How First Student Hires and Retains America’s Safest Bus Drivers

Octapharma Plasma operates donor centers nationwide, supplying critical plasma used in treatments that impact patients daily. Leading the talent strategy behind this essential work is Monte Garrett, Director of Talent Acquisition. His leadership philosophy is founded on a framework he mastered as a teenager: the strategic discipline of chess. Monte's mentor taught him to approach every business challenge like a position on the chessboard, requiring deep anticipation, measured discipline, and constant adjustment.In this episode of Talent All Stars, Monte shares how this viewpoint shapes their approach to hiring, workforce planning, and managing organizational change. He explains why Talent Acquisition must evolve into a consultative discipline, using data to challenge assumptions and guide the business with authority.  You’ll learn:How chess principles enable Octapharma Plasma to strategically plan hiring needs and respond to industry shifts.Why constant adaptation is essential to avoid stagnation in a dynamic business environment.How Monte teaches recruiters to become data-driven advisors who influence key business decisions.The simple steps interviewers can take to improve candidate comfort and facilitate authentic conversations.Connect with Monte Garrett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/montegarrett/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.

First Student is North America’s largest provider of school transportation, moving millions of students every day across the United States and Canada (more than every major airline combined). Leading the people side of this operation is Renee Boydo, Vice President of HR Experience, who guides the teams responsible for hiring, training, and supporting the drivers and staff who keep children safe.In this episode of Talent All Stars, Renee shares how her team strengthens trust and retention through thoughtful use of technology, clear processes, and a consistent focus on people. When “the world’s most precious cargo” is on the line, finding people who want to make a positive impact in their communities is essential.You’ll learn:How First Student hires and supports America’s safest bus driversWhy retention begins on day one of employmentHow AI and technology enhance the human side of hiringWhy consistency and trust drive safety at scaleConnect with First Student: https://firststudentinc.comConnect with Renee Boydo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renee-boydoConnect 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.

Premise Health is the largest direct healthcare provider in the United States, operating more than 800 wellness and care centers across 46 states. At the center of its growth is Liz Reimer, Chief Human Resources Officer, who leads the company’s people strategy and talent function.In this episode of Talent All-Stars, Liz shares how her team re-engineered recruitment by dividing talent acquisition into specialist roles, investing in recruitment marketing, and empowering employees to broadcast their stories. She explains how Premise Health’s on-site care model helps attract clinicians, why “be brief, be bright, be gone” is her rule for executive communication, and how a disciplined approach to AI keeps efficiency and humanity in balance.You’ll learn:How Premise Health attracts top clinicians through authentic employer brandingWhy splitting TA teams into sourcers and advisors accelerates hiringHow video campaigns fill critical roles in less than 14 daysWhy disciplined use of AI keeps HR both efficient and humanConnect with Liz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizreimerConnect with Premise Health: https://www.premisehealth.com

JLL helps organizations buy, build, lease, and operate the spaces where business happens, from hospitals and data centers to offices and logistics hubs. Behind this global real estate and investment-management powerhouse is a talent operation that keeps more than 100,000 people moving in over 80 countries.In this episode, Jane Curran, Global Head of HR Operations at JLL, shares how she built a career defined by curiosity, courage, and commercial thinking. Her leadership philosophy is simple but powerful: be high energy, low maintenance, and fall in love with the problem. From mentoring teams across continents to re-engineering HR technology and AI processes, Jane reveals how she turns people strategy into business advantage at scale.Jane explains:How saying “yes” to opportunities shaped her career and built credibility with executivesWhy great leaders embrace failure as part of learning and create safe spaces for their teamsHow JLL balances human connection with technology in a rapidly changing talent landscapeWhy falling in love with the problem is the first step to earning business investmentConnect with JLL: https://www.jll.comConnect with Jane: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-curran-hrConnect 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.

UniFirst is a North American leader in the supply and servicing of uniform and workwear programs, facility service products, as well as first aid and safety supplies and services. With more than 270 service locations, over 300,000 customer locations, and 16,000-plus employee Team Partners, the company outfits more than 2 million workers every day.In this episode, Catalina Dongo, Senior Vice President of Human Resources at UniFirst, shares her 20-year journey from administrative assistant to HR executive, and how the company’s values, structure, and leadership principles have scaled right alongside its business.Catalina explains:How she built her career by turning small opportunities into big winsHow the company spent two years defining leadership principles that actually live in people’s actionsHow UniFirst balances family roots with a modern, tech-enabled workforceConnect with UniFirst: https://www.unifirst.comConnect with Catalina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catalinadongoConnect 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 Trane Technologies, finding skilled HVAC and refrigeration technicians is an ongoing challenge. Instead of waiting for talent to appear, the company decided to create it.In this episode, Courtney Abramo, Director of Talent Acquisition for the Americas at Trane Technologies, explains how her team built a four-year technician apprenticeship program with the Department of Labor, opened a state-of-the-art training center, and applied AI and automation to elevate the recruiting process, all while keeping empathy and transparency at the heart of their work.Courtney shares:How Trane Technologies is developing technicians through apprenticeship and upskilling programsHow transparency builds credibility across functionsWhere AI and automation improve the recruiter experienceWhy every candidate interaction is a brand momentConnect with Trane Technologies: https://www.tranetechnologies.comConnect with Courtney: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneyabramoConnect 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.

Raman Malhotra leads talent acquisition and HR at Leidos, one of the largest technology and defense companies in the United States, but her journey started behind a computer as a programmer.Now, she’s bringing that same analytical mindset to one of the hardest problems in business: attracting and retaining top talent.In this conversation, Raman opens up about how she learned to think like a business leader, why empathy and analytics are equally important in HR, and what she tells young recruiters who want to move into leadership.You’ll learn:How to build a compelling business case for new tools and resourcesThe mentoring approach that helps recruiters think like executivesWhy HR and TA need to work as one connected ecosystemHow to use AI to strengthen relationships instead of replacing themThe listening skill every great interviewer needsConnect with Leidos: https://www.leidos.comConnect with Raman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raman-malhotra-phr-shrm-cpConnect 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.

Caliber is one of the nation’s largest providers of automotive repair, with nearly 2,000 locations across the country. Its mission is simple but powerful: restoring the rhythm of life. That focus doesn’t just apply to customers; it also guides how Caliber hires and develops its people.Leading that charge is Jim D’Amico, Vice President of Talent Acquisition. Known worldwide as a thought leader in recruiting strategy, Jim has reimagined talent acquisition as a true business function. At Caliber, he and his team are innovating with generative AI, building “micro value propositions” to attract top technicians, and training future leaders with his Learn, Earn, Return framework.In this episode, Jim explains:Why AI is an enabler, not a replacerHow micro value propositions give each shop a hiring edgeWhy recruiters must think like business leaders firstThe Learn, Earn, Return framework for TA leadership growthHow Caliber scales talent acquisition for nearly 2,000 repair shopsConnect with Caliber: https://caliber.comConnect with Jim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimdamicoConnect 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.

WVU Medicine is the largest health system and private employer in West Virginia. Over the past decade, it has grown from 6 hospitals to 25 and now employs more than 35,000 people. As the state’s leading provider of advanced care from cancer to neurology to pediatrics, WVU Medicine has had to rethink how it attracts, develops, and retains talent.Leeann Kaminsky, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, has led that strategy since 2016. In this episode, she explains:Why “the days of posting and praying” are overHow internal education programs move students directly into critical rolesWhy simply raising your hand can set you apart in your careerHow data and technology guide decision-making for a workforce of 35,000Connect with WVU Medicine: https://wvumedicine.orgConnect with Leeann: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leeann-kaminskyConnect 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 Providence Health & Services, retention isn’t just about keeping people happy. It’s a science. With more than 120,000 caregivers across 50 hospitals and 1,000 clinics, Greg Till, Chief People Officer at Providence, has built one of the most data-driven and mission-centered workforce strategies in healthcare.In this episode, Greg explains:The five biggest predictors of whether someone will stay or leaveWhy 3,000 employees came back through Providence’s boomerang hiring strategyHow AI and technology can actually make work more humanWhy “your ego is not your amigo” is the leadership mantra every manager needsConnect with Providence: https://www.providence.orgConnect with Greg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-till-phr-85016b4Connect 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.