Green Room: Nicole Stephens

In this episode of The Chad and Cheese podcast, recorded live from The Shaker Green Room at Recfest USA, Chad and Joel sit down with Nicole Stephens, Recruitment Marketing Manager at Floor & Decor. Nicole who shares her approach to employer branding and recruitment marketing, focusing on making work environments better and more enjoyable. She emphasizes the importance of doing more with less, offering actionable insights on maximizing impact with zero-dollar budgets. Nicole also highlights how companies can enhance their candidate experience without spending a fortune, using examples from brands like Microsoft and Duolingo. She digs deep into the challenges talent acquisition professionals face, stressing the need to understand the business and make meaningful changes, rather than focusing solely on metrics like social media likes. The discussion touches on important topics like employee advocacy, retaining talent, and the critical role of data in recruitment. Nicole shares practical advice on collaborating with other departments, automating processes without losing the human touch, and the importance of taking action, no matter how small. Finally, Nicole’s call to "work like a European" and embrace more holidays underscores her belief that breaks lead to better productivity and creativity. ENJOY!

Om Podcasten

Everything people and workforce—recruiting, marketing, technology, talent management, and workforce economics—delivered with biting sarcasm and unapologetic snark. Industry misfits Chad Sowash and Joel Cheesman bring their no-holds-barred opinions to dissect news, trends, and the occasional dumpster fire. If you’re a hiring company, staffing firm, or vendor looking for insights (and a thick skin), these two won’t just tell you what’s happening—they’ll tell you why you’re probably doing it wrong. Buckle up, buttercup.