Navigating TA Leadership at Land O’Lakes

Chris Hoyt: So, we don’t normally talk about this, but we’re doing some work here at the house. We bought this place a number of years ago—just outside of Austin—and it’s been a complete renovation. We’re now in our third year, and we’re finally getting to the fun, add-on stuff.

And Renee, we’re building this pool. It’s not a big pool—just a little one in the back. We were supposed to be swimming by July, at least that’s what the contractor told us. I didn’t realize he meant July of 2026. I thought he meant July 2025 when we started this in March. It’s driving me crazy.

Renee Robideau: I can relate! My father keeps me busy with projects, so I’ve learned a lot along the way. I’ve shingled roofs, built garages, sheet-rocked, painted… he tried—unsuccessfully—to teach me plumbing. That’s something I have not mastered. We’re big do-it-yourselfers in my family.

Chris Hoyt: You can shingle a roof, but plumbing’s hard?

Renee Robideau: Plumbing is hard! I just don’t want to end up on one of those “fix my house” shows. So, we’ve always learned when to call in the professionals.

Chris Hoyt: Oh man, where were you when I needed help? The pool led to a new roof—well, actually hail led to the new roof. But we didn’t know we needed one until we were already knee-deep in the pool project. We’ve been through so many contractors—it’s been crazy. I still don’t think I’d get up on the roof at my age, no matter how much you paid me.

Renee Robideau: I think no matter the age, when Dad says do something… off you go.

Chris Hoyt: True. Do you live near your folks?

Renee Robideau: I do! We moved a couple of years ago and now live just a block and a half away.

Chris Hoyt: Oh wow, nice. We try so hard to get away from them, and then full circle—here we are.

Renee Robideau: Exactly!

Chris Hoyt: We could catch up all day, but we’ve got some leadership stuff to talk about. Ready to get started?

Renee Robideau: I am.

---

Announcer: Welcome to the Recruiting Community Podcast, the go-to channel for talent acquisition leaders and practitioners. This show is brought to you by CXR—a trusted community connecting the best minds in the industry to explore topics like attracting, engaging, and retaining top talent. Hosted by Chris Hoyt and Gerry Crispin.

---

Chris Hoyt: Welcome back, everyone, to the Recruiting Community Podcast. What we try to do here is bring you TA leaders and practitioners who are doing cool things—shine a light on their work, have real conversations, and catch up.

If you want to see past episodes, head over to cxr.works/podcast. Hit the likes, the subscribes—all the buttons. Make us internet famous. This isn’t a revenue channel; we do this because people in the space are doing meaningful work and we want to talk about it.

I’m excited to introduce our guest today—first time on the show—Renee Robideau. Hello, Renee!

Renee Robideau: Hi Chris, I’m doing very well. Thanks for having me.

Chris Hoyt: I’m glad you’re here. Before we dive in—tell folks a little about who you are, your background, and your role at Land O’Lakes.

Renee Robideau: I’m a lifelong recruiter. I started in agency recruiting, then moved into corporate recruiting. I’m one of those people who tried it, loved it, and stuck with it. I’m still recruiting—and still passionate about it.

Chris Hoyt: I love that. Let’s go deeper—your path to becoming the Global Director of TA at Land O’Lakes. Were there key moments that shaped your leadership approach?

Renee Robideau: Sometimes you fall into opportunities you don’t see coming. Those of us who’ve stayed in recruiting have had to ride all the economic highs and lows. I go back to the dot-com boom and bust—do you remember that?

Chris Hoyt: Oh yeah.

Renee Robideau: I was at a tech manufacturing company in Minneapolis. During the boom, we had a team of over 50 recruiters. Then came the bust—it hit hard. We lost a lot of recruiters, but those who stayed had to move across the organization, learn new segments, and adapt. Through that, I learned the business, the skill sets we needed, and eventually my boss—who led TA—moved into HR. That opened the door for me to step into leadership. It was during a really tough time for recruiting, but that’s when you grow the most.

Chris Hoyt: Yeah, absolutely. When you first stepped into leadership, was there anything that surprised you about the transition from managing recruiting to leading the function?

Renee Robideau: The biggest change was perspective. As a recruiter, you’re focused on your customer group—your candidates, your hiring managers. As a leader, you have to think about the wellbeing and performance of the entire team, and how you deliver for the organization. It’s a completely different mindset.

Chris Hoyt: Yeah, the scale changes. And you’re no longer just focused on the candidates—you’re focused on the recruiters caring for those candidates. Was that a fun shift for you, or more of a challenge?

Renee Robideau: There’s always some truth to the “peer-to-boss” challenge. It’s not easy when people you’ve worked alongside for years now report to you—especially during difficult business times. There’s pressure to perform and prove you can lead them through it.

Chris Hoyt: Oh yeah, been there. I remember managing people older than me with longer tenure—it was bumpy. You learn a lot of lessons fast.

Is there a misconception people have about what it takes to run a high-performing TA organization—especially one like Land O’Lakes?

Renee Robideau: I think people outside of recruiting miss all the nuance. We make it look easy—“oh, they just find talent”—but it’s complex. Running a COE means keeping many moving parts in sync. You’re constantly pivoting. Some days every hour is a different topic or problem to solve.

Chris Hoyt: Totally. And I think influence versus authority plays into that—you’re meeting with senior leaders, sometimes without either. Do you have an approach to gaining buy-in from leaders or challenging the business when needed?

Renee Robideau: About a year ago, we developed our 2030 vision for the function. We’re focusing on being true talent advisors—understanding business problems first, then connecting talent to those problems. It’s about helping leaders succeed, not just filling roles.

Chris Hoyt: That’s a great point. We recently talked to Carrie Yarn about this—how TA leaders need to speak the language of the business, walk in their shoes, and show value beyond order-taking.

Renee Robideau: Exactly. Leaders don’t want to hear operational metrics. They want to know: where’s the talent, how fast can we hire, and how does this impact business goals? It’s a different kind of conversation.

Chris Hoyt: Great callout. Steve White at Sam’s Club said something similar—he tells the business, “We didn’t fill 30 requisitions; we solved 30 problems.” That mindset shift changes everything.

Renee Robideau: Yes! And when we see trends coming—things that could affect a business segment—we bring that forward early. “Hey, this is coming. You need to plan for it.”

Chris Hoyt: Smart. Let’s talk about your team. How do you develop and retain strong recruiters?

Renee Robideau: We focus on both team and individual development. Everyone’s at a different place in their knowledge and skills. We built a “Talent Advisor” learning series, with quarterly topics to help build skills collectively, while also tailoring development one-on-one.

Chris Hoyt: Love that. How do you manage shifting needs—say if priorities or business conditions change?

Renee Robideau: We plan quarterly, but talent acquisition moves fast. Legal changes, state-level hiring laws, AI—all of that shifts priorities. At the start of this year, we asked the team what our biggest challenge would be, and everyone said “AI.” They were right!

Chris Hoyt: I’m impressed we made it 15 minutes before saying “AI.”

Renee Robideau: Exactly!

Chris Hoyt: Since the pandemic, everything feels like it’s on fast-forward. Does it feel that way for you?

Renee Robideau: Absolutely. It’s been hard to look ahead even two years. Labor markets shift, candidate expectations evolve, manager needs change, and technology moves at lightning speed. It’s difficult to build long-term roadmaps right now.

Chris Hoyt: Yeah, you used to ask people their five-year plan—now it’s like, “I don’t even know next year!” Recruiting’s always under pressure, especially in unpredictable markets. How do you keep your team motivated?

Renee Robideau: I’m lucky to have a passionate team with very little turnover. They truly love recruiting. We keep things challenging—new projects, exposure to different customer groups, variety in their work. That keeps people growing and engaged.

Chris Hoyt: Do you rotate people through different areas?

Renee Robideau: We don’t have formal rotations, but people raise their hands when they want new challenges, and we make that happen when we can.

Chris Hoyt: I love that. I’ve heard of teams embedding recruiters temporarily into business units during slow hiring periods—it gives them great perspective.

Renee Robideau: Definitely. It’s important to keep skills current and take on projects—technology rollouts, HR initiatives, or cross-functional work—all great growth opportunities.

Chris Hoyt: 100%. Any hard-learned lessons you’d share with up-and-coming TA leaders?

Renee Robideau: Stay in your role long enough to see the results of your decisions. You can’t truly learn the impact of your leadership if you move every two years. Also, remember recruiting is cyclical—you’ll have to ride the ups and downs. Be flexible and keep learning.

Chris Hoyt: Great advice. Okay, time machine question—you get to tell your younger self one piece of leadership advice. What would it be?

Renee Robideau: Everyone on your team is a volunteer. They don’t have to work with you or follow your lead. They choose to be there because they care. Keep that in mind as you build your environment and culture.

Chris Hoyt: That’s powerful. Well-compensated volunteers—but volunteers nonetheless!

Renee Robideau: Exactly.

Chris Hoyt: Final question: if you were to write a book about your TA leadership experience, what would you title it?

Renee Robideau: Probably The Talent Matchmaker. Recruiting really is about connecting the right people to the right company and culture. It’s matchmaking.

Chris Hoyt: I love it. And who gets the first signed copy?

Renee Robideau: One of my mentors—someone who helped me understand the dynamics of recruiting globally, across cultures and countries.

Chris Hoyt: Perfect. Renee, thank you so much. We really appreciate your time and insights. Always love hearing what’s going on at Land O’Lakes.

Renee Robideau: Thank you, Chris—and thanks to CareerXroads. My team loves being a member.

Chris Hoyt: We love having them! They show up, lean in, and help others—that’s what this community is all about.

Everyone, you can check out more episodes at cxr.works/podcast. We’ve got about 500 interviews with TA leaders from across the industry. Hit the likes and subscribes—it lets us know we’re on the right track.

If you want to connect with Renee or learn more about CXR, reach out—we’re happy to make introductions. Until next time, we’ll see you next week. Take care.

Announcer: Thanks for listening to the Recruiting Community Podcast, where talent acquisition leaders connect, learn, and grow together. Visit cxr.works/podcast to explore past episodes, see what’s coming next, or find out how to join the conversation. Want to be a guest? We’d love to hear from you. Learn more about the CXR community at www.cxr.works. See you next episode.