Tays Heyer
EverGreene Manufacturing
“Great leaders are shaped by great leadership.”
Tays Heyer 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 Tays's story.
Tays Heyer’s career reflects a common truth in talent acquisition: the most impactful paths are rarely planned, they evolve. As Vice President Human Resources at EverGreene Manufacturing, he arrived at talent leadership without a fixed roadmap, guided instead by experience, curiosity, and the people he learned from along the way.
What stands out about his story is not simply how he entered the field, but how steadily he has refined his perspective since. Real-world exposure did the teaching, and leadership influence did the shaping. Over time, Tays built a strong foundation in recruiting by observing what great leadership looks like and, just as importantly, by understanding how those experiences shape one’s own approach.
His career has been influenced by leaders who modeled not only technical excellence, but also the importance of being guided in the right direction. That belief, that great leaders are shaped by great leadership, continues to inform how Tays shows up today.
What Energizes Him Most
At the core of Tays’s work is a deep appreciation for growth, both personal and organizational. He is energized by the opportunity to evolve alongside the industry, learning continuously from new challenges, new technologies, and new people. Recruiting, in his view, is not static; it is a space where adaptability and perspective are everything.
Equally important is the ability to influence and shape others. Having experienced the impact of strong leadership firsthand, Tays is driven to pay that forward, helping others navigate their own paths and reach their potential. That combination of growth and impact is what fuels his passion for talent leadership.
How Recruiting Is Changing
Tays sees the current moment in recruiting as one of rapid transformation, driven largely by the rise of AI and emerging technologies. In the past year alone, the landscape has shifted significantly. Automation, data-driven tools, and AI-powered solutions are changing how recruiters source, engage, and evaluate talent, and tasks that once required significant manual effort are now being streamlined, allowing teams to operate with greater speed and efficiency.
For Tays, though, the shift is not only about technology. It is about mindset. The most successful talent leaders, he believes, are those who embrace change rather than resist it. AI is not something to fear, but something to understand and leverage, creating opportunities to work smarter, focus on higher-value activities, and ultimately deliver better outcomes.
Still, technology alone is not the answer. Tays recognizes that while tools can enhance the recruiting process, they cannot replace the human judgment, intuition, and relationship-building that define great talent acquisition.
Tays’ Advice for 2026
Looking ahead, Tays emphasizes the importance of staying adaptable in an ever-changing landscape. The pace of innovation, especially with AI, will only accelerate, and talent leaders must remain open to new ways of working, continuously exploring how technology can support and enhance their strategies.
At the same time, he stresses the importance of grounding that innovation in strong leadership fundamentals. Tools may change, but the need for clear thinking, strong decision-making, and people-first leadership remains constant. Success in 2026 and beyond, he argues, will come down to balance: embracing innovation while staying rooted in the principles that make recruiting effective.
It is this blend of adaptability, awareness, and leadership perspective that makes Tays Heyer a compelling voice in the future of talent acquisition.
The Talent 100 exists to celebrate the people shaping the future of how the world hires, and few embody that better than Tays. We are honored to welcome Tays Heyer to the Talent 100, Class of 2026, and grateful for the experience, perspective, and craft they bring to this community. Congratulations, Tays. 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.
