Rob reconnects with longtime friend and HubSpot’s VP of Talent Acquisition & Mobility, Becky McCullough, for a conversation that spans nearly a decade of growth, both personal and organizational. Becky shares how trust, flexibility, and curiosity have kept her at HubSpot for 10+ years, and why she encourages her team to take recruiter calls (really). They also dig into HubSpot’s AI-first approach to hiring, performance, and engagement, including how they’re assessing AI fluency without bias, and why “show your prompt” might be the new “show your work.” Plus: Becky’s spicy take on why direct reports shouldn’t be part of hiring their boss.
Why Becky encourages her team to take phone screens with external recruiters—and how it builds trust
HubSpot’s shift from reactive HR to strategic workforce planning
How AI fluency is becoming table stakes in hiring (and how to assess it equitably)
The role of trust in employee engagement surveys—and why honesty is a signal
Why Becky believes direct reports shouldn’t help hire their boss
How HubSpot uses Qualtrics and AI to synthesize feedback fast
The balance between fast AI adoption and responsible implementation
Why hiring is (still) a team sport—and TA shouldn’t be “the hiring police”
