Diamond Acevedo

Diamond Acevedo

Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist, Onbe

For Diamond Acevedo, recruiting has always been about creating opportunities that genuinely change people’s lives.

Before entering talent acquisition, Diamond began her career working in higher education and admissions, where she quickly discovered a passion for helping people navigate important career and educational decisions.

While working in higher education, Diamond completed her master’s degree in HR Management and began thinking more seriously about her long-term career path.

That’s when she realized talent acquisition combined everything she enjoyed most — relationship-building, people development, business partnership, and helping individuals grow professionally.

“I realized while I was in admissions, I loved the recruitment side,” Diamond explained.

Originally from the Bronx, New York, Diamond describes herself as the first graduate in her entire family — a milestone that shaped both her perspective and work ethic.

Coming from humble beginnings, she credits much of her drive and resilience to her mother.

“My mother tried her best to give us everything she could with nothing,” Diamond shared.

That foundation motivated Diamond to continuously invest in herself through networking, education, and professional development opportunities.

After completing graduate school, she pursued opportunities in talent acquisition and eventually joined Onbe in 2021 as a Talent Acquisition Coordinator.

From the beginning, Diamond was intentional about finding the right leadership environment.

“I always say interview the company, their beliefs, and their values — but also interview your leadership,” she said.

The leadership team at Onbe immediately stood out to her, and she quickly recognized it was an organization where she could continue learning and growing.

Since then, Diamond has continued building her career within talent acquisition while helping support business growth through thoughtful hiring and relationship-driven recruiting.

For Diamond, recruiting has never been just about filling open positions.

“It’s about understanding people’s strengths, motivations, and potential and matching them with teams where they can thrive,” she explained.

That people-first mindset continues to shape the way she approaches talent acquisition today.

What Shaped Her Leadership Philosophy Throughout her career

Diamond has drawn inspiration from both personal experiences and the leaders who invested in her development.

The biggest influence on her life has been her mother, whose resilience and determination continue to motivate her today.

As the first person in her family to graduate and build a corporate career, Diamond understands firsthand how important mentorship, encouragement, and opportunity can be.

She also credits the leadership team at Onbe for helping shape her professional growth.

According to Diamond, the leaders she has worked with at Onbe have played a major role in helping her develop confidence, leadership skills, and a long-term vision for her career.

Beyond formal leadership, Diamond believes networking and relationship-building have been critical parts of her journey.

By attending networking events, connecting with other professionals, and staying engaged within the recruiting community, she has continuously expanded both her knowledge and professional perspective.

One recruiting leader Diamond specifically highlighted was Maddie Hoose, whom she previously worked alongside at Onbe.

Diamond praised Maddie for her ability to thrive through constant change, especially during periods of growth and organizational transformation.

“She wore so many different hats,” Diamond explained. “No matter whether her position changed, whether she had a team or didn’t have a team, she continued to thrive through ambiguity.”

Diamond deeply admires leaders who remain adaptable, resilient, and effective even during uncertainty.

That same mindset now influences how she approaches her own work within talent acquisition.

How AI Is Reshaping Recruiting

As AI rapidly transforms the recruiting industry, Diamond believes the technology is fundamentally changing how talent teams operate.

“AI has significantly shifted recruiting from primarily transactional to becoming much more strategic,” she explained.

According to Diamond, many of the traditionally administrative aspects of recruiting — including sourcing, resume screening, interview scheduling, and candidate outreach — can now be accelerated through AI tools.

This shift allows recruiters to spend more time focusing on higher-value responsibilities like relationship-building, candidate experience, hiring manager partnership, and strategic talent evaluation.

At the same time, Diamond believes AI is also raising the expectations placed on recruiters.

Because candidates are increasingly using AI tools to optimize resumes and prepare for interviews, recruiters now need to evaluate talent more thoughtfully and dig deeper beyond surface-level qualifications.

“Talent professionals need to dig deeper to truly evaluate skills, impact, and cultural alignment,” she said.

While Diamond fully embraces AI’s potential, she believes the human side of recruiting remains irreplaceable.

For her, the most successful recruiting organizations will be the ones that balance technology with empathy, strategic thinking, and authentic relationship-building.

“The organizations that will win are the ones that combine AI-driven efficiency with human judgment, empathy, and relationship building,” she explained.

Diamond sees AI not as a replacement for recruiters, but as a partnership that allows recruiting teams to operate more effectively.

“It’s more of a partnership and an enhancement — it’s not a replacement,” she said.

Diamond’s Advice for Talent Leaders in 2026

As recruiting continues evolving, Diamond encourages talent leaders to approach AI with an open mindset while staying grounded in the human side of hiring.

She believes recruiters who learn how to effectively leverage AI tools while maintaining strong communication and relationship-building skills will continue to provide enormous value to their organizations.

According to Diamond, the future of recruiting will belong to leaders who can combine efficiency with empathy.

While technology can automate workflows and improve speed, recruiters still play a critical role in assessing potential, understanding motivations, and creating meaningful candidate experiences.

She also believes mindset will play a major role in how successfully organizations adapt to AI moving forward.

“If everyone can get on board with the mindset that AI is a partnership and an enhancement, then we will be that much more effective and efficient,” Diamond shared.

For Diamond, recruiting ultimately remains centered around people.

Whether helping candidates reach career milestones, supporting business growth, or building strong partnerships with hiring managers, she believes the human connection behind recruiting will always matter most.

That relationship-driven approach, combined with her resilience, leadership mindset, and passion for helping others grow, is exactly what makes Diamond Acevedo a deserving member of the Talent 100.