What if AI doesn’t replace recruiters, but instead helps a solo recruiter build a multi-million-dollar desk?
We explore this and much more with Benjamin Mena, founder of Select Source Solutions and host of the Elite Recruiter Podcast, in this week's episode of The Tech Savvy Recruiter.
Ben has spent almost two decades in recruitment while building the Elite Recruiter Podcast, community and summits. He’s just come off the back of his third AI Summit, which attracted 2,350 registrants.
👇 And one of the biggest takeaways? Ben believes we’re moving into a world where solo recruiters could be running $3M, $4M or even $5M desks because of what AI can now make possible.
But there’s a catch.
AI can build the workflows, personalise the experience and take away the repetitive work. It can’t replace your sales skills, your relationships or your ability to close a deal.
Here's what else we got into:
↳ Why cold email and generic candidate outreach are no longer enough
↳ How multi-channel outreach, content and taking conversations offline can move the needle faster
↳ Why becoming “the recruiter” for your market could be your biggest competitive advantage
↳ How AI can help you rediscover old candidates, clients and relationships that could lead to new business
↳ Why Ben believes AI agents are currently overhyped, and the question you should ask instead: “Have you actually made a sale?”
↳ How recruiters can use AI to create hyper-personalised candidate experiences and interview prep
↳ Why the best recruiters may not need hundreds of tools, but a few systems that are deeply integrated
↳ Ben’s prediction for the future: five-person recruitment teams generating $7M-$10M in revenue
The big question is: What becomes possible when you combine great recruitment skills with the right technology?
Questions
Let's hear about your summit. How many of the AI summits have you done now? 2:45-2:48
What are some of the most interesting insights you've taken away from the summit? 5:21-5:35
What do you think that mental model that the listeners perhaps need to make to get to where they should be now with what's happening in the world of AI for recruiting? 8:26-8:35
It's such a great example of owning your lane and creating real value. I still hear from people who want to automate all their BD through email, LinkedIn, Dripify, or AI. But then I see people billing really well who are using these tools strategically. So, Ben, where do you think this stuff works, and where does it fall short? 13:22-13:56
You still run an agency, so when you think about everything you do each day, how do you balance being an inspiration, running communities and events, and that little side gig of recruiting? 22:01-22:16
What do you think is a bit hyped up and what should be more hyped up when it comes to AI/tech in what we're doing today? 26:49-26:57
What about the underhyped? What do you think should be more in focus? 28:32-28:38
If we were here in two years' time having another conversation, what do you think would be hot topic for us to chat about at that point? 40:24-40:32
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https://www.recmate.com.au/about-us
Connect with Ben
linkedin.com/in/benjaminmena
https://www.eliterecruiterpodcast.com/
Connect with Belinda and Andrew
LinkedIn Belinda Kerr
linkedin.com/in/belindakerr
Recruitment Garage
https://recruitmentgarage.com/
LinkedIn Andrew Rodger
linkedin.com/in/andrewrodger
recMate
https://www.recmate.com.au/
