Director of Talent Acquisition Anne Royse shares how Talking Rain Beverage Company is maintaining its standards for talent while scaling and innovating quickly.

By Debbie Bolla

HRO Today: What is the biggest hiring challenge you are currently facing and what are your plans to overcome it? 

Anne Royse: One of our biggest challenges right now is helping the business maintain that high-bar talent standard while moving at speed. We’re scaling, innovating, and evolving quickly. That requires a hiring approach that balances precision with pace. 

To meet the moment, we’ve built a centralized TA function that’s cut our time-to-fill rate in half and increased our hiring success rate dramatically. But we’re not stopping there. We’re continuing to sharpen our intake process, using data to predict and prevent misalignment before it slows us down. The goal? Right talent. Right seat. Right now.  

HROT: In what ways do you leverage AI and what is its impact?

Royse: We don’t view AI as a threat to our humanity; we view it as an accelerator for it. AI helps us surface insights faster, spot trends sooner, and remove friction from the process so our recruiters can spend more time on what matters most: relationships. 

We use AI to support sourcing, scheduling, and screening applications, but always with a human in the loop. Every qualified resume is reviewed by a person. Rather than risk AI missing the nuance in how a resume is presented, our recruiters take a closer look. The rule of thumb? If it doesn’t deepen understanding or create connection, it’s not serving the candidate, or us.   

HROT: What strategies do you leverage to build a proactive hiring mindset?

Royse: We treat recruiting as a strategic function, not a transactional one. That starts with embedding talent conversations into business planning; not just when a requisition opens. Our recruiters show up as thought partners, asking the right questions early: What’s the business goal? Where are the gaps? What kind of leader will thrive here? 

We also track new hire success through post-hire check-ins that evaluate fit, performance, and impact. These insights have made us sharper predictors, stronger partners, and have helped build a culture where hiring isn’t just a TA responsibility; it’s a shared success across the business.  

HROT: What’s driving the future of TA?

Royse: As talent leaders, we’re not just filling roles; we’re shaping the future of how people experience work and life. At Talking Rain, that means embracing the tools of the future while doubling down on the qualities that make us human. 

I believe the next era of talent acquisition will be defined by leaders who can navigate rapid change with empathy, intuition, and strategic clarity; creating workplaces where people and performance both thrive. That’s the space I’m passionate about leading in, and the conversation I’m committed to moving forward. 

HROT: What are you currently binging, reading, or doing in your free time?

Royse: I’m obsessed with the question: How will humanity evolve alongside AI? The more technology takes center stage, the more valuable our most human qualities become: emotional intelligence, intuition, empathy, diplomacy, and the courage to show up authentically. I believe leaders who cultivate the whole being; body, mind, and spirit, including the things we can’t measure or see, will be the ones who thrive. 

That passion fuels how I lead as a recruiter and in my coaching practice, and it’s why I protect time to live it out. For me, that means turning off the computer and hiking in the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, meditating, connecting with others face-to-face, and walking my golden retriever through town to spread a little joy. Those moments refill my tank so I can show up sharper, calmer, and more present for my team and candidates. 

Right now, I’m reading The Awakened Brain by Lisa Miller, which blends science and spirituality, and The Coming Wave by Mustafa Suleyman, which explores the technologies reshaping our future. Together, they keep me toggling between possibility and practicality: exactly where I like to live.