The Elite Recruiter Podcast

Steve Finkel, a veteran recruiter and trainer, shares crucial techniques to elevate closing skills for recruiters. He discusses the importance of structured closing calls and the psychology behind effective closes, like the 'College Professor Close.' Steve highlights the balance between logic and emotion in negotiations and warns against tech distractions that undermine selling prowess. He emphasizes the need for continual learning and improvement and offers valuable insights for both new and experienced recruiters looking to thrive in a competitive landscape.

The Art of Closing: Steve Finkel Reveals Why Most Recruiters Lose Offers Recruiters: You’re not paid for sourcing—you’re paid for closing. And the hidden skill separating top billers from everyone else is the one most recruiters never train: what happens after the first interview. Why This Episode Matters If you’ve ever lost an offer after weeks of work, watched a great candidate vanish, or seen a deal collapse at the finish line—this episode changes everything. Steve Finkel reveals the true science (and art) of closing so you boost placements, win more clients, and outperform even the most tech-enabled internal teams. What You’ll Learn • The hidden closing mistakes that quietly destroy fees • Why “doing everything right up front” still isn’t enough • The two-step debrief method that triples placement ratios • Industry-specific closing tactics beyond outdated trial closes • The “College Professor Close” and how it reshapes decisions • Language patterns that dissolve fear and resistance • How elite recruiters role-play and analyze to increase billings 30–50% About the Guest Steve Finkel is one of the most influential recruiter trainers in the world. His books and frameworks have shaped thousands of top billers and helped entire firms scale production for decades. Extended Value Tease Imagine fewer turndowns, more second interviews, higher acceptance rates, and clients who trust you with every critical hire. That’s what happens when you master closing. This isn’t about filling jobs—it’s about becoming the rainmaker who consistently brings deals across the line. Listen Now Stop leaving deals—and money—on the table. Hit play and let Steve rewire how you close forever. Timestamp Highlights 00:27 – Why recruiters get paid for what happens after the first interview 02:16 – The #1 skill that separates elite from average 04:01 – The insight from developer Larry Nobles 05:38 – Why “doing everything right” doesn’t guarantee placements 07:07 – The fatal dependence on “automatic closes” 09:39 – Why many recruiters can’t break the 75% offer-accept ceiling 11:01 – When “never losing a deal” means you’re playing too safe 13:04 – The two-sided debrief form that multiplies live candidates 15:29 – Extracting value from “dead” candidates 18:39 – The slip-and-sidestep tactic for reframing negatives 20:39 – The language tweak that boosts agreement by 50% 25:27 – Why “time in the chair” doesn’t build real skill 32:30 – How to choose the right close for the scenario 44:21 – Ending the closing call strong 48:14 – How recruiters add 30–50% more billing Sponsors 🚀 Atlas – AI-first ATS & CRM Automates admin, syncs resumes/emails, and uses AI to build polished profiles and reports. Try it free or book a demo → https://recruitwithatlas.com 🌐 Recruiters Websites (10% off) High-performance websites for recruiting agencies. Mention Elite Recruiter Podcast for 10% off → https://recruiterswebsites.com/ Summit + Community 🎯 2026 Sales & BD Recruiter Summit: https://bd-sales-recruiter-2026.heysummit.com/ 💼 Elite Recruiter Community: All summits, replays, billers club + split space https://elite-recruiters.circle.so/checkout/elite-recruiter-community Tools & Links PeopleGPT Free Trial → https://juicebox.ai/?via=b6912d Talin AI Free Trial → https://app.talin.ai/signup?via=recruiter Pin Free Trial → https://www.pin.com/ Subscribe → https://eliterecruiterpodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe YouTube: Coming Soon Follow Steve Finkel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-finkel-9b4ba37/ Host: http://www.selectsourcesolutions.com/ Benjamin LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminmena/ Benjamin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benlmena/

Jared Watts, a former MLS soccer player and founder of Next Play Search Group, brings his elite athlete mindset to the recruiting arena. He shares how skills like performance tracking and visualization translate into recruiting success. Jared emphasizes the importance of treating recruitment like a sport, discusses negotiating contracts using data, and highlights building trust through generosity. With tips on achieving precise KPI tracking and fostering strong relationships, he inspires recruiters to elevate their game continuously.

In this conversation, Emily Audibert, the owner of a successful recruiting firm, shares her remarkable journey from struggling for six months to becoming a million-dollar biller. She emphasizes the importance of balancing masculine and feminine energies in recruiting and building client relationships. Emily also delves into her successful RPO strategy, revealing how she established trust and referrals through genuine connections. She offers insightful advice for recruiters at any stage, encouraging authenticity, persistence, and continuous learning.

Kelsey Boyd is a transformational operator who specializes in guiding staffing and recruiting firms through digital transformations. In this conversation, she reveals how to shift from chaos to structured success by implementing operating systems like EOS. Kelsey shares her experience in rebranding multi-brand firms for efficiency and the importance of clear frameworks for accountability. She provides actionable advice on identifying key performance indicators and maintaining consistent organizational cadence, emphasizing the need for adaptability in recruiting.

What does it really take to grow a recruiting business to $300M, scale contract staffing revenue, and execute a profitable exit—while keeping your team together? In this high-impact episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast, host Benjamin Mena sits down with industry veteran Jon Davis, who reveals the exact strategies that turned his firm into one of the most successful staffing organizations in the country. Whether you’re running a solo desk or scaling an agency, this episode is your roadmap to recurring revenue, massive valuation, and building a business buyers fight to acquire. 🎯 2026 Sales and BD Recruiter Summit: https://bd-sales-recruiter-2026.heysummit.com/   🚀 Sponsorship: Atlas – AI-first ATS & CRM Atlas combines your ATS and CRM in one AI-powered platform. It automates tagging and admin, syncs resumes and emails, and uses AI to create polished profiles and reports—so you can focus on relationships, not data entry. Centralized outreach, reporting, and analytics keep you fast and efficient. Try it free or book a demo → https://recruitwithatlas.com Why This Episode Matters Jon went from “mattress on the roof” beginnings to leading a multi-hundred-million-dollar staffing company. He shares the real growth lessons agency owners never hear—how to avoid burnout, when to pivot, how to fix broken processes, and how contract staffing can transform your business into a sellable asset. You’ll hear how he and his team tripled market presence, built sticky client relationships, navigated M&A, and executed an exit without losing a single recruiter. What You’ll Learn • Why relationships STILL outperform automation—and how elite recruiters nurture trust at scale • The recurring revenue formula: How to launch contract staffing even if you’ve only done direct hire • What buyers actually look for in a staffing firm (and why process > personality) • How to leverage EOR/back office partners to scale without building internal overhead • The exact frameworks Jon used to make his business “acquisition-ready” Key Takeaways Contract Revenue Drives Valuation Firms with 50%+ contract revenue win the highest multiples. Build recurring revenue now.Start Small, Grow Fast You don’t need to beat Adecco or Randstad. Win through relationships, speed, and niche expertise.Process = Profitability Document everything—BD, sourcing, compliance, onboarding. Processes make you scalable and sellable.Relationships Remain the Moat Clients and candidates stay with recruiters who show up, communicate, and solve their biggest problems.Stop Waiting for Perfect You can launch & scale contract staffing with today’s EOR, funding, and automation tools. Complexity is optional. If you want to scale your firm, build real enterprise value, and prep for a major exit—this is the playbook. 🎧 Hit play now, subscribe, and connect with Jon & Benjamin for more high-performance recruiting insights. Sponsors & Links 🎯 2026 Sales and BD Recruiter Summit: https://bd-sales-recruiter-2026.heysummit.com/ 🚀 Atlas – AI-first ATS & CRM Automates tagging, syncs resumes/emails, and generates polished profiles & reports. Try it free or book a demo → https://recruitwithatlas.com 🤝 Elite Recruiter Community All summit replays, roundtables, Billers’ Club & split space. Join for $49/month → https://elite-recruiters.circle.so/checkout/elite-recruiter-community   ⚡ Free Trials Pin (AI Recruiting Assistant) → https://www.pin.com/ PeopleGPT & AI Agents → https://juicebox.ai/?via=b6912d 📩 Podcast Email List → https://eliterecruiterpodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe ▶️ YouTube: https://youtu.be/fB4XmqtrvyU 🔗 Follow Jon Davis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jondavislinked/ 🌐 Host – Benjamin Mena: http://www.selectsourcesolutions.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminmena/

If you loved Part 1, get ready for the blueprint. In Part 2, Derek Pittak returns to break down how recruiters can actually use EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) to scale—with simple, powerful tools that drive accountability, clarity, and focus. We cover everything from documenting processes (without 75-page SOPs) to running 90-day “traction” cycles, creating scorecards, setting rocks, and defining your company’s vision so your entire team rows in the same direction. 🎯 2026 Sales and BD Recruiter Summit: https://bd-sales-recruiter-2026.heysummit.com/ 🚀 Sponsorship: Atlas – AI-first ATS & CRM Atlas combines your ATS and CRM in one AI-powered platform. It automates tagging and admin, syncs resumes and emails, and uses AI to create polished profiles and reports—so you can focus on relationships, not data entry. Centralized outreach, reporting, and analytics keep you fast and efficient. Try it free or book a demo → https://recruitwithatlas.com What You’ll Learn Why most recruiting firms secretly have no real processesThe 90-day focus cycle that keeps teams on trackHow “rocks,” “to-dos,” and “issues” connect inside EOSHow to write a clear company vision (VTO) without hiring consultantsWhen EOS doesn’t work—and how to fix itWhat it’s really like to work with a certified EOS Implementer Key Takeaways ✅ Documented process = consistent delivery and brand trust ✅ 90-day rocks create momentum and measurable results ✅ Vision must live outside the founder’s head ✅ EOS works only with truth, accountability, and trust 💡 Want to Implement EOS? It’s a 24-month journey—five sessions a year, total transformation. Whether you self-implement or hire a certified guide, the key is commitment and consistency. 🎧 Listen Back Missed Part 1? Go hear Derek’s origin story and the mindset shift that made EOS stick inside 40 staffing firms. ⚡ Sponsor 🎯 2026 Sales and BD Recruiter Summit: https://bd-sales-recruiter-2026.heysummit.com/ 🚀 Sponsorship: Atlas – AI-first ATS & CRM Atlas combines your ATS and CRM in one AI-powered platform. It automates tagging and admin, syncs resumes and emails, and uses AI to create polished profiles and reports—so you can focus on relationships, not data entry. Centralized outreach, reporting, and analytics keep you fast and efficient. Try it free or book a demo → https://recruitwithatlas.com Free Trial of PeopleGPT and its AI Agents: https://juicebox.ai/?via=b6912d Free Trial of Pin: https://www.pin.com/ Signup for future emails from The Elite Recruiter Podcast: https://eliterecruiterpodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe YouTube: Part 1: https://youtu.be/ZFGHt-Xhniw Part 2: https://youtu.be/WvdE_Fqi968 Follow Derek Pittak on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-pittak-4b2ba86a/ With your Host Benjamin Mena with Select Source Solutions: http://www.selectsourcesolutions.com/ Benjamin Mena LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminmena/

Derek Pittak, a former Department of Defense leader turned staffing CEO, shares his transformative journey in recruiting. He discusses the introduction of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to over 40 firms, emphasizing that systems, not luck, are key to scaling. Derek reveals how EOS helps clarify roles, tackle personnel issues, and align company cultures. He stresses the importance of leaders focusing on their strengths while delegating tasks. Plus, he offers insights on using scorecards to diagnose business health.

Jessica Oliver, a former $900K-a-year IT recruiter, transitioned into solopreneurship and created an AI-driven GovCon SaaS product without any coding experience. She shares her journey from high performances in recruiting to embracing the tech world through vibe coding. Key topics include her innovative use of AI agents to scale outreach, the mindset shift necessary for tech founding, and the monumental opportunities in federal contracting. Jessica also emphasizes the importance of transparency in recruiting and maintaining balance between family and work.

Recruiting can feel like total chaos—constant fires, endless admin, and a million moving parts. But what if there were a simple system that top firms use to triple revenue, double profitability, and finally calm the madness? That’s what you’ll learn in this episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast with host Benjamin Mena and EOS Implementer & former Executive Recruiter Jackie Kibler. Jackie reveals how the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)—the framework behind Traction—can transform your desk or agency from reactive hustle to structured growth.  Jackie has implemented EOS across dozens of recruiting and service-based firms, helping owners regain control, align their teams, and scale faster. In this episode, she shares how EOS helps recruiters: Build a clear vision and roadmap for growth.Create processes that run the business, not chaos.Put the right people in the right seats.Use data and weekly scorecards to measure what matters.Run meetings that actually solve problems and move revenue forward. Her clients have seen triple revenue, better retention, and stronger culture by mastering these EOS tools.   If you’ve ever said: “We’re growing, but I feel like I’m losing control.” “Our success depends on me doing everything.” “We make money—but it’s messy.” Then this episode is your blueprint. You’ll walk away knowing exactly how to bring structure, focus, and freedom to your business—whether you’re a solo recruiter or running a $10 million agency.  Listen now to learn how to: Implement EOS to align your team and crush bottlenecks.Build 90-day “rocks” that drive consistent momentum.Run Level-10 meetings that eliminate wasted time.Always-Be-Recruiting—internally and externally.Use vision, data, and accountability to 10× performance. 🎧 Hit play, subscribe, and discover how elite recruiters scale smarter—without burning out. 🎯 2026 Sales and BD Recruiter Summit: https://bd-sales-recruiter-2026.heysummit.com/  🚀 Sponsorship: Atlas – AI-first ATS & CRM Atlas combines your ATS and CRM in one AI-powered platform. It automates tagging and admin, syncs resumes and emails, and uses AI to create polished profiles and reports—so you can focus on relationships, not data entry. Centralized outreach, reporting, and analytics keep you fast and efficient. 👉 Try it free or book a demo → https://recruitwithatlas.com  🧠 More Free Tools: Free Trial of PeopleGPT → https://juicebox.ai/?via=b6912d Free Trial of Talin AI → https://app.talin.ai/signup?via=recruiter Free Trial of Pin → https://www.pin.com/ 📩 Join The Elite Recruiter Podcast newsletter → https://eliterecruiterpodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe 🎥 YouTube: https://youtu.be/mtE4ebVnwWo 💼 Follow Jackie Kibler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackiekiblereos/ 🎙 Host: Benjamin Mena – Select Source Solutions 🔗 Benjamin Mena on LinkedIn 📸 Benjamin Mena on Instagram ✅ Listen, subscribe, and share this episode with a fellow recruiter who’s ready to grow from chaos to clarity.