In this episode, Amir sits down with Kulwinder Verma Scott, Global VP of Talent Acquisition at The Trade Desk, to explore how talent professionals can move beyond process execution and step into their role as true business partners. They dive into the stigma around TA being seen as order-takers and discuss actionable ways to shift that narrative. If you're trying to level up your strategic influence within your org, this episode is for you.
Process Is the Floor, Not the Ceiling: Effective recruiting starts with a strong process, but the impact multiplies when recruiters deeply understand the business they’re supporting.
Be Curious, Not Just Compliant: Asking “why” helps uncover deeper business context and makes recruiters better storytellers and strategic partners.
Position Yourself as a Partner: Words matter—framing your team as "talent partners" versus "recruiters" sets a collaborative tone from the start.
Shift Left: Like cybersecurity, talent should move closer to the business problem—getting involved earlier to influence hiring strategy, not just execute it.
[00:02:00] The difference between managing process and creating business impact
[00:04:00] Why curiosity is a recruiter’s superpower
[00:07:00] How to be seen as a partner, not just a process enforcer
[00:10:30] Peer learning and onboarding tactics to prepare for strategic convos
[00:13:00] Building symbiotic relationships with the broader people team
[00:17:00] How to navigate disagreement and friction with hiring managers
[00:21:00] The persistent stigma around TA—and how to start shifting it
[00:24:00] Why talent teams need to “shift left” into strategic business convos
“Curiosity sounds pretty basic, but it would be shocking to know how quickly it becomes easy to fall into a process-oriented role and stop asking questions.” — Kulwinder Verma
