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At Isla Talent, we’re excited to announce the newest addition to our team: Heather Hardinger, our Healthcare Talent Advisor and expert in nurse recruitment. Heather brings extensive experience in recruiting nurses from Puerto Rico and has a long history of successfully connecting Puerto Rican nursing professionals with hospitals across the United States.

As the founder of Isla Talent, my mission is to connect hardworking, skilled professionals from Puerto Rico with meaningful job opportunities across the mainland United States. But the same drive that fuels this business comes from a very personal place: adventure. I’ve spent the last few years diving headfirst into cycling, endurance training, and mountain adventures, not just for health, but for mental clarity and personal growth.

In an era where artificial intelligence is reshaping the workplace, it’s easy to assume that every job is at risk of being automated. But if you take a step outside, onto a construction site, into a hospital, or through a landscaped property, you’ll see something AI can’t replace: human hands getting the job done. Of course, AI has improved those industries, however, our human physical ability is still extremely valuable and needed.

The United States is facing a historic shortage of healthcare workers—especially nurses. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the country will need over 193,000 new registered nurses each year through 2032 to meet growing demand. From rural hospitals to urban clinics, healthcare systems are struggling to fill critical roles, impacting patient care and accelerating staff burnout.

As labor shortages continue to strain the U.S. economy, employers across the country are looking for reliable, ready-to-work talent. From manufacturing to hospitality, Puerto Rican workers are emerging as a highly sought-after solution—bringing skill, reliability, and a seamless hiring process that avoids immigration hurdles.

Hiring from Puerto Rico is one of the most efficient and legal-compliant ways to solve labor shortages in industries like manufacturing, hospitality, landscaping, healthcare, and construction. Because Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, there are no visa requirements — making this process faster and more cost-effective than traditional H-2A or H-2B visa programs.

Over the past decade, I’ve seen how powerful media exposure can be—not just for building credibility, but for telling the story behind a mission. As the founder of Isla Talent, a company focused solely on recruiting skilled Puerto Rican laborers for companies across the mainland U.S., I’ve experienced firsthand how national coverage helped grow my reputation and bring attention to the labor challenges we work to solve.

The company continues the model of connecting mainland employers with workers from Puerto Rico, but also offers HR support, mediation and translation services. Clay Martin has launched Isla Talent, a workforce solutions firm focused on recruiting and supporting blue-collar labor, with a special emphasis on long-term employee retention. Because Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, there are no visas needed and no red tape. 

Discover how Isla Talent helps companies improve employee retention by recruiting from Puerto Rico and focusing on respect, communication, and genuine engagement with their workforce.

Embarking on the journey of launching my second recruitment firm has been both challenging and rewarding. After founding and successfully operating a recruitment company specializing in talent from Puerto Rico in 2016, I merged with another firm in 2023 and transitioned to work with the acquiring company.