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The EVOLVE Talent & HR Show

The EVOLVE Talent & HR Show

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 Career Success Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Building Trust Through Inclusive Design: Making Products and Workplaces Work for Everyone

    Building Trust Through Inclusive Design: Making Products and Workplaces Work for Everyone
    22 Oct 2026
    In this episode of the EVOLVE Talent & HR Show, Anna Morgan sits down with Torin Ellis, entrepreneur, talent strategist, and founder of Ngoma, for a meaningful conversation about accessibility, inclusive leadership, and building trust through better human experiences. Torin shares his journey from recruiting and diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting to building Ngoma, a trust assurance layer for products, systems, and solutions. He explains how the company's mission centers on one important question: What happens when someone uses a product or system that wasn't designed for them? Anna and Torin explore why accessibility must go beyond recruitment and hiring. From workplace technology to driverless vehicles, they discuss how systems can create barriers for people with disabilities and why organizations must consider accessibility from the earliest stages of product development. The conversation also examines the role leaders play in helping employees succeed. Torin explains why leaders have a responsibility to develop, inspire, resource, and support their teams, and how understanding people's experiences can strengthen relationships, engagement, and retention. Throughout the episode, Torin emphasizes the importance of listening, learning from lived experiences, and creating solutions that support independence and inclusion. From Ngoma's disability-inclusive testing teams to the importance of transparency, he shares how organizations can build more accessible products and earn people's trust. In this episode, you'll learn: How Torin's career in recruiting and DEI led to the creation of Ngoma What happens when people with disabilities use products and systems not designed for them Why accessibility should be considered from the beginning of product development How inclusive leadership helps employees feel supported and perform at their best Why lived experiences are essential to understanding accessibility barriers How NOMA uses disability-inclusive teams to test products and identify gaps Why organizations should build on their own strengths instead of copying others How transparency, accountability, and trust contribute to better experiences 01:50 – Torin's journey from recruiting to DEI consulting03:11 – Building Ngoma and its mission06:28 – Real-world accessibility challenges with driverless vehicles10:01 – Leadership, employee support, and accountability16:58 – How lived experiences shape Torin's approach19:13 – Why organizations should build on their own strengths23:24 – A leader's responsibility to develop and support people26:25 – How Ngoma tests products through disability-inclusive teams32:52 – Practical ways to make events more accessible39:44 – Introducing the Ngoma Trust Index (Torin Ellis is an entrepreneur and talent strategist with experience in recruiting, consulting, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. As the founder of Ngoma, he focuses on helping organizations evaluate products, systems, and solutions through the lived experiences of people with disabilities to improve accessibility, trust, and inclusion.) 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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    43 min
  • 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
    16 Oct 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 min
  • From Creative Potential to Peak Performance: Building Better Leaders With PEQuilibrium

    From Creative Potential to Peak Performance: Building Better Leaders With PEQuilibrium
    8 Oct 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 min
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