Companies today are facing a global war for talent. At the same time, the talent with the skills companies are fighting over wants more flexibility around the way they work and the way they live.
Talent now has a choice and this is pushing companies to change. Toptal's Chief People Officer Michelle Labbe brings together thought leaders, staffing experts, and top freelancers to talk about the changing nature of work and how companies can navigate these changes to attract talent that will alter the course of their business to ensure success as the pace of technological disruption increases.
Welcome to The Talent Economy podcast.
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T-Mobile's Chief People Officer Deeanne King shares how the company turns values into action and connects deeply with employees. Follow The Talent Economy Podcast on Staffing.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
HR leadership is the silent composer of a successful music industry. In this episode, Warner Music Group’s Masha Osherova discusses leading a company filled with creative ambition and shaping the future of music with HR. One of the “big three” recording companies in the music industry, Warner Music Group operates in over 50 countries and represents major artists such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dua Lipa, and Ed Sheeran. In 2021, Warner Music Group won the Diversity in the Workplace accolade at the...
HR leadership is evolving in the digital world. Upstart Chief People Officer, Becca Gelenberg, joins the podcast to discuss pioneering talent strategies that embrace AI, flexibility, and remote work. Upstart launched its AI-based lending platform in 2012 with the ambitious goal to improve access to credit for all. Its advanced technology helped the company win the 2022 National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions Services Innovation Award and earn a market capitalization of over $2 bi...
Founded in 1963, Comcast has grown into a leading global media and technology company with hundreds of millions of customers and viewers across its range of products and services. With its blend of innovative technology and captivating entertainment, Comcast provides a collaborative, forward-thinking work environment, which achieved ninth place on Fortune ’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list in 2023. As Executive Vice President of Human Resources for the company’s connectivity and platforms ...
Founded in 1973, the FedEx corporation has become one of the world’s largest transportation companies. Delivering in more than 220 countries and holding a valuation of $90 billion, FedEx attributes its success to a simple philosophy of “People, Service, Profit.” These three words embody a cycle: Employees deliver on services that generate profits, and FedEx reinvests these profits into the workforce. Mike Lauderdale’s understanding of the company’s operations is invaluable. After 40 years at Fed...
Spanning more than 220 countries and territories, Booking.com provides millions of unforgettable journeys with its straightforward travel and accommodation services every year. A team of hybrid employees enables its customers’ adventures and has contributed to a thriving workplace. Booking.com was recognized for providing the Best Leadership Teams and Best Global Culture in 2023 by Comparably , a site for employees to rate companies. It was also included on Fortune ’s World’s Most Admired Compan...
Founded in 1911, IBM has been at the center of the dynamic technology industry for decades. With more than 285,000 employees in over 175 countries, IBM maintains its position as a global leader and excels on the frontiers of hybrid cloud technology and artificial intelligence. The company's commitment to employee satisfaction has earned IBM a place on Forbes' Top 500 Best Companies for Diversity in 2023, a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index, and five stars on N...
Instacart is a same-day grocery delivery service that seeks to make grocery shopping accessible to everyone. Founded in 2012, Instacart experienced exponential growth during the COVID-19 pandemic and became a household name as the general public turned to the service amid lockdowns and social distancing measures. During the first two months of the pandemic, Instacart delivered more food than Walmart. Today, Instacart serves customers across the US and Canada, offering an extensive network of mor...
Gena Smith, Chief Human Resources Officer of LVMH North America, joined Michelle Labbe, Chief People Officer of Toptal, on the latest episode of The Talent Economy podcast.LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, is a renowned luxury goods conglomerate headquartered in Paris. The company’s diverse portfolio of brands includes household names such as Moët & Chandon, Hennessy, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Fendi, Givenchy, Dom Pérignon, and TAG Heuer. LVMH operates as an ecosystem where each brand m...
Laura Heisman, VMware’s Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer , and Michelle Labbe, Toptal’s Chief People Officer, met at Collision 2023 in Toronto to discuss VMware’s core principles and the latest developments in AI and the tech industry. VMware is a leading software company that specializes in virtualization and cloud computing solutions. With a keen eye on innovation, VMware has established itself as a trusted partner for organizations worldwide. As one of its leading lights, Lau...
Jordan Fisher, founder and CEO of Standard AI, joined Michelle Labbe, Toptal’s Chief People Officer, at Collision in Toronto on The Talent Economy podcast . Fisher discussed the company’s groundbreaking “checkout-free” shopping solution and other achievements of Standard AI. With a diverse background spanning computational fluid dynamics, securities regulations, video games, machine learning, and retail, Fisher has dedicated his career to product research and development. Standard AI has reached...
Life is Good is the original positive lifestyle brand, dedicated to spreading the power of optimism through art and messaging. Co-founders and brothers Bert and John Jacobs originally set out to design T-shirts that inspired people to celebrate simple pleasures, and focus on what’s right in the world and our lives instead of what’s wrong. In 1994, after five years of disappointing sales and with just $78 to their names, Bert and John designed their first Life is Good tee and discovered how those...
As the largest mutual life insurance company in the US, New York Life has been advising policyholders on investment decisions for more than 178 years. Toptal’s Chief People Officer Michelle Labbe spoke with Kathleen Navarro, New York Life Insurance’s Senior Vice President and Head of Human Resources Business Enablement on The Talent Economy Podcast. Kathleen Navarro leads New York Life Insurance’s integrated diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, and manages the HR business partners, strategy...
Vimeo, a video-sharing website that allows members to view, upload, and share videos, was a top competitor to YouTube when it launched in 2004. But in 2017, Vimeo saw an opening to pivot to a software as a service company, offering tools for independent creators to produce, upload, and share their own content. In May of 2021, Vimeo went public and soon afterwards, Crystal Boysen joined the company as Chief People Officer. In her role, Boysen has led various initiatives aimed at cultivating an en...
With past speakers such as the CEOs of Dell and Wikipedia, and the COO of Reddit, the Web Summit annual conference, founded in 2009, has become a critical meeting place for the tech community. At the 2022 event in Lisbon, Portugal, Katie Bolger, Community Manager, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Web Summit, joined Toptal’s Chief People Officer, Michelle Labbe. They discussed the conference, Web Summit’s Women in Tech program, and equity in representation among attendees and speakers. Some Qu...
Branch is a deep-linking and mobile-attribution platform that helps companies build and measure user journeys. In 2014, Mada Seghete co-founded Branch on the fundamental principle that breaking down silos on the internet is critical to a brand’s ability to build engaging and relevant end-user experiences. Branch initially focused on delivering a deep-linking solution to navigate the complex mobile ecosystem and get users to the right destination. Its platform now also powers mobile attribution f...
Toptal is a network of the world’s top talent in business, design, and technology that enables companies to scale their teams on demand. Founded in 2010 and now the world’s largest fully remote company, Toptal has served more than 21,000 clients and has a global network of talent in 140+ countries. Kimberly Hall, Toptal’s VP of Revenue Operations, sat down with Toptal’s CEO Taso Du Val at Toptal’s Women in Tech Lounge at Web Summit 2022 in Lisbon. Du Val shares insights into the future of work, ...
With past speakers such as the CEOs of Dell and Wikipedia, and the COO of Reddit, the Web Summit annual conference, founded in 2009, has become a critical meeting place for the tech community. At this year’s event in Lisbon, Katie Bolger, Community Lead and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program Manager for Web Summit, joined Toptal’s Chief People Officer Michelle Labbe to discuss the 2022 conference, Web Summit’s Women in Tech program, and ensuring equity in representation among attendees and...
Suzy is a leading global consumer insights platform that integrates quantitative and qualitative research with high-quality audience insights into a single connected research cloud. In this episode of The Talent Economy podcast, Anthony Onesto, Suzy’s Chief People Officer, speaks with Toptal’s Chief People Officer, Michelle Labbe. Some Questions Asked: How do you incorporate the book Radical Candor into Suzy’s cultural philosophy? 6:42 What is the importance in challenging directly and allowing ...
Chegg is a connected platform enabling students to learn more in less time—and at reduced costs. The company offers discounted textbooks, online tutoring, and other student services, while providing diverse employee upskilling and development opportunities. Debra Thompson is Chegg’s Chief People Officer, infusing the brand’s culture of innovation, transparency, wellness, and work/life balance throughout the company. Previously, she served as Director of Compensation, Benefits, and HR Operations ...
Users depend on Yelp for great customer reviews but how do its remote team members depend on one another? CPO Carmen Amara (née Orr) talks about the company’s recent transition to remote work , how the company invests in employee well-being, and what a thriving culture looks like. Carmen Amara joined Yelp with 20 years of HR experience. Her main focus has been on transitioning the company into a remote environment . Some Questions Asked: What attracted Amara to Yelp? 4:17 How does Amara guide he...
The Recording Academy® goes beyond the GRAMMYs®, investing in its artists, community, and employees. Shonda Grant, Chief People & Culture Officer, recounts how the Recording Academy adapted to the pandemic, partnered with nonprofit organizations and artists, and invested in employee development and leadership training. Grant oversees the Recording Academy’s talent acquisition, organizational development, compensation, and employee safety and well-being; she also serves as the executive coach...
Functioning as an all-remote company requires a unique set of skills, including flexibility, understanding, and streamlined communication. As Chief People Officer of the innovative DevOps platform GitLab, Wendy Barnes knows how to identify and promote these skills. In this episode of The Talent Economy , Barnes shares insight on remote work , recruitment, retention, and employee well-being . Barnes brings more than 20 years of HR experience to GitLab. Prior to joining the tech company, she serve...
The constant change in the financial market may be challenging to keep on top of, which is why MarketWise partners with researchers to better inform self-directed investors. Change also comes from within, as MarketWise’s mergers and acquisitions strategy has grown the company from just under 300 employees in 2017 to more than 800 currently. CHRO Cynthia Cherry talks about how MarketWise attracts and retains top talent and the importance of a healthy culture. Cherry became the CHRO at MarketWise ...
At Omni Hotels & Resorts, individual employees are empowered to make decisions that can have a big impact on the guest experience and the company. Joy Rothschild, CHRO of Omni, discusses the “power of one” concept, the importance of workplace culture, and why connecting authentically with talent matters in today’s job environment. Some Questions Asked: How does Omni attract talent for its hotel positions? 10:53 What has kept Rothschild at Omni for more than 40 years? 6:03 Where did the “powe...
Adobe, the software company responsible for PDFs and Photoshop, is regularly listed among the best places to work and is considered a top employer when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion. One of the people responsible for fostering this culture is Brian Miller, Adobe’s Chief Talent, Diversity & Inclusion Officer. Miller joined Adobe after serving as Chief People Officer of Impossible Foods and spending almost a decade in progressive talent development roles at Gilead Sciences Inc. ...
How does the country’s largest supermarket chain manage more than 400,000 employees across the country? Tim Massa, Senior VP and Chief People Officer of Kroger, dives into the company’s comprehensive programs for employee engagement, such as diversity training, environmental volunteer opportunities, and leadership conferences. Tim Massa has more than 30 years of HR experience—20 of it with Procter & Gamble. Massa worked for P&G in several cities across the US before completing an interna...
Zoom meetings have become the norm for hybrid, remote, and in-office environments, defining a monumental shift in how and where work gets done. Jodi Rabinowitz, Head of Talent and Organizational Development at Zoom Video Communications, talks about how the company maintained its cohesive work culture during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how Zoom has helped companies stay connected even as the very nature of work has shifted. Rabinowitz has worked in leadership development for more than a decade. Sh...
It’s all fun and games and work at Amazon Games—thanks to their Chief of Staff, Liz Egol. The video game company maintains employee satisfaction by weaving gaming throughout its culture, and it makes an impact, as Egol’s onboarding efforts boast a 78% satisfaction rate. She began her career with Amazon in 2007, then joined Amazon Games in 2020. Egol wields empathy, authenticity, and flexibility to produce a collaborative and satisfying work environment. Some Questions Asked: Do you need to be a ...
Chief People Officer of theSkimm, Lisa Dallenbach, reverses the old-time narrative of the high-pressure newsroom. In this episode, Dallenbach shares how theSkimm supports its employees by addressing obstacles, both personal and professional. By offering programs such as the respected “Sacred Hour” and providing tutoring services for employees’ children, theSkimm works to cultivate and champion a healthy work environment. Prior to joining theSkimm, Dallenbach worked as Chief People Officer of Sil...
