The State of Engagement: Alexandra Hunt, Highspot
With nearly 16 years in talent acquisition, from agency life in London to scaling teams in Europe, Alex Hunt has learned a lot while building a career (and helping others build theirs!).
Alex currently works for Highspot, a leading AI-powered revenue enablement platform, that helps go-to-market teams turn strategy into action, bringing coaching, content management, training and analytics into one platform.
With nearly 950 employees globally and a strong presence across EMEA, ANZ, and North America, Alex has played a key role in building EMEAs team and brand since joining the team.
She’s someone who demonstrates that hiring goes so much further than ‘bums on seats’, so CHEER founder Joe Morrison was delighted to have sat down with her and talk all things engagement.
What engages employees?
Alex understands the ‘bigger picture’ in engagement. She says, “most people want to know that their work matters, that they’re making progress, and that someone notices the effort they’re putting in.
The biggest thing I’ve learned at Highspot is that you can’t manufacture engagement.”
She’s seen that people do their best work when they have a clear sense of purpose, strong relationships with their team, and opportunities to contribute beyond their immediate role.
“That’s one of the reasons I’m passionate about the DEIB work I’ve been able to do here”, she continues, “the work we do in this space gives people another way to connect, lead, and make an impact across the business.”
^ front cover of a global internal DEIB report that Alex created and launched with the DEIB team.
What gives businesses the edge in attracting and retaining talent?
“I think our biggest advantage is that we’re able to offer meaningful work while still maintaining a people-first culture. It’s really easy hiring into go-to-market teams when you are a top revenue enablement platform, as the dots connect and people really “get” it.”
A lot of companies talk about culture, growth, inclusion, or flexibility and candidates – but Alex notes that candidates increasingly looking for evidence over promises.
“People want to join a company/team where they can do great work without sacrificing who they are. They want to feel like they’ll have opportunities to grow, be challenged, and belong at the same time. When those things exist together, it becomes a compelling story for talent.”
The Recruitment team also utilises Highspots own software to design digital recruiting rooms so that candidates know the journey they are facing from the get go.
The result, says Alex? “A really positive candidate experience (I hope).”
In your experience, what are employees looking for?
Although Alex acknowledges compensation as a key factor, it’s not the only factor.
“The conversations I have most often revolve around flexibility, development, purpose, and belonging.
Candidates are looking for leaders they trust, opportunities to learn, a healthy work-life balance, and an environment where they can contribute in a real way.”
Which part of EVP matters most to you personally?
EVP, or Employee Value Proposition, is the balance of what people give and what they get back. I like to break it down into seven pillars:
Brand & Purpose, Culture, Environment, Monetary, Prospects, Relationships, and Wellbeing.
Another first on The State of Engagement – Alex suggested a combination of Brand & Purpose and Relationships, but when pressed to choose one, she went with Brand & Purpose.
She explained this fantastically:
“I’ve spent a lot of my career building communities, creating opportunities for people to connect, and helping employees feel seen and supported. The reason that work energises me is because I can see the impact it has on people’s experiences at work.
I’ve always felt trusted to experiment and be creative. I genuinely believe it’s helped elevate the Highspot brand in EMEA and created stronger connections with both existing employees and prospective talent.
For me, that’s what Brand & Purpose looks like in practice: having the opportunity to make a tangible impact and seeing the results of that work. Then you really know you’re contributing to something bigger than yourself!”
^ visit Alex’s Newsletter Article
What do you see are the biggest people challenges businesses are facing right now?
“One of the biggest challenges in general is maintaining connection and engagement at scale, especially across multiple functions and working styles.
I think in any fast-moving business, people can sometimes feel pulled in a lot of different directions. Priorities shift, teams evolve, and it becomes even more important to create consistency in how we communicate with and recognise people, and help them feel part of the journey.”
From an engagement perspective, Alex would love to keep improving how they create moments of connection across regions and teams, especially in EMEA where people are often spread across different locations or working flexibly. There’s a real opportunity to make employee storytelling and internal communications feel even more visible and joined up.
“For attracting talent, I’d like us to continue showing the human side of the business more.
Candidates want to understand what it actually feels like to work somewhere, not just what the company does. The more we can showcase our people and the real experiences employees are having, the stronger our talent brand becomes.”
Final Thoughts
Alex is continuing her focus on making sure people feel informed, valued, and able to see a future. That’s what drives engagement for her.
Clarity, connection, recognition, and a genuine sense of belonging.
Connect with Alex on Linkedin
Visit the Highspot website
Contact CHEER!
Click here for past editions of The State of Engagement