TTB - Robyn Vasko
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[00:00:00]
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Hello everyone, and welcome to today's episode of "The Talent Bar." I'm really excited to have our guest today. She has been in talent acquisition for over 25 years, and in that time she's led recruiting for some of the largest healthcare systems in the country. talking organizations that have 14 hospitals, 40,000 employees, and are hiring over 10,000 people a year. And then about a year and a half ago, life threw her something nobody really plans for. Um, we'll talk a little bit more about that, but, um, she is a healthy, um, stage four cancer survivor, um, as of today, and really [00:01:00] grateful for, for having her here and her, uh, willingness to share her experience about that. On the TA side, um, that obviously gave her a, a dual lens. A lot of things, um, people don't have, especially when she's been recruiting the people who work in healthcare, and now she's seen the other side of that and how important it is to hire the best people. She's currently the director of talent strategy and consulting at the Talent Advisory.
Robin Vasko, welcome to the show.
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Well, hello, and thank you so much for giving me an opportunity to do this. Um, as you mentioned, I had a little bit of a curveball last year, and so getting to rejoin the outside world is like therapy for me
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: So, um, would love to hear, you know, obviously, uh, y- we said, uh, you know, a year and a half ago you had, um, or you've had a last year and a half that would stop a lot of people. Like, tell us a little bit more about what you're willing to share about that.
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Sure, sure. Um, so before [00:02:00] this, um, I was a completely and utterly healthy human being. I was one of those people who, you know, you call the primary care doctor just to make sure you stay a patient. Um, you know, hadn't had any surgeries, hadn't had any-- was not on medications, hadn't had any procedures. Um, you know, and I kinda thought, you know, "Woo-hoo!"
like, "I must have some secret here." Um, and then, um, in April of last year, so April of 2025, I thought I had a UTI, and so I let that UTI sorta ruminate for a little bit. Um, and then it started to get weird, and so I ended up going to the emergency room, which is nothing that I would ever do. Um, you know, first of all, I-- as you mentioned, I worked in healthcare staffing, so I knew a lot about how busy healthcare, uh, emergency rooms are.
Um, so I knew, you know, I'm gonna be there a long time, and I'm also kind of afraid because I know when I walk out, they're going to give me [00:03:00] an answer. Um, but I went and I walked out, um, with a, you know, CT scan and a stage four colon cancer diagnosis. Um, I had a tumor that had gotten so big, what it had done is punched a hole in my bladder, and what had led me to that emergency room was that eventually my pee had turned brown, and this might be TMI for folks listening.
Um, I get it. Um, totally get it.
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Though
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Um, but you know, uh, they sent me to my local cancer center here in Buffalo, New York, which is amazing. Um, and I began this journey that I never ever pictured, you know? And, um, we often say when things happen to us, you know, "I didn't see that coming. Not me." But I realize that's a really dumb thing to say because why [00:04:00] not me, right?
Yeah. Um, and so, you know, all of last year, 2025, I was home. I had to have everything rerouted, which meant I had to have an initial surgery, uh, with what they call nephrostomy tubes. They're these fun little tubes that start in your kidney, and they come out of your back, um, and then all of your urine is in two separate bags, and then a colostomy bag on the front, um, which obviously is your stool.
Um, and so, you know, I came home with a lot of stuff attached to me and had to start to process, you know, this, this, this new reality
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah. Wow. I know, um... Well, thank you for sharing all that and, you know, I, I feel like in situations like this, whatever you're willing to share, it's never TMI because it's just the reality of, of what you've had to deal with and go through, and maybe it helps someone else, you know, say, "Maybe I should... [00:05:00] This weird thing's happening to me, too.
Maybe I should do something, um, about it." And so, um, appreciate you sharing that, and really excited and glad that you're, you're feeling better and, um, sounds like you're on the upswing.
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Yeah. And you know what's interesting, I was just telling my husband this the other day, um, I mentally am starting to feel, like, so much brighter, and I didn't realize... I think sometimes when you're in the midst of a crisis, your adrenaline kicks in, and you're not always aware of exactly how bad you're feeling.
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: isn't till you come out the other side that you can compare those experiences and realize, "Oh, wait a minute," you know, "I was feeling pretty bad." Um, you know, I, I, I will say, and I will turn this into a 30-second PSA to be helpful. I will say this that, you know, um, for people, um, I should have gotten a colonoscopy.
So I will say that to people, like, those things are important to do. [00:06:00] You should get your colonoscopy if your doctor has told you to do that recently, and you're like, "Meh," do it.
Um- Yeah
had I done that, you know, in the last couple years, they would've found that tumor much quicker. Um- Yeah ... but to wrap that part up, the good news is I did do treatment.
Um, I did six months of chemotherapy. I did 27 days in a row of radiation, and there was supposed to be this big surgery at the end of that to remove what was left of the tumor, and when they went to look for that tumor, it was gone.
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Wow
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: And so here I am
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah. Wow. Such an incredible story. Um, I know one of the things you shared is during that time you actually landed a contract role with a recruiting team while you were doing your chemotherapy treatments, and you said the company knew and they hired you anyway.
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Yeah. Yeah
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: did that mean to you, and h- how do you think that helped?
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Yeah. I, I love that you remember that detail because I, I [00:07:00] think it's important for anyone, whether you're a hiring manager, a regular person, or a company and you happen across this, this podcast. Um, you know, so I had gotten the diagnosis, I came home, I was all hooked up to things. I knew that I was gonna have to do, um, all this treatment, and I was scrolling on LinkedIn, and I saw this advertisement, and they wanted somebody, it was a contract role, to do talent acquisition leadership of a team, which I had, and they wanted this very specific experience.
They wanted somebody who had experience leading a healthcare recruiting team and also a recruiting team in the school sys- the colleges.
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Mm-hmm.
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: So I said to my husband, I showed him, I'm like, "Should I apply for this?" Like, "Would this be like, you know, a waste of my time?" And he's like, "Do it. What..." You know. And I was like, "All right, I'm gonna, I'm gonna reach out, but I don't expect them to hire me because I will have to disclose my situation.
I need to go to chemo every other [00:08:00] week. I need to tell people about that." And so submitted my resume. The recruiter hopped on the phone with me. I was a perfect match. I told her, and she said, "I don't care. I'm gonna submit you anyway." Um, and so when I got, you know, on the phone with the client, I didn't talk about that because I assumed the recruiter had probably disclosed it.
When I got the offer to do the job, I said to the recruiter, "Do they know?" And she said, "Oh yeah, they know. They don't care either."
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: it was really, um, amazing. And that contract role that I did, I ended up doing it for, um, 90 days during chemo. It really was much more than a job, Colleen. It was, it was a lifesaver,
uh, because it meant for me mentally, I could think about something else.
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: I could feel whole for a minute. I could, you know, be part of a team, um, and, and feel productive. And so it was fabulous, and I, I almost hated for that [00:09:00] contract to end because the person who had made that decision to hire someone in my situation anyway was a gem. Um, you know, and I, and I, you know, couldn't have been more grateful.
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I have to imagine, like you said, it just really helped give you some good distraction, um, to take your mind off and, and allowed you to, like you said, just keep exercising that part of your brain that, you know, was doing something you've loved for so many years.
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Definitely
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: y- you said, you know, obviously now that you have spent...
You know, you've spent your career hiring in the healthcare system, and now you're- you spent a lot of time being a patient inside one. Like, how does that dual lens change the way you think about healthcare hiring now?
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Well, I'll tell you what, it changes everything. Um, you know, before, you know, I'm leading a team of recruiters, and on our sheet we have, um, at the last healthcare system that I was at, you mentioned 14 hospitals, we literally had 4,000 requisitions. [00:10:00] Um, and, and that's what they were on paper, a requisition, a role, a vacancy, an opening, right?
Um, it's like radiation tech, front desk person, phlebotomist, right? And that, that's what it was. And after I became a patient and I entered that cancer center, um, right away that patient registration person was completely different to me now. She was now a person sitting across from another person who is terrified and starting this journey, and she was amazing.
She's like, "Oh, honey," you know? And, like, just right away set the tone for that experience, and right away, right in the door made me feel like, "Okay, there's real humans inside of this building." Um, when I went for chemo, the infusion nurses, um, [00:11:00] you're sitting there for, you know, hours at a time, um, and they come over and they were so lovely, and they, um, you know, talk all about their lives and they ask you about yours, and they, um, are so accommodating, "What do you need, honey?
What do you need?" And I'm like, "Do you have, like, Cherry Coke?" They're like, "Yeah, we got Cherry Coke." You know? Um, you know, and, and they, they were so amazing. And then, you know, I did radiation and, you know, th- those folks are not just putting somebody on and off a table, okay? I was, when I tell you terrified, that's probably not good enough of a word
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: how afraid of radiation I was.
And just to walk in the door because you hear all these terrible things about radiation, and about to get on the table, and these people, like, receive you and tell you it's gonna be okay, and help you up, and chat with you. And, you know, I can't really put into words [00:12:00] because it's not really words.
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: a, it's a feeling. Um, but they make you feel like you're okay because we got you.
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah, we got you
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: And that really changed everything for me. And the other thing that changed for me was not only did I have the ability to translate, you know, roles and words on paper into what the humans were about, I also got to see the stress and the strain,
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Mm-hmm. For them.
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: For them, which is not something that I think a talent acquisition team is really gonna understand.
Um, there were times when, you know, my s- my surgeon, who was wonderful, who made all the right treatment decisions, he would come in the room, and he would be sitting there, and he would yawn. And I didn't take that like, "Well, why is he yawning?" I read that as, he's tired. He's exhausted. He's probably done three [00:13:00] surgeries today, and he's got how many patients after me, right?
Um, that are scared, that are terrified, that he might have to have a terrible conversation with, right? And so I realized that those healthcare workers, they don't just do a task. They carry the weight of the human in front of them, the human emotions, the human struggle, and they have to go home with that
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: your experience make you wanna stay in healthcare recruiting or, or do something
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Yeah. I have been thinking a lot about that, and I've first been thinking it's a blessing to get to think about that.
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: but I've been thinking about that and I thought, you know, I don't know that I wanna do the exact same thing as I was doing because I do see things differently.
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Mm-hmm.
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: I would love to go back into a healthcare system, a hospital [00:14:00] system, and provide some consulting to the folks who are, you know, in charge of making decisions, and help share some of the things that I saw along my journey that I think would make a big difference in staff retention,
um, in staff engagement, um, in hiring people that really are a fit for those roles.
Um, because, you know, I think healthcare hit this proverbial wall and crisis right after COVID, right? Um, and you saw a lot of people leaving healthcare, and you saw huge shortages and those kinds of things, and I don't know that we've fully recovered. We might have more candidates now. We've pivoted now to hiring more graduate nurses.
We've done things to fill the roles, but the one thing that I don't think that any healthcare system has solved just yet is the retention issue [00:15:00] and the weight of the load. Um, and I think that really can be helped by connecting the dots between the patient and somebody who's been on the other side.
Does that make sense?
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah, totally. Um, yeah, I mean, healthcare's very interesting, you know, and, and obviously there's a lot of talk right now with what's AI gonna do to jobs and all this. And if you look, there's so many nuances, right? Even if you look at job, different jobs reports, and the economy's been adding jobs, but you have to dig into the, to the details.
And one thing that has been clear, and I think continues to be over the last couple of years, is they're expecting a pretty significant shortage in terms of, especially in healthcare roles, nursing roles, some of the, you know, frontline clinical, um, type of roles. think that's a great thing to be thinking about because obviously [00:16:00] one of the best ways to ensure you have the amount of caretakers you need is to retain the ones that you've got and, and make it seem like a, a job that people wanna do.
And I think you're right. You know, my s- my sister works in healthcare. She was, um, working in the ED at Stanford during the pandemic. You know, that's-- I, I've seen how, how stressful, um, can be for, for people, and I don't think people have gotten back out of the, um, the halo and that... You know, obviously I'm not a frontline clinical, um, healthcare professional, so that's just my point of view on it. But yeah, I think that's, that's a really smart, um, to think about what you wanna do in the future and what, what are some examples of some of the stuff that you, you think could be better in terms of driving better retention?
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Well, I mean, I do think it starts with looking at the hiring process, right? And I've always been a proponent of being a TA leader for as long as I have. [00:17:00] You know, retention starts at recruiting, and a lot of people will argue that and say, "Well, retention doesn't start until they get there." But I believe retention starts at recruiting, right?
And, and what that means is, um, that impression that you make on that person right away, right from that first interaction, um, you know, people notice. They're paying attention. You know, you're on the other side with 4,000 openings and all these applications, so you're not really thinking about that one-to-one person on the other side.
But, um, so, so looking at the hiring process and thinking about the fact that you're making an impression right away from the first interaction. So, you know, making sure we're doing that properly, making sure we're doing that with care. Um, speed is something, you know, that we still need to fix in the hiring process, um, which I think helps with retention, again, you
know, making that good first impression.
Um, I was talking to a nurse, you know, well, I was talking [00:18:00] to everyone throughout my whole process just because of what I do, and, um, you know, always trying to distract someone from putting the needle in or whatever. So, you know, I was like, "Well, so how long have you been here? Do you like it? Where did you come from?"
And it was really interesting because I got so much candid information, because even though I was conducting an interview, because that's just how I speak,
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Mm-hmm.
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Wasn't. Um, and I remember this one nurse was telling me, um, in another healthcare system, I was there, and she said, "Oh, I would love to go to work for that cancer center," she said, "but I put an application in, and they didn't call me for three months later."
She said, "And you know what? It was three months later." And I thought Never mind.
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: is one way we can start with retention is that first impression, you matter, you're valuable, I care about the fact that you applied. Um, I think another thing that we can do is we can, [00:19:00] um, create space for these healthcare workers to put their emotions, right?
Um, something else that I saw, you know, that was devastating to me because I'm just a regular person, at one point in my hospital room, they were wheeling by somebody who was coding, and they were doing the CPR, and I was... my eyes were following. I saw the patient, I saw the clinician, and I heard the sounds.
And after that was over, I thought to myself, "Okay, I'm traumatized." The healthcare worker, yes, it's their job, but they have to be traumatized too, right? So what happens for that employee immediately after that event? Do they just go back to work? Does somebody pull them aside? Does somebody make space for them to unload that?
And so I think being in the healthcare system for that year and a half, I know the answer is no, they don't.
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: [00:20:00] Yeah
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: not because they don't want to, right? Because I think they don't realize they need to. Yeah. And I think they don't realize, um, this is gonna matter. This is gonna help with retention because if I'm a healthcare system that treats my healthcare worker the same way that I treat my patient and I care for them, they're gonna stay.
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Um, so those are a, a couple of things in my head. Um- Yeah ... you know, the other thing for me is connecting them, and we talk about this a lot, but I don't know that it gets done quite impactfully, but connecting them back to the mission. Um, there were times where, as I mentioned to you, I was terrified, and so I made sure to let that person know before I left the room as a patient, "Hey, listen, thank you because you just got me through this procedure, and I really appreciate you."
Um, or [00:21:00] you might think you're just putting people on and off the table- Mm ... but you're not. Yeah. And so, you know, having somebody who's a patient in the healthcare system stand up at new hire class and say, "Hey guys, this is how all of the positions in this room, doesn't matter what your position is, impact the patients."
Yeah. "And I can tell you from my experience." Right? Helping them to really understand, and having places throughout their employee journey where we remind them that the work they do is important
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Mm-hmm. And you're so right too. I mean, I, um, I certainly haven't been through some of the challenges you've, you've outlined, but I did go through a lot of, um, fertility challenges and, you know, I do think that I was so in my own head around all of that, that now I look back and as you say like, "Oh yeah, I said thank you to some of the people who were caring for me."
Like, I wish I would've done that [00:22:00] more, but it was so challenging at the time. And I'm, I'm guessing most people are like me and not, and not like you. And so I do think that that could be very meaningful. I mean, even in a... You know, I worked at a company where we did an exercise once where we just asked our employees, like, three questions. Like, how do you, you know, how do you impact our customers on a day-to-day basis?
And it wasn't like, I, you know, make sure our forecast is, is, you know, on track. It was more of like connect, m- make another, you know, two or three steps down and connect to some of the things they were doing. And we were a, at the time I was at a, um, a company that helped research for higher education, and so it was like we're, the stuff that we're doing, the information we're pri- providing is leading to, you know, incredible research, incredible outcomes, changes in this world that are very positive.
And so it sticks out to [00:23:00] me. Of all the things you have to do in a corporate world sometimes, right? Like, I still remember that from 10 years ago, that that was a meaningful exercise, especially to people, I was in a finance team at the time, that can often feel pretty disconnected from the day-to-day operations of the business
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Yeah. I mean, I-- And I think over time, different generations have shown us that connection to what they're doing matters, right?
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: you know, it sounds like from what you're saying, of the big things that you really felt was important as a patient was well you connected to that worker, and, and their sort of, um, skills that are probably harder to assess during a recruiting process. How do you think about that aspect of it, and how does it change, like, the way you would approach assessing for different types of skills?
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Yeah, that's a really good question. Um, it's funny, I, I have to start with a story though. So, you know, along my journey, you know, [00:24:00] we addressed colon cancer, but the tumor had touched a bunch of other things, so then I needed to get sent off to, um, GYN 'cause they wanted to look at my uterus, and I came across this most wonderful, um, GYN oncology surgeon, and I adored her.
And I remember at my follow-up appointment after all the treatment and everything was gone, she said, "Well, honey, I don't need to see you anymore." And I was like, "Wait, what? Hang on.
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah.
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Telling me I don't get to see you anymore?" And I was like... I was devastated. It was a good thing, right? But the point is what you said, um, we become connected to those people, and those connections matter.
So how would I suggest adding that into the talent acquisition process, and how can we assess for that ability?
Um, I think sometimes we tend to ask, you know, basic questions, um, in-- [00:25:00] for clinicals staff in particular, it's about their clinical skills. You know- Yeah ... what types of cases have you worked on?
What, you know, what do you know? Those kinds of things. And I think we can assess for different things, um, like resilience and finding out not just what they know, but what do they need? Because if we could find out what they need, they can then be that amazing person that I need in the patient chair. Um, so you know, tell me about a time when you had a traumatic incident in the hospital and how you recovered
Tell me what you need from your boss to feel supported.
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Mm-hmm.
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Asking them more questions about those kinds of things and discovering who they are as a human and not as much about who they might be as a worker. Yes, that's important.
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: I think in healthcare, we need to add on that [00:26:00] extra piece. Um, we may not need to know the accounts payable person, you know, who they are as a human,
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: but the frontline staff in a healthcare system, I think we do
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah. How do you think about, um, like you mentioned that one nurse you spoke with who said, "You know, I applied for this role, I didn't hear
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Yeah
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: months." And, you know, a lot of the way are trying to solve that right now is bringing more AI into the process, um, which can sometimes, you know, I think the, the flip side of that or the, the feedback or concern is probably the word I'm looking for there, is that it sort of removes that human connection and the human elephant, el- elephant? Element of
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Oh, look, we have the elephant in the room
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: yeah, yeah. Human eleph- of, um, of the recruiting and, and talent acquisition process. So how do you square all those things [00:27:00] to make sure you're still getting the best humans, but try and improve, um, timeline? Because, you know, I, I guess I generally start with giving people the benefit of the doubt.
My assumption is that the recruiter or TA professional on that hire- in that hiring, you know, wasn't trying to take three months to get back to people. It was probably a number of things going on there. So how do you think about all that, and how can we improve it with AI in the right way?
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Yeah. I mean, I think that's a big topic right now, right?
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: it has been probably for the last year, and I think it's only ramping up in terms of, you know, consideration and discussion.
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: and technology definitely has a role in this. There's no doubt about that. You know, um, technology can help us do things faster.
Um, it can help us respond quicker. It can, you know, analyze data. It can go back into our CRM database [00:28:00] and re-scan for anyone who had that skill set that maybe applied before. It can, um, you know, do the work of keeping that database full of applicants who we need to care about even though we didn't hire them, connected to us with messaging, with information, with updates about what we're doing as a healthcare system.
So I think there's a lot of places, um, you know, AI can help. I guess for me, I'm, you know, kind of more old school. I, I'm not ready to say, "Let's take that AI though and have it conduct interviews."
Right? Um, so I think there's a place for it, and I think it can be really helpful accelerators, but I don't know that I'm in a place where I think it can or should replace that human connection, especially in a field where the jobs are about human connection.
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah.
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Make sense?
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah. Yeah. I, I, I totally understand what you're saying [00:29:00] here. Um, I think one of the things you've, you, you and I talked about, um, before we, when we met previously is part of what might be leading to that experience where somebody applies and they don't hear anything for three months. Um, you used this analogy of like, there's a, a billboard campaign for a healthcare system, like we're hiring, call this number, but like they don't even ha- they don't have the right people lined up to answer the phone.
So it's somewhat of a structural problem. Um, h- how do you think about solving for that?
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Yeah. You know, it's interesting, um, not on, on, you know, this topic of hiring, but there's a new campaign out there. Burger King's got new commercials out there. I don't know if you've seen them. Not that we should be eating Burger King, but,
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah.
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: But the commercials are new. They're, they've involved their CEO, and they're like, "Burger King's doing better now.
If you get your Whopper wrong, we'll replace it for free. We care." You know, all this kind of stuff. And he's, he's got this whole message about not only will you get it for [00:30:00] free, you'll be greeted with great customer service, and when you walk into our restaurants, the u- the experience is upgraded. And I'm like, I love this commercial, but here's my question: Did you sit down with all of the staff at the restaurants and say, "Hey, here's our marketing campaign.
Can you fulfill this promise?"
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Right? And so when you ask that question, I don't know that there's a lot of shortcuts to that kind of stuff. It has to be thoughtful aligning and pull through, right? Okay, we're gonna advertise this. First, let's make sure from the frontline staff that what we're saying makes sense.
Is there a better way to say it? And then let's make sure that we have everybody at the table so that the campaign, the brand promise, what we're advertising, everybody's on the same page about making that come true. And I don't know that it's a shortcut. I think it's a sit down with people and [00:31:00] get their buy-in, get their feedback, make sure they have the tools and resources to do those things.
Now, maybe that's where AI comes in, right? Because that's, you know, maybe the tool to, to be able to respond to that candidate within 24 hours if that's what we've advertised. Maybe AI is a tool to help do that, right?
Um, so I think AI and technology becomes the tools, um, but we still have to do that by hand process of lining everybody up.
That, that, that's my two cents.
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah. Yeah. That makes a lot of sense. Um, I guess going into, you know, some, some sort of tactical recruiting, obviously you've been doing talent acquisition for a long time. Um, one of the questions I like to, to ask all of my guests is like, what do you think makes... What are some traits or actions that make the best recruiters?
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Yeah. I think that's a really good question, and I think that it's probably-- you [00:32:00] probably get a lot of different answers, right? Depending on, on, you know, what they're recruiting for in the system.
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: you know, I think for me, um, I started my recruiting journey a million years ago on the agency side. Um, I loved agency.
It was a great training ground. I learned a lot. Um, I had to, in order to earn the fee or the client's trust, I had to make sure I heard what they said about what they needed, and the candidate that I put in front of them was exactly what they needed, right? It's not like internal recruiting where, you know, you submit candidates to your internal hiring manager, and if they
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: say no, then you just go find a different one.
On the agency side, you, you've got to be able to produce. And so that creates a different type of, uh, recruiter, I think, if you start that way. And so when I went inside corporate and I saw how recruiting was done, um, I noticed it was very different. It [00:33:00] felt a little more like customer service to me, right?
Um, and so the one thing, the one trait for me that I tried to train for when I went in on the inside was we've got to be challengers.
Um, we can't just always say yes. We can't always just, "Okay." Um, you know, for example, um, when I did that contract role last summer,
um, there were a couple situations where, um, I happened to be looped in.
Um, one was the hiring manager replied to the recruiter and said, "Oh my gosh, this candidate is amazing and, um, would fit in great. Hey, can you set up a few more interviews?" Right? And so I said to the recruiter, "No. We need to go back to the hiring manager and challenge that challenge [00:34:00] quality."
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Mm-hmm.
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Why we need to do that?
Well, I'll tell you, because it's good for the hiring manager. They're gonna get what they need and get that candidate on board quicker. It's good for candidate experience because now we're not gonna string that candidate along while we look for something else.
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: it's good for the brand because we have now, um, you know, executed on a brand promise, right?
So
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: I think the one quality I like to see in a recruiter is being comfortable challenging the process, um, for the good of the
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah. Yeah, yeah
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: think that helps, Colleen, turn them into more of a credible advisor
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: than a customer service rep
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah. I love that, um, that, you know, framing of it, of the differences between those two. And oftentimes too, I think when you hear... It's so common, right, to hear from a hiring manager. I've done this as a [00:35:00] hiring manager, like, "Oh, that's, there's one person, they're perfect." Like, you know, "How is this pop?
Maybe I can get somebody even more perfect. It was so easy to get this one person." And I think the, you know, and I had, um, I hired somebody a couple of years ago, and the exact same situation happened with me and, and, uh, and my recruiter, and I'm so glad she pushed back because the person I hired was exceptional. And I think a lot of it also stems from it's a g- it's good to push back because I think it also will help a hiring manager understand if is, is the hesitation around actually I didn't articulate appropriately what I wanted, and so this person, you know, the recruiter might be saying, "This person s- is exactly what you said you wanted," and if the hiring manager is pushing back because, well, maybe it's, you know, I think there's some learning in that conversation around like, well, actually now that I've thought more about it and actually am thinking about a specific person [00:36:00] in the role, I realize that X, Y, and Z are actually things I really need and this person doesn't have it.
And so obviously that can be frustrating because that means you might have to go back to the drawing board a little bit, but you learn something from that. Yeah. Um, I love that. Um, I guess, uh, you know, shifting to, uh, a little bit more about, about you and your philosophy. Obviously we've, we've learned a ton here, but the other question I like to ask folks is if you met yourself one day after graduation, what advice would you give yourself?
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Oh man. And you know what? I'm, I'm like the interviewer, so I'm usually good and prepared for these, but that one I've never been asked. If I met myself one day after graduation, what would I, what advice would I give?
I think probably, and, and people will get this from watching this because I speak fast and, you know, you can c- sort of get a sense of my pace, right?
Um, I probably would tell myself, "Slow down."
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Mm-hmm.[00:37:00]
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Right? Slow down. Slow down and look at all the information. Slow down and really think about how that's gonna impact the other person.
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Mm-hmm.
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Slow down and make sure you're not responding off of your emotion. So I think, I think I would tell myself that the day after graduation and probably now.
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah.
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: It's,
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: folds. Yeah,
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: right? Like, it's something that I, I probably will always need to work on
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah. How did you get into recruiting?
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Uh, it's so funny because I went to college, I graduated with a degree in psychology. Um, at the time I, you know, was 20 and I thought, "I'm gonna save the world. Aren't I so cool?" And so I went into, uh, mental health and I had, um... I'm, I'm dating myself now. I had a pager, a caseload of, of folks with a pager, and I did that for about five years and I thought, "You know, I really like this [00:38:00] human work, um, but I'm sensing there's a salesperson in me."
I don't, I don't know why, but I just sensed that and I, and I, and so I thought, "How can I connect the two?" The, the human work and this sort of feeling of wanting to be a salesperson, and so I found staffing and recruiting. Um, and I, and I had to sell myself to a few agencies, right? 'Cause, um, you know, they're looking for an actual salesperson, not someone like me, and I was lucky I got one to give me a chance, and I haven't looked back since.
I love it
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: explains so much just, you know, knowing that now that that's a place you spent time in before going into recruiting and, and makes a lot of sense why you talk a lot about the, the human aspect of all of this, and what a unique combination, I think. I would imagine working with folks in whatever sort of mental health situations they were in, um, has, has taught [00:39:00] you a lot about how to deal with people
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Yeah, it definitely was interesting, and especially at such a young age. Um, you know, that whole thing of like slow down, collect all the information, I, I learned that lesson a bunch of times in that setting.
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Mm-hmm.
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: But you know, again, I, I, I recognized I wanted to do something else, but I didn't wanna leave that human part behind.
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah.
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: And,
you know, talent acquisition is so human
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: and, and I, and I love it. I love the idea of hiring people, um, and matching them up and setting them on their way to like maybe the greatest job ever. Who knows, right?
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: that you can relax a little bit more after a very, um, u- understated way to describe it, but stressful year, I would imagine, year and a half, um, what do you like to do to relax and how are you spending your, um, free time?
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: So, uh, I think [00:40:00] I had mentioned, um, I don't remember if it was at the beginning or, or when we talked last time, I feel my mind becoming much brighter. Um, and I'm realizing now, you know, how, how dim it was during that period. And I think, um, I'm just enjoying that process of being excited about something simple again.
Um, you know, oh my gosh, I got this really great pot of flowers, and it looks so cute on my front porch. And while that sounds so lame, it's so exciting to me.
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah.
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: You know, so I'm just enjoying being excited about simple things again. I'm enjoying feeling good enough to just jump in my car, which is not something I was doing last year.
Um, I wanted lunch the other day, and my husband was home, and he went to get up to go get me something, and I'm like, "No, no, no, I can do it." You know? And it was like, I love that because you get in the car, you turn the music up really loud, and I'm just like, "Yeah." You know? So[00:41:00]
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah.
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: That's kind of where I'm at
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah. Slowing down. Uh, slowing down and, uh, stop to, to see the beauty in the plants on the porch. That sounds like a great, a great way to do it. well, I really appreciate you, you joining me and, and being open about your journey and how it's, you know, changed your perspective on things, and how you're applying that and how you're thinking about it going forward.
And I loved the retention starts at recruiting. Um, I don't think anyone's put it quite so eloquently, but that's so true. Um, so really appreciate you sharing your story, your insights, your, your knowledge and experience with, with our guests today, and really you coming on.
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Well, I thank you for this opportunity, really. As I said, it sort of starts to make me feel whole again to participate, and if anything that I say or have said is helpful to somebody, then I'm super excited about that
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah. Yeah. Where can people [00:42:00] find you if they wanna connect more with you?
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Well, I'm on LinkedIn, um, so they can find me on LinkedIn. Um, I don't know, do you, you put my name in the-- when you post?
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: We'll, we'll tag, we'll
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Yeah
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: so, so people find, find that. Um, know, typically w- the, the good part of, um, having talent professionals, um, on this show is everyone's on whether that's a good thing or a b-
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: For better or for worse, right?
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: Yeah. Yeah. Um, well, thank you again, Robin, for joining us, and, uh, really appreciate you coming on.
robyn-vasko_1_08-07-2026_131252: Thank you
colleen-gallagher_11_08-07-2026_101253: And for all of our listeners, if you learned anything or laughed today, please tell someone about this show. Thank you again. Have a great day.
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