It is the harsh truth facing every talent acquisition team right now. The industry is racing to automate every stage of the funnel, but the market’s top performers are not focusing on how to replace humans. They are focusing on how to elevate them.

While we are still a few weeks away from dropping the full, official RecFest USA 2026 agenda, we could not wait to share how some of the biggest brands in the business are solving this exact challenge.

Here is your exclusive look at four powerhouse speakers heading to Nashville this September, and the real-world, human-centric blueprints they are bringing with them.

Improving Decision Quality and Leadership Effectiveness

Jay Olson (Director, Global Talent Acquisition @ Medtronic) With 20+ years of TA leadership experience, Jay knows firsthand that organizational friction is not caused by a lack of effort. Instead, it is driven by assumptions. He is heading to RecFest to introduce CLUE, a practical framework that proves “better questions outperform faster answers.”

  • What you will learn: How to balance AI-driven tools with deep human connection to completely transform the quality of your team’s hiring decisions.

People First, KPIs Second

Caitlin Morris (Talent Acquisition Manager @ New Story) Having spent a decade transforming broken TA systems, Caitlin knows that humanity is not a soft skill, it is a strategy. While the industry races toward automation, she will reveal how doing the exact opposite, slowing down to be intentional, drove a massive 40% YoY hiring increase.

  • What you will learn: How to leverage AI to buy back your time and create more space for the relationships that actually drive results.

Candidate Trust Is the New Conversion Metric

Christopher Krull (Director of Talent Acquisition @ Five Guys Enterprises) From Executive Chef to leading global talent strategy, Christopher knows that recruitment is fundamentally a relationship business, it just happens to serve great burgers. He is taking the stage to tackle the candidate trust problem head-on, sharing how to protect the “human touch” in an increasingly automated world.

  • What you will learn: How to move past rigid automation to build high-touch, authentic candidate relationships that naturally drive up conversion rates.

Workforce Planning Beyond Headcount: What Work Should Humans Actually Do?

Anatoly Masterovoy (Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist @ Amazon Web Services) An expert at balancing sophisticated tech with human synergy, Anatoly has built future-ready teams for tech and healthcare giants alike. He will be diving into the critical balance of human-machine synergy, answering the question every TA leader is facing right now.

  • What you will learn: A practical framework on how to audit your tech stack and leverage AI-driven sourcing tools without losing the human touch that defines high-performing teams.

🚨 NEWSFLASH: Bring the Crew, Unlock Extra Discounts

These four speakers are just a glimpse of what is in store for Nashville. You will get zero fluff, bold ideas, and actionable strategies you can bring straight back to your desk.

But you should not tackle the future of TA alone. Bringing 4 or more people from your team unlocks exclusive Team Discounts. Your future self, and your hiring metrics, will thank you for bringing the whole squad along.

Lock in your ticket before prices jump. Early Bird tickets are currently just $99, but this rate disappears the minute the full agenda drops.

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