Your Unicorn Is a Red Flag

Two industry vets. Zero filter. Talentless is the podcast for recruiters, by recruiters, hosted by Desiree Goldey and Ashley King. We’re talking AI-written job descriptions, why a prospect is not an applicant, trauma bonds as a retention strategy (please don’t), and why one of recruiting’s biggest problems might be how often we say yes. If you’re tired of recruiting advice that sounds like a press release, you’re in the right place. Hit follow, stay awhile, and join us for conversations about recruiting as it actually happens. 🐝 Get The Buzz: https://talentlesshive.beehiiv.com🎙️ Talentless Podcast: https://www.talentlesspodcast.com Hosted by Desiree Goldey, Founder of Do Better Consulting, and Ashley King, CEO & Founder of TalentEd. #Recruiting #TalentAcquisition #Podcast

Guest: Vanessa Raath, Founder, The Talent Hunter; Global Keynote Speaker, Talent Sourcing Strategist, and AI Strategist LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessaraath/ Website: https://vanessaraath.com Free AI training for recruiters: https://academy.vanessaraath.com/the-world-of-ai-optin Vanessa’s Tried & Tested AI Tools: https://start.me/p/l6bkk7/vanessa-raath-s-tried-tested-ai-tools Email: [email protected]  Most recruiters are using AI to do the one part of the job they were hired for. Vanessa Raath, founder of The Talent Hunter and self-proclaimed Subject Matter Enthusiast joins Desiree and Ashley to talk about what TA teams get wrong with AI, why it amplifies bad habits, where AI screening belongs (and where it doesn’t), and her rule for getting it right: AI handles the tasks, humans handle the trust. In this episode Why Vanessa is a Subject Matter Enthusiast, not an expert The most common way recruiters misuse AI (and why it replaces the recruiter) Pick your weapon, pay for it, and stop using it like Google Treat AI like a junior team member, not a search bar AI amplifies your good habits and your bad ones Why the industry needs a tidy-up, and which recruiters stay Personal branding when the person messaging you might be a bot AI screening: yes for volume, no for your next CTO The doom loop: auto-apply bots, AI screeners, and five note takers How to write AI outreach that doesn’t smell like AI Building skills in Claude, including “Van’s Voice” Deepfake candidates and identity checks Magpie syndrome and smarter AI enablement Why leadership, not geography, decides who’s ahead on AI AI handles the tasks, humans handle the trust Talent Outside the Box: digital footprints and the gender in AI tool names Resources and links Vanessa Raath on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessaraath/ Vanessa’s website: https://vanessaraath.com Free AI training for recruiters: https://academy.vanessaraath.com/the-world-of-ai-optin Vanessa’s Tried & Tested AI Tools list (the one she mentions in the episode): https://start.me/p/l6bkk7/vanessa-raath-s-tried-tested-ai-tools This episode’s partner: Phone Loops, phone straps and slings for a secure one-handed grip. Use code TALENTLESS for 15% off your entire order at https://phoneloops.com/TALENTLESS. We earn a commission when you use our code or link. Desiree’s book, Leadership is a Practice, Not a Personality, is out now Watch Talentless on The HR Channel (Roku and Fire TV) Talentless newsletter, The T-Hive: https://talentlesshive.beehiiv.com

Guest: Ben Brooks, Founder & CEO, PILOT; Host of The Lift; Executive Coach Guest links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benbrooksny/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benbrooksny/ The Lift podcast: https://www.theliftpod.com PILOT: https://pilot.coach/about If your job description says "unicorn" or "ninja," executive coach Ben Brooks says you don't know what you want yet. The founder of PILOT and host of The Lift joins Desiree and Ashley to talk about why we keep promoting the wrong people, the difference between kind and nice, why recruiters should stop sending resumes until the hiring manager gets clear, and how AI is exposing every culture problem we already had. Resources and links Ben Brooks on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benbrooksny/ Ben on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benbrooksny/ The Lift podcast: https://www.theliftpod.com Rebecca Hinds on The Lift (the meeting episode Ben mentions): https://www.theliftpod.com/episodes/hinds-better-meetings PILOT: https://pilot.coach/about Radical Candor by Kim Scott (Ben references it in the coaching section) Tangles, the animated film Ben saw in Lisbon (opening chat) Desiree's book, Leadership is a Practice, Not a Personality: ebook out now, paperback and hardcover October 27, 2026 (say "out now in all formats" if this publishes after October 27) Watch Talentless on The HR Channel (Roku and Fire TV) Talentless newsletter, The T-Hive: https://talentlesshive.beehiiv.com This episode's partner: Pin.com, AI-powered candidate sourcing and screening. Use code TALENTLESS for 10% off your first six months: https://www.pin.com. We earn a commission when you use our code.

Guest: Hanan Harb, Principal and Learning & Development Consultant, Everybody, Be Cool!; author of Everybody, Be Cool! Guest links: •             LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hananharb/ •             Website: https://www.everybody-be-cool.com/ •             Book: https://www.everybody-be-cool.com/buy-the-book (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org) Who owns company culture? Everybody points up. L&D consultant and Everybody, Be Cool! author Hanan Harb joins Desiree and Ashley to make the case that culture is everybody’s job. They also get into why the work won’t speak for itself, how to ask for what you need, and how companies win back trust after they’ve broken it. Resources and links •             Hanan Harb on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hananharb/ •             Everybody, Be Cool! (book and consulting): https://www.everybody-be-cool.com/ •             Desiree’s book, Leadership is a Practice, Not a Personality (out October 27, 2026) •             Watch Talentless on The HR Channel (Roku and Fire TV) •             Talentless newsletter, The T-Hive: https://talentlesshive.beehiiv.com •             This episode’s sponsor: HIDIZS ST2 PRO Nebula earbuds. Use code TALENTLESS8 for 8% off at hidizs.net or on Amazon: https://www.hidizs.net/products/hidizs-st2-nebula-2-in-1-high-performance-dac-usb-c-hifi-digital-in-ear-earphones. We earn a commission when you buy with our code.

Guest : James Ellis, Principal, Employer Brand Labs Guest links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thewarfortalent/ Website: https://employerbrandlabs.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EmployerBrandLabs Book, Becoming Choosable: https://employerbrandlabs.com/becoming-choosable From the Vault: James Ellis of Employer Brand Labs calls out the "employer bland," the careers page that could belong to anyone. He breaks employer brand down to two questions (why are you different, and why would I choose you?), explains why you want two great applicants instead of 1,000, and hands small companies a no-budget playbook. Stay to the end for a tease of what's next. Resources and Links James Ellis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thewarfortalent/ Employer Brand Labs: https://employerbrandlabs.com Becoming Choosable by James Ellis: https://employerbrandlabs.com/becoming-choosable Rory Sutherland (mentioned for the doorman problem from his work on behavioral economics) Talentless Podcast: https://www.talentlesspodcast.com Join the T-Hive newsletter: https://talentlesshive.beehiiv.com

Sean Kennedy (“Sean The TA Guy”), Founder & Chief Content Officer, Kennedys Content; fractional Head of TA Guest links: - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanthetaguy/ - Newsletter: The Recruiter Reality Check: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/the-recruiter-reality-check-7420456125470318592/ - The Talking Talent Podcast (RecTalk, guest host): https://www.linkedin.com/company/rectalk-podcast/ Recruiters take the blame for everything, but is it deserved? Sean Kennedy, aka Sean The TA Guy, joins Desiree and Ashley to break down what it actually takes to earn a hiring manager’s respect: saying no, keeping your receipts, and following through. Plus a Lord of the Rings slide deck, the promotion “conspiracy theory,” and four words of advice every recruiter needs. Resources & links Sean Kennedy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanthetaguy/ The Recruiter Reality Check newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/the-recruiter-reality-check-7420456125470318592/ The Talking Talent Podcast (RecTalk) https://www.linkedin.com/company/rectalk-podcast/ Desiree’s book, Leadership is a Practice, Not a Personality (out October 27, 2026) Watch Talentless on The HR Channel (Roku and Fire TV) Talentless newsletter, The T-Hive: talentlesshive.beehiiv.com This episode’s sponsor: JiMMYBAR, https://jimmybars.com/TALENTLESS code TALENTLESS for 15% off

Recorded: Live at RecFest USA, Nashville Sponsor: RecOps Collective Live from RecFest Nashville: your brain runs on bias, so what happens when recruiters stop pretending it doesn't? Ashley breaks down anchor bias, decision fatigue, and why "bias-free" AI isn't, and the hosts debate where influence ends and manipulation begins. Resources and Links RecOps Collective, recruiting operations community and consulting Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini Dutton and Aron (1974), the suspension bridge study on misattribution of arousal Darley and Latané (1968), the original bystander effect research Women in the Workplace 2025, McKinsey and LeanIn.Org TalentED, Ashley's recruiter university Catch us at HR Tech in Las Vegas, October 20 to 22, 2026 Leadership is a Practice, Not a Personality by Desiree Goldey, out October 27, 2026 The T-Hive newsletter: talentless.beehiiv.com www.talentlesspodcast.com Segment note: Talent Outside the Box is included in this episode (the bystander effect).

Recorded: Live at RecFest USA, Nashville Sponsor: RoundOne AI (roundone.ai) Disclosure: Desiree is Head of Growth and Partnerships at RoundOne AI. Live from RecFest Nashville, Desiree and Ashley ask what "qualified" means when AI can optimize every resume. Ashley breaks down her four-quadrant recruiter performance model and time to find, a metric nobody tracks. Desiree asks whether any CEO will actually pay to hire this way. Resources and Links RoundOne AI, voice screening that keeps humans in the decision: roundone.ai TalentED, Ashley's recruiter university Watch Talentless on The HR Channel (Roku and Fire TV) Leadership is a Practice, Not a Personality by Desiree Goldey, out October 27, 2026 The T-Hive newsletter: talentless.beehiiv.com Subscribe on YouTube (please, we're begging) www.talentlesspodcast.com Segment note: Talent Outside the Box is included in this episode (validity versus reliability).

Amit Parmar, Co-Founder & CEO, Cliquify LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/parmar79 | Company: cliquify.me Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cliquify/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@cliquify Cliquify CEO Amit Parmar says the best recruiter he ever managed refused to look at the applicants. In a conversation that went completely off the rails in the best way, Amit, Desiree, and Ashley take apart what storytelling actually means, why companies can get five tools approved but not one more recruiter, and the line between active and passive recruiters that decides who still has this job in two years. Plus: the Competitive Plateau, the Wadabot Layer, and how your job posting got on Indeed without anyone ever posting it there. In this episode: What storytelling actually means, stripped of the buzzword, and the one question to ask a hiring manager that changes a job post Why the storytelling that moves the needle most is recruiter to hiring manager, not recruiter to candidate Ashley’s real example of a candidate who failed the screen and became the best hire on a two-and-a-half-year-old req What the Edelman trust data actually says, and why "people trust their employer" is a ranking, not a win The Competitive Plateau: what happens when a high-volume worker has already worked for every competitor in town Bots talking to bots, and the ATS filter stack built to clean up a mess we created Why companies can get five tools approved but not one more recruiter Strategy, process, people, tech, and why everyone runs that order backward Humans innovate because we are lazy, and what that means for every product purchase in TA Why products sell you symptom relief, and how root cause analysis always defaults to "top of funnel" Active versus passive recruiters, and Amit’s case that one of them has about a year left How Cleo maps who is stealing your data scientists in Hungary, and what Cliquify will not use AI for How your job posting got on Indeed without anyone ever posting it there Resources & Links Amit Parmar on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/parmar79 Cliquify: cliquify.me (also cliquify.ai, both redirect) People Brand Collective, where Amit is a founding board member James Ellis, name-checked by Desiree on employer brand Desiree’s book, Leadership is a Practice, Not a Personality, out October 27, 2026 Catch Talentless at RecFest USA (Nashville, Sept 23-24) and HR Tech this fall

Just Send The Email: What Hiring Transparency Actually Takes Alex Feder, Founder of Ghosted.work LinkedIn · Ghosted (ghosted.work/trace, free, public beta) Alex Feder spent the last year job searching and getting ghosted, so he built software to fix it. Desiree and Ashley talk candidate experience from the other side of the table: what real transparency actually sounds like, why "the system is broken" is the wrong excuse, and why sometimes the fix is just sending the email. In this episode: Why Alex built Ghosted.work after his own brutal year of job searching, and why he built Trace as a second, narrower product instead of scaling the first What "transparency in hiring" actually means in practice, from both the candidate side and the recruiter side Ashley's own ghosting story: rejected before the interview, then invited back to interview for the role she'd already been rejected from The fake-job problem, response rates under 1%, and a real (anonymized) story about a company posting fake listings just to farm LinkedIn followers AI on both sides of the hiring table, and Alex's line: "these are two cars racing to a red light" Why Alex is skeptical of the existing "call out the ghosters" sites and how Trace's approach differs Homework assignments and live presentations as a harder-to-fake alternative to standard interview questions Ashley's "Rate My Recruiter" pitch and the case for hiring the long-term unemployed as a wealth-gap lever Resources/Links: Ghosted.work: https://ghosted.work/ Trace: https://ghosted.work/trace Alex Feder on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alexfeder Desiree's book, Leadership is a Practice, Not a Personality, out October 2026 Talentless at RecFest and HR Tech this fall