Hostage Negotiation Tactics: Every HR Pro Should Know with Scott Tillema
Eps. #142 SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2025
In this episode of the HR Mixtape, host Shari Simpson sits down with Scott Tillema, corporate trainer, retired SWAT hostage negotiator, and co-founder of the Negotiations Collective. Scott draws from his experience as an FBI-trained negotiator to share how HR professionals can use proven negotiation and communication techniques to manage high-stakes conversations with confidence.
Listener Takeaways:
Why listening is your most powerful negotiation tool as an HR leader.
How to use emotional intelligence to build trust, even in tough conversations.
Strategies for staying grounded when negotiations get emotional.
Why silence can be one of the most effective tools in HR conversations.
Guest(s): Scott Tillema, Keynote Speaker | Corporate trainer | Retired SWAT Hostage Negotiator | Founder, Negotiations Collective
Keynote Speaker | Corporate trainer | Retired SWAT Hostage Negotiator | Founder
Guest(s): Scott Tillema, Keynote Speaker | Corporate trainer | Retired SWAT Hostage Negotiator | Founder, Negotiations Collective
Scott Tillema is a retired SWAT hostage negotiator, trained by the FBI and at Harvard University and has over twenty years of law enforcement experience in the Chicago area. In 2023, Scott dedicated his career to serving others in a new way, as a professional speaker and corporate trainer.
As a founding partner of The Negotiations Collective, Scott now speaks on how to use the same powerful life saving negotiation principles and techniques to create business success.
Scott has spoken at events such as TEDx, SHRM annual conferences, PMI professional development conferences, human resources state conferences, law enforcement hostage negotiations conferences, and for corporate clients such as Microsoft & Bosch as well as at major universities.
