The Top 1%, Inclusion, and AI: What We Learned at Hire Innovations
Did you miss our Hire Innovations summit? We’ve got you covered! Our three-day deep dive featured industry leaders discussing everything from snagging the top 1% of talent to using AI while keeping the human touch alive in recruitment. Want the full video access and in-depth recaps? You’ll need to join our email list to get the goods—because these insights are worth it.
How to Snag the Top 1% of Performers Without Losing Your Sanity
Nicole J. Nigh hosted Day 1, with Dan Lockhart from SonderMind redefining what top talent looks like—it's not just skills but also culture-shaping grit and humility. "The smartest people I know have their ego in check," he said, highlighting the importance of empathy. Mona Tawakali from Recruitics echoed this, stressing the need for authenticity in corporate culture: "Candidates want the real deal, not PR fluff." The panel shared insights on leveraging data, defining "quality," and why flexibility is the ultimate retention tool. We also got to hear incredible insights from Robert Kowalski , CEO and Co-founder at Gyfted .
Dive into the insights from Day 1 here .
Inclusion: The Secret Weapon Your Hiring Strategy Needs
Day 2 of Hire Innovations was hosted by Dwane Lay and featured powerful insights on inclusive hiring. Kate O'Connor, CPACC from Onward Search made it clear: inclusion isn't just the right thing to do, it’s a competitive advantage. Anna Thielke pushed for reducing stigma, urging, "Say the word disability ten times—get comfortable with it." Torri Wright Ma.Ed. and Justine Haigh focused on adapting workplaces for neurodivergent professionals, with Torri stressing that "neurodivergent people don't need to change—workplaces do." And Crystal Lay exposed the real gap: while 96% of companies say they’re inclusive, only 31% actually walk the talk.
Check out Day 2 highlights here .
Keeping AI in Hiring Human
Rod Hess hosted Day 3 of Hire Innovations, where we dug into the role of AI in recruitment. Austin Anderson from Recruitics talked about the rise of "Centaur candidates"—applicants using AI to boost their profiles and escape the ATS black hole. Andrew Gardner from Humanly (humanly.io) highlighted how AI creates "magical moments" by automating the mundane and freeing recruiters to connect with people. And Sahil Mansuri from Bravado wrapped up with a reminder: recruiting is about empathy, trust, and relationships. “AI should give recruiters more time for conversations, not less," he said.
Get all the Day 3 highlights here .