Building Trust in Talent Acquisition

Chris Hoyt: Everybody loves travel. Jerry especially loves when I do this—everybody loves travel. But Jerry, I feel like you just took 10 steps off the plane and sat down in front of your laptop to join us. You’re just back from a trip, right?

Gerry Crispin: Yeah, it’s that kind of thing. Especially when you weren’t really working. I got to the computer a few times over the course of seven or eight days, but that was about it. I was totally absorbed with my grandson. I promised all my grandchildren that I’d take them to whatever country they wanted to go to when they turned 15.

This is number two. Number one went to Japan with me a couple of years ago—Chris was actually on that trip as well. That kid had a great time.

Nataliya Wilson: Lucky grandchildren! That’s a great deal.

Gerry Crispin: I think every grandparent can do it. If you can’t take them to another country, take them to the beach or somewhere meaningful. But to spend six or seven days with my 15-year-old grandson—who’s a soccer fanatic—was amazing. I asked him why he chose England, and he said, “There’s a game between Manchester City and Liverpool, and I’m a Liverpool fan.”

And I learned he really is a Liverpool fan. He knows everything about every player, how they got there, what they’re doing… he’s obsessed.

Chris Hoyt: Are you sure he just doesn’t have FIFA on his Xbox or something?

Gerry Crispin: Well, every time I go over to his house, he’s always watching a soccer game. But we went to Manchester City vs. Liverpool on Sunday—a huge game. It ended in a tie, but the stadium, nearly 100,000 people, was packed. No empty seats, and they weren’t cheap. It was a mortgage with a side of hospitality.

The fans were incredible. And I learned something powerful about the culture of that soccer team. Liverpool is not just a bunch of blue-collar workers kicking a ball around—they’ve got the best players from around the world. And they’ve made a decision to only play in a society that embraces inclusivity.

Chris Hoyt: I didn’t know that.

Gerry Crispin: Yeah, and they’ve really stepped up. They’re taking a leadership role in addressing issues like racism and violence in the sport. Five minutes before the game, they spent time talking about justice, Black Lives Matter, and what’s acceptable. If you cross the line, you’re banned for life.

Chris Hoyt: Did they talk about faking violence to incur penalties?

Gerry Crispin: [Laughs] No, different kind of violence. They’re talking about violence in the stands—serious stuff. There have been tragedies in the past at soccer matches, so they take it very seriously.

Chris Hoyt: A little bonus learning experience.

Gerry Crispin: Absolutely. It was powerful.

Chris Hoyt: Well, the only violence we’re going to see today is Natalia absolutely killing it in this interview.

Nataliya Wilson: I’ll take it!

Chris Hoyt: You all ready to get started?

Gerry Crispin: You betcha.

Chris Hoyt: All right, let’s jump in.

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Announcer: Welcome to the CXR channel, our premier podcast for talent acquisition and talent management. Listen in as the CXR community discusses a wide range of topics focused on attracting, engaging, and retaining the best talent. We’re glad you’re here.

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Chris Hoyt: All right everybody, welcome to another edition of the Recruiting Community Podcast. I’m your host today, Frodo, and I’m welcoming in Sam. How are you, Samwise?

Gerry Crispin: Wonderful, Frodo. Life is good. Topics are doing quite well.

Chris Hoyt: We’ve got a great conversation lined up—telling the story of TA internally. It’s a topic that comes up often within our community. We’re excited to dig into it with DaVita’s VP of Talent Acquisition, Nataliya Wilson.

We’re talking about data, performance, transparency, incentives, aligning with business needs—nothing is off the table.

Quick housekeeping: we’re streaming on YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and working on BlueSky. You can always go to cxr.works/podcast for past and future episodes. And yes, it’s ad-free—this is a labor of love.

If you’re joining us live on LinkedIn, use the chat. Drop a question for Natalia, Gerry, or me. We’ll follow up if we don’t get to it live.

And don’t forget the CXR Foundation. We’re in our third year—it’s a 501(c)(3). We raised over $33,000 last year for scholarships and programs like the CXR Inspire Scholarship and the Russ Mountain Scholarship. No board members are paid. It’s all for the community.

All right, let’s bring in our guest. Natalia, welcome back!

Nataliya Wilson: Excited to be here.

Chris Hoyt: For those who may not know you, give us the elevator pitch. Who are you and why should we be listening?

Nataliya Wilson: I have the privilege of leading the Talent Acquisition team at DaVita. I’ve been here 11 years. I started in finance and process improvement and moved into the people space about five years ago.

I joined TA at an inflection point—we needed to double our hiring coming out of the pandemic. Competition for talent was high, and we needed to rebuild and grow the team’s capability while building trust with our partners. We hire about 20,000 teammates a year—mostly patient care technicians and nurses. So it’s mission-critical work.

Chris Hoyt: How big is the recruiting team?

Nataliya Wilson: About 300 strong. That includes recruiters, operations, onboarding, background checks, and our employer brand team. The EB team is relatively new—about two years old—but it’s delivering great value.

Chris Hoyt: You’re a data-driven leader. So let’s jump into storytelling through data. How can TA teams effectively use data to tell a story? Any real examples?

Nataliya Wilson: Absolutely. A few years ago, we hit a point where our TA team couldn’t meet the organization’s hiring demands. Our team was built for one size, and the need doubled. Using data, we showed how many open reqs we had, our team size, and expected hires. It wasn’t sustainable.

This data helped us secure investment to grow the team. We now work closely with finance and operations to monitor hiring demand and ensure our team stays aligned.

Another example—tracking net hires. We aligned on a single source of truth: someone is only counted as a hire once they pass background checks and start. We compare this to turnover to see if we’re replacing people fast enough. That common language builds trust and gives us clear direction.

Gerry Crispin: I love that. There’s a lot of conversation around separating the noise from the signal. Your example shows how that clarity builds alignment across the organization.

Chris Hoyt: It’s getting hiring aligned with quality of care.

Nataliya Wilson: Exactly. We follow strict parameters for clinic staffing. We know how long it takes to find, hire, and train candidates—especially in healthcare. We must hire ahead of demand.

Chris Hoyt: Let’s talk about rec load. Everyone wants benchmarks, but we always say the best benchmark is against yourself. How does DaVita determine rec load?

Nataliya Wilson: Great question. One of our team leaders—she’s amazing—helped build the initial model. We use a range, not a fixed number. Our recruiters are full cycle, so we account for that, plus markets that may be tougher or easier.

We benchmarked externally, including from you all. That helped validate our internal assumptions. We also factor in tools we have or don’t have yet—like scheduling automation.

Chris Hoyt: Love that you use a flexible model.

Nataliya Wilson: We also look at hires per recruiter as another layer of validation.

Chris Hoyt: Let’s shift to performance transparency. How do you approach that? Are there benefits? Challenges?

Nataliya Wilson: Transparency has been helpful. We set monthly hiring targets with partners and track progress. If we’re not hitting the mark, we dig in—applicant flow, offer acceptance, time to move candidates.

Internally, our team has quarterly targets. We also tie incentives to hires. Everyone’s rowing in the same direction.

Gerry Crispin: Transparency gives people ownership. Your recruiters can offer insight on where the real problems are—applicant flow, hiring manager availability, etc.

Nataliya Wilson: Absolutely. Our TA partners are closest to the action. They know what’s working and what’s not.

Chris Hoyt: Let’s come back to storytelling and communication. How do you communicate TA’s success and challenges to the broader org?

Nataliya Wilson: We have regular check-ins with ops leaders, including our COO. We keep messaging balanced—what’s going well, what’s still a challenge, and what we’re focusing on next.

That balance builds trust. You can’t say everything is sunshine and roses when some markets are struggling. Be honest and proactive.

Gerry Crispin: That builds trust across boundaries. That’s huge.

Chris Hoyt: And you’re flexible. You adjust for how different business units operate. Love that.

Okay, Natalia, we ask every guest this: if you were going to write a book about your approach to this topic, what would the title be?

Nataliya Wilson: Creating Space.

Chris Hoyt: Tell us more.

Nataliya Wilson: It’s about creating space to truly hear your partners, your leaders, and most importantly, your team. Listening before acting. That’s been the biggest learning for me and a key to our progress.

Chris Hoyt: Beautiful. So, here’s the curveball—present company excluded, who gets the first signed copy?

Nataliya Wilson: My husband, Dave. He’s been part of every step of my career, and he’s heard all the stories—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Chris Hoyt: I love it. Natalia, thank you so much. We’re grateful for your time and your insights.

Nataliya Wilson: Thank you for having me. It’s been an honor.

Chris Hoyt: Don’t forget—check out cxr.foundation to support the nonprofit or to explore an open board seat. And for all episodes, visit cxr.works/podcast.

We’ll see you next time. Say goodbye, Sam.

Gerry Crispin: Goodbye!

Chris Hoyt: Thanks, everyone.

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