How Jim Miller Built a Career on Quality, Curiosity, and Disruption
The story of Jim Miller’s rise to VP of People &Talent with Ashby
When someone’s spent 25 years building recruiting systems for the world’s most recognized companies, from Google to Ashby, you listen differently. Jim Miller doesn’t just understand hiring; he’s helped design the modern recruiting machine. From his early agency days at Allegis to building global recruiting programs at Google, Jim’s career is a blueprint for every TA leader who wants to make a real impact instead of just keeping up.
On this episode of the Unicorn Talent Podcast, Jim joins Eric Guidice to break down the mindset, methods, and mental models behind exceptional recruiting teams
A look inside the mind of Jim Miller | Key Takeaways
Curiosity drives careers. Jim credits experimentation and teaching others as his biggest growth levers.
Automation saves time, not effort. Eliminating repetitive work increases recruiter impact.
Quality over quantity. Great hires compound; average ones dilute.
Transparency builds credibility. Clear process and honest feedback strengthen candidate trust.
Old skills still matter. Logical thinking and communication are the foundations of AI-era recruiting..
Why You Should Listen
This isn’t another “future of work” discussion, it’s a deep dive into Jims rise to leadership, with repeatable advice for aspiring talent leaders
Automation as stress relief. Jim shares how his approach to automation wasn’t about efficiency,it was about eliminating anxiety, building predictability, and freeing recruiters to do real, strategic work.
Quality over quantity. He breaks down why headcount, funnel volume, and speed are distractions, and how real ROI comes from measuring quality and retention.
AI with accountability. Jim explains how Ashby is designing its recruiting systems for the next decade, where human judgment, data clarity, and transparency matter more than automation alone.
What You’ll Hear
Eric and Jim dive into the realities of running recruiting at scale, from the difference between visible work and valuable work, to how data and curiosity combine to build credibility with executives. You’ll hear why friction in your hiring process might actually improve candidate experience, and why Jim believes most teams are automating chaos instead of fixing the root problem.
“Stress in life comes from forgetting to do something. Operationalize your process so you don’t have to remember.” – Jim Miller
If you lead a recruiting team, run talent operations, or just want to understand what separates good recruiters from great ones, this episode will change the way you think about your systems, and your leadership.
Jim Miller’s advice to TA leaders
Make curiosity your default.
Be transparent about how you hire.
Measure impact, not volume.
Automate noise, not nuance.
Jim Miller’s story from agency recruiter to Google to Ashby is proof that craftsmanship, curiosity, and courage to disrupt still define great recruiting.