Suzan Vulaj: Inside Talent Acquisition at NBCUniversal: What Actually Works (Live @ Unleash 2026)

These episodes of #thePOZcast, live from Unleash 2026 in Las Vegas, are proudly brought to you by our friends at PIN. AI recruiting tools that automate candidate sourcing, screening, and scheduling across 850M+ profiles. Built for recruiters, agencies, and hiring teams. Learn more and check out a demo:  https://www.pin.com/book-a-demo?via=adam-posner Thanks for listening, and please follow us on Insta @NHPTalent and www.youtube.com/thePOZcast For all episodes, please check out www.thePOZcast.com About: Suzan Vulaj is a seasoned talent acquisition leader with a proven track record in global recruitment strategies. Currently serving as the Senior Vice President of Global Talent Acquisition at NBCUniversal, Suzan has been instrumental in creating exceptional candidate experiences through innovative problem-solving for over 20 years. Her expertise spans various industries, including media, technology, and commerce. Before joining NBCUniversal, Suzan held key roles such as Director of Global Talent Acquisition at Pitney Bowes and Senior Talent Manager for Internal Mobility at McGraw-Hill Financial. She also contributed her skills as an HR Manager at Standard & Poor's and a Staffing Consultant at Google. Suzan's academic foundation includes a degree from Pace University's Lubin School of Business. Her leadership style embodies a dynamic blend of collaboration, resilience, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Beyond this, Suzan is a champion of innovation, always seeking creative solutions to enhance organizational culture and attract top talent. Her ability to inspire teams and foster growth makes her a transformative force in any professional setting. ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 Opening + UNLEASH floor energy01:10 Intro to Suzan Vulaj (NBCUniversal TA Leader)02:30 From marketing to recruiting: Suzan’s journey04:30 Leading a 100+ person global TA team06:00 What makes a great recruiter today08:30 Recruiters as brand ambassadors + influencers10:30 Why hiring managers must be fully engaged12:30 Fixing broken intake & expectation setting14:30 TA tech stack: building around the ATS16:30 AI fear vs reality inside recruiting teams18:30 How to train recruiters through change (safe spaces)20:30 The return to “old school” recruiting22:30 The problem with 8,000 applicants per role24:30 Candidate fraud + AI-generated applications26:30 Shortlisting & cutting through the noise28:30 The emotional toll of recruiting (constant rejection)30:30 Managing recruiter mindset & engagement32:00 Re-engaging silver medalists (“for your consideration”)34:00 Pipelining talent before roles open36:00 What messages actually get a recruiter’s attention38:00 The 10-second resume scan reality40:00 Conference insights: failure, change & adaptability42:00 Reframing failure as experimentation44:00 Advice for job seekers today45:30 Closing + where to connect 🔑 Key Takeaways Recruiting today is less about access to talent—and more about filtering overwhelming volume The best TA teams are returning to relationship-driven, “old school” recruiting strategies AI won’t replace recruiters, but it will force them to focus on higher-value work Great recruiters differentiate through influence, communication, and ownership—not tools Hiring managers play a critical role and must be fully engaged early in the process Candidate experience and recruiter mindset are often overlooked—but deeply connected Specificity and intentional outreach are what help candidates stand out in a crowded market Building and maintaining pipelines (especially silver medalists) is more valuable than starting from scratch