Benjamin Mena

Need to hire? We can help! - Headhunter - Managing Partner

🎯 Having a tough time hiring for your Government Contracting Executive Team or GovCon AI teams?  There are way more openings than there are people to fill.  The top level talent your team needs are not even looking at your jobs ads. ** CLICK BELOW TO SEE MORE **

We understand how competitive the market is for top talent and how your career as a leader is impacted by the ability to attract and retain top talent.  

My name is Benjamin Mena, and for 15 years, I've built Data Science and Cyber Security teams for global Top Secret National Security programs.

Finding and attracting top-level people for our commercial sector is mission-critical. I know how right hire at the right time is vital for your team's growth and success.

SERVICES FOR CLIENTS AND CANIDATES 
💥 Executive Retained Search (C-Level, VP, Director)
💥 Direct Hire Search
💥 Employer/Candidate Value Proposition Development

Myself and my team are ready to help you 

🎯 To book a no-obligation, 15-minute Client Strategy or Candidate Career Call: https://calendly.com/benjaminmena
🎯 Email: Benjamin@selectsourcesolutions.com 
🎯 Phone: 703-297-8574

The Elite Recruiter Podcast Host

The Elite Recruiter Podcast is the number one podcast for recruiting professionals.

This is where the top recruiters share: How they got there. What kind of work did it take. Tips, Tools, and Tricks. The Mindset needed to get them to where they are. What they are doing with their success. Goals and visions for the future. So please join me on this journey as I interview some of the best in our industry

https://pod.co/the-elite-recruiter-podcast

Been in this game for 2 decades... 

Alot has changed...  But at the same time, the fundamentals have not.

Feel free to follow Benjamin Mena

I wonder how many recruiting companies have been started because of a bad manager.

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20 years ago.  I got hired as a recruiter...  What a WILD ride its been.  

Here was the comp plan!   What was yours when first started?

I had to join the trend…

Go to ChatGPT and use this prompt:

"Create a caricature of me and my job based on everything you know about me."

(I added my LinkedIn profile url for reference).

Totally copied Stephanie Holman, M.Ed 🦄on this trend! 

Add yours in the comments.

Most recruiting firms never break $10M.

Not because of the market.
Not because of candidates.
Not because of AI.

But because the leader becomes the bottleneck.

I’ve spent the last few years interviewing top billers, firm owners, and operators who’ve actually scaled past $10M.

And there’s a pattern no one wants to talk about:
• The firm relies on 1–2 rainmakers
• Sales “training” doesn’t change behavior
  Everything runs through the owner
• Growth feels chaotic instead of repeatable

In my latest podcast episode, we break down the 4-part framework elite recruiting firms use to scale without burning out or blowing up culture:

→ Strategy
→ Structure
→ Staff
→ Skills

This isn’t theory.
It’s what firms crossing $10M and $25M are actually doing differently.

If your firm feels stuck at $5–10M…
or you’re tired of being the hub for every decision…
This episode will hit uncomfortably close to home.

🎧 Listen here: [link in comments]
Honest question:

What do you think is the real reason most recruiting firms stall?

Thank you to Atlas - the Recruitment Platform for helping this episode with Shad Tidler come together! 

Also 30 Day BD Challenge kicks off Feb 9th... Hit me up for more details.

AI is quietly turning honest job seekers into liars.

Use AI in your job search.

But be very careful with tools that auto‑create a new resume and auto‑apply for you.

Last week, I had multiple conversations in a row with candidates who had no idea what certifications were listed on their own resumes.

The AI had invented credentials and experience that didn’t match their background at all, and they only found out when I asked them about it.

I’m not auto-rejecting people for using AI.  

I encourage it! 

But I do understand why some companies are starting to use tools to filter out obviously AI‑generated, auto‑applied resumes so they can focus on real applications. 

If you’re using AI:
 - Read every line before you send it
 - Delete anything you can’t explain in an interview
 - Make sure your resume still sounds like you

Have you already caught AI adding skills or certifications you don’t actually have to your resume?

Thanks for sharing this Shanique J. and Kevin Appiah for sharing this with me.

Co-Founder of Zamari AI | UGC Creator | Career & Hiring Insight Writer | Mental Wellness Advocate | Future of Work Voice

This is the state of hiring in 2026.

I just came across a job posting where, buried at the very bottom, the employer added a line instructing applicants to include specific random words (like “parrot handling” and “hippopotamus”) in their application.

Why?
To catch anyone using AI tools and automatically filter them out.

And honestly… that says everything.

Hiring has turned into a quiet arms race.
On one side, candidates using AI to get through hundreds of applications.
On the other, companies using AI to detect, flag, and discard them.

It’s no longer just about qualifications or experience.
It’s about whose AI is better at navigating the system.

The result?
Talented people getting lost in the noise, and a hiring process that feels more like a game of cat and mouse than an actual search for the right person.

I think one of the biggest debates EVERY recruiter has at least once in thier life.


For many recruiters.   

The debate happens many times across the career for some.  

Can’t I just do this on my own?
Should I quit and go solo?

It’s a philosophical question.
An economic question.
A self identity question. 

The question.  

Could I actually do it.   
Could I do it on my own?

But here is the thing. 

It’s NOT right for everyone. 

And not everyone should jump out on thier own. 

I know tons of recruiters that actually bill more and take home more money because they are working at a firm.  

But then there are others. 

Going solo is best for them. 

Have you ever had this debate?

Thanks to Atlas - the Recruitment Platform I went back and for with Mike Anderson.

If you want to check it out our deep conversation.  

Go it below and let me know your thoughts.

Get ready.... Mike Anderson is dropping tomorrow.

Round 2 with him.

He walked away from millions in billings.

On purpose.

Just a decision.

Mike Anderson was billing at a high level inside a big agency.

President’s Club.
Big accounts.
Brand name behind him.

And still…

He couldn’t shake the question:

“Could I do this on my own?”

Not for ego.

Not for Instagram.

But for control.
For time.
For identity.

Here’s the part most recruiters don’t talk about:

Going lone wolf isn’t about making more money.

It’s about finding out if your success is actually yours.

Or if it’s propped up by:
• The agency logo
• The delivery team
• The inbound leads
• The corporate infrastructure

That’s the uncomfortable question.

Because if you pull that away…

What’s left?

In this episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast, we break down:
– The lie recruiters tell themselves before going solo
– How to know if your desk would survive without the agency
– The financial runway you actually need
– Why most people burn the ships too fast
– And when staying at your firm is actually the smarter move

This isn’t a hype episode.

It’s a reality check.

If you’ve ever quietly thought,
“I could build this myself…”

You need to listen to this one.
Part 1:
Burn the Ships: When Recruiters Should Go Lone Wolf (And When They Shouldn’t) 

Part 2 is dropping tomorrow.

Link in comments and thanks to Atlas - the Recruitment Platform for helping this episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast come together. 

And I’m genuinely curious…

Have you ever thought about going solo?

Who are all the best recruiters that help hire the best recruiters?

Your brain is being A/B tested every time you open LinkedIn/IG/TikTok/FB.

And if you’re not intentional, the algorithm is running your career more than you are.

We like to think we choose what we see.

But the reality: algorithms are quietly choosing what we read, who we follow, and what we believe about our industry, our company, and even ourselves.

They don’t optimize for truth or growth.

They optimize for “what keeps you scrolling” even if that’s outrage, doomscrolling, or low-value content that never makes you better at your career.

Here’s the good news:
We’ve never had more high-quality content available for free, world-class operators on podcasts, deep-dive YouTube breakdowns, newsletters from serious professionals and journalists, and LLMs that can act like a personal tutor for almost any skill.

Same algorithms. Same platforms.
Two totally different outcomes:

- Passive addiction → manipulated mush.
- Intentional curation → a “bionic” brain and unfair advantage at work.

If you’re serious about your career in 2026, treat your feed like your diet:
- Unfollow accounts that make you angry but not smarter.
- Follow people and outlets that challenge how you think, not just how you feel.
- Pick one “anchor” news source you actually trust and read it deeply.
- Use AI tools as a thinking partner, not a replacement for thinking.

Most people will keep letting algorithms decide what goes into their head.

The outliers will build a cleaner “information stack” and quietly lap everyone else over the next few years.

Some people are much more bold in sending cold emails than I think I will ever be.

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Its the LAST DAY - The Bonus Day of the Sales and BD Summit!!!

Kicking off with Laurie Guillodo with a predictable Client Acuisition System 

Fan favorite Julian D'Angelo is back! 

Steve Gipson and Emily Blattel with the subtle shifts that can change results

Rebekah Brown Sharing the playbook for top recruiters

CJ Tufano with live BD walkthroughs 

and Tom Rauch showing you how to build your own AI tools that actually close deals.

Dont miss out on this last day!

On paper,
most recruiters sound exactly the same.

• Same resumes
• Same client pitches
• Same “relationship-driven” language

Different logos.
Same message.

And AI is about to expose that.

That hit me hard during this conversation.

Because most recruiters aren’t bad at what they do.
They’re just invisible.

Not because they don’t care.
Not because they don’t work hard.

But because the way they describe their value
sounds exactly like everyone else.

And AI doesn’t care who said it first.

In this episode sponsored by Atlas - the Recruitment Platform, Jacob Stripling helped me put words to something I’ve felt for a while:

Speed used to be the advantage.
Now it’s the baseline.

Anyone can move fast.
Anyone can source.
Anyone can automate.

The only real advantage left is depth.

We talked about a simple framework that explains why:

Some recruiters talk about relationships.
Others prove them.

Some say culture matters.
Others make decisions that cost them something.

When you move past what you say…
past what you claim to value…

and into what you’re willing to sacrifice —

That’s where differentiation actually lives.

That’s the tier AI can’t touch.

This episode isn’t about tools.

It’s about why transactional recruiting is breaking — and what replaces it.
🎧 How Elite Recruiters Win in the Age of AI (The 4-Tier Differentiation Framework)

If you’ve ever felt like:

“I’m doing the right things… but still blending in”

This conversation will hit home.

Curious — what do you think actually separates great recruiters right now?

Also don't forget to sign up for the 30 Day BD Challenge in The Elite Recruiter Community.  Kicks off Feb 9th.

Mike Anderson shares a bold, human-first LinkedIn strategy, using voice notes to cut through AI, spam, and cold outreach to win new clients.

Tune in to the latest episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast, sponsored by Atlas - the Recruitment Platform!
Now streaming on all podcast platforms! Links are in the comments!

There are recruiter trainers.
And then there’s the Godfather.

Before LinkedIn.
Before AI sourcing tools.
Before “growth hacks.”

There was Steve Finkel

The man who trained the trainers.
The frameworks behind thousands of top billers.
The closing psychology most recruiters think they know… but don’t.

For decades, his systems have quietly powered search firms doing millions in revenue.

And now…

Both full YouTube episodes are live.

Part 1: Why most recruiters lose offers (and don’t even realize it).
Part 2: The advanced closing frameworks from his latest book Closing For Recruiters.

If you’ve ever:
• Lost a deal at the finish line
• Stalled at a 70–75% acceptance rate
• Felt like you’re “doing everything right” but something is missing

This is the missing piece.

AI can source.
Internal teams can screen.

But closing?

That’s still the moat.

And Steve breaks down:
 – The College Professor Close
 – Fear-of-Change psychology
 – How elite recruiters add 30–50% more billing
 – Why most recruiters train on the wrong parts of the job

I’ve interviewed a lot of heavy hitters on The Elite Recruiter Podcast.
This one is foundational.

If you’re serious about becoming a rainmaker instead of a resume pusher…

The episodes are finally live on YouTube.

Drop “CLOSE” below and I’ll send you the link.
(Or you can find the links below)

Let’s make this your biggest billing year yet.

Thank you Atlas - the Recruitment Platform and Recruiters Websites for helping make this episode possible.

Claude Code or Loveable will be to replace all your SaaS tools… says every single post right now. 

Anyone else go down the rabbit hole?

Not going lie.  

This stuff is insane.   

But it’s good for simple stuff at the moment.  

You’ll spend more time and money (time is money) fighting it right now than buying a SaaS product.

It’s still fun though. 

Back to my late nights telling Claude it’s broke and I don’t have a clue how to fix it.

AI agents have now built a platform to hire humans in the real world to do the things the AI agents can't do...  

This Claudbot/Moltbot/ Whateverbot story just keeps getting crazier... 

The AI Agents have created an actual recruiting company...

We start at 3pm ET today.

The 30-Day BD Challenge inside the Elite Recruiter Community is officially kicking off — and if you’ve been meaning to level up your business development, this is your moment.

👉 2 tracks (build or scale)
👉 Daily structure and weekly check-ins
👉 A private community that keeps you moving
👉Focused on the habits of the work that you need to win

If you’ve been letting BD slide...

Or if the summit got your wheels turning and you’re ready to execute...
This is for you.

It’s free for community members.

You can cancel anytime, just DM me in the group.

We go live at 3pm ET.

Let’s get to work. 👊

[Link to join the Elite Recruiter Community below]

Jacob Stripling explains that the real value of great recruiters lies in genuine care, helping candidates recognize the “gold mine” of value they already have but can’t yet see.

Tune in to the latest episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast, sponsored by Atlas - the Recruitment Platform!
Now streaming on all podcast platforms! Links are in the comments!

I’m a business and industry leader with 15+ years of experience building high-trust relationships, developing talent communities, and helping organizations grow through smarter strategy, stronger execution, and scalable systems.

In my current role at Crelate, I work at the intersection of industry relations, partnerships, and go-to-market execution—connecting organizations, ideas, and technology to drive measurable outcomes through events, co-marketing, education, and community-led initiatives.

I’m also the host of The Full Desk Experience podcast, where I spotlight real operators and real strategies across staffing, recruiting, executive search, and adjacent ecosystems. Through the podcast and live/virtual programming, I create spaces where leaders can learn, connect, and apply what works—quickly and pragmatically.

Throughout my career, I’ve coached and advised professionals at every level—from front-line producers to founders and executives—helping them remove growth friction by aligning people, process, and performance.

My work has been featured with organizations such as the American Staffing Association (ASA) and Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA), and I regularly speak at national and regional events on leadership, growth, systems, and execution.

If you’re looking for a strategic collaborator, speaker, or thought partner—and you care about building what actually works—I’d love to connect.

🎙️ Exploring how leaders scale without losing the human side
💼 Building teams, systems, and execution that actually stick
🎤 Speaker & panelist on leadership, growth, and industry evolution
👩‍💼 Advocate for women building influence and opportunity
❌ Curious what leaders get wrong—and how to fix it faster?

🌟 Kortney Harmon
📩 KHarmon@Crelate.com | or send me a DM 👇

Kortney Harmon

Quick morning selfie before I left to head to the airport. ✈️

The hardest part about traveling for work?

It’s not the early flights.
It’s not the long days.
It’s not the packed agendas.

It’s being away from these two for a few days. ❤️

I’m incredibly grateful for a career that challenges me, stretches me, and yes — helps pay the bills. But no title, no event, no deal, no podcast episode will ever outrank my most important role: Mom.

There’s always a little tension in building a big career while raising great humans. And if you’re honest about it, that tension never fully goes away.

But here’s what I’ve learned:

Showing our kids what it looks like to build, lead, contribute, and still come home with a full heart — that matters too.

So I’ll pack the bags.
I’ll chase the goals.
And I’ll FaceTime from hotel rooms.

Because I’m building a career I’m proud of…
and raising kids I’m even more proud of.

To all the working parents juggling both — I see you. 💛

The recruiting playbook has changed.
And pretending it hasn’t is costing firms growth.
We’re bringing together some of the smartest voices in staffing for our first FDE+ Virtual Event of the year.

Featuring:
 Benjamin Mena
 Brad Bialy
 Tricia Tamkin & Jason Bote Thibeault
Rob Reznick
Shad Tidler
Denise Chaffin
Anna Frazzetto
Clark Willcox
Kim Henderson, MBA, PMP, Six Sigma
Maya Huber, PhD
Donnie Gupton 🦅
AND SO MUCH MORE! 

This is about:
 Relationships in an AI-shaped market.
 Intentional sales effort.
 Operational clarity.
 Human trust at scale.

If 2026 is the year you get sharper — not louder — you’ll want in.

Go to the comments to get Registration Link 👇

Partnerships matter more than ever in staffing and recruiting.
But not all partnerships are created equal.

Staffing firms don’t need more point solutions.
They need better outcomes.

Better candidate experiences.
Better recruiter workflows.
Better alignment between tech and process.
Better results for clients.

In a market where AI, automation, and tools are evolving daily, the real advantage isn’t adding more vendors.

It’s building an ecosystem that actually works together.

The firms I see winning right now are asking different questions:

- Does this partner integrate into daily workflow?
- Does it solve a real operational challenge?
- Does it improve the experience for recruiters and candidates?

Is there alignment beyond just a contract?

The future of staffing isn’t about stacking tech.

It’s about strategic alignment.

Curious — how are you evaluating partnerships in 2026?
#Staffing #Recruiting #StaffingTechnology #Partnerships #EcosystemStrategy

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