EP 211: Where Intuition Meets Pattern Recognition in Hiring

EP 211: Where Intuition Meets Pattern Recognition in Hiring

Author: James Mackey April 30, 2026 Duration: 48:57
Nyala Khan grew up on an orchard farm in Northern California before navigating diverse environments across the U.S., shaping both her independence and her ability to read people. Now leading People and Talent at Slang AI, she’s built her approach through scaling organizations and developing high-performing teams, grounded in pattern recognition and data-informed decision making. In this conversation, she explains why great hiring mirrors hospitality, how small signals often outperform resumes...

Hosted by James Mackey, The Breakthrough Hiring Show: Recruiting and Talent Acquisition Conversations digs into the real work of building great teams. This isn't about abstract theory; it's a series of direct conversations focused on turning hiring from a constant challenge into a genuine edge for your business. You'll hear from leaders and practitioners who are in the trenches, discussing everything from the strategic shift needed to become a talent-first organization down to the granular details of process, technology, and metrics. Episodes move between high-level thought leadership and actionable advice you can use immediately, whether you're in a fast-moving SaaS startup, a growth-stage company, or an established firm. The dialogue here covers the full spectrum: effective onboarding and retention strategies, practical diversity and inclusion initiatives, navigating job boards and social media, and understanding the recruitment metrics that actually matter. Tune into this podcast for honest talk about empowering top talent and constructing a hiring engine that drives business forward. It's for anyone in recruiting, HR, or leadership who wants to move beyond just filling roles and start building a lasting competitive advantage through people.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

The Breakthrough Hiring Show: Modern Recruiting, AI, and Talent Strategy
Podcast Episodes
EP 194: Leading with Respect and Direct Communication [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:12
Ashlye Hernandez, Executive Director of Global Talent Acquisition and Operations at nCino, examines how her path from rural North Carolina to executive leadership shaped a people-first approach grounded in respect, resil…
EP 192: Aligning Who You Are with How You Lead [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:02
Jaasiel Bulnes, VP of Global Talent Acquisition at Workiva, reveals how growing up amid Miami’s constant motion and being raised in an immigrant household shaped Jasi’s resilience, resourcefulness, and commitment to earn…
EP 191: Hiring Lessons from Mission Work and Global Service [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:29
Jeramy Keetch, Director of Talent Acquisition at Nerdy, traces how his Midwestern upbringing and global service experiences shaped his leadership philosophy, one rooted in empathy and adaptability. He reflects on faith,…
EP 190: A Philosophical Approach to Hiring and Team Design [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:14
Nicole Hirsch, Sr. Director of TA & People Operations at Lattice, explores how a foundation in philosophy and early leadership as an RA shaped her people-first approach. Nicole and James talk about parallels between Plat…
EP 189: Empathy, Grit, and Leading Teams Through Crisis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:58
Lauren Groshong, GTM Recruiting Leader at Vanta, shares how growing up with grit and humor was foundational to her leadership style. Lauren talks about her time leading business recruiting at Grammarly, and how the leade…
EP 185: How Teaching Influenced This Talent Leader's Perspective [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:09
Tracy St. Dic, Global Head of Talent at Zapier, discusses how her background in the arts and education influenced her approach to leading teams. She unpacks how each chapter was driven by a desire to make a bigger impact…