EP 214: Building TA Systems and Hiring Recruiters

EP 214: Building TA Systems and Hiring Recruiters

Author: James Mackey May 12, 2026 Duration: 59:02
Liam Naughton grew up in a hyper-competitive environment, from nonstop sports to a 35-day wilderness trip that pushed his limits early on. Now Head of Recruiting at Merge, he’s applying that same mindset to building scalable, AI-driven systems while stepping into a new chapter of leadership and fatherhood. In this conversation, he shares how discipline, system thinking, and learning to push through tough moments continue to shape how he operates. Connect with host James Mackey on LinkedIn! ...

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 215: Building Human-Centered Talent Acquisition in the AI Era [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:03
Kelsey Hersh grew up between two completely different worlds: one grounded in structure, the other filled with artists, Burning Man gatherings, and weekly fire dancing circles. Now Head of Talent Acquisition at Hometap,…
EP 213: A Non-Traditional Path to a Ruthless Hiring Bar [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:01
Lauren Valencia grew up in a small town outside Seattle, where adventure, sports, and early problem-solving shaped a non-traditional path into recruiting. Now Head of Talent at Socket, she’s scaling teams quickly while r…
EP 212: Managing Expectations in a Job You Can’t Control [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:04
Mallory Planck started her career in the middle of the 2009 recession, figuring things out in real time without a clear path. That grind took her from door-to-door sales into talent acquisition, where she now serves as H…
EP 211: Where Intuition Meets Pattern Recognition in Hiring [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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…
EP 209: Balancing AI, Automation and Human Connection [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:25
With a background in philosophy and logic, Polina Arkhipova approaches talent acquisition through clarity, structure, and continuous learning. At Monta, she’s exploring AI and automation to make recruiting more efficient…
EP 208: Turning AI Into a Strategic Engine for Talent [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:09
Daryl Escoto started with a mindset shaped by constant motion and perspective, and carried that into a career spanning Amazon, Microsoft, Uber, and now leading Talent Acquisition at Bill. In this conversation, he explain…
EP 207: From Legal Training to Talent Strategy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:50
Raised in a close Italian immigrant family, she grew up fascinated by people and what drives them. After a brief detour into law, she found her true calling in recruiting where she discovered that behavior often matters…
EP 206: Where Parisian Roots Meet Intuitive Hiring [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:01
Victoire Marty grew up in Paris, surrounded by art, history, and a culture that values intuition, which later shaped her approach to hiring for potential rather than pedigree. After studying art history, she went on to b…
EP 205: Neat CVs Don’t Equal Potential, Look Beyond the Resume [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:09
Growing up as the oldest of five, Tristan Mackrory was a teacher long before the classroom, a dynamic that still shapes how he leads today. That path took him from teaching into talent acquisition, and now into his role…