Transformation Realness

Transformation Realness

Welcome to Transformation Realness—the only show all about people who are doing their best to make the world of work less shitty and have the guts to share their story: the good, the bad, and most of all... the real. Hosted by Kyle Lagunas, Founder of KyleAndCo. Produced in partnership with Purple Acorn Network.

Episodes

February 25, 2025 27 mins
Hiring is messy, but it doesn’t have to be. In this episode of Transformation Realness, I sit down with Adam Godson, CEO of Paradox, and Andrew McMannis, Head of Workday Practice at Paradox, to talk about how AI-powered hiring is transforming talent acquisition. We get into why high-volume hiring, interview scheduling and frontline recruitment are still full of friction, how Paradox is delivering AI that actually works behind the ...
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On this episode of Transformation Realness, I’m joined by Mark Hanson and Caroline Effinger of Lightcast to talk all things skills-based transformation. From connecting hiring to learning to using labor market data for smarter workforce planning, Mark and Caroline share how organizations can turn skills into their biggest advantage. We also dive into Lightcast’s partnership with Workday, how AI is transforming workforce strategies ...
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On this episode of Transformation Realness, I’m joined by David Wachtel, General Manager of Talent Products at Workday, to explore how Workday is empowering HR leaders to take innovation into their own hands. We dive deep into Extend, the platform letting customers build tailored apps within Workday’s secure ecosystem, and Built on Workday, a marketplace unlocking new opportunities for partners to create scalable solutions.  David...
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On this episode of Transformation Realness, I’m sitting down with Ahryun Moon, CEO and co-founder, and Jasper Sone, founder and CPO of GoodTime. We’re diving into the chaos of interviews—one of the most frustrating, yet critical parts of hiring—and exploring how GoodTime’s AI-powered platform is turning things around. From smarter scheduling to empowering interviewers and creating connected ecosystems through agentic AI, GoodTime i...
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On this episode of Transformation Realness, I’m sitting down with Jason Scheckner, Senior Director of Business Strategy, and Ernest Ng, Senior Principal and Product Strategist, at HiredScore—now officially part of the Workday family. HiredScore is rewriting the rules of HR tech with their AI Talent Orchestration platform, moving beyond buzzwords to deliver tools that actually work. We get into how HiredScore evolved from basic mat...
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On this episode of Transformation Realness, I’m joined by Donald Knight, SVP of People and Culture at Warner Brothers and formerly Chief People Officer at Greenhouse Software. We explore the unique challenges of leading in an HR tech company, the rise of fractional leadership, and the power of finding your village to navigate it all.  From balancing culture, customers, and brand evangelism to embracing resilience in the face of ch...
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Rebecca Carr, CEO of SmartRecruiters, joins me to talk about shaking up hiring tech with personalized workflows, API-first platforms and tools that actually work. From cutting through clunky processes to empowering users with seamless integrations, Rebecca shares how SmartRecruiters is making hiring as intuitive as unlocking your phone. If you’re ready to reimagine recruiting technology for today’s fast-paced world, this episode is...
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On Transformation Realness, I’m joined by Radancy’s Jahkedda Akbar and Matt Lamphear about turning HR tech chaos into streamlined solutions. We explore how Radancy’s human-first innovation, data-driven agility, and unified tech stack empower recruiters to thrive in today’s dynamic talent landscape. Our conversation hits everything from streamlining bloated tech stacks to tackling the ever-shifting whims of today’s candidates. Ready...
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On this episode of Transformation Realness, I’m joined by none other than Yvette Cameron, Senior Vice President of Cloud HCM Product Strategy at Oracle. Yvette is a visionary (and certified badass) reshaping workforce technology with a focus on what actually matters: skills, culture, and empowering managers to lead in a rapidly changing world. We tackle big questions about how skills fit into the bigger picture of talent strategies...
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On this episode of Transformation Realness, I sit down with Employ’s leadership dream team — Dara Brenner, Steve Cox and Lucy Zarlengo — to unpack how they’re flipping the script on HR tech. Employ, the brains behind Jobvite, Lever, and JazzHR, is bringing these powerhouse brands together under one mission: giving talent acquisition teams tools that actually work. We get into how they’re uniting distinct strengths, empowering recru...
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In this episode of Transformation Realness, Kyle Lagunas is joined by Toya Del Valle, chief customer officer at Cornerstone OnDemand, to unpack how skills are more than just a buzzword. They explore why workforce agility matters (especially during a recession), how Cornerstone is approaching skills internally and the impact of their recent SkyHive acquisition. You’ll hear why recruiting your way out of a skills gap is a terrible id...
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On this episode of Transformation Realness, I’m joined by Keith Sonderling, former EEOC commissioner and an absolute legend when it comes to tackling AI in HR. Keith breaks down how AI can totally transform our work—but only if we strike the right balance between innovation and accountability. Tune in as we dive into the big questions: How do we embrace AI responsibly? What’s HR’s role in making it all fair, transparent, and compli...
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In this episode of Transformation Realness, I’m joined by Opal Wagnac, SVP of Market & Product Strategy at isolved, to discuss how AI can empower HR leaders without compromising the human touch. Opal shares why AI’s true value depends on critical thinkers, ethical frameworks and, most importantly, real people guiding its use. She dives into the challenges and opportunities of AI for SMBs, her approach to building trust in tech and...
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In this episode of Transformation Realness, I'm joined by Satish Kumar, CEO and co-founder of Glider AI, as we explore how assessments can be more than just gatekeepers — they can be key to discovering untapped potential in candidates. Satish shares how Glider’s next-gen tools combat candidate fraud, use hands-on assessments to validate true skills, and look beyond immediate hiring to identify potential for long-term growth.  Join...
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May 22, 2024 39 mins
On this episode of Transformation Realness, I’m talking with Natalie Egan, CEO and founder of Translator, Inc., and Steven Huang, director of social justice at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) about how much of ourselves we can — or should — bring to work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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On this episode of Transformation Realness, I’m talking with Mara Jones, head of people and culture at Kasa, and Tara Torres, formerly Kasa’s director of talent acquisition and strategic people initiatives. We're digging into one of the hottest and most complex topics in the industry right now: skills-based talent strategy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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On this episode of Transformation Realness, I’m talking with Splunk’s Allie Wehling, IO psychologist and head of talent assessment, and Dustin Cann, senior director of people process, compliance and operations. We discuss the nuances of AI in HR, best practices for exploring the delicate balance between innovation and compliance and strategies for implementing AI in HR safely, ethically and intentionally. Learn more about your ad c...
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February 26, 2024 42 mins
On this episode of Transformation Realness, I’m talking with HR veterans John Baldino and Robin Schooling. We discuss navigating the complex intersection of compliance and culture, including the importance of staying informed, taking care of yourself, and maintaining a steady presence despite challenges. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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On this episode of Transformation Realness, I’m talking with Hung Lee, editor of leading industry newsletter Recruiting Brainfood. We’re taking a look at the chaotic era of COVID-19 and the ripple effect the pandemic had on recruitment practices. Hung and I compare notes on where we could have done things differently, where we had absolutely no control, and where things landed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/a...
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Welcome to the season one finale of Transformation Realness! I’m talking with Dr. Nela Richardson, chief economist and co-head of the ADP Research Institute. We discuss ADP’s latest research findings, why they focused on a global audience and how HR can help workers even if they can’t give them an 8% raise. We also remind employers that employees saw how they stepped up during the pandemic — and they expect that to continue. Learn ...
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