EP 10 - Swipe Right if You Think I'm Cute and The Empty Red Seat (w/Rizzo)
The guys leave the Red Seat empty for an episode and talk the lawsuit against Workday and the implications for AI use in recruiting. They discuss how you can protect your company and what to ask vendors to provide when you evaluate their AI products. The guys also talk recent changes in recruiting and the marketing principles associated with them. The current state of HR also comes up, of course, and Tony again reminds everybody that HR owns culture. Rizzo The Dog joins the podcast at the very end and agrees with everything Tony said.
Learn more about Tony "Two Weeks' Notice" Benjamin: https://www.thegrangellc.com/
Learn more about Steven "Big Deal" Smith: https://thehiringtreebook.com/
Rizzo The Dog was born on Wednesday, November 2, 2016. He was named after Anthony Rizzo, who played for the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs won the World Series on that day. Steve, of course, is a Cubs fan. (There is some dispute about the date the Cubs won the Series because it was after midnight locally when they won, but prior to midnight in Utah where Steve was watching the game.)
Listeners are invited to Join Steve and Tony at the Work Elevated conference on September 22 and 23. Register at: https://www.utahworkelevated.com/ You can also join the guys on September 22 at 6:00pm at Fat Daddy's Pizzeria (across the street from the conference) where Two Weeks' Notice will perform live.
Learn more about Tony "Two Weeks' Notice" Benjamin: https://www.thegrangellc.com/
Learn more about Steven "Big Deal" Smith: https://thehiringtreebook.com/
Rizzo The Dog was born on Wednesday, November 2, 2016. He was named after Anthony Rizzo, who played for the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs won the World Series on that day. Steve, of course, is a Cubs fan. (There is some dispute about the date the Cubs won the Series because it was after midnight locally when they won, but prior to midnight in Utah where Steve was watching the game.)
Listeners are invited to Join Steve and Tony at the Work Elevated conference on September 22 and 23. Register at: https://www.utahworkelevated.com/ You can also join the guys on September 22 at 6:00pm at Fat Daddy's Pizzeria (across the street from the conference) where Two Weeks' Notice will perform live.
Creators and Guests
Host
Steven "Bid Deal" Smith
Steve will be the first to tell you that recruiting is marketing. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Finance at Brigham Young University and started his career in recruiting in Feb 2005. In 2008, he took a risk during a recession to help start a new company with Ryan Kohler, called ApplicantPro, a full suite HR platform for small to mid-sized businesses. In March 2025, ApplicantPro became iSolved Talent Acquisition, now serving 177,000 clients and close to 9800 employees. Before the merger, ApplicantPro made the Inc 5000 list 12 years in a row, Top Places to work in Utah 3 years in a row, and Steve was named the Small Business Utah HR Achievement Award winner in May 2024. iSolved was also named an Indeed Platinum Partner in 2023, 2024, and 2025 and is one of only ten ATS platforms in the country to obtain that designation. SHRM-CP & PHR certified, Steve currently volunteers on the Utah SHRM State Council as the immediate past State Executive Director. His book, The Hiring Tree: Laws of Applicant Attraction, was released in early 2023, and has helped thousands of organizations across the country rethink their approach to hiring. If you need help understanding the principles and role of SEO, marketing, and AI when it comes to attracting job seekers, Steve provides a solid framework for hiring effectively.
Host
Tony "Two Weeks Notice" Benjamin
I am a unique HR leader with more than 20 years’ experience working for some of Utah’s oldest, fastest growing, and most well-known companies. My experience includes Superior Drilling Products, Air Medical Resource Group, Control4, Ovivo USA and Deseret Book. I am a regionally recognized authority on building successful cultures and am an alumni speaker at DisruptHR SLC and DisruptHR St. George. I have earned an MBA from the University of Phoenix, a Bachelor’s degree from Utah State University, and am a certified Professional of Human Resources (PHR). I'm married to a woman out of my league, have three brilliant kids I doesn’t deserve and, although I travel a lot, live in Vernal, Utah.
