Building community with podcasts, events, and webinars | Job Board Leaders’ Roundtable | June 2026

William Tincup is one of the most knowledgeable people in the human resources technology industry, which includes the world of aggregator, general, and niche job boards.

Many know him from his years of work at RecruitingDaily. Others know him from his current venture, the WRKdefined podcast network. It hosts all three of College Recruiter job search site‘s podcasts: Inside Job Boards and Recruitment Marketplaces Podcast, High Volume Hiring Podcast, and From Dorms to Desks Podcast.

Today’s Job Board Leaders’ Monthly Roundtable featured William as our guest and Steven Rothberg as our host, with the conversation focused on how job boards can use content such as podcasts, events, webinars, and blogs to build community. The community we want to build may be with candidates, employers, or others but there are mistakes to avoid and opportunities to seize. William helps us see the way.

AI-generated notes:

• Welcome and Introduction: Steven Rothberg kicked off the June 11th episode of the Job Board Leaders Monthly Roundtable, welcoming attendees and introducing the day’s guest, William Tincup. The conversation was framed around the topic of community building (00:00:06).
• William Tincup’s Professional Background: William Tincup detailed their career trajectory, noting they started in a marketing agency in the 1990s before transitioning to focus on HR and work technology vendors from 2000 to 2010 (00:01:59). They explained the shift to the HR field was driven by their perception that HR professionals remained hopeful despite being exposed to significant workplace inequities and challenges, a quality lacking in the marketing industry (00:03:05).
• Collaborative History: Steven Rothberg and William Tincup discussed their long-standing professional relationship, which included co-hosting and organizing conferences for college and university recruiting (00:04:07). William Tincup emphasized the importance of authenticity in their work, noting their preference for speaking naturally, which included requesting permission to use profanity during public speaking engagements (00:05:00).
• The Origin of Work Defined: William Tincup described the founding of the WRKdefined network, which was established in partnership with Ryan Leary on February 15, 2024. The network currently hosts 96 podcasts centered on various aspects of work, ranging from sourcing to outplacement (00:07:48).
• Podcast Audience and Niche Content: Regarding the scale of their podcast network, William Tincup clarified that most work-related podcasts do not achieve “tens of thousands” of listeners per episode. Instead, the network focuses on niche topics within HR—such as payroll, recruitment marketing, or people analytics—where listeners are highly engaged, even if the total audience numbers are in the hundreds (00:10:01) (00:12:52).
• Choosing a Content Strategy: William Tincup advised that individuals should identify their personal “why” before starting a podcast, blog, or LinkedIn presence (00:15:59). They noted that podcasting offers a unique “juice” through back-and-forth conversation, whereas written articles are often one-way communication (00:17:03).
• Matching Format to Personality: When planning a podcast, William Tincup suggested matching the format to one’s own comfort level and personality to ensure sustainability. For instance, a person who does not like interviews might adopt an “Andy Rooney” style, providing brief, observational commentary (00:20:37).
• Benefits of a Podcast Network: Beyond hosting, joining a network like WRKdefined provides a community for podcast hosts to share best practices, troubleshoot technical issues, and support one another (00:23:29). William Tincup mentioned utilizing a Slack group where members exchange resources and advice (00:24:15).
• Authenticity in Podcasting: William Tincup stressed the importance of being authentic rather than attempting to perform as a “shock jock.” Audiences appreciate curiosity and candor, even if they are not necessarily interested in the specific subject matter (00:26:16).
• Pitching for Podcast Appearances: Adam Berkowitz requested advice on positioning their CEO, Brandon Rasco, as a thought leader in the healthcare and mental health recruitment space (00:30:00). William Tincup recommended creating a structured, compelling pitch that highlights the expert’s credentials and offers specific, relevant topics for discussion, while noting the importance of persistent follow-up when contacting show hosts (00:30:52).
• Building a Speaker Portfolio: To increase the likelihood of being booked on podcasts, William Tincup advised speakers to eventually create a Spotify playlist of their previous guest appearances once they have reached approximately 10 episodes. This serves as a portfolio that allows potential hosts to hear the speaker’s style and quality (00:35:58).
• Host and Guest Etiquette: Steven Rothberg highlighted that many hosts struggle with guests who reschedule at the last minute or lack basic preparation (00:38:03). It is essential for guests to show up on time and utilize proper equipment, such as a headset and a decent microphone, to ensure high-quality audio (00:38:59).
• Scripting vs. Improvisation: Regarding the level of preparation, William Tincup noted that some hosts prefer scripts, while others prefer improvisation (00:41:01). It is important for guests to understand the host’s style beforehand to ensure the experience is fun and successful for both parties (00:41:59).
• Retention and Consistency: Addressing audience retention, William Tincup argued that consistency—such as releasing content on a predictable schedule—is the primary driver for building an audience (00:47:33). Furthermore, content should aim to provide a “nugget” of information that listeners can apply to their own lives (00:44:55).
• Content Types and Mediums: Steven Rothberg and William Tincup agreed that podcasts are well-suited for opinion, inspiration, and education, while Google searches are more appropriate for retrieving hard data, such as specific unemployment statistics (00:45:44).
• Status of Recruiting Daily: Ben Groves inquired about the status of the RecruitingDaily podcast. William Tincup confirmed that they left the company in December 2023 and stated that the site is currently inactive, with no plans for the podcast to return (00:48:32).
• Guesting vs. Building a Network: Ben Groves asked whether it is better to be a guest on various podcasts or build one’s own repository (00:50:13). William Tincup recommended a hybrid approach: guesting on many shows to leverage existing audiences, while simultaneously building one’s own podcast to serve as a home base (00:51:09).
• Networking Support for Guests: Steven Rothberg noted that the WRKdefined Slack community is frequently used to match hosts with potential guests, creating opportunities for high-quality speakers to gain more visibility (00:52:04).
• The Importance of Transcripts: William Tincup emphasized that generating transcripts for podcast episodes is critical for search engine optimization. AI-driven search tools are increasingly indexing content within transcripts, making it essential for podcasts to have high-quality, searchable show notes (00:54:43).
• Future of Recruiting Daily: During a final discussion on assets, it was noted that the RecruitingDaily brand and its repository of 7,000 articles are currently for sale. William Tincup suggested the site holds value for search engine optimization purposes, even if a buyer does not intend to resume publishing new content (00:56:42).
• Content Redistribution and Contact Information: Steven Rothberg notes that the content being discussed found a good new home.
• Upcoming Meeting Schedule: Steven Rothberg announces the conclusion of the current meeting and outlines the standard schedule for future episodes, which occur on the second Thursday of each month at 11:00 a.m. US Eastern time . The next episode is confirmed for Thursday, July 9th, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern .
• Future Guest and Industry News: Steven Rothberg identifies the guest for the next session as Jim Durbin, known as the “Indeed Whisperer” . In terms of industry developments, Steven Rothberg observes that while Indeed released an update that was somewhat interesting, it was not as significant as expected, though they anticipate more substantial news to discuss before the next show .
• Guest Character Assessment: William Tincup shares their high regard for the upcoming guest, Jim Durbin, describing them as a very intellectual and thoughtful person . William Tincup explains that they personally refer to them as “Jurbin,” a combination of their names, because they see each other frequently in Dallas .
• Meeting Conclusion: Steven Rothberg concludes the session by thanking everyone who attended . They express their pleasure in hosting these meetings and share their enthusiasm for continuing the series in the coming months .