Workfluencer

Before “personal brand” became a buzzword, Hung Lee was already doing it—building Recruiting Brainfood into one of the most trusted communities in the industry.

In this conversation, recorded at RecFest USA 2025, Hung and Rhona dig into what it really takes for recruiters to think like media brands: showing up every week, curating with integrity, and letting transparency replace polish.

He shares how an accidental send from the beach in Lisbon made him realize just how much readers depended on his newsletter. Plus, why he believes quantity beats quality, what h...

Everyone wants to get paid to speak, but few know how to turn it into a real career.

In this episode, Torin Ellis joins Rhona Pierce to break down the business behind the mic — from commanding rooms and carving your niche to staying relevant in a space that changes overnight.

You’ll learn:

How to turn free speaking gigs into paid opportunities

The mindset shift that keeps your message authentic (even when the world isn’t)

When to raise your rates — and how much

The power of relation...

Most recruiters think they’re filling roles. Dave Vu thinks they should be building brands.

In this episode, Rhona Pierce sits down with the co-founder of Ribbon.ai to explore why the future of recruiting belongs to teams who think like marketers. From his early days in talent acquisition to building one of the most talked-about AI interview platforms, Dave shares how empathy, storytelling, and transparency can transform candidate experience — and why bad recruiters should probably be worried about AI.

You’ll learn:

Why recruiting is really just marketing in disguise

How to...

Laurie Ruettimann has spent nearly two decades shaping how we talk about work—from CNN’s “Top Career Advisor” list to her globally recognized Punk Rock HR podcast. But behind the accolades lies a story of confidence, capitalism, and the unpaid labor of influence.

In this episode, Laurie joins Rhona Pierce to pull back the curtain on what it really takes to turn credibility into a career—how she built her platform before influencer culture existed, why “being right” doesn’t always pay, and the emotional toll of being HR famous.

They talk money, mistakes, and the myth of...

What if someone stole your entire career — your résumé, portfolio, headshot, even your home address?

In this Workfluencer Trend Report, Rhona explores the real case of freelance writer Jolissa Skow, who discovered an imposter had been living her professional life since 2023. The impersonator used Jolissa’s identity to land contract work, participate in Slack, attend camera-off meetings, and even get paid — all while colleagues believed they were working with her.

Based on Jolissa’s public LinkedIn posts and reporting by Dr. Janice Gassam Asare, this episode examines how career ide...

Matt Alder, host of Recruiting Future and co-host of The Alder Hour, has spent over 15 years shaping how the recruiting industry talks about work. With nearly 800 episodes published, his podcast is one of the most trusted sources for talent acquisition insights. In this conversation, Rhona and Matt chat about how Recruiting Future became the go-to recruiting podcast and what it really takes to build authority through consistency.

You’ll hear:

Your employees may be your best influencers—but how do you pay them fairly when they start creating content for your brand?

In this episode I sit down with compensation strategist Cynthia Abbott-Kerr, founder of WellPay.ai, to explore how companies can design clear, simple, and fair systems to reward employee content creators. From commission structures and affiliate links to ownership rights and tax considerations,

Cynthia shares practical strategies for building employee-creator programs that actually work.

If you’ve ever wondered whether to pay per post, add stipends, or build commissions tied to stor...

Building a personal brand in today’s job market isn’t about chasing viral posts—it’s about showing up authentically. In this special takeover episode, recruiter-turned-founder Brooke Wheeler flips the mic on Workfluencer creator Rhona Pierce. Together they dive into how to build your personal brand with honesty, how layoffs and career pivots can fuel reinvention, and why companies fail when they try to script employer branding.

If you’ve wondered what to share online, how vulnerable to be, or how to turn career shifts into opportunities, this conversation will give you the playbook f...

It doesn’t get more Gen Z than making a TikTok to get hired at TikTok—and that’s exactly what Jade Walters did. But she didn’t stop there. From landing jobs to landing on the TEDx stage, Jade has used content creation to build a career on her own terms. In this episode, she shares how content became her biggest career tool, what Gen Z really wants from work, and why boundaries at work aren’t red flags—they’re strategy.

CONNECT WITH US:

What happens when employee advocacy moves beyond “posting on LinkedIn” and into creating full-blown branded content? Should those employees be paid like influencers?

In this episode of Workfluencer, employment lawyer and creator Heather Bussing joins Rhona to explore how companies can compensate employee-creators fairly and compliantly.

We dig into:

Why paying employees for branded content builds trust and authenticity

How to classify and compensate employee-creators without missteps

Overtime, equity, and ownership issues every HR team should consider

Lessons from influencer contracts employees can adapt

How HR a...

LinkedIn can be overwhelming, especially for introverts. But what if your quiet approach is actually your superpower?

In this episode, certified career coach and LinkedIn Top Voice Lissa Appiah shares how she built a personal brand that converts—without being loud, posting daily, or faking confidence.

You’ll learn how to:

Build a personal brand on LinkedIn as an introvert

Turn your side hustle into a full-time business

Grow visibility without burning out

Use content strategy that works for quiet creators

Create Link...

Most people think building a community is about finding a niche and hoping people show up. Jeremy Lyons knows better—he’s the man behind the RecOps community. From launching the first RecOps conference to building the widely read RecOps Roundup newsletter, Jeremy has turned a behind-the-scenes role into a movement.

In this episode, we dig into:

The four (sometimes five) pillars of Recruiting Operations—and why employer branding belongs in the mix.

How Jeremy built the RecOps community during a wave of layoffs, and why neutrality became his non-negotiable.

The moment...

Zach Nunn, founder of Living Corporate, pulls back the curtain on what it takes to create authentic content about race and identity in the workplace. From deleting episodes with problematic guests to calling out patronizing DEI storytelling, Zach shares why most corporate diversity content misses the mark and how to create conversations that actually matter.

What You'll Learn:

Tired of recruiter content that chases likes but lacks substance? In this episode, discover how Andrew Lewis grew from 0 to 45K followers by mastering content creation that delivers real value and opens up new career opportunities. As Head of Talent at Worldly, Andrew shares how he carved out his unique voice, built personal branding that stands out, and earned the trust of his audience.

We dive into actionable strategies for recruiters and creators who want to break free from recycled talking points and create original content that builds credibility—not just engagement. Learn how An...

Anessa Fike has led 125+ organizations, pioneered the Fractional HR model in the U.S., and built a career by saying the things most people won’t. In this episode, she joins Rhona to break down what it really costs to speak up in HR—especially when it challenges power, calls out performative allyship, and disrupts the speaker circuit status quo.

Anessa shares how she uses her privilege intentionally, what she’s given up to stay true to her values, and why she keeps going even when the backlash hits. This one’s for every HR leader, content creator...

In this bonus episode, recorded live at SHRM 2025, Rhona Pierce interviews Tara Amaral, a veteran talent acquisition expert. Tara shares practical strategies for building effective recruiting functions, highlighting the importance of simple, repeatable processes, data-driven decision-making, and thoughtful change management. She discusses how organizations of all sizes can optimize hiring, leverage technology and AI wisely, and foster strategic partnerships. Tara emphasizes the enduring value of human expertise in recruitment, offering actionable advice for leaders and recruiters navigating today’s evolving talent landscape.

This episode was brought to you by VirgilHR, The all-in-one SaaS solution that emp...

When two established HR professionals decide to launch a podcast together, what could go wrong? According to Desiree Goldey and Ashley King, co-hosts of the new Talentless podcast, quite a lot – and that's exactly what made their partnership stronger. In this episode of Workfluencer, we dive deep into their journey from recording "absolutely trash" episodes to building a mission-driven show that's already generating buzz in the talent acquisition space.

 If you're considering launching a podcast (solo or with a partner), thinking about content creation as an HR professional, or simply want to understand what it takes to bui...

In this bonus episode, recorded live at SHRM 2025, Rhona Pierce interviews Haggai, co-founder of Bites, a platform revolutionizing training and communication for frontline employees. Haggai explains how Bites transforms existing materials into TikTok-style microlearning videos, integrates with popular messaging apps, and achieves high engagement without users needing corporate email addresses. He discusses the unique challenges of training frontline workers, Bites’ seamless user experience, and their positive journey with SHRM Labs. Haggai also shares future plans to directly link training to business outcomes, making learning both engaging and impactful.

What You’ll Learn:

Can you really master LinkedIn monetization and personal branding without quitting your 9–5? Bonnie Dilber proves it’s possible. As a recruiting manager at Zapier and a recognized LinkedIn content creation expert, Bonnie has built a thriving LinkedIn presence of over 440,000 followers—all while leading a recruiting team and managing high-value brand partnerships.

 In this episode, Bonnie reveals the exact LinkedIn content creation strategies that fueled her growth, the boundaries she sets between her personal brand and her employer, and how she evaluates brand deals and monetization opportunities. Discover how to build authentic thought leadership on LinkedIn, handle workpla...

What happens when a trained playwright enters the corporate world? Tara Turk-Haynes, founder of Equity Activations and former VP of DEI and Talent Acquisition, reveals how theatrical storytelling techniques can revolutionize workplace content, build authentic community, and challenge power dynamics from within the system.

In this episode, Tara shares her unique framework for finding story-worthy moments in everyday workplace situations, the difference between content that gets engagement versus content that creates genuine connection, and how to balance truth-telling with strategic relationship building. Whether you're an HR professional, content creator, or workplace leader, you'll walk away with actionable...

What happens when you want to build your personal brand, but your company isn’t on board? This week on the Workfluencer Podcast, Tiffany Tate flips the mic and interviews our host, Rhona Pierce, about what it really takes to grow your influence as a working professional. They dive into how to build a personal brand, protect your career, and create content that resonates without burning out.

If you’ve ever wondered how to start posting, what to share, or how to navigate corporate boundaries, this is the episode for you.

What you’ll learn:

Lorna Erickson and Victoria Gates turned their decades of interviewing expertise into a profitable content business—landing 30+ brand deals worth six figures in under two years. Here's exactly how they did it, plus the tactical steps you can take this week to land your first partnership.

In this episode, Rhona, Victoria & Lorna will discuss:

When HR executive Jessica Winder decided to share her sobriety journey on LinkedIn, her family warned it would destroy her career. Instead, it became her most powerful content and helped hundreds of professionals struggling in silence. In this episode of Workfluencer, Jessica reveals how she built authentic influence while navigating executive roles, why she finally embraced video content after years of resistance, and the real cost of speaking truth to power in corporate America.

Whether you're an individual contributor afraid to post or a leader wanting to enable your team's voices, Jessica's journey from "timid" content creator...

Ever wondered what it really takes to create those polished conference recaps you see flooding LinkedIn?

Rachel Bourne and Lydia Wu teamed up to create daily conference recaps at Unleash America - and what they discovered about event content creation will change how you think about conference coverage. From managing exhaustion while filming to dealing with people walking through your shots, this episode reveals the strategic and chaotic reality behind those polished recaps flooding your LinkedIn feed.

In this episode we cover:

What happens when your newsletter becomes the unofficial therapy session for HR professionals everywhere?

In this episode, Rhona sits down with Hebba Youssef, Chief People Officer at Workweek and the creator of I Hate It Here, one of the most read and reshared newsletters in the People space. Known for her honest tone and spicy memes, Hebba has built a brand that balances leadership credibility with creative chaos.

We unpack what it really looks like to speak truthfully in public while still leading a team, how she balances her executive role with her creator identity...

When candidates ghost your hiring process before the first interview, it’s easy to blame the job market. But what if the real problem is trust?

In this episode of Workfluencer, we’re joined by Meghan Cantrell, Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition at OxBlue, who shares how she tackled candidate ghosting head-on by turning hiring managers into video creators. With no production budget and no marketing team, Meghan used short, authentic hiring manager videos to boost skills assessment completions by 40%, speed up interviews, and land high-converting hires—including a million-dollar rookie.

If you're in rec...

Mike Peditto didn’t plan to go full-time as a content creator—at least not yet. But after building a massive audience with his no-BS job search videos, the timing came sooner than expected.

Now with over 100 million views and a growing community across TikTok, LinkedIn, and Instagram, Mike creates content that job seekers love—and some internet trolls love to hate. In this episode, he shares what it really takes to create content that grabs attention, builds trust, and gets results.

We explore the leap from TA to full-time creator, the chaos behind...

If AI can help you move faster… can it also make you sound just like everyone else?

In this episode—recorded live at Transform—Rhona sits down with Trent Cotton, HR executive, content creator, and certified AI nerd (his words, not ours), to talk about the real risks of letting AI take over your voice.

They get into what authenticity really means in content creation, how to tell if someone’s phoning it in with automation, and why the messy middle—between efficiency and originality—is exactly where creators should be working.

What We Talk Abou...

If HR wants to shape the future of work, it has to be part of the conversation.

At Transform 2025, I sat down with John Baldino—HR exec, speaker, and co-host of But First, Coffee—to talk about why content isn’t just for marketers anymore. We got into what it really means to stay visible without being performative, and how creating content can help HR leaders build trust, attract talent, and show up as more than a job title.

Whether you’re already posting or still thinking about it, this one’s full of honest per...

You’ve seen their posts. You’ve shared their videos. But what’s the real story behind their influence?

This is Workfluencer, a podcast about professionals who use content to challenge norms, create opportunity, and build real momentum — without needing to go “all in” as influencers.

In this trailer episode, host Rhona Barnett-Pierce introduces the show’s mission and what to expect: honest, behind-the-scenes conversations with creators, leaders, and side-hustlers using content to shape careers, spark conversations, and shift entire industries from the inside.

What you’ll hear:

 ✅ How content is becoming...

Work isn’t just what you do anymore—it’s how you show up.

In this solo launch episode, host Rhona Pierce introduces Workfluencer—a podcast about professionals using content to build careers, spark conversations, and challenge how we talk about work.

This isn’t just another podcast. It’s a redefinition of visibility, influence, and impact in today’s workplace.

What you’ll learn:

📍 Learn more: https://workfluencerpodcast.com

Is your team ready for HR tech?

Recruitment technology has never evolved faster—but without a clear strategy, even the best tools can slow you down.

In this episode, I’m joined by Lisa Skinner, CHRO at Teamtailor, live from Transform 2025. We dig into one of the biggest blind spots in talent acquisition today: adopting HR tech without first asking the right questions.

From assessing team readiness to designing people-first systems, Lisa shares what it takes to make tech actually work—for your process, your candidates, and your hiring managers.

Wha...

Are fake candidates on the rise in 2025?

The rise of AI has made fake job applications more sophisticated than ever. In this episode, I’m joined by former FAANG recruiter, Stefanie Fackrell to discuss the rising challenge of candidate catfishing. Discover how AI tools, fake profiles, and interview fraud are impacting hiring teams. 

But instead of focusing on aggressive verification tactics that can harm diversity efforts, discover how to build genuine candidate relationships while protecting your hiring process. Learn why traditional screening methods are failing and get actionable strategies that work without compromising inc...

Create Candidate Email Campaigns using Nurture by Teamtailor link.rhonapierce.com/teamtailor

Learn how to build engaged talent pipelines and drive better hiring outcomes using email nurture campaigns. In this episode, I’m joined by TA Leader Brandon Jeffs. We discuss actionable strategies for recruiters and talent acquisition professionals to personalize their approach, streamline outreach, and create authentic connections with candidates.

Email is more than just a communication tool—it’s a powerful way to nurture candidates at every stage of the hiring funnel. Learn how to map the candidate journey, craft emails that get replie...

Want to build an employee advocacy program but don't know where to start? In this episode, employee advocacy expert Nicole Stephens reveals the frameworks and strategies that actually work, from highly regulated industries to Fortune 50 companies. Learn:

 Nicole shares practical examples from intern to C-suite level, explaining how companies of any size c...

In this episode, we dive deep into employee onboarding with Amy Davies, founder of First 30. Learn why 33% of new hires leave within their first 6 months and how effective onboarding can save companies an average of $390,000 annually in turnover costs. 

Amy shares: 

- Why first impressions are crucial in employee retention 

- How pre-boarding sets the foundation for success 

- The true cost of poor onboarding practices 

- Practical strategies for creating an effective onboarding program 

- Ways to measure and prove onboarding ROI 

- How to...

Around 20% of the population in the US is neurodivergent, yet most hiring processes contain significant barriers for neurodiverse candidates. If you’re not intentional about prioritizing neuro-inclusivity, AI-driven recruiting is going to make this worse!

So how can companies make sure they’re not unintentionally excluding neurodiverse talent?

My guest this week is Tameka Allen, a People & Culture consultant and the founder of ModCulture, a consultancy fostering business success through neuroinclusive work cultures.

In this interview, she emphasizes the importance of creating accessible hiring practices that accommodate diverse...

Are you planning on creating content at the next conference you attend? There's more to conference content than just posting selfies. Mike Peditto shares his real experience creating content at RecFest USA and the practical lessons learned along the way.

You'll learn:

 RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Do your hiring managers trust you? What about your manager? Recruiting is really hard if internal stakeholders don't trust you.

In this episode, I’m joined by Brooke Wheeler, a Talent Acquisition Leader who has mastered the art of building trust internally. She shares insights on building trust with hiring managers, overcoming feelings of being undervalued, and the significance of curiosity in recruitment. Brooke shares personal experiences and insights on empowering teams, managing up, and finding advocates within the workplace, emphasizing that effective communication and a proactive approach are essential for success in talent acquisition.

Are you feeling stuck in your TA career? Dr. Jasmine Escalera reveals how to reinvent yourself without burning it all down.

Dr. Jasmine Escalera is a certified career and life coach with a PhD in Neuropharmacology. She's the founder of The Courage Crew, the only free online community dedicated to supporting women in reinventing their personal and professional lives.

In this conversation, Rhona and Dr. Jasmine discuss topics such as the misconceptions about career reinvention, how to overcome burnout in talent acquisition, redefining success metrics for TA professionals, the power of mi...