We say we’re “people first”, but candidates can tell when we’re not. This conversation is a reality check for how hiring actually feels in 2025.
In this episode, Marie Chaproniere reveals how she fell into HR from performing arts and why great Talent Acquisition is far more than filling roles. We unpack what a real candidate experience looks like today, the mess, the honesty, and why transparency beats polish every time.
You’ll learn:
The difference between recruitment and true TA and why strategy wins over speed
What “good” candidate experience looks like now (and the red flags to kill immediately)
How to stay human with ATS and AI, you can’t automate empathy
Practical inclusion: accommodations, the “cafeteria” model, and why truth-telling attracts the right people
If this helped you hire better or get hired better subscribe and share this with someone who needs it.
Chapters
00:00:00 — From Dance Studio to HR
00:00:29 — Falling Into TA by Accident
00:02:57 — TA vs Recruitment: The Real Difference
00:04:11 — What “Good” Candidate Experience Means in 2025
00:05:39 — Tech’s Limits: You Can’t Automate Empathy
00:07:16 — Public Call-Outs & Why Brand Behaviour Matters
00:08:34 — Small Wins in Hypergrowth Hiring
00:09:56 — Radical Transparency in Job Ads
00:11:43 — Attracting for Fit, Not Volume
00:13:28 — Truth-Telling Cultures Beat Perfect Stories
00:14:43 — Inclusion by Default: Real Accommodations
00:16:41 — The “Cafeteria” Model for Interviews
00:19:30 — Where to Communicate Adjustments (Beyond JDs)
00:21:33 — What Great Looks Like: Real Examples
00:24:33 — Start With an Audit: Language, Process, Data
00:26:38 — Map the Bad to Design the Good
00:27:17 — Sharing Interview Questions Ahead of Time
00:28:44 — Safe to Fail: Culture That Grows People
00:30:36 — Using AI Well (Without Losing Yourself)
00:31:15 — Metaview, Notes & Better Feedback Loops
00:32:39 — Advice to My Younger Self
00:33:58 — Choosing Authenticity (Even When Scary)
