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Hiring Happy Hour

Hiring Happy Hour

By: SmartRecruiters
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Summary
 Welcome to Hiring Happy Hour, where we celebrate the human side of hiring. Join host, Nicole Hammond, and as she pulls back the curtain on the people shaping the future of work- the innovators, dreamers, and change makers behind today’s hiring technology experience.© 2026 SmartRecruiters Economics
Episodes
  • Hiring Through Constant Change - Kim Nicholas - Hiring Happy Hour - Episode # 040 (Re-Air)

    Hiring Through Constant Change - Kim Nicholas - Hiring Happy Hour - Episode # 040 (Re-Air)
    Oct 27 2026

    What does it take to lead hiring through relentless change without losing the human thread that holds teams together? In this special re-aired episode of Hiring Happy Hour, Nicole Hammond sits down with Kim Nicholas, GM of Talent Acquisition Systems & Payroll at The Warehouse Group, for a candid conversation about resilience, leadership, and high-volume hiring under pressure. Kim reflects on navigating COVID-era disruption, enterprise-wide agile transformation, and exponential growth in applications, all while supporting over 10,000 employees across 190+ retail sites in New Zealand. The conversation blends hard-earned operational lessons with deeply personal leadership insights, offering a grounded perspective on what it means to build hiring systems that endure.


    Takeaways:

    • Change doesn’t pause for perfect conditions. Momentum matters more than flawless execution when organizations are under pressure.
    • Education beats enforcement during transformation. People adapt faster when they understand the “why,” not just the process.
    • Attitude can outweigh experience. Especially in frontline and early-career roles, curiosity and coachability drive long-term success.
    • Candidate experience is brand experience. How applicants are treated directly impacts customer trust and loyalty.
    • Automation should protect humanity, not replace it. The best systems remove friction so recruiters can focus on connection and judgment.
    • Resilient leadership depends on mental health. Sustained change is impossible without boundaries, balance, and self-awareness.

    Quote of the Show:

    • “ It was really about how can we make an impact to the business when we're not the ones that decide the product goes in store, but we can help the experience of who comes in.” - Kim Nicholas

    Links:

    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-nicholas-26a23038/
    • Website: https://www.twgcareers.co.nz/
    • Email: kim.nicholas@thewarehouse.co.nz

    Ways to Tune In:

    • Substack: HiringHappyHour.com
    • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Pnhu7Njmi09N6Yzye59Nf
    • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/hiring-happy-hour/id1868802369
    • Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d60912b0-8925-4bba-aff1-f5230a0cc793
    • iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/317223012/
    • Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/hiring-happy-hour-6340769
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    35 mins
  • Static Hiring Can't Keep Up. AI Can Help. - Compilation - Hiring Happy Hour - Episode # 039

    Static Hiring Can't Keep Up. AI Can Help. - Compilation - Hiring Happy Hour - Episode # 039
    Oct 20 2026

    The hiring playbook most teams still follow was built for a market that no longer exists. Attention spans are shorter, competition is fiercer, and rigid systems slow every decision down. In this special compilation of Hiring Happy Hour, Nicole brings together five talent leaders to explore why the old playbook can't match today's pace. From shrinking attention spans to hidden talent pools and rigid legacy systems, one message comes through: static hiring leaves opportunity on the table. The path forward pairs speed and flexibility with AI that reflects your culture, while human judgment and relationships stay at the center. The teams that win won't choose between speed and the human touch. They'll build both into the process.

    Takeaways:

    • Audit your job ads for length and clarity. If candidates leave after half a scroll, your best message never gets read.
    • Time to hire is only half the picture. Track how quickly someone goes from seeing a job to starting it.
    • Stop treating job boards as your whole strategy. Only about 5% of qualified people are looking, and everyone is chasing them.
    • Reach the other 95% before a role opens. Build relationships with people who aren't searching yet.
    • If one system change disrupts several teams, your setup is too tangled. Choose tech that lets you adjust without breaking things.
    • Tell candidates where they stand. A simple status email beats silence, and today's workforce expects it.
    • Train AI on your culture and values like you would a new hire. Keep human judgment in charge of the final call.

    Quote of the Show:

    • "When you pair smart, adaptive AI and genuine human insight, you just don't fill roles. You build stronger, more connected teams for the long, long haul." - Nicole Hammond

    Links:

    • Nicole Hammond: linkedin.com/in/nicolemhammond
    • Adam Reynolds: linkedin.com/in/adamreynoldsrecruitment
    • James Ellis: linkedin.com/in/thewarfortalent
    • Chris Bailey: linkedin.com/in/chrisbaileysmartrecruiters
    • Jeremy York: linkedin.com/in/jeremyyork
    • Alison Bosch: linkedin.com/in/alison-bosch-4360366
    • SmartRecruiters: https://www.smartrecruiters.com/


    Ways to Tune In:

    • Substack: HiringHappyHour.com
    • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Pnhu7Njmi09N6Yzye59Nf
    • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/hiring-happy-hour/id1868802369
    • Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d60912b0-8925-4bba-aff1-f5230a0cc793
    • iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/317223012/
    • Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/hiring-happy-hour-6340769
    • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HiringHappyHour
    • Transistor: https://podcast.hiringhappyhour.com/
    Show More Show Less
    23 mins
  • Turning the Future of Hiring Into Reality, Part 2 - Rebecca Carr - Hiring Happy Hour - Episode # 038 (Re-Air)

    Turning the Future of Hiring Into Reality, Part 2 - Rebecca Carr - Hiring Happy Hour - Episode # 038 (Re-Air)
    Oct 6 2026
    25,000 hires. 170+ countries. 400+ recruiters enabled. SAP’s hiring team is officially live on SmartRecruiters, so we're hitting replay on Rebecca Carr's story of how this whole thing began. Trust us, it's even better knowing how it ends.In part two of this re-aired conversation, Rebecca Carr, CEO of SmartRecruiters and now President of HCM Products at SAP, joins Hiring Happy Hour for a candid look at one of the most defining chapters in company history: rebuilding momentum internally, pivoting SmartRecruiters into an AI-first organization, and navigating the company’s acquisition by SAP, all at the same time.What follows goes far beyond strategy decks and vision statements. At a moment when many companies slow down under the weight of acquisition and organizational change, Rebecca shares how SmartRecruiters accelerated, launching Winston into a market that was not fully ready and driving adoption to nearly 60% of all jobs running through the platform, a remarkable number at a time when most AI products struggle to achieve sustained enterprise usage.But this conversation is about more than AI. It is about what innovation actually looks like inside a global enterprise: moving quickly without losing trust, creating clarity during uncertainty, and building a culture willing to execute before every answer is fully known. From rebuilding organizational confidence to navigating acquisition, Rebecca shares an honest look at what transformation demands from modern leaders: conviction, adaptability, and the courage to keep moving while the future is still taking shape.Takeaways:Ship the vision before the market catches up. Waiting for industry consensus before moving on AI is how organizations fall behind. SmartRecruiters launched and drove adoption of Winston, the platform’s AI interface, while competitors were still debating the concept — and built a separation that's now measurable.Adoption is the real proof point, not the product itself. A strong launch means nothing if people don't use it. Getting there requires change management, internal champions, and a rollout strategy that's as deliberate as the product itself.Enterprise transformation and innovation can coexist if you're intentional. Navigating a major acquisition while simultaneously evolving your product vision is only possible when leaders are radically transparent about where the business is and what it needs to do next. Rebecca held both in motion by keeping the team informed, focused, and moving.Create conditions for bold thinking, then actually act on what comes out. The best strategic ideas rarely emerge from structured planning sessions. When Rebecca asked her team at a company offsite to bring back the craziest ideas on the planet, she got a product roadmap. Some of those ideas are still in flight today.Speed is a strategic asset, not a byproduct. In a crowded market, the organization that moves with both conviction and urgency creates its own differentiation. From launching Winston to closing an acquisition with one of the largest enterprise software companies in the world, pace itself became part of SmartRecruiters’ value proposition. Confidence shown to the market is its own signal. Rebecca's "dance floor" analogy captures something every TA leader navigating a competitive landscape needs to hear: confidence shown to the market, even imperfect confidence, projects readiness and attracts the right partners before the window closes.Change management is an innovation problem, not just a people problem. Getting an enterprise to adopt new technology at scale means solving for trust, clarity, and momentum, not just capability. Treat rollout as a strategic challenge equal to the product build itself. Quote of the Show:“If you have a goal, and you have passion behind it, you have to believe in it as a leader.” - Rebecca CarrLinks:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rebeccajcarrWebsite: https://www.smartrecruiters.com/ Ways to Tune In:Substack: HiringHappyHour.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Pnhu7Njmi09N6Yzye59Nf Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/hiring-happy-hour/id1868802369 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d60912b0-8925-4bba-aff1-f5230a0cc793 iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/317223012/ Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/hiring-happy-hour-6340769 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HiringHappyHour Transistor: https://podcast.hiringhappyhour.com/
    Show More Show Less
    42 mins
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