Defense Unicorns
“You just got to be human, because the person on the other end is also human.”
Stephanie Holman’s path into recruiting began in education. As a school guidance counselor
and later in higher education, she helped students choose degrees and prepare for what came
next. What increasingly interested her, however, was the part of the journey she rarely got to
see: what happened when those students entered the workforce.
Recruiting gave her the opportunity to become part of that next chapter. Today at Defense
Unicorns, Holman sees herself as a first point of contact for people considering a significant
career change, bringing many of the same counseling instincts—listening, guidance, and
empathy—into talent acquisition.
A Counselor’s Instincts in Recruiting
Holman sees her move from education into recruiting as an evolution rather than a complete
career change.
As a counselor, her job was to understand what someone wanted, help them navigate their
options, and provide clarity around an important decision. Recruiting requires many of the same
skills, except the opportunity is already in front of the person.
That background has shaped how she approaches candidates. A career decision can
significantly change someone’s life, so Holman believes recruiters have a responsibility to listen
carefully, communicate clearly, and represent candidates accurately throughout the process.
AI as a Tool for Advocacy
Holman was initially resistant to AI. One concern was that recording and analyzing
conversations could change the natural quality of an interaction and potentially make candidates
uncomfortable.
Her perspective changed when she began thinking about the technology as a tool for candidate
advocacy.
Holman recruits technical talent but is careful not to pretend she has the same expertise as an
engineer. During conversations, she needs to listen actively while simultaneously capturing
technical details accurately. Tools such as BrightHire can record and transcribe those conversations, reducing the possibility that important information gets lost or distorted when it
reaches the hiring team.
For Holman, that is where AI becomes valuable. Rather than replacing her interaction with
candidates, it can preserve what candidates actually said and help her represent their
experience more faithfully
Find Where AI Makes Sense
Holman believes recruiters and businesses will increasingly need to engage with AI, but she
does not advocate adopting technology simply because it is available.
Her advice is to examine individual workflows and determine where AI creates genuine value
from a business, resource, or time perspective. If technology can eliminate unnecessary work or
accelerate a process without compromising the candidate experience, she sees that as a
worthwhile improvement.
The goal is selective adoption rather than automation everywhere. Recruiters should
understand what the tools can do, experiment with them, and keep the pieces that meaningfully
improve their work.
Keep the Process Human
Despite becoming more enthusiastic about AI, Holman’s central philosophy remains rooted in
her counseling background.
Technology should help recruiters listen better, document conversations more accurately, and
advocate more effectively. It should not make them forget that there is a person on the other
side of every interaction.
For Holman, the best recruiting process combines efficiency with empathy: keep the process
clear, keep the candidate’s story accurate, and use technology to strengthen rather than replace
the human relationship.
About the Talent 100
The Talent 100 is an annual recognition spotlighting leaders who are advancing HR and talent
acquisition. Honorees are selected through peer nominations and independent selection
committees, with selection based entirely on merit and no pay-to-play requirements. The
recognition is organized by Noon AI.
