In many organizations, hiring is treated as a transaction—roles open, resumes are reviewed, and decisions are made quickly. But beneath that urgency is often misalignment between expectations, capability, and culture fit. As automation reshapes hiring, the human side can become diluted.
In this episode of Inside the C-Suite, Christy Honeycutt sits down with Matthew Howe, founder of Tread Talent Solutions, a disabled veteran-owned recruiting firm built on discipline, structure, and operational clarity. His work focuses on helping companies rethink not only who they hire, but how they approach hiring itself.
Matthew shares his journey from military service to corporate recruiting, the automotive industry, and entrepreneurship. A major turning point came when he realized his original business model was unsustainable. Rather than forcing growth, he rebuilt around a more aligned model centered on recruiting process outsourcing (RPO) and long-term partnership over transactional staffing.
The conversation explores how leadership connects to standards, accountability, and clarity. Matthew discusses how military discipline shaped his approach while emphasizing a critical truth: hiring is not just filling roles—it’s understanding readiness, capacity, and long-term fit.
The discussion expands into onboarding, leadership, and organizational systems. Companies often underestimate the time and investment required to properly integrate employees into teams. Without alignment and support, even strong hires can struggle.
At its core, this episode is about reinvention—of business models, leadership assumptions, and the discipline required to rebuild when existing systems no longer work.
What You’ll Walk Away With
• Why hiring failures often reflect system design, not candidate quality
• How military discipline translates into leadership and recruiting standards
• Why organizations underestimate onboarding and integration
• The difference between staffing, recruiting, and true business partnership
• How misaligned expectations impact performance
• Why self-awareness matters for founders navigating growth
• How AI is reshaping candidate behavior and hiring systems
• The importance of balancing speed with thoughtful evaluation
• Why many hiring managers default to “post and pray” recruiting
• How better job design improves candidate quality
• Why reinvention often requires dismantling what already works
• How leaders can better coach—not just evaluate—talent
00:00 – Intro to Inside the C-Suite & Matthew Howe
01:06 – Military background and transition into recruiting
02:10 – Early corporate recruiting experience
03:45 – Business model breakdown and challenges
04:42 – Shift from staffing to RPO
06:05 – Self-awareness, burnout, and candidate experience
06:53 – AI, applications, and hiring authenticity
08:05 – Hiring standards and leadership gaps
09:33 – Misalignment in hiring expectations
13:08 – Onboarding as leadership investment
15:42 – Military influence on discipline and standards
18:48 – Emotional reality of rebuilding a business
22:48 – Reinvention journey at Tread Talent Solutions
26:14 – AI’s role in recruiting systems
29:40 – Advice on uncertainty, timing, and action
32:54 – Closing reflections
🎙️ Watch the full episode here:
| Connect With Us |
Follow Matthew Howe:
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewhowe2/
Company Page - https://www.linkedin.com/company/treadts/posts/?feedView=all
Website - https://www.treadts.com
(Matthew Howe is the founder of Tread Talent Solutions, a disabled veteran-owned recruiting and talent strategy firm specializing in helping small and mid-sized businesses optimize hiring systems. With experience spanning military service in the 82nd Airborne and corporate recruiting leadership, he brings a disciplined, systems-driven approach to talent acquisition. His work focuses on aligning hiring strategy, candidate experience, and organizational growth through practical, scalable recruiting frameworks.)
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