Eric Grasso

Eric Grasso

First Vice President of Talent Acquisition, Valley Bank

For many talent leaders, recruiting is not a career they plan from the beginning. For Eric Grasso, the path into talent acquisition came unexpectedly after a very different career aspiration.

“I actually went to school to become a police officer,” Eric recalls.

Graduating during the 2008 financial crisis made entering law enforcement challenging, as many municipalities had hiring freezes in place. Like many professionals navigating a difficult job market, Eric took on various sales roles while searching for his next opportunity.

Then a friend suggested recruiting.

“I checked it out,” he says. “And now, 17 years later, here we are.”

What began as an alternative career path quickly developed into a long-term profession built on relationship-building, problem-solving, and helping organizations connect with the right talent.

Finding Purpose Through Process and Partnership

Today, one of the aspects of talent acquisition that energizes Eric most is creating and improving processes that help organizations hire more effectively.

“I enjoy process creation and process improvement,” he says.

But beyond systems and workflows, Eric finds fulfillment in building trust with business leaders and helping them better understand the value talent acquisition brings to an organization.

Recruiting often operates behind the scenes, making it one of the most important yet least understood functions within a business.

“This is a very underappreciated and not very understood area of work,” Eric explains.

He enjoys serving as an advocate for the profession, helping stakeholders recognize how strategic talent acquisition can influence business outcomes and organizational success.

For Eric, strong recruiting teams do more than fill positions—they create partnerships that help organizations grow.

Learning from Leaders Who Made a Lasting Impact

Throughout his career, Eric has been fortunate to learn from leaders whose influence continues to shape his approach to talent acquisition and leadership.

One of the earliest was Steve Tamio, a manager at Aerotek who demonstrated the importance of drive, discipline, and work ethic.

“He showed me how important a strong work ethic can be,” Eric says.

Another influential leader was Sita Speaney, former Head of Talent at Realogy and Anywhere.

Eric admired her ability to connect talent acquisition with the broader HR function and organizational strategy.

“The vast knowledge she had of HR as a whole and how she tied it all together from a recruiting standpoint was always fascinating,” he says.

He also credits Gary Ferber, who gave him his first opportunity in the industry and helped establish the foundation for his career.

From an entrepreneurial mindset to hands-on coaching, Gary's leadership provided valuable lessons that still influence Eric today.

Together, these mentors helped shape Eric’s understanding of leadership, business partnership, and the role talent acquisition plays within an organization.

Navigating an Industry in Transition

Like many talent leaders, Eric sees artificial intelligence as one of the most significant forces currently reshaping the recruiting landscape.

At the same time, he believes the industry is still in the early stages of understanding exactly how these technologies will create long-term value.

“There’s still a lot to get sorted out,” he says.

While countless tools and platforms continue entering the market, Eric believes organizations are still determining which solutions truly deliver meaningful results and which simply generate excitement.

For now, he sees uncertainty as one of the defining characteristics of the current AI landscape.

“There are a lot of tools out there, but which ones actually work as advertised and which ones are the most impactful are still being determined,” he explains.

Rather than rushing toward every new technology, Eric believes organizations should take a thoughtful and practical approach to adoption.

Advice for Talent Leaders Heading into 2026

As recruiting continues to evolve, Eric encourages talent leaders to remain adaptable and avoid looking for a single solution to every hiring challenge.

His advice is simple: understand what works for your organization and recognize that different hiring needs require different approaches.

“There's no one-size-fits-all solution in our world,” he says.

Over the course of his career, he has seen recruiting evolve from mailed resumes to the rise of LinkedIn, the growth of digital sourcing, and now the emergence of AI-powered tools.

Each innovation has brought new opportunities and new challenges.

Some roles continue to perform well through traditional job boards. Others require entirely different sourcing strategies. The key is staying informed, remaining flexible, and understanding the nuances of each hiring situation.

“You have to constantly stay on top of things,” Eric says.

By combining adaptability, strong business partnerships, process improvement, and a practical view of emerging technology, Eric Grasso continues to help organizations navigate an ever-changing talent landscape while keeping people at the center of the hiring process.