Talent Acquisition In The Trenches

Hosted by Matt Rimer

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Oct 2026

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About the show

In this digital first world, the old ways of recruiting are becoming obsolete. Or are they? The talent demands on every business has put TA squarely in the hot seat. Welcome to Talent Acquisition In The Trenches, a real dialogue podcast with talent acquisition pro’s closest to the front line. We want to talk to our peers who are actually doing the heavy lifting day in and day out.

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60 recent

October 23, 2026Episode 6351 min

Tess Michaels - Unleashing the Power of Data with Special Guest: Clasp

Healthcare systems are spending heavily on sign-on bonuses, yet too many new grads still leave within two years. Are we solving the shortage, or just refilling a leaky bucket? Join Clasp 's Tess Michaels alongside RogueHire's Matt Rimer and Ryan Affolter , for a LIVE TA in the Trenches episode. We'll dive into why traditional infrastructure fails to capture the next generation of clinical talent and reveal how high-performance systems use data to bridge the critical gap between education and long-term employment. What you'll learn : • Where the clinical talent deficit stands today, and the fundamental shifts in how high-performance systems are forcing a change in how we source. • The latest r egulatory and compliance changes reshaping healthcare hiring, and what they mean for your TA strategy. • The data proving why investing in the next generation is the single best way to stabilize your long-term workforce . • The disconnect between where students complete clinical training and where they end up working • Moving past generic perks to understand the financial stability, authentic connection, and trust modern candidates demand from employers right now. Tune in as we analyze the shifting forces driving healthcare's early-career labor landscape.

October 16, 2026Episode 6242 min

Episode 62: Chris Cicmanec - Unleashing the Power of Data with Special Guest: Shaker

Is your marketing spend a "black hole" of vanity metrics? If you can’t prove outcomes, you aren't investing—you're guessing. In a post-cookie world, the gap between top-of-funnel spend and hires that stick is widening, threatening your budget efficiency and talent quality. Join Chris Cicmanec of Shaker , alongside RogueHire's Matt Rimer and Ryan Affolter , for a LIVE TA in the Trenches episode. We’ll move beyond surface-level stats to discuss how a connected data stack transforms recruitment into a precision-guided stability driver. You'll learn: • Use funnel signals to pinpoint bottlenecks and stop spend on saturated pipelines. • Pivot from CPC to CPQ (quality) by tying spend to hires that stick. • Build a "foundation" by modeling programmatic + CRM signals into ATS outcomes. • Leverage wage + competitor data to reach clinical talent before vacancies exist. • Navigate post-cookie measurement using first-party identity resolution for attribution. • Close marketing-to-hire loops by connecting spend to 180-day retention. • Deploy audience intelligence to decide spend and creative allocations. Tune in to hear how deep-funnel data + outcome attribution maximize budget precision.

October 10, 2026Episode 6147 min

Episode 61: Anil Dharni - Unleashing the Power of Data with Special Guest: Sense

If your engagement strategy is a disjointed mess of "black hole" applications and one-way outreach, you aren’t just losing candidates -- you’re eroding the trust required to convert them. Join Sense 's Anil Dharni , alongside RogueHire's Matt Rimer and Ryan Affolter for a LIVE episode on unleashing the power of data.We’re challenging the status quo of "automated spam" to explore how an architect’s mindset transforms fragmented silos into hyper-personalized, omnichannel experiences. This isn’t about more tools; it’s about solving the friction that kills conversion. You'll learn: • Speed + transparency are the new, non-negotiable floor for candidate trust. • Agentic AI is eating entire workflows, moving beyond simple task automation. • Closing compliance windows leaves healthcare TA exposed to data risks. • The point-solution era is over ; AI orchestration is your best competitive defense. • The transition to high-touch human recruiters and skilled AI Operators . • Omnichannel dominance via mobile first to plug the "leaky" pipelines. • Activating stagnant databases by auto-resurfacing high-intent "silver medalists." Tune in to hear about architecting AI experiences + evolution of the AI Operator!

October 2, 2026Episode 6047 min

Episode 60: Jeff Ellman - Unleashing the Power of Data with Special Guest: UrbanBound

Is your relocation strategy a competitive differentiator or a logistical bottleneck ? 2026 healthcare candidates expect a digital-first experience—transparent, guided, and real-time—yet "lump sum" payouts often leave new hires navigating life’s biggest transitions alone. Join Jeff Ellman of UrbanBound , alongside RogueHire's Matt Rimer and Ryan Affolter , for an educational-first LIVE TA in the Trenches episode. We’re moving beyond the "lump sum" status quo to transform recruitment results through modern candidate transitions and experiences. What we'll explore: • Solving the psychological friction that stops out-of-market talent from signing. • Contrasting the high-stress move against a digital "home base" experience. • Why cash-out models lead to financial "float" and avoidable start delays. • Shifting from a logistical hurdles to seamless journeys that secures day-one focus. • Why real-time transparency and autonomy are critical to building trust. • How to eliminate the personal debt cycles often caused by a career move. • Why the quality of the transition is a primary predictor of long-term clinical tenure . Tune in to hear how technology is redefining the healthcare relocation experience!

September 19, 2026Episode 5948 min

Episode 59: Michael Rosenbaum - Unleashing the Power of Data with Special Guest: Arena

Healthcare TA has hit "Signal Collapse" : AI writes the resumes, candidates game the keywords, and traditional filters are blind to who will actually stay. When turnover is a revolving door, your tech stack is failing to see the human potential right in front of it. Join Arena 's Michael Rosenbaum, alongside RogueHire's Matt Rimer and Ryan Affolter , for a LIVE TA in the Trenches episode. We are moving beyond the "gut feel" guessing game to reveal how predictive talent intelligence bridges the gap between a filled seat and a flourishing workforce. What you'll learn : • Identify raw potential as "Signal Collapse" makes titles and degrees obsolete. • Replace gut-feel with outcome data to predict performance and tenure. • "Filter in" high-probability talent that legacy automation and bias overlooks. • Prioritize predictive potential signals over historical constraints. • Stabilize retention by matching intent to statistically successful environments . • Shift from simple automation to measurable, outcome-based workforce stability. • Use benchmark data to pivot TA from a cost center to a stability driver. Tune in to hear about predictive talent intelligence and predictive, data-driven workforce stability.

September 11, 2026Episode 5846 min

Episode 58: Amber Chardavoyne - Unleashing the Power of Data with InCheck

Healthcare hiring is under pressure to move faster, but fraud is evolving just as quickly . Licenses are fabricated . Employment histories are manufactured . These aren't just administrative bottlenecks—they are fundamental failures in the chain of trust threatening compliance, workforce stability, and patient safety. Join Amber Chardavoyne of InCheck , alongside RogueHire's Matt Rimer and Ryan Affolter , for a LIVE TA in the Trenches episode to extract key insights from RogueHire Base Camp ’26 and outline what a defensible, healthcare-specific screening strategy should look like in 2026 and beyond. You’ll learn : • Extract the critical takeaways from RogueHire Base Camp '26 • Audit the "Automation Gap" to ensure your screening process isn't just fast but also accurate and thorough enough to prevent costly post-hire compliance fallout. • Harness “Personalized Workflows" that adapt to specific healthcare role requirements rather than using a risky "one-size-fits-all" filter. • Leverage a “Systems" mindset to ensure your screening integration is actually solving problems, not just creating new data silos in your ATS. Tune in to design a screening process built for precision, accountability, and scale— ensuring your data works as hard as your team does.

August 28, 2026Episode 5748 min

Episode 57: Kshitij "KJ" Jain - Unleashing the Power of Data with Joveo

Wasted recruitment marketing spend isn't just a budget problem; it's a sign that a health system's candidate data, job distribution, and hiring funnel are all working against each other. In this episode of TA in the Trenches, RogueHire co-founder and COO Matt and RogueHire's Digital and Recruiting Innovator Ryan Affolter sit down with Kshitij "KJ" Jain, founder of Jovio, to unpack why up to 40% of job advertising spend targets roles that don't actually need it, and why 70% of candidates apply to the wrong job in the first place. The conversation explores how intelligent job distribution, leading indicators like shortlist quality, and cookieless tracking can close the gap between marketing spend and real hiring outcomes, plus why the shift from SEO to AI-driven answer engines (AEO/GEO) is already changing how candidates find jobs, and where AI belongs — and doesn't — in healthcare hiring decisions. For healthcare TA leaders trying to stretch limited budgets while keeping pace with AI-driven applicant volume, this episode makes the case that smarter spend, and safer AI adoption, both start with clean ATS data.

August 18, 2026Episode 5650 min

Episode 56: Jenny Cotie Kangas (JCK) - Unleashing the Power of Data with GBS Worldwide

A rare COVID-19 complication in 2020 left Jenny Cotie Kangas (JCK) with total memory loss, and healthcare talent acquisition is better for it. In this episode of TA in the Trenches, RogueHire co-founder and COO Matt Rimer sits down with JCK, VP of Innovation at GBS Worldwide and a TA Tech 100 honoree, along with RogueHire's Digital and Recruiting Innovator, Ryan Affolter, to unpack how losing her "design bias" gave her a sharper, more data-driven way to diagnose what's actually broken in healthcare hiring. The conversation digs into why so many TA leaders chase vanity metrics like application volume instead of the signals that actually predict outcomes, such as quality of slate, candidate drop-off, and the true cost of inaction, and how JCK's mantra to "collect the dots to connect the dots" helps teams separate real signal from noise. You'll hear why AI should be treated as a thought partner rather than an answer machine, how feeding it multiple leadership "personas" can sharpen a boardroom pitch, and why her upcoming book, Step Zero, argues that mapping your process has to come before you turn on any algorithm, because AI doesn't fix broken workflows, it scales them. For healthcare HR and talent acquisition leaders trying to trade gut-feel decisions for a data-grounded operation, this episode offers a practical framework for spotting design bias, choosing metrics that actually matter, and giving AI the context it needs before asking it to help solve your hardest hiring problems.

August 5, 2026Episode 5553 min

Episode 55: Doug Berg - Unleashing the Power of Data with Match2

A broken candidate experience is costing healthcare employers talent long before they see it in their vacancy reports, and Doug Berg thinks the fix starts with how we use data. In this episode of TA in the Trenches, RogueHire COO and Co-Founder Matt sits down with talent tech pioneer and Match2 founder, Doug Berg, along with RogueHire’s Digital and Recruiting Innovator, Ryan Affolter, to unpack what it really takes to move from reactive, triage-style hiring to a proactive, always-on talent intelligence model. The conversation digs into why today’s apply-and-goodbye workflows, especially in systems like Workday, create a fragmented, consumer-grade-in-reverse journey for candidates, and how “candidate EHR” style profiles, continuous engagement, and predictive “Fitbit-like” market signals can turn a static career site into a scalable sourcing engine. You’ll hear how Doug’s decades of building recruitment tech categories inform a new approach to talent communities, why “apply” should never be the only button on your career site, and what a truly data-connected culture looks like when TA, marketing, and leadership are working from the same source of truth. For healthcare HR and talent acquisition leaders trying to heal the candidate experience while filling critical roles faster, this episode offers a practical playbook for using data, automation, and smarter engagement to waste fewer applicants, reduce friction, and keep high-intent candidates in your orbit instead of losing them to the black hole of legacy systems.

June 10, 2026Episode 5450 min

Episode 54: Mike Stafiej - Unleashing the Power of Data with ERIN

A stale employee referral program is more than a missed opportunity. It quietly raises time to fill, keeps you overpaying agencies, and leaves your best potential hires sitting just one warm introduction away. In this episode of TA in the Trenches, Matt sits down with Mike Stafiej, CEO of ERIN, and RogueHire's Digital and Recruiting Innovator, Ryan Affolter to dig into how modern referral automation turns your existing workforce into a scalable sourcing engine. The conversation explores why referrals should be a core hiring strategy (not a “nice-to-have” bonus), how high‑velocity data signals can pinpoint which jobs are primed for referral outreach, and what it takes to build a culture where employees advocate for your roles from day one. For healthcare HR and talent acquisition leaders under pressure to reduce agency spend, improve speed, and fill hard‑to‑hire roles, this episode shows how better referral data, smarter automation, and a more intentional internal mobility strategy can change the math on your recruiting funnel.