Steven J. Smith has spent two decades at the intersection of human resources, marketing, and technology, and he'll be the first to tell you: recruiting is marketing.
He earned his Bachelor of Science in Finance from Brigham Young University and launched his career in recruiting in 2005. In 2008, amid a recession, he co-founded ApplicantPro alongside Ryan Kohler, an award-winning applicant tracking platform built to help small and mid-sized businesses compete for top talent. Today, ApplicantPro serves over 200,000 companies and nearly 9 million employees across the country.
Under Steve's leadership, ApplicantPro earned a spot on the Inc. 5000 list for 12 consecutive years and was recognized as a Top Place to Work in Utah for 3 years in a row, reflecting his belief that strong culture and smart systems go hand in hand.
A credentialed HR professional holding both his SHRM-CP and PHR certifications, Steve brings a well-rounded perspective to the full HR lifecycle from hire to retire. From talent acquisition and employer branding to workforce strategy and compliance awareness. He currently volunteers with Utah SHRM, where he has served as State Executive Director, State College Relations Director, and Membership Director, and currently manages Vendor Relations for the annual Utah Work Elevated conference, helping shape HR education and community across the state.
In May 2024, Steve was honored with the Small Business Utah HR Achievement Award, recognizing his contributions to the HR community and his commitment to helping organizations build better workplaces.
His book, The Hiring Tree: Laws of Applicant Attraction (2023), has helped thousands of organizations across the country rethink how they approach hiring, not as an HR function in isolation, but as a strategic, marketing-driven discipline. The frameworks within have become go-to resources for HR professionals looking to modernize their talent-attraction strategies.
In June 2025, Steve launched The HR Life Podcast with Tony Benjamin, a show dedicated to spotlighting HR professionals and sharing stories, strategies, and real-world lessons from across the country. It's quickly becoming a must-follow for anyone serious about the evolving world of work.
When Steve takes the stage, audiences walk away with practical, actionable frameworks around the role of SEO, digital marketing, AI, and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) in attracting and retaining today's best talent. His workshops demonstrate how HR leaders can apply these tools to build a more effective, modern HR function overall.
Whether you're rethinking your hiring strategy, building your employer's brand, or looking for a fresh perspective on HR leadership, Steve brings the experience, credentials, and energy to move the conversation forward.
The Hiring Tree, LLC