CareerXroads & Steve White: Live from The Shaker Vision Lab at UNLEASH America

[Music] Welcome. This is the CXR recruiting community podcast where we bring together TA leaders uh to just kind of talk about what’s going on in their space, kind of their headsp space, uh what excites them about uh the industry and of course the event uh if they want to chat a little bit about that. Today, uh, Shaker Recruitment Marketing has been, uh, kind enough, uh, to sort of sponsor a place for us to sit down and catch up, which is much more comfortable than standing around, uh, the stages and chatting. Uh, I’ve got with me today Steve White. Uh, Steve, give it give us kind of a escalator pitch. Who’s Steve White? Like, what are you what are you doing now? Because you got a big change. Yeah, I have had a big change. So, um, currently I’m the or most recently I I’ve shifted over to become the head of talent acquisition for Sam’s Club. Um, so a part of the Walmart Enterprise, reporting up to Rob Dohy, who’s a fantastic TA leader, who’s a VP of the enterprise over at Walmart. Super excited about what’s ahead uh within the Walmart Enterprise and what we’re able to do for Sam’s Club. Sam’s Club is a phenomenal organization that I’m excited to be a part and ready to drive some change for, uh, for our TA organization and for the or as a whole. So, and this is fresh like very like a month in. Yeah. Barely a month in. So, I was just telling Chris, I was like, I barely know how to spell Sam’s Club. I don’t want to say that too often anymore. Well, you get I think they give you another 30 days. Yeah. Yeah. And then you’re then you’re off. No more shiny penny. Yeah. You got to dive in. You’re not new anymore. Yeah, that’s right. You’re This is it. You’re seasoned. You’re You’re seasoned as it gets at this point, right? Exactly. All right. So, we’ve got a couple questions actually we put together uh that we think we think are kind of interesting, but we do tend to veer off a little bit. It’s like attention deficit. Hey, look a squirrel. This is the best way to do it. Yeah. If we do it, we do it. We’ll be fine. Uh I do this is interesting because we were just talking yesterday a little bit about what’s going on on the floor, what what the what the topics of discussion are and kind of what you’re seeing uh when you’re talking to these other leaders. Is there a piece of advice kind of based on what you’ve seen so far and the discussions you’ve had that you would give to another TA leader as they’re kind of looking to to come up on the middle of the year and round the year out and and believe it or not, start planning for 26 already. I think uh a couple of things I would think about, right? The first thing is for me the most important u which is like how embedded are we in the business um how focused you are you on the business’s goals um and not just understanding what they are but like truly aligning our TA goals or TA strategy to what the business strategy is so much so that like we could we should be able to set our own OKRs to what the business goals are eventually right so I’d like to see that happen and a shift that happens in our space um because we’re so ingrained and aligned with with what’s happening in the business. I think that’s really important. I also think that um you know there’s a lot of talk about AI. I think it’s really important. It’s obviously really critical. Um there’s a lot of change happening. It’s it’s necessary. Um and we need to continue to focus on like how do we drive our processes? How do we ensure that we’re um we’re not adding AI to bad processes, right? To bad culture, to to bad ways of working. So, uh so we’re ensuring that the AI that we’re adding to the organization ends up being more than additive. It’s exponential, right? It it changes our organizations in the way. So, so what I hear, Steve, a little bit is um it’s it’s not the adding of technology or sol and broadly, right? more broadly solutions for the sake of the solutions and trying to align them with with the business needs not just the TA needs broader business the business needs like how how are we adding solutions that actually drive the business forward so not just myopically focused on like this is a need that we can transactionally input to to fix one problem in TA but like what are some of the things that we could do to really like drive the business forward that solutions that can really help, you know, that could potentially help our our end users, our customers, our shareholders, whatever at the um you know, from a bottom line perspective. Yeah. Now, I’ve known you for a number of years. Yes, sir. Really gotten to know you pretty well the last the last two or three years, and I’ve just I just adore the work that you do and the mindset that you kind of approach this stuff at. So let me ask you a question based on your experience and I think a lot of TA leaders will appreciate uh going to appreciate your kind of take on this is h how do you become ingrained in the business in that way? It’s easy to come into TA and say look we’re going to implement this technology we’re going to change this out and we’re going to update these processes but but how do you as a TA leader form those partnerships? How do you how do you kind of get to be that business partner that so many of us, you know, strive to be? I think it starts with curiosity, right? Like like, you know, what questions are we asking? How, you know, how curious curious are we about the business, the business leaders that we’re working with and supporting um or I shouldn’t say supporting, partnering with. It’s a partnership, right? Okay. Um, and so, um, I I I hate the word supporting right now because I feel like we make ourselves small too often in TA, uh, when we’re working with certain business leaders, especially depending on the title and their their rank and organization. Yeah. And so, uh, so being curious about what’s going on in their space, and their world, building those relationships, asking them to participate or attend their staff meetings, right? like a creating a business plan around like what’s happening a TA or talent business plan around what’s happening in their business what goals they have what strategies they’re employing for the year uh and then letting them know upfront that like talent acquisition or talent is not going to lead our conversation like your business strategy what you’re doing from a business perspective is going to be our main focus talent’s going to be at best secondary I I love that. And some leaders get a little like taken back by it. Some leaders get excited about it, but like let’s push that back because often times people are like with talent acquisition, they’re like, I’ll call you when I need you. Yeah. Yeah. Warm taker. Yep. Yep. We’ve got to get past that, right? Like no, you know, don’t call me when you need me. Like I I’m going to be here. I’m going to be a part of your team. And I think that’s that’s where the magic happens. That’s where we really start to land. I love the call out uh of support versus partnership. And I really love I think what you’re saying is like there’s this leading with inquiry element when you go into that with with any of the any line of business across the board. That’s fantastic. I love it. Okay. Uh talent attraction strategy. Now now I know you’re coming in new to Sam. So you’re still like I said shiny penny. So you’re in evaluation mode a little bit of time, right? You got to once you figure out how to spell Sams, I think the ne the next thing you’re going to be you’re going to be kind of digging in a little bit. But how will you determine uh or assess if you will kind of what that talent talent attraction strategy is and how you might pivot that or or double down. Yeah. So I think it’s the two things right like thinking about of course the EVP. So what’s our what’s our value proposition all up as an organization? So um and then um considering you know how do we shape that? How do we really tell the message around our employer brand um to really attract the right people to the organization that are really going to help that business strategy? But then there’s also the MVP portion of it, the micro value proposition piece, right? That is like specific to each role, to each function, to each group. Um that’s very very and even each leader. Yeah. Um that that an individual will be working for that’s very very important and I think it’s not to be overlooked. So really considering like the EVP is important but the MVP is is super critical right to understand you don’t hear a lot of people talking about an MVP we have to right at all is it would it be your take Steve that it’s almost like you remember years ago there was this term uh glo right so big big organizations were saying it’s going to be 80% this across the board and then 20% you got to localize right is it the same approach would you change the ratio I think it’s I think it’s different I think It’s I think it has to be like this is going to sound crazy. I think it has to be like a a 100 100 approach, right? So it’s a a clear focus on what the EVP is. So we can’t discount that. But you can’t you also can’t discount what the MVP is. And the MVP is really really important to the individuals coming into the company or to that role or working for that leader. So they’re both equally important. Yeah. So I know people say, “Well, that’s 50/50.” I’m like, well, no, we need to make sure we put 100% focus on the on the EVP and really drive that in the right way and then ensure that we’re crafting the right MVP understanding like what type of person is going to work well in this role? Who’s this leader? Like what does it mean to work for this individual? What is it like what value is this person going to get out of this role? What value are they going to drive for the organization? Those things are really critical and we have to really sell that in the right way in partnership or in conjunction with with the overall EVP. And it’s almost like the EVP is at that point if if you’re getting that level of customization by line of business or by leader. You’re talking about moving the EVP into almost like a touchstone. Yeah. Like th this can be this is how we focus. This is that that co-promise we make. This is that delivery and that marketing as long as it aligns with right as long as we know this is our this our north star. Absolutely. And then we’ve got to get more leaders right out in front of the talent. And so like like there are leaders in our organization who need to be out front on LinkedIn or wherever messaging and we’ve talked about this for so many years, but we have to get them out in front of the talent to be able to share like who are you? You know, what does it mean to work for you? What what is this position, you know, what value does this does this position add to the organization, uh to this section or segment of the business? Those things are important. So, uh, really, really, really engaging the leaders and ensuring that the leaders are engaging with the talent. I think that’s really important. I can’t I can’t wait to circle back with you in about a 90-day window to kind of see how that that’s really mindful uh approach with with that leading with inquiry with that that co-promise yourself. I can’t wait to see how that’s achieved and driven. I think Rob’s the best one of the best to be able to partner with and do that. 100% 100%. I’m super excited to be able to partner with Rob on that. Learn from him, too, in in that way. So, yeah, it’s good stuff. Well, look, look, see, we’re asking everybody this. You’ve been on, you’ve been on the show, we’ve done before. If you were going to write a book, and man, I think you got a book in you. I’ve told you this before. I think I think I’m counting five years, man. you got a you got a heck of a book in you. But if you’re going to write a book about kind of what you’re seeing and in the space today and maybe even in your your current decision to make such a kind of bold transition and move to Bentonville and your family up, what would the title of the book be? Oh my gosh. Last time we talked about this, it was relationships, results, readiness, right? Um, I think I I’ve shifted I I would shift that now to uh to really think about like that something related to culture and I don’t have I don’t have a title right now but I think um or God say think and act right um and so like I I want to shape I think it’s so important from a leadership perspective and tying it into talent acquisition like how are we what are we thinking about how are we thinking how are we engaging engaging in the organization. Um so you know the the the way we think and the way we act. Um so you know the curiosity the partnership uh the talent attraction the culture you know uh the way we show up on a regular basis um is so important like you know not making ourselves small right in front of u uh with with leaders and so I think and act probably needs some work but uh but it’s a working title. Yeah it’s a working title. I love it. But I I really I mean culture is really important to me right. So when I think about leadership and I think about our space too I think that there’s some a lot of opportunity right from for culture uh for culture transformation for culture change for a lift uh within our TA space and so um so yeah how how we think and act is very very important to how we show up and how we really drive our business forward. I always say in talent acquisition, we catalyze the growth and transformation in the companies we work for. If people are the greatest asset, then you know we’re responsible for how the company thrives. Yeah. Uh the inverse is true, too, right? So, if we’re not doing our job well, yeah, you’re not wrong. Yeah, you’re not you’re definitely not wrong. That’s a challenge. So, how we show up as a team really changes how the entire company is shaped. So, I love it. Well, who uh who gets the first signed copy? always always Taj my wife. I love that. She’s uh she’s the smarter smart smartest person in our family. She’s really phenomenal and she’s uh she’s been uh uber supportive and I mean she’s taking a journey right to to Bentonville and she’s been really supportive of of everything that we’re doing and so um yeah so it has to be her. Oh, you’re a smart man. Then you Chris. Well, if you need anybody to help with like the forward I help I need help with everything. Obviously the title, the forward, some of the other concepts. Yeah. Oh man, that’s great. Well, look, I’m We have a panel later, so I’m I’m super stoked to do that. We’re going to have a lot of fun with it. I’m excited. Uh I hope was Is there anything You don’t have to name names. Uh is there anything you’ve seen on the floor that’s kind of exciting or maybe I know AI is everywhere. Yeah. Or claims to be everywhere. Is there anything you’ve seen that’s kind of exciting? Match two is the most exciting thing I think I’ve seen because uh because I think one of the critical things in our space right now is candidate experience right it’s been it’s been critical but I think it’s even more so right uh with AI being more infused in in the space or you know across the world um the candidate experience is so important and what they’re doing with that like you know showing like we we see candidate matches with the advancement of AI u we’ve seen it for a while but of course it’s gotten better now for the candidates to be able to see how they match to a um is uh is revolutionary, I think. And so I’m I’m really excited about what Match 2 is doing, how that’s going to impact internal mobility as well as external hiring as well. So I love it. Well, and you’ve got that mad scientist Doug Berg matched up with that operational genius over there. So I think it’s going to be fun to watch. This is an amazing team. Good stuff. Well, thanks for sitting down with us. Thank you, Chris. Thanks for having me, man. I really appreciate it. It’s an honor. Love it. Anytime. Always an honor. Anytime. Uh, all right. So, uh, past future episodes, you can catch us out at cxr.orgmpodcast. Uh, and we try to do this weekly, but you know, when we’re on the road, we jam a whole bunch of them in. So, uh, we hope you join us next time. And, uh, once again, thanks for Shaker for giving us a spot to sit down and catch up. Thanks everybody.