VP Human Resources

Sean
MacMillan

SPHR • SHRM-SCP • Franklin, Tennessee

I believe brands are built at the frontline — and that the people who show up every day to serve customers deserve an HR function that works as hard as they do. A business-minded operator who understands that HR exists to make the organization better, not just more compliant. For over a decade, I've built HR systems that eliminate friction, develop operational partnerships and 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 trust in HR strategy.

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AI Integration in HR

AI is changing HR rapidly. At Captain D's, I've deployed agentic workflows — from automated pulse survey processing to automation of routine compliance tasks — that reduce administrative burden and give our teams back time to better support the business.

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Leadership Development

I design succession frameworks and coaching structures that identify next-in-line leaders at every level — from General Managers to Multi-Unit Leaders — and give them the development infrastructure to achieve their goals. And provide the internal organizational foundation for growth.

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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. Resulting in better employee experiences, clearer guidelines for leaders and reduced legal challenges.

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Franchise & Multi-Unit HR

Scaling HR across hundreds of locations — and providing guidance to franchise operators — demands a different operating model. I build field-facing feedback systems and compliance frameworks that reduce burden on operators while driving enterprise-level consistency.

Conversations, Speaking & Recognition

Featured
Media

Panel • RecFest USA 2026

From Volume to Value: AI Adoption Trends Reshaping Frontline and Staffing TA

Panelist at RecFest USA 2026 in Nashville (Sept 23-24), hosted by Crosschq CEO Mike Fitzsimmons. Joined leaders from Marriott International and Aptitude Research to discuss how AI is shifting frontline hiring from volume-based to quality-driven selection — and what it actually takes to scale.

View the Panel
Event Co-Chair • Future of Frontline Summit

Co-Chair — Future of Frontline Summit with Paradox / Workday

Serving as Co-Chair of the Future of Frontline Summit hosted by Paradox, a Workday Company, in October 2026. The summit brings together HR and TA leaders from frontline-heavy industries to explore the next frontier of workforce strategy and hiring technology.

View the Announcement
Featured Article • HR Tech Outlook

Building a Data-Driven HR Function That Connects Workforce Insights with Business Outcomes

A featured contribution in HR Tech Outlook's Leadership Perspectives forum — a curated forum reserved for leaders nominated by subscribers and vetted by the HR Tech Outlook Advisory Board. The piece challenges HR leaders to move beyond reporting metrics and toward evidence-based decision-making that connects workforce insights directly to business outcomes.

Read the Article
Podcast • HR Leaders with Chris Rainey

Why Most Companies Get Frontline Hiring Wrong

Featured on the HR Leaders podcast with Chris Rainey (July 2026) — a conversation on the systemic mistakes organizations make in frontline hiring and what a smarter, more intentional approach actually looks like at scale.

Listen to the Episode
Webinar • Paradox / Workday

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

A filmed conversation with Flynn Group on removing administrative burden from TA, deploying conversational AI, and what it actually takes to modernize frontline recruiting at scale. Sponsored by Paradox, a Workday Company.

Watch the Conversation
Podcast • Beneath the Transaction

Beneath the Transaction with Dr. Chris Pineda

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. Hosted by Dr. Chris Pineda.

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 and multi-year HR optimization strategy was recognized in a Josh Bersin Company research report — highlighting 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 — Year in Review

Featured as one of the best episodes of 2025 on the Chad & Cheese Year in Review holiday show — a recognition of the conversation's impact on the HR and recruiting community.

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

HR Value Linkage & Analytics Framework

Built an HR value linkage audit framework connecting workforce metrics to business outcomes — including correlation matrices, trend analysis, and executive narrative tools designed to translate people data into board-ready insights. Infrastructure for demonstrating HR's measurable contribution to organizational performance.

People Analytics HR Metrics Executive Reporting Value Linkage
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, statistical analysis and 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
Sean MacMillan