Talent Spotlight — Anna Fultz (No. 1 — 2026)

Welcome back to Talent Spotlight — where every month, we shine a light on standout talent professionals and the real stories shaping our industry.

Hey Anna, tell us a bit about yourself. Who are you, where are you, and what keeps you busy these days?

I'm Anna, and I live in Berlin. I spend my days helping tech companies build strong teams and simple HR foundations that actually work. I've been in fast-paced companies for years, often as the first or only recruiter, so I've learned to create order in the middle of chaos.

Right now I'm very excited about two things: shaping talent acquisition processes and building teams — and in life, raising a tiny human. Both teach me patience, structure, and fully enjoying every single day, even when things don't run as planned. What keeps me going is collaboration with people and networking. On the side, houseplants and a garden are another source to recharge.

Your Story

A big-lesson moment:

A few years ago, I was the only recruiter in a company that was growing fast. At one point I had 24 open roles on my desk. Every role was marked as urgent. I worked late hours and tried to keep everything moving at the same speed.

One morning my CEO walked over and asked me a simple question: what's your priority? I answered with a list of roles. He asked again. I repeated the list. And then he said: Anna, there is only one priority.

Focus isn't about juggling everything. It's about choosing one thing, doing it well, and letting the rest follow.

Something from a completely different field that helped your talent work:

A surprising place where I learned a useful skill is my YouTube channel. I learned to tell the difference between feedback that helps me grow and feedback that comes from someone's bad day. One person commented "Your content is good, but your audio is shit". This made me invest into a good mic the next day and grow my channel faster with better quality. That skill carried into my talent work — I listen better and make clearer decisions on what to take in and what to let go.

Talent Talk

The most unconventional thing you've done in recruiting that worked really well:

One of the most creative things I tried was for a very niche role. Traditional sourcing wasn't working, and the talent pool was tiny. Instead of pushing harder, I reached out to someone who was already well connected in that field. I asked if they could recommend someone and share the job on their LinkedIn. Their post reached the exact people we needed. We hired the right person within three weeks. Sometimes the smartest move is to lean on someone else's network instead of trying to reinvent the wheel.

A trick or productivity hack that makes life easier:

My number one tip is very simple: keep your space and desk clean. A clear desk helps you think clearly. The same goes for prioritization. I set one priority and work on that before touching anything else. No jumping between tabs, files, emails, messages or tools. One thing at a time.

One thing about TA you've completely changed your mind about:

If a company doesn't know what they truly need, fast hiring just creates fast problems.

Slowing down for one clear conversation with the team can save weeks of confusion later. Now I focus on alignment and quality first, and speed second. It builds stronger teams and keeps everyone sane and happy.

Community Connection

Thomas Klein was my manager in one of my previous companies. He had a rare gift: he could connect with each of the team members and really understand what motivates each of us, what we cared about, and how to help us grow. I recently read the book Key Person of Influence, and he is exactly that person for me.

One question you've always wanted to ask:

What is one thing you stopped doing in your talent work that made everything else easier?