The Talent Tango

In this episode of The Talent Tango, Amir Bormand is joined by Heather Cassar to unpack the nuances of giving and receiving feedback in the workplace. From real-time feedback practices to performance reviews, Heather shares practical tips on how to build trust, motivate teams, and make feedback a natural part of company culture—without making it awkward. Whether you're in HR, a people leader, or a manager navigating hybrid teams, this episode offers a human-centered approach to feedback that boosts both trust and performance. 🔑 Key Takeaways: * Feedback must be real-time, detailed, and actionable. Don’t wait until a performance review to deliver insights—timing builds trust. * Trust is the foundation. One-on-ones that include personal check-ins foster stronger feedback relationships. * Avoid the “big reveal.” Holding feedback until review season erodes trust and reduces opportunities for course correction. * Feedback culture isn’t top-down only. Tailor feedback strategies by department and encourage peer-to-peer feedback to scale trust. * It’s only as weird as you make it. Normalize feedback by using everyday tools like Slack and keeping the tone conversational. 🕒 Timestamped Highlights: * 00:23 – Introduction to Heather Cassar and the topic of feedback * 01:17 – Heather’s 3 principles of effective feedback: timing, balance, and actionability * 05:10 – How personal connection in 1:1s builds trust for better feedback reception * 06:59 – Checking perspective first: “Did you think the presentation went well?” * 09:25 – “It’s only as weird as you make it”—changing the perception of feedback * 12:32 – Aligning feedback with individual motivators for better outcomes * 14:30 – The problem with waiting for performance reviews to deliver feedback * 19:07 – Imprinting feedback into company culture across different functions * 21:46 – Feedback tied to business outcomes and inter-team trust * 24:22 – The “carrot vs stick” approach to feedback adoption * 27:23 – How to connect with Heather 💬 Memorable Quote: “Surprising people is the quickest way to degrade trust—and it’s really hard to come back from that.” – Heather Cassar

In this episode, Amir sits down with Girish Mirchandani, Head of Talent at WestBridge Capital, to unpack the nuances of executive recruiting across stages and geographies. From Series A scrappiness to global scale-ups, they explore what makes a successful hire, how founders should engage in the process, and why hiring for today often trumps hiring for tomorrow. Girish also offers a behind-the-scenes look at managing cross-border buildouts and aligning stakeholders on both sides of the globe. 🔑 Key Takeaways: * Hire for the stage you're in: Optimizing for the current growth phase is more practical than over-indexing on future readiness. * Best athlete vs. exact fit: Founders should balance domain expertise with leadership traits and adaptability when hiring executives. * Founder engagement matters: Weekly, structured check-ins and full-team involvement in hiring create alignment and momentum. * Cross-border hiring works—with discipline: Time zones and cultural fluency can be overcome through consistent communication and a shared entrepreneurial mindset. 💬 Standout Quote: “Hire for now. If you can find someone who gets you from $5 million to $100 million, you’re lucky—but it’s rare. Hire based on track record and get to the next milestone.” – Girish Mirchandani ⏱ Timestamped Highlights: * 00:00 – Intro: Meet Girish Mirchandani and WestBridge Capital’s investment thesis * 02:25 – Stage-specific recruiting: Why all stages are hard, but Series A brings unique founder challenges * 03:43 – Best athlete vs. exact domain match: How to calibrate a search effectively * 05:52 – Hire for now, not forever: The practical approach to reducing executive churn * 07:44 – Founder involvement: Weekly calls and programmatic hiring with full team participation * 10:15 – Candidate POV: Understanding founder imprint and building relationships early * 14:38 – Small touches that win candidates: Advice for founders to show care beyond comp * 15:55 – Cross-border hiring: How WestBridge handles global team build-outs * 18:24 – Cultural fluency: The importance of global mindset and entrepreneurial drive

In this episode of The Talent Tango, Amir speaks with Allison DiDominick, Senior Technical Recruiting Manager at Flexport, about adopting AI interview tools to tackle inefficiencies in the hiring process. From delayed scorecards to inconsistent feedback, Allison walks us through the problem Flexport faced, the pilot implementation of BrightHire, and how AI tools are improving recruiter workflows and evidence-based hiring. 💡 Key Takeaways: * Problem First, Then Tool: Flexport struggled with delayed or incomplete scorecards, especially in non-tech roles, which impacted hiring timelines and decision quality. * Tool Adoption Strategy: BrightHire was piloted due to its integration with Greenhouse. Allison ensured participation from both recruiters and hiring managers across regions. * Measurable Efficiency Gains: Recruiters reduced scorecard documentation time from ~20 minutes to ~5, reallocating time to higher-impact activities like sourcing and stakeholder collaboration. * Cultural & Geographic Nuances Matter: GDPR compliance and candidate recording consent were more sensitive issues in EMEA, especially among technical talent. * AI as a Supplement, Not a Replacement: Adoption hurdles included concerns about over-reliance on automated transcripts, especially from managers who value personal evaluation processes. 🕒 Timestamped Highlights: * 00:00 – Intro to Allison and the challenge Flexport faced with interview scorecards * 01:33 – Root problem: inconsistent, delayed, or vague feedback affecting hiring speed and quality * 03:53 – Internal process improvements before adopting AI * 05:04 – Why BrightHire was selected and how integration with Greenhouse helped * 07:28 – Structuring the pilot and selecting participants * 08:54 – GDPR, cultural adoption barriers, and opt-out dynamics in EMEA vs US * 12:14 – Time savings and recruiter adoption: from 20 minutes to 5 * 14:46 – Resistance from a marketing leader and how it was addressed * 17:40 – Enhancing objectivity and decision confidence in debriefs * 20:56 – Reclaiming recruiter hours: from admin to strategy and sourcing * 22:20 – What’s next: evaluating alternatives, and deeper analytics from BrightHire 🔖 Quote of the Episode: “The whole idea is that it’s an efficiency gain… so you can apply that time to more strategic work, not just busy work.” — Allison DiDominick

What does it take to thrive in talent—even when hiring freezes hit? In this episode, Amir talks with Frank Cebek about building a durable, impactful career in talent acquisition and people leadership. From surviving market downturns to translating business context into recruiting value, Frank shares his journey from consultant to senior people leader—and what skills made all the difference. This one’s packed with practical advice for recruiters, HR leaders, and anyone in people ops navigating today’s volatile job market. 💡 Key Takeaways * Business fluency sets you apart. Understand the “why” behind hiring, not just the “what.” * Consulting habits stick. Structured thinking, stakeholder alignment, and data storytelling carry over. * Downturns are growth opportunities. Expand into comp, HR ops, or mobility when hiring slows. * Being technical earns trust. Know the frameworks and you’ll win over hiring managers. * Influence through storytelling. Great recruiters don’t just screen—they sell talent internally. 📌 Quote of the Episode “If there’s a problem, go fix it. Senior leaders value people who push through and figure out how to get the job done.” – Frank Cebek 🕒 Timestamped Highlights * 00:22 – Intro to Frank and the theme of long-term careers in talent * 01:05 – What SeatGeek really does: primary SaaS + ticket marketplace * 04:27 – Building adaptability by working with Bay Area startups * 06:30 – Internal vs external recruiting: same values, different tempo * 08:18 – Bringing consulting rigor into in-house roles * 11:21 – Staying technically fluent to earn credibility with engineering * 14:14 – Showing recruiter value even when you're not the final decision-maker * 16:30 – Telling the story behind “unknown” developers in a .NET Core migration * 18:45 – How to use downturns to upskill, not exit the industry * 23:18 – Why business context fuels career longevity in TA * 25:28 – Connect with Frank on LinkedIn for more TA and HR tech insights

In this episode, Amir sits down with Ashley Wines from Carta to dig into what it really means for talent teams to be proactive, not reactive. They unpack the need for talent leaders to embed themselves into the business earlier, how to build trust fast, the importance of internal product roadmaps, and how to handle stakeholder dynamics—especially when you're navigating complex matrix organizations. Whether you’re an HRBP, TA leader, or people ops pro, this episode is your blueprint for becoming a strategic talent partner. 🔑 Key Takeaways * Embed Early: Talent needs to be in the room before headcount planning begins. Understanding the business roadmap helps talent teams prepare effectively and influence strategy. * Shift Left: Embedding talent professionals into product and engineering discussions helps anticipate skill needs and align with future business goals. * Proactive ≠ Passive: Even when reacting to business needs, recruiting teams can earn trust by bringing data, insights, and solutions to the table. * Strategic Partnerships: Talent teams aren’t order-takers—they’re strategic business partners. Titles are shifting from “recruiting” to “talent” to reflect this. * Change Management is Critical: Successful tool and process rollouts require documentation, automation, and clear, repeated communication. * Data-Backed Conflict Resolution: Use data to guide tough conversations and reframe unrealistic expectations about hard-to-fill roles. * Co-ownership Builds Trust: Inviting hiring managers into the recruiting process—like sourcing or outreach—creates shared responsibility and deepens alignment. ⏱️ Timestamped Highlights * 00:00 – Intro to Ashley and episode overview: talent’s influence, proactive vs reactive recruiting, stakeholder juggling. * 01:08 – Ideal talent involvement starts at headcount and org design planning. * 02:54 – Talent should be part of long-term product or geo-expansion strategy conversations. * 04:57 – Who owns the internal talent product roadmap? Why it shouldn’t sit on just one leader’s plate. * 06:59 – Embedding with business teams: “Be a fly on the wall early” to shift planning left. * 08:09 – Positioning recruiting as strategic, not transactional. Changing from “recruiting” to “talent.” * 10:30 – How to build trust fast even in reactive hiring environments. * 12:57 – Stakeholder alignment and tool adoption: tailor the pitch to what each team values (data, cost, efficiency). * 14:34 – Change management tips: documentation, in-tool workflows, and repetition. * 17:02 – Handling friction with hiring managers: bring data, set trial periods, align on timelines. * 19:59 – Engaging hiring teams in sourcing or outreach to create shared accountability. * 21:45 – Final thoughts and where to connect with Ashley. 💬 Featured Quote “High-quality talent teams aren’t just recruiters—we’re strategic partners helping organizations build smarter, faster, and more effectively.”