Talent Acquired

About Talent Acquired

Welcome to Talent Acquired, a Chris Edward Consulting podcast hosted by its Founder, Chris Nakiso. Whether you are a company looking to hire, a professional looking to improve your career or a recruiter helping people connect, this podcast was designed to help us understand how we can improve talent acquisition in the modern era. Join us on this journey through the talent acquisition landscape! We’ll bring you stories, strategies and viewpoints of candidates, hiring managers and recruiters that will help you find the right talent for your team. Talent Acquired is produced by StudioPod Media. For more information about Chris Edward Consulting services please visit their website.

Publisher

StudioPod Media

Category

business · business · business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

26 Feb 2021

Latest episode

20 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

22 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   20 Sept 2026

   Rick Hill | Look in the Mirror: The Career Conversation Nobody Wants to Have

   Nobody really has their career figured out. And honestly, I think we do younger professionals a disservice when we pretend otherwise. In this episode, Rick and I have a pretty candid conversation about what it actually takes to build a career. Not the polished LinkedIn version. The real version. We talk about why so many employees are disengaged and why trust between employees, leaders, and organizations feels so broken right now. We get into job hopping and a question I think more professionals need to ask themselves: If every company, every boss, and every job keeps becoming the problem, at what point do you look in the mirror? We also talk about something that gets harder the further you go in your career: balance. Sometimes growth is uncomfortable. Sometimes the job is demanding. Sometimes you have to decide what you actually want and what you're willing to sacrifice to get there. Rick describes a career like writing a book. Every day and every week is another page. Some chapters are great. Some aren't. Some make absolutely no sense while you're living them. But eventually you stitch all those chapters together and they become your story. We cover: • Why you don't need your entire career figured out • What job hopping can signal to hiring leaders • Why accountability matters when the same problems keep following you • The growing lack of trust between employees and organizations • Why career growth and comfort don't always coexist • How to think about the different chapters of your career • Why younger professionals should focus less on finding the perfect job and more on learning from each experience If you're early in your career, questioning your next move, or even 20 years into it wondering what the next chapter looks like, there's something in this conversation for you. You don't need to have the whole book written. You just need to be intentional about the chapter you're writing right now.

2. 

   29 Jul 2026

   Rick Hill | Succeeding in Today’s Workforce: What Most People Overlook

   Why Job Hopping Could Be Holding Back Your Career How long should you stay at a company? Does changing jobs every year hurt your chances of getting hired? In this episode, executive recruiter Chris Edward shares an honest perspective on one of the biggest red flags hiring managers notice: a pattern of short job tenures. Rather than focusing on a single move, Chris explains why recruiters look for patterns and what those patterns suggest about a candidate's long-term success. If you've ever wondered why you're getting interviews but not offers, or why recruiters aren't calling back, this conversation offers an inside look at how experienced recruiters evaluate your resume. Questions Answered in This Episode Why am I not getting hired even though I have experience? Does job hopping hurt my career? How long should I stay at a company? Do recruiters care how long I stay in each role? Is leaving after one year a red flag? Why do hiring managers value career stability? What do recruiters think when they see multiple short-term jobs? How can I explain frequent job changes during an interview? When is it okay to leave a company? What are recruiters really looking for on my resume? What You'll Learn Why recruiters evaluate career patterns—not just individual jobs. Chris Edward's perspective on the "three-year value cycle." How frequent job changes can impact trust with hiring managers. Why accountability matters when evaluating your career decisions. What candidates can do to improve their long-term marketability. Key Takeaways Employers invest in candidates they believe will stay and create value. A consistent pattern of short job tenures may raise questions about long-term fit. Every career move tells a story—make sure yours is one you can confidently explain. Sometimes the most valuable career advice starts with honest self-reflection. Who Should Listen This episode is for: Professionals looking for their next career opportunity Sales leaders Project Managers Engineers Operations leaders Anyone struggling to land interviews Anyone wondering why recruiters aren't reaching out Connect with Chris Edward Consulting If you're looking for career guidance, executive recruiting insights, or opportunities in AV, Unified Communications, Physical Security, Building Technologies, or related technology industries, connect with Chris Edward Consulting for additional resources and future episodes.

3. 

   25 Mar 2026

   Leah Harrigan | AI and the Impact on Talent Acquisition

   Navigating AI in Recruitment – Promises, Pitfalls, and the Human Connection In this engaging episode, Chris (Host) interviews Leah Harrigan, a highly experienced talent acquisition specialist with over 20 years of expertise across agency and corporate recruitment. Having worked in dynamic industries such as tech, construction, airline, and agriculture, Leah brings a pragmatic and insightful view into the evolving recruitment landscape. Their conversation dives deep into the influence of AI on recruitment, the challenges faced by job seekers and recruiters alike, and the importance of preserving the human element in the hiring process. Key Themes Covered: Diverse Recruitment Expertise: Leah kicks off the episode by sharing her perspective on the balance between agency and corporate recruitment models in her 20-year career across varied industries. She emphasizes the importance of partnership between these models, highlighting the unique strengths each brings to the table. The Impact of AI on Talent Acquisition Efforts: Leah assesses AI’s role in recruitment, discussing its benefits and drawbacks. While automation ensures faster applicant screening and increased efficiency, AI systems struggle to identify candidates lacking well-optimized resumes or keywords, creating gaps in quality. Chris and Leah discuss scenarios where recruiters face an overwhelming volume of applications, often from bots or AI-generated submissions that sacrifice quality for quantity. AI’s Strengths and Weaknesses in Recruitment: Leah delves into how AI is transforming recruitment workflows, enabling even less experienced recruiters to hit the ground running. However, she thoughtfully critiques that AI may protect weak recruiters while exposing their limits, especially in tasks requiring human judgment and deeper insights. She speaks candidly about some resumes being overly polished through AI tools, which creates mismatches when candidates fail to meet expectations during technical interviews. Authenticity Matters – AI vs. Human Connection: Throughout the conversation, Leah stresses one fundamental truth: AI cannot replace the human touch. She explains that empathy, authenticity, and genuine relationship-building remain irreplaceable aspects of recruitment, particularly during negotiations and candidate evaluation. Leah and Chris agree that while metrics and data dominate the recruitment landscape, the emotional connection often gets lost when systems prioritize speed over thoughtfulness. Advice for Job Seekers – How to Stand Out: Leah offers valuable advice for candidates struggling to break through the noise despite their qualifications. She advocates showcasing personality and individuality in resumes, sharing examples like a candidate adding humor into his achievements section to stand out. Leah also underscores meaningful storytelling, encouraging candidates to quantify accomplishments and give specifics that resonate with recruiters. LinkedIn Validation and AI’s Effect on Communication: Chris and Leah explore the interplay between resumes and LinkedIn profiles, emphasizing LinkedIn’s role in validating claims made on resumes. Leah warns against mass, automated messaging via AI tools, stating it diminishes authenticity in communication and may hurt relationships with candidates. Evolving Expectations in Recruitment: Leah wraps up the episode with advice for employers: focus on the quality of hires rather than speed alone. For job seekers, the message is clear—show your humanity, highlight your intentions, and bring something genuinely unique to the table. Why Listeners Should Tune In: Whether you're a recruiter navigating the rise of AI or a job seeker trying to stand out in today’s competitive market, this episode offers sharp insights and practical strategies suited to your needs. Leah Harrigan’s expert take on AI’s promises and pitfalls in recruitment invites reflection on how technology shapes the future and what must remain deeply human in the process. Thoughtful, captivating, and relevant, this conversation promises to shine a light on the real impact of AI while offering actionable advice for both sides of the hiring equation. Tune in to learn how the right balance of technology and human connection could transform the recruitment world!

Who has been a guest on Talent Acquired

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Mark Barragan
• Andrew Gross
• Larry Satterfield
• Leah Harrigan Verouden
• Luis Berlanga

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 16 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

19

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

Contact Talent Acquired

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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