From A People Perspective

Kristen Suess shares her journey from Starbucks to Slack, exploring the importance of people experience, effective communication, and leveraging technology like Slack and AI to enhance workplace culture and productivity.02:45 — A chaotic night and the black bear comparison09:08 — Kristen’s journey into people and HR13:28 — What Starbucks taught her about people leadership19:26 — Why the customer experience starts with the people experience21:29 — The hidden cost of layoffs26:20 — How Kristen landed at Slack30:29 — Lessons from Slack: curiosity, humility and versatility34:14 — When should a company hire its first HRBP?38:12 — What makes a strong HRBP valuable40:40 — Behind the scenes of life at Slack46:10 — How to use Slack more effectively48:11 — Career breaks, consulting and the future of HR56:33 — Kristen’s approach to AI and Claude58:49 — AI tools, productivity and experimenting with technology 

In this engaging conversation, Martin and Yiorgos explore the multifaceted world of recruitment, touching on Yiorgos' unique journey into the field, the importance of employer branding, and the challenges faced in the current job market. They discuss the impact of technology on recruitment processes, the significance of building long-term relationships with candidates, and the evolving landscape of people operations. Throughout the discussion, Yiorgos shares valuable insights and experiences that highlight the complexities and nuances of recruitment today.00:00 Introduction05:45 Yiorgos' Journey into Recruitment12:32 Recruiting Across Industries15:11 Challenging Hiring Bias20:00 Why Curiosity Makes Better Recruiters26:23 Building an Authentic Employer Brand34:57 Recruitment Beyond Hiring38:20 Honest Candidate Conversations44:12 Understanding Candidate Motivations48:20 The Long Game in Recruitment53:28 AI & Technology in Recruiting01:03:55 The Future of Talent Acquisition

In this episode, Martin Hauck chats with Cory Chadwick about the journey of creating Lyceum, formerly The Mental Gym, a platform dedicated to proactive mental health and leadership development. They explore personal stories, habits, the importance of intentional growth, and how small, consistent changes lead to lasting impact.1:43 - Welcome & unexpected Toronto encounter3:29 - Rapid-fire openers: music, snacks, and first jobs13:37 - Cory’s story: mental wellbeing, loss, and finding a path18:49 - From personal practice to helping others thrive21:39 - Building Lyceum and the realities of entrepreneurship25:31 - Mental wellbeing beyond crisis: moving from good to great29:29 - Learning through iteration, failure, and refinement31:38 - Who Lyceum is for: intention, growth, and self-selection36:28 - Why standards and shared commitment matter43:21 - Whole-person development in the workplace46:35 - Why we struggle to do what we know is good for us51:30 - Closing thoughts

In this episode, Martin Hauck interviews Denzel Mutoko, a senior talent acquisition partner at Dealmaker. They discuss Denzel's unique learning preferences, his journey in recruitment, the transition from agency to in-house roles, and the impact of AI on the recruitment process. Denzel shares insights on the importance of personal development, the tools he uses in his work, and his philosophy on balancing work and life. The conversation concludes with valuable advice for job seekers and reflections on the future of talent acquisition.02:05 - Meet Denzel Mutoko11:31 - From Dubai to recruitment15:18 - Agency vs. in-house recruiting18:50 - Why he left agency recruitment20:43 - Building a career beyond work23:22 - The future of talent acquisition24:51 - AI tools every recruiter should know27:44 - Why AI can't replace resume screening30:18 - How Denzel uses ChatGPT, Claude & Gemini33:10 - Building AI tools for recruiters35:38 - The future of AI in hiring38:03 - Staying relevant in an AI-driven world41:17 - Interview advice every candidate should know42:26 - Why there's more to life than work44:35 - Losing your identity through work46:50 - The mindset that changed everything49:32 - Closing thoughts

In this episode, Chengeer Lee, a recruiter turned coach, breaks down how authenticity, writing, and self-awareness fuel success in the talent world. He shares raw insights about navigating careers, the power of metacognition, and why ego destruction is essential for leadership—and how all of this ties back to building impactful organizations.01:59 — Chengeer Lee’s unconventional path into recruitment04:03 — From Kazakhstan to building a career in Canada06:33 — Landing his first job with no recruitment experience10:00 — Why job development built his recruitment foundation12:18 — Moving into tech and agency-side talent acquisition14:45 — How LinkedIn content created career opportunities15:38 — Writing, discipline, and rebuilding after burnout19:42 — Why writing is a meta skill for clearer thinking23:15 — Metacognition: learning to observe your own thinking27:34 — Why there are no shortcuts to self-understanding32:04 — Removing mental noise to improve performance34:49 — Self-transcendence as the foundation for growth39:31 — How recruitment and coaching are more connected than they seem42:09 — Making self-awareness practical for sceptics46:01 — Building conscious leaders and organizations49:04 — Playing life’s games consciously

Vanesa Cotlar shares insights on remote work, building relationships with CEOs, and leveraging AI for business innovation. Discover practical strategies for career growth, team building, and staying ahead in AI technology.00:00 – Introduction to Vanesa Cotlar04:36 – Remote Work vs. In-Person Collaboration08:59 – Work Style, Meetings & Productivity Habits11:09 – Performance Reviews, Team Building & RTO Takes12:18 – The CEO ↔ People Leader Relationship17:34 – Career Growth & Becoming a Strategic Partner22:33 – AI Challenges in Modern Workplaces24:59 – AI Learning, Upskilling & Internal Innovation28:06 – AI Tools That Changed Workflow Efficiency31:11 – Staying Ahead of the AI Curve34:43 – Overcoming Fear & Resistance to AI Adoption36:28 – Closing Thoughts & Final Reflections 

What if the key to better hiring, onboarding, and managing people is just making the complex simple? Erin Goodey shares real-world strategies to strip away unnecessary friction, leverage automation, and build resilient, scalable teams especially in a global context.01:25 - Intro & icebreakers04:45 - Email sign-off culture across countries07:48 - Rapid fire: culture, RTO mandates & the future of work09:28 - From criminology to HR: Erin's career journey13:15 - Joining Oyster and building global HR from scratch16:34 - Advising customers on complex global hiring strategy18:20 - Work from anywhere: risk, maturity & legal exposure20:32 - How Oyster sets standards while adapting to each client25:18 - Heat maps, country selection & avoiding costly mistakes26:45 - Planning for offboarding before you celebrate onboarding29:33 - Pod countries: a smarter approach to global expansion31:31 - Best entry points for companies new to international hiring34:03 - Making the complex simple: automation & human-centered HR37:16 - Lessons for fractional HR leaders41:32 - Universal truths about the people profession45:55 - The power of community & the "Unblock Me" channel48:35 - What's on Erin's mind: geopolitics, complexity & building ahead50:00 - Reimagining HR processes with AI from the ground up51:38 - Pearl Diver: how Oyster saved 420 hours with an AI bot55:56 - AI as a creative opportunity, not just a cost-cutting tool58:37 - Who Erin's watching: companies pioneering AI-driven HR1:00:21 - Final thoughts & close

In this episode, we explore how role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons can transform team building, leadership, and organizational culture through immersive, hands-on learning. By using play as a tool, teams can build trust, improve communication, and uncover hidden dynamics that traditional methods often miss. The conversation highlights how experiential learning creates deeper connections, encourages authentic collaboration, and helps individuals develop skills in a low-pressure environment that translates directly into the workplace.00:00 – Introduction & Laura Khalil background02:00 – D&D and tabletop games explained07:00 – Games as a model for team roles & dynamics12:00 – Using game mechanics in real work (Stars & Wishes) 16:30 – Why games reveal real personality traits20:30 – Corporate dysfunction & lack of collaboration23:00 – Discovery of D&D’s team-building potential27:00 – Real business impact: building connections across teams31:30 – Why play is critical for learning & development35:30 – Leadership, vulnerability & “looking silly”40:00 – Using games to diagnose team dynamics45:30 – Breaking hierarchy & titles through gameplay48:30 – Google study: what makes high-performing teams50:30 – Where to find Laura & closing thoughts 

In this episode, Sarah Ennor shares her journey with ADHD, debunks common myths, and offers practical advice for workplaces to support neurodiverse employees. Discover how understanding and accommodating different brain types can boost organizational performance and inclusivity.00:00 – Introduction & Sarah Ennor overview02:00 – What ADHD really means at work06:20 – “People over policy” hot take10:30 – Why employees don’t disclose ADHD14:00 – Better approach: ask for outcomes, not labels19:00 – Making invisible differences visible23:50 – Biggest myth: ADHD ≠ laziness29:00 – Sarah’s ADHD diagnosis story33:30 – Understanding ADHD differences & self-awareness36:30 – Rethinking work structures (time, productivity)41:30 – Challenging norms like punctuality48:20 – How companies can unlock performance51:00 – One key fix: believe your employees56:50 – Why this matters for business (cost + growth)1:02:50 – Closing & where to find Sarah 

In this episode, Jason Silver, a former Airbnb country manager turned author, shares eye-opening insights on rethinking productivity, leadership, and purpose. He reveals how scaling at breakneck speed taught him that focusing on culture and values especially the ones you pay a price for, can make or break your success. And he challenges the widely held myth that job satisfaction is about finding your passion it's about practicing it, day by day, task by task. 00:00 – Introduction & Jason Silver background 02:30 – From child actor to Airbnb: unconventional career path 06:10 – Inside Airbnb’s hypergrowth (400 → 2500 employees) 09:30 – “Don’t f*** up the culture”: lessons on scaling companies 12:30 – Why company values fail (and how to make them real) 17:00 – The book Your Grass is Greener explained 20:00 – Personal turning point: loss, perspective & mindset shift 23:30 – The “enjoyment → success” reversal (core philosophy) 28:30 – You have more control over your work than you think 42:30 – Practical exercise: redesign your work using enjoyment 47:15 – HR dilemma: misaligned roles & how to fix them 50:15 – Change HOW you work, not WHAT you do 53:00 – Small tweaks that compound into career satisfaction 59:30 – The future of work: danger of chasing “perfect jobs” 1:03:30 – Final insights on values, work, and fulfillment