EP 20 Perfectionist Rock Stars a Plenty with Alison Avila
Alison Avila joins the guys to test the theory that no matter what intro Tony gives about Steve, it will turn out to be true. They also discuss perfectionism in HR Pro's, nicknamed horror stories, and why some staffing companies succeed when others don't.
Alison is the Director of Human Resources at Your Employment Solutions (YES), a Utah-based staffing agency where she has led HR strategy and growth since 2013. With a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Human Resources from Utah State University, she’s spent her entire professional career in the staffing industry, helping YES grow from a single office to a multi-state operation with over 60 staff and 8,000+ W2'd employees annually. A long-time SHRM volunteer and current Utah SHRM State Council Treasurer, Alison is passionate about compliance, human psychology, and the evolving intersection of law, leadership, and technology in the workplace.
You can learn more about Alison at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-avila-mshr-shrm-scp-csp-2829062b/ and https://www.youremploymentsolutions.com/about-yes/corporate-leadership/
Learn more about Tony Benjamin at: https://www.thegrangellc.com/
Learn more about Steven "Big Deal Smith" at: https://thehiringtreebook.com/
Links to books we discuss on the podcast: https://thehiringtreebook.com/hr-life-podcast
Thank you to our sponsor MegaStarHR: https://www.megastarhr.com/
Please support The Thrive Life Project: https://www.thrivelifeproject.org/
This podcast was recorded without the use of slave labor and microplastics added to food.
Alison is the Director of Human Resources at Your Employment Solutions (YES), a Utah-based staffing agency where she has led HR strategy and growth since 2013. With a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Human Resources from Utah State University, she’s spent her entire professional career in the staffing industry, helping YES grow from a single office to a multi-state operation with over 60 staff and 8,000+ W2'd employees annually. A long-time SHRM volunteer and current Utah SHRM State Council Treasurer, Alison is passionate about compliance, human psychology, and the evolving intersection of law, leadership, and technology in the workplace.
You can learn more about Alison at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-avila-mshr-shrm-scp-csp-2829062b/ and https://www.youremploymentsolutions.com/about-yes/corporate-leadership/
Learn more about Tony Benjamin at: https://www.thegrangellc.com/
Learn more about Steven "Big Deal Smith" at: https://thehiringtreebook.com/
Links to books we discuss on the podcast: https://thehiringtreebook.com/hr-life-podcast
Thank you to our sponsor MegaStarHR: https://www.megastarhr.com/
Please support The Thrive Life Project: https://www.thrivelifeproject.org/
This podcast was recorded without the use of slave labor and microplastics added to food.
Creators and Guests
Host
Steven "Big 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.
