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HI, MY NAME IS CARMEN

Carmen Hudson is a self-described “recruiting geek” who has spent years learning, creating, and sharing recruiting and sourcing best practices. She spent over ten years as a consultant and trainer at Recruiting Toolbox, helping high profile companies develop strategies to attract and select talent, and helping recruiters, recruiting leaders, and hiring managers hone the skills necessary to identify and hire top talent.

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Her corporate experience includes ExtraHop, where she was Senior Director of Talent Acquisition and Yahoo!, where she was Senior Manager, Talent Acquisition. At Yahoo! she led the strategic sourcing team, revitalizing the employee referral program and Yahoo’s employer brand. The team was awarded a coveted Yahoo! Superstar Award, an ERE Excellence award and various recruiting and advertising industry awards. Prior to joining Yahoo!, she was manager, Global Strategic Sourcing for Starbucks Coffee Corporation, where she developed sourcing strategies and recommended resources and tactics to support U.S. retail management hiring.​

 

Carmen has also held senior talent acquisition roles at Microsoft, Amazon.com and Capital One and founded a social recruiting technology company. She is a regular contributor to recruiting industry publications, and often speaks at industry events, including Talent42, SourceCon and ERE Exchange. In February, she published a book, The Corporate Recruiter’s Playbook, Strategies for Hiring Top Talent.

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Carmen and her husband William live in Gig Harbor, WA. She is on the board of directors of the CareerXroads Foundation, and YouthCare Seattle, an organization that works to end youth homelessness.

Tuesday, March 18 @ 10:15 am

Navigating the Future of Talent Acquisition: Challenges, Innovations, and Opportunities

The world of Talent Acquisition is undergoing seismic shifts, reshaping how organizations attract and hire top talent. Demographic trends and population changes are creating unprecedented candidate shortages, intensifying the competition for skilled workers. At the same time, advancements in automation and artificial intelligence are transforming recruitment processes, redefining the role of TA teams, and challenging us to adapt our strategies.

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In this pivotal moment, TA leaders have a unique opportunity to reimagine and revolutionize how their organizations approach talent acquisition. From designing more candidate-centric processes to leveraging emerging technologies, we are at the forefront of a new era in TA. But with these opportunities come critical questions:

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  • How do we address the shrinking labor pool in some areas, while managing the decreased need for workers in other areas?

  • What role should AI and automation play in creating more efficient, fair, and engaging recruitment practices?

  • How do we redesign TA functions to align with business goals and deliver exceptional hiring manager and candidate experiences?

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This session will expose senior TA leaders to talent market insights and forward-looking strategies to navigate these transformative changes.

Top Workplaces USA 2026 National Conference Cancellation Policy

All Conference Passes are contingent upon your organization receiving the USA TODAY Top Workplaces 2026 Award. If your organization does not receive the award, your Conference Registration will be canceled without penalty.

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​All cancellation request must be submitted in writing via email to justin.libak@usatoday.com.

 

Confirmed registrants may cancel and receive a full refund minus a $150 cancellation fee for general attendees through February 27, 2026. Cancellation request received from February 28, 2026 through March 20, 2026 are nonrefundable but can be transferred to another member within your organization. Cancellations on or after March 21, 2026 are nonrefundable and transfers are not permitted.    

 

Attendees who do not attend the event and/or do not contact USA TODAY/Gannett via written correspondence by the dates above will be responsible for the full attendee registration fee. If the conference is cancelled, USA TODAY/Gannett is not responsible for any penalty incurred by purchasing a nonrefundable airline ticket or related costs.  


Notice of Filming statement: 

By entering this event and by your presence here, you consent to be photographed, filmed and/or otherwise recorded. Your entry constitutes your consent to such photography, filming and/or recording and to any use, in any and all media throughout the universe in perpetuity, of your appearance, voice and name for any purpose whatsoever in connection with USA TODAY National Top Workplaces Awards Summit.  You understand that all photography, filming and/or recording will be done in reliance on this consent given by you by entering this area. If you do not agree to the foregoing, please do not enter this area. Holder releases and waives each of Gannett Co., Inc., USA TODAY Network, the facility, vendors and participants, and their respective affiliates and representatives from any and all loss, damage, or injury, including death, that may be sustained by Holder or damage to any of his/her property, WHETHER CAUSED BY THE NEGLIGENCE OF THE RELEASEES, or otherwise, while attending and/or participating in the Event, or while in, on or upon the premises where the Event is being conducted. HOLDER VOLUNTARILY ASSUMES FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY RISKS OF LOSS, PROPERTY DAMAGE OR PERSONAL INJURY, INCLUDING DEATH, that may be sustained by Holder, or any loss or damage of property owned by Holder, as a result of participating in the Event, WHETHER CAUSED BY THE NEGLIGENCE OF RELEASEES OR OTHERWISE.

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*Policy subject to change

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