Hiring for the Runway, Not the Role, with Aparna Chitale of Virgin Galactic

Aparna Chitale, Chief People Officer and Executive Vice President of Astronaut Operations at Virgin Galactic, holds a seat few HR leaders ever get, with one foot in people strategy and one in the customer business. Her career runs from first HR leader at Avaya India to a decade at Disney leading HR for the international parks. We explore how employee experience shapes the astronaut journey, why Aparna hires for a five- to 10-year runway, and what it takes to build a function from a blank canvas. She also shares the interview question she relies on and the bias she works to overcome. KEY TAKEAWAYS  00:00 Introduction. 09:15 How a chief people officer ended up running astronaut operations. 14:15 Why every HR professional should raise their hand for a business role. 17:54 The HR playbook behind designing a customer journey to space. 26:33 The case for hiring people for a five- to 10-year runway. 28:21 The interview question that reveals more than a list of wins. 35:43 Why standing up HR from scratch made hiring direct reports so hard. 38:44 The interview bias that quietly favors the most articulate candidates. 47:17 Advice for a 20-year-old self about courage and self-doubt. Thank you for listening to "Hire Learning with Oz Rashid." Don't forget to leave us a review and subscribe so you don't miss out on future episodes. Connect with our host, Oz Rashid, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ozrashid. To learn more about MSH, visit https://www.talentmsh.com. RESOURCES MENTIONED Virgin Galactic, where future astronauts can explore spaceflight expeditions and connect with the bookings team: https://www.virgingalactic.com “The First 90 Days” by Michael D. Watkins, the onboarding guide Aparna returns to with every new role: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1422188612 “Multipliers” by Liz Wiseman, a book on how leaders amplify the capabilities of their teams: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062663070 “Interstellar,” the Christopher Nolan film Aparna says moved her the most: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstellar_%28film%29 #TalentAcquisition #HiringStrategy #WorkforceTrends