Unf*ck It cover art

Unf*ck It

Unf*ck It

By: WRKdefined Podcast Network
Listen for free

Work is f*cked. We call it out, rip it apart, and talk about how to make it better—with voices bold enough to say what you’ve only thought. Unf*ck It: the conversation you wish your boss would have.All rights reserved by WRKdefined Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Standing Out in an AI Hiring World

    Standing Out in an AI Hiring World
    Jun 23 2026
    Marvin Smith, talent acquisition leader at one of the largest credit unions in the U.S., shares lessons on employer branding, AI adoption, and talent attraction in a crowded hiring market. The conversation explores why most employer brands sound alike, how workplace evidence creates stronger candidate trust, and where AI can improve recruiting without replacing human judgment. Marvin also discusses the realities of talent communities, pipeline building, and scaling recruiting strategies inside a highly regulated industry. Listeners will walk away with practical insights on building credibility, improving candidate experiences, and creating recruiting strategies that stand out in an increasingly AI-driven world. Key Takeaways - Employer brands stand out through specificity and workplace evidence, not generic culture claims. - How organizations communicate can influence candidate trust and employer perception as much as the message itself. - AI delivers the most value when used to improve workflows, talent intelligence, and recruiting operations—not replace human judgment. - Transparency and fairness are essential as AI becomes more integrated into hiring processes. - Talent communities are difficult to scale, while talent pipelines and nurture strategies often produce stronger long-term results. - Strong candidate attraction comes from showing how people succeed, grow, and solve real problems inside the organization. Timestamps 00:03 – Introduction and Marvin Smith's recruiting leadership background 01:19 – Why employer brands struggle to differentiate 08:24 – Connecting values to the employee experience 12:05 – How communication shapes employer perception 16:18 – Workplace evidence versus culture messaging 19:24 – AI adoption in financial services recruiting 28:20 – Fairness, transparency, and AI in hiring 33:02 – Lessons from building talent communities 38:03 – Why talent networks scale better 41:15 – Final thoughts and future guests Keywords employer branding, talent acquisition, recruiting strategy, AI in hiring, candidate experience, talent communities, talent sourcing, candidate trust, recruitment marketing, employer value proposition
    Show More Show Less
    44 mins
  • Can AI Really Predict Great Hires?

    Can AI Really Predict Great Hires?
    Jun 9 2026
    Hiring teams are moving faster than ever thanks to AI-powered recruiting tools, but are those tools actually improving hiring quality—or just increasing efficiency? In this episode, Stephen Rothberg, founder of College Recruiter, joins Crystal and Dwane to unpack the growing role of AI in talent acquisition, the challenges of validating hiring technology, and why speed, quality, and candidate experience are often competing priorities. The conversation explores predictive hiring, bias, candidate trust, workforce productivity, and whether organizations are asking the right questions before adopting new recruiting technology. The episode also highlights the importance of self-awareness, strengths-based leadership, and how understanding your own wiring can transform both personal and professional success. Key Takeaways - AI recruiting tools consistently improve speed and efficiency, but proving they improve hiring quality is far more complex. - Many organizations justify AI adoption through quality outcomes, while the primary measurable benefit is often operational efficiency. - Historical hiring data can create feedback loops that reinforce past biases instead of identifying future top performers. - Recruiting technology should be validated through structured testing and long-term performance measurement, not just faster hiring metrics. - Self-awareness and focusing on personal strengths can drive greater professional success than trying to excel in areas that don't align with your natural abilities. Timestamps00:02 – Introduction and why AI hiring sparked debate 01:15 – The problem with AI candidate scoring systems 03:18 – Efficiency versus quality in recruiting technology 07:05 – How faster hiring can improve outcomes 08:34 – Are employers overselling AI’s impact on quality? 10:07 – The hidden costs of AI implementation 15:08 – Why quality is often a proxy metric 16:01 – The challenge of validating predictive hiring tools 18:19 – Measuring hiring success and workforce productivity 21:03 – Retrospective analysis versus parallel testing 30:20 – Candidate experience and rejection timing 36:05 – Building trust through transparent hiring processes 42:01 – Why recruiting often skips rigorous testing 45:01 – The “Go Unf*ck Yourself” lesson on ADHD and self-awareness 47:23 – Playing to strengths instead of weaknesses 49:12 – Where to connect with Stephen Rothberg KeywordsAI recruiting, hiring technology, talent acquisition, candidate experience, predictive hiring, recruiting automation, workforce productivity, hiring bias, recruitment analytics, Stephen Rothberg
    Show More Show Less
    51 mins
  • Why Hiring Relationships Break

    Why Hiring Relationships Break
    May 19 2026
    Katrina Collier joins the podcast for a raw conversation about the broken relationship between talent acquisition teams and hiring managers — and why recruiting problems are rarely just process problems. From overloaded recruiters and poor leadership support to toxic workplace behaviors and unhealed personal trauma, this episode dives into what actually damages hiring outcomes. Katrina also shares deeply personal lessons from her memoir, The Damage of Words, and explains how self-worth, boundaries, and emotional healing directly impact leadership, recruiting, and workplace culture. Key Takeaways - Recruiting breaks down when TA and hiring managers stop acting like partners - Most hiring problems start before a job is ever posted - People-pleasing and perfectionism quietly damage recruiters and leaders - Toxic workplace behavior often comes from unresolved personal wounds - Great hiring requires confidence, boundaries, and honest communication Timestamps 00:00 – Introducing Katrina Collier and her work 03:20 – Why TA and hiring managers clash 06:00 – The recruiting chaos created after 2020 11:00 – Why recruiters need more authority upfront 15:00 – Managers who think interviewing equals recruiting 18:30 – Why TA teams are undervalued internally 21:00 – The danger of untrained managers 24:00 – Job postings, AI applications, and candidate overload 29:00 – How recruiters should push back on bad hiring practices 35:00 – The emotional damage behind workplace behavior 38:00 – Childhood trauma, perfectionism, and people-pleasing 42:00 – Narcissism, toxic leaders, and workplace survival 50:00 – Katrina’s healing journey and The Damage of Words Keywordstalent acquisition, hiring managers, recruiting culture, workplace toxicity, Katrina Collier, leadership development, candidate experience, workplace trauma, perfectionism, emotional intelligence
    Show More Show Less
    55 mins
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.