Recruiting has always been a people business, but somewhere along the way we let metrics, tools, and platforms convince us otherwise. This conversation with Heather Colvin was a needed reset and long time coming since we’ve connected over the past year.
Heather is a senior technical recruiter at Smart Data, a familiar face on the conference circuit, and one of those rare people whose energy translates just as clearly online as it does in person. What struck me most in our conversation was not tactics or tools, but her deep conviction that community, presence, and showing up imperfectly are still the real differentiators in this work. Not only recruiting, Heather spoke to her intrinsic motivation for how she operates in the world and the work she’s doing in her community as an entrepreneur.
We talked a lot about what happens when online relationships move offline.
Meeting at RecFest and other events changed the texture of those connections.
Once you have looked someone in the eye, shared a laugh, or swapped stories over bad conference coffee, the relationship shifts. It stops being transactional. That matters in a profession built on trust. Heather articulated something many recruiters feel but rarely say out loud. Even a room of fifty people can change your trajectory. You do not need a massive audience to make meaningful impact. You need real humans who remember how you made them feel.
A recurring theme in the episode was visibility and courage. Heather is candid about the long seasons where she was grinding quietly, building skill and confidence before anyone noticed. Posting on LinkedIn is not easy, especially when you are early in your career or unsure if your voice matters. We talked about how comments became her entry point. Thoughtful engagement. Showing up in other people’s conversations. Adding value without demanding attention. That path led to relationships, invitations, and eventually a platform.
There was also an important reframing of what influence actually looks like. Numbers can distort reality. A thousand impressions feels small on a dashboard but overwhelming if those people were standing in your living room. Heather shared a powerful reminder that influence compounds through individual moments. The calls, the comments, the creativity to connect with someone you’ve sourced. Recruiting is built on those moments, not on vanity metrics.
We also spent time on identity and authenticity. Heather does not perform professionalism. She shows up as herself. Direct, warm, imperfect, human. In an AI saturated world, that imperfection becomes a signal. It tells candidates and peers alike that there is a real person on the other end of the conversation. Whether it is a cold call that starts with humor, a voicemail left without knowing who is listening, or a comment dropped with genuine curiosity, those small human touches still cut through.
What stayed with me after this conversation is Heather’s orientation toward service. She is always thinking about who she can connect, who she can lift, and how she can shorten the distance for someone who feels unseen. That mindset is what turns individual success into community momentum.
If there is a takeaway from this episode, it is that recruiting excellence is still built in the trenches. In comments. In conversations. In rooms that are smaller than we expect but more powerful than we realize. The future of this profession belongs to people who show up with intention, stay curious, and remember that the work only matters because of the humans on the other side of it
Episode 016 of Building the Talent Machine is out now 🔊
Follow Heather here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-colvin/
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