Matt Garvey

From Agency Recruiting to Business Partnership

Garvey enjoyed agency work, but over time he found himself wanting to be closer to the organizations he was helping build. He wanted greater visibility into business strategy, leadership decision-making, and the direct impact that talent acquisition could have on company growth. That desire led him into internal recruiting, and one of the defining moments of his career came when he joined a then-small technology company called AppDynamics.

What has kept him in the profession, through every shift in market and model, is the challenge itself. Garvey describes recruiting as a discipline that combines competition, relationship-building, and business impact in equal measure. "There's a game to recruiting," he explained. Success, in his view, comes from understanding the business, building strong partnerships, and consistently finding ways to connect great talent with meaningful opportunities.

That competitive element continues to energize him today, and it shapes how he approaches leadership. He encourages his teams to keep improving while holding a firm focus on candidate and stakeholder experience, treating the two as inseparable rather than competing priorities.

The New Era of Recruiting Efficiency

Over the past year, Garvey has observed significant changes across the recruiting landscape. The most notable shift has been the growing expectation that recruiters accomplish more with fewer resources. Organizations today are asking recruiters to drive stronger hiring outcomes while simultaneously improving efficiency and productivity, and as hiring teams adapt to those expectations, recruiters are being challenged to rethink how they spend their time and where they create the most value.

Technology plays an important role in meeting that challenge, but Garvey believes the real differentiator lies elsewhere. The recruiters who consistently succeed are the ones who develop strong, trusted relationships with hiring managers and business leaders.

That is why he considers stakeholder influence one of the most important skills in modern talent acquisition. Recruiters are no longer simply responsible for sourcing candidates and managing hiring processes; they are increasingly expected to serve as advisors, consultants, and strategic partners to the business. The ability to influence decision-makers, build credibility, and guide hiring conversations has become a critical competitive advantage. Regardless of market conditions, recruiter success often comes down to how effectively they partner with stakeholders and help leaders make informed hiring decisions. For Garvey, that combination of influence and collaboration represents the modern recruiting superpower.

Preparing Teams for Continuous Change

Looking toward the future, Garvey believes recruiting leaders must build teams capable of adapting to ongoing change. The industry continues to evolve rapidly under the pressure of technology, AI, changing workforce expectations, and shifting business priorities, which has made adaptability one of the most valuable characteristics a recruiter can possess. Rather than hiring individuals who have only succeeded in one type of environment, he encourages leaders to seek out professionals who have navigated multiple industries, business models, and organizational challenges. Those experiences build the flexibility needed to perform in uncertain and evolving conditions.

Digital fluency sits alongside adaptability on his list of priorities. As technology plays a larger role in recruiting operations, Garvey believes teams should actively embrace new tools while maintaining their focus on human connection and relationship-building. He specifically highlights the value of professionals who are comfortable working in highly digital environments and can quickly learn new systems, platforms, and workflows. As AI becomes more integrated into recruiting processes, those skills will only grow in importance, and the recruiters who pair technology adoption with strong communication and business partnership will be best positioned for long-term success.

Advice for Talent Leaders in 2026

As organizations prepare for the next chapter of talent acquisition, Garvey encourages leaders to prioritize adaptability, technology adoption, and continuous learning. His advice includes:

Hiring recruiters who have experience across multiple environments and business challenges

Building teams that can quickly adapt to changing market conditions

Investing in digital fluency and technology adoption

Encouraging curiosity around AI and emerging recruiting tools

Developing strong stakeholder management and influence skills

Focusing on business partnership rather than transactional recruiting

Remaining flexible as the recruiting landscape continues to evolve

Throughout his career, Garvey has consistently gravitated toward opportunities that bring him closer to business impact. From finance to agency recruiting, and from recruiting execution to leadership, his path has been defined by continuous learning and adaptation. His experience demonstrates that the most effective talent acquisition leaders are not only skilled recruiters, they are business partners who understand how hiring decisions influence organizational growth.