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Sponsor Spotlight BY Ade Akin | May 15, 2025

Reimagining the Candidate Experience as a Strategic Advantage

Jon Stross knew something had to change when a candidate confided with him about applying to 200 roles without getting any responses. Stross, the president and co-founder of Greenhouse, laid out how the company is tackling the grim realities of overwhelming application volume, ghosting, and the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the hiring process. As organizations race to develop the most efficient algorithms, Greenhouse is helping transform what has been a soul-crushing experience for many into an empowering journey. “It’s terrible out there to be a candidate,” Stross said during the thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s NYC talent acquisition conference.  The current hiring market is one where applicants feel like their resumes weren’t even good enough for a response, he says. But things aren’t much better on the employer side, as recruiters find themselves sorting through thousands of resumes. Candidates who are worried about being ghosted end up sending generic applications en masse, while recruiters struggle to find desired signals in all of the noise. The new dynamic has led to employers increasingly relying on referrals or outbound sourcing, while candidates face a “black hole” of uncertainty. The result is a lose-lose scenario where neither side trusts the process. While AI's role in the hiring process is expected to expand in the next several years, Stross warns that matching AI-generated resumes with AI-scored profiles risks reducing everything to noise. Jon Stross, the president and co-founder of Greenhouse, led the thought leadership spotlightProviding transparency and giving candidates control is one of the strategies Greenhouse uses to combat ghosting and unclear deadlines. “It’s like walking into a deli with 200 people in line. You’d at least know your place in the queue,” Stross said.Greenhouse increases transparency and gives candidates control by introducing features like real-time application tracking and self-scheduling interviews—features that allow the application process to mimic the clarity of waiting in line at the deli. “If you see 200 people ahead of you, you might leave,” Stross said. “But at least you’re making an informed choice.”Greenhouse also introduced a Quick Apply feature that reduces friction in the application process, allowing candidates to auto-fill applications across Greenhouse-powered companies. This approach respects candidates’ time, reducing  the repetitive data entry style applications. It’s a small but critical step in improving employer brand perception, says Stross.Surfacing Intent DataResumes capture a candidate, but they don’t always clearly reflect their intent. Greenhouse introduces data differentiation by collecting work preferences and a novel “dream job” marker. Similar to early admission in college applications, candidates may select one role monthly as their dream job. Recruiters can then filter applicants by their skills and passion, turning the data into a powerful differentiator for both sides. “Imagine sifting through 800 applicants and seeing five who marked your job as their dream,” Stross said. “It doesn’t mean they’re qualified, but it shows genuine interest.”  Stoss suggests making the hiring process a race to the top rather than a descent into full automation. “Some companies are leaning in, building an employer brand that candidates remember,” he said.Organizations signal their commitment to talent by automating status updates and highlighting positive candidate experiences, reinforcing their brand and boosting candidate loyalty.Greenhouse is transforming hiring with tools like real-time application updates, centralized task checklists to guide candidates, and autofill capabilities that simplify applying. Personalized alerts and preference-based matching also help connect candidates to the right opportunities faster. These innovations give candidates a clearer path to their dream jobs while making the application process less unpleasant. Richer applicant profiles help recruiters to filter candidates more effectively and reduce their reliance on generic AI scoring that ignores human nuance. By embracing transparency, control, and meaningful data, organizations can attract and inspire talent while strengthening their employer brand, says Stross.Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, Greenhouse, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Ade Akin covers workplace wellness, HR trends, and digital health solutions.(Photos by Hason Castell for From Day One)

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Sponsor Spotlight BY Matthew Koehler | May 13, 2025

Immersive Learning for Realistic, Judgment-Free Skill Building

Starting a new job or role often means facing a gap between what you’ve learned and what real-world experience demandsA newly licensed real estate agent might know the material but has never sat across from an actual client, and that first deal can be daunting. Or maybe a new manager is about to fire someone for the first time. What if you could practice those high-stakes moments before they happen?Virtual reality and AI are now making it possible, turning knowledge into confidence through realistic, judgment-free training. “I can’t imagine having to fire somebody for the first time and never having done that. It’s probably terrifying, emotional, and scary in a million different ways,” said Jack Makhlouf, VP of partnerships at Moth+Flame.“We try to build simulations for people so they can get a lot of practice. It’s also safe to fail. One of the secret powers of simulations is that you can mess up,” he said.Makhlouf spoke about the advantages of VR and immersive learning with Joe Reta, a partner manager at ArborXR and collaborator with Moth+Flame, during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s Dallas conference. Immersive training has been around for a while. Think flight simulators, for example—something the military and airline industry has used for years. The benefit of this technology, says Makhlouf, is that “you’re physically doing something.” “You’re emotionally engaged in the experience. It’s interactive. It’s multi-sensory. You’re looking. You’re talking. You’re using your hands. It’s very realistic.” And, there are no real world consequences for making mistakes. “You can say the wrong thing and suffer the consequences. But you’re in a judgment free experience, so you’re safe to mess around,” Makhlouf said. Joe Reta, Partner Manager at ArborXR spoke with Jack Makhlouf, VP of Partnerships at Moth+Flame about immersive learningAI immersive learning has only become more intuitive and dynamic. Makhlouf calls it the perfect learning tool. “If I mess up in a giving feedback conversation, I’m going to know why and I’ll get to try again, and it’s going to assess me on tone delivery. It’s pretty advanced that way.”The military knows this and has long been a proving ground for the highest level of simulation-based training because they have “to keep their service members ready at all times,” Makhlouf said. It has also proven valuable in hands-on mechanical training. Makhlouf highlighted a program developed for the Air Force, which trains personnel on the precise steps needed to power up a C-17 cargo aircraft. Before using virtual reality, trainees learned through PowerPoint which led to costly mistakes in the field. “VR is a really great place to practice and fail,” he said. Thanks to immersive training, the Air Force cut errors by 85% and saved an estimated $1.7 million in fuel costs, says Makhlouf.While the upfront investment is significant, Makhlouf says that the ROI makes it worthwhile. “You’ve got to look at the return,” he said. Circling back to difficult conversations in the corporate space, Makhlouf says that both a popular and personal favorite module is in feedback. “Everybody thinks they're good at giving feedback, even positive feedback. But people don't know how to give proper positive feedback.”Building trust is another one. “We know that the relationship between [the] employee and their direct manager has a big impact on engagement. How do you build trust? How do you resolve conflict? How do you increase your emotional intelligence?”The big advantage immersive AI learning has in achieving better results in training, according to Makhlouf, is that people are using their voices, “not clicking answers in a scenario.” “Ironically, the first simulation I ever tried in my previous company was a firing simulation in VR. You’re sitting across the desk from an older guy who’s been inappropriate, and you got to call him in for a one on one, and it's the last straw. It can end badly, and it does end badly if you don't do it right. It can also end really well,” he said. He says they had people crying coming out of the simulation because it was so real.That is how this training is supposed to work, and why it feels so real; it’s immersive. “It is voice driven, whether you’re doing it in VR or tablet or mobile. You're navigating a conversation. You’re getting feedback on the fly—these avatars and actors are talking back to you. You’re in a conversation; it can go well, or it can not go so well. It’s completely up to you.”Wellstar Health System, a client Makhlouf’s company worked with, wanted to boost empathy among staff, so Makhlouf’s team created a simulation where participants’ answers were scored based on their level of empathy, prompting trial and error until they improved. “The first time through, people don’t get 80% or 100%,” he said. But with practice and targeted feedback on skills like empathetic paraphrasing, employees saw steady gains, much like building strength through repeated reps at the gym.What makes immersive training so effective, especially in a VR environment, is the combination of evolving technology and AI, and the fact that the AI avatars are based on real world actors. “So there’s not just some conceptual human prototype being used for AI avatars. They’re people...AI is mimicking facial expressions, their voice, body language and all that. They’re getting scary good.”Makhlouf's advice for companies and HR departments that want to modernize their training modules with immersion learning? “I would not recommend building something custom right off the bat. I would recommend you pilot with content that’s already made, and there’s a lot of content out in the field that’s ready to go off the shelf. So find a piece of content that aligns to your use case or business goal. Pilot it out, prove it out, build your business case. VR or immersive really shines when the use case is very, very strong.”Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, ArborXR, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Matthew Koehler is a freelance journalist and licensed real-estate agent based in Washington, DC. His work has appeared in the Washington Post, Greater Greater Washington, The Southwester, and Walking Cinema, among others.(Photos by Steve Bither for From Day One)

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What Our Attendees are Saying

Jordan Baker(Attendee) profile picture

“The panels were phenomenal. The breakout sessions were incredibly insightful. I got the opportunity to speak with countless HR leaders who are dedicated to improving people’s lives. I walked away feeling excited about my own future in the business world, knowing that many of today’s people leaders are striving for a more diverse, engaged, and inclusive workforce.”

– Jordan Baker, Emplify
Desiree Booker(Attendee) profile picture

“Thank you, From Day One, for such an important conversation on diversity and inclusion, employee engagement and social impact.”

– Desiree Booker, ColorVizion Lab
Kim Vu(Attendee) profile picture

“Timely and much needed convo about the importance of removing the stigma and providing accessible mental health resources for all employees.”

– Kim Vu, Remitly
Florangela Davila(Attendee) profile picture

“Great discussion about leadership, accountability, transparency and equity. Thanks for having me, From Day One.”

– Florangela Davila, KNKX 88.5 FM
Cory Hewett(Attendee) profile picture

“De-stigmatizing mental health illnesses, engaging stakeholders, arriving at mutually defined definitions for equity, and preventing burnout—these are important topics that I’m delighted are being discussed at the From Day One conference.”

– Cory Hewett, Gimme Vending Inc.
Trisha Stezzi(Attendee) profile picture

“Thank you for bringing speakers and influencers into one space so we can all continue our work scaling up the impact we make in our organizations and in the world!”

– Trisha Stezzi, Significance LLC
Vivian Greentree(Attendee) profile picture

“From Day One provided a full day of phenomenal learning opportunities and best practices in creating & nurturing corporate values while building purposeful relationships with employees, clients, & communities.”

– Vivian Greentree, Fiserv
Chip Maxwell(Attendee) profile picture

“We always enjoy and are impressed by your events, and this was no exception.”

– Chip Maxwell, Emplify
Katy Romero(Attendee) profile picture

“We really enjoyed the event yesterday— such an engaged group of attendees and the content was excellent. I'm feeling great about our decision to partner with FD1 this year.”

– Katy Romero, One Medical
Kayleen Perkins(Attendee) profile picture

“The From Day One Conference in Seattle was filled with people who want to make a positive impact in their company, and build an inclusive culture around diversity and inclusion. Thank you to all the panelists and speakers for sharing their expertise and insights. I'm looking forward to next year's event!”

– Kayleen Perkins, Seattle Children's
Michaela Ayers(Attendee) profile picture

“I had the pleasure of attending From Day One. My favorite session, Getting Bias Out of Our Systems, was such a powerful conversation between local thought leaders.”

– Michaela Ayers, Nourish Events
Sarah J. Rodehorst(Attendee) profile picture

“Inspiring speakers and powerful conversations. Loved meeting so many talented people driving change in their organizations. Thank you From Day One! I look forward to next year’s event!”

– Sarah J. Rodehorst, ePerkz
Angela Prater(Attendee) profile picture

“I had the distinct pleasure of attending From Day One Seattle. The Getting Bias Out of Our Systems discussion was inspirational and eye-opening.”

– Angela Prater, Confluence Health
Joel Stupka(Attendee) profile picture

“From Day One did an amazing job of providing an exceptional experience for both the attendees and vendors. I mean, we had whale sharks and giant manta rays gracefully swimming by on the other side of the hall from our booth!”

– Joel Stupka, SkillCycle
Alexis Hauk(Attendee) profile picture

“Last week I had the honor of moderating a panel on healthy work environments at the From Day One conference in Atlanta. I was so inspired by what these experts had to say about the timely and important topics of mental health in the workplace and the value of nurturing a culture of psychological safety.”

– Alexis Hauk, Emory University