#3: Brenda Czyz, on recruiting top technology talent in 2026

The best candidates aren't on the market for weeks. They're on the market for days — sometimes hours. And the companies that secure the top technology talent they need are the ones with the most intentional hiring process.That thread runs through this whole conversation with Lighthouse's Director of Technology Staffing Services, Brenda Czyz. Speed and quality aren't opposites in hiring. Getting both right requires something most organizations skip: doing the alignment work before the search begins. That starts with the job description, understanding what a great hire actually looks like, and knowing who needs to be involved in the hiring decision.Brenda and host Joe Ray discuss what a well-designed hiring process really looks like from the inside, how the "unicorn mindset" can quietly sabotage the search for great candidates, and what an honest, fast feedback loop actually does for the people you're trying to hire.They also dig into how AI is changing the game on both sides of the table — from AI-generated resumes that all start to look the same, to interview bots that fall apart the moment you ask a real follow-up question — and what the red flags look like when someone's talking about work they didn't actually do.Subscribe to get more great stories and conversations like this at GetTheBeacon.com with Lighthouse Technology Services, The Place for Technology Talent.--0:00 – Welcome to the show!2:07 – Which Sabres player is most like your work style?4:24 – The cost of a slow hiring process7:21 – What forces hiring teams to slow down10:27 – What does a well-designed hiring process look like?14:24 – Honesty is key from all parties16:06 – Balancing speed and quality in technical screening20:26 – The AI conversation: fraud, bots, and detection24:01 – Trusting your gut & red flags to watch for28:00 – Where to connect with Brenda