Steven "Bid Deal" Smith
Steve will be the first to tell you that recruiting is marketing. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Finance at Brigham Young University and started his career in recruiting in Feb 2005. In 2008, he took a risk during a recession to help start a new company with Ryan Kohler, called ApplicantPro, a full suite HR platform for small to mid-sized businesses. In March 2025, ApplicantPro became iSolved Talent Acquisition, now serving 177,000 clients and close to 9800 employees. Before the merger, ApplicantPro made the Inc 5000 list 12 years in a row, Top Places to work in Utah 3 years in a row, and Steve was named the Small Business Utah HR Achievement Award winner in May 2024. iSolved was also named an Indeed Platinum Partner in 2023, 2024, and 2025 and is one of only ten ATS platforms in the country to obtain that designation. SHRM-CP & PHR certified, Steve currently volunteers on the Utah SHRM State Council as the immediate past State Executive Director. His book, The Hiring Tree: Laws of Applicant Attraction, was released in early 2023, and has helped thousands of organizations across the country rethink their approach to hiring. If you need help understanding the principles and role of SEO, marketing, and AI when it comes to attracting job seekers, Steve provides a solid framework for hiring effectively.
Appears in 3 Episodes
EP 2 - The Mega Big Deal Star Wars People and Tony With Beca Mark - The HR Life Podcast
An interview with Beca Mark, Owner and CEO of MegaStar HR joins the podcast. In this episode we we discuss the current state of HR, eliminating the conflict with CFO'...
Ep 1 - Strategic is a Dirty Word? - With Karisa Stahle - The HR Life Podcast
In this, our inaugural episode, we talk to Karisa Stahle, VP of Human Resources at Verde, and Chair of Utah's annual Work Elevated Conference, sponsored by Utah SHRM a...
Ep 0.5 An Introduction - Are we recording?
A quick introduction to your hosts, Tony Benjamin and Steven Smith. The first full episode drops on June 17, 2025.