The Speed to Hire Show

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Jun 2026

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Your organization is depending on you to run a fast and effective hiring process to ensure seats are filled with employees who stick around. And in most cases, you're under-resourced. How do you do it? How can you keep up with the demands of the organization without cutting corners? This is the hiring podcast you've been waiting for. The Speed to Hire Show, hosted by Spark Hire's CEO, Josh Tolan, gets to the root of the problems you're facing with actionable solutions from your HR and talent acquisition peers. Tune in to hear tried and true strategies that'll spark your hiring!

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June 2, 2026Episode 537 min

Compete for Talent by Focusing on What You Can Control featuring Nicole Elder

Hiring doesn’t improve by doing more.It improves by doing the right things — better.When you can’t compete on compensation, every part of your hiring process matters more. Speed, structure, and transparency aren’t nice-to-haves — they’re how you compete.In this episode, Josh Tolan (CEO of Spark Hire) sits down with Nicole Elder, Director of Human Resources at East Bay Innovations, to break down how her team improved hiring outcomes by focusing on what they could control.From restructuring the process to rethinking outdated rules, Nicole shares how small, intentional changes created faster hiring, better candidate alignment, and stronger long-term retention.They discuss:• Why speed matters more when you can’t win on pay• How “day in the life” videos help candidates self-select• Where hiring processes slow down — and how to fix it• Why outdated rules can eliminate great candidates• How training hiring managers improves decision-making• Why hiring for teachability leads to better long-term outcomes• How to design hiring from the candidate’s perspectiveYou don’t need a bigger budget to improve hiring.You need a better process.Key Takeaways[13:26] You Can’t Always Win on Pay — But You Can Win on Speed[14:58] Show Candidates the Job Before They Say Yes[15:50] The Real Bottleneck in Hiring[18:02] Rethinking Outdated Hiring Rules[20:10] Train Hiring Managers to Make Better Decisions[29:48] Hire for Teachability, Not Just Experience[32:00] Why Shadowing Improves Hiring Decisions[33:38] Hiring Is About Decision Confidence[36:05] Every Step of Hiring Is a First Impression[38:58] Design Hiring from the Candidate’s PerspectiveAbout the GuestNicole Elder, Director of Human Resources at East Bay InnovationsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-elder-85745790Website: https://www.eastbayinnovations.org/About the HostJosh Tolan, CEO at Spark HireLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshtolan/Website: https://www.sparkhire.com▶️ How to watchView on Spark Hire: https://www.sparkhire.com/resources/the-speed-to-hire-showSubscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/sparkhire🎧 How to listenSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4QLyvYTonifHDRgVbPSRncApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-speed-to-hire-show/id1670670940Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/aa447396-0015-4880-a6bd-efa484f11f8a/the-speed-to-hire-showGoogle Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9kYTIzYzZhNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw

May 12, 2026Episode 458 min

Scale + Soul: How to Grow While Preserving Your Culture featuring Erin McAuley and Julie Spence

Scaling a company doesn’t just test your systems.It tests your culture.As organizations grow, especially through acquisition, it becomes harder to maintain what made them successful in the first place. Processes change. Teams expand. New leaders join. And without intention, culture can drift.In this episode, Josh Tolan (CEO of Spark Hire) sits down with Erin McAuley (Chief People Officer at Springline Advisory) and Julie Spence (Head of Talent Acquisition at Springline Advisory) to discuss what it really takes to scale a company while preserving its culture.They share how Springline Advisory has grown from under 200 employees to nearly 1,000 across multiple firms while staying intentional about hiring, integration, and the employee experience.They discuss:• What “Scale + Soul” means in practice• How to evaluate culture during acquisitions• Why hiring plays a critical role in preserving culture• How to balance standardization with flexibility across teams• Why proactive recruiting is essential in competitive talent markets• How to maintain the human touch in hiring as you scale• Where AI and automation fit — and where they don’tGrowth doesn’t have to come at the expense of culture.But it does require clarity, structure, and intentional decision-making at every step.Key Takeaways[07:55] What “Scale with Soul” Actually Means[10:05] How Culture Is Evaluated Before an Acquisition[12:55] Hiring for Culture Across Multiple Firms[16:05] Why Slowing Down Leads to Better Hiring Outcomes[18:40] Building a Recruiting Strategy for Each Firm[20:25] Balancing Standardization with Flexibility in Hiring[29:05] Managing Complex Hiring Stakeholders Across Teams[33:50] How Talent Advisors Support Better Hiring Decisions[34:10] How the Hiring Market Is Changing (AI, Skills, Expectations)[41:10] Why Proactive Recruiting and Pipelining Matter[48:05] Balancing Automation with Human Connection in Hiring[55:30] How to Scale Without Losing Your CultureAbout the guestsErin McAuley, Chief People OfficerLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emcauley4change/Julie Spence, Head of Talent AcquisitionLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliespencesf/About the hostJosh Tolan, CEO at Spark HireLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshtolan/Website: https://www.sparkhire.com▶️ How to watchView on Spark Hire: https://www.sparkhire.com/resources/the-speed-to-hire-showSubscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/sparkhire🎧 How to listenSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4QLyvYTonifHDRgVbPSRncApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-speed-to-hire-show/id1670670940Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/aa447396-0015-4880-a6bd-efa484f11f8a/the-speed-to-hire-showGoogle Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9kYTIzYzZhNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw

April 28, 2026Episode 338 min

Recruiting Isn’t a Support Function, It’s an Operational One featuring Sabrina Sanchez

Recruiting isn’t just about filling roles.It’s about driving outcomes.But too often, recruiting is treated like a support function — taking orders, moving candidates through a process, and reacting to urgency instead of shaping it.In this episode, Josh Tolan (CEO of Spark Hire) sits down with Sabrina Sanchez (Head of Talent Acquisition) to talk about what changes when recruiting is treated as an operational function — one that owns outcomes, influences decisions, and creates clarity before a search even begins.They discuss:• Why rushing hiring often leads to worse outcomes• How intake conversations should challenge assumptions — not just gather requirements• Why lack of clarity is one of the biggest drivers of hiring inefficiency• How great recruiters shift from order takers to strategic partners• Where AI can create capacity — and where it can’t replace human judgment• Why recruiting problems often start outside of recruitingHiring outcomes improve when recruiting operates with ownership, structure, and clarity — not just speed.Key Takeaways[03:08] Recruiting Isn’t About Filling Seats[05:12] Why Slowing Down Leads to Better Hiring Decisions[06:18] Urgent Hiring Often Signals a Bigger Problem[09:02] Why Most Hiring Starts Without Enough Clarity[10:11] Start with the Day-to-Day Before Requirements[13:50] Intake Meetings Should Challenge, Not Just Capture[16:36] Why AI Can’t Replace Good Recruiting[20:52] How AI Creates Capacity for Recruiters[30:18] Most Hiring Problems Start Outside Recruiting[34:22] How Recruiters Earn a Seat at the TableAbout the guestSabrina Sanchez, Head of Talent AcquisitionLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabrina-sanchez-talentacquisition/About the hostJosh Tolan, CEO at Spark HireLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshtolan/Website: https://www.sparkhire.com

March 24, 2026Episode 252 min

How to Make Hiring More Human...Even with Limited Time featuring Juliette Dupré

Hiring doesn’t succeed or fail based on effort alone.It comes down to how well people work together.Hiring managers are balancing competing priorities.Recruiters are managing process and expectations.Candidates are navigating uncertainty.And the outcome is shaped by how aligned those groups are throughout the process.In this episode, Josh Tolan (CEO of Spark Hire) sits down with Juliette Dupré, Chief People Officer & Interim COO at OtherSide Entertainment, to talk about what it actually takes to run an effective hiring process on a lean team.They discuss:• Why hiring managers often underestimate the time and commitment hiring requires• How alignment at the start of a search impacts everything that follows• Why every candidate interaction contributes to your reputation as an employer• How small teams can create more human hiring experiences without additional resources• Practical ways to improve rejection communication and candidate transparency• Where to focus when you want to improve your hiring processHiring is a team effort.And the teams that operate with clarity, alignment, and intention create better outcomes for everyone involved.NotesJuliette Dupré is the Chief People Officer & Interim COO at OtherSide Entertainment, a video game development studio.With a background spanning operations, legal, recruiting, and HR leadership, Juliette has built and led hiring functions in lean, high-growth environments across gaming, esports, and digital entertainment.At OtherSide, she leads both people and business operations, working closely with hiring managers to design structured, transparent hiring processes that balance efficiency with empathy.Juliette is known for her human-centered approach to recruiting — from sharing resources with rejected candidates to putting real names behind job postings — and for challenging teams to rethink how hiring should actually work in practice.Key Takeaways[14:52] Most Hiring Managers Don’t Realize What Hiring Requires[16:38] Why Every Candidate Experience Matters[29:32] When Hiring Managers Change the Role Mid-Search[37:05] The Bar for Candidate Experience Is Shockingly Low[41:42] How to Write Better Rejection Emails[46:18] Why Putting Names on Job Descriptions Matters[53:08] Where to Start Fixing Your Hiring ProcessAbout the guestJuliette Dupré, Chief People Officer & Interim COO at OtherSide EntertainmentLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliettedupreWebsite: https://www.otherside-e.com/About the hostJosh Tolan, CEO at Spark HireLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshtolan/Website: https://www.sparkhire.com▶️ How to watchView on Spark Hire: https://www.sparkhire.com/resources/the-speed-to-hire-showSubscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/sparkhire🎧 How to listenSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4QLyvYTonifHDRgVbPSRncApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-speed-to-hire-show/id1670670940Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/aa447396-0015-4880-a6bd-efa484f11f8a/the-speed-to-hire-showGoogle Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9kYTIzYzZhNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw

March 3, 2026Episode 138 min

Recruiters Care. Hiring is Complicated featuring Beth Wolfe

Hiring didn’t become more challenging because recruiters stopped caring.The environment changed.Remote work expanded reach.Application friction dropped.AI made resume tailoring effortless.Applicant volume increased.But recruiter capacity didn’t automatically expand with it.In this episode, Josh Tolan (CEO of Spark Hire) sits down with Beth Wolfe, Senior Director of Recruiting at Daxko, to unpack what’s actually happening behind the scenes in modern hiring.They discuss:• Why application volume has surged• How “Easy Apply” and AI reshaped applicant pools• Why recruiters can’t realistically review every resume• How misaligned hiring metrics create internal friction• Why timing plays a larger role in hiring than most candidates realize• How structure and tools can create capacity for more human hiringHiring is complicated. The inputs have evolved. Your hiring process has to evolve with them.NotesBeth Wolfe has over 17 years of experience in recruiting and currently serves as Senior Director of Recruiting at Daxko. Over her 11 years with the company, she has helped scale the organization from approximately 150 employees to nearly 800, building and evolving the talent acquisition function along the way.At Daxko, Beth leads a lean recruiting team responsible for hiring across engineering, product, marketing, sales, and customer-facing roles. She brings a pragmatic, human-centered perspective to modern hiring challenges — balancing structure, technology, and empathy in a high-volume environment.Key Takeaways[04:50] Hiring Changed Because the Math Changed[09:05] The Resume Volume Reality Recruiters Face[19:15] Why Hiring Metrics Are Misaligned[21:29] Why Timing Plays a Huge Role in Hiring Decisions[34:38] Create Capacity to Reinvest in Relationships[36:57] The Human Side of Recruiting: Why Recruiters CareAbout the guestBeth Wolfe, Sr. Director of Recruiting at DaxkoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethwolfe1Website: https://daxko.comAbout the hostJosh Tolan, CEO at Spark HireLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshtolan/Website: https://www.sparkhire.com▶️ How to watchView on Spark Hire: https://www.sparkhire.com/resources/the-speed-to-hire-showSubscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/sparkhire🎧 How to listenSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4QLyvYTonifHDRgVbPSRncApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-speed-to-hire-show/id1670670940Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/aa447396-0015-4880-a6bd-efa484f11f8a/the-speed-to-hire-showGoogle Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9kYTIzYzZhNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw

June 17, 2025Episode 756 min

Human-First Hiring: Scaling with Psychology, Data, and AI-Assistance featuring Amber White

Trusted by more than 100,000 businesses to protect their data, 1Password is an integral layer of the Identity and Access Management (IAM) stack, protecting all employee accounts and giving employees secure access to any app or service.In this episode of The Speed to Hire Show, Amber White discusses how she blends her unique knowledge of and experience in psychology and data, and a human-first mindset to build hiring systems that scale. Further, Amber discusses how to design a transparent and “psychologically safe” hiring process that encourages candidate feedback, equips hiring managers with the tools and training they need to have a positive impact, and adapts with the growth of AI in hiring.NotesOver the past decade, Amber has helped startups grow by building high-impact, inclusive teams across engineering, GTM, and leadership roles. She has worked at every stage, from scrappy, bootstrapped companies to private equity-backed scaleups, often juggling the roles of recruiter, strategist, analyst, marketer, and process optimizer.In her current role at 1Password, Amber leads technical hiring and supports organization-wide hiring initiatives across both systems and strategy, partnering closely with hiring teams to define success and align on how to find it.Key Takeaways[15:18] How to Design a Hiring Process that Provides Upfront Clarity to Candidates[23:25] Psychological Safety in Interviewing: Candidate Transparency and Hiring Manager Training[30:26] Key Insights Employers Can Gain By Providing Candidate Feedback During Interviewing[36:07] How to Adapt Your Hiring Process with the Growth of AI in Hiring[42:10] AI Hiring Tools: Use Cases, Best Practices, and Business OutcomesAdditional Resources:The Complete Guide to Collaborative HiringAI in Hiring: The New Rules for Candidates and CompaniesThe Impact of Candidate Experience on the Hiring Process

June 3, 2025Episode 649 min

Building an Intentional Hiring Process for Impact and Growth in an Async Environment featuring Michaela Burpoe

Supabase is an open-source Firebase alternative, making it easier for developers to build and scale with Postgres. With tools for databases, authentication, backend functions, and storage, Supabase takes the infrastructure headaches out of building so developers can focus on shipping great products.In this episode of The Speed to Hire Show, Michaela Burpoe discusses the unique challenges of hiring for a remote-first, async team that values autonomy, speed, and efficiency. She also delves into best practices and strategies for this hiring environment, including transparency, structure, and highly collaborative hiring (but not necessarily in the traditional sense).NotesOver the past decade, Michaela has helped teams scale intentionally, designing hiring strategies and people programs that foster real growth, not just headcount. Michaela strongly believes that in hiring, transparency, trust, and impact matter.In her current role at Supabase, Michaela is focused on fast, intentional hiring that aligns with their async culture, developer-first mission, and product-led motion as well as developing a thoughtful candidate experience and structured processes, and hiring people who move fast, think deeply, and work like owners.Key Takeaways[9:30] Why Building a Solid Foundation Needs to Be Step One of Your Hiring Process[13:30] Collaborative Hiring Tips: How to Engage Stakeholders Beyond Your Hiring Managers[17:50] How Do You Determine What "Good" Looks Like at Various Hiring Stages?[31:00] Assessing Non-Traditional Professional Paths Against Role Requirements[35:40] AI in Hiring: How Candidates Can Use AI in an Ethical and Authentic WayAdditional ResourcesThe Complete Guide to Collaborative HiringHire Education: Chapter 1 (Role Development and Approval)AI in Hiring: The New Rules for Candidates and Companies

May 20, 2025Episode 51 hr 10 min

Building a Stronger Candidate Pipeline: How to Find and Keep Top Talent featuring Melissa Grabiner

Melissa Grabiner is a highly experienced HR and Talent Acquisition professional with over two decades in the field. Today, she is a prominent LinkedIn thought leader and is currently ranked as a top female and HR creator. Her expertise includes building talent acquisition functions, managing teams, overseeing large-scale hiring, and leading HR activities through organizational changes.In this episode of The Speed to Hire Show, Melissa discusses how to develop a more effective and efficient screening process to manage and reduce high volumes of unqualified candidates, and the impact of proactive candidate sourcing and outreach on your talent pipeline, employer brand, and candidate experience.NotesAs a Job Search Coach and a Global Director of Talent Acquisition with over 20 years of experience, Melissa has interviewed hundreds of candidates, edited thousands of resumes and LinkedIn profiles, and helped hundreds of job seekers land multiple offers.Melissa is dedicated to utilizing her unique skills and knowledge of hiring and recruitment to help organizations elevate their hiring process through more methodical planning and alignment with hiring managers earlier in the process, and proactive sourcing and relationship-building to develop a stronger talent pipeline.Key Takeaways[11:58] Best Practices to Reduce High Volumes of Unqualified Applications[23:20] Getting Aligned With Hiring Managers: The Power of a Strong Job Description[36:42] Proactive Sourcing: How to Build a Quality Candidate Pipeline[53:56] Evaluating for Culture Fit: Targeted Questions for Candidates and CompaniesAdditional ResourcesHow to Write an Effective Job Description that Works For You, Not Against You7 Ways to Better Assess Candidates for Cultural Fit With Your OrganizationThe Complete Guide to Effective Candidate Screening and Selection

May 5, 2025Episode 446 min

From Hire to High-Performer: Cultivating Better Engagement With Your Hiring Managers featuring Shaun Rohrich

In this episode of The Speed to Hire Show, Shaun Rohrich, the Founder of Build More Leaders and a leader in the talent acquisition space for more than a decade, delves into what led him to create Build More Leaders and The Leadership Accelerator program, beginning with a deep desire to help organizations and enterprise businesses better equip and grow their leaders.As this relates to hiring, Shaun believes that managers play a pivotal role in successful recruitment, which ultimately impacts greater business outcomes. Listen as he walks through how to better engage stakeholders in hiring, how to build a team together with intention, and the impact of a consistent culture for growth to improve manager engagement and reduce the costs associated with bad hires.NotesShaun Rohrich is a leadership coach and HR executive who has helped everyone from family-run businesses to Fortune 500s build stronger, more self-sufficient managers.As the Founder of Build More Leaders and creator of The Leadership Accelerator, a program that helps HR teams scale leadership across their organization and cut down on employee turnover, manager escalations, and performance gaps, Rohrich is committed to helping organizations build stronger teams, which begins with highly collaborative hiring.Key Takeaways[19:20] How to Make Collaboration Effortless for Hiring Managers[22:26] The Positive Impact of Building Your Team with Intention[26:58] Expert Advice to Get Hiring Managers Bought Into a New Process[30:10] Tying Hiring Outcomes to Each Hiring Manager's Unique MotivationsAdditional ResourcesThe Complete Guide to Collaborative HiringHire Education: Training Guide to Better Hiring (Chapter 3: Building a structured hiring process alongside your hiring managers)The Importance of Hiring Managers in the Screening ProcessEmpowering Hiring Managers as an Extension of Talent Acquisition

April 9, 2025Episode 334 min

Competency-Based Hiring: Developing a More Inclusive and Accessible Candidate Experience featuring Katie Rakusin

Merit America is a nonprofit organization that is closing the opportunity gap at scale by preparing talented workers in low-wage roles for well-paying careers. Further, its mission is to break the cycle of poverty and build a new pathway to the middle class for tens of millions of Americans.In this episode of The Speed to Hire Show, Katie Rakusin, the Senior Director of Talent Acquisition at Merit America, sits down with Spark Hire CEO, Josh Tolan, to delve into the challenges and strategies of recruiting for a fully remote, nonprofit organization, including assessing candidates' ability to thrive in a remote setting and ensuring their genuine interest in the organization's mission.NotesAs the Senior Director of Talent Acquisition at Merit America, Katie Rakusin leads all recruiting strategies and efforts including the development of its competency hiring framework and heavy focus on the candidate experience, highlighting Merit America’s commitment to treating all candidates with respect and providing a fair opportunity.Katie is dedicated to designing efficient processes to support the organization’s continued growth and ensuring Merit America’s hiring process is equitable, inclusive, and accessible. This includes implementing more intentional job descriptions, accessible information formats, skills-based hiring, anonymized applications, and competency-based assessment.Key Takeaways[12:39] - Using AI in the Hiring Process: Unspoken Rules and Guidance for Candidates[17:10] - Turning Hiring Managers into Active Participants and Partners in the Hiring Process[23:42] - Building a More Equitable, Inclusive, and Accessible Candidate Experience[28:17] - Understanding and Developing the Framework for Competency-Based HiringAdditional ResourcesNavigating DEI Hiring in 2024: Insights from Spark Hire and CheckrHiring for Remote Teams: 4 Best Practices for Business Owners7 Ways to Better Assess Candidates for Cultural Fit With Your Organization