How Lockheed Martin Recruits: Speed, Quality, and a "Candidate at the Center" Mentality with John Heyliger, VP of Talent Acquisition and Workforce Transformation

What if your talent team was the key to unlocking tens of millions in revenue?At Lockheed Martin, that’s not a hypothetical. John Heyliger, VP of Talent Acquisition & Workforce Transformation, shares how his team recruits high-stakes technical talent at scale—while avoiding costly hiring mistakes and proving their value in terms business leaders appreciate.John also shares:The tactics John’s team used to track down and reach out to a small group of highly specialized satellite engineersThe four macro trends he sees shaping the future of talent acquisitionThe critical set of questions to ask yourself before launching any candidate searchConnect with John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stem-workforce-transformation-data/Connect with us:💻 All Episodes: TalentAllStars.com💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ziprecruiter/💼 Dave’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davetravers/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ziprecruiter🎵TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ziprecruiter   Enjoyed this episode? We’d be grateful for a rating or review on 

How is IKEA keeping voluntary turnover under 23%—in an industry where 40-60% is the norm?In this episode, Neena Potenza, Chief People Officer at IKEA US, reveals the values-first approach that drives co-worker loyalty, leadership development, and cultural consistency across thousands of frontline and corporate team members.Neena shares:How IKEA turns its values into a felt experience from day oneThe everyday habits that define leadership at IKEAThe moment Neena forgot to run payroll (and what the reaction revealed about the company’s culture)Connect with Neena: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neena-potenza/Connect with us:💻 All Episodes: TalentAllStars.com💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ziprecruiter/💼 Dave’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davetravers/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ziprecruiter🎵TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ziprecruiter   Enjoyed this episode? We’d be grateful for a rating or review on your favorite podcast app

Southwest Airlines has a team of 200 people whose sole responsibility is to source the company’s “secret sauce”: its people.That team’s leader? Greg Muccio, who started his career as a struggling salesman—before pivoting to agency recruiting and eventually joining Southwest in 2001.  It took him seven tries to land his first leadership role, but that journey shaped who he is today: humble, focused on team success, and deeply committed to delivering an exceptional candidate experience.In this conversation with ZipRecruiter president Dave Travers, Greg shares how Southwest sustains its legendary people-first culture at scale—while embracing innovation and preparing for what’s next.You’ll hear Greg explain:Why every candidate interaction is treated like a customer touchpointHow he convinced skeptical execs to invest in a “high-tech, high-touch” approachThe two metrics that prove talent acquisition’s value to C-level leaders 💼Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-muccio/Connect with us:💻 All Episodes: TalentAllStars.com💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ziprecruiter/💼 Dave’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davetravers/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ziprecruiter🎵TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ziprecruiter   Enjoyed this episode? We’d be grateful for a rating or review on your favorite podcast app.

Most HR leaders want a seat at the table. But what does it take to get there?As the Chief People Officer at Skillsoft—and a former consultant for brands like Comcast, Johnson & Johnson, and Coca-Cola—Ciara Harrington believes the best CPOs think like business executives first, and HR leaders second.In this episode, she explains what true transformation looks like, how to overcome resistance when making big changes, and why proving HR’s impact with data is no longer optional.Ciara also shares:The #1 mistake HR leaders make when reporting up to the CEOHer thoughts on external hiring vs. internal upskilling in the age of AIWhy perfectionism is the enemy of progress when leading big transformation 💼Connect with Ciara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ciarabarry/Connect with us:💻 All Episodes: TalentAllStars.com💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ziprecruiter/💼 Dave’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davetravers/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ziprecruiter🎵TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ziprecruiter   Enjoyed this episode? We’d be grateful for a rating or review on your favorite podcast app.

What happens when your frontline workforce spans 20,000 locations—and your clients control the environment?Raúl Valentín, EVP & CHRO of ABM Industries – one of the world’s largest providers of facility, engineering, and infrastructure solutions – explains how he keeps people-first leadership at the heart of a massive, distributed workforce. From leading HR with business fluency to fighting for tech that actually works on the frontlines, Raúl shares the mindset shifts every HR pro needs to make if they want a seat at the leadership table.Raúl also shares:How to win buy-in for HR investments from potentially skeptical execsThe impact of AI on language accessibility for hourly workersWhy being a “support” function isn’t something to shy away from 💼Connect with Raúl on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rauljvalentin/Connect with us:💻 All Episodes: TalentAllStars.com💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ziprecruiter/💼 Dave’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davetravers/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ziprecruiter🎵TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ziprecruiter   Enjoyed this episode? We’d be grateful for a rating or review on your favorite podcast app.

Most CEOs say people are their most important asset. Marcus Lemonis lives it.The Camping World CEO, Beyond Executive Chairman, and host of “The Fixer” on Fox shares why HR and Talent Acquisition leaders play such critical decision-making roles at his companies – and what up-and-coming HR and TA pros must do to earn their CEO’s trust.He also opens up about the biggest blind spots leaders have when it comes to recruiting, retaining, and empowering talent—and why the best companies treat talent acquisition as an “offensive move” rather than a “problem to be solved”.Marcus also shares:What HR professionals must do to earn a CEO’s trustWhy he believes a company’s employees are more important than its customersHow recruiting every day—not just when you have openings—can future-proof your company 💼Connect with Marcus on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-lemonis/🌐 Beyond Inc.: https://www.beyond.com🌐 Camping World: https://campingworld.com🌐 The Fixer on Fox: https://thefixer.comConnect with us:💻 All Episodes: TalentAllStars.com💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ziprecruiter/💼 Dave’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davetravers/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ziprecruiter🎵TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ziprecruiter   Enjoyed this episode? We’d be grateful for a rating or review on your favorite podcast app.

Have you ever seen a leader enthusiastically roll out a “best practice”–without asking whether those practices actually fit the organization?In this episode of Talent All-Stars, Beverly Propst, SVP - Human Resources at Fortune 500 electrical and tech distributor Graybar, shares why even the most widely accepted strategies can fail if they don’t align with your company’s culture.With 20+ years of leadership experience and a literal “seat at the table” (she joined Graybar’s board in 2009), Beverly explains how to build programs that actually stick—and what to watch out for when adapting ideas from other organizations.She also shares:Her “exciting” journey from attorney to HR leadershipHow Graybar built a “promote from within” cultureThe #1 trap she sees HR teams fall into – and how to avoid it 💼Connect with Beverly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beverlylucaspropstConnect with us:💻 All Episodes: TalentAllStars.com💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ziprecruiter/💼 Dave’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davetravers/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ziprecruiter🎵TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ziprecruiter   Enjoyed this episode? We’d be grateful for a rating or review on your favorite podcast app.

What does it take to build a high-performing organization that lives its values—not just plasters them on a poster?Brian Riley, VP of Global Talent Acquisition and HR Shared Services at Riot Games, shares how the gaming company refreshes, embeds, and operationalizes its values across the entire hiring lifecycle. From behavioral interview kits to identifying internal “bar raisers”, this is how elite companies build cultural alignment at scale.Brian also shares:Why Riot’s current hiring focus is “talent density”How he preps for meetings with high-level executivesWhy the best leaders leverage both empathy and hard data Connect with Brian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rileybrian/Connect with us:💻 All Episodes: TalentAllStars.com💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ziprecruiter/💼 Dave’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davetravers/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ziprecruiter🎵TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ziprecruiter   Enjoyed this episode? We’d be grateful for a rating or review on your favorite podcast app.

What does it look like to evolve your talent strategy while sitting at the center of the AI revolution? Just ask Sarah Tilley.As SVP of Global Talent Management and Acquisition at ServiceNow, Sarah oversees a large-scale but agile operation that processed 1.7 million applications last year alone.  In this episode, she shares how her team uses AI not just to streamline recruiting—but to deeply enhance how they assess, hire, and develop talent.She also explains why brand alignment matters in B2B, how to make the case for innovation within lean teams, and what "quality of hire" really means in 2025.You’ll learn:How trying to “prove herself” held Sarah back—and what she did insteadHow she gives her team space to experiment and innovateThe #1 trait she’s looking for when hiring future leaders Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahtilley/Connect with us:💻 All Episodes: TalentAllStars.com💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ziprecruiter/💼 Dave’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davetravers/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ziprecruiter🎵TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ziprecruiter   Enjoyed this episode? We’d be grateful for a rating or review on your favorite podcast app.

What if the best way to lead isn’t by having all the answers—but by asking better questions?Brian Glaser, Google’s Vice President and Chief Talent and Learning Officer, shares a leadership philosophy grounded in humility, agility, and experimentation.  From his early days at JetBlue Airways to shaping Google’s leadership school, Brian explains how the best talent leaders balance clarity with curiosity—and why the future belongs to those who embrace change.Brian also shares:How to turn 1-on-1s into high-impact coaching sessionsHis transition from individual contributor (“making lightning strike”) to leadership (“creating the conditions for lightning to strike”)Why AI won’t replace you—but someone using it might Connect with Brian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianglaserphd/Connect with us:💻 All Episodes: TalentAllStars.com💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ziprecruiter/💼 Dave’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davetravers/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ziprecruiter🎵TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ziprecruiter