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It was a first meeting Naeem Ishaq tells us he'll never forget: stepping into the Chief Product Officer's office at Salesforce, he began pitching a bold new pricing model. Yet the officer cut him off, bluntly telling him to “figure out the (numbers) first, then we can talk strategy.” Ishaq admits he had inherited something of a mess when it came to the data. Despite the tough feedback, however, he refused to give up. He dove deeper—verifying metrics, updating budgets, and clarifying every detail—determined to show he could be both a financial expert and a strategic partner. By persevering rather than shrinking from the challenge, he eventually earned the trust needed to advance his pricing insights.That wake-up call echoed lessons he'd learned as a child of immigrants. Ishaq tells us his father arrived in the United States with just twenty dollars, fueled by grit and hope. Growing up, Naeem watched firsthand how determination could unlock opportunity—even if the odds seemed stacked. This conviction led him to form his first business in 1999, forging a passion for technology-driven solutions that would guide him in future roles at Salesforce, Square, and eventually Checkr.Today, as CFO and Chief Strategy Officer at Checkr, Ishaq's mindset blends rigorous analysis with an entrepreneurial spark. He believes finance leaders create the most impact when they go beyond reporting numbers to envision what's possible—and then rally others around that vision.
Lindsey Scrace has always done her own thing, letting personal and professional instincts be her guide. The approach hasn't always been comfortable, but the results speak for themselves. The Ann Arbor, MI native has demonstrated leadership prowess at just about every stage of her career - from her days as a crew leader at a fast food chain restaurant to her current role as COO of Checkr, a streamlined, AI-powered background-checking platform. In a conversation with Women to Watch's Sue Rocco, Scrace discusses the importance of diversity-based hiring practices she learned during her decade at Google, and why everyone - even her own kids - could benefit from stepping outside their boxes.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/women-to-watch-r/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Southwest Airlines has long been synonymous with customer-friendly policies, but a recent shift in its business model has ignited controversy. The airline, once known for its no-change fees, free checked bags, and approachable customer service, has begun implementing policies that put its brand loyalty to the test. The changes—including assigned seating and new baggage fees—have left frequent travelers and industry watchers questioning whether Southwest is abandoning the very principles that built its loyal fan base.This raises a crucial question: How important is brand equity in maintaining customer loyalty, especially in a business landscape where commoditization threatens to erase differentiation?Welcome to Pro AV Today. In the latest episode, host Ben Thomas sits down with Jeffrey Boggess, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Checkr, and David Venus, Western Regional Manager for Commercial Audio & Nexo at Yamaha Corporation of America. The discussion explores Southwest's evolving identity and the broader implications for brand trust, customer retention, and community engagement in the B2B world.Key takeaways from the conversation…Brand Equity vs. Short-Term Gains – Southwest's recent moves resemble a departure from its “customer-first” philosophy, prompting discussions on how companies can balance profitability with maintaining a strong, loyal customer base.The Role of Community in Business – Just as Southwest had a cult-like following among frequent travelers, brands in the B2B space must recognize the power of community-driven loyalty.Lessons for B2B Marketers – The conversation highlights the importance of customer trust, clear brand positioning, and the long-term value of maintaining a strong relationship with loyal customers.Jeffrey Boggess is a seasoned product marketing leader with expertise in brand strategy, customer loyalty, and go-to-market execution. With experience at Checkr, Avocor, and RingCentral, he has successfully launched multiple products, forged high-impact partnerships with industry giants like Microsoft and Google, and built marketing frameworks that drove revenue growth. Known for his creative storytelling and customer-centric approach, he has a track record of elevating brand equity and enhancing user engagement across the B2B technology space.David Venus is a seasoned sales and marketing leader specializing in pro audio and commercial AV solutions, currently serving as Western Regional Manager for Commercial Audio & Nexo at Yamaha. With a strong background in brand management, sales process development, and multichannel marketing, he has successfully driven regional growth, exceeding sales targets and earning multiple Presidents Club Awards. A graduate of Belmont University, he has extensive experience in lead generation, content marketing, and strategic partnerships, helping brands expand market share and strengthen customer engagement.
In this episode of From Start-Up to Grown-Up, host Alisa Cohn sits down with Daniel Yanisse, co-founder and CEO of Checkr, to discuss the exhilarating rise and the challenges of sustaining a high-growth company. Checkr revolutionized the background check industry, scaling from a $1M revenue run rate in just three months to processing millions of background checks annually. But with hypergrowth came intense operational, cultural, and leadership challenges.Daniel shares how he navigated:Hiring at hyperspeed—and why some employees quit on day one.The "hangover" after hypergrowth—losing key executives and investor pressure.How to hire and retain top executives—and avoid common leadership hiring mistakes.Revising a company mission to balance fairness and safety while scaling.The "Fly High, Fly Low" leadership approach—balancing strategy and deep operational insights.This episode is packed with real-world lessons for founders, CEOs, and startup leaders facing the challenges of rapid growth, leadership transitions, and market shifts.
Pascal a passé plus de 20 ans dans la Tech, en se spécialisant dans le SaaS, la fintech et l'IA. Entrepreneur en série, il a lancé deux startups "backées" par des VCs : VirtuOz (acquise par Nuance) et SixDoors (qui n'a pas survécu). Il a également été le premier exec. chez Checkr
SaaStr 785: The Playbook for Going Upmarket with Stripe's CBO, Jeanne Dewitt Grosser, and Checkr's COO, Lindsey Scrase Want to know when to move upmarket and how to actually pull it off? Jeanne Dewitt Grosser, Chief Business Officer at Stripe, and Lindsey Scrase, COO at Checkr, have done it multiple times at companies like Google Cloud, Stripe, and Checkr. They came to SaaStr Annual to share what they've learned about making the move to go more enterprise actually work. They dive into their professional histories, strategies for startups when targeting and pivoting to enterprise markets, and the signals to watch for before making the leap. Learn from their experiences, including the importance of an aligned company push, the evolution of pricing, and tips for managing unit economics efficiently. Don't miss their actionable advice on understanding unit economics and building a solid operating model to enhance your business success. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Hey everybody - thanks to the 10,000 of you who came out to SaaStr Annual. We had a blast and big news -- we'll be back in MAY of 2025. That's right, the SaaStr Annual will be a bit earlier next year, May 13-15 2025. We'll still be back in the same venue, in the SF bay area at the 40+ acre sprawling san mateo county events center. Grab your tickets at saastrannual.com with code JASON50 for an extra discount on our very best pricing. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Ilan Frank, Chief Product Officer at Checkr, the leading background check company serving over 100,000 customers.Checkr has revolutionized the background check industry, processing 85% of checks in 15 minutes or less, compared to the industry standard of 1 to 3 days. This remarkable efficiency is achieved through the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning.With $679 million in funding and a $5 billion valuation, Checkr serves major companies like Uber, Warby Parker, and Instacart. Ilan is spearheading the core business while driving product expansion into larger enterprises and new markets.In this episode, we'll explore Ilan's extensive experience in building SaaS products for large enterprises, including his work at successful companies like Slack, Airtable, and Grammarly. We'll discuss the challenges and strategies involved in transitioning from SMB to enterprise success.What you'll learn:- Ilan's journey to becoming CPO at Checkr and his insights on the background check industry's digital transformation.- The challenges and strategies involved in creating enterprise-ready products and organizations.- How to balance user delight with complex enterprise client needs.- The future of background check technology, including AI-powered innovations and international expansion.Key Takeaways:- Enterprise Readiness: Ilan emphasizes the importance of both product and organizational readiness when transitioning to serve enterprise clients.- Product Management Approach: Ilan shares his "Three Buckets" strategy for prioritizing features: metrics movers, customer asks, and delighters.- Data-Driven Innovation: Ilan highlights the use of AI and machine learning to process vast amounts of data quickly and accurately, revolutionizing the background check industry.- Enterprise Product Development: Ilan discusses the importance of understanding both the "chooser" and the "user" in enterprise software, and how to create value for both.Social Links:- Follow our Podcast on Tik Tok here- Follow Product School on LinkedIn here- Join Product School's free events here - Find out more about Product School hereCredits:Host: Carlos Gonzalez de VillaumbrosiaGuest: Ilan Frank
This episode was produced remotely using the ListenDeck standardized audio & video production system. If you're looking to jumpstart your podcast miniseries or upgrade your podcast or video production please visit www.ListenDeck.com. You can subscribe to this podcast and stay up to date on all the stories here on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon and iHeartRadio. In this episode, the host John Siracusa had a remote chat with Kyle Mack, Co-founder & CEO of Middesk. Middesk is an identity platform that automates business verification and underwrites decisions. In this interview they discuss the challenges of business identity verification and the importance of data quality in the onboarding process for small businesses. Kyle shares his previous experience at Checkr and how that helped influence the creation of Middesk. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon and iHeartRadio to hear next Thursdays episode with Rick Song from Persona. About the host: John is the founder of ListenDeck a full-service podcast and video production company, which has produced over 1500 episodes of various podcasts. He is the host of the ‘Bank On It' podcast, which features over 600 episodes starring high profile fintech leaders and entrepreneurs. Follow John on LinkedIn, Twitter, Medium
SaaStr 785: Usage-Based Revenue Models: Successes and Pitfalls from Checkr COO Lindsey Scrase on CRO Confidential In the latest episode of our SaaStr CRO Confidential podcast, host Sam Blond sat down with Lindsey Scrase, COO of Checkr (and former CRO), to discuss her tactics for driving growth at the background screening unicorn. Lindsey shares valuable lessons on transitioning from a CRO to COO role, how usage-based pricing effected commission structures, leveraging data for operational improvements, aligning incentives to drive company success, and enhancing customer experience to ensure long-term growth. Dive deep into the strategic approaches that have led Checkr to become a $5 billion generational SaaS business. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SaaStr hosts the largest SaaS community events on the planet. Hey everybody - thanks to the 10,000 of you who came out to SaaStr Annual. We had a blast and big news -- we'll be back in MAY of 2025. That's right, the SaaStr Annual will be a bit earlier next year, May 13-15 2025. We'll still be back in the same venue, in the SF bay area at the 40+ acre sprawling san mateo county events center. Grab your tickets at saastrannual.com with code JASON50 for an extra discount on our very best pricing. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Send us a textThis was an amazing episode with our good friend Chris Johnson. Chris is one of the smartest and well-rounded HR tech executives we know and brings a wide variety of thoughts on the current and future state of work. We discussed his college experience in art school and what drove him to explore the HR tech industry. Throughout his career, he has worked for Recruitmax/Vurv, Adecco, and Checkr. Hope you enjoy hearing his story as much as we enjoyed listening to it. Support the show
On this week's episode of Get Hired, Editor at Large Andrew Seaman speaks with Daniel Yanisse, the co-founder and CEO of background check provider Checkr. Daniel gives listeners insight into what happens behind the scenes during background checks and explains where in the process job seekers have agency. Additionally, Daniel discusses Checkr's experience with fair chance hiring and how job seekers with a criminal record can be proactive about their past during the hiring process. Follow Andrew on LinkedIn to join the Get Hired community by clicking here. Follow Daniel Yanisse on LinkedIn by clicking here. Find Checkr's resources on Fair Chance Hiring by clicking here.
Today's teacher is Rich Wong, general partner at renowned venture firm Accel. Rich is a very special investor and leader, and he spent many years as an operator prior to his time in VC. What was going to be a short stint as a venture operating partner nearly 20 years ago turned into a defining pivot for Rich. He not only quickly reached the top of the venture profession but also became the go-to investor for many luminary companies, such as Atlassian, UiPath, AdMob, Checkr, Rovio, Service Channel, and many many more. His range of interests spans beyond venture, and he's very involved in many of the leading university-based poverty alleviation labs. It's always a treasure for us to find someone who integrates so many facets of life in service of others. Please enjoy our class with Rich Wong. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here. ----- This episode is brought to you by EightSleep, the temperature-controlled mattress cover that heats or cools your mattress to transform your sleep. The Pod 4 Ultra is the new gold standard in intelligent sleep systems. It can be added to your current mattress like a fitted sheet and is been clinically proven to give you up to an hour more quality of sleep every night. The cooling capability can cool your side of the bed to 20 degrees below room temperature, all managed by the pod's autopilot feature, which adjusts the temperature throughout the night. Go to eightsleep.com/joys for $350 off. ----- Joys of Compounding is a property of Pine Grove Studios in collaboration with Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Joys of Compounding, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com). Follow us on Twitter: @Buhrman_Rick | @PaulBuser | @JoinColossus Show Notes (00:00:00) Welcome to the Joys of Compounding (00:04:41) The Atlassian Chase Story (00:07:41) Bootstrapping and Venture Capital (00:18:10) Excel's Founding and Evolution (00:22:14) Rich Wong's Early Influences (00:24:42) Becoming an Accidental Venture Capitalist (00:31:39) Excel's Team Dynamics and Investment Strategies (00:38:28) The Evolution of Mobility and AI (00:39:58) Bottom-Up Innovation and Defense Technology (00:41:25) AI's Role in Incumbents vs. Startups (00:44:53) Service Channel Case Study (00:47:58) Capital Efficiency and Indigestion (00:51:04) The Role of Grit and Overfunding (00:55:29) Venture Capital Ecosystem and Returns (01:04:03) Public Policy and Poverty Solutions (01:11:43) Balancing Career and Personal Life (01:15:37) How Rich Wants His Life To Be Measured
In this episode, CJ interviews Naeem Ishaq of Checkr, Inc., and three-time CFO. Naeem shares insights into what a CFO should aim to accomplish in their first 100 days at a new company, including key topics for their first board meeting and the importance of training the board on relevant metrics. The discussion delves into navigating diverse business models, where Naeem unpacks the nuances of forecasting for consumption-based versus SaaS models, including the application of deterministic and probabilistic modeling. Naeem is possibly the first CFO to be a guest on this show that uses AI and large language models significantly in revenue forecasting. He sheds light on how he does this, highlighting the best variables for these models. Having experienced the crypto winter during his time at Circle and the Covid pandemic during his time at Checkr, Naeem also gives helpful advice about managing volatility in business. If you're looking for an ERP head to NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get a customized KPI checklist.—SPONSORS:Maxio is the only billing and financial operations platform that was purpose built for B2B SaaS. They're helping SaaS finance teams automate billing and revenue recognition, manage collections and payments, and put together investor grade reporting packages.
In this episode of the Second in Command podcast, Cameron is joined by Lindsey Scrase, COO of Checkr, an AI-driven platform designed to make background screening more efficient.During the conversation, Lindsey shares her journey in navigating complex leadership challenges while embracing innovation in the workplace. She discusses the importance of maintaining open communication across all levels of an organization and how essential it is for leaders to continually remind and inform their teams.You'll discover the impact of criminal justice reform on hiring practices, offering a glimpse into Checkr's deep commitment to advocating for fair hiring policies. You'll also hear moving stories of individuals whose lives have been changed through new opportunities, showing the positive ripple effects that inclusive practices can have on companies and society as a whole. This episode offers insights on how AI can complement human workers rather than replace them, as well as how it can be an ally in innovation and growth.If you've enjoyed this episode of the Second in Command podcast, be sure to leave a review and subscribe today!Enjoy!In This Episode You'll Learn:The story of Checkr's founders, Jonathan and Daniel, who started the company while working at Deliveroo. (9:52)The importance of staying hyper-focused and the rigorous process of deciding on new markets and product roadmaps. (14:01)The challenges of executing and closing deals in the enterprise space, including the need for product and engineering teams to be committed. (18:13)Why AI needs to be viewed in creative ways to drive efficiency and innovation. (23:37)The balance between delegating and inspecting what you expect, and the importance of ruthless ownership. (37:03)And much more...Resources:Subscribe, Rate & ReviewI'd love you to subscribe to the podcast and leave an honest rating & review. This will encourage others to listen and grow as a community.YouTube - Second In Command Podcast - https://www.youtube.com/@secondincommandpodcast YouTube - Cameron Herold Leadership - https://www.youtube.com/@CameronHerold COO Alliance - https://cooalliance.com/ Cameron's newest book - The Second In Command - Unleash The Power Of Your COOCameron's Online Leadership Course - https://investinyourleaders.com/ch Cameron's Website - https://cameronherold.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cameron_herold_cooalliance/ Paul Graham article ‘Founder Mode'Connect with Cameron: Website | LinkedInConnect with Lindsey: Website |
In today's BOB episode, we dive into the fascinating journey of Pascal Levy-Garboua, the founder and CEO of Noosa Labs. Pascal has built a $15M ARR holding company by acquiring small, profitable, bootstrap SaaS businesses with ARR between $150K and $800K. With four companies currently in his portfolio, Pascal draws on over 20 years of experience in the tech industry, including launching two venture-backed startups, serving as the first executive at Cheka, and investing in 140 startups with 15 successful exits. Jaryd and Pascal discuss the lessons learned from acquiring multiple businesses in a single year, including the challenges of due diligence and business growth strategies. Pascal shares insights into the unique risks associated with SaaS businesses, his approach to sales and business development, and his philosophy behind the creation of Noosa Labs. You won't want to miss this in-depth conversation filled with valuable takeaways for anyone interested in business acquisitions and SaaS growth. Now, let's get started and catch today's episode! Episode Highlights 03:45 How did Pascal start Noosa Labs? 10:30 Start with fulfillment goals rather than money goals! 19:00 Pascal's mistakes in buying businesses 24:20 What's a dangerous strategy when buying a business? 30:00 How to grow a business? 40:20 Where to find Pascal? Key Takeaways ➥ Starting and running a business is challenging, and having a strong sense of fulfillment and joy in work is crucial for overcoming setbacks and staying motivated. ➥ Pascal's experience taught him to be flexible and adapt his acquisition strategy based on what he could realistically manage and afford, ensuring he remained true to his goals and capabilities. ➥ Before acquiring a business, it's vital to have a well-defined strategy. This includes knowing exactly how you will improve and grow the business, rather than relying on learning and fixing issues post-acquisition. About The Guest Pascal Levy-Garboua is the founder and CEO of Noosa Labs, a holding company that buys small, profitable SaaS Companies ($150-$800k in ARR). He has 4 companies in his portfolio. He's spent over 20 years in the tech industry, launched 2 venture back startups, was the first executive hired at Checkr and has invested in 140 Startups with 15 successful exits. Connect with Pascal Levy-Garboua ➥ www.noosalabs.com ➥ https://www.linkedin.com/in/pascallevygarboua/ Resource Links ➥ Sell your business to us here - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/sell-your-business/ ➥ Buying Online Businesses Website - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com ➥ Download the Due Diligence Framework - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/ ➥ GoDaddy (Website Hosting & Buying Domains) - https://bit.ly/3YiRkWV ➥ Surfer SEO (SEO tool for content writing) - https://bit.ly/3WWMKjM ➥ Active Campaign (Email Software Provider) - https://bit.ly/3DCwYQH
This episode features an interview with Prachi Gore, SVP of Marketing, Checkr, Inc., a company that makes background checks faster, easier, and more compliant. In this episode, Prachi shares how they balance marketing to both the SMB and enterprise markets, and discusses her approach to reach each group of prospects. She also emphasizes the importance of investing in brand, and talks about how her revenue team is focused on “push marketing”.Key Takeaways:Be strategic about how you target different customers. Prachi has distinct approaches for SMB and enterprise markets, —focusing on brand advertising for SMBs while leveraging thought leadership and compliance content for enterprises.It is worth investing in customer lifecycle and partner marketing to improve customer retention and expand market reach. Customer lifecycle marketing is especially crucial in businesses with a transactional model.A robust inbound marketing strategy, supported by comprehensive brand awareness efforts, is vital for capturing latent demand and nurturing leads, even when brand investment feels like a riskier bet. Quote: “I think brand campaigns are always a bet. You're taking a risk of placing a bet on something that may or may not work. It's not measurable. It's hard, really, really hard to measure. And so it's kind of like, you've got to jump in with two feet and you'll float. But I think that that makes it hard for us as marketers to say like, hey, you're just like two million or five or whatever is your number, I'm going to put this towards a test and let's see what works, what doesn't work. Versus anything else, even we talked a lot about content syndication, but anything else like search, demand, events, campaigns, everything can be tied back to, it produces so much pipeline, exactly how much, you know. So, it just makes taking those bets, experiments, faster, easier, and at lower risk. Brand is hard, and then it also needs a philosophical alignment with your CFO, with your CEO your board, like everyone needs to be on board to help place those bets with you.”Episode Timestamps: *(02:10) The Trust Tree: Marketing to SMB and enterprise markets*(12:19) The Playbook: Hitting both parts of the business through search *(33:13) The Dust Up: Turning the BDR program around *(35:15) Quick Hits: Prach's Quick Hits Sponsor:Pipeline Visionaries is brought to you by Qualified.com, the #1 Conversational Marketing platform for companies that use Salesforce and the secret weapon for pipeline pros. The world's leading enterprise brands trust Qualified to instantly meet with buyers, right on their website, and maximize sales pipeline. Visit Qualified.com to learn more.Links:Connect with Ian on LinkedInConnect with Prachi on LinkedInLearn more about Checkr, Inc.Learn more about Caspian Studios
If you spend most of your career in a particular business model, it might be difficult to translate some of the things you believe to be foundational into a completely different model. A great example of this is for Operators who are used to the typical SaaS subscription bookings model, but find themselves working in a consumption, or usage-based business.Consumption-based software businesses are definitely on the rise, so I wanted to talk with someone who understand the nuances and complexities that are required to run Operations for a consumption-based business. I found that person in Lauren Davis, Director of Revenue Operations at Checkr, where their business model is based on the number of those background checks their customers use.In our conversation, Lauren and I talk about all of the system plumbing complexities of a consumption based business, whether her 6 years of institutional knowledge are an asset or a burden to her work, and she reveals the single biggest compensation mistake she made in comp design at the company. Like this episode? Be sure to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review and share the pod with your friends! You can connect with Sean on LinkedIn or subscribe to our YouTube channel.Want to work with Sean? Reach out to him and the team at BeaconGTM to help with GTM execution at your company.This episode is brought to you by TigerEye. GTM is faster and smarter with TigerEye. To learn more about them, visit tigereye.com and tell them Sean sent you!
“Plus de 90% des Startups n'ont pas besoin de lever de fonds”.On reçoit cette semaine sur Zero to One un serial entrepreneur et vrai Tech maniac, Pascal Levy-Garboua. Ayant investi dans les plus belles réussites Tech (Notion, Checkr, Instadeep,...) et lui-même passé par les plus belles réussites tech aux US
Steve Jobs once called the computer the “bicycle for the mind." What should we call AI? The Ferrari? Fighter jet? Maybe even the flying car? In this episode, host Courtney Baker, along with Knownwell's CEO David DeWolf and Chief Product Officer Mohan Rao, dive into the transformative power of AI and its impact on the future of work. Our panel discusses the exciting yet daunting concept of AI as a second brain and the ethical considerations that come with it. How will AI elevate human potential and reshape the workplace? David and Mohan share their insights on balancing human creativity with AI's capabilities, ensuring we don't lose the human touch in this technological revolution. Special guest Naeem Ishaq, CFO of Checkr, joins Pete Buer to shed light on how AI is changing hiring practices and the roles companies are seeking in this new era. Naeem explains how Checkr leverages AI to streamline background checks and ensure fairness, significantly impacting the hiring landscape. All that PLUS... another segment of Pete/CounterPete. This time the Petes tackle the provocative statement: “AI is coming for all our jobs.” They explore the potential and limitations of AI in the workforce, with insights from World Economic Forum data predicting a dynamic shift in job roles. Download the new client retention playbook with three proven strategies to retain customers at Knownwell.com/playbook. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/eRecbE8BBYY Sign up for Knownwell's beta: www.knownwell.com. AI Knowhow is brought to you by the team at Knownwell.
On this episode of Background Check Radio, IQubed Advisors' partners Kevin Bachman and Jason Morris hit on a number of topics relevant to the screening industry. We share some overdue thoughts on the PBSA mid-year conference, mass layoffs at Checkr, how the CFPB may impact furnishers, M&A Activity, and when we think the grandfathers will start looking for the exits.
It's hard to imagine someone spending 24 years in prison, let alone 10 of those in solitary confinement, but 5 years after his release, he's the Vice President of Social Responsibility at tech innovator CHECKR, and Executive Director of their corporate foundation, Checkr.org. This is the journey of Ken Oliver. In the broad landscape of fair chance hiring, Ken knows firsthand the barriers that face anyone who has been justice impacted. As Ken says, ‘it's not just someone's criminal record, but there are 44,000 other collateral consequences that can prevent a justice impacted person from finding a job'. Ken has chosen to take up the flaming sword and use his powerful and passionate voice to educate corporate America, one company at a time, about the fair hiring practices associated with assessing justice impacted individuals when they are applying for a job.
This week, the boys discuss the recent layoffs at Checkr and the launch of connected TV (CTV) and live event ads on LinkedIn. They speculate on Checkr's future and the potential for LinkedIn to tap into the B2B market with video advertising. They also highlight the importance of targeting decision-makers and the challenges of streaming partnerships. In this conversation, Joel and Chad discuss various topics including the potential for LinkedIn to automate job ads on streaming services, the diverging paths of Job.com and Job&Talent, the acquisition of Searchlight by Multiverse, and the partnership between Waymo and UberEats for automated food delivery. They also play a game of 'Who'd You Rather' between Summer and Cariloop. Automation, recruitment, and the future of work ... throw in a fat man in a red suit and you've got Christmas.
Techcrunch is reporting that Checkr, a 10-year-old employee background check company which was last valued at $5 billion has laid off 382 employees as companies are not significantly hiring talent. https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/10/checkr-layoffs/ Tech company Multiverse has acquired Searchlight, a talent intelligence and skills assessment platform that uses AI to help companies close their skills gaps. https://hrtechfeed.com/multiverse-acquires-ai-talent-software-company-searchlight/ NEW YORK – Cadient, a leading provider of talent acquisition solutions in the hourly hiring sector, has been acquired by Basis Vectors Capital, a private equity and technology investment firm that focuses on the B2B sass space https://hrtechfeed.com/cadient-ats-acquired-by-private-equity-firm/ SeekOut, the Talent Intelligence Platform, announced the release of conversational search as part of its SeekOut Assist generative AI product portfolio. The new feature expands the capabilities of SeekOut Assist, enabling recruiters to use their own language in sourcing. This makes powerful AI-assisted searches accessible to all recruiters, allowing for simple descriptions instead of complex Boolean queries. https://hrtechfeed.com/seekout-adds-conversational-search-to-its-platform/ ReadySetHire, powered by Talroo, is a new recruiting platform built from the ground-up exclusively for small businesses that lack the tools and insight needed to follow recruiting best practices to attract new hires. https://hrtechfeed.com/talroo-launches-readysethire/
Ever wondered why you should sign your work? Well, in this, our 150th episode, we have chat about it. But before that, a quick catchup with Charlie Kaufman of Click Group at The Photography Show - head to https://www.clickliveexpo.co.uk/ to see details of one of the most exciting events in years! There is also news of the PMI Smoke Genie / Smoke Ninja competition - a fantastic opportunity to get creative and win some hefty prizes. I'll share the link for this as soon as I have it. If you're interested in any of our workshops or masterclasses, you can find them at https://www.paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk/photography-workshops-and-training/ Enjoy (and sign your work!) Cheers P. If you enjoy this podcast, please head over to Mastering Portrait Photography, for more articles and videos about this beautiful industry. You can also read a full transcript of this episode. PLEASE also subscribe and leave us a review - we'd love to hear what you think! If there are any topics, you would like to hear, have questions we could answer or would like to come and be interviewed on the podcast, please contact me at paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk. Transcript [00:00:00] OK there are one or two fruity words in this episode. If you're offended by swearing then I do apologise! [00:00:05] So I'm here at the photography show up in the NEC in Birmingham, have just bumped in to one of the big characters in the industry. So tell me a little bit about who you are. So, Charlie Kaufman, Honorary Fellow of the Societies, uh, been in the business for 35 years, professional, and I've run the Click Group for 30 years. [00:00:27] Started in 1994. And you've got several other letters after your name. I thought it was KFA, but you said it was No, it wasn't KFA. FKA, as my mum always says, fucking know all, uh, excuse my language, but no, a fellow of the societies, I was the youngest, uh, BIPP licensorship and MPA, uh, licentiate when I was just 17 years old, so two years into the industry, I'm also the CEO of Click Backdrops and Click Live, a new expo launching at Stoney Park, Coventry, this June. Tell me why you've come to the photography show. So it's all about brand awareness. Clip Backdrops, uh, exhibits at all of the major trade shows in the, in the world. [00:01:04] We do about 100, 000 miles with my partner in crime, Gary Hill. He's got more letters after his name than the alphabet, and Gary and I love doing the trade shows because it gets our British made, award winning product in the hands of creative photographers, so they can see the difference of why they're investing in a quality product. [00:01:23] Why do you love this photography industry of ours so much? I love it because it's changing. I love being in an industry where we make money from giving people creative memories for people, creating art. I love the fact that being the owner of a company, I'm in control and I can pivot in a heartbeat in which direction I want to take my company. [00:01:44] And that's one of the problems that a lot of British photographers don't do is pivot enough and change quickly enough. But being a small company, we're very quick at changing. We can actually have an idea to marketplace sometimes within a week. [00:01:57] And if there's one thing you could change about the photography industry that we know so well, what would it be? [00:02:03] Well, I'm going to hone in on the British photography industry, and what we need to change is we need to get British photographers getting more educated. Uh, as Big Dog Damien once said, the better, the easiest way to make more money as a photographer is to be a better photographer. I completely agree with that. Visiting ten U. S. expos a year, these expos sometimes start at 7am and these photographers are in classes and learning till midnight every single day. And that's one of the reasons that my team and I have launched Click Live, a brand new, uh, educational expo launching Stony Park, Coventry this June, where we've brought in the biggest educators from around the world. I mean, we've got Lindsay Adler, we've got Chris Knight, but we've also got other educators that have never even taught before in Europe, like Kimberly Smith, one of the world's best digital artists. So we want to give British photographers and European photographers, the opportunity to learn, hone in their craft and get better. Because the better you are, the more money you should make out of photography. It's as simple as that. [00:03:04] Brilliant. And I have to say, it's an honour and a privilege to be a very small part of that operation. I'm very... [00:03:09] ...an important part of that. Not a small part, an important Don't sell yourself short, Paul. You're an important part as we launch Clickmasters, a digital and print competition. And the nice thing about our print competition? Our educators at the show are not allowed to enter. So they're there to mentor and help and, and train, but they can't enter this year's competition. [00:03:33] Excellent. Well, I'll tell you what, I'm beyond excited about it. [00:03:36] Thanks for talking to me, Charlie. See you I'm Paul. And this is the mastering portrait photography podcast. [00:03:43] Can you believe it? 150. Episodes honestly. I never really thought about it when I set this thing going about six years ago and here we are. 150 episodes later. I thought, I think I thought it would just be somewhere where I could get things off my chest -a sort of passive therapist, I suppose, and let's face it, we all need one of those mine, well, mine, just happens to be a microphone. [00:04:29] Since then I've muttered about, oh, so many things, have interviewed all sorts of people and received well, many and varied emails. I've also been told I do have a face for radio, and that even happened again, today. [00:04:46] But I'll take those little wins when people tell me they find the podcast either interesting or at the very least, something that passes time on a journey. Anyway, that interview was with the wonderful Charlie Koufman, who not only is the owner of Click Backdrops, which are brilliant and British. I will put the link in the show notes, but it's also the inspiration behind the upcoming Click Live convention, Which you will all be hearing about. In the coming months and I cannot wait to see you there. [00:05:16] So here we are, it's April. And how are you? Did you have a good weekend? I hope you did. Sarah and I went down to Plymouth in Devon, Southern England. As well more almost as far south as you can get. In the UK with Harriet, our daughter and had a wonderful weekend with my in-laws. [00:05:36] We drank a little beer. We ate a little chocolate, actually, we ate a lot of chocolates. We bought some Devon fudge and we painted some pottery. Yep. You heard that right. We went pottery painting. It was Sarah's idea. She wanted to do something that was a little different, maybe a little creative pass a couple of hours. [00:05:55] The weather wasn't predictable. It wasn't bad. It wasn't good. It was just well crazy. And so we headed inside to do a little pottery painting. And apart from a very slight mismatch in how things were explained to us,- it turns out, I guess I've got a face that looks like a primary school child, as the explanations were to put it mildly a little basic, but I guess in the end, the heart and soul were very much where they should be. [00:06:26] And we had a blast. [00:06:29] Well, at least we did, as long as we dab-dab-dabbed, and we didn't wipe-wipe-wipe because if we were caught wipe-wipe-wiping There would be ter-ouble. We would be shown the error of our ways and instructed to get back to that dab-dab-dabbing. Anyway, it turns out I'm pretty good at dab-dab-dabbidy-dab-dabbing. [00:06:48] And I spent nearly two hours, literally dubbing black glaze onto a pot, on which I could then paint a wintery woods, kinda scene. [00:06:58] Harriet and Sarah. Well, they're a little more subtle with their craft with gentle blues and teals, little tiny flowers and spots of detail. Subtle understated, gloriously sophisticated. While mine was anything but that, but Hey, I need a new pen pot. As I have knocked my tin mug off the desk, yet again, today. And I really do need something that is seriously heavy, preferably black and well, it'd be nice if it was something that was a little unique. I'll get no points for subtlety, but I'll get plenty for the drama. [00:07:32] And since it's been a long, long bank holiday weekend, there isn't too much to report on the diary of a working pro front, at least not in terms of shoots because we took the weekend away, took the time off. And so we haven't been shooting that much. [00:07:48] We have had a couple of portrait sessions Hearing Dogs, just Hearing Dogs, brilliant, fun as always. And a one-to-one workshop here at our studio. And I love. Workshops. And I love this one in particular. A guy called Dave came down. And we spent the day creating, I think, well, I think. I think some magic, two of my clients now for models, we always use our clients. We don't usually use professional models because at the end of the day training photographers with models sets the sets an expectation that it's always going to be that easy. [00:08:24] And of course it's never that easy. So Charlene and Katie came in as our models for the day. And while they may not be professional models , they are both just splendidly, photogenic, and more importantly, incredible people to spend time, laughing with working with and playing with light around. [00:08:42] And I love, I do genuinely love these one to ones. Because they are entirely bespoke, they're entirely creative. We have the time to sit and answer any questions. We can explore ideas and let, well, let the client just guide us, which is exactly what we did. And the images that we finished up with well, everything I ever set out to do. Had such a blast. Dave was brilliant and I hope he went away with the same amount of energy that I've come away with. Just that idea that tomorrow, well tomorrow, we're going to create some magic. And as low, we haven't shot that much in the studio this week, well, next week is a whole different story. And there is going to be well busy, but while we haven't shot much this week, there is still a ton going on. [00:09:32] Today in particular had my kitlist through from Elinchrom, which is really exciting. I'm still sort of working out what we really need, but it looks like we have it almost nailed down. The big decision is around the Elinchrom Threes. Now I've sorted out the Fives, we're going to get four of those and they will be almost permanently in studio I think. But the Threes are really quite exciting though. There, there are about 250 Watt seconds, so about half that just a little over half that of the fives. But I think they'll be massively useful when I'm out on location. They are big enough to do some serious work and small enough that I can pop them in a bag and have them with me. [00:10:15] So. [00:10:15] I'll let you know, as soon as that kicks in, I'm sure there will be videos, a little bits and pieces going on and I can't wait to do it. [00:10:21] Another email that came in this morning. And it's one. I reacted to really quickly. Practical Magic and Innovations emailed in. Now you'll probably know them is P M I. And they're the guys who make the incredible Smoke Ninja and Smoke Genie smoke machines. The fog machines they've been in touch. And wanted us to help them get the word out about a competition they're running and I'll put the links to the competition in the show notes again. But basically it's an international competition, a photographic competition, but it must feature the use of either the Smoke Ninja. Oh, the Smoke Genie. [00:10:59] Now I'm already a fan, of course of the Smoke Ninja is the one that I bought as part of the Kickstarter agreement, so I'm already a big fan and I've spoken about this on the podcast before. I love the thing, I think it's genius. It should be called the Smoke Genius, but it's great. And I know one or two of you have already bought one of these based on my recommendation. It's great fun to play with. [00:11:21] It's not that expensive. The fog that it gives out is hugely controllable and incredibly photogenic. So given there's a few of you with these things, of course, I have agreed, to put the word out about the competition. Once again, show notes will be the place to go, but I'm going to even, I'm going to enter it this time. [00:11:38] You have to create some images and also show some behind the scenes. I'm guessing it's a great opportunity, for them to get both the finished pictures and pictures of their Smoke Genie or Smoked Ninja in use price is pretty big. There's about $10,000 of them and some big names involved. So why not head to them? [00:11:57] I'll put the link up why not head to them and have a look? [00:12:00] Not only that, but I got an email this morning. From data color, who've shipped some kit for me to review. That'll come up in some future episodes, our to use the Datacolor photo Checkr, which is brilliant. [00:12:12] It's part of our workflow anyway, but they're going to send me the updated version as well as the cube, which looks like to me, I haven't used this thing yet. I'll let you know once I actually use it properly, but it looks to me like it allows for backlight to be measured to white balance of backlight to be measured as well. Which looks like good, fun. Because we use a lot of mixed lighting. But not only that they are going to send me the video checker as well. Which allows us to color calibrate as part of our video workflow. [00:12:39] Now I'm not big in video yet, but we are having to learn how to do it, and one of the things that constantly frustrates me is I can't seem to get the colors, as I want them a lot of homework to do. I need to understand video color spaces air slog, and the like, but I'll have the video color checker from Datacolor in the toolkit, and that hopefully will be a small part of the puzzle. I've not only understanding but controlling it. The color. These, I think these products will appear properly in a future podcast once I've had a chance to play with them and understand, I understand quite what I'm talking about. Cause I'm not a video guy. I need to go and ask some video guys about the best way of using it. A quick update on ACDSee, just again, a reminder. I am not paid by any of these people ACDSee sent me a license to have a play with and I've kept my word. [00:13:32] I've used it. I still use it. I love it. I absolutely love it. I guess I'm not paid, but they have given me a license for. I think the license for the Apple. For the Mac, that is about 60, 70, quid. The speed of ACDSee is absolutely blistering and I love working with it. Haven't quite worked out how to get the very best out of it. [00:13:50] As it turns out 300,000 images with the facial recognition turned on, maybe pushing the upper limits of our network and my machine. But I still love having it there alongside everything else I do in Lightroom. It's so quick. It's so handy. I love the way it just works or interacts in with the file system, which means I can always have, I've always got access to files, to drag and drop, throw them up onto Facebook, throw them up onto Instagram, put them into designs. [00:14:18] It's just really useful. It's the kind of software you feel almost. Should be built into the operating system, but isn't, it's just so natural to use. Absolutely love it again. As I get my head around that I'll give you more, more updates. [00:14:31] Right. So where are we? Let's have a think about my thought for today. Now this one. Is about signing your work or singeing your work. As it was the first three times I wrote it down, signing, not singeing. [00:14:47] Don't singe your work. That is no good to anybody signing your work. I heard someone say a while ago this couple of years ago. That signing your work is pretentious. [00:15:00] And all I can say is what utter, utter, bullshit. [00:15:06] Sorry. I'm sorry. I know, I know. I shouldn't be emphatic in such a way. Everyone's got their own way of doing things and each to their own. But just occasionally something pops up that is purely, and simply, bullshit. This is one of them. [00:15:24] Sign your work. [00:15:26] If I could write a song called cite your work. It sounded a bit like Sunscreen. Maybe I should figure that out. Sign your work. [00:15:34] My dad taught me many years ago. That you should sign everything. Now my Dad was a wise guy is so many ways an idiot. It's so many others, but a wonderful human being. And this was one where I think he was absolutely right. He said, sign it. And when I said, why well he said, firstly, well, why not? But he also said you do it because you never quite know who might see it, in the future. Isn't that the truth. [00:16:03] So I was working at British Steel, in my early twenties as a work placement, my dad was working there. As well, he ran all of the competing and I got a work placement in their design office. And as part of that, they asked me to create some huge 3d visuals of the galvanizing plants that shot and steelworks British steel. [00:16:24] And there's this, they have these coatings lines where they take a coil of steel and they'd run it through the line and coat it with either a plastic coat or some paint coat, but the line I was really interested in coated it. With zinc. It was the hot dip galvanizing line. And this line was around about three quarters of a mile long. [00:16:43] It was huge. [00:16:45] And they wanted me to create some 3d drawings of it. Now this is going back before we would simply have done all of it in 3d CAD and rendered it. They wanted 3d drawings. But they were then going to go off to an airbrusher to go into British Steel's brochures. So my job was to create the line work, the art, the sort of the technical drawing work. [00:17:08] But the best way of doing that was is it happened to create a 3d model of it. But back then, we're talking about really early versions of AutoCAD and the output of AutoCAD. Wasn't very controllable and it certainly didn't create appealing visuals. What it did do though, is give me these huge, A0 printouts that I could then place a piece of tracing paper over the top and much the same way as a comic artist inks in over the pencil. From the original illustrator I then inked it. And that created these really beautiful. [00:17:40] I thought they were beautiful anyway - these really beautiful. Inked drawings of these vast lines that could be annotated and airbrushed by a graphic design team. And I signed them. And I signed him just in case somebody else saw them. Somebody did, and I got more work from it. I've got a lot of plaudits for my work as well, all because they saw my signature and asked who Paul was. [00:18:07] Now it doesn't work for everybody, I guess. But here at the studio we sign every frame and every album that goes out, it's got our brand on it. That signature. Is our brand just like Apple or Jaguar or Pepsi, Tiffany, Nikon or even the guys I worked with a little bit more regularly, like Elinchrom, or even PMI who've emailed today. It's their logo and that represents their brand. [00:18:38] Now, if you're putting work out there without your logo or your signature on it, not only are you missing an important opportunity, an important opportunity that might just lead to more work might just lead to a brand recognition, like we've built . But I also think you're quietly saying you're not really proud of what you do. The signature we put on our work says I am proud of it. Really proud of it. Every time. Every time we create something here. We ask ourselves the question. Are we happy to put the Paul Wilkinson photography signature -my signature. On it. And if the answer to that is not clear. [00:19:21] Cut. Yes, of course. Then that piece of work never goes near a client. Ever. The brand custodian side of our business is all about that signature and being proud. To put it on our work, being proud to say, yep, I've seen that. But at work. I think that warrants a signature and I'm very happy for other people to see it too. [00:19:42] Now is that pretentious? Well, I suppose you could argue it is, but I don't think it is. I think what it's saying is I'm really proud of what we've done. I'm really proud of the effort we've put into it. And I don't think that's pretentious. Pretentions come from almost the opposite from trying to be something you're not, that's not what your signature is, your signature or your logo represent you and they represent your values and they represent your brand. They're everything you stand by and you stand for. Now, if you think your logo screams pretentions, then, well, maybe you need to adjust quite what you believe in and what your brand stands for, but from where I'm sat. I think you should sign every single bit of your work. [00:20:32] Anyway, I'll get down off my soap box. Sorry about that just sometimes, you know, just sometimes there are things I think we have to just get off our chest. And when it comes to your signature sign, your work, people sign your work. [00:20:45] Don't listen to what anybody else says. Get that signature on there. You never know who might be watching. Anyway. 150 episodes. One or two of you have listened to all of them. One or two of you have listened to all of them in the past 60 days. I did have an email from someone this week. And it said they've been working their way through them at a rate of a little over two episodes a day. And they are 50 something days in and heading towards catching up. [00:21:15] I think that's absolutely, hilarious. Flattering and lovely, but well, slightly hilarious. Thank you for listening. Thank you for listening to the end of this particular episode. I hope as always there's something of use or if nothing else. It's got you to work in your car and you can now switch the radio off and go face the day knowing there are other people out there feeling and thinking the same things as you. Uh, if you'd like to hear more of these episodes, please do subscribe wherever it is that you get your podcasts. [00:21:49] Please hit that subscribe button. And then every time I hit publish, you get to hear it, which I think is a marvelous thing. Please do also. If you would like to leave us a review. And a five-star rating somewhere, wherever it is. You consume your podcasts, please. Do we love it when you do? And of course it helps get the word out there. [00:22:07] It helps get the podcast out there. It helps make some of this stuff possible. Also if you have any questions, please do email paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk, that's paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk If you're interested in our workshops or indeed one of our, one to one masterclasses, then please do head over to Paul Wilkinson Photography and look for the coaching section of the website. [00:22:33] Alternatively, just stick paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk workshops into your Google-y Browsery thing and you will find us. [00:22:41] And if you fancy more content, that's all about the joy, the brands, the business, the creativity, of portrait photography, then why not head over to masteringportraitphotography.com, which is not only a vast resource of portrait photography stuff, but is also the spiritual home of this 'ere podcast. [00:23:01] But whatever else. whatever else. Until next time. Be kind to yourself. and stick yer signature on things. Take care. [00:23:14]
Our second episode recorded at SXSW in Austin, Texas that we produced in partnership with Remote, the Global HR Platform. Featuring: 1/ Jeffrey Korzenik, Chief Economist, Fifth Third Bank 2/ Larry Miller, Chairman of the Jordan Brand Advisory Board, Nike 3/ Ken Oliver, VP of Corporate Social Responsibility, Checkr
The State of Background Screening Compliance 2024 Checkr have released the definitive research piece on the State of Background Screening Compliance and we will use this week's Brainfood Live On Air to interview Su-Han Wang, Managing Litigation & Compliance Counsel at Checkr to better understand: what percentage of US employers are compliant with Federal regulations on background screening which segments / states are most / least compliant what are the potential hazards for employers who are out of compliance how realistic are these scenarios, and what degree of virulence? what steps can employers take today to ensure that they are on the road for compliance in 2024 Ep246 is sponsored by our buddies Checkr Checkr builds people infrastructure for the future of work. And we believe everyone should have a fair chance to work. That's why we've designed a faster—and fairer—way to screen job seekers. Trusted by companies such as Uber, Warby Parker and monday.com. For more information on our mission and products, visit http://checkr.com.
For many companies, employing formerly incarcerated individuals may seem like a high-risk proposition. However, there are more people with charges and convictions than you realize. And there are plenty of moving, life-changing success stories that show that fair chance hiring can be good for your business. Ken Oliver, Vice President of Checkr.org shares his own success story and tells us that “fair chance hiring doesn't mean hire every single person with a record. Every company has a right to hire the best person for the job. We don't want them to lower the bar, we just want them to lower the barrier to access.” Episode Note: See the links below to learn more about Checkr.org and to view the incredible story of Ken Oliver's Friend, Larry Miller - From Prison to Nike's C-Suite: Larry Miller's Journey. Highlights [2:29] From prison to VP [5:36] The value proposition of re-entry programs [11:36] Overcoming objections to fair chance hiring [16:13] Data and evidence supporting fair chance hiring [18:00] The “From the Streets to the Boardroom” resilience story of a leader at Nike [23:58] The business impact of diversity of lived experiences [26:50] The justice-impacted and the labor gap [36:07] How HR can introduce fair chance hiring and tactical things to consider [41:38] What the EEOC and Title VII say about hiring someone with a record [45:57] Checkr's training sessions for HR pros and government-funded apprenticeship programs Guest Bio Ken Oliver, Vice President, Checkr.org Ken Oliver is Vice President of Checkr.org, the social impact division of background screening company Checkr Inc. He also serves as the executive director of the Checkr Foundation. Checkr.org is dedicated to the mission of building a fairer future of work, one job at a time, by reshaping the narrative and providing pathways to sustainable employment for nearly 80 million Americans with an arrest and conviction record. Ken's professional expertise spans the landscape of diversity, equity and inclusion and justice, record clearance, talent development, talent sourcing, strategy, change management, and public policy. His insights and contributions to the field have been recognized and featured in publications such as Newsweek, Forbes, Fast Company, The New York Times, and others. He also played a role in shaping California Governor Gavin Newsom's 2021 Future of Work Report. Links https://checkr.com/ https://www.checkr.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kengoliver/ Larry Miller's Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7ZVqsjfRg0 https://www.hrmorning.com/articles/formerly-incarcerated/ https://www.hrmorning.com/articles/second-chance-month/ Berta Aldrich's best-selling book, Winning the Talent Shift, is available on Amazon https://a.co/d/iS7MuPJ We want to hear from you. Leave a review (5-Star would be nice!) on Apple Podcasts and add your question in the comment. We read every review and use them to choose topics, guests, and interview questions for the podcast. You can also reach out at podcast@hrmorning.com. If you love this show, please share your favorite episodes with colleagues and on social media. We greatly appreciate your support. Thank you for listening. Remember to subscribe and follow us so you never miss an episode! Voices of HR is brought to you by HRMorning.com.
Pour l'épisode de cette semaine, je reçois Pascal Levy-Garboua, le fondateur de Noosa Labs. Noosa Labs est un "Serial acquirer" de SaaS. Ils rachètent des entreprises SaaS pour les faire croître et les garder en portefeuille. Pascal est un pionnier de la tech. Cela fait plus de 20 ans qu'il est dans l'écosystème, dont plus de dix ans à San Francisco. Il a fondé puis revendu VirtuOz et a ensuite été un des early-employees (et investisseurs) dans Checkr. En 3 ans, Noosa Labs a déjà racheté 5 SaaS : un outil pour s'abonner aux événements d'une marque (RIP), WAMessages (envoi de messages personnalisés via WhatsApp), My Read Receipts (accusé de réception de messages envoyés par Zendesk), Evalart (tests de recrutement en ligne) et Sendtric (compte à rebours dynamique dans les emails). Au cours de cet épisode, nous avons parlé de son parcours, de l'idée de son studio, des méthodes pour identifier les bons projets, de ce qu'il met en place pour les développer,... Vous pouvez suivre Pascal sur LinkedIn et sur Twitter. _____ Bonne écoute ! Mentionnés pendant l'épisode : Episode 76 avec Quentin Jonas de PSG Midjourney High Output management d'Andy Grove Podcast de Bill Simmons Invest like the bests _____ Pour soutenir SaaS Connection en 1 minute⏱ (et 2 secondes) : Abonnez-vous à SaaS Connection sur votre plateforme préférée pour ne rater aucun épisode
In this episode, Amir interviews Siddharth Ram, the CTO of Velocity Global, about the impact of hackathons on innovation. They discuss the benefits and challenges of hackathons, as well as the importance of compliance in today's borderless work environment. Siddharth explains that Velocity Global helps companies navigate hiring and compliance regulations worldwide. The hackathons at Velocity Global provide engineers with four days of uninterrupted work, fostering creativity and collaboration. Tune in to learn more about the power of hackathons in driving innovation. Highlights: [00:02:45] Impactful hackathon projects. [00:05:58] Happiness and productivity in hackathons. [00:08:37] Surprising customer impact. [00:14:21] AI and generative AI. [00:15:10] Celebrating customer feedback. [00:19:07] The genesis of giving everyone three uninterrupted days. [00:23:07] R&D/hackathon budget. Guest: Siddharth Ram is the CTO of Velocity Global, which helps businesses hire and manage employees in 185 countries worldwide. Before Velocity Global, he was the CTO of Inflection.com/GoodHire.com, which was acquired by Checkr.com in 2022. He held leadership positions at Intuit before this. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthram/ --- Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Tech Trek, and we would appreciate it if you would take a minute to rate and review us on your favorite podcast player. Want to learn more about us? Head over at https://www.elevano.com Have questions or want to cover specific topics with our future guests? Please message me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)
The Shred is a weekly roundup of who's raised funds, who's been acquired and who's on the move in the world of recruitment. The Shred is brought to you today by Jobcase.
The Twenty Minute VC: Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
Jack Altman is the Founder and CEO @ Lattice, the #1 people management platform, last valued at $3BN. Jack is an investor through his founding of Jack Altman Capital where he has invested in WorkOS, NexHealth, Owner.com, Mercury and more. Auren Hoffman is the Founder and CEO @ Safegraph, the most accurate database of global points of interest, last valued at $550M. Auren is an investor through his founding of Flex Capital where he has invested in Chime, Checkr, Coinbase, Flexport, Vercel and more. Jason Lemkin is the Founder and CEO @ SaaStr, the world's largest SaaS community. Jason is an investor through his founding of The SaaStr Fund. In the past, Jason has invested in Pipedrive, Algolia, Salesloft, Front, GreenHouse, Owner.com, Gorgias and more. In Today's Episode on Founder-Led Funds We Discuss: Why have we seen the rise of "Founder-led Funds"? Are founder-led funds more empathetic to the founders they invest in? How do founder-led funds source and pick investments in a way that traditional VC does not? Will we see founder-led Funds truly compete against the Sequoias of the world? How does being an operator make you a better investor? How does investing help you be a better founder and operator? How do you communicate your investing practice and firm to your company and team? What are the biggest excitements and concerns LPs have for Founder-led Funds? Will we see the face of venture changing much more broadly and structurally? How do founder-led funds manage both time and company conflicts?
Is the tech industry ignoring an untapped resource by excluding people with criminal records? People with criminal records are often shut out of the labour market. But some companies have recognised that so-called 'second chance' and 'fair chance' hiring can help them find more workers. In this episode of the Next Stage podcast, Checkr co-founder and CEO Daniel Yanisse joins Sojourner Elleby, editorial producer at Bloomberg Quicktake, to find out just how much people with criminal records have to offer businesses and society. Checkr practises what it preaches. According to Daniel, “[Checkr] started hiring people directly from prison about five or six years ago. And when we gave them some opportunities, they really succeeded, flourished and became our best employees.” Daniel Yanisse, co-founder and CEO at Checkr, was in conversation with Sojourner Elleby, editorial producer at Bloomberg Quicktake, on Remote at Collision 2023. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/websummit/message
Anyone who has ever hired a new employee knows how important and broken the background check process is. The experience is awful for candidates and employers. Plus, it's inherently unfair for under-represented and non-traditional candidates. Imagine a world where hiring the best people is easier and faster and all forms of verification data are provided automatically from trusted sources.Today's guest is making that vision a reality. Denise Hemke is the Chief Product Officer at Checkr, the amazing company making employee screening more fair for everyone. Checkr has raised nearly $700M since its founding in 2014. Denise heads up product management, design, and program management after having served in various leadership roles at Workday including most recently GM for Analytics. Denise is also the San Francisco chapter lead for the excellent organization Products That Count started by friend of the podcast SC Moatti.Listen and learn...How to fix the broken background check processHow to give candidates with non-traditional backgrounds access to the labor forceHow technology is making the hiring process more fair and helping workers get paid fasterHow to use AI to reduce bias in hiring decisionsHow AI used for background checks should be regulatedWhat Denise learned about building customer communities as a General Manager at WorkdayReferences in this episode...Mustafa Suleyman's new Turing testKamal Ahluwalia, former President of Eightfold, on AI and the Future of WorkGiselle Mota from ADP on AI and the Future of Work
Welcome to the Tearsheet Podcast, I'm editor in chief, Zack MIller. A popular theme for this podcast has been exploring the powerful unlock data has within different financial businesses. That's particularly true for payroll data which is a more complicated thing to digitze than banking balance sheet and transaction data. For the past few weeks, we've heard the impact modern access to payroll data has had on mortgage banker Draper and Kramer, to conducting background checks as part of hiring like Checkr does, to consumer lender, Regional Finance. Each business had access to payroll data in the past but it was laborious to access, bundled together with other things, and wasn't made an integral part of digital workflows. Argyle is helping to change all that. As Argyle's footprint grows, the fintech firm continues to mature its products, processes, and people. Founder and CEO Shmulik Fishman has built a powerful team of GMs to lead each of the verticals the payroll data firm participates in. And what is fascinating about this conversation about tech- and data-enabled financial services is Shmulik's focus on the people side of the business. In a market that's getting frothy in its excitement around generative AI, Argyle has good tech, sure, but it's the people that are making a difference in its work with clients. It's what keeps them coming back and giving more volume and products to Argyle to manage. Argyle CEO Shmulik Fishman is my guest on this show. Tearsheet has partnered with Argyle to create a four part podcast series that explores how different parts of the financial industry are using modern technology and access to new forms of data to power their businesses today and into the future.
In 2014, as an engineer at a delivery startup, Daniel Yanisse identified an opportunity to improve a part of the HR tech world that was known to be high on friction. He co-founded Checkr to leverage technology to transform the world of background checks. Today, Checkr is a leading HR tech company that processes over 30 million background checks annually—and has earned a valuation of $4.6B. Daniel shares why the company is committed to Fair Chance Hiring, how Checkr grew alongside the on-demand economy companies it first served (like Instacart and Uber), and why being new to the industry was an advantage.
Daniel Yanisse, Co founder and CEO of Checkr, joins the show to talk aboutThe insight from building a startup in the gig economy to founding Checkr.Eliminating bias in the hiring process to help prospective hires live the dream.How founders should evaluate M&A opportunities and when it makes sense to acquire another company.Going up market into selling to larger enterprise with your productFlying high and flying low. When and how a founder should get "in the weeds" when running their company.
No matter your industry, you're in the people business. So how do you win friends and influence your people? By building trust.“I believe so deeply that when you truly build trust, you have a much better and more high-functioning team, and you're going to get the best out of your people. You can't force someone to give you their best. They have to choose to really go that extra mile,” says Lindsey Scrase, CRO of Checkr. In our latest episode of LEARN, Lindsey Scrase chats with Ted to talk about her experience joining a late-stage startup and balancing the past with her present and future goals for the team. Additionally, they talk about Lindsey's four factors of culture that can help you enrich your own.In this episode, you will gain insights into:- Developing culture effectively with four essential factors- Adopting an aggressively data-driven approach to increasing sales and revenue- Enabling sales and staying aligned with the teamTune in to discover how you can cultivate a business culture that moves you closer to your milestones.After you listen:- Lindsey's podcast recommendation, Grit- Connect with Ted Blosser and WorkRamp
Hiring in this market is super competitive. Like consumers have grown to expect from the companies they buy from, the bar has been raised in the hiring process. Hiring managers need to create good experiences for candidates if they want to be competitive. They must combine good UX with a growing sensitivity to secure applicants' personal and professional data, too. This dynamic is particularly poignant in background checks. Top hiring firms work with Checkr to streamline hiring and also promote more fair hiring practices. That boils down to the data the firm collects and how it accesses and shares it. On this episode of the Tearsheet podcast, I'm joined by Scott Melman, director of data acquisition at Checkr to discuss the trends afoot in background checks and how better data, data sharing, and data permissioning are leading to better practices, better outcomes, and fairer hiring practices all around. Also joining us is Justin Stolzenberg, GM in the background screening space at Argyle, a leading provider of income and employment data that does deep work in financial services. I'm Zack Miller, Tearsheet's editor in chief. Tearsheet has partnered with Argyle to create a four part podcast series that explores how different parts of the financial industry are using modern technology and access to new forms of data to power their businesses today and into the future.
We wrap up Season 4 of Merchants of Change with Senior VP of Sales at Checkr and former Jacksonville volleyball player, Carrie Bosworth!!JR and Carrie talk about some of the great companies she's worked at, advice for young sellers, skills to develop, and what she looks for when building out her sales teams!7:30 Transitioning to Sales17:15 Advice for Young Sellers & Skills to Develop29:50 Building Elite Sales Teams37:17 Elite Sales Skill & Being a Sales Pro
The Last Mile episode 11: This week we talk about Checkr background issues, August 5th Para Summit for Gig Workers Rights, and DoorDash. Next weeks LAST MILE will compare Roadie App vs. Curri App in the Denver Colorado market. ***** Support Rideshare Rodeo Patreon Page: https://patreon.com/ridesharerodeo
A recent survey reveals that 79% of American workers harbor concerns about potential wage cuts due to AI integration in their workplaces, despite many also recognizing possible workload alleviation. The study by Checkr via Pollfish sampled 3,000 American workers from various generations and found that 74% fear losing their jobs to AI within two years. … Continue reading AI Adoption Concerns and Perceived Benefits Among US Workers #1672 → The post AI Adoption Concerns and Perceived Benefits Among US Workers #1672 appeared first on Geek News Central.
We are joined today by Ken Oliver, Executive Director of Checkr.org, the philanthropic arm of Checkr, a tech firm that is working to reinvent the background check, "making the process fairer through education, and eliminating human bias." Oliver knows firsthand the struggles that formerly incarcerated people face upon re-entry to society: sentenced to life in prison in 1997 under California's Three Strikes law, he spent nearly 24 years behind bars, 8 in solitary confinement.Oliver educated himself in prison, reading history, law and philosophy, and with the help of the Mayer Brown law firm and Michael Romano from Stanford Law School's Three Strikes Project, ultimately won his bid for early release. Putting his behind-bars legal training to use, Oliver went to work as a paralegal for an Oakland nonprofit that provided legal services to inmates; he was soon promoted to Policy Director.Oliver joined us to talk about his journey, the flaws in California's re-entry program and about SB 809, the Fair Chance Expansion and Protection Act of 2023, which would ensure that conviction history does not prevent qualified candidates from finding employment.Plus, as always, we discuss Who Had the Worst Week in California Politics.1:18 SB809 is on Suspense - what now?3:53 How many people are impacted?5:54 Why 'Ban the Box' laws have been ineffective8:28 Ken's story13:10 The governor's San Quentin proposal15:07 Recidivism16:39 Who was George Jackson?20:54 Prison hunger strikes21:33 Reception from lawmakers?26:42 California's reintegration system30:46 WWCA34:21 The John Howard ScholarshipWant to support the Capitol Weekly Podcast? Make your tax deductible donation here: capitolweekly.net/donations/Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way" by Eddie Lang "#WorstWeekCA" Beat provided by freebeats.io
Companies rise and fall - usually because of of ego and hubris - and our industry is no different. Take CareerBuilder and Indeed for example; each to varying degrees are facing headwinds thanks to the unbridled belief that the good times will always roll and the competition is unworthy. Based on news this week, it's looking more and more like Indeed is on the road to be the next CareerBuilder, and the boys dig in. Additionally, consolidation continues, as Fama has acquired Social Intelligence, making them a juicy acquisition target for the likes of Checkr and Sterling. What's more, the CEO of MillerKnoll put her foot in her mouth and is paying the price on social media, while Amazon's AWS is taking aim at Google and Microsoft's OpenAi as another player in the artificial intelligence arms race. By the way, if you're in Vegas for UNLEASH America next week, stop by the WorkHuman booth on Wed. and say Hi (you might even get a T-shirt).
Podcast In this conversation with Prachi Gore, VP of Marketing at Checkr, Inc, she talks about marketing and experimentation. Today, you'll hear about Checkr's lifecycle marketing, experimentation, how Checkr is set up for success, knowledge sharing, and some exciting areas of opportunity for the year ahead.Prachi Gore is an accomplished marketing leader with over 15 years of experience in marketing and consulting. Prior to joining Checkr, Prachi served as the VP of Marketing at SmartRecruiters, Manager of Global Web Marketing at SunPower Corporation, and Consultant at Emerson Electric.Episode Outline[03:25] Lifecycle marketing as a driver for growth[05:25] Lifecycle marketing metrics[06:45] Experimentation[09:50] Setting Checkr up for success[11:24] Institutionalizing the learnings[12:46] Areas of opportunity for the upcoming yearConnect with PrachiWebsiteLinkedInConnect with Matter MadeMatter MadeLinkedIn (Eli)
Ken Oliver, VP, Checkr.org/Executive Director, Checkr Foundation, shares what would be a soul-crushing story to the rest of us of being in solitary confinement for 8.5 years and emerging as a profound voice for ex-convicts who have earned the right to become productive citizens through Fair Chance Hiring. Improve your storytelling immediately with my The ABTs of Agile Communications™ quick online course to learn the agile narrative framework that all influential business communication is built. Grab your copy of The Narrative Gym for Business, a short guide on crafting ABTs for all of your communications. Read Brand Bewitchery: How to Wield the Story Cycle System™ to Craft Spellbinding Stories for Your Brand. #StoryOn! ≈Park
Community is a term thrown around quite a bit these days, but it is clear that building genuine networks of people and working to help others can provide real value. Our guest today is Rex Salisbury, Founder and Managing Partner of Cambrian. Cambrian began in 2015 as a community of members and founders interested in the fintech space and that eventually landed him a role at a16z as a partner on the Fintech team where he backed unicorns like Deel and Tally. We talk about launching Cambrian as a Solo-GP fund with $20M in capital and why he thinks now is the best time to build in the fintech space.About Rex Salisbury:Rex Salisbury is the Founder and Manager Partner of Cambrian, which is a community and venture fund focused on FinTech. Formerly he was a partner on the fintech team at Andreessen Horowitz. Previously he worked as an investment banker for Merrill Lynch supporting the real estate industry and as a Product Engineer at Sindeo and Checkr.In this episode we discuss:(01:35) Rex's journey to becoming an investor(12:07) Making big life choices(14:28) How Rex got hired as an engineer without an engineering background(19:41) Lessons from Rexs's time at a16z(27:27) The process of turning Cambrian from a pure community into a community driven venture fund(29:04) The power of the Cambrian network(30:18) Further benefits of building a community(34:39) Managing opportunities as a Solo GP(36:20) Rex's definition of FinTech(40:19) Advice to startups around interest rates(44:11) Where crypto fits into Cambrian's investing thesis(48:38) The sociology behind crypto(50:44) Being a FinTech super connectorFast Favorites:*
In the 32nd episode of Death by Incarceration, we stream live from Reform Philly Job Fair. Guest host Spencer Daniels sits down for brief interviews with Jason Avant, Derek Green, and Jordan Harris. For more info, check out Reform Alliance website Producers: Suave Gonzalez & Kevin McCracken. A great sponsor of DBI is Checkr. We love the work they are doing, check them out at https://checkr.com and see for yourself! Follow DBI on Twitter & Instagram. Be sure to visit the DBI WEBSITE. Check out some Suave with the media on WHYY and on MSNBC. His amazing artwork is available for viewing and purchase at the Morton Contemporary Gallery here. Music by Gordon Withers. Check out his WEBSITE and follow on Instagram. Edited by Jason Usry. Follow him on Twitter Listen to Kevin's show Adulting Well. And check out his company Social Imprints. Death By Incarceration is a Crawlspace Media & Glassbox Media show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It is not a stretch to call Elad Gil one of Silicon Valley's best investors. In a world where one big hit can make a venture capitalists' career, Elad has invested in…Well, here's a partial list Airbnb, Airtable, Anduril, Brex, Checkr, Coinbase, Deel, Figma, Flexport, Gitlab, Gusto, Instacart, Notion, Opendoor, PagerDuty, Pinterest, Retool, Rippling, Samsara, Square, Stripe, TripActions, Wish. It seems almost impossible. But there it is. Elad's career includes working at Google, founding a company acquired by Twitter, and founding Color Genomics (you probably heard about them during the COVID response). He is also author of the book High Growth Handbook: Scaling Startups from 10 to 10,000 People. In this wide-ranging discussion, Elad shares his thoughts on everything from building companies to crypto, AI, and more. Elad's home page: https://eladgil.com/ Elad on Twitter: https://twitter.com/eladgil Something Ventured: https://somethingventured.us/
In the 30th episode of Death by Incarceration, we stream live from Reform Philly Job Fair. Guest host Spencer Daniels sits down for brief interviews with Dawan, Alloyous, and Blak Rapp Medusa. For more info, check out Reform Alliance website Producers: Suave Gonzalez & Kevin McCracken. A great sponsor of DBI is Checkr. We love the work they are doing, check them out at https://checkr.com and see for yourself! Follow DBI on Twitter & Instagram. Be sure to visit the DBI WEBSITE. Check out some Suave with the media on WHYY and on MSNBC. His amazing artwork is available for viewing and purchase at the Morton Contemporary Gallery here. Music by Gordon Withers. Check out his WEBSITE and follow on Instagram. Edited by Jason Usry. Follow him on Twitter Listen to Kevin's show Adulting Well. And check out his company Social Imprints. Death By Incarceration is a Crawlspace Media & Glassbox Media show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the 29th episode of Death by Incarceration, we stream live from Reform Philly Job Fair. Guest host Spencer Daniels sits down for brief interviews with Josh, Cynthia, and Mike. For more info, check out Reform Alliance website Producers: Suave Gonzalez & Kevin McCracken. A great sponsor of DBI is Checkr. We love the work they are doing, check them out at https://checkr.com and see for yourself! Follow DBI on Twitter & Instagram. Be sure to visit the DBI WEBSITE. Check out some Suave with the media on WHYY and on MSNBC. His amazing artwork is available for viewing and purchase at the Morton Contemporary Gallery here. Music by Gordon Withers. Check out his WEBSITE and follow on Instagram. Edited by Jason Usry. Follow him on Twitter Listen to Kevin's show Adulting Well. And check out his company Social Imprints. Death By Incarceration is a Crawlspace Media & Glassbox Media show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices