Jocelyn Burbidge
BRINC
“I'm a social connector, and I love connecting people.”
Jocelyn Burbidge has been named to the Talent 100, Class of 2026, the annual award recognizing the 100 most exceptional leaders and practitioners in talent acquisition. Honorees are selected by the Talent 100 committee from thousands of nominations and candidates across the industry, chosen for the impact of their work, the depth of their craft, and their influence on the future of recruiting. This is Jocelyn's story.
Jocelyn Burbidge's path into talent acquisition started twice: once in a boiler-room recruiting agency in 2006, and again when she talked her way into Facebook in 2012 after reaching out every two months for a year and a half.
The first attempt came fresh out of college, when a staffing agency recruiter floated an idea: why not try recruiting herself? The role, at a company called Business Careers, paid 100% commission, and the environment was exactly the kind of high-pressure grind the model implies. Burbidge worked 8:00 to 5:00 at the agency and waited tables on weekends to make ends meet. After a couple of months, she walked away and bounced between random jobs for five years.
The second origin story stuck.
The Door Into Facebook
In 2011, Burbidge reached out to a friend at Netflix, looking for a way into Facebook. She was not precious about the job title. "I don't care what I do there," she told her friend. "I just really want to get my foot in the door. I'm a social connector, and I love connecting people."
The friend made an introduction to a sourcer at Facebook, but the timing was wrong: the recruiting coordinator role had just closed. So Burbidge did what would become characteristic. She persisted, reaching out to that sourcer every two months for about a year and a half, until finally, in early 2012, they called her in.
She started in April 2012 as a contractor in a recruiting coordinator role. On paper it was a step back in her career; in practice it was a door into something bigger. From there she moved from coordinating to sourcing to recruiting, and eventually into leadership.
Learning From Great Leaders
Two mentors from those Facebook years continue to shape Burbidge's career decisions to this day. Lindsey Jackson and Sarah Newman Crane both left Facebook before Burbidge did, which made her own departure a little easier when the time came.
Jackson gave her a chance early on, saw her potential, and knew how to advocate for her during the moments that mattered most. "A lot of my trajectory came from her just believing in what my potential could unlock," Burbidge says. The two would later reunite at Lyft, where their working relationship continued.
Sarah Crane believed in Burbidge's qualitative strengths. Crane was the one who suggested she run a sourcing workshop, and who recommended her for a month-long assignment training teams at Facebook's London office. Jackson saw what Burbidge could do operationally; Crane saw what she could bring to the table culturally.
Both perspectives have proven durable. With every job offer since, Burbidge consults the two of them. "To this day, I still go to both of them," she says.
The Reverse Mentor
Asked about the people who have shaped her, Burbidge names Tessa Wasp, but with a twist: Wasp reported to her at Lyft, where Burbidge spotted her high potential early. The test Burbidge applies is simple but revealing. "If there's a reorg, I would report into this person." Wasp passed it, and when Burbidge moved to Convoy, she brought Wasp with her.
What happened next is something Burbidge is careful not to claim as her own. "I hate saying I promoted somebody 'cause they did most of the work," she explains. "I'm just the lawyer that gets the verdict at the door during calibrations." Wasp, she says, functioned as if she had 80 hours in a day.
Burbidge, then at Convoy when this interview took place, has since moved on and is now Head of People at BRINC.
The Talent 100 exists to celebrate the people shaping the future of how the world hires, and few embody that better than Jocelyn. We are honored to welcome Jocelyn Burbidge to the Talent 100, Class of 2026, and grateful for the experience, perspective, and craft they bring to this community. Congratulations, Jocelyn. Welcome to the Talent 100.
About the Talent 100
The Talent 100 is an annual list spotlighting the leaders who push HR and talent acquisition forward, organized by Noon AI. Honorees are selected through peer nominations and independent selection committees. Selection is entirely merit-based, with no fees or pay-to-play requirements.
