CXR Foundation INSPIRE Scholarship Winner | Adela Schoolderman

Chris Hoyt: Welcome to the Recruiting Community podcast. I’m Chris Hoyt, president of CXR, and I’ll be your host. What we work to do here is bring you industry insights and updates in the form of what we like to say is a fun conversation—fun for us, anyway.
These episodes are brought to you by the CXR Career Crossroads community. Today’s is an annual podcast that I do, and honestly one of my favorites—mostly because I do the least amount of talking, which may also make it one of your favorites.
I’ve got Barb Ruess with me to co-host this episode. Barb, do you want to give us a quick overview of what we’re covering, and then we’ll run the bumper and jump right in?
Barb Ruess: I would be happy to. For the sixth year running, we’re going to talk about our CXR Foundation Inspire Scholarship winner. I’m honored to serve as co-chair of that scholarship committee. A lot of work goes into it every single year, and we’re very excited to have Adela as this year’s winner.
Chris Hoyt: Very exciting. We’ll meet her in just a minute. Before we jump in, a few things: we stream on YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can check everything out at cxr.works/podcast, where you’ll find past episodes and what’s ahead. You’ll also find hundreds of interviews that Barb, Gerry, and I have done with TA leaders, practitioners, and people doing really interesting work around how we attract and recruit talent, as well as manage and lead global recruiting teams.
On the site, you’ll find easy ways to like and subscribe, and even let us know if you want to join the conversation. If you want to be on the show, or you know someone who would be a great guest, reach out. And one last reminder: this is an ad-free labor of love. Nobody paid to be here. It’s not that kind of show.

Announcer: Welcome to the Recruiting Community podcast, the go-to channel for talent acquisition leaders and practitioners. This show is brought to you by CXR, a trusted community of thousands connecting the best minds in the industry to explore topics like attracting, engaging, and retaining top talent. Hosted by Chris Hoyt and Gerry Crispin, we’re thrilled to have you join the conversation.

Chris Hoyt: All right, welcome, everybody. We’re going to jump right in. Barb, you gave us a quick overview at the top, but can you walk us through the Inspire Scholarship process from the CXR Foundation—our nonprofit—and then we’ll bring in Adela?
Barb Ruess: Absolutely. From its very beginnings, the CXR Foundation has offered a scholarship designed to support families and students connected to the world of talent acquisition. Sometimes it goes to the son or daughter of a TA practitioner. Sometimes it goes to someone whose aunt or uncle inspired them, and they’re going on to major in an HR or TA-related field. And sometimes—as is the case today—it goes to an actual TA practitioner, so we’re very excited to talk with Adela and learn more about the work she’s doing.
For anyone listening who may be interested in the future: we open scholarship applications right around Thanksgiving every year, and they stay open through the end of January. I have a fantastic committee that jumps in each January to review every single essay and every single application—every one gets reviewed. We whittle that down to a group of 10 to 12 semifinalists, and then the committee interviews each one of those candidates personally.
It’s genuinely one of the favorite things my committee members do. They love the conversations and getting to know people at various stages of life who are all looking to continue their education in some way. Then it’s a spirited conversation to determine who we present to the board, and our foundation board votes on the finalist each spring.
All that to say: it’s not a difficult application process. If you’re connected to someone in talent acquisition, or you’re in a recruiting function yourself and looking to further your education, I encourage you to apply. The website is cxr.foundation. Just know that we take it seriously. Our committee gives real time and attention to every single applicant.
And I can tell you, Adela, the people who interviewed you were very excited to present you back to the committee. I’m really looking forward to hearing more about you—what made you want to apply, and especially about your PhD work, because I think it’s fascinating.
Adela Schoolderman: Thank you so much. I’m truly honored. This is a really big deal to me, and I’m usually not speechless—I have a lot of soapboxes, especially in talent acquisition—but this is one of those moments. For so long, and for so many years, I worked really hard, and at certain points in my career—maybe some of you have felt this—recruiting and talent acquisition felt a little thankless, or not valued as much as it should be.
So this feels like a moment where 20 years of really hard work is paying off and giving me motivation to keep going at such a pivotal time when so much is changing. Thank you to everyone—those who interviewed me, who advocated for me, and everyone out there—because it truly does take a village. I don’t mind saying I’m turning 50 in December, and I feel like I’m finally at a point in my life where I understand how important it is to have mentors and people in your corner. You are all on that list, so thank you for that too.
Chris Hoyt: Adela, I want to call out—Gerry’s being a little quiet today—but I want to mention that you’ve been doing some great work with Gerry over the last couple of years. You were a big part of the History of Recruiting project, one of the first things the CXR Foundation took on. And it goes way back—not just because Gerry may have been there for some of it, but because there’s genuinely fascinating history within recruiting.
You showed up and did the work. We say it all the time at CXR: you show up, you lean in. I was so excited to see you as one of the finalists, and I was absolutely delighted when the board voted you as this year’s winner. Congratulations.
Adela Schoolderman: Thank you. That means so much. I don’t mind sharing a bit of personal history that got me here. Back in 2006, I divorced who I call my practice husband, came back to Seattle fairly young, got a job in TA—and was immediately laid off because of the Great Recession. I was working at Washington Mutual. Those were some really tough years.
I had to figure out a lot on my own. I had a dog to feed, no real assets, a rental apartment, a little Hyundai Elantra—a wonderful car, but not exactly a financial safety net—and a lot of debt. My work was my worth, and that work ethic has never left me. I feel like I’ve built a successful career, even though I’m not done, and I’m grateful you recognized that.
Chris Hoyt: Absolutely. Do you want to share a bit about your doctorate work? I think we love shining a light on what people are doing, and when Barb brought you to us as a standout candidate, the depth of what you’re investing in yourself and your education really stood out. It’s genuinely pay-it-forward work.
Adela Schoolderman: Thank you. I’ve always loved being in school, and I got my master’s back in 2006. I’ve wanted to go back ever since. I’ll share something interesting: there’s a bias I’ve heard in my space—particularly in tech—that if someone has a PhD and it’s not in a field like engineering, they might not be the right candidate. The assumption is they’re not hands-on enough, or they just want to theorize. I had that voice in my head for years, and honestly, I think it was part of what held me back from going back to school.
But then I realized: people who know me know better than that. I’ve always been a practitioner and always will be. And through this program—at Gonzaga University, in the Department of Leadership Studies—I’ve learned that you can absolutely sit at the intersection of practitioner and academic. It’s a PhD in Leadership Studies, which applies across fields, and I’m going to apply it to what I know best: the corporate world, talent acquisition, and global organizations.
As Gerry and I have talked about at length, especially around global standards, practice and academia need to blend more. I don’t know that I’m the one to make that happen, but I plan to be a persistent voice pushing for it, because I’m literally standing at that intersection.
In terms of what I want to do with this degree: candidate experience has always been my passion. I published a book on it with Kevin Grossman, and of course there’s the history work Gerry and I have been doing together—which we actually need to finish, since we stopped in 2020, and a lot has happened since. If anyone wants to help, I’m recruiting. Please reach out.
I’ve always seen myself as something of an anthropologist studying TA. I think some employers found that a little unnerving, but understanding the “why” matters enormously. And my program also has an AI focus, which feels like all of my worlds converging. Studying talent acquisition at the exact moment AI is going to disrupt it—that’s where I want to be, right in the middle of that—and I want to give everything I can back to this industry. I love it.
Barb Ruess: I can tell you, Adela, that the committee was impressed not just by your application and your essay, but by the understanding that our foundation’s support is going toward something that will give back directly to the TA industry. I’m very excited about the work you’re doing, and I’m so glad you found our scholarship and chose to apply. Thank you.
Chris Hoyt: And since you’re asking for help, we’re going to make sure you get it. We’ll put your LinkedIn profile on screen and in the show notes so anyone watching or listening can connect with you directly. And of course, you’re also working on the standards committee with the CXR Foundation, so we know we’ll be seeing and hearing more from you. Thank you so much for applying—we’re thrilled to award you this scholarship.
Adela Schoolderman: Thank you.
Chris Hoyt: For everyone out there: cxr.works/podcast is where you can find previous episodes and everything that’s coming up. If you’re interested in being on the show or learning more, let us know. Hit the likes, hit the subscribes, help make us internet famous—and tell us who you want to hear from next. Until then, we’ll see everybody next time. Take care.

Announcer: Thanks for listening to the Recruiting Community podcast, where talent acquisition leaders connect, learn, and grow together. Visit cxr.works/podcast to explore past episodes, see what’s coming up next, and find out how you can join the conversation. Whether you have insights to share or want to be a guest on the show, we’d love to hear from you. If you’re interested in learning more about becoming a member of the CXR community, visit www.cxr.works. We’ll catch you in the next episode.