Katie Wilber
Katie Wilber
Director of Global Talent Acquisition, Smartsheet
Katie Wilber didn’t set out to build a career in recruiting — she discovered it along the way.
With a graduate background in industrial-organizational psychology, Wilber was deeply interested in how people think, work, and behave in professional environments. As she neared graduation, an unexpected opportunity came her way: a contact at a tech company mentioned an opening on the recruiting team. She wasn’t actively pursuing HR or talent acquisition roles at the time, but she was curious — and said yes.
That decision launched a career she’s now built for more than a decade.
Wilber started as a recruiting coordinator and steadily grew within the field, eventually moving into technical recruiting and expanding her leadership responsibilities as her company scaled. Today, she reflects on nearly 11 years with the same organization — a rarity in a profession known for movement.
That longevity, she says, comes down to two things: people and purpose.
She has helped build a team with unusually strong tenure, with several members working alongside her for eight or nine years. The trust, accountability, and genuine enjoyment within the group have created a foundation that’s hard to leave. At the same time, she believes deeply in the company’s product, making it easy to speak authentically to candidates about why they should join.
When belief in the mission aligns with belief in the team, staying becomes an easy choice.
What Energizes Her Most
Wilber is most energized by building strong, lasting teams.
Having played a direct role in shaping her organization over the years, she takes pride in creating an environment rooted in trust and mutual respect. Many of the people on her team have grown in their careers alongside her, and that shared history has created deep alignment and resilience.
She’s especially motivated by the consistency and reliability that come from long-term partnerships. Knowing she can depend on her team — and that they feel the same way about her — allows the function to operate with confidence and stability, even during periods of change.
For Wilber, talent leadership isn’t just about filling roles. It’s about creating the conditions where people can do their best work together over time.
How Talent Leadership Is Evolving
After more than a decade in talent acquisition, Wilber has seen the function transform alongside shifts in technology, workplace expectations, and business pace.
Her approach centers on maintaining a clear philosophy while staying flexible in execution. Processes that worked a few years ago may no longer serve the team or the business today. The key, she believes, is resisting rigidity.
Rather than clinging to “the way it’s always been done,” she encourages talent leaders to regularly reassess what’s working, what’s not, and where change is needed. That means listening closely to stakeholders, partnering across the business, and being willing to evolve systems that no longer fit the moment.
Adaptability, not perfection, is what keeps talent teams effective.
Katie’s Advice for 2026
As the world of work continues to shift, Wilber’s advice to other talent leaders is grounded in one word: curiosity.
She encourages leaders to hold strong convictions about their craft while remaining open to new ideas, tools, and ways of working. Having a framework is important — but so is the flexibility to adjust within it.
“Ask questions. Seek to understand. Be willing to evolve,” she advises.
In a landscape defined by rapid change, the leaders who will thrive are those who balance expertise with openness — and who treat every challenge as an opportunity to learn rather than a threat to existing norms.
For Wilber, the future of talent leadership belongs to those who stay curious, collaborative, and ready to grow right alongside the organizations they support.
