Age: 33
Director of Talent Acquisition, U.S. Venture
Kayla Hill’s journey as a human resources practitioner started at Shopko, and since 2019 she has been sharing her talents with U.S. Venture, rising from corporate recruiter to HR business partner to talent acquisition manager before assuming her current position as director of talent acquisition in May 2023. A graduate of UW-Whitewater, she is also currently pursuing a master’s degree in human resources and employee relations from Penn State.
Her career has taught her the importance of culture and how it manifests in the workplace, she says.
“Culture shapes how decisions are experienced, and how you communicate matters just as much as the decision you’re delivering,” Hill says.
Biggest professional challenge right now: Scaling as the business grows and using AI thoughtfully to help us get there. My focus is on ensuring we integrate AI in a way that strengthens our processes, supports our teams and helps us move at the pace the business needs, without losing the human experience that defines our culture.
People are surprised to learn: I was once rescued by the United States Coast Guard after an encounter with bears on a kayaking trip. While it may sound frightening, it’s a core memory I still laugh about today, many years later.
Second career: I’d be running a cat rescue or a cat café. My cats are basically my children, and if a stray shows up needing help, I’m already grabbing my keys and food — even if it means another tetanus shot in my future. Creating a space where animals feel safe, loved and understood would be a perfect second career.
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