The Ace Way of Hiring: Inside Ace Hardware’s Human-Centered Approach to Talent Acquisition

At Concentrix, a global leader in customer experience solutions, talent acquisition is closely integrated with business operations rather than functioning as a standalone department.In this episode, Jillene Jensen, Senior Director of Talent Acquisition, shares how her operations background led to a new kind of talent acquisition strategy: prioritizing alignment, performance, and long-term impact.You’ll learn:Why former operations leaders make great recruitersHow Jillene’s team calibrates with business units to improve the quality of hireHow Concentrix balances AI tools with human touchWhat talent acquisition metrics really drive retentionConnect with Jillene on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillene-jensen-423932111Connect 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.

At Marsden Services, a national provider of cleaning, security, and maintenance services, talent acquisition starts with clear and honest role-selling.In this episode, Vice President of Talent Acquisition Ashley Lynch shares how visiting worksites, understanding the day-to-day realities of each role, and setting clear expectations have helped her team improve both speed-to-hire and retention.You’ll learn:Ashley’s “big three” framework for identifying bottlenecks in Talent AcquisitionTwo case studies where better role clarity solved retention challengesHow Marsden pilots AI tools without losing the human touch in hiringConnect with Ashley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-lynch-18294ba1/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.

At Legacy Health, talent acquisition is shaped by data, experimentation, and a deep understanding of people.In this episode, Travis Trautman, Director of Sourcing and Talent Acquisition, shares how his team uses mini-experiments to improve hiring speed, candidate fit, and decision-making across a highly regulated healthcare environment. With a career spanning banking, education, and healthcare, Travis offers a rare cross-industry perspective on what truly moves the needle in TA, whether it's reducing time-to-fill or building trust with hiring managers.You’ll learn:How psychological safety shapes talent innovation at Legacy HealthWhat to watch for when evaluating AI and new recruiting techOne timeless lesson that still shapes Travis’s approach 20 years laterConnect with Travis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travistrautmanConnect 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.

Johnson Controls is known for making buildings smarter, safer, and more sustainable. But inside the company, there’s a different kind of transformation happening—in how they attract, hire, and prepare talent for the future of work.In this episode of Talent All-Stars, Mike Aronson— Senior Director of Global Talent Acquisition Operations—shares how he’s applying over 15 years of hands-on recruiting experience to reshape the function from the inside out.You’ll learn:Why it’s more important to fall in love with a problem and not a solutionThe 30-second elevator pitch that defines TA success at Johnson ControlsWhy Mike believes we’re the last generation to manage an all-human workforceConnect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikearonsonConnect 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.

Ace Hardware’s hiring strategy is grounded in one core principle: a consistent, transparent experience for every candidate—regardless of outcome.In this episode, Stef Nikitas, Director of Talent Acquisition at Ace Hardware, outlines how her team developed “The Ace Way of Hiring”—a structured, brand-aligned approach that sets clear expectations for candidates, hiring managers, and recruiters.She also shares how Ace applies technology thoughtfully across the hiring process, and how her team navigates the complexity of supporting multiple business units under a unified talent strategy.You’ll learn:How Stef’s life changed when she went from team-player to team-leaderWhy a well-delivered rejection can still strengthen your employer brandWhat skill TA leaders need most to stay relevant in a changing worldConnect with Stef on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/snikitasConnect 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.

Verizon is one of the biggest brands on the planet—but behind the scenes, it’s the people who keep it moving.In this episode, Steve West—VP and HR Business Partner for Consumer Sales—reflects on his own journey from recruiter to executive and shares his approach to building teams, developing talent, and leading with trust.Steve also shares:How Verizon’s “Culture OS” connects values to decision-makingWhat “clear is kind” looks like in actionWhy employee experience and customer experience rise (or fall) togetherConnect with Steve on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevewest11/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.

At Delaware North, recruiting 20,000 employees annually across 200+ unique locations requires more than operational scale—it demands strategic clarity, brand cohesion, and relentless focus on candidate experience.In this episode of Talent All-Stars, Amy Duncan-Menendez, Vice President of Talent Acquisition and Global Innovation Center, and Laura Murray, Director of Employee Branding and Strategy, reveal how they are transforming one of hospitality’s most complex talent ecosystems. From lodges near national parks to concession stands at major league stadiums, their team is building a centralized talent model that honors local nuance while driving consistency and efficiency.They pull back the curtain on:The centralization strategy that made their recruiting scalable, without becoming rigidHow they navigate employer branding when their name sits behind someone else’s logoWhy protecting the candidate experience is non-negotiable—especially when AI and automation enter the pictureConnect with Amy and Laura on LinkedIn:  Amy Duncan-Menendez - https://www.linkedin.com/in/admenendezLaura Murray - https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-murray-pmp-48641943/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

When you're hiring cleaners, commercial real estate brokers, and everyone in between—in dozens of countries—your recruiting strategy has to be both scalable and local.Danielle Kensinger, VP of Global Talent Acquisition at Cushman & Wakefield, shares how her team customizes talent acquisition strategies by region, role, and urgency—without losing speed or consistency.She also shares:Why passive candidate outreach is more important than everHow recruiter feedback helps her reengineer workflowsWhy “boomerang hires” might be your most underutilized competitive advantageConnect with Danielle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-kensinger-262bb744Connect 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 you drop a former agency recruiter into a hypergrowth environment with no budget, no ATS—and 15,000 hires to make?Joe Leno, Senior Director of Recruiting at Leaf Home, shares the inside story of how he scaled a grassroots recruiting operation into a full-fledged TA engine that powers one of the largest home improvement companies in North America.In this episode, Joe reveals how he earned a seat at the strategy table, how he leads a team that supports 260+ locations, and what it really takes to scale hiring with consistency and culture.Joe also shares:How to recruit across vastly different markets and geographiesWhy rapport and respect drive cross-department collaborationThe importance of tying investments in recruiting directly to company profitability.Connect with Joe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-leno-4018a3126/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

How do you recruit top-tier dentists and hygienists for 1700+ practices—when demand far outweighs supply?Tyler Micenheimer, SVP of Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning at Heartland Dental, breaks down how his team tackles competitive hiring—matching top talent to the practices where they’ll thrive.Tyler shares:Why Heartland built its own school to solve a talent shortageHow their in-house scheduling app became a key employee value propositionThe 2 skills that will define the next generation of TA leadersConnect with Tyler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylermicenheimer/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