_source=pos Key TakeawaysHiring a smarter leader does not fix a broken team structure.The key question is: who talks to whom, and who listens to whom?Hierarchy can suppress useful insights from people closest to the work.Great meetings create equal influence—not just equal attendance.Strong teams help individuals learn while improving group decisions.MIT’s Building 20 shows the power of unplanned, cross-disciplinary collisions.AI can accelerate thinking, but it can also flatten diversity and reinforce existing biases.Leaders should assess AI by whether it makes humans more capable over time.High-performing teams can decline when their best people are poached; management must plan for attrition.Monday-morning move: create space for lower-power voices to influence the discussion.Chapters00:00 Welcome + Damon’s background 04:00 Growing up in a Quaker community 09:00 Is higher education still worth it? 13:00 What groupthink really means 20:00 Why smart teams make bad decisions 28:00 Structural intelligence and information flow 36:00 Hospital hierarchies and hidden organizational red flags 45:00 MIT Building 20 and accidental innovation 55:00 Designing smarter, more egalitarian meetings 1:03:00 AI, bias, and collective intelligence 1:15:00 When successful systems undermine themselves 1:23:00 The one leadership change to make Monday morning

    Good Think: The Science of Smarter Teams: Damon Centola
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About

Career & Life Journeys: Hosted by Adam Posner, he interviews top experts, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders from the world of Entrepreneurship, Talent Acquisition, Personal Growth, and other world-class amazing humans to decode their success via their insights into their own career journeys and personal growth. The goal of #thePOZcast is to showcase amazing humans who share their stories to inspire you to harness your inner tenacity to drive your life and career forward. Adam Posner is the Founder and Managing Director @ NHP Talent Group- a boutique NYC-based staffing agency with expertise in marketing, media and advertising.

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