In SMB hiring, "human-centric" is a luxury that many lean HR teams feel they can’t afford. When hiring managers are wearing multiple hats, and HR teams are balancing dozens of open roles, plus other HR functions, the human touch isn’t lost by choice; capacity constraints crowd it out.
Hiring breaks down when teams are forced to take shortcuts, relying on late-stage "gut feel" because they lack the time for intentional evaluations. But the reality is, human connection is the exact superpower SMBs need to compete with enterprise businesses, and it can be accomplished by building with intention.
This session offers a systemic solution for struggling SMBs, exploring how to design a hiring process that automates repetitive admin and observational tasks, so your team has the capacity to focus on what matters most: making high-quality decisions and building authentic candidate connections.
Learn how to leverage technology not as a replacement for human judgment, but as the very tool that protects it.
Meet the Presenters
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Josh Tolan
Josh Tolan is the CEO and Founder of Spark Hire. Continuously growing the HR software from just a video interviewing platform in 2012 to a full hiring solution complete with an ATS and a behavioral assessment, Josh is passionate about helping people-powered organizations find the right tools to hire the best candidates as efficiently as possible.
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Gary Schwake
Gary Schwake is the Chief Revenue Officer at Spark Hire. In the last 15 years, Gary has created 3 companies, sold two of them, and advised nearly 50 as Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Yield Group, Operating Partner at Boathouse Capital, and Limited Partner in and advisor to Stage 2 Capital. Gary is driven to help remove the friction from growth and enable functional revenue leaders to expand into well-rounded business leaders.
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Victoria Manley
Victoria Manley, SHRM-SCP is the Talent Acquisition Coordinator for Reliable Medical. Known for her organizational strength and people-centered approach, Victoria helps create hiring processes that are efficient, welcoming, and aligned with business needs.
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Jennifer Howell
Jennifer leads People and Culture at the American Marketing Association with a focus on building clear, accountable, and inclusive environments where people can do their best work.
She places a strong emphasis on talent acquisition as a driver of business performance, especially in small to mid-sized organizations where every hire has a measurable impact. She believes hiring is not just about filling roles, but about shaping culture, capability, and long-term growth.
Jennifer is particularly focused on helping organizations move beyond supportive cultures to ones that are also bold, adaptive, and focused on impact.
SHRM certification has approved this webinar for 1 PDC toward SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP recertification. A program code will be provided at the end of the webinar.