Recruiting Evolution

How should recruiting firms build for AI without giving up control of their data, security, or workflows?

In this special episode of Recruiting Evolution, host Kortney Harmon talks with Aaron Elder, CEO and co-founder of Crelate, about the technology foundations behind AI in recruiting. 

Aaron explains the roles of systems of record and systems of action, and how APIs, webhooks, and MCPs let AI agents work with recruiting platforms. They also discuss token costs, agent sprawl, credential security, and why some tasks are better handled by reliable, rules-based workflows than by AI.

_________
Follow Aaron Elder on LinkedIn: LinkedIn | Aaron

Follow Crelate on LinkedIn: Crelate

Want to learn more about Crelate? Book a demo here

Subscribe to our newsletter: Recruiting Evolution

How can recruiting firms use modern MPC campaigns to build stronger business development pipelines? Julian D’Angelo, CEO of Talin, joins Kortney Harmon to explain how targeted, personalized candidate outreach can open conversations with hiring managers more effectively than traditional bulk blasts.

Julian walks through a campaign from identifying a candidate’s best-fit market to researching hiring managers, personalizing outreach, and managing replies. He also shares campaign benchmarks, discusses why recruiters should track positive replies instead of email opens, and demonstrates how the workflow connects with Crelate. This session was originally recorded for FDE+ and is now part of Recruiting Evolution.

Key insights you can’t miss:

• An MPC campaign can build a relationship and pipeline, even when a hiring manager has no current opening.
• Mapping the broader market gives recruiters more opportunities than focusing only on posted jobs.
• Tailored campaigns can outperform generic outreach; Julian shares reported reply rates of 5–10%.
• AI can speed up research and personalization, while recruiter review and candidate strategy remain essential.

Tune in to see how a more targeted MPC process can help recruiting firms start better conversations with hiring managers.

_______

Follow Julian D’Angelo on LinkedIn: LinkedIn Julian

Follow Crelate on LinkedIn: Crelate

Want to learn more about Crelate? Book a demo here

Subscribe to our newsletter: Recruiting Evolution

Recruiting Evolution explores the ideas, technology, and strategies shaping what comes next in recruiting. In this special episode, we’re revisiting a session originally recorded as part of the FDE+ event series featuring Greg Fischer, founder of The Well-Oiled Machine.

Greg explains how recruiting firms can build a leaner, more profitable agency by combining onshore relationship builders, AI tools, and international recruiting talent. He breaks down where global team members can make the greatest impact, which roles still require a human touch, and the common mistakes agencies make when hiring internationally. You’ll also hear practical guidance for selecting the right roles and regions, hiring high performers, and integrating international employees as valued members of your team.

_____

Follow Greg Fischer on LinkedIn: LinkedIn Greg

Follow Crelate on LinkedIn: Crelate

Want to learn more about Crelate? Book a demo here

Subscribe to our newsletter: Recruiting Evolution

Recruiting Evolution is the next chapter of The Full Desk Experience, bringing you the same candid conversations and practical insights with a new name and look built for where recruiting is headed.

AI for staffing firms has moved from experimentation to everyday use, but many teams are still treating it as little more than a faster writing tool. The real opportunity comes from giving AI the right context, building it into repeatable processes, and using it to create sales and marketing that actually stands out.

In this episode, originally recorded as part of the FDE+ event series, Kortney Harmon is joined by Brad Smith, Chief Strategy Officer at Haley Marketing. Brad explains why so many staffing firms are getting generic results from AI and shares practical frameworks, real-world case studies, and strategies firms can use to strengthen buyer engagement, build authority, and drive measurable growth.

_____

Follow Brad Smith on LinkedIn: LinkedIn | Brad

Learn more about Haley Marketing

Follow Crelate on LinkedIn: Crelate

Want to learn more about Crelate? Book a demo here

Subscribe to our newsletter: The Full Desk Experience

In this special FDE+ virtual session, host Kortney Harmon is joined by Clark Willcox, Founder of Digital Recruiter, to explore how recruiters can use LinkedIn, AI, and automation without losing the authenticity that builds trust and drives revenue.

Clark explains why generic AI-generated content can damage a recruiter’s credibility, why meaningful conversations matter more than likes, and how a targeted LinkedIn strategy can create a consistent business development pipeline. He also shares practical ways to strengthen your profile, reach the right prospects, create content that connects, and use your recruiting technology to support more intentional outreach.

Key takeaways include:

• Building a LinkedIn profile that attracts ideal clients
• Creating content that generates conversations instead of vanity metrics
• Using AI without sacrificing your voice or authenticity
• Combining targeted outreach with consistent thought leadership
• Using your recruiting CRM to turn relationships into pipeline opportunities

Learn how to build a stronger recruiter brand and use AI, automation, and LinkedIn with greater intention.

_____

Follow Clark Willcox on LinkedIn: LinkedIn | Clark

Learn more about Digital Recruiter

Follow Crelate on LinkedIn: Crelate

Want to learn more about Crelate? Book a demo here

Subscribe to our newsletter: The Full Desk Experience

AI is transforming staffing and recruiting, but that does not mean recruiters are becoming obsolete.

In this FDE+ episode, Tom Erb, president of Tallann Resources, explores how recruiting technology has evolved and what professionals must do to remain valuable as AI and automation reshape the industry. Tom explains where AI can improve efficiency, accelerate candidate engagement, and give recruiters more time to focus on meaningful work.

Learn why professional expertise, emotional intelligence, active listening, relationship-building, and continuous learning will separate future-ready recruiters from those who fall behind.

___________

Follow Tom Erb on LinkedIn: LinkedIn | Tom

Follow Crelate on LinkedIn: Crelate

Want to learn more about Crelate? Book a demo here

Subscribe to our newsletter: The Full Desk Experience

AI can save recruiters hours every week, but used poorly, it can also create impersonal outreach that burns bridges instead of building them.

In this FDE+ session, Keely Flood, founder of The Honest Salesperson, demonstrates how he uses Claude Cowork to research prospects, personalize outreach, create call recaps, and reduce administrative work. He also shares how connecting AI with a recruiting CRM can give recruiters more time to focus on candidates, clients, and business development.

From identifying high-potential accounts to drafting outreach and updating follow-up tasks, Keely walks through practical ways recruiters can use AI throughout the sales process. He explains why AI should get you most of the way there without replacing human judgment, especially when a message will be sent to a candidate or prospective client.

See how recruiters can start with one repeatable task, build their first AI skill, and use AI recruiting software to spend less time on administrative work and more time building relationships that lead to revenue.

___________

Follow Keely Flood on LinkedIn: LinkedIn | Keely

Follow Crelate on LinkedIn: Crelate

Want to learn more about Crelate? Book a demo here

Subscribe to our newsletter: The Full Desk Experience

It’s easy to let business development slide when repeat clients and referrals are keeping you busy. Mark Whitby learned that lesson the hard way when he lost 85% of his revenue during the Great Recession.

In this FDE+ session, Mark shares a seven-step plan for reaching the clients you most want to work with. He covers how to choose high-value accounts, research them, personalize your message, and use video, landing pages, direct mail, and phone calls to book more meetings over the next 30 days.

Key Takeaways:

• How to choose which clients to target
• Why the channel matters as much as the message
• What to include in a 30-day outreach campaign
• Ways to personalize outreach without relying on automation
• Why phone calls still improve your chances of booking a meeting

________________

Follow Mark Whitby on LinkedIn: Mark Whitby

Follow Crelate on LinkedIn: Crelate

Want to learn more about Crelate? Book a demo here

Subscribe to our newsletter: The Full Desk Experience

What’s actually driving revenue in recruiting right now—and where does the traditional playbook still win? Host Kortney Harmon sits down with Jeremy Jenson, Katie Trippe, and Dolores Sauter for an FDE+ roundtable on how recruiting leaders are adapting as outreach gets noisier, technology moves faster, and clients and candidates expect more.

From cold calling and multichannel outreach to AI, data, and evolving tech stacks, the panel breaks down what’s producing results inside their firms today. They explore why authentic relationships still matter, how deeper niche expertise creates a competitive advantage, and why technology should create capacity for higher-value work—not simply add another tool to the stack.

See how today’s recruiting leaders are pairing authentic relationships with sharper specialization and smarter technology to build sustainable revenue.

________________

Follow Dolores Sauter on LinkedIn: LinkedIn | Dolores

Follow Katie Trippe on LinkedIn: LinkedIn | Katie

Follow Jeremy Jenson on Linkedin: LinkedIn | Jeremy

Follow Crelate on LinkedIn: Crelate

Want to learn more about Crelate? Book a demo here

Subscribe to our newsletter: The Full Desk Experience

What happens when better technology is no longer a competitive advantage? Host Kortney Harmon is joined by Donnie Gupton, Founder of Ora Marketing and creator of the Uncopyable Recruiter Method, to examine why trust—not tools, speed, or access—is becoming the real differentiator for recruiting firms.

Donnie breaks down how AI and automation are creating greater parity between agencies and internal talent teams—and why the bigger challenge for recruiters isn’t competition, but comparability. He shares a four-part framework for becoming the standard in your niche through clear positioning, an intentional market ecosystem, authority-building content, and consistent follow-up.

Key Takeaways

• Why trust becomes the differentiator when technology is table stakes

• How clear positioning helps recruiters escape the comparability trap

• Why the 97% of buyers not hiring today deserve your attention

• How content and consistent follow-up turn authority into demand

Discover how to build the trust and authority that make your firm the first call when hiring needs arise.

________________

Follow Donnie Gupton on LinkedIn: LinkedIn | Donnie

Follow Crelate on LinkedIn: Crelate

Want to learn more about Crelate? Book a demo here

Subscribe to our newsletter: The Full Desk Experience