Candice M Winter

I attribute my success to curiosity, perseverance, and the incredible people who have invested in me along the way.

Throughout my career, I've never been satisfied with simply accepting "the way we've always done it." I've always been curious, asking questions, challenging assumptions, and looking for better ways to solve problems. That mindset has allowed me to embrace change, adopt new technologies, and build recruiting organizations that are both more effective and more human.

Just as importantly, I've been fortunate to have remarkable people in my life, both personally and professionally, who have challenged me, encouraged me, advocated for me, and helped shape who I am. Every mentor, leader, teammate, friend, and family member has contributed something to my journey. We often celebrate individual success, but the truth is none of us gets there alone.

I've also committed to being a lifelong learner. While my path hasn't been traditional, I've always believed that growth comes from curiosity, experience, and a willingness to keep learning.

Ultimately, I measure success less by titles or recognition and more by the impact I've had. If I've left people, teams, and organizations stronger than they were before I arrived, and helped others succeed along the way, then I consider that a successful career.

One of the best pieces of advice I ever received came from one of IBM's CHROs:

Don't measure yourself by the day.

It's impossible to make meaningful progress in every area of your life every single day. Some weeks your family will need more of you. Other weeks your work will demand your attention. There will be seasons when your health, your relationships, or even simply taking care of yourself has to come first.

And that's okay.

Instead of judging yourself by today's scorecard, look at the bigger picture. Measure your life over the course of a month—or several months. If, over that time, you've given each important part of your life the attention it needed, you're doing better than you probably give yourself credit for.

My advice is simple.

First, chase a dream that belongs to you. Don't measure your success by someone else's definition. You get to decide what a meaningful, successful life looks like, and that definition will likely evolve as you do. Give yourself permission to grow, change direction, and redefine success along the way.

And if you choose a career in recruiting, never forget that this is, at its core, a human profession.

Behind every résumé, application, and interview is a real person. The opportunity you help them find can change far more than their job title, it can impact their financial security, their confidence, their family, and the life they build outside of work.

Technology will continue to transform recruiting. AI will make us faster and smarter. But kindness, empathy, integrity, and genuine human connection will always matter.

Never lose sight of the person behind the process.

One of the biggest opportunities, and challenges, in Talent Acquisition right now is the rapid adoption of AI.

AI has enormous potential to improve recruiting, but it's important to remember that AI is a tool, not a strategy. Simply layering AI onto broken or inefficient processes won't solve the underlying problems. Organizations need to rethink how work gets done first, then determine where AI can meaningfully enhance speed, consistency, and decision-making.

At the same time, today's hiring market presents another challenge. Application volumes have increased dramatically, making it harder for recruiting teams to review candidates quickly while still delivering a positive candidate experience. We've also seen a significant rise in fraudulent applications and "fake candidates," adding another layer of complexity.

The organizations that will be most successful won't be the ones that automate the most, they'll be the ones that find the right balance between technology and human judgment. AI can help recruiters work more efficiently, but people are still essential for evaluating talent, building relationships, recognizing potential, and making thoughtful hiring decisions. The future of recruiting isn't AI or humans, it's AI working alongside humans to create better outcomes for candidates and businesses alike.

The values that guide both my work and my personal life are remarkably similar.

First and foremost, I believe in treating people with dignity and respect. Throughout my career in Talent Acquisition, I've never forgotten that every résumé represents a person whose career, family, and future may be impacted by the decisions we make. I believe success should never come at the expense of kindness or integrity.

I'm also deeply curious. I believe there is always a better way to solve a problem, and I enjoy challenging conventional thinking, embracing new ideas, and continuously learning. That's one of the reasons I'm so passionate about AI, not because it's replacing people, but because it has the potential to help people do their work more effectively when applied thoughtfully.

Finally, I believe in leaving things better than I found them. Whether it's helping organizations build stronger recruiting functions, mentoring others, writing, or creating initiatives like my Pay It Forward Library, I find the greatest fulfillment in creating something that has a lasting, positive impact on others.

At the end of the day, success isn't measured only by what I've accomplished, it's measured by the difference I've made for the people around me.