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DE Talk

DE Talk

DirectEmployers Association 74 episodes Nov 3, 2026

DE Talk is a podcast from DirectEmployers Association that brings HR and workforce experts together for candid conversations about the modern workplace. Episodes cover OFCCP compliance and federal contractor requirements, equal employment opportunity, recruiting and talent acquisition, and the use of AI in hiring and selection. Each installment offers practical insights and expert perspectives on the trends and technologies shaping HR strategy. The show is aimed at HR professionals looking for actionable ideas to navigate change and strengthen their organizations.

Episodes

Too Many Applications, Too Few Hires: What AI Is Really Doing to Recruiting
Too Many Applications, Too Few Hires: What AI Is Really Doing to Recruiting Nov 3, 2026 34:05 Steven Rothberg has spent 30 years in online recruiting, and he has watched plenty of “silver bullets” come and go. He thinks AI is the latest one. In this episode of the DE Talk Podcast, host Shannon Offord of DirectEmployers Association sits down with Steven, founder and chief strategy officer of CollegeRecruiter, to talk about what employers are getting right and wrong in recruiting today. Stev
Reframing Disability Accommodations as a Performance Strategy, Not a Risk File
Reframing Disability Accommodations as a Performance Strategy, Not a Risk File Oct 27, 2026 38:21 What if the accommodation request on your desk is one of the best performance tools you have? Too many organizations still treat disability accommodations as a compliance task: a box to check, a cost to contain, a risk to manage. That mindset may be costing them productivity, retention, and talent. Most accommodations cost nothing to implement, and more than a quarter of Americans have a disabilit
The End of "Jobs Near Me": Conversational AI Is Changing How Candidates Find Jobs
The End of "Jobs Near Me": Conversational AI Is Changing How Candidates Find Jobs Oct 12, 2026 45:37 "Jobs near me" has been the most common job search for 20 years, and with the introduction of AI, it's on the verge of disappearing. Candidates have stopped typing keywords. They're asking ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude for jobs that fit their experience, their schedules and their lives. If your jobs aren't in the handful of answers those tools give, candidates never see you.
Section 503 Changes: What Employers and the Disability Community Need to Know
Section 503 Changes: What Employers and the Disability Community Need to Know Sep 28, 2026 42:31 As of September 21, 2026, a Final rule from the OFCCP removed three long-standing Section 503 requirements for federal contractors: the 7% utilization goal, the related annual data analysis, and the CC-305 disability self-identification form. In this episode, guest host PJ Rossi of Forte Advisory Group and HR Compliance Consultant at DirectEmployers talks with disability advocate Felicia Nurmsen,
Fixing the Application Black Hole with Dalia’s Sam Fitzroy
Fixing the Application Black Hole with Dalia’s Sam Fitzroy Sep 14, 2026 25:54 In this episode of the DE Talk Podcast, host Shannon Offord sits down with Sam Fitzroy, co-founder and CEO of candidate conversion platform, Dalia. Bringing over 15 years of industry experience—including key leadership roles at Indeed and The Muse—Fitzroy offers a candid look at the friction points plaguing modern recruitment. Together, they break down the flaws of volume-based hiring models, the
EEO Data in Flux: Navigating the EEOC's Proposal to Rescind EEO-1 Reporting
EEO Data in Flux: Navigating the EEOC's Proposal to Rescind EEO-1 Reporting Aug 24, 2026 23:32 For almost 60 years, the EEO-1 Report has been a fixture for employers—love it or hate it, everyone knows the drill. Now the EEOC wants to get rid of it, and nobody's quite sure what comes next.In this episode, Alicia Wallace talks with Nita Beecher of Fortney Scott about what's actually going on: why the EEOC is targeting EEO-1 reporting and the rules behind it, what EEOC leadership has
Reworking Recruitment: AI, a Frozen Job Market & the Human Edge
Reworking Recruitment: AI, a Frozen Job Market & the Human Edge Mar 23, 2026 33:30 The headlines say unemployment is low. The front lines tell a different story. In this episode of DE Talk, Jeff Gill sits down with Brian Fink, managing partner of The ReWork Group and author of Talk Tech to Me, to unpack what's really happening in today's talent market—and what it means for the future of recruiting. From trust erosion in tech hiring to AI's role as a force multipli
Cutting Through the Noise with AI-Powered Recruitment
Cutting Through the Noise with AI-Powered Recruitment Mar 9, 2026 29:48 In this episode of the DE Talk podcast, host Shannon Offord, VP of Partnerships at DirectEmployers, sits down with seasoned executive and strategist Brad Boggs, founder of JobFlow. With over 20 years of experience in the recruitment technology space, Boggs shares how his new platform uses "powerfully simple" AI solutions to fix the broken cycle of mass job applications and overwhelmed hi
Merit, Myths, and Measurement: Navigating the New ROI of Workplace Diversity
Merit, Myths, and Measurement: Navigating the New ROI of Workplace Diversity Feb 23, 2026 38:56 What happens to workplace diversity when the regulatory landscape shifts overnight? In this episode, compliance consultant Alicia Wallace and former Fortune 500 Chief Diversity Officer David Casey move beyond theory to discuss the reality of leading through change.Drawing on their history of managing hundreds of successful audits for some of the most recognizable brands, Alicia and David offer a m
Real or Robot? Navigating Candidate Fraud in the Age of AI
Real or Robot? Navigating Candidate Fraud in the Age of AI Feb 9, 2026 38:26 Is the candidate on your screen a real person or a deepfake? It's a question more recruiters are having to ask. In this episode of DE Talk, Shannon Offord sits down with Dwaine Maltais, Chief Strategy Officer at Nexxt to tackle the growing issue of candidate fraud.They explore the "trifecta" driving this surge–AI, automation, and accessibility–and share practical advice on how recru
2026 Expert Compliance Insights: New Rules, Changed Government Enforcement & How Employers Can Respond
2026 Expert Compliance Insights: New Rules, Changed Government Enforcement & How Employers Can Respond Jan 26, 2026 43:45 Federal contractor compliance underwent seismic changes in 2025: Executive Order 11246 was revoked, EEOC and the U.S. Department of Justice launched intensive investigations into DEI programs and EEO compliance, and the White House moved to centralize the regulation of artificial intelligence on the federal level–just to name a few.As 2026 begins, employers need clarity on what's changing and
Posting with Purpose: Tapping into the Hidden Job Market with Summer Delaney
Posting with Purpose: Tapping into the Hidden Job Market with Summer Delaney Jan 12, 2026 30:19 What do Katie Couric and modern recruitment have in common? According to Summer Delaney, Founder and CEO of CollabWORK, the answer is the power of authentic networks. In this episode of DE Talk, Summer joins Shannon Offord to discuss how her career in media revealed that the best opportunities often come from professional communities rather than job applications.Together, they discuss the rise of

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