Celebrating Global TA Day with SeekOut Talent Visionaries

Today we celebrate TA professionals all over the world who share a passion for unlocking the potential of people

To all you recruiters and sourcers, interview schedulers, screeners, and reference checkers, candidate and hiring manager wranglers, onboarding specialists, TA leaders and partners, and more—congratulations! You've survived an eventful year. With the rise of generative AI in HR against a backdrop of a shifting economy, you could write an entire new verse for Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire." (And if you have done this, please share it with us!)

The TA community is such a powerful source of inspiration and knowledge. To celebrate, we want to share some of the wisdom and expertise that our Talent Visionaries have offered to other TA professionals. Enjoy!

1. Sean Murphy, Head of Global TA Operations at GE corporate

“At the start of my career, the best advice I received was to imagine myself as an aircraft taking flight. You must accelerate at full throttle to get off the runway, and once you reach flight altitude, you can navigate your career wherever you want. The reputation you build in your early years through hard work will carry with you for the duration of your career.”

Read more from Sean about storytelling in TA and following talent where it goes.

2. Yvonne Mitchell, VP of HR – Talent Acquisition at Johns Hopkins Medical Center  

“One of your greatest resources is your peers. With a very large TA team, there are many, many resources. Every single person has worked at other places. Every person has been a candidate and every person has been on the employer side. There is a lot of wisdom on that team, and I learn something new from them every day.” 

Hear more from Yvonne about creating great experiences for candidates and employees.

3. Eric Miller, VP of Talent Discovery & Insights at Paramount

“To better understand a candidate, ask about their personal story and trajectory instead of focusing solely on the role. Now more than ever people are pivoting across industries and coming from various stages in their careers. Stay candidate focused, meet people where they are, and listen more than you talk.”

Learn more from Eric about connecting people and staying the course during economic uncertainty.

4. Douglas Greene, Senior Director of TA at Raytheon Intelligence & Space

“With the advent of technology, it’s easier to find and connect with people, but sales and influence remain at the root of talent acquisition. You’re not only finding a capable fit to fill the role, but you’re selling them on joining the organization… Lean into your unique value to attract and retain talent.”

Read more from Douglas about attracting and developing talent in an evolving landscape.

5. Cathy Henesey, VP of TA at AdventHealth and President of the Association of TA Professionals

“If you want to hire great people for your organization, it starts with a great recruiting team. And when someone joins our team, we focus on growth and development. Everyone on my team has a development plan so they can advance in their own careers. We’re building great leaders and have been able to promote from within for most of our leadership positions.”

Hear more from Cathy about hiring great talent and building a metric-driven HR team.

6. Dustin Cann, Senior Director of TA at Splunk

“Make the problems you want to solve and the solutions you want to use relevant to the business. HR challenges compete with a lot of priorities, but if you can show how your solutions align with business goals—how you’re helping the organization generate revenue and take care of talent, customers, and partners—the C-suite will start to pay attention.”

Learn more from Dustin about how to lead through a changing market and impact the business.

7. Charlesiah McLean, Head of Diverse Talent Workforce Acceleration at Novartis

“The importance of building a strong internal network of business leaders in your company and nurturing those relationships cannot be overlooked… There’s a learning curve when moving between industries, but I’ve thrived in each experience because my network has helped me navigate challenges along the way.”

Read more from Charlesiah about DEI commitments and adopting a learning mindset.

8. Nicole Goldman, VP of TA at Mission Technologies, a Huntington Ingalls Industry company

“As a TA leader, my success is defined by my team’s success, and I set the tone for how we work together. Regardless of the size of an organization, it’s important to remember that people are observing how you show up. So be approachable, communicate often, listen to your team and advocate for them. Great managers are deliberate about making the work matter, and help their teams understand and celebrate their impact.”

Hear more from Nicole about connecting with the mission and staying sharp as a TA professional.

Happy Global TA Day from SeekOut!

We hope you learned something valuable from these trailblazers and fearless leaders as we recognize their passionate, innovative work in assembling and growing high-performing teams. We thank you for all that you do, and we wish you all a Happy Global TA Day!