VP Human Resources

Sean
MacMillan

SPHR • SHRM-SCP • Franklin, Tennessee

I believe the frontline is where brands are made or broken — and that the people who show up every day to serve customers deserve an HR function that works as hard as they do. For over a decade, I've built HR systems that eliminate friction, develop leaders, and connect people strategy directly to business outcomes.

SPHR SHRM-SCP M.S. I/O Psychology M.J. Labor & Employment Law
Featured Work & Media Get In Touch
Sean MacMillan, VP Human Resources
Areas of Focus

Where I Do My
Best Work

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Frontline Talent Acquisition

High-volume hiring is a discipline, not a transaction. I've led the transformation of frontline TA through AI-enabled automation, conversational recruiting tools, and data-driven selection — cutting time-to-hire while improving quality and candidate experience at scale.

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HR Strategy & People Analytics

I translate workforce data into decisions. From predictive turnover modeling to executive-ready HR value linkage frameworks, I build the analytical infrastructure that earns HR a seat at the strategy table — not just a report at the end of a meeting.

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AI Integration in HR

I'm not interested in AI for novelty's sake. At Captain D's, I've deployed agentic workflows — from automated pulse survey processing to AI-assisted candidate screening — that reduce administrative burden and give teams back time to lead people, not push paper.

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Leadership Development

Great QSR operators aren't born, they're built. I design succession frameworks and coaching structures that identify next-in-line leaders at every level — from Restaurant Managers to Area Managers — and give them the development infrastructure to actually get there.

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Employee Relations & Compliance

With a Master of Jurisprudence in Labor and Employment Law, I bring legal literacy to ER strategy. I build the policies, training systems, and investigative frameworks that protect organizations and create fair, consistent experiences for employees.

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Franchise & Multi-Unit HR

Scaling HR across hundreds of locations — franchise and company-owned — demands a different operating model. I build shared service structures, field-facing feedback systems, and compliance frameworks that reduce burden on operators while driving enterprise-level consistency.

Conversations & Recognition

Featured
Media

Webinar • Paradox / Workday

Automating Frontline Hiring: A Conversation with Flynn Group & Captain D's

A filmed conversation with Flynn Group Director of HR Technology Mark Gibson on removing administrative burden from TA, deploying conversational AI, and what it actually takes to modernize frontline recruiting at scale.

Watch the Conversation
Podcast • Beneath the Transaction

Beneath the Transaction with Mark Gibson

A deep-dive on the human side of AI adoption in frontline talent acquisition — what changes when you remove friction from the hiring process, and what never should. Sponsored by Paradox ATS.

Listen to the Episode
Research Report • Josh Bersin Company

Captain D's Hiring Transformation Featured in Bersin Research

Captain D's AI-driven hiring transformation was recognized in a Josh Bersin Company research report — highlighting measurable improvements in speed, consistency, and candidate experience across frontline roles.

Read the Report
Industry Report • National Restaurant Association

NRA Annual Report Feature & Webinar Participant

Interviewed for and featured in the National Restaurant Association's annual report on workforce trends in the restaurant industry. Also participated in the NRA webinar accompanying the report's release.

View the Report
Podcast • Chad & Cheese

The Chad & Cheese Podcast — Episode 1

Joined the industry's most candid HR and recruiting podcast for a conversation on AI in frontline hiring, what operators get wrong about TA technology, and where the real ROI lives.

Listen Now
Podcast • Chad & Cheese

The Chad & Cheese Podcast — Episode 2

A follow-up conversation going deeper on the metrics that matter in high-volume hiring — and how HR leaders in QSR can build the data infrastructure to actually prove it.

Listen Now
Impact & Initiatives

Featured
Work

Captain D's • VP Human Resources

AI-Enabled Frontline TA Transformation

Led the end-to-end deployment of conversational AI recruiting (Paradox/Olivia) across frontline hiring operations — automating screening, scheduling, and candidate communications. The initiative was recognized in a Josh Bersin Company research report and featured at the NRA.

Paradox AI High-Volume TA Automation Bersin Recognition
Captain D's • People Analytics

Predictive HR Architecture

Designed a five-layer predictive HR analytics model connecting raw workforce data through a predictive engine, Power Automate workflows, AI synthesis, and executive decision layers — enabling proactive retention and workforce planning at the multi-unit level.

People Analytics Power Automate Predictive Modeling Tableau
Captain D's • Field HR

QSR Succession Planning System

Built a proactive succession planning process requiring Area Managers to identify next-in-line leaders at every level, with structured training check-ins and at-risk Restaurant Manager follow-up protocols embedded into the quarterly field HR cycle.

Succession Planning Leadership Pipeline Field HR QSR
Captain D's • Employee Listening

Fast Feedback Automated Pulse System

Designed and deployed an automated employee pulse survey workflow operating on a "1 Result • 1 Action • Every Survey" framework — using Microsoft Forms, Power Automate, and agentic AI to surface actionable field insights in real time without manual processing overhead.

Employee Listening Power Automate Agentic AI Pulse Surveys
Education & Certifications

Credentials

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SPHR — Senior Professional in Human Resources

HR Certification Institute (HRCI)

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SHRM-SCP — Senior Certified Professional

Society for Human Resource Management

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M.S. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology

Graduate degree focusing on workforce behavior, assessment, and organizational effectiveness

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Master of Jurisprudence — Labor & Employment Law

Graduate legal degree providing deep expertise in employment compliance, ER strategy, and workforce law

Get In Touch

Let's Talk
People Strategy

Whether you're thinking about AI in frontline HR, building a people analytics function from scratch, or looking for a thought partner on CHRO-level strategy — I'm always open to a good conversation.

in linkedin.com/in/seanmacmillansphr