Talentless

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Welcome to Talentless 👋, the podcast that’s all HR, all talent, and zero fluff—the official show for recruiters, by recruiters! If you’re in the people business, this is your one-stop shop for everything that matters. Hosted Industry Leaders Ashley King and Desiree Goldey, we’re here to dig into the heart of what makes workplaces tick (and sometimes, blow up). From talent acquisition tips that actually work to the real talk on DEI and workforce trauma reshaping our industry, we’re not afraid to get into the messy, the meaningful, and the downright motivating. Buckle up—this is where you become the best in the business.

  1. 16H AGO

    AI Isn’t Replacing Recruiters. Bad Leadership Is.

    Recruiting isn’t broken because of AI. It’s broken because too many companies reduced recruiting to speed, admin work, and “paper pushing” long before AI entered the conversation. In this episode of Talentless, Desiree Goldey, Ashley King, and Oscar Chavez unpack the real issue behind modern hiring dysfunction: leadership decisions that stripped recruiting of strategy, empathy, and human judgment. Oscar shares what 20+ years in recruiting from agency to in-house to AI startup environments taught him about hiring systems, recruiter enablement, and why technology cannot fix a broken process without people who know how to lead it. The conversation dives into: Why AI should amplify recruiters, not replace them How companies accidentally trained recruiters to become “inbox managers” The dangerous obsession with speed over quality Why empathy is still the most underrated recruiting skill The truth behind “beating the ATS” What leadership gets wrong about hiring technology How recruiters lost their seat at the strategic table Why passive sourcing and relationship building still matter more than ever Oscar also shares one of the most powerful recruiting stories we’ve ever heard on the podcast a reminder that recruiting is not administrative work. It changes lives. If you’ve ever wondered whether AI is the problem… or just exposing problems that already existed, this episode is for you. Key Takeaways: “If you speed up a broken process, you’re just going to break it faster.” Recruiting was reduced from strategic partnership to administrative support and leadership decisions drove that shift. AI is most effective as an enablement tool, not a replacement for human judgment. Empathy is still one of the strongest predictors of recruiting success. The best recruiters build relationships, not just pipelines. Hiring leaders often want control, not partnership and recruiting suffers because of it. “Your company is only as good as the people in it. Notable Quotes “AI isn’t replacing recruiters. Poor leadership is.” - Oscar Chavez “If your presence adds no value, your absence makes no difference.” -Ashley King “Empathy should be your first strategy.” - Desiree Goldey “We went from being quarterbacks in the hiring process to being ball boys.” — Oscar Chavez “You’re not fixing hiring by removing the humans. You’re just automating dysfunction.” — Talentless Podcast Connect with Oscar Chavez LinkedIn: Oscar Chavez (“Oscar from LinkedIn”) Resume Audit Tool: The Six Second Test

    50 min

  2. APR 8

    Ghosted by the Machine: What Hiring Lost (and How We Get It Back) with Mark Lane

    What happens when hiring becomes automated, impersonal, and frankly broken? This week on Talentless, Desiree and Ashley sit down with communications strategist and Ghosted by the Machine host, Mark Lane, to unpack what job seekers are really experiencing right now and what recruiters need to hear. From being ghosted for months (or a year ) to competing against AI-generated resumes, this conversation dives into the emotional, systemic, and technological realities shaping today’s hiring market. Whether you're a recruiter, hiring leader, or job seeker, this episode is a reality check. What We Cover: Why 70–75% of resumes never get seen by a human The rise (and risks) of AI in hiring Ghosting, rejection delays, and broken candidate experiences The emotional toll of job searching in today’s market Why networking is more critical than ever Ageism, overqualification, and market saturation The power of storytelling in landing your next role What “career resilience” actually looks like right now The ONE thing recruiters must do better (hint: it’s simple) Key Quotes: “Your AI is competing against my AI.” “It’s not personal, it’s the market.” “If you don’t like what you’re consuming, stop creating it.” “Let’s make hiring human again.” About Mark Lane:Mark Lane is a communications strategist and host of Ghosted by the Machine, a podcast exploring AI-driven hiring and career resilience. With 20+ years of experience, he brings a unique blend of storytelling, strategy, and real-world perspective to the future of work. Also… he’s a saxophonist in multiple bands (yes, really). Where to Find Mark:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-k-lane/Podcast: Ghosted by the Machine (YouTube, Apple, Spotify, iHeart)

    49 min

  3. APR 1

    Is Interviewing Broken… or Just Exposed?

    In this episode of Talentless, we’re joined by Victoria Gates and Lorna Erickson; co-founders of Expert Interviewers and hosts of the Don’t Tell Me About Yourself podcast to unpack a truth many companies don’t want to hear: Interviewing isn’t broken because of AI… it was already broken. AI is just exposing it. From gut-based hiring decisions to untrained interviewers and wildly inconsistent processes, we dig into what’s actually going wrong and what it takes to fix it. We cover: Why most interviews are just opinion collection, not evidence collection How AI is forcing companies to confront nonexplainable hiring decisions The dangerous reliance on “gut feeling” (and why it feels so good but fails so often) The difference between “can they do the job?” vs. “do they actually want the job?” Why hiring managers are often the weakest link in the process The real cost of a bad hire (spoiler: it’s way more than salary) How to identify where your interview process is breaking using data Plus:Ashley breaks down how to diagnose a broken hiring funnel using pass-through rates, and introduces one of the most underrated concepts in hiring: assessing the assessor. AI isn’t breaking hiring it’s exposing bad processes Most companies still don’t train interviewers (and it shows) Gut feeling ≠ valid hiring criteria Transparency with candidates is now non-negotiable Interviewing is a leadership skill not an assumption If your process isn’t explainable, it’s not defensible Victoria GatesHas hired 1,500+ people and specializes in helping leaders refine interviewing and better respect candidate time. Lorna EricksonSpent nearly 20 years studying what actually works in interviewing, with 5,000+ interviews analyzed and global training experience. Together, they founded Expert Interviewers to bring structure, consistency, and sanity back to hiring. Key Takeaways About Our Guests Website: https://expertinterviewers.com Podcast: Don’t Tell Me About Yourself Social: @expertinterviewers

    50 min

  4. MAR 25

    Are Recruiting Models Broken… or Just Misunderstood?

    In this episode of Talentless, Des and Ashley are joined by Chloe Ryan, VP of Talent Solutions at WSI Talent Sync, to tackle a question most of the industry avoids: Are recruiting models actually broken… or do we just not understand them? From agency to RPO to retained search, there’s no shortage of options, but most companies still default to the same approach when hiring gets hard. Chloe brings nearly 15 years of experience across recruiting models to break down what each one actually does, where they work, and why so many organizations end up choosing the wrong solution for the wrong problem. In this episode, we cover: Why recruiting models are so misunderstood What RPO actually is (and why it gets a bad rap) The real differences between agency, staffing, embedded, and in-house recruiting When bringing in outside help makes sense and when it doesn’t Why most hiring problems aren’t solved by “more recruiters” The role of data, technology, and scalability in modern recruiting How AI might reshape recruiting models (but not replace them) Why partnership not vendors is the real unlock Big takeaway:If your recruiting process is broken, no model will fix it until you’re ready to change. Guest: Chloe Ryan, VP Talent Solutions, WSI Talent Sync

    44 min

  5. MAR 18

    Is the Resume Dead? AI Screening and the New Hiring Front Door

    The resume is not dead yet.But it is definitely on life support. In this episode of Talentless, Des and Ashley sit down with Mayur Macwan, CEO of Roundone.ai, to talk about what happens when the traditional resume stops being a useful signal and hiring teams are left drowning in volume, noise, and top-of-funnel chaos. They get into why so much human time gets burned before any real evidence exists, what AI screening can actually solve, and why the goal is not to remove recruiters from the process. It is to give them better information, faster. This conversation covers: Why the top of the funnel is broken Whether the resume still does what we need it to do Why quantity of applicants is not the same as quality How AI voice screening creates more signal than a polished resume alone Why video screening introduces bigger risk than people realize What “human in the loop” should actually mean How AI can improve recruiter productivity without replacing recruiter judgment Why candidate experience still matters, even in an AI-enabled process If you’ve ever posted a job and watched 1,000 applications roll in before you could blink, this episode is for you. Guest: Mayur Macwan, CEO, Roundone.aiLearn more: roundone.ai

    44 min

  6. MAR 4

    CSI: Hiring Funnel: AI Fraud, Fake Candidates, and Trust Signals

    AI didn’t just change hiring. It changed lying. In this episode of Talentless, Des and Ashley sit down with Maryam Mahdaviani, Founder & CEO of Attesto, to unpack what “candidate fraud” actually looks like in 2026. We’re not talking about a little resume inflation. We’re talking: Fabricated LinkedIn + resume + GitHub ecosystems Impersonation and proxy interviews Fake candidates who pass early screens Social engineering inside interviews And the real incentives behind it all Maryam explains how Attesto operates at the top of the funnel to generate trust signals, why relying on one “fraud tell” can cost you great candidates, and what “human in the loop” really means in an AI-driven hiring process. This conversation isn’t just about speed or efficiency.It’s about trust, security, morale, and accountability. If you think this is a small problem… you might want to listen. Guest: Maryam Mahdaviani, Founder & CEO, AttestoLearn more: attesto.com

    49 min

  7. FEB 21

    Building the Table: Leadership, Power & The Climb

    Leadership conversations love to talk about intention.This one talks about impact. In this episode of Talentless, Desiree Goldey and Ashley King sit down with Felicia Smith, founder of The Climb, to unpack what leadership development actually looks like when diversity moves beyond buzzwords and into real behavior, decision-making, and power structures. We get into: The moment representation stops being a “pipeline problem” Why mentorship without systems falls short How bias hides behind words like fit and readiness What leaders consistently miss when evaluating talent Why building better tables matters more than asking for a seat This conversation blends real leadership strategy with the deeper psychology behind access, opportunity, and advancement and challenges leaders to move from performative support to meaningful action. Learn more about The Climb: the-climb.org Connect with Felicia Smith on LinkedIn

    51 min

  8. FEB 3

    Data Over Drama: Building Strong Partnerships

    Ben Abear, Scaled Analytics & Innovation Manager at Adobe In this episode of Talentless, Desiree Goldey and Ashley King sit down with Ben Abear to talk about why modern hiring breaks when decisions are driven by feelings instead of facts. Ben shares how data builds trust, strengthens partnerships with the business, and helps recruiters move from order takers to true strategic partners even on small or under-resourced teams. We dig into what hiring metrics actually matter, how qualitative insight adds critical context, and where AI can support (but not replace) good decision-making. What you’ll hear: Why data is essential in today’s hiring landscape How trust with the business is built through clarity The role of qualitative data in better hiring decisions How small teams can still leverage data effectively

    47 min
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About

Welcome to Talentless 👋, the podcast that’s all HR, all talent, and zero fluff—the official show for recruiters, by recruiters! If you’re in the people business, this is your one-stop shop for everything that matters. Hosted Industry Leaders Ashley King and Desiree Goldey, we’re here to dig into the heart of what makes workplaces tick (and sometimes, blow up). From talent acquisition tips that actually work to the real talk on DEI and workforce trauma reshaping our industry, we’re not afraid to get into the messy, the meaningful, and the downright motivating. Buckle up—this is where you become the best in the business.

Information

  • Channel
    WRKdefined
  • Creator
    WRKdefined Podcast Network
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    34
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved by WRKdefined
  • Show Website
    Talentless

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