HHH - Flip the Mic
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[00:00:00]
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Hi everybody. Uh, welcome to another episode of Hiring Happy Hour. Uh, I'm usually the one asking the questions, but for this special edition, and I do mean special, I'm stepping into the guest seat.
I wish I had a lounge chair so I could just lean back. Um, and I have [00:01:00] to admit, I'm feeling. All the feels right. A little nervous, a little excited, um, and lots of ums, which are not good when you're doing a podcast note to self. So, uh, I had to bring someone along who knows me both professionally and personally.
I call her my sister from another mister. We get mistaken for looking alike, which is a compliment. Thank you everyone. Um, and I wanted her to be the one too. Ask me the questions that truly matter. So please join me in welcoming Erin, our global head of content and communication here at Smartrecruiters.
And one of my dear, dear friends that, um, I am officially going to hand the mic off to.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: I am honored to be in this seat. Um, no, in all honesty, it is, uh, an honor to ship Nicole into the role of Interviewee for a Change today as we dive into her incredible background and career trajectory and the indelible impact she's had on Smartrecruiters. Um, and yours truly, if we're being honest, yeah, exactly.
From the back where you're [00:02:00] almost identical.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: In this one for sure.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: I know it's, sorry team, it's a bit distracting, but no, I'm feeling excited and elated and, um, a little bit nervous to fill these gigantic, proverbial shoes in Nicole's. Um, but for anyone who doesn't know, any listeners who aren't yet aware, aside from Nicole being the host of hiring Happy Hour, she's also the VP of our center of. Excellence over at Smartrecruiters. She's a strategic leader who spent her career driving transformation across talent, hr, and business operations. She has a real gift for bringing people together and making people smile, if I'm being honest. Um, and making real, tangible things happen, um, which is incredibly important in a leader. She's someone who brings heart and hustle to everything she does, and she. I know is an incredible wife and proud mom of three.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Aw.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: this is our, Nicole. I know you guys might not know, but she's this whole huge person, [00:03:00] tiny, huge person it all. But let's, let's start from the beginning. Let's, let's give the people what they want.
What drew you to the hiring space?
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Uh, first I have to say, being on the other side and hearing how everyone just feels so elated and humbled by their intros. I get it. I get it now. So we're already making an impact here, guys. I am empathizing and relating to you guys in a whole new world. Uh, what drew me to hiring? Honestly, uh, I didn't know I'd end up in hiring, if I'm being honest.
Uh, my background is. Undergrad, I studied bio-psychology. I chose the hardest major and wanted to study the brain and wanted to be a psychiatrist. Fast forward, it was 14 more years of school. I said no way. Um, And so I went to get my PhD in io psychology, business psychology, and there I was fascinated by the work.
Um, and. Like studying behaviors in business. And this was early, early guys, I'm old, so this is like 20 plus years ago. But [00:04:00] that led me to a career in consulting at Deloitte and doing change management. And that's where I got to do a number of implementations. And they just happened to be ERP HR transformations.
And so that is kind of where I got the start with hr. I loved it. I loved tech. I loved helping people through change and. The reason that I moved into tech specifically is at the time when I was consulting, I was in a hotel Monday through Thursday and I met my now husband and he's like, Hey, you need a career chain, if we're career change, if we're gonna start a family.
And um, I looked at all kinds of things like med device, et cetera. And then I met my friend Mike Johnson. Hi buddy, if you're out there listening ever. Uh, and he brought me to a competitor, um, Avature, and then. Brought me along on his journey to Smartrecruiters. So, so here I am.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: That's amazing. And I don't know if You know, but that was my major in college as well. A conversation for [00:05:00] another time. Mm-hmm.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Look at us.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: I know. So how, just to, to ping off that, how often do you find your, uh, your training, your collegiate training and psychology and in the brain and You know, learning about people, how often do you find that comes into play?
Because I would imagine a lot.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Uh, every day. Every day. It's so interesting. Um, and I am sure we'll talk about children more later, but we are in the phase of competitive sports and the world today is not what it was when I was a kid, right? Like I was in everything. I played soccer, volleyball, and track, and high school and college. I played soccer and I think.
All that I want for my children is for them to have that grit and like perseverance to push through being disappointed, right? Not starting a game, getting an injury. All those things set you up for life skills, work skills of, I don't wanna say continuous disappointment 'cause that's not. Accurate, I would say for continuous hurdles, right?
The reality of [00:06:00] work, um, in today's world is not easy and there's continuous change and there's continuous things that you have to overcome, but there's also many, many things that you should be proud of, whether you practice and uplevel your skills or you execute accordingly. These are all life skills that I think come from that rigor and that background, and.
I say that I use that daily, and then you throw the psychology piece in and I mean, and it's like a ongoing, You know, psychology experiment daily with the types of people that you're working with, how to analyze them, but also step out of your own shoes and take things from their perspective.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: Yeah, I mean that makes total sense and I love the alignment between parenting and, You know, working in industry. I think you're right. It's, it's, you're always gonna deal with, for me, like a lot of it is about control. You're always gonna deal with a slew of things that are both in and out of your control, and it's how you are able to navigate that, that like dictates success in my humble opinion.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: [00:07:00] Yes. And I think it's a lot self-awareness, right? I'm seeing generations where they really don't take the time to be in other people's footsteps or shoes. And it's one thing every day with my kids, I'm like, how do you think that made X feel? And it's so elementary, and I hear my mother in my head, right, with all these like sayings that we heard back in the day now coming into our mom guide.
Um, but it hasn't changed. It hasn't changed.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, empathy is such a huge conversation these days. It makes sense, You know, at every age, but especially with children, moving along, if you and I were together, I wish and not on opposite coasts. Clinking glasses. What moment in your career would you toast to
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Clinking my hiring. Happy hour glass. Oh man. Long sip for that one. Uh. I am going to be like the people on the show, and I'm going to answer this in two parts.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: Perfect.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Like a theme and then another [00:08:00] moment. Because I think at the end of the day, and we talk about this with every episode, I wanna ensure that people listening get something from this aside that I am cuckoo.
Uh, but more so I think a theme for me that I've seen in my career is. I'm a builder, right? Like if I had a theme, it would be Nike. Just do it. Right? Like just get it done. But I am a strategist, I'm a builder. I like to think about end term goals and like the baby steps to get there. Uh, and I'm very proud of a lot of things that I've done here at Smartrecruiters in that realm, right?
I've. I've started a lot of departments, I've led a lot of departments. Um, I've contributed to a lot of our large customers, uh, that are still with us. Like that is a kudos in itself. Um, but I think this specific one that I like to call out and I appreciate Smartrecruiters for allowing me this creativity and flexibility is we did an entire.
Enablement program around Ted Lasso and total football. So for those of you that [00:09:00] have not seen that series, go watch it tomorrow. I promise you'll feel good. And if you don't feel good then You know, maybe sit on a different piece of that couch and try again. But, um, I. This was total football. So it's the theme of being uncomfortable in other roles to appreciate them.
So back to our thing about self-awareness. This is where we kind of empower, I don't wanna say force, um, Go-to-market. So you have your. Ae your sales. You have your se your, your demo pre-sales individually. You have your essay, which is your technical architect, and you have your SDR, which is your, You know, your intro jockey that just gets you all those leads.
And we had teams and we had captains, which were our, You know, regional sales leaders. And we had four teams and they competed and we had a six week program where every week we had a theme. We had a topic that they learned and some of that was around, um, being comfortable with the uncomfortable where they traded places.
So an SDR would go do an [00:10:00] SC job and demo, and an SC would go be an AE for a day. Um, small snippets and safe snippets, but. At the end of the day, first of all, we got to all meet up in Denver, play a game of kickball, get awards, get accolades, like truly celebrate this, and we improved our close rate. We hit our numbers like it was just so much fun.
I can't find my believe hat, but from that I got a believe hat for Ted Lasso and I just appreciate those type of change management. Initiatives that Smartrecruiters has allowed me to do, not only with our teams, but also for our customers. So, uh.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: Yeah, you have, uh, you've told me about that before and it is absolutely incredible. I think it's unique to have the opportunity to incorporate something cool and current. Fun and You know, enjoyable into what is like a serious [00:11:00] process and an important part. And I think that the, what you spoke to before with regards to playing different roles, I think that builds resilience and understanding that you really can't. Make up. You can't duplicate that experience. So cheers to you man.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Cheers. Thanks.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: I love it. So, okay, going back to change management, let's step in there a bit. 'cause I know that you're deep in it and you live and breathe at at times. What is your philosophy on change management?
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: For anyone that works at Smartrecruiters, they know that I am the change management guru. I love this and I love it for a number of reasons. I think one, no matter what's going on in the industry, best practices, whatever, your personal professional there is always change, like whether you like it or not.
And I will admit, like I am not always good at. You know, vibing with the change. I try, but some days I'm like, gosh, why did I have to do that? You know? Um, And so I try to remind myself to practice what I preach, but there are always levels of change. There [00:12:00] can be a lot going on, uh, our world right now, uh, You know, immersing into SAP, there can be some going on.
Um, but I think at the end of the day, it is one to have a glass half full approach, but two to also level set expectations of. Where people need to be when they're going through that change. And on the other side of that change, so baseline fundamentals, I'm not gonna change like the framework of change management, people process technology, that that never changes.
I don't care how many people try to make things super cool and innovative like that never changes. Okay? Those three things are always staples of it. Um, but I think for me, what I like to do is. Get the wow factor from our customers and provide them the proof points to really make them think about change.
And I'll give you two totally different examples, and it really depends on the stakeholders you're talking to. But Bosch is our customer. Over 500,000 employees, [00:13:00] big, big company. Um. 80 plus countries, et cetera. And when we first started implementation with them, we were a small but mighty, right? And they came to us and they talked about true transformation.
They literally hired an entire team, which also makes me very happy to support. The change management design efforts, which first and foremost, if you are a large organization and you are just trying to assign change management to another person, please reconsider. Like there are people out there that do this for a living.
They know what they're doing. Or you might have the department in your company even better, but like, don't just put this as another tick the box change expert person to do this work. There are experts out there that truly care and can do it right. So with this team. Bosch came to us and they're like, we want one hiring process in the Smartrecruiters instance.
And we're like, okay, 400,000 people and uh, uh, you've got 80 plus countries. What. And so for us, we were like, this is a [00:14:00] crazy challenge. And as we talked through it and we assessed and we analyzed, honestly, we came back to, okay, their process doesn't change for the type of person they're hiring, the level they're hiring like a.
All of it can be here. And so sure enough, we went live with three countries. We went live with six countries. We went live with eight countries, and we still had one hiring process. And it came back to this theme of candidate first, right? Like we would talk through things and they're like, oh God, we need another hiring process because we need that.
And they're like, oh, oh, oh. Is that keeping the candidate in mind? They're like, no. Okay. Then they're like, okay, we're going back to our one hiring process. So it wasn't an easy feat, but I think having that extremity, um, as an example to our customers of the ones that are like, oh, well, You know, we're the exception.
You're none of, you are the exception people, and we will make you feel special. Like you wanna be the exception, but you're not. Like, everyone is different. We get that, but you all are trying to achieve the same things or similar goals. And I think [00:15:00] that is the exciting part of using that extreme case and truly going out there and saying, I'm challenging you with this transformation, like lift and shift.
We know no, no, but like lessening is great, but like, like big impact is more, right? So I think that's one example where I just use that to really get people thinking about change and let them know anything is possible. Um. The second is just more relative to hiring in general and screening questions. And for our data geeks out there, we have seen systems where you can add a screening question right before you publish people.
What are you doing? Like that is not okay, and that is just you're. You're adding chaos. So as you think about screening questions, doing your due diligence in, again, process of bringing those together and really looking at, do we need to ask, are you of the right age to do this job 20 different ways, is that gonna help you in your data on the other side?
So bringing it back to truly looking at what matters [00:16:00] and. Again, challenging people to change things, to scale them down, I think is, uh, truly something where you have to give proof point, proof points or end results of like, what happens if you don't do this to see the value and impact you can create. Um, last thing I'll say, because I, I want everyone to know Bosch did end up doing more hiring processes later, so I am also a realist, but majority still fall into one hiring process.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: I was like, you didn't have to reveal that. We would've been happy to think that, that that was, uh, the reality. You're you honest, honest doll. but that's, that's incredible. And it had to be exciting that the, a company of that magnitude was so invested in change management. I think just as you said, often it can feel like a byproduct or like a necessary evil or, um, so very, very cool.
Also, people, process and technology is like. When I see you, I think that,
yeah. I'm sure there's other people [00:17:00] in this world that think very differently when they see me, so.
Well, think, is that my reflection? No. Um. okay. So looking at the future, we're obviously, there's a huge conversation. going on in our industry right now specific to AI and innovation and the role that they play specifically in transformation. Um, and I know it's been a huge, it's obviously been a huge topic here at Smartrecruiters. What's your take on it? What's your take on how AI and and innovation play into change management? How they are furthering the industry? detriments, like what are your, what's your, what is your thought process there?
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Yeah, I, um, first of all, AI drinking games are dangerous. Let's just be honest, uh, because everyone's talking about it. And we've been doing a lot of research. We've been doing a lot of enablement to our teams to, again, practice what you preach. I think there are a number of different facets of ai, so we'll stick with like productivity and truly [00:18:00] helping, whether it's relative to your daily job or w whether it's relative to hiring.
Um. One of the pieces that I think is so important, and again, this has been something that Smartrecruiters has lived and died by, is making it a support mechanism and not the decision maker. And I was recently on site with Deloitte and they were like, well, You know, everybody says that. I think that is the difference between risk, like high risk and like not risk averse, but being, being safe, right?
Like just making sure that you are creating something that can support the mundane activities that can help you based on what it knows about your organization to kind of categorize and help you to make decisions along the hiring process. In addition, I think especially at a testament at Smartrecruiters, we are not only continuing to innovate.
We've heard in the market like, oh, you got acquired by the big fish, you're gonna slow down. Again, I've said this so many times. Our CEO is an ex [00:19:00] product leader Now, CEO, our product leader is an ex CEO product leader, and the two of these women are. I mean superheroes beyond like they are not slowing down.
They are not sacrificing. If anything, I appreciate SAP investing in more r and d and bringing over individuals that are part of this seamless experience under them to truly invest in them being the leaders. Within SuccessFactors to help the rest of SAP to elevate like this. So I am very excited about where we are going and I am very proud and I, I know that I say this a lot, but I am still very proud to be here 11 years later and to see the impact we are making.
I have friends at other tech companies and they're like, our product leader is slowing us down. And if you think about in simplest form, product and sales, sales can't do an effective job if the product roadmap isn't going to continue to. Elevate and accelerate. And in today's world with agents and ai, you [00:20:00] have to have foundation that's set up for you to flex and be fast and be effective.
And we've done that, right? It, it's not an easy change, let's talk about it. But we've done it and we're continuing to do it, and I'm very, very proud of, of what we've done there. Um, last thing I'll say before I take a breath is. AI in our day-to-day. It is something that our CEO has put in front of us to say, Hey, find ways to be efficient.
And I'm very proud of the center of excellence we are leading with this, right? Um, we have a tool, glean our team, makes a number of agents to help with the day-to-day, what are my day-to-day priorities, asking questions around, You know, um, changes within Go-to-market. Um. Asking questions about Winston, past, present, and future, like there is so much opportunity and creativity and I think that companies should embrace this to truly empower individuals within their or own organization to be creative, to be just tech savvy, because internal just parlays to [00:21:00] external as you think about being a tech organization.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: Certainly, certainly. I think that makes total sense. And then I guess piggybacking on that, like what are other ways feel specifically that. Smartrecruiters helps to drive innovation, pre-acquisition, post-acquisition, like kind of across the board. How does innovation come across to you? Inside our, our organization?
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Uh, I think there's a few pieces that, uh, really drive the innovation. One is we're not under a rock. Right. We are out there doing our due diligence, um, validating feedback, listening to customers, analysts, just getting insight from all mechanisms that we can. Um, I think that really helps to be holistic in your strategy.
Um, and driving priorities related to innovation. I think we are also a bit of a risk taker, right?
We've proven ourselves in that regard. Right? If you asked me a year and a [00:22:00] half ago when Winston was an idea that six months later he would be live and now, like a year and a half later, that he would be robust.
At first I was like. Rebecca, you're crazy. And now I'm like, holy crap. You and Sharon and all of us together made this happen. And I will say it takes grit, which is foundational to our values. It takes solving the biggest problems and deprioritizing things that may not be the priority right now. Um, and it takes this like collaborate, collaborative culture and.
Again, you guys, I swear I am not drinking anything but water. But it's true. Like we have done a great job. Yes, there's been hiccups and trials and tribulations along the way. Always, always. Um, but I, I am very proud of the innovation. I will say the last piece around this is. And this is a personal thing, but this is also, I think our company, like nothing's ever good enough, right?
Like we're always thriving and striving to do more. And what I appreciate, Sharon, is she's not [00:23:00] looking at where we are today and looking at the next step. She's looking at five steps ahead and then working backwards on how we get there. And. I mean, shoot, if you could run a a marathon like that, you would be successful every day.
Like it's just so smart. And I don't think there are enough leaders and innovators out there doing that. They're like, okay, step two is this, versus truly challenging and predicting or just trying to predict where things are going. So I, I appreciate that and I call them the future forward pieces of our roadmap because no one else is doing it.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: we have, um, I think a very unique and powerful leadership base, yourself included. Um, and they, we make big bets. I mean, You know, Winston, as you said, that was, that turnaround time is real. Those promises made were real. Like that is actually what, what happened. And, uh, the timeline in which we completely, You know, through, what did they say throughout the playbook and
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Yeah.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: Over.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Last thing I will [00:24:00] say, and I think this is something that companies don't do enough of, is having a centralized place for AI in your organization, right? Like having a committee internally that manages, is aware of everything going on. Because what we've seen, and again, being honest, is that there's been AI initiatives in different departments and they overlap and they can help across the board.
And we didn't know they were happening. And so now we have this. Collaborative committee, we are aware of everything going on so that we can again say, Hey, I think that's something of value that my department can use because of X, Y, and Z. Um, and then with our customers, we have our trust committee, right?
We have an entire r and d department dedicated to governance, um, around all of these things. And. If you are looking at any ai, you should ask if they, they have that, because I don't think enough people are trying to not only stay up in innovation, but legislation. Right. It is a huge piece. There's new legislation globally always being [00:25:00] launched and I appreciate because I can't even keep up that we have a whole team dedicated to that, so that's pretty freaking cool.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: Yeah, I mean at these formative stages, like there has to be some kind of checks and balances. We have to ensure that the progress that we're making is, You know, up to code.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Yeah.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: Is appropriate and we're, You know, doing our best to represent our customers and our, You know, the hard work. Amazing, amazing, amazing.
All sounds great. Let, I would love your take on hiring happy hour. As a host, we have a decent number of, um. The Queen of hats, my friends.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Yes.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: Um, listen, we've had a decent number of interviews under your belt. You've interviewed so many incredible guests. What I would say, what moment within hiring happy hour are you most proud of? And then what came as a surprise? What did you not see coming? And it can be with regards to the experience in total or maybe something someone said to you in an episode.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Um, [00:26:00] so I'll take the surprise first because it still surprises me today. Someone asked me to do this, Steve asked me, he's like, Hey, would you be interested in doing a podcast and or hosting a podcast? And I said, sure, why not? 'cause that's what I say to everything. So yes, if you need something from me, just ask.
And as we were setting this up and as we were starting to meet with the, the crew that helps us with this. I had no flipping clue how much goes into this. Like I, and I'm telling everyone from the outside looking in, there is a team behind this with blood, sweat, and tears, including Erin, that do so much every week to make this happen.
And so kudos to you guys right now because you guys have been amazing. I've been coached, I've had like scripts and outlines. Um, I have to meet, You know, these guests and talk to them prior, like this is a lot of prep. This is a lot of. Post involvement. Um, and I was surprised. I was surprised at how much it takes to [00:27:00] do this.
So, uh, that is my surprise. Um, I will tell you, my daughter is in a broadcasting program and, um, this truly helps me because she's like, mom, what do I do? And I'm like, well, here, here, Finley. Like, come sit down, let's talk about this. And it's so cool because she's on every side of it. She's filming, she's directing, she's producing, she's, You know, doing all of it.
Any who? Um. Then the other part to hiring happy hour that I think I'm very proud of and very happy about, for lack of a better word, is just getting to meet all these people. Uh, in my current role, I don't get to interact with customers as much as I used to. And I miss it. I miss it. And I miss having those friends that are on text, um, that I can talk to that are customers.
Yes, I do. Meeting all these people that, I mean, truly have made an impact, right? And I, I, I feel it's a gift because we in this world don't take enough time [00:28:00] to, to be humble and praise ourselves, right? We don't take a moment to truly provide ourself a self-reflection of gratitude. And I sound like a yoga instructor right now, which I'm totally not.
I can't even touch my toes, but I think that. I am very proud to assist those moments, um, and bring those out and, but also then get to share those moments with those individuals. And it sounds so cheesy, but it's so true. I have made some fast friends from this and they've made an impact on me. I've made an impact on them.
And hopefully our listeners, our watchers and the people out there that someday just happen to listen to this 'cause they like my hat. Um, feel that, You know, I think that's, that's our goal.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: Yeah. I love that. Well, you're an incredible host and we were lucky that someone had the brilliant idea to, uh,
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Oh,
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: the forefront of this
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: thank you.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: Endeavor.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Indirectly, thank.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: actually, perfect, uh, segue if you, if our [00:29:00] listeners were to take away one thing from this episode, aside from your incredible hat collection and amazing kids. What? What would that be? What do you want them to, okay. What do you want to take away from this?
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: take a moment. Just take a moment to make someone else feel good. You know, I think the world will always go through trials and tribulations and. Positivity is a gift that we should all share. And, um, again, sounding like a yoga instructor, but I think just if, if you fill your bucket, right, my kids have the book fill your bucket and you take one moment of kindness, um, that'll make me feel good.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: Okay. You heard it. You heard it here first. a beat. kind. Nicole, keep it moving. What'd I say? Pay it forward, do the right thing.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Buy a buy a heart hat.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: You see that cool hat? You buy that cool hat. Um, okay, so we know you as the host, we also know [00:30:00] all of these incredible hat, I can't believe I'm saying this hats that you wear. Um, what's something they don't see behind the scenes?
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Oh man.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: The.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Um, I am a Sherpa. Like if you catch me after 3:00 PM during the week, I am either in my car, not a minivan, um, in my car or walking to or from a sports field with five bags and water bottles and yelling at some child. Yes, I yell, uh, to get out of the street so they don't get run over. Like that is kind of where I'm at.
And something people dunno about me. I also have, um, my 104 year old grandma that's lived with us for the past eight years, uh, speaks German. So if anyone ever wants to stop by and have a conversation with her, come on in. Um, yeah, na, truly. Um, but I will tell you. Uh, caretaking is not easy, but I think it sets a good example for my [00:31:00] children to have those generations and, and for my grandmother as well.
But, um, yeah, people don't know that both me and my husband, um, do a lot for that woman, and, and she does a lot, had done a lot for me as she helped raise me. So, uh, yeah,
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: incredible. Family so important and,
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: you said it, you said it.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: Is that Lilo and Stitch?
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Yeah.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: Yeah. Um, okay. Amazing. So, outside of work, what is your happiest hour?
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Let's break it into three parts and yes, I'm gonna break it into three parts. I think first and foremost, family, right? Like, um, having children has definitely showed me like my number one job and I am a proud mom. I feel I am a good mom. Um, both my husband and I were single children.
So have three is again, a psychology experiment in itself and a not an easy one. So I'm a proud mom and that brings me bliss. I might [00:32:00] complain that I have to drive from soccer field to soccer field, but at the end of the day, I'm very proud to watch those kids grow and the life lessons that they get. Um, if anything, I think my.
Objective in life is to teach them some life lessons that will make them thrive when it's time. Um, and then second is exercise, right? Like, I like to move, I like to exercise. Right now it's at 4:30 AM 'cause there's no other hour in the morning that's mine. But I do have this nice tradition of taking the coast home.
It's pitch black outside. I put the windows down and I just take in that fresh air for. 10 minutes, it gets me home and it's my quiet time. Right? Like, I'm not a meditator. I cannot sit still. Um, I am not a journaler. I don't like to read or write. Um, so, so here we are. And then my third is what you said, a vacation.
Like I love an active vacation. I guess I should say. I love hiking. I love, um, playing at the beach. You know, I think I just love being [00:33:00] outside and, and that's usually with my family.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: Amazing. I love that we actually, uh, had to build in outdoor time for
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Oh,
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: because of you at CKO we were literally planning it and thinking, gonna say we don't have enough outdoor time.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: yeah. I just wanna get outside and take a walk. Yeah.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: So we call that in my family we call that outdoor cats.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Oh, I love it.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: is an outdoor cat. Like just would rather be outside.
That's just simple.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: It's so true. It's so true.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: So you're an outdoor cat, a
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: I'm an outdoor cat problem.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: Caretaker,
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Yeah.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: and we are proud to have cle.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Oh,
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: And with that, let's play a.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: okay. Okay. We're.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: We're gonna switch or this or that for, uh, a rousing game of good vibes or not. Rad, not that Nicole would ever have a hat that says, not rad, but we're gonna go with it. Good vibes or not rad. so first the playing the role of the interviewer. Are we thinking this is good vibes or not Rad.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: I [00:34:00] mean, this is probably my first time on this side, And so, uh, maybe not my first, maybe my third. So yeah, I, I definitely like being the interviewer. I, I think it's, it's my jam.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: Remote work. We are clearly remote. We are remote. First company. What's your, what's your take?
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Yeah, I've always been good vibes with remote. So again, living in a hotel Monday through Thursday, lifetime platinum at. Uh, Marriott, so thank you. Um, but this decades, decades, I'm aging. Um, I love being remote and I get so much more done. I'm an efficiency expert, so the fact that I can do a load of laundry while being on a conference call is a win, or order groceries and be on a conference call is a win.
So remote.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: A hundred percent. Also, that commute time, it's for the birds.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Yeah.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: It's for the birds.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: And I don't like driving. Mm.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: Okay. AI efficiency. Back to our old friend, artificial intelligence. How do you feel [00:35:00] about it?
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: I feel good vibes, but only because I have to. Right? Like, there are some days where I do wonder what it would be like to live before television, right? And or where you wrote letters and it took months and patience was normal and not a gift. Like. I think there's things about it, but I think in today's world and to keep up with my children, um, AI is important.
It's not a replacement. And I will go back to that. I think it is there to help us be more effective, efficient, and I'm an efficiency expert, right? Like I love things to be executed quickly. I like the process to be clean. Um, And so. I think that's definitely a world of ai, but let's not forget the human.
And I also think that there has to be a downtime, right? We just ordered, um, something called Tin Can, have you heard of this, Aaron?
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: No, not yet.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: So the phone, it's old school phone, not nothing smart about it. Nothing smart about it. I [00:36:00] love it. My kids 10, eight and six called me yesterday while I was on site in Palo Alto and Hi mom.
And I didn't know which kid it was, and I'm like, who, who is this? And she's like, it's Dempsey. And um, I loved it because I had to ask which kid, and we had a full conversation. They can't be looking at. An iPhone screen and putting an emoji as my face, they can't be wandering around. Um, I highly, highly recommend it to get kids to be eloquent having a conversation.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: I love this. I love it. No. Yeah, it's a landline.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Yeah.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: the memes that are like, oh my God, we circled all the way back
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Yeah. I will. I will.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: someone's like, can't we have
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Yeah.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: that just lives in the house? But it stays there and it's not digital. I'm just like, oh, okay.
Audio books versus like, You know, tangible like books.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Not rad. Not rad. I,
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: real.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Truth be told, I have not listened to many podcasts. Haven't, haven't. [00:37:00] Truth be told, our CEO has us reading books. I love using AI for those books. Truth be told, I'm part of a book club and I go for the cocktails and the pickleball. Like, I, sorry, but I, I, I barely watch television. I barely read audio books.
I dunno if I'll remember. So, yeah, not rad.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: Not Answering phone calls. I feel like we know the answer to this one.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: I am a voice note girl.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: I love a voice note
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Yes, so working with all parts of the world and all types of personalities, I think I've run into too many, um, interpretations of my messages via text, via slack. That are very wrong,
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: Yeah.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: And um, voice notes get across. And also I can do them while doing something else. Imagine a world where I'm making my grandmother a sandwich and I'm leaving a voice note for someone.
Um, [00:38:00] fun fact, in our world of SAP and Sr. Ironically, technologies are not always talking. So You know, they use SharePoint, we use Google. They use Microsoft Teams. We use Slack. And so I have, with some people that I have to talk to very often, gotten their phone numbers and use voice notes. And some of them, here's the change management.
Erin have never done it ever. And they're like, I feel like I'm dictating to you. But I love that they're embracing it, right? Like they are embracing it and fast friends, fast friends.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: I love this. I love, no, I do love, I see a good voicemail come through and I like brace myself. You know? I'm like, I'm gonna enjoy this.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: if you leave me a voicemail, I probably won't listen to it till the weekend.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: My voicemail box has been full for like years. My dad tells me every time he calls, but.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Sorry, dad.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: It's, Okay. Vacations. Think we're in vacation mode. Are you in the mountains? Are you at the beach?
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: my good vibes are at the beach, so my [00:39:00] husband is mountains. I'm ocean, so yeah, I love hot, I love the water. Um, I, yeah. Beach cocktail for sure.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: Chefs
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Yeah.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: For the record. We both live at the beach, but
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Different beaches. And we vacate each, yes.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: Um, how do you feel about getting arriving early, getting to places on the earlier side?
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: . I'm, I'm a mix. How do we do this? I'm a mix,
I do like to be on time for work, like professionally. Um, my team probably right now is like, Nicole, you're always two minutes late, so that's very true and I apologize. Um, but I do like to be on time for personal things. I'm always fashionably late. I don't wanna be the first one there. I don't wanna be the first one to leave.
So it's like that happy medium.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: Yeah, you also have had a million things to do. And I find I coen I also find myself a, an efficiency, uh, enthusiast and I always try to squeeze in [00:40:00] those few extra things to do before we, I had a friend be like, why are you always late? And I'm like, I just try to do too much. I'm like, I could get all of this done before I leave.
No, I can't. I can get like half of it
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Yeah,
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: And beyond time we're all of it done
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: I love it.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: A little late.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: My Instagram tag is, um, a hundred pounds of shit in a 10 pound bag. I'm with you.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: solo vacation. So I, You know, vacations with you and your husband or the good old family trip.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Family trips. Um, You know, we get all those messages that say you only get 18 summers with your kids and You know, they'll be old before You know it. And, um, You know, my mom and dad have both passed away, so I am embracing just the time with my children. So I try to plan as many family experiences, trips, et cetera, because I selfishly just want that time with them.
So family trips.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: Oh, I feel that deeply. Actually, when we first met you, we discovered our husbands drive the same car, and you were like, oh, we're all hopping in a sprinter van. And, um, You know, [00:41:00] going up to the mountains and I was like, you own a sprinter van.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Yes.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: so just a testament to your dedication.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Five people in one sprinter brand with a queen bed and a roll down bench. And who do you think gets scrunched on the bottom?
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: Mom. a mom
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: All good.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: heard one.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: All good?
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: Cooking.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Oh,
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: Good vibes.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: rad. No,
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: rad.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: I'm not, I'm not good at it. I'm not good at it. Um, and I don't have the patience and I don't like to measure things,
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: amazing. I love it. Okay, so we're definitely going takeout. What about sports? What are we, I know you don't watch a lot, but how about watching sports
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: I would, I would rather play them. So like watching sports, not Rad. I would rather play them, but I do, funny enough, so soccer is our jam, so we definitely watch that. But I love watching college basketball. Isn't that funny?
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: really?
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Yeah. Just how fast it.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: Who's your, who's your team?
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: [00:42:00] Uh, I mean, I used to work out in Santa Barbara with the Lakers, like Kobe and Shaq days, so Yeah, the Lakers for sure.
But, um, yeah, I like playing sports. Like I would rather go out and throw a football or hit a baseball or, and these days I'm watching so many kids games and I'm like, that's enough. That's enough. I have a 90 minute baseball game for a 6-year-old tonight. I'm like, oh, it's gonna be so painful.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: I love it. Okay, last one. Do you like whiskey Is.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Aw, I don't have a drinking hat. It is totally good vibes. So, um, for those of you that don't know, my husband is a distiller, which means he makes alcohol. Um, he will never tell you this, and he is very humble. He says, work hard, be humble. Like, that's his motto. He was on the Forbes list for, um, top three single malt whiskeys.
So. I love my husband's product. He makes great whiskeys. He also makes gin. He introduced me to gin. For those of you that don't [00:43:00] know, like herbaceous fun, um, you should try it again. So I love a Negroni. I love my whiskey on the rocks on a Friday. Um, he makes a mean blue corn whiskey, which is super sweet.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: , plug his company. Come
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Uh, Pacific Coast Spirits here in Oceanside. So yes, you can order online. You can come on to California. We ship in California, um, Pacific Coast Spirits. Good stuff. Good stuff.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: I love it. I need to try the gin. I love a gin. You know what? I love a dirty gin martini.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: I'll bring some to the next event.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: odd, yeah, it doesn't, yeah, it doesn't really make sense, but it's delicious.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Well, martinis were originally made with gin, so it does make sense. Oh, oh seven. Yeah.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: I did not know that I had a friend who only drank Vespers.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Oh
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: was interesting
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: yeah,
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: real bond martini.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Yeah.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: He's a character.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Yeah.
erinpdiamond-guest989_2_04-15-2026_161751: well listen, Nicole, I have learned so much about you today and oddly, even more ways in which we are aligned, which I will [00:44:00] tell you once we get offline. But this has been a pleasure and I'm sure our listeners are so grateful to have gotten a bit more insight into you and what makes you tick and your journey and your destination, and just how wonderful you are.
nicole-hammond_13_04-15-2026_131751: Aw. Well Erin, thank you for being my partner in crime with this. This has been super fun and, um, didn't know what was gonna come outta my mouth, so hopefully people are laughing. That's all I ever want is for you to be entertained. Um, but thank you. Thank you for taking the time. Thank you for just being such an honest, amazing individual.
Um, everybody listening. I hope you have enjoyed a very different. Episode of Hiring Happy Hour. She's cheersing. We're gonna cheers with our waters or our gins. Who, who knows what's in there? No, I'm just kidding. Um, but, um, you can find us on LinkedIn and please, please reach out if you have a cool hat. That we should look at or a topic or question that you wanna hear about, or if you [00:45:00] wanna be on the show.
I mean, we are not opposed to anything at this point. We want to hear and celebrate all of you. So, uh, thank you and, um, we will see you again soon. I