NAHCR Annual Conference 2026
The Spark Advantage: Motivating Today’s Workforce for Tomorrow’s Success — Chris Sund’s keynote to healthcare recruitment leaders committed to attracting, engaging, and retaining top talent.
The premier stage for
healthcare recruiters.
The National Association for Health Care Recruitment (NAHCR) is the premier professional organization for healthcare recruiters across the United States. Its Annual Conference brings together recruiters, HR leaders, and talent acquisition professionals from hospitals, health systems, long-term care, and staffing organizations nationwide — one of the most anticipated events on the healthcare recruitment calendar each year.
The Spark Advantage
Motivating Today’s Workforce for Tomorrow’s Success
This keynote challenges the belief that motivation is created through compensation, incentives, or pressure alone. Instead, it introduces a practical leadership framework for what truly drives engagement, performance, retention, and long-term commitment.
Through stories, research, and real-world examples, Chris guided attendees through how small leadership moments create meaningful impact — and how organizations can build environments where people feel energized, valued, and inspired to contribute.
Support
Creating an environment where people feel equipped and empowered to succeed.
Purpose
Connecting work to meaning and long-term impact.
Appreciation
Recognizing effort in ways that build trust and motivation.
Relationships
Strengthening connection and belonging across teams.
Knowledge & Growth
Investing in development and helping people see a future within the organization.
What Attendees Took Away
A framework to strengthen workforce engagement and retention.
Practical ideas to better support and motivate employees.
Insight into what today’s workforce values most.
Immediate actions leaders can implement within their teams.
Feedback from recruitment leaders.
His topics are well researched, and he weaves in practical tips and real-life examples that make every session realistic and relatable.
Chris demonstrated exceptional knowledge and expertise in using AI in recruiting, captivating the audience with his engaging delivery.
Chris consistently brings knowledge, insight, and practical advice to every presentation, elevating the value he brings to every engagement.
You Are Capable of More.
Chris is the author of the bestselling You Are Capable of More. Copies can be bundled for attendees, and Chris can run a signing table in the exhibit hall — which drives traffic for your sponsors.
Winner, How-To Category2026 Paris Book FestivalAbout the Book →NAHCR published a write-up of the SPARK session
Theresa Mazzaro wrote up her five biggest lessons from the conference for NAHCR. A full section, “People Stay Because of Leaders,” covers Chris’s session: the SPARK framework spelled out in full — Support, Purpose, Appreciation, Relationships, Knowledge & Growth — and the line she singled out as her favorite, “Don’t let reliability become invisibility.”
Read it on NAHCR →National Association for Health Care Recruitment.
Founded in 1974, NAHCR is the only organization in the country dedicated specifically to health care recruitment. For five decades it has given recruiters a professional home, offering the CHCR credential, year-round education, a national peer network and a platform for advancing best practice in clinical talent acquisition.
Its Annual Conference brings recruiters together from hospital systems, long-term care and primary care networks across the country. Chris also serves on the NAHCR Membership and Marketing team.
Bring This to Your ConferenceBook Chris for your event.
Chris’s keynotes on workforce motivation, leadership, and team performance are among his most requested sessions. Check availability and receive a customized proposal.