Welcome back to this week’s P | A | C | T news — coming to you live from Tech Talent North Western Edition!
Across today’s sessions, one theme keeps surfacing: the world of work is changing faster than ever. For People & Culture leaders, that means navigating a hiring landscape shaped by shifting markets, new technologies, and evolving expectations, all while keeping people at the heart of it.
To explore what great hiring looks like in this new reality, we sat down with Matt Heiydt, Founder of BackStretch.
With over twenty years in recruitment, Matt has helped organizations grow through uncertainty and transformation. His approach reframes hiring not as a transaction, but as a partnership, one that’s built on alignment, communication and trust.
Key takeaways:
- Don’t settle. Every hire should represent the top 5–10% of available talent.
- Quality over quantity. Success isn’t about application numbers, it’s about great matches.
- Communication is everything. Clear, consistent updates keep hiring teams aligned and confident.
From Golf Greens To Growth Companies
Matt’s journey into recruitment wasn’t traditional. After earning a commerce degree, he moved to British Columbia to pursue professional golf, a path that unexpectedly led him into the world of talent acquisition.
“We’ve taken the best parts of the agency model and the best parts of being on the same team on the inside, and we’ve built a bridge between them,” says Matt. “That’s where we hang out.”
More than 20 years later, he’s seen how both external agencies and internal teams have struggled to keep pace with the evolving demands of hiring. Agencies often offer reach but come with high costs and short-term focus, while internal teams bring deep company insight but face bandwidth challenges when scaling quickly.
BackStretch was born out of that tension, an idea shaped by experience and a desire to make hiring more collaborative.
Rethinking The Relationship
The story of BackStretch isn’t about replacing HR; it’s about reimagining what support can look like when hiring pressures grow.
“There’s always been this strange competition between HR and agencies,” Matt explains. “But it doesn’t need to be that way. We’re on your side here to make your life easier… you’re still leading the process, but you have a team behind you.”
That shift in mindset (from vendor to partner) is what resonates with HR leaders most.
One client put it simply: “I wish I met you guys earlier. I’ve been trying to solve this for 25 years.”
At its core, it’s a story about partnership: about how people do their best work when they feel supported, not stretched.
Quality Over Quantity
Recruiting on the West Coast comes with its own unique challenges.
“Ninety-five percent of companies in BC are ranked as small businesses,” Matt explains. “It’s a very small talent pool.”
When the market is that tight, every hiring decision matters and rushing can cost more than waiting. Matt encourages leaders to pause and prioritize quality over speed.
“Every time you’re hiring, your last question should be: do I believe this is the top 5% of the market? If yes, go forward. If not, stop.”
He likens it to running a bakery, you can’t just turn up production and expect success.
“You can’t make more bread and think people are going to buy it if it tastes terrible,” he laughs. “The ingredients, the time, the craft — that’s what makes something worth coming back for.”
For growing companies, the same truth applies.
Hiring isn’t about volume; it’s about the care that goes into every decision. Thoughtful, high-quality hires are the foundation for lasting growth.
Communication As The Game-Changer
Over two decades and thousands of interviews, one lesson stands out most for Matt: communication is what holds everything together.
“Every hire has a hiccup,” he says. “There’s no perfect hire… every horror story just boils down to communication.”
When teams stay in sync (providing updates, sharing feedback, and being honest when something’s off) hiring becomes smoother, faster, and more human.
It’s the simple but often-missed truth that great recruitment isn’t just about finding people; it’s about staying connected while you do it.
The Human Element In An AI Era
As AI tools transform sourcing and screening, Matt still believes the best hiring decisions rely on something more instinctive.
“AI and technical screening are important,” he says, “but that next stage of nuance and fit, that’s where humans still win. The gut is actually right.”
He’s seen it time and again:
“When people say, ‘I don’t know about how they’ll fit, but they’re technically strong’ — that person usually won’t make it.”
Technology can enhance efficiency, but it can’t replace intuition, empathy, or connection. For HR leaders, that balance, between innovation and instinct, is where the future of recruitment will be written.
What This Means For People & Culture Leaders
Matt’s story is ultimately a story about partnership and progress. It’s a reminder that recruitment doesn’t have to be reactive or overwhelming. It can be strategic, human, and even energizing.
- Collaborate for strength. Great hiring happens when HR works with partners who share their goals.
- Champion quality. Stay focused on fit and potential, not just speed.
- Lead through communication. Consistency builds credibility and trust.
- Balance tech and touch. Use AI as a tool, not a replacement for judgment.
“When HR has the right support,” Matt reflects, “hiring becomes fun again.”
Meet BackStretch At Tech Talent North
You can meet Matt Heiydt and the BackStretch team today at Tech Talent North Western Edition, where they’re connecting with leaders who want to rethink how their organizations grow. Stop by to share your own hiring stories and explore how partnership, not pressure, is shaping the next chapter of recruitment.