The Elite Recruiter Podcast is where top recruiters go to get better.
Hosted by executive recruiter Benjamin Mena, this show dives deep into the stories, strategies, and mindsets of the most successful people in the industry — from $1M solo producers to 8+-figure agency founders.
Each episode delivers real, tactical insights for high-performance recruiting:
How elite recruiters build and scale
Tools, tech stacks, and sourcing strategies
Daily habits and workflows that drive million-dollar desks
Lessons from failure, breakthrough wins, and mindset shifts
What the best are doing next — and how they’re changing the game
If you’re in agency recruiting, staffing, or executive search — this is your new secret weapon.
No fluff. No recycled advice. Just the unfiltered playbook of the top 1%.
🎧 Subscribe now and start leveling up like an elite.
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AI in Recruiting and Investing in Technology Startups with Robin Choy
Season 1 · Episode 182
Thursday, September 12, 2024 • Duration 44:07
Are you ready to revolutionize your recruiting strategies and gain invaluable insights into investing in early-stage technology startups?
In this engaging episode of "The Elite Recruiter Podcast," host Benjamin Mena sits down with industry expert Robin Choy to dive deep into the transformative impact of AI in recruiting and the key principles of successful investing in technology startups. As the landscape of recruiting rapidly evolves with AI innovations and startup ecosystems become more competitive, both recruiters and investors are constantly seeking ways to maintain their edge. This episode delivers timely solutions and aspirational outcomes for listeners aiming to stay ahead in these dynamic fields.
Mastering AI in Recruiting: Robin Choy discusses the impact of AI on recruiting, noting that while AI increases the volume of applications and outbound recruiter messages, it often leads to a reduction in reply rates due to the oversaturation. He emphasizes the necessity of investing in human interaction, personal branding, and content creation to counterbalance the impersonal nature of AI-generated communications. Additionally, Robin highlights the benefit of using AI for data retrieval from ATSs and note-taking systems, which can turn previously unusable data into valuable information.
Strategic Insights for Startup Investments: Robin shares his expertise in identifying the right tech startups to invest in, focusing on crucial factors such as team dynamics, market potential, and the defensibility of the business model. Learn how to assess the robustness of a startup’s client relationships and its adaptability, and get inside tips on leveraging unique signals from trusted networks to make informed and strategic investment decisions.
Adapting Recruitment Practices for Long-Term Success: Robin and Benjamin discuss practical advice on structuring interviews to gauge team compatibility, managing and adjusting client expectations, and sustaining long-term motivation in your recruiting career. Understand the importance of scalable marketing, continuous learning, and building enduring relationships with clients and candidates for long-term success in the recruiting industry.
Tune in to this episode now to transform your approach to recruiting and investing with actionable insights from Robin Choy that can elevate your strategy and results!
This episode was sponsored by Juicebox (https://juicebox.ai/) , the company behind PeopleGPT. AI Sourcing using Generative AI, simply describe who you're searching for in natural language. PeopleGPT creates the search and assess profiles. Trusted by 400+ companies and recruiting agencies. Check it out and get a 20% Discount code using: ELITE20. People GPT smarter sourcing, better hiring!
Building an Authentic Personal Brand in Recruiting with Joel Lalgee
Season 1 · Episode 181
Monday, September 9, 2024 • Duration 39:05
Are you a recruiter struggling to build an authentic personal brand that stands out in today's competitive market?
In this episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast, host Benjamin Mena sits down with Joel Lalgee, also known as "The Realist Recruiter," to discuss the ins and outs of constructing a personal brand in the recruitment industry. With the evolving landscape of digital media, many recruiters are grappling with how to leverage content creation effectively to attract the right clients and candidates. This episode addresses these challenges head-on and provides practical strategies to achieve your brand-building goals.
Expert Insights on Patience and Business Planning: Joel shares valuable lessons from his own journey, highlighting why planning and patience are crucial to developing a successful recruitment business and personal brand.
Effective Content Creation and Monetization Techniques: Discover the strategies for creating impactful content that resonates with your audience and explore methods to monetize your efforts, ensuring a steady stream of revenue.
Balancing Work-Life and Staying Productive: Both Joel and Benjamin reveal their personal tactics for maintaining productivity and work-life balance, providing actionable tips that you can implement right away.
Unlock the secrets to building an authentic and powerful personal brand in recruiting—listen to this insightful episode with Joel Lalgee and make 2024 your most successful year yet!
This episode was sponsored by Juicebox (https://juicebox.ai/) , the company behind PeopleGPT. AI Sourcing using Generative AI, simply describe who you're searching for in natural language. PeopleGPT creates the search and assess profiles. Trusted by 400+ companies and recruiting agencies. Check it out and get a 20% Discount code using: ELITE20. People GPT smarter sourcing, better hiring!
The Power of Empathy and Relationships in Launching an Executive Search Firm with Somer Hackley
Season 1 · Episode 172
Wednesday, July 31, 2024 • Duration 54:34
Ever wondered how empathy and authentic relationships can be the key to launching a successful executive search firm in the competitive world of recruiting?
In today's fast-paced recruiting environment, professionals often grapple with overwhelming pressures to deliver results while maintaining their well-being. Somer Hackley faced similar challenges and managed not only to overcome them but to build a flourishing executive search firm by shifting her focus to fostering genuine relationships and embracing empathy. This episode is a treasure trove of insights for those looking to mitigate stress, achieve business success, and enhance their recruiting practices through empathetic client interactions. Whether you're dealing with client demands, considering going independent, or simply seeking meaningful ways to grow your career, this episode offers practical advice and inspiring stories that could reshape your approach.
1. **Cultivate Authentic Client Partnerships:** Learn how Somer Hackley transitioned from a stressful corporate role to working independently by building true partnerships with clients who chose to work with her. This shift not only led to business success but also decreased her stress and increased job satisfaction.
2. **Harness the Power of Personal Branding:** Uncover the substantial benefits of strategic personal branding through Somer's story. Releasing a book in 2020 not only validated her expertise but also made attracting clients easier, enhancing her credibility and paving the way for seamless business interactions.
3. **Develop Robust Relationship Management Skills:** Get inspired by Somer's hands-on approach to relationship management, including responding to every message, leveraging personal networking, and organizing unique meetup initiatives. These strategies not only elevated her professional network but also contributed to personal milestones, showing how relationship-building can propel both professional and personal life.
Taking the Leap: How Pat Corrigan Transformed from a Solo Recruiter to Team Leader
Taking the Leap: How Pat Corrigan Transformed from a Solo Recruiter to Team Leader
Description: In this episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast, host Benjamin Mena welcomes special guest Pat Corrigan, an industry expert with a passion for risk management. Pat shares their journey of transitioning from a solo recruiter to a team leader, offering insights into finding purpose, scaling a business, and creating opportunities for others. Join us as we explore the importance of self-reflection, trusting the journey, and embracing the human element in recruiting.
Episode Highlights:
1. Finding Purpose and Energy:
- Pat Corrigan shares their passion for the risk management industry and the importance of enjoying and believing in the work one does.
- They emphasize the value that every person, whether a client, candidate, or center of influence, brings to the table.
- Pat encourages recruiters to explore multiple industries, drawing from their own experience in construction management and aviation.
- They highlight the significance of self-reflection in determining what truly brings one energy and fulfillment.
2. The Transition to Team Leadership:
- As a solo recruiter, Pat reached a point where they needed to scale their business due to a surge in opportunities.
- They describe hiring their first employee, an operations person, to handle processes, workflows, and technology management.
- Pat later expanded their team with a recruiter and offshore sourcer and researcher.
- They emphasize the importance of clearly defining the profile and key characteristics of potential employees.
From Start to Sale: Insider Secrets for Building, Scaling, and Selling Your Recruitment Firm with Serial Recruitment Entrepreneur Mike Ames
Season 1 · Episode 80
Tuesday, June 27, 2023 • Duration 52:27
In this episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast, host Benjamin Mena interviews Mike Ames, who shares his experience of building and scaling a successful recruitment firm and later selling it.
Mike emphasizes the importance of working on your business by investing in yourself through courses, coaching, seminars, networking, and reading books. He suggests scheduling "purple time" to specifically work on your business, planning and developing strategies, and avoiding daily distractions that can keep you from thinking about the big picture of building a successful business.
Mike also stresses the importance of building a team to delegate tasks and boost revenue, as well as having a niche business to increase profits and become a go-to person in the industry. He discusses two types of businesses: scale for sale and cash cow lifestyle, and the pros and cons of each.
The speaker shares their personal and professional challenges in building a scalable recruitment business, including the loss of a colleague in an accident and leaving a company due to a change in direction.
Mike recommends using tools like Blinkist to read book summaries in 20 minutes, buying the actual book if you like the summary, and recommends "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell as it discusses the reasons behind success. He also mentions "The Organization" by Robert Townsend as a book that had a big impact on his way of thinking.
The speaker talks about the rule of 3, 4, and 8 when it comes to growing recruitment companies, and how it takes time and scalability to become wealthy. He warns against yo-yo companies that grow and then shrink when they can't get past the viable stage.
Overall, this episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast provides valuable insights into building and scaling a successful recruitment firm and the importance of investing in yourself and your team to achieve long-term success.
Digital Sales & Marketing Tips for Recruiters with Clark Willcox
Title: Digital Sales & Marketing Tips for Recruiters
Are you a recruiter looking to improve your digital sales and marketing skills? In this episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast, host Benjamin Mena invites guest speaker Clark Willcox to share his insights on what it takes to succeed in today's recruiting industry.
Willcox, a successful recruiter and business coach, starts by emphasizing the importance of copywriting in the recruiting process. Recruiters should focus on adding value and relevance to their target audience through entertaining and meaningful posts. Willcox recommends finding someone who is good at copywriting and learning from them, as well as practicing regularly and learning from likes and comments.
The speaker goes on to discuss the qualities that successful recruiters possess, including the ability to adapt quickly, demonstrate quick learning and responsibility, and have tenacity. They also possess the skill of picking up on nuances during phone calls and are able to dig deeper to uncover information.
Creating systems, taking notes, and following up with people are crucial for a successful recruiter. Willcox instills this skill in his team when scaling, recognizing the importance of building confidence and owning self-worth to justify a recruiter's fee and stand apart in the industry.
If becoming a top biller is your goal, Willcox emphasizes the importance of being intentional and reverse engineering the process while building relationships. Top billers connect the right people with the right jobs and focus on making the best matches possible.
Social media can be a powerful tool for recruiters, but it's essential to understand your audience and focus on those who will resonate with your message. Willcox advises leaning into strengths, identifying what drives you, and asking for feedback to help identify areas of strength or potential focus.
Disrupting Recruiting with David Paffenholz from PeopleGPT
Season 1 · Episode 78
Tuesday, June 20, 2023 • Duration 21:23
Disrupting Recruiting with David Paffenholz from PeopleGPT
Welcome to The Elite Recruiter Podcast, where we discuss the latest trends, tactics, and strategies in the recruiting industry. In today's episode, we have a special guest - David Paffenholz from PeopleGPT - who is going to help us understand how AI is disrupting traditional recruiting methods.
The internet and professional networking sites have revolutionized the recruitment industry, making it easier to find and target candidates. However, with so much data available, it can be a real challenge for recruiters to identify the best-fit candidates for a given role. That's where PeopleGPT comes in.
David explains that PeopleGPT is designed to help recruiters find ideal candidates based not only on filters, but also context and experience. This new approach to AI-driven recruitment allows recruiters to make more informed decisions that yield higher success rates once candidates are recruited into the organization.
While some worry that AI will replace recruiters altogether, David argues that it will instead help evolve their jobs. AI can be useful in tasks such as finding and screening candidates more efficiently, but ultimately the recruiter will still make the final decision. The goal is to use AI to help recruiters be more effective and find the best candidates for a given role. And as more companies adopt AI, recruiters will need to adapt and find new ways to add value.
One area where PeopleGPT is pushing the boundaries is data sourcing. David explains that they are working on integrating other data sources such as website bios, articles, past speeches, and podcasts to augment their existing databases of public professional profiles. For recruiters, this means more information at their fingertips, and ultimately better decision-making.
David also shares some insights into the search process, discussing a recent project to find a senior software engineer with experience in fraud detection. Using PeopleGPT, they were able to narrow the search down to individuals who had experience in data science, machine learning, and fintech before they applied it within the fintech business. This allowed for a more targeted and successful search.
How AI Personas Can Skyrocket Your Recruiting Business with David Stephen Patterson
The latest episode of The Elite Recruiter podcast features David Stephen Patterson, an expert in artificial intelligence (AI) for recruiting, who shares his insights on how AI personas can enhance a recruiter's business.
Patterson has created entire systems that can help recruiters improve their business and find the right candidates using AI. The host attributes his success in transitioning from an internal recruiter to owning his own search firm to DSP's content, training, and programs.
The episode starts by highlighting the importance of sales and marketing in recruiting, and how understanding why people buy and how to influence and persuade them can significantly impact success rates. DSP recommends the Headhunter and Executive Community Facebook group for learning about sales, marketing, agency recruitment, and getting advice from veterans in the space.
The speakers discuss the two approaches to sales - inbound and outbound - and how content marketing is beneficial for cultivating long-term relationships with potential clients (farming) and improving response rates to outbound sales efforts. They emphasize the importance of creating content that not only entertains but also educates and elevates the audience's thinking.
The episode also touches on difficulties recruiters are currently facing, including job scarcity. Many recruiters use LinkedIn automations and generic content, creating a lot of white noise. However, creating original and incisive content that resonates emotionally with the audience can help recruiters stand out.
The speaker shares his experience with writing a powerful article that resonated with a company's head of SAP group, leading to a big boon for his business that year. They also talk about Mem AI, a unique solution for knowledge management and productivity, and how AI personas can be trained to write in different copywriting styles.
Finally, the speaker shares his latest program called AI Persona Genesis, which provides training for AI personas for different writing needs. By using AI personas, recruiters can create unique and powerful content more efficiently, spending less time on content creation and more on building connections with their audience.
How To Travel The World as A Recruiter/Digital Nomad with Matt Gorgolinski
Welcome to The Elite Recruiter Podcast, where we explore the recruitment industry and provide insights from experienced recruiters and industry experts. In this episode, we feature guest speaker Matt Gorgolinski who shares his story of founding his own recruitment firm and traveling the world as a recruiter.
With his own experience in recruiting, Matt shares with host Benjamin Mena the importance of focusing on the right things and learning what to focus on in the recruitment industry. He emphasizes how systems and processes help recruiters become more efficient and acquire more clients and candidates.
Matt’s passion for recruiting has allowed him to work remotely and travel the world, a lifestyle he attributes to the flexibility that being a recruiter provides. He shares with listeners his journey of working from cafes, beaches, and even spending six months in Costa Rica. He met his girlfriend there while working remotely, and they have been dating for a year and a half.
Matt’s recruitment journey is a prime example of how to pursue one's goals as soon as possible, even if it means stepping outside of one's comfort zone and taking that first uncomfortable step. His steadfast and consistent work ethic, coupled with his willingness to take risks, prove that taking action can lead to life-changing opportunities.
As a recruiter with a global perspective, Matt notes how artificial intelligence tools are beginning to play a role in the recruitment industry, but emphasizes the importance of human interaction and conversation in effective recruitment. His focus on staying informed and up to date with technological advancements ensures that he remains competitive in the industry.
Furthermore, Matthew shares his experiences working with virtual assistants from the Philippines, who have proven to be extremely valuable to his business operations. From outsourcing research to building a virtual assistant team, he has seen a significant impact on his business from their contributions, and he encourages others to consider the benefits of outsourcing as well.
From The Basement to a 7-Figure Business And Living On The Beach at 25 with Nate Gray
Season 1 · Episode 75
Thursday, June 8, 2023 • Duration 36:42
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Are you looking to take your recruiting business to 7 figures and beyond? In this episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast, host Benjamin Mena interviews entrepreneur Nate Gray, who shares his journey from working in the basement of his home to building a successful business.
Gray emphasizes the importance of asking questions, being willing to embarrass oneself, and offering something in exchange when asking for help. He suggests recording oneself to get feedback and learn from the process.
Social media is a powerful tool that can be used by both small and large businesses to build a community and improve their reputation in the market. Gray recommends building a strong social and community presence to attract referrals instead of actively recruiting. The key is to position oneself, so competitors become irrelevant.
Gray offers practical advice for improving a creative staffing agency’s outreach through social media content and cold emailing. He suggests running paid media campaigns and creating engaging content to stand out in the competition from AI-driven search engines.
Gray also stresses the importance of networking and reaching out to companies to increase one’s chances of success. By opening up conversations instead of just pitching job opportunities, one can establish relationships and receive more referrals.
In addition to his entrepreneurial success, Gray shares insights into running a production studio and see the potential profitability.
Overall, this episode provides valuable tips for recruiters looking to grow their businesses and succeed in the industry. Tune in and learn from a successful entrepreneur who has been through it all.
Don't miss this enlightening episode—tap into the profound insights from Somer Hackley's journey and discover how empathy and relationship-building can transform your career. Listen now and start your path to a successful, fulfilling recruiting practice!
3. Trusting the Journey and Embracing Opportunities:
- Pat shares personal experiences of being let go from a job and rebounding through unexpected opportunities.
- They stress the significance of being open to new experiences and learning from difficult times.
- Pat reflects on the role of gratitude and humility in career growth and success, recommending books for personal development.
4. Navigating the Recruiting Industry:
- Pat's expertise lies in the commercial insurance brokerage industry, with a hyper-defined niche focusing on sales professionals and leaders.
- They emphasize the importance of understanding the industry and their clients to make a meaningful impact.
- Pat shares their reservations about the future impact of artificial intelligence in recruiting, highlighting the value of personalized human interaction.
5. Tech Tools and Personal Style:
- Pat recommends various tech tools for efficiency, including Superhuman for email and Crelate for recruiting.
- They express their unique approach to the industry and the importance of individual style and audience connection.
Join Benjamin Mena and Pat Corrigan as they dive into Pat's inspiring journey, and gain valuable insights on finding purpose, scaling a business, and embracing the human element in recruiting. Don't miss this uplifting episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast!
Over his career Mike has started, built and sold two multi-million pound recruitment firms with a combined sale value of $50m.
Both firms were built using a simple formula that does not rely upon big marketing budgets or for super-talented sales people.
He now runs the Flair Growth Consultancy working with owners of SME and micro recruitment firms who want to create a businesses that gives them the income, freedom and security they want.
Finally, Willcox touches on the importance of continuous learning and the ability to navigate life's gray areas effectively. Whether you're focused on maintaining a lifestyle or growing to a 100 million-dollar agency, systematizing your work can make it easier to scale your business.
In summary, digital sales and marketing skills are essential for recruiters to thrive in today's recruiting industry. By prioritizing copywriting, building relationships, honing crucial skills, and embracing continuous learning, recruiters can find success and make a difference for their clients and candidates.
Need more support on your roles from vetted recruiters? Or, are you a successful recruiter who has capacity to work on qualified job orders. Reach out to Clark for more information on how to join the Digital Recruiter Split Req Board
But it's not just about technology and data. Successful recruitment also requires a focus on personalization and quality rather than volume. David emphasizes that new recruiters should prioritize candidate quality over quantity, and take the time to carefully consider candidates before reaching out to them.
As the industry continues to evolve, David believes that experienced recruiters who are familiar with Boolean searches may need to adapt to new search methods in the next two to three years. It's important to be open to new technologies like GPT and chatGPT, and to experiment with them to find the best candidates.
We hope you found this episode informative and helpful in understanding how AI is disrupting the recruiting industry. Don't forget to subscribe to The Elite Recruiter Podcast for more insights and tactics to stay ahead of the curve. Thanks for tuning in!
In summary, this episode provides valuable insights on how AI personas and content marketing can improve a recruiter's business, and how understanding sales, marketing, and people can significantly impact success rates. Recruiters can benefit from creating more emotional and polarizing content, staying up to date with industry trends, and exploring AI solutions to help grow their business.
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To join the Headhunter & Executive Recruiter Community, our savage Facebook group of close to 13,000 agency recruiters and search firm owners: https://realdsp.me/elite-herc
To download a copy of my meaty 220-page sales & marketing guide for recruiters, and join the most controversial and spiciest recruitment email list in the known universe: https://realdsp.me/elite-lighthouse
If you are interested in learning more about recruiting, traveling the world, and how to build a successful recruitment firm, check out The Elite Recruiter Podcast. Tune in to learn from industry experts like Matt Gorgolinski and gain insights on maximizing your productivity, developing processes, and pursuing your goals as a successful recruiter. This episode showcases the possibilities for recruiters to live and work remotely while still serving clients and candidates with excellent results.
Benjamin Mena with Select Source Solutions: http://www.selectsourcesolutions.com/
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