Lindsey (Waddell) Hammer
Lindsey (Waddell) Hammer
CEO and Founder, Catalyst AI Solutions
Like many talent leaders, Lindsey Hammer never planned on building a career in recruiting.
In college, she studied communications and journalism, knowing she enjoyed connecting with people but unsure what career would allow her to do that in a meaningful way.
As graduation approached, Lindsey admits she was nervous about what came next.
Then an opportunity appeared.
An alumnus from Texas A&M University introduced her to a recruiter at TEKsystems who was interviewing students on campus.
After researching the company and meeting with recruiter Sean, everything clicked.
"The rest was kind of history from there," Lindsey says.
What started as a chance introduction became a career she never expected—but one she quickly realized combined everything she enjoyed: building relationships, solving problems, and helping organizations grow through people.
Learning Leadership Through Data and Purpose
Throughout her career, Lindsey has worked alongside many influential leaders, but two managers had an especially lasting impact on how she leads today: Lindsey Moody and Jessica Amato.
Lindsey Moody gave her the opportunity to step into leadership for the first time.
Looking back, Lindsey remains grateful for the confidence Moody placed in her before she fully recognized her own leadership potential.
Jessica Amato continued that development by reinforcing a disciplined, strategic approach to leadership.
Together, they taught Lindsey several principles that continue to guide her work today.
Always start with data.
Always think about the desired outcome first.
Then work backward to determine what needs to happen to achieve it.
Whether building a recruiting strategy or developing a team, Lindsey believes successful leaders should begin by asking what success looks like six months from now before identifying the processes, people, and changes required to reach that vision.
One lesson, however, stands above the rest.
"Work yourself out of a job."
She watched both leaders repeatedly build teams, systems, and processes strong enough to operate without them.
Rather than protecting responsibilities, they focused on creating scalable organizations that continued succeeding long after they moved on to new opportunities.
That philosophy continues to influence Lindsey's own leadership style today.
Why Every Decision Needs a "Why"
Beyond strategy and execution, Lindsey believes one of a leader's greatest responsibilities is helping people understand the reasoning behind decisions.
Even difficult decisions become easier to navigate when teams understand the purpose behind them.
"Always tie things back to the why," she explains.
Whether introducing new processes, leading organizational change, or navigating uncertainty, she believes transparency builds trust.
When people understand why a decision is being made—even if they disagree with it—they are far more likely to support the direction of the organization.
That emphasis on communication has become one of the defining characteristics of Lindsey's leadership philosophy.
Leaning Into AI Instead of Running From It
Having spent years working at Amazon, Lindsey has witnessed technology reshape recruiting long before today's explosion of generative AI.
She points to one example in particular: leading beta testing for Amazon's automated phone screen scheduler beginning in 2017.
That initiative took years to mature.
Today's AI advancements, however, are moving at an entirely different pace.
"What took years before is now changing in months," Lindsey says.
Rather than becoming overwhelmed by the speed of innovation, she encourages talent leaders to embrace it.
Her advice is simple:
Lean into it.
Start small.
Experiment.
Stay curious.
Whether using ChatGPT, Claude, or other AI tools, Lindsey believes recruiters don't need to become technical experts overnight.
They simply need to begin learning.
Because innovation is accelerating so quickly, waiting until AI becomes perfect is no longer a practical strategy.
Using AI to Amplify Recruiters—Not Replace Them
While Lindsey is excited about AI's potential, she strongly believes technology should strengthen recruiters rather than replace them.
Recruiting professionals spend enormous amounts of time managing administrative work.
Scheduling interviews.
Reviewing resumes.
Writing notes.
Coordinating follow-ups.
Managing multiple systems.
These tasks are necessary, but they also reduce the time recruiters spend doing what humans do best: building relationships.
Instead of removing recruiters from the process, Lindsey believes AI should remove the administrative burden surrounding the process.
That gives recruiters more time to engage candidates, understand hiring managers, and solve complex talent challenges.
"We need to amplify the things recruiters are great at," she explains.
For Lindsey, AI should increase human impact—not reduce it.
Leading Through Ambiguity
One of the biggest challenges facing leaders today is uncertainty.
Employees have countless questions about AI.
Will jobs change?
Will roles disappear?
What does the future look like?
The reality, Lindsey says, is that no one has every answer.
That uncertainty should not prevent leaders from moving forward.
Instead, she believes leaders must become comfortable leading through ambiguity.
Her advice is to remain curious, continue learning, and invite teams to learn alongside you.
"We're all going to figure it out together," she says.
That mindset creates psychological safety while encouraging continuous improvement rather than fear.
Advice for Talent Leaders
As recruiting continues evolving, Lindsey believes curiosity has become one of the most valuable leadership skills.
Technology will continue changing.
Processes will continue evolving.
New AI capabilities will emerge almost weekly.
The leaders who succeed will not be those who have every answer.
They will be the ones willing to keep learning.
Lindsey encourages leaders to stay agile, communicate openly, and never lose sight of the human side of recruiting.
She also believes AI presents an opportunity to make leaders more human rather than less.
By automating repetitive work, leaders gain more time for coaching, relationship building, knowledge sharing, and supporting their teams.
"I think about how I leverage AI to make me more human," Lindsey says.
For Lindsey Hammer, the future of talent acquisition is not about choosing between technology and people.
It is about using technology to create more meaningful human connections—and leading with curiosity every step of the way.
