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The EVOLVE Talent & HR Show

The EVOLVE Talent & HR Show

Written by: WRKdefined Podcast Network
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Trust. Talent. Evolution. Hosted by Anna Morgan, founder of EVOLVE, this is the podcast where talent acquisition, HR leadership, HR tech, and the future of work come into focus. Whether you’re an individual contributor, people manager, executive, vendor, or entrepreneur shaping how people are hired, developed, and led, this show is for you. Each episode features voices co-creating the future of work: event organizers, practitioners, speakers, and thought leaders sharing honest conversations about talent strategy, leadership, culture, and real-world challenges. You’ll hear stories from conference stages, hallways, dinners, and the frontlines of HR, practical insights you can use immediately. The EVOLVE Talent & HR Show is part of a larger ecosystem. Conferences, community events, learning platforms, and executive dinners—all designed around one belief: careers and companies grow faster when we stop working alone and start learning, experimenting, and evolving in community. If you care about culture, connection, and the future of work. If you’re ready for fresh energy, real talk, and partnership-driven thinking. If you believe that what technology can’t replace—trust, human connection, collaboration—matters most. This is your room. New episodes every week. Let’s evolve.All rights reserved by WRKdefined Careers Economics Management Management & Leadership Personal Success
Episodes
  • Right People, Right Friction, Right Time: Building Trust in the Future of Hiring With Michelle Meehan

    Right People, Right Friction, Right Time: Building Trust in the Future of Hiring With Michelle Meehan
    Oct 16 2026
    In this episode of the EVOLVE Talent & HR Show, Anna Morgan sits down with Michelle Meehan, CMO and VP of Customer Success at VEDI, to discuss how AI is transforming talent acquisition and why building trust throughout the hiring process matters more than ever. Anna and Michelle explore the difference between purposeful friction that protects organizations and unnecessary friction that frustrates candidates. They discuss how AI enables increasingly convincing fake candidates, synthetic identities, and proxy interviews, highlighting the importance of identity verification and background screening without treating every candidate like a suspect. The conversation also examines how disconnected systems, repetitive requests, and poor communication create unnecessary barriers for job seekers. Michelle emphasizes the importance of mapping the candidate journey, explaining verification requirements, and keeping candidates informed to build trust and protect employer brand. Throughout the episode, Anna and Michelle reinforce that technology should enhance human capabilities, not replace human judgment and connection. They challenge HR and Talent Acquisition leaders to work together, improve hiring processes, and create experiences that balance security, efficiency, and people-first leadership. In this episode, you'll learn: Why frictionless hiring may not be the right goal in the age of AI. How to distinguish purposeful verification from unnecessary hiring barriers. How AI-generated candidates, synthetic identities, and proxy interviews challenge recruiters. Why transparency and communication are essential to candidate trust. How to identify inefficiencies by mapping the entire candidate journey. Why hiring managers should experience their own recruiting systems. Why collaboration between HR and Talent Acquisition is essential to people-first hiring. Join the EVOLVE 2027 Waitlist:https://link.evolve-conference.com/widget/form/qAdMlQRQIeVYVWw7349y Interested in collaborating or sponsoring EVOLVE experiences?Book an EVOLVE partnership call:https://link.evolve-conference.com/widget/form/Z62948iqsNWpiOpdZwtJ If this episode resonated with you, subscribe, share it with a fellow HR or Talent leader, and leave a review to help more people-first leaders discover the show.
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    57 mins
  • From Creative Potential to Peak Performance: Building Better Leaders With PEQuilibrium

    From Creative Potential to Peak Performance: Building Better Leaders With PEQuilibrium
    Oct 8 2026
    In this episode of the EVOLVE Talent & HR Show, Anna Morgan sits down with Stacy Willis, a people and leadership strategist, entrepreneur, and creator of the PEQuilibrium framework, for a fascinating conversation about how people can develop the skills, flexibility, and self-awareness needed to perform at their highest level. Stacy shares the story behind PEQuilibrium, a framework developed from her experience across engineering, marketing, operations, and people leadership. The concept combines the idea of equilibrium with peak performance, helping people understand how they can balance seemingly opposite strengths and intentionally develop the capabilities they need to grow. The framework is built around three layers: the Creative Engine, the Performance Framework, and the Regulatory System. Anna and Stacy unpack why organizations often make the mistake of treating people as fixed labeling someone as “the creative one,” “the disciplined one,” or “the doer” instead of recognizing that these capabilities can be developed. They explore why generic management training often misses the mark, how individualized development paths can better support emerging leaders, and why understanding someone's existing strengths is critical to helping them grow. The conversation also dives into how PEQuilibrium can be applied to recruiting and interviewing. Stacy shares how hiring teams can use nuanced questions to uncover someone's ability to operate across different spectrums, why specificity in interview answers matters, and how intrinsic motivation can reveal a candidate's genuine curiosity and passion for their work. Anna and Stacy also explore leadership development through the lens of the “Trailblazer” archetype, including the challenge of slowing down, delegating, and teaching others how to think rather than simply showing them how to execute. From the “handcuffed manager” exercise to the concept of connecting people with their future selves, Stacy offers practical ways leaders can build stronger teams while developing their own leadership capacity. Throughout the conversation, Stacy and Anna challenge the idea that people should simply work harder at their weaknesses. Instead, they explore how leaders can build intentional growth practices, create space for different strengths, connect their work to a deeper sense of purpose, and continue evolving throughout their careers. In this episode, you'll learn: What PEQuilibrium means and how the framework combines balance with peak performance The three layers of the PEQuilibrium framework: Creative Engine, Performance Framework, and Regulatory System Why creativity is a skill that can be cultivated rather than an ability you're simply born with How organizations can stop treating people as fixed and create more individualized development paths Why generic management training can be ineffective and how development can be tailored to individual strengths How to use interview questions to uncover adaptability, intrinsic motivation, and real-world capability Why specificity in interview answers can reveal far more than surface-level responses How leaders can move from being high-performing “doers” to effective managers who know how to let go What the “future self” and “handcuffed manager” concepts can teach leaders about growth and delegation Why purpose, service, community, and creating space for life beyond work are essential parts of sustainable growth Join the EVOLVE 2027 Waitlist:https://link.evolve-conference.com/widget/form/qAdMlQRQIeVYVWw7349y Interested in collaborating or sponsoring EVOLVE experiences?Book an EVOLVE partnership call:https://link.evolve-conference.com/widget/form/Z62948iqsNWpiOpdZwtJ If this episode resonated with you, subscribe, share it with a fellow HR or Talent leader, and leave a review to help more people-first leaders discover the show.
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    44 mins
  • Rethinking Resilience: Building Trauma-Informed Workplaces That Actually Support People

    Rethinking Resilience: Building Trauma-Informed Workplaces That Actually Support People
    Oct 1 2026
    In this episode of the EVOLVE Talent & HR Show, Anna Morgan sits down with Stephanie Lemek, founder and CEO of The Wounded Workforce, for a candid conversation about trauma-informed workplaces, employee well-being, burnout, and resilience. Stephanie shares her journey from more than two decades in HR to entrepreneurship, and how conversations about mental health, suicide, substance misuse, and trauma in the construction industry inspired the creation of The Wounded Workforce. Anna and Stephanie unpack why resilience shouldn't be treated as an individual responsibility or a solution to workplace problems. They explore compassion fatigue and secondary trauma among HR and Talent professionals, the limitations of relying solely on EAPs and wellness programs, and how workplace structures, leadership, and culture can either support people or contribute to burnout. Stephanie also explains the seven principles of trauma-informed workplaces and how they can be applied to recruiting, leadership, and the employee experience. The conversation also highlights the power of community, vulnerability, curiosity, and collaboration between HR and Talent. Anna and Stephanie discuss how leaders can create safer workplaces without asking employees to disclose personal trauma, why HR and TA professionals need support too, and what it looks like to approach work with greater humanity and intention. Together, they challenge the idea that people simply need to become more resilient—and invite leaders to look at the conditions that shape how people experience work. In this episode, you'll learn: Why resilience isn't simply a personality trait or individual responsibility How workplace structures can contribute to burnout and employee well-being challenges What trauma-informed workplaces actually mean in practice How physical, psychological, and financial safety shape the employee experience Why compassion fatigue and secondary trauma affect HR and Talent professionals How leaders can minimize harm without asking employees to disclose personal trauma The seven principles of trauma-informed workplace practices How trauma-informed practices can improve recruiting and candidate experiences Why HR and Talent need stronger collaboration and community What HR and Talent professionals can do when they're experiencing burnout or compassion fatigue Join the EVOLVE 2027 Waitlist: https://link.evolve-conference.com/widget/form/qAdMlQRQIeVYVWw7349y Interested in collaborating or sponsoring EVOLVE experiences? Book an EVOLVE partnership call: https://link.evolve-conference.com/widget/form/Z62948iqsNWpiOpdZwtJ
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    54 mins
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