The Human Era Podcast

Not a Diversity Checkbox: The Real Work of Inclusive Leadership with Simone Moissidis

In this eye-opening episode, Ferry Hoes sits down with Simone Moissidis, leadership consultant at Transformatie Groep, to challenge everything you think you know about women in leadership, diversity quotas, and what it really takes to build inclusive workplaces. Simone doesn’t just talk about representation—she dives into the structures, blind spots, and biases that keep women and minorities from accessing real power in organizations. From her work guiding management teams into the mountains (literally) to her interviews with 40+ top-level women leaders, Simone offers a candid, data-backed view into what’s broken—and what we can fix. Topics covered: * Why “female leadership” might be a flawed label * The 33% rule for meaningful minority representation * What visibility really means (and why it’s often weaponized) * The broken rung: where women fall off the ladder early * How bias in hiring is still rampant—and how tech can help or hurt * When crying at work should be as acceptable as slamming your fist on the table * Why curiosity, not compliance, is the driver of true inclusion * Practical cultural shifts that actually work Ferry and Simone also explore their own blind spots, biases, and the awkward—but necessary—path to rethinking leadership for the human era.

The Power of Talking to People You Disagree With with Ruben Treurniet

In this episode of The Human Era Podcast, I speak with Ruben Treurniet—co-founder of Civinc and waaromkiesjij.nl, and former Policy Officer at the UN Security Council. We explore how anonymous one-on-one chats between people with opposing views can actually reduce polarization—and why this kind of human-centered tech might be exactly what the world needs right now. We discuss: How Ruben’s experience at the UN led to building Civinc The psychology behind safe dialogue and honest disagreement How organizations use Civinc to understand their employees better The future of work in an AI-driven world and why we may need to rethink what it means to be human altogether. A thought-provoking conversation about polarization, leadership, and the role of technology in shaping tomorrow’s society.

From Local to Global: The New Era of Talent Acquisition with Marco Boomsma from Bullhorn

Episode Summary: In this episode, we sit down with Marco Boomsma, a seasoned commercial leader in software databases and search engines, and currently a key figure at Bullhorn, a software provider for the staffing and recruiting industry. Marco shares his insights on the transformation of talent acquisition from a local to a global scale, the impact of digital transformation, and how Bullhorn is at the forefront of these changes. Key Discussion Points: • Introduction to Marco Boomsma: Marco introduces himself and provides a brief overview of his career in software and databases, emphasizing his current role at Bullhorn. • Hybrid Work Environment: How Bullhorn adapted to a hybrid work environment even before the pandemic and the tools they used to facilitate remote work. • Digital Transformation in Staffing and Recruiting: The role of ATS CRM software in streamlining staffing and recruiting processes and the impact of COVID-19 on increasing the need for digitization and automation. • Global Talent Mobility: The shift towards hiring talent globally, the challenges, and benefits of managing a global workforce, and real-life examples of companies successfully implementing this strategy. • Customer-Centric Innovation: The importance of involving end-users in the development and testing of software solutions and continuously adapting to meet evolving customer needs. • Balancing Digitization with Human Interaction: Maintaining a balance between digitization and human touch, particularly in industries like healthcare where personal interaction remains crucial. • Leadership and Team Empowerment: Marco’s approach to empowering his team at Bullhorn by giving them responsibility and autonomy, fostering innovation and productivity. About Bullhorn: Bullhorn is a leading software provider for the staffing and recruiting industry, offering innovative solutions to streamline and enhance the recruitment process. Their ATS CRM software is designed to improve efficiency, automate tasks, and provide a seamless experience for staffing professionals and recruiters worldwide. Bullhorn is committed to driving digital transformation in the industry and supporting their clients in adapting to the ever-changing landscape of talent acquisition. Quotes: • "The shift towards global talent hiring is not just a trend, it's a necessity." • "Empowering teams with responsibility and autonomy leads to greater innovation and productivity." • "Digital transformation in staffing is about enhancing, not replacing, the human touch." Timestamps: • [00:00] - Introduction and welcome • [02:30] - Marco Boomsma introduces himself and his role at Bullhorn • [05:45] - Discussion on the hybrid work environment at Bullhorn • [12:10] - Digital transformation in the staffing and recruiting industry • [20:00] - The rise of global talent mobility • [30:25] - Importance of customer-centric innovation • [40:15] - Balancing digitization with human interaction • [50:05] - Leadership, team empowerment, and closing thoughts If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to our podcast and leave a review. Connect with Us: • Website: https://brandhumanizing.com • Ferry (host): https://ferryhoes.com Contact Marco Boomsma: • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/buildingsuccessfulteams/

How generational preferences and technology influence work culture with Toshiba’s Valérie de Haan

In this episode of the Human Era podcast, Ferry discusses the fusion of humanity and technology with this episode's guest, Válerie de Haan, Marketing Manager at Toshiba whom I met at a networking event. We reminisce about our visit to a leisure park in the Netherlands, where we were impressed by the use of robots to support staff. This experience highlighted the delicate balance between leveraging technology and preserving human interaction. Our conversation broadens to the impact of technology in the workplace and society. Valerie shares her valuable internship abroad, emphasizing how such experiences shape our global understanding and the importance of human connections. We also touch on the differences in work ethics across generations and the role of technology in evolving workplace dynamics. Valerie, working in marketing at Toshiba, provides insights into integrating digital strategies while keeping customer engagement human-centric. Throughout, we stress the importance of maintaining our human essence amidst rapid technological advancements, underscoring the irreplaceable value of personal touch in both our personal lives and professional endeavors.

Why football club Panathinaikos FC sees a future in E-sports with Paraskevas Spiliopoulos

Why are E-sports so popular nowadays? There are tournaments and events that draw over 2.5 million viewers and have millions of USD in winnings. In this episode Ferry talks about E-sports and related topics with Paraskevas Spiliopoulos, head of Esports at Panathinaikos FC. What are the effects of young kids focussing on Esports and thus not joining a physical team? And how does Esports culture differ from live (physical, if you will) sports culture? Technology and innovations in general are disrupting the sports culture, experience and sports organizations. Together with Paraskevas, we discuss how that works and what the potential impact is.