TaPod - We Talk Talent Acquisition.

Ep 35 - Jane Bianchini - Champagne & the Sabre

April 02, 2020 Craig, Lauren & Jane Season 2 Episode 35
TaPod - We Talk Talent Acquisition.
Ep 35 - Jane Bianchini - Champagne & the Sabre
Show Notes Transcript

In this episode, Lauren and Craig speak with Jane Bianchini (Founder & CEO of Alcami Interactive)
Jane shares with us her journey, the birth of Alcami Interactive and how Video Interviewing is evolving in the 'work from home' world we live in.
And let's not forget - she opens champagne bottles with a sword!
Have a listen...

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support for this podcast is provided by Alchemy Interactive. The next generation in one way

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did you took video interviewing. See your candidates right away before you meet them face to face

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alchemy Interactive in. They will do to promote at your employment brand in the candidate market, ensuring candidates remember you your culture and diversity. So positively impact

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your screening efforts with a direct roo by contacting alchemy today, visit alchemy dot com. That's a L C am i dot com. We help you pinpoint top talent Faster Boom!

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Wait A podcast for everything. Talent acquisition wear informative, controversial and a little bit crazy. Now please join your hosts and industry leaders Lauren Shop and Craig Watson.

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Hi, everyone. And welcome to Tar Part. It is Day four of covert 19 isolation. I'm

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Craig and I'm Lauren. And today, joining us in our makeshift studio on my dining room table is Jane Mancini and the CEO of Alchemy Interactive. This month. Wonderful sponsor and Wilder ofthe sword. Welcome, James. Oh,

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thank you. Thank you for having me on in this new era. We find ourselves a virtual working

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on. I think I've been looking forward to this because I've been going stare crazy, and I get an opportunity to talk to someone else. Like I could pretend they're there in the room with me for once without

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being a

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10 and 12 year old.

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My house is just full of adults. Did

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you see that mean that went around the other day that decline falling, things not going so well? Kids have been suspended and the peace has been drinking on the

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job. That's it's a really good ones. Actually, there was a woman with a glass and she'll teaching our kids fractions of that was one of my favourite way.

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Welcome. And we've bean been looking forward to talking to you for a long, long time. No. And what we always do when we have someone on for the first time as well running get an understanding of your background a bit. So, Jane, why don't you tell us a little bit about how you got into this wonderful, wonderful world of recruitment? And now over into a sort of hr

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tech? Wow. We have a sound effect rule as well.

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Yeah, well, let's go back in time,

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e.

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I started my Korea in London as a infrastructure project manager working pro consult concern called in

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London

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and a very large infrastructure projects. I'm going back quite a few years now. I'm talking Windows 311 grating off E A. So I so there and then came back home to Australia on DH had worked alongside then Andersen Consulting or now Accenture in London on these projects already like these guys. So I knocked on their door and said, like I mean and have a chat and they want you, of course. So at that time I had one degree left on my fact under grab on DH. They said they were only taking people who had finished degree slut, but that a solid 33 years of working experience. And so they said that we've got this kind of business over here called Anson Contracting, which then turned into diversity, which then sold Teo. I think, Andi, what? We've partly there while you finish your undergrad and then we'll move you into consulting. And that's how I fell into recruitment on was given the best Yes, with the work portfolio having Teo go and still a 1,000,000 bucks in state government contract. So I did that and now is headhunters to go and start a what we would now call a supplementation business that no one called it. Part of the approaching management consultant sense again started from zero and look that up $2 million which then got solved. Teo Morgan Bank. So I continued on my career there changes in evolution that moved into the Hudson, then got approach to go on and work with ambitions were filled out their technology division. And then the call came through from the time the chairman ofthe a company that you called Candle on and went to Paris and I thought I'd doesn't run. But he was also the president of the time and he said, Look, we'd love to have a chat. Really? Do you want to throw your hat in the ring? Come CEO? So I just finished my MBA and I know God, Why not so through my hat in the ring and and got the gig and ran candles during their head of their time, where we were winning six. Our

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awards

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not even entering and consult with lining up all the way around the drapes and Wait Way had a very hard time in the sun on I Look, I remember at one point sitting in a very large banks saying to Maia's CEO, James, congratulations again. You're on number one supplier on green light on a ll the Casey. I've never had a supply. It managed to achieve it. That's a level that you're detainee. But we did talk about price from the

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Yeah. Okay, Scott, let's

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talk about right. So they said, Well, you reduce your margins by 10% and you want to change the warranties, indemnities, liabilities and ability to transition contractors on. I won't know Andi went well. You consented because our number to supply would be delighted. Be number one. And I find that contract and

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e walked

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back and went. I realised at that point that you know, he or she who is the most amount of power, has the least amount of care. And so I

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had

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all care and no power and sign it. But I thought at that point very large bank that we were assigned it was not the only company that wass asking us to reduce reduce. So

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I

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found this systemic problem of reducing margins, increasing costs in the business on Gwen about doing right. Well, I'm going to want to stop interviewing because what? We've got to get more three point with finite resources.

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So

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I think on a few other very large recruitment agency at the time started to do the same thing. And of course, the service to our clients started to become degraded and industry organisations So to build their own quasi internal talents on DH supply of candidates, you know, and often and so line up outside the front door of organisation Very, very talented and expensive search consultants that were thought internal to great things for their own companies and paying agencies becomes phone jockeys on. So I realised that that is the problem. About six years ago, there was the plates in the recruitment world was starting to shift and there was a big problem that was about to occur on the horizon. And that was personally advent off technology and how our technology was starting Teo creep into the wonderful world of recruitment. Everyone thought that when been arrived, but it was going to kill Agent Keen and, well, you know, 54 more percent of Mickey's where he's come from, agencies that job boards were going to kill. But the way organisations, whether the agency or whether it be internal, really started Teo Wake up tio a brand new reality of the innovations that can be bought with technology. And so I looked at the recruitment value chain on, looked at what parts of that recruitment value chains were left to be innovative.

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There

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was invisible piece, the screening piece that was the most challenging, the most subjective but the most critical part off the recruitment process. So that's when I started. You know that the problems actually in phone screening it's not. It's not the face to face because we can record those accurately. And we've got reconnecting because I've seen people we've got into the night construction and organisations would often referred that Teo never the screen. I could see that you know her career was happy or hungover would determine who gets the front door. So in

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that world, how many times

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he interacted with

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That's a nice journey and it sort of dovetails right into what you're doing now, which is Alchemy. Interactive has really come to the fore over the last few years. I first saw you guys at a Where was that? It was at the back two years ago was the first time that I saw you guys. And you know, you have really found your nation your spot with the inn talent acquisition as well as agency over the last couple of years and expanding at a rapid rate. And in that time, I'm guessing that some of the roles have have probably changed or the stuff that you're seeing coming through your platform might have evolved. I wanted to tell us a little about that.

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It's a really good question because we certainly have seen, you know, this new category in the marketing video interviewing. Really, It's three arrives now and where it's played beautifully into graduate or false recruitment.

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Where

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we're saying now the new cases are so wide and varied only use cases. But in terms of jobs on the platform, where were you thin? Either? 20 countries and we're saying everything from federal law enforcement dog handlers, Teo marketing managers to fingerprints, forensic analysts, Teo HR advisers, truck drivers, warehouse manager's talent partway coordinated betting offices. You name it. We're saying it were saying rolls on the platform that I don't have well that have thousands of applications or people being invited to take of you. And people are also saying more and more jobs that just had five people off site of a job and we're getting are in excess of 85 90% across the platform. Return rates off Full job

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screening interviews Could someone actually go through in a day using your power platform?

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How long Paces drink? Because

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it depends

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on how long. How many questions that you were set up for an interview and how long? Give each questions along unit. Can it per question? Time to answer, So t illustrate. As an example, we had one about cherished Client is a global law firm and, say new video entering and went out competitively to the market at the same time as their main competitor. Who doesn't use video interviewing on DH, say strained 1000 applicants in about eight hours on on the fight, which would have taken them over. So instead of you know, so they were basically on the phone talking to candidates. The pot candidates they had preferred well, the other most likely would have been still reading way, a five fold increase in productivity.

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Great number One of

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the supposed, most difficult aspect, as well as one of the most boring for people who don't understand is the integration piece, I guess, away with your platform. So with Alchemy Interactive, do

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you? Where do you

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come into the process? So let's just give us, like a case study but an example, say a of a larger organisation that you partner with the talent acquisition function. Eso ah, job brief comes to them via a hiring manager. And then when they're working in conjunction with you, what's the what's the process? So where do they go from there?

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So once we're alive and integrated in there, well, our integration vary from deep, rich integration where it's seamless, and they're not several handling information through Teo, uploading contact details to send invite out and then pushing the results back system. So our interactions of wide and varied, but that the step in the process is the candidates would come into the recruitment management system. Then a specialist would go through and review which which candidates they would like to invite to the next days and perfectly that would be a phone screens. So instead of phone threatening, it would be sick, invites a video interview. And then in the video, I sent out two candidates on DH. Then, once the candidates have completed their new interview, they come back into the system and says that typically a little like one of the camera sums. It says That's been completed on any side you can see we're having been invited families being completed on how many thing evaluated. They can then share that through the system with their homeland. When we're seeing examples of saying that we're part the way through this, here are top freaking out. Bottom three. I would get in, right? So we're also saying that with the use of sharing videos with hard mounted in a collaborative fashion High Majesty, Ari's a lot quicker. Great candidates on there also hugely appreciated climb that are saving by not being in a room with candidates not going toe that organisation from a culture ad or from a technical point of view.

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That's true as well, because I know how many line managers actually come back and they know in five minutes that that person is not right, but they just want to be polite. Keep interviewing our their day with the video

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screening Faso that alchemy provide, you know, ordinarily in the old days or prior to that when people are doing this manually and picking up the phone and going through a screening process, how the candidates of value way listen automated valuation? Or does the recruiter do that? Teo. Transfer them through to the next phase after they've done the video

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streaming.

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Yes, So in our platform, we've really pushed the boundary with trying to minimise viruses a cz much we possibly can without dehumanising the process. So Evaluators festival in our platform. So say the three of us are on the evaluation of review panel because we know collaborate. Collaborative hiring now is things because we want more, more diverse people looking at groups of candidates. That's not just through one persons lenses to selecting those people in an organisation. One of diverse group of people looking at candidates coming through so I wouldn't be able to see Craig your evaluations, and you wouldn't be able to see my mind. My responses. So we're minimising a group. Think there. We also have the ability to turn off video evaluator so that we can minimise appearance vices. We can also wake unmask the candidatesnames. Teo minimise any ethnic vices that one might have in terms of selling of somebody's

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no

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where in invader with voice disguised to minimise it. Well, so? So there's a wide range of things that you could do from an evaluation point of youto objectify the process you can never eliminate by Min. Am I on DH then at the end, because we weren't able to see each other's review comments or ratings, we can then go. Isn't it interesting with all through the different configuration that we chose for this job or believe that these X number of cannon to the right people to take for the next stage of the process?

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Well, I bet you're pretty busy at the moment. A lot of people picking this up now that we're all working from home.

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What I'm saying is some very different use cases. I'm really blown away by the creativity of our clients in terms of not just using the platform in a traditional sense on, we know, some businesses that start quite often finished a very different location to where they originated from and somewhere along their journey. But we're seeing clients using the platform people in their brand on DH on their diversity in their culture. But more bodies that we use for a full blown interviews. So sitting out longer, more complex questions than initial pre screen. We're seeing them used for assessment centres. So, for instance, where on organisations if they're dealing with a nephew waiting situation, trying to assess how the candidate was on to that so they've got 32nd quips then then they'll ask the candidates, How would they respond to the situation in the next quit? So the situation escalated. So how would they reform Teo that situation and then 1/3 escalation point to see how is his candid de Escalating and Carling a situation? So we're moving online now in bulk. We've just stood up a pilot with one of the same companies on DH during that post placement pulse cheque. So, you know, for instance, you know the question is something like, you know, the four pillars of our company or our core values are A B, C d. Or what evidence did you see what happened to Mr you see through the recruitment process and did this in front of you to join us. Now that you're inside, you feel that these core values being lived can you give this example of either good or not? Good way that you have your

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eyes moving not just from a function but into the hay char function for Poles Czechs. And to see how the on boarding went there 1st 6 months, all of those types of things as well.

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All of those things internal stuff, surveys, evaluations were actually now starting enquiries about

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video. My assistant at the moment e yesterday. And I'm being running around trying to Teo all of that stuff. It's just no

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necessity is the mother of all invention isn't And I guess, with thie environment we're all living with at the moment your platform in development and opportunity would be moving at a massively rapid pace to be compared to what you probably strategy was even a few months ago.

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Yeah, absolutely. And you know, in these new world, you know the only certain thing change on DH way because we are a very agile and nimble teams with a very supportive board. We have adapted and pivoted and changed in building out some really great new feature functionality that support that we find

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Lauren mention that she's picked up OK tennis in the last couple of days and just before we went on online. Actually, she was talking to you about it and said that, you know, voiced their frustrations in a lovely little way that Lauren does. Three new environment. There's going to be like there's gonna be lots of people in positions where they've had new responsibilities thrust upon them and having to find solutions to doing this remotely in amore automated fashion. So to speak, to either yourself or people within your business. How in this day and age. And let's be honest now, we can't have face to face meetings to do to do demos or to do anything. The state. So did you encourage people to sort of reach out to you directly, or who else within the business to get an understanding of what you can actually support them with at the moment?

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Yes. Oh, my term bank planned a semi, but I just mentioned this, but I was on another weapon. I interview yesterday, and I mean this sincerely and genuinely that if anyone wants to pick up the final recounts in on LinkedIn, then I'm very happy to have a chat about non sales. No agenda. Chat about video interviewing and tio educate on the different types of providers out because we're all doing great things to look at, where video being sits or were video in general. Six. Within their business. What other use cases? Andi Also where it doesn't work. It was plenty of examples where it actually doesn't work. And, yes, if anyone wanted Teo hit me up. I'm more than happy Teo talk and share the knowledge about all of that as well.

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That sounds interesting the way it's evolved so quickly in the last month. Yeah, E must be spinning two

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weeks ago. Seems like two years ago.

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E can't wait 2021 next week. Even

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last week or we were talking about was toilet paper, and that's just gone and been forgot. Now, when we're at the next level, the next level that

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we actually have some podcasts that we've recorded last week that I just basically obsolete now.

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Yeah, everything's move so quickly, and

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so we're just they just don't want it to be in. But yeah, that's the way we're moving so quickly. But I have

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got a question for you, Jane. A Quite a serious question. How do I learn how to take the top off the champagne bottle with the sabre?

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D'oh, That's a video weapon are right. They are instructional. How to do this is probably

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the most fascinating thing I've ever seen at a conference.

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Well, we owe

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your listeners that I hadn't seen that. Use them some context. We were at breakfast last year on DH one of our give away prizes out of a drawer wass to learn how tio take the top off the bottle of the champagne with a savour, which is a champagne night, actually on DH. No plan intended

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that

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the ones that I use is George Jensen. It's the perfect gift to give someone who has everything, by the way, picking people of visual. If you watch that Karen's that the movies and the name escapes me when they're in Vegas and she does that, that's basically what champagne savouring eyes. So I learnt that in Mauritius that's a couple of years ago, a friend to result there, but it's actually much easier than you think. So?

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Well, I'm considering just getting education Case of passion, Pop on practise juice boxes. Just pop it. You

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probably you wouldn't be aware of this Jane Buck when you did that. I sort of thought I want to get this and I want a video. It so ran up right to the front with my and knelt down with my iPhone and put it on super slow mo. And as you popped it, the court came towards me and smash me in the leg. And it's a

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really no, really good video. Actually, it is. We could actually pop that on ly

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I know. I have to

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find it. Yeah, e so much for

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joining us today, and we know that all of our worlds have been turned upside down. So the way we're all working is very different from what we were even a few days ago. And it's fantastic that you've said that anyone can contact you in a non sows the environment, and I think that a czar industry, if you like, I think a lot of people are banding together and saying we want to provide support because we a lot of people aren't talking about it. But there are jobs that have been lost in the talent acquisition function in the recruitment function, primarily because ah, lot of people in a lot of areas aren't recruiting. But there are areas and pockets that is still so, so busy, and these people have been putting under more pressure. So if we can share storeys, share our expertise and actually just be in the other end of a phone when people need is to have a chat, I think that bodes well. For what? For the whole industry coming out of this time?

spk_2:   24:24
Absolutely. And you know, I'm a big fan of Zuma's. I think the rest of the world is and, well, we had shares in that company.

spk_0:   24:31
But I looked at their share price over the last six months. Yesterday, whole thing. If you had about six months ago and what it was Celia two days ago, you had made 100 bucks per share.

spk_2:   24:43
Well, I'm hoping that's certainly an evaluation of our

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company's CEO.

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But I like the rest of us. I'm sitting at my kitchen table. I've got kicked in the background. It's really it's authentic. Human. I'd prefer resume called on a phone calls so I can see people on DH what you lose on the phone. You certainly gain in micro messaging of people's faces and intention get translated a lot easier on. That's the same with video interviewing that. Yeah, I'd be more than happy. Teo help anyone out there that thanks

spk_1:   25:21
for that so much. And we look forward to catching up with you when if we can to knock the top off a bullish champagne and get stuck in

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a bloody wait, I might come out of a can and start. I

spk_2:   25:34
look forward to that day as well

spk_0:   25:35
tell you, but yeah, By the end of this week, I'm going to go get stir crazy. It'll be mental. You just want to watch me unhinged. I'm saying it happened. I'm seeing unfolding in front of you right now. Again. Thanks for joining us today and assume iPod. Husband just said I can't wait to see you in person. Yeah,

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we'll take care. Stay safe. Guys, have a sanitised day and keep the faith because we'll get through this and will come out as a as an industry as

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humanity. Stronger? Absolutely. All right, Jane. Well, things were coming and is a good bye for me, everyone

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and goodbye from me. And we'll speak

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to saying bye. Today's podcast was brought to you by the good people at alchemy.

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Alchemy is on demand. Digital interviewing application connects jobseekers directly with your company.

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See your candidates either I before you meet them face

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to face and to get your demo, visit alchemy dot com. That's a L C am i dot com. We help you pinpoint top talent faster. And Tellem Tarp Odd sent you.

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Thanks for listening to Tar Pod. Please don't forget to subscribe and look out for upcoming podcast. I actually had to regain the guy who commented on one of our posts because he had lost his sense of humour. Why? How people really shouldn't be making fun of the times and blah, blah, blah, blah. And I thought, you know, I'm not going to get into an argument with you Decayed, removed