Back by popular demand, Bruce Mattos—Senior Director of Talent Acquisition at Phoebe Putney Health System—returns to the show for a candid, high-energy conversation on one of the most frustrating issues in recruitment: candidate ghosting. But Bruce doesn’t just identify the problem—he offers practical, heartfelt strategies to elevate the entire candidate experience and drive long-term talent retention.

Whether you’re leading a TA team, managing hiring at a hospital, or just looking for ways to be more human in your hiring approach, this episode is a must-listen.

What You'll Learn:

🔹 Why Candidate Experience Is a Non-Negotiable
Bruce explains how the first impression sets the tone for retention—and how even executives will walk away from a new job if onboarding is sloppy. From interview prep to Day 1 welcome rituals, Bruce outlines how small touches make a massive difference.

🔹 Creative, Low-Cost Ways to Wow Candidates
Think favorite candy on the table, personalized music in the interview room, or a Starbucks meet-and-greet. Bruce and co-hosts Bo and Luke dive into the power of meaningful moments—and how simple, intentional hospitality can win top talent.

🔹 How to Prevent Ghosting—on Both Sides
Ghosting is rampant, but Bruce believes it’s a symptom of something deeper: a lack of value exchange. He shares how recruiters and hiring managers can maintain engagement with timely follow-ups, honest expectations, and genuine connection.

🔹 The Triangle of Trust
Bruce drops a framework that every recruiter should memorize: the triangle between candidate, recruiter, and hiring manager—with “relationship” at the center. Lose that, and ghosting becomes inevitable. Protect it, and magic happens.

🔹 Military & Sports Lessons Applied to Hiring
From college football recruitment to onboarding lessons from his time in the military, Bruce shares personal stories that reinforce a powerful truth: people remember how you made them feel. Not what you said—how you treated them.

Why You’ll Love This Episode:
Bruce’s combination of humor, heart, and hard truths will have you rethinking your recruitment approach before the episode ends. He’s a straight shooter with a servant’s heart—and he’s here to help healthcare HR pros not just fill roles, but build relationships that last.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts and don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share with your fellow healthcare HR leaders.

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In this inspiring episode of The ASHHRA Podcast, hosts Bo Brabo and Luke Carignan welcome Michael Sloan, CHRO at CommonSpirit Health and author of Unlocking Talent: The Hidden Strengths That Build Extraordinary Teams and Cultures. With oversight of 11 hospitals, 16 clinics, and 8,000 employees, Michael brings a bold and fresh perspective to healthcare HR leadership.

From his beginnings as a prosecutor and labor attorney to leading human resources in one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the country, Michael shares his unconventional journey—and how it shaped his people-first philosophy.

What You’ll Learn:

• The “IT Factor” in Talent
  Discover why subject-matter expertise isn’t enough—and how intangibles like curiosity, resilience, and humility are what truly build high-performing teams.
• Lessons from the Courtroom
  Michael explains how his litigation background taught him to read people, build trust, and resolve conflict—essential skills for today’s HR leaders.
• Redefining Leadership Accountability
  Why great leaders don’t “meet halfway”—they take 100% responsibility for the relationships they build and the teams they develop.
• How to Spot Hidden Talent
  Learn how to go beyond resumes and credentials to identify and cultivate talent in overlooked employees.
• Building Culture Through Action
  Michael unpacks the relationship between culture and strategy, explaining how leaders must create space for growth, mistakes, and meaningful contributions.
• Insights from the Book
  Unlocking Talent isn’t just another leadership book—it’s a call to recognize and elevate the unseen strengths within your organization.

Favorite Quotes:

🗣️ “People may not come to the table with everything fully developed, but it’s your job as a leader to help bring it out.”

🗣️ “If you want the best team, look beyond credentials—look for tenacity, curiosity, and people who make others better.”

🗣️ “In HR, it’s all about the human side. Relationships move the needle in healthcare.”

Perfect For:

• Healthcare HR leaders
• Hospital executives
• Talent acquisition professionals
• Leadership coaches
• Anyone striving to build extraordinary teams

🎧 Tune in now and start seeing the hidden strengths in your own team. Michael’s wisdom will challenge how you hire, lead, and think about people—whether you're in healthcare or not.

🔗 Don’t forget to check out Unlocking Talent on Amazon or wherever you buy books.

From our sponsors...

Unlock Pharmacy Plan Potential!

Your employees expect top-tier medical benefits, like comprehensive care access. But how can you balance these expectations against rising costs, across your full benefits portfolio? Did you know that hospital employees fill 25% more prescriptions each year than other industries? How can you tell if all those prescriptions were needed, or if you could have had significant cost savings by filling at your own hospital pharmacies?

Contact RxBenefits today to learn more: https://rxbene.fit/3ZaurZN

Simplify screening, credentialing & compliance with oneBADGEhealthcare from ISB Global. Built for healthcare HR leaders. Learn more & get started here: https://isbglobalservices.com/onebadgeunitedstates/ashhra/

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In this powerful and candid conversation, hosts Bo Brabo and Luke Carignan sit down with Billy Parsons, Chief Human Resources Officer at EyeCare Partners and a U.S. Navy veteran, to explore the real work of leading people—and the defining career moments that shape HR excellence.

From Submarines to C-Suite: Billy’s Unconventional Journey
Billy’s career path defies convention. From life in the Navy's tight quarters to HR leadership roles across healthcare, tech, and retail, he’s earned his stripes the hard way. In this episode, he opens up about the lessons he learned as an HR department of one, the power of mentorship, and why starting from the ground up gave him a PhD in leadership—without ever stepping foot in a classroom.

💡 Leadership Gold You’ll Hear:

• “Professional maturity” and why the ability to receive feedback without ego is critical to career growth.
• How to develop honest, feedback-rich cultures where both leaders and employees actually grow.
• A raw story about being “ripped to shreds” by a state inspector—and how it became Billy’s most pivotal career moment.
• Why empathy, courage, and transparency are non-negotiable in healthcare HR.
• The true value of building policy with flexibility and heart—especially when human lives are involved.

🔥 Favorite Quote:

“Sometimes really getting your rear kicked can do a lot for your career.” – Billy Parsons

Why This Episode Matters for You:
Whether you’re a one-person HR team, a tenured leader, or navigating the politics of a complex health system, Billy’s journey will hit home. His grounded, no-fluff advice reminds us that great HR isn’t about perfection—it’s about resilience, humility, and choosing growth every single time.

Thank you for listening!

Bo & Luke

From our sponsors...

Unlock Pharmacy Plan Potential!

Your employees expect top-tier medical benefits, like comprehensive care access. But how can you balance these expectations against rising costs, across your full benefits portfolio? Did you know that hospital employees fill 25% more prescriptions each year than other industries? How can you tell if all those prescriptions were needed, or if you could have had significant cost savings by filling at your own hospital pharmacies?

Contact RxBenefits today to learn more: https://rxbene.fit/3ZaurZN

Simplify screening, credentialing & compliance with oneBADGEhealthcare from ISB Global. Built for healthcare HR leaders. Learn more & get started here: https://isbglobalservices.com/onebadgeunitedstates/ashhra/

Support the show