// Recruitment Leaders
Top Recruitment Leaders in North America for February 2026 | Atlas – Hoxo Elite 100
11/02/2026
6 MIN
As 2026 continues to take shape, recruitment leaders across North America are navigating a market defined by change, resilience, and renewed focus. Social platforms have become an important space for agency recruiters to share experience-led insight, comment on hiring trends, and contribute thoughtful perspectives shaped by daily work with clients and candidates.
This February edition of the Atlas x Hoxo Elite 100 brings together recruitment leaders from across North America who are using their platforms to add value to the conversation. Their content reflects what recruiters are seeing on the ground, offering a perspective that helps peers stay informed and make better decisions as the year progresses. Make sure to also check out Hoxo and discover everything they can for your recruiter branding.
Here’s the first Top 100 list of 2026, focusing on recruiters across Australia & NZ:
Looking for the Top 100 in other territories? Make sure to check out our list for:
- Top Recruitment Leaders in Europe for February 2026
How Recruiters Earn Their Place in the Atlas x Hoxo Elite 100
The Atlas x Hoxo Elite 100 is designed to highlight recruiters who stay visible and engaged over time. The focus is on consistent contribution and the ability to create interactions that others find genuinely useful.
Rankings are influenced by a combination of activity and response. We consider the size of a recruiter’s LinkedIn following, how often they publish content, and how their audience engages with what they share. Ongoing participation matters too, which is why replying to comments and joining discussions form part of the picture. Previous results are also taken into account, helping reflect steady progress rather than sudden bursts of attention.
Introducing Leagues, a Brand-New Way for You to Rank
For 2026, the Elite 100 is split into four leagues of 25 recruiters. Each league is ranked individually, while together they make up the full Elite 100 across North America.
The aim of the list is to recognise recruitment leaders whose content adds value and helps move conversations within the recruitment community forward.
High-Impact Content from North America’s Recruitment Leaders in February 2026
Shally Talks About Turning “I Don’t Know” Into Progress
Shally shared a poll asking, “When you encounter something you don’t know… what do you do?” The four options were to look it up immediately, look it up later, not be bothered by not knowing, or assume someone else will handle it.
There are many ways to deal with new information, and each of us has our own approach. Some people don’t like not knowing something, while others don’t really care.
Shally believes that learning something new is always useful because it helps you grow and strengthens your recognition and judgment. Every new piece of information can make you a better professional with stronger judgment.
He also highlighted that admitting you don’t know something can be powerful in itself. It’s interesting to see how differently we respond to uncertainty, and how much growth can come from simply staying curious.
Discover Richard’s Recipe for Standing Out in the Job Market
One of the biggest struggles for many candidates is updating or improving their social media profile or CV before applying for a new role. In his post, Richard shares some very important tools that every candidate needs in order to succeed in today’s competitive market.
First of all, you need a clear and well-structured CV, tailored to the job, highlighting the right work experience and skills so that a recruiter can scan it easily and quickly see why you’re a good fit.
It’s also important to have an updated LinkedIn profile, where you can share your thoughts and engage with other professionals by commenting on posts.
Networking is equally essential because the more people you know, the more opportunities you can access. Someone might recommend you, connect you with the right person, or even reach out with a job opportunity.
The interview stage is also crucial, since it’s your chance to present your best self. Last but not least, it’s important to stay alert and cautious, especially when something seems off or unusual, to protect yourself from scams.
Joseph Highlights the Need for Stronger Interview Processes
The use of AI by both candidates and companies is bidirectional. Joseph highlights the importance of having a strong interview process. Many candidates are using AI during interviews because they want the job, they want to be prepared, and move forward to the next step.
At the same time, companies also use AI to review candidates, screen applicants, source talent, and even craft job descriptions.
Joseph points out that candidates should be free to use whatever tools they want, and we can’t realistically force them not to use AI. His main message is that companies should focus on making interview processes more efficient: be more curious about candidates’ profiles, ask deeper questions, and don’t just accept what someone says at face value; investigate further.
Ross Reveals the Hidden Fears Behind “Alignment” in Leadership
Ross shares a thoughtful perspective on how the word “alignment” is often used in leadership, especially in larger organisations. He suggests that in many cases, alignment can become a way to avoid discomfort, such as the fear of being wrong, upsetting peers, or making decisions.
We’ve seen many examples in our working lives where a leader has made a decision that left peers dissatisfied, causing morale to drop. We’ve also seen situations where a decision led to a poor outcome, and the leader had to admit it was the wrong call.
His message is that strong teams don’t spend endless time aligning; instead, they make decisions, take ownership, and adjust as needed, raising an important question about accountability: who is actually responsible for moving things forward.
Raising the Bar for Recruitment Across North America
As February draws to a close, this edition of the Atlas x Hoxo Elite 100 highlights the practical, experience-led conversations shaping recruitment across North America. The recruiters featured are engaging openly with uncertainty, change, and evolving hiring practices, while continuing to share insight that supports both candidates and clients.
From curiosity-driven learning and stronger personal branding to more effective interview processes and honest leadership conversations, these voices are tackling topics that matter in today’s market.
As 2026 continues, their consistent contributions help move recruitment discussions forward with clarity, accountability, and purpose. By staying engaged and sharing what they see on the ground, these leaders are helping build a more informed and resilient recruitment community across North America.
Building a More Resilient Recruitment Community
Atlas -the Recruitment Platform supports that same mission by removing the administrative friction that slows recruiters down. It creates more space for the work that actually moves hiring forward: stronger candidate conversations, smoother processes, and more thoughtful decision-making across every desk.
For those looking to go deeper, revisiting our previous Top 100 ranking offers additional insight into the consistency and impact that define these leaders. Keep showing up, keep adding value, and stay engaged in the conversation, because the year ahead is wide open, and the 2026 list is only starting to take shape.
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