It's September! And that means it's time for our annual Talent Report and our 2025 Baker’s Dozen Customer Satisfaction Ratings for RPO. You could say that almost all of our pages are dedicated to talent in some shape or form—since talent is a company's biggest asset—but come September, we are sure to provide content that truly zeros in on attracting and hiring strategies. This year, we have seven senior-level HR or TA leaders providing actionable advice on:
data-driven hiring;
agentic AI;
robust talent pipelines;
streamlined processes; and
improved candidate quality.
Looking to glean some insight from a group of award-winning TA leaders and teams? Well look no further. At our annual Talent Acquisition Summit, we recently recognized the achievements of an impressive group with our annual Talent Acquisition Leaders of the Year Awards. Here’s more about their award-winning strategies.
Anne RoyseDirector of Talent AcquisitionTalking Rain Beverage Company
As Director of Talent Acquisition, Anne Royse took a reactive talent strategy and transformed it into a proactive one. Informal interviews became part of a structured framework based on defined competencies; onboarding turned into a collaborative process with support from key stakeholders starting on day one; and sourcing become more inclusive. Royse is always looking toward the future. "As talent leaders, we're not just filling roles; we're shaping the future of how people experience work and life," she said in our recent interview for an HROToday.com TA Q&A. "I believe the next era of talent acquisition will be defined by leaders who can navigate rapid change with empathy, intuition, and strategic clarity; creating workplaces where people and performance both thrive."
Kim VirtuosoChief People OfficerFontainebleau Las Vegas
CPO Kim Virtuoso and her people team developed a hiring strategy with a goal to attract and hire upwards of 6,500 employees for the new Fontainebleau Las Vegas. Going "All In" in their approach, the candidate experience, internal leadership pipelines, and hiring manager effectiveness were all greatly improved. AI and automation also played a role in scaling initial candidate screenings and scheduling and how they engaged with candidates overall.
Jason Munoz
Director of Talent Acquisition Entergy
Entergy
Director of TA Jason Munoz and his team were tasked with reducing time to fill from 87 days to 65 days. Their solution? To create a new TA operating model that enhanced partnerships with hiring managers and streamlined processes to drive consistency. New metrics and targets were also put in place to add an extra level of transparency. Toolkits and recruiting reference materials strengthened internal knowledge and delivery. Munoz and his team exceeded their goal: Time to fill was reduced by 48% or 42 days, no small feat in today’s market.
Atwell
Atwell has been in high-growth mode and due to their efforts, they have added more than 1,200 people in the past three years while reducing third-party spend. Internal referrals are making a big difference. "In TA, we must be thought leaders and part of the research and development team to drive the strategic direction. Everyone at Atwell is a recruiter," said Woody Siddall, senior director for the company in our recent HROToday.com TA Q&A. "We continue our $5,000 referral bonus for any hire and it helps bring in great and known talent. Currently about 31% of our hires are from referrals."
There's lot to celebrate and learn inside – enjoy!
Until next time,Debbie
Debbie
SVP/Editorial Director