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Published on Hirewell Talent Insights | The Balancing Act Podcast
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What do you get when you combine a startup founder mindset with an enterprise workforce challenge? You get Evan Shy, CEO of HTD Talent, Coding Temple, and App Academy, solving the capability gap by embedding expert-led teams directly into client environments.
On Episode 18 of Beyond the Offer, hosts Rosanna Snediker and Bill Gates sit down with Evan to unpack what “guided development” actually means, how the tech talent pipeline is broken, and why the future of workforce training is in the flow of work.
Guided Development: Upskilling That Actually Sticks
Forget the lunch-and-learns. Evan’s model is rooted in embedding seasoned experts directly into client teams, helping ship product faster while leveling up internal skills.
“We’re not building dependencies. We’re transforming teams so they don’t need us anymore.”
Whether it’s agile methodology, modern frameworks, or AI adoption, HTD’s embedded teams train and build at the same time.
The New Entry-Level Reality
CS grads aren’t struggling because they’re unqualified. They’re struggling because the market’s flooded, and “entry-level” jobs now require 3+ years of experience.
That’s why HTD’s programs are designed to simulate real enterprise environments and only the top 2–5% make it to client deployments.
“It’s not just about technical skill. We’re training how to learn, lead, and navigate real teams.”
Hire Fast, Fire Fast and Use the First Week Like an Interview
HTD’s hiring philosophy is unapologetically pragmatic: adaptability beats specialization, and trial periods reveal more than interviews ever can.
Candidates are often brought in on a contract-to-hire basis, with a strong emphasis on evaluating real performance, not just resumes.
Why Most Digital Transformations Fail (And How to Fix Them)
Many companies implement tools but skip the hard part: rethinking how their teams actually work.
“AI can’t fix bad handoffs, broken workflows, or vague processes.”
HTD steps in after failed transformations to help rewire operations from the ground up, delivering both features and lasting capability.
AI: Threat or Amplifier?
Evan doesn’t buy the doomsday narrative. Yes, AI will replace some tasks. But he sees it as a creativity unlock, not a job killer.
“AI amplifies what makes us human. It doesn’t erase it.”
He likens it to the calculator: yes, it automates, but it also frees us to do more complex, impactful work.
Key Takeaways:
- Enterprise-grade experience is non-negotiable in today’s tech job market
- Embedded experts > outsourced consultants for long-term capability growth
- Most digital transformations fail due to people, not tools
- AI’s biggest impact? Making humans more strategic, not obsolete
- Real hiring success = evaluating people on the job, not just in interviews
🎧 Tune into Episode 18 of Beyond the Offer to hear how Evan Shy is rethinking learning, leadership, and the future of technical workforces.
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Plenty has been written about AI over the past two years. For much of that time, AI has been more hype than reality. I THINK 2026 is when that starts to change.
Here’s the first in a three part series of where we see AI going in the recruiting world.
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For the last few years, most companies treated AI like a recruiting assistant. It helped draft job descriptions, summarize resumes, and speed up outreach. Useful, sure. But it didn’t fundamentally change how hiring worked. And oftentimes, things needed to be double checked before hitting send.
I think that’s going to change.
In 2026, we’re seeing the rise of agentic HR. These are systems that don’t just support recruiters. They can execute work autonomously inside defined guardrails.
That shift is forcing talent leaders to rethink what recruiting teams are actually responsible for and what still requires a human.
From Copilot AI to Agentic Recruiting Systems
Traditional recruiting AI waited for humans to click “next.”
Agentic systems don’t.
They can interpret real-time funnel data, align to hiring goals, and take multi-step action. That includes adjusting sourcing spend, coordinating interview schedules, and triggering workflow changes without manual oversight.
This isn’t automation layered onto old processes. It’s the early version of a self-driving recruiting function.
The Metric That Matters More Than Time-to-Fill
Time-to-fill and cost-per-hire still matter. They just don’t fully capture what’s changing.
A concept showing up more in 2026 is Return on Autonomy. It measures the value created when humans and autonomous systems are paired intentionally.
In plain terms, the question is simple.
Are we using technology to eliminate busywork, or are we just doing the same work faster?
Because speed doesn’t help if it leads to worse decisions, a weaker candidate experience, or more noise in the funnel.
Why This Changes the Role of TA Leadership
As agentic systems absorb transactional work like screening, scheduling, and coordination, the role of recruiting leadership shifts.
The best TA leaders are spending less time managing process and more time doing what actually drives hiring outcomes. That includes aligning hiring to business priorities, building trust with candidates, and improving decision quality.
The real opportunity of 2026 isn’t more AI. It’s that recruiters finally get to focus on the work that requires being human.
The Mistake Companies Are Making Right Now
Here’s the trap.
Companies adopt advanced recruiting technology but keep the same habits. Long approval chains. Inconsistent communication. Unclear evaluation criteria.
When that happens, speed increases, but trust collapses.
Candidates don’t experience innovation. They experience silence, confusion, and a process that feels even more impersonal than before.
In 2026, the human experience of hiring is becoming a differentiator again because so many companies are getting it wrong.
What Talent Leaders Should Be Thinking About Now
You don’t need a total rebuild tomorrow. But you do need clarity.
The companies winning in 2026 are asking the right questions.
What parts of our hiring process truly require human judgment?
Where are we slowing things down out of habit?
Are recruiters trained for strategic work, or just process management?
Do our systems increase transparency, or just efficiency?
These aren’t technology questions. They’re leadership questions.
What’s Next
Agentic HR is changing how recruiting works. It’s also creating a new challenge.
As employers deploy autonomous systems, candidates are doing the same. The result is an emerging AI-on-AI hiring arms race that’s flooding pipelines with highly optimized but low-trust applications.
Next in this series: The AI-on-AI Hiring Arms Race and How to Protect Hiring Quality Without Breaking Trust
A lot of companies are going to try to AI their way into faster hiring this year and still end up with worse results. If you want to build a recruiting model that actually works in 2026, one that balances speed, quality, and credibility, we can help. Reach out if you want a second set of eyes on your hiring approach.
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