Remote Work Advocacy w/ Casey Forbes ~ HigherHer Ep. 34

[00:00:00] We know, we know, another recruiting podcast, just what the world needed, right? But hear us out. Welcome to Hire Her, the podcast where women and talent don't just have a seat at the table, they're running the whole damn meeting. If you've ever been talked over in a strategy session, had your hiring insights ignored until middle management Brad repeated them, or just wondered why the people shaping the workforce don't actually reflect the workforce, this one's for you.

[00:00:28] We're bringing you bold conversations, real career stories, and the kind of no BS recruiting talk you actually want to hear. So buckle up, because we're about to flip the script on talent leadership one episode at a time. Hello everybody, and welcome to today's episode of Hire Her.

[00:00:56] We are a podcast put on by Talent Collective, and Talent Collective is a community for women in the talent acquisition world. We're really, really excited to have a new guest here today, Casey Forbes. I'll let her introduce herself a little bit more in a moment, but just high level. So Casey has been in the world of TA for the past seven years.

[00:01:18] She's been supporting a variety of different global tech companies, and she's currently at Testlio, which is a remote-first software testing company. She also is, this is really cool and very interesting to me, of course, but she's co-founder of another global TA networking community called Totally TA. So really, really excited to get to know you more today here, Casey. So I will pass it over to you. Tell us a little bit about, you know, how you got into talent acquisition, a little bit about your journey and what you're doing now.

[00:01:49] Yeah, absolutely. Thank you so much for the warm introduction. So as Krista says, I have been in TA for, wow, I am reaching seven years. And when I went to the University of Tampa, right before I graduated, I think it was a week before, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I was doing marketing administration for the hospitality industry because that's really big in Florida.

[00:02:13] And I was kind of panicking and I reached out to my dad and he's like, have you ever heard of recruitment? I feel like you kind of have the personality for it. I mean, seriously, since seven years later, I have been in this industry and I've been loving it. Before Testlio, I have been working for global tech companies, hiring all around the world, you name it, Amir, Amia, and now APAC. So that's been super exciting.

[00:02:39] And like Krista says, I am also not just in talent acquisition, but I am also a community lead slash co-founder for another TA community, which has been wonderful. And we have TAs from all around the world. And I say, if you have to describe me in a couple words, I like to consider my people connector, empathetic storyteller, and community builder because I love what I do and I'm definitely not afraid to show it. Yeah, I love that. I love that. Well, thank you. Yeah, I think there's a lot of us that can identify with that.

[00:03:07] People connector piece, people that are connectors tend to find themselves in TA. And whenever I talk with someone that's not in TA, that's a people connector, I'm like, have you ever considered recruiting? Yeah, exactly. Awesome. Well, let's get into it. We're going to start you off with kind of a serious question and, you know, go deep a little bit. So what has been something in your life, maybe career or personal, that has been maybe a more serious challenge for you?

[00:03:36] Something that was really difficult for you to go through. We all have challenges. We're all human. And yeah, we'd love to hear a little bit about that situation. Yeah, absolutely. Wow. First off, I appreciate this question because I never get asked this. So I have to say the first thing that comes to my mind is, you know, one of the biggest challenges in my career. And since I've actually just recently overcome this and, you know, life is not perfect, I'm always going to try to improve and figure, you know, that's just life.

[00:04:04] But one thing that I struggled with was honestly transitioning out of the traditional nine to five corporate job into a fully remote career. You know, something that would give me the flexibility and the freedom to be the digital nomad and remote work advocate I am today. And I will say that the biggest turning point for me, and this was something I struggled with for years.

[00:04:29] You know, I couldn't figure out, you know, you know what to do or how to get into this field. And I was always told remote work is just a pipe dream. You know, this is something that's reserved for the most qualified, the most worthy. And I felt like it was just impossible, you know, to get into something like this because it is really niche and it is challenging. And, you know, especially now with talent acquisition and how niche it is, you know, and all the layoffs, it felt impossible for years.

[00:04:58] But the biggest turning point for me was when I stopped waiting for things to align perfectly, you know, and started surrounding myself with people, truly started to surround myself with people that were doing exactly what I wanted to do and that were living the life that I wanted. And it did take a lot of time. It took a ton of networking calls. It took, you know, saying yes to so many projects, projects that I'm very proud of. But, you know, I put a lot of work into, you know, getting to where I am today.

[00:05:28] But at the end of the day, I stopped waiting for everything to align perfectly. Oh, I have to get this certain job and, you know, be on this certain path. And I need to be, you know, like I just stopped worrying about that and also stopped worrying about what others thought. I want to take a break real quick just to let you know about a new show we've just added to the network. Up Next at Work, hosted by Gene and Kate Akil of The Devon Group. Fantastic show.

[00:05:58] If you're looking for something that pushes the norm, pushes the boundaries, has some really spirited conversations. Google Up Next at Work, Gene and Kate Akil from The Devon Group. Which was always, you know, as someone who, you know, I'm known to be emotional and I do wear my heart on my sleeve. And, you know, that was also a really big obstacle is just stop caring what people think. And I started really pursuing like what I wanted.

[00:06:24] And then on top of that challenge was finding a way to take my remote career abroad to live overseas. I, fun fact, I used to live overseas with my family a very long time ago. And since then, I've always wanted to go back. I've always felt that longing and that pull to come back to Europe. And that was always really challenging to navigate. And I did join companies that I had remote jobs, but I wasn't allowed to go abroad full time.

[00:06:53] So figuring out and overcoming that was a huge obstacle. But thanks to my new role, you know, and being the remote advocate and building that brand around myself and becoming a remote, I don't want to say expert, but becoming someone that has a lot of knowledge in this area. I've been able to land a fully remote role that does allow me to work from anywhere. Thank you, Tesleo.

[00:07:19] And so I finally am able to overcome that challenge this summer, actually, and move to Spain. So all of these experiences that have taught me to wrap it up is, you know, just being patient and being resilient and having that self-belief and trusting that things will fall into place if I keep showing up and pushing myself and doing the work.

[00:07:40] So in a nutshell, that is something I've overcome or, you know, you know, life's not perfect, but, you know, I'm sure there's another challenge waiting for me. I'm sure there is, but that's something I'm very proud of. Well, you know what they say. Life is more about how we respond to the challenges than the actual circumstance themselves, right? Yeah, absolutely. You mentioned so many things in your answer that I'd love to, you know, maybe drill in a little bit on some of these.

[00:08:10] But you mentioned like surrounding yourself by the right people. So how did you actually go about doing that in order to either, you know, get a role in TA or get the right role in TA? Like what did you actually do to make that happen? Yeah, no, that's a great question. And for a long time, I was doing it wrong. And when I say when I was doing it wrong, I was asking.

[00:08:38] I kept asking for things and I kept reaching out and I wasn't showing my value in the way that I do now. And so what I did and what has helped me was I slowed down and started focusing on building really, truly genuine relationships, very genuine and lasting. Back then, you know, years ago, I was I felt so desperate and I felt so anxious.

[00:09:02] You know, I just wanted to to resolve my problems and overcome my obstacles very quickly, you know, because it's very normal to feel very anxious and sometimes desperate. I felt desperate, you know, and I didn't know like how to approach it in the right way. But once I figured out to slow down, one of my former managers told me slow down to speed up.

[00:09:23] And that's something that I have to tell myself every single day because coming from staffing and being also, you know, having a lot of sense of urgency already, like in TA and as a recruiter, I needed to slow down. And so how I did that was, you know, I need the time and effort to reach out to these people, contribute to their work, volunteer to offer help, free help. I never asked for anything in return for a really, really long time. I showed support in their work.

[00:09:53] I showed up, you know. Hey, this is William Tincup and I'd like to talk to you a little bit about Practitioner Corner podcast. It's a wonderful podcast about the journey of the paths of how practitioners, both HR and TA, kind of go from high school, college, all the way to where they are right now. Some of the things that they've learned, how they've been successful, people that thrive around them, etc. It's a fun podcast. You'll love it. You'll learn from it. Subscribe to it. Thanks.

[00:10:23] Demonstrating, you know, how much I valued and appreciated, you know, what they were doing. And I was and I became very curious, again, not looking for a quick fix, but trying to take a really more genuine and empathetic approach. Just being human. Right. That's how we're remembered. And so. So, yeah. Yeah. And then over time, doors started to open because I wasn't just immediately asking for things anymore. You know, I really wanted to offer and show value in unique ways.

[00:10:51] And that right there over time just started opening up doors, whether it was opportunities or getting referred, you know. And that's actually like how I got, you know, to where I am today. So just finding ways to add value in small ways for a long period of time. I know it's the long game and people don't always like to do that. But that's why you have to be patient and just trust in the process.

[00:11:18] So I would say, yeah, those those things right there is kind of, you know, the approach I took. Love it. Thanks. So I was just hearing you talk and it's like super empowering, especially for women to hear this. So I'm wondering if in a nutshell, you can recap, like what were those essential skills that you think you cultivated to make all of this happen? Like what really helped you achieve this flexibility?

[00:11:47] Maybe some recommendations that people can take away from it if they wanted to kind of put this into action themselves. Yeah. Especially women, right? If there's things specific to being a woman. Yes, absolutely. So I would say that some of the skills that I've obtained over time and I'm constantly trying to improve and embody in myself is, you know, number one is having confidence with humility.

[00:12:11] So trusting my own voice and but staying open to learning and feedback, very being very receptive to feedback is huge. I was always asking for that and always came across as very open minded. And, you know, because people tend to want to work with those types of people rather than this is my way or the highway or stay in your lane. You know, you have to be very open minded, you know, you have to be very open minded, but also confident to and trusting your own voice and sticking to your why.

[00:12:37] I also believe another really important skill to have is, you know, having that emotional intelligence. So, you know, my approach is always leading with empathy, you know, being a trying to be a very good active listener and communicating very clearly. Again, sticking and trusting my gut and staying true to my why. And then one of my favorite skills, something that is so, so important is simply resilience, you know.

[00:13:04] So I and I will say, you know, it I will be the first to admit it has not been easy. It hasn't been easy for a really, really long time. And that's why I'm a really big advocate on betraying on LinkedIn that there have been a lot of challenging times I've gotten made fun of, you know, for being a remote advocate. I've been told no thousands of times. I've told that it was impossible. I've told that I needed to wait my turn and sit back and stay in my lane.

[00:13:33] And you know what? And I and I decided finally, I'm like, no, I'm not going to take that as an answer, you know. And that's why I go back to surrounding yourself with people that align to where you're going. It's OK to let go of those people and environments that are just not aligned anymore. I've out like the short answer is I've just simply outgrew that traditional nine to five overworking myself type of ordeal.

[00:14:00] So staying resilient, being able to bounce back after countless of no's and being able to bounce back from setbacks and keep leading through the uncertainty. Resilience, especially as women, you know, it's very, very important because we do get told no a lot. And then just this one other thing I like to add that is important is also, of course, leading with integrity and authenticity.

[00:14:23] So I'm always going to be now a very big advocate with staying true to my values and showing up as my full self. Because I feel like at the end of the day, you know, there's a lot of fake things out there and Instagram or any sort of social media. People are always advertising their best selves. I've achieved this. I've done this. Everything is great. Everything has been so easy. And I'm just one of those people like I resonate more with the ones that are just real.

[00:14:52] You know, they show up in a very genuine, very authentic way. And it's allowed me to keep pushing forward. Despite all the challenges and the obstacles, it's allowed me to be like, you know what? If that person that I admire, if she overcame all of those things and is, you know, I could do that too. So that's what kept me going. It are those those key factors right there. Okay, can you tell us more about being made fun of? Oh, my gosh. Yes. Yes. What is that?

[00:15:22] So, you know, it's funny because I so, you know, before my job at Teslio, I worked in a very, very traditional corporate environment for years. You know, like I said, I was in TA for for seven years. And this is the first time where, you know, I'm truly, truly working for a remote first company. And it's very, very different environment.

[00:15:47] So when I started gaining the confidence, the guts to start telling people, you know, like, I want to move abroad. I want to take my work abroad. Like, I'm a remote advocate. I always felt like I was being rebellious. And one of my friends, Michelle, who is the founder of Remote Rebellion, who I who I joined and participated in her program. And it was amazing. But I always felt kind of like the rebel of the company, you know.

[00:16:16] Yes, I did a good job and I did what I needed to do. But every time I would kind of mention those things, you know, you kind of get the side comments and, oh, like, I don't think that's possible. Like, oh, that's funny. Oh, yeah, I don't. Yeah, that's definitely not going to happen. Yeah. And I won't say specific, you know, let's just say I was kind of judged. But that's OK, because it wasn't very traditional with what I wanted.

[00:16:46] So I just kind of let those things go over time. I mean, I also even sometimes I would get made fun of from, you know, friends and, you know, sometimes family. They'd be like, why do you want this? Like, you know, some people are just more traditional and or more office advocates. And so I'm not saying remote work isn't, you know, remote work isn't for everyone, but it's something I wanted.

[00:17:12] So, yeah, I would definitely get the side glances or the rolling of the eyes. Like, yeah, OK, like that's definitely not going to happen. But I ignored it. And but now look where I am. Mm hmm. You're an early adopter and that happens with every kind of new trend. And so good for you. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you so much. I learned it. We're still growing, though. That's perfect. I won't sit here and say, yeah, my life is perfect. But it's definitely not. And I still have, you know, a long way to go.

[00:17:41] But at least now I'm a lot more clear with with my vision and what I want out of my life. So it's been it's a good feeling to have to finally stick to something that I genuinely want. Love that. That's great. Thank you for sharing all of that, Casey. Let's shift over to talking about recruiting. And I'm curious to hear just in this market, you know, even still finding really good talent, but then also retaining amazing talent at any given company can be really challenging.

[00:18:11] So what's something that you've tried and had success with? Yes. Great question. So something I have found success with and as I mentioned, and I like this is something that is branded like I I am an empathetic person. OK, I can't hide it. I wear my heart on my sleeve and I always try to treat people the way that I would want to be treated. So I would say something I found success is by being just a true advocate for people.

[00:18:40] And what that means to me is showing up consistently across over time and leading with empathy, not just when it's easy, but especially when it's not. You know what I mean? And, you know, I truly believe as human beings, we all want to feel heard and seen and understood and valued. And that's the kind of environment that I strive to create every single day, whether it's in my community or whether it's in my job or whether it's with my family and friends, my personal life.

[00:19:10] Like I want to show up and I want to make sure everyone is feeling seen and understood and they feel important, you know, because we need that. And so for me, it's not just about the paychecks or the perks. Yes, they're great. And a lot of reasons why we, you know, it definitely is an added bonus. Right. But it all starts with trust. And that begins with the very first conversation when I speak with candidates. You know, I'm always very honest and transparent about expectations, company culture, opportunities for growth.

[00:19:40] But just as importantly, I take the time to really listen. You know, so I trying to understand what each candidate needs, what they hope for, what matters most to them. You know, and as someone after they join the team, I make it a priority to stay connected and not just about work, you know, because there's more to life than just work, you know, but about how they're really doing, you know.

[00:20:02] So I believe in giving people real ownership over their work and creating a space where their ideas are heard and valued and actually acted on. And some of the best managers I have had have done this for me. And as hopefully a future, whether it's a TA lead or whatever kind of leader that life may have in store for me, like that's what I would hope for. And so when people feel seen, trusted and empowered, they don't just stick around.

[00:20:29] They grow and they contribute more deeply and they help shape a culture that others actually want to be a part of. So, yeah. All right. Well, thanks for that. Yeah. The empathy, I think we sometimes will ask questions of our listeners about like qualities and women leaders and, you know, what really differentiates men from women in leadership roles.

[00:20:56] And empathy is usually one of those qualities that comes out for a quality of a woman leader. And that, you know, that's just something that I think runs through a lot of our veins and is very natural to us. And I think I've been big on like leaning into your feminine energy and your feminine side and leading from that natural place rather than trying to like box yourself into a more masculine energy.

[00:21:26] Because I think that's where a lot of women think that they're going to thrive or think that they're going to get success because that's what a lot of us have been told too, right? You get kind of like positively reinforced for some of those behaviors. But I love that you're really leaning into what comes naturally to you and that you found success with that. And I'm sure all the people that you work with really appreciate that as well. Well, thank you. So, yeah, I can't agree more with you, Krista. Okay, this is going to be our last question.

[00:21:53] I'd love to hear a little bit more about Totally TA and what it provides to the community of talent acquisition professionals and even job seekers. I was noticing that you guys do supportive type stuff for job seekers. So can you tell us a little bit more about the community? Yes, absolutely. I love this question. So this community was founded by me and my co-founder, Tom Brown, who is in the lovely country of Scotland.

[00:22:20] And so, and as you both know, like TA has been a real challenge these last couple of years. There's been mass layoffs left and right. And I know so many qualified people in TA from around the world that are still looking after six months, a year, two years. And so the whole goal behind Totally TA and building this community was simply bringing back the human element of TA.

[00:22:47] And all the things I've learned for my personal self and how to successfully network and build relationships, those are so crucial. I think networking is one of the most important things you can do in our field nowadays, especially if you want help to get to where you want to be. And so I wanted to, me and Tom wanted to create a space where it's easily accessible for people to do just that.

[00:23:10] So what the community actually offers is number one, monthly masterclasses going over a variety of topics, you know, trends in 2025, employer branding, AI. We've had guest speakers. We're going to have a guest speaker from Zapier, from remote, from these great companies.

[00:23:31] And these masterclasses are hosted from really amazing TA leaders from around the world, just, you know, sharing their insights and giving advice to everyone in the community. And everyone in the community, by the way, it covers North, South America, Latin America, all over Europe. And now we are expanding in our APAC region. And we have about over 500 members now in four or five months, which is really exciting.

[00:23:58] And we host these masterclasses because I don't want people to only just listen to me and Tom, right? You know, it's important to gain other perspectives as well from very thought industry leaders in TA. Another thing we offer is I share now on a biweekly basis, curated and vetted jobs in talent acquisition on a global scale. And because I'm a remote advocate, I'm constantly sharing remote opportunities. Again, I are fully vetted. Yeah. From a lot of research.

[00:24:27] And then on a weekly basis, we host what we call Talent Seeker Connect calls hosted by a member that we brought in, Martin, where on a weekly basis, he's supporting the job seekers that are in the community, whether you're in the U.S. or Europe or wherever you are in the world, going over a variety of different topics to aid them in their job search.

[00:24:49] Whether that's resume crafting or networking strategies, you know, anything that comes to mind, that's what those calls are meant for. And we're constantly evolving and building the community. So, you know, we try to be as interactive as possible and take any suggestions as possible. But yeah, basically at the end of the day, we just wanted to bring back the human element of, you know, of our roles.

[00:25:13] And that's why we also do host biweekly virtual coffee chats as well or monthly coffee chats just to create a space where like people like you and I can just simply like this and get to know each other. And the community is filled with people who are working, not working, whether you're just starting TA or you've been in TA for 20, 30 plus years. It's for everyone in TA and recruitment.

[00:25:35] Beautiful. That's very similar to why we started doing what we did is to really bring back that connection, the human element. And to clarify, so the job seeker meetup or meeting is for job seekers, not just in TA. So everyone in the community, great question. Everyone in the community has to be in TA or in recruitment.

[00:25:58] They're, you know, because there are a lot of really amazing groups out there, but we wanted to be specialized and niche and we want to be relevant. That's the biggest thing. We want to be relevant. And so these, so everyone in the community is in TA and recruitment and these calls are tailored towards TAs and recruiters that are currently job hunting or just got impacted or they're thinking about leaving their current job.

[00:26:23] You know, everyone's situation is different, but it is a weekly support call where you hop on whether you're here or there. And Martin is amazing at what he does and he gives incredible advice tailored specifically towards people in our field. Thanks for clarifying. I wanted to make sure we weren't sending people that weren't TA professionals. Well, this was amazing. We should also talk further about collaborating on, you know, some opportunities in the future.

[00:26:53] But thank you, Casey, for joining us today and sharing all of your knowledge and wisdom and more about the community. For all of those tuning in, thanks for listening. Be sure to like, share, subscribe. You can find the video version of this on YouTube. And until next, next time, we'll see you soon. Bye, everyone. Bye. Love the convo? Then don't stop here.

[00:27:21] Check out Talent Collective, where badass women in recruiting connect, grow, and maybe, just maybe, take over the world. Hit that subscribe button, share with your crew, and let's keep proving that talent isn't just a pipeline problem. It's a leadership revolution. See you next time. Unless you're ghosting us like that candidate who swore they were excited about the offer.