HRTech Cube Interview with Eric Holwell, VP of Solution Engineering at Appcast

Eric, it’s a pleasure to have you with us at HRTech Cube! To start, can you please share your professional journey and what led you to your current role as VP of Product Portfolio at Appcast?
I’ve been working in recruitment marketing and talent attraction since 2006. At that time, print advertising was quickly shifting toward digital channels – job postings, search engine marketing, display banners, and even the very first version of sponsored jobs on Indeed when they were still a startup. Since then, I’ve held a variety of roles, helping enterprise employers plan, manage, and measure recruitment marketing programs. That journey – seeing the industry evolve from analog to programmatic and now into AI – ultimately led me to Appcast, where I get to help shape the future of products that sit at the center of how employers connect with candidates.

From “headhunter to algorithm,” AI tools are transforming recruiting. How are these technologies changing the way employers identify, pre-qualify, and engage passive candidates at scale?
Identifying, pre-qualifying, and engaging candidates are core tasks recruiters do every single day – and they’ve always been repetitive, manual, and full of friction. AI is changing that dynamic by streamlining these steps and doing them at a scale that humans alone simply can’t match. Recruiters who embrace these tools are turning into “super recruiters”: they can manage bigger pipelines, move faster, and spend more of their energy where it really matters—building relationships with candidates.

What role does Native Apply technology play in improving candidate experience, and how have you seen it impact application conversion rates for employers?
Native Apply dramatically improves conversion rates by 50% to 80%, according to our data. It’s not surprising: when you reduce unnecessary steps, you reduce drop-off. Instead of sending candidates off to complex ATS workflows, you allow them to complete their application in the same environment they found the job. That speed and simplicity directly translate into more applicants, better candidate experience, and higher ROI for employers.

Many employers are realizing that not all qualified candidates click “apply now.” How can targeted outreach and employer branding help engage these passive candidates?
Not every great candidate is actively job hunting – sometimes they’re browsing, curious, or just waiting for the right signal. That’s where employer branding and targeted outreach come in. Strong employer storytelling builds awareness and trust, while data-driven outreach delivers the right message to the right candidate at the right time. Together, they shift candidates from passive to interested, often before they ever click “apply.”

When you think about AI in recruiting, what are the most realistic advancements we’ll see in the next two years?
Two areas stand out:

• Matching: AI will dramatically improve how candidates are matched to roles by analyzing skills, experiences, and intent in ways humans can’t. That will cut wasted time for both recruiters and job seekers.
• Speed of process: From screening to scheduling, AI will remove bottlenecks across the funnel. Candidates will move faster, and recruiters will be able to operate at a velocity we haven’t seen before.

And looking further ahead, what are some of the more radical possibilities AI could bring to the talent acquisition landscape in five years?
Five years is an eternity in AI. If you think about how much has changed in just the last 18 months, it’s hard to imagine the systems we use today will even exist in their current form. Here’s a provocative thought: the job search itself may disappear. Instead of scrolling through postings or filling out applications, AI could act as your personal career agent—constantly evaluating your skills, your goals, even your performance—and then presenting you with job offers the moment the right fit appears. Employers might compete to “bid” on you in real time, and talent acquisition shifts from “finding candidates” to “negotiating with AI-driven career agents” on their behalf. In that world, recruiting as we know it doesn’t just evolve—it gets rewritten entirely.

How can organizations strike the right balance between leveraging AI for efficiency and keeping the human element front and center in candidate engagement?
AI should be seen as an enabler, not a replacement. The most effective company teams use AI to automate the repetitive and operational tasks—things like ad optimization, scheduling, or initial screening – so recruiters can spend more time on what candidates actually value: authentic conversations, empathy, and guidance. The balance comes from designing workflows where AI handles the “heavy lift” of scale and data analysis, but the actual candidate experience is still anchored in human connection and trust.

On a personal level, what core strategy or mindset has helped you lead effectively in a rapidly evolving space like recruitment technology?
Curiosity paired with pragmatism. I try to constantly learn about new technologies, labor market dynamics, and client challenges, but I always filter that through the lens of what will actually move the needle for employers and job seekers. That mindset keeps me grounded: you can’t chase every shiny new tool, but you also can’t stand still in this space. Leading effectively here is about leaning into change while staying anchored to measurable outcomes.

For talent acquisition leaders looking to adopt AI in their recruiting process, what advice would you give them to ensure they create measurable impact rather than just chasing trends?
Start with the problem, not the technology. Too often, teams say, “we need AI,” without being clear on why. Identify your pressure points, whether it’s cost per application, candidate drop-off, or recruiter bandwidth – and then evaluate AI solutions against those KPIs. Put guardrails in place to measure impact, pilot in a controlled way, and scale only when you see a tangible lift. Chasing trends burns budget; solving real problems builds momentum and credibility.

Finally, as you look ahead, what closing thoughts would you like to share on how recruiting will continue to evolve in the age of AI?
Recruiting will increasingly look like marketing: data-driven, targeted, and personalized. AI will accelerate that shift, making it possible to meet candidates where they are with the right message, at the right time, on the right channel. But the organizations that win won’t just be the ones with the best algorithms – they’ll be the ones who never lose sight of the fact that people make career decisions based on trust, purpose, and connection. AI can scale the “what” and “when,” but humans will always be the “why.”