Chris Relth's Linkedin Analytics

This company tried to hire the cheapest options  After 12 months, 50% of their hires have left Here’s why if you hire cheap, you hire twice… Last month, I consulted with a prospective client who was questioning their recruitment fees. They’d been following a simple strategy: Hire outside the industry where talent was "cheaper”. But the results were catastrophic. After just 12 months: > 50% of new hires had already left. > Hundreds of thousands were wasted on salaries with minimal return. > Leadership teams were burning months training people who wouldn't stay. In contrast, the competitors we partner with have invested in hiring experienced talent directly from within the industry, even from their own competitors. The contrast was HUGE. They were thriving with stable teams and consistent growth. The A players they hired from competitors helped attract other top talent Here's the truth about "saving money" on talent… When you refuse to pay for experience, you end up paying far more in turnover, training costs, and lost opportunities. The most expensive hire isn't the candidate with the highest salary. It's the one who leaves after six months. The cost of the wrong hire will always dwarf the investment in the right one.

This Salesperson obsessed over base salary. But completely ignored the commission structure. (It's how I knew he wasn't a top performer.) I recently interviewed a candidate for an enterprise sales role with one of my clients. On paper, he looked impressive - eight years of experience, impressive logos, and decent numbers. But something felt off. When we discussed compensation, he fixated entirely on the base salary. > "What's the base salary range?" > "Is there room to negotiate on the base?" > "How does the base compare to the market?" Not once did he ask about the commission structure, quotas and the ability to hit them, or the accelerators. Which immediately raised a red flag in my mind. Top performers know that while base salary provides security, the real money comes from commission. And they're confident in their ability to exceed targets and unlock those higher tiers of compensation. When I finally asked him about his commission expectations, his answer was revealing. He hadn't even considered how the company's commission plan might impact his long-term earnings. (I explained that if he produced at the same level, my client’s commission structure would net him an additional $50,000 annually. Over five years, that's $250,000 left on the table by focusing solely on a $10,000 base salary difference.) The best salespeople always drill into the commission structure and ask questions about quota attainment levels, acceleration points, payment schedules, and cap policies. Because they know that's where the real earning potential lies. So when a candidate obsesses over base salary instead of commission structure… It tells me everything I need to know about their confidence in their abilities.

While everyone else is automating outreach.  Our tech division leader is scheduling coffee, lunch, and dinner meetings. Now, he’s one of our Top Billers… In recruitment today, volume and automation dominate. Most recruiters hide behind LinkedIn messages and cold emails, hoping to connect with decision-makers through sheer numbers and clever copy. But our tech division leader takes a completely different approach. He genuinely enjoys building connections, creating win/win relationships, learning from others, and helping people. He meets very high-level CIOs in person—not to pitch services, but to build genuine relationships. His approach is refreshingly human: He shares his life story, including peaks and valleys. He listens more than he speaks. He focuses on building trust before business. "By the end of our conversation," he told me, "they've usually opened up about their own journey. We've built something real." This isn't just a feel-good story about connection. It's paying serious dividends. When these CIOs eventually need talent, guess who gets the first call? Not the recruiter who sent them 15 automated messages, but the person they've broken bread with and come to trust. The industry has gotten so transactional that authentic relationship-building has become a strategic advantage. Your biggest competitive edge might not be your tech stack or your candidate database. It might be your willingness to step away from the screen and connect face-to-face with the humans on the other side.

I've interviewed over 1,000 candidates in my career. And there's one common trait among consistent top billing recruiters. They all specialize in ONE NICHE… After 20+ years in recruitment, the pattern is undeniable. The recruiters consistently billing $400K+ don’t cover multiple industries or recruit for every kind of role. They're specialists who've gone deep in a single niche. Here’s why… When you specialize, three things happen: 1️⃣ Your market knowledge becomes unmatched. You know every competitor, compensation range, and career path. 2️⃣ Your pull-through rates skyrocket. Instead of needing 10 candidates to make a placement, you might only need 3-4. 3️⃣ You stop competing on price. Clients come to you because you're THE expert, not just another recruiter. I've seen this firsthand. Generalist recruiters in our industry often struggle, while specialists build reputations where clients call THEM first. So, if you're a recruiter trying to build a sustainable, high-income career, pick a lane. Find an industry you're passionate about, double down, and become the go-to expert. The riches are in the niches - always have been, always will be.

2 interviews for Go-to market specialists Is NOT ENOUGH to secure A players Here’s what to do instead… I recently worked with a client who'd secured fresh funding. Their priority was building a go-to-market team as fast as possible. "We'll do two interviews, then make a decision." They insisted. But I pushed back because I’d seen this movie before. (And it rarely has a happy ending.) The truth is that two conversations simply aren't enough to predict success. Sales and marketing roles, in particular, need a unique blend of strategic thinking, communication skills, and execution ability. None of these fully emerge in standard interviews. Instead, I recommended adding at least one more step: a presentation exercise. > It showed how candidates think when given limited direction. > It revealed their preparation style and attention to detail. > And it demonstrated communication under pressure. The trick was to make the assignment intentionally vague. Because the best go-to-market professionals will: > Ask clarifying questions. > Take control of the ambiguity. > Deliver something impressive despite limited direction. Which is precisely what they'll need to do with challenging clients. The client reluctantly agreed, and one month later, they called to thank me. The exercise eliminated two candidates who had interviewed brilliantly but delivered underwhelming presentations. And the person they hired has already exceeded her first quarter targets. Remember, even though I make more money from faster placements… I'd rather see you hire the right person than make a quick mistake.

Artemis 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗼𝗿'𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺. 𝗜𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 Taylor Wildman 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆. At Artemis, we've revolutionized how full desk recruiters operate by eliminating the mundane activities that often bog them down. Our innovative support system allows recruiters to spend their time on high-leveraged activities and, most importantly, building, and nurturing relationships. Our internal research team is here to make your life easier by taking care of candidate sourcing, gathering contact information, and handling data entry. This means you can get half your day back to focus on executing searches effectively. Additionally, our dedicated marketing team will create and run your campaigns, ensuring you have everything you need to succeed. If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, or if you know someone who might be interested, please don't hesitate to reach out to Taylor.

I am very proud to be part of the team here Artemis and what we are building. https://lnkd.in/gZng2bHG

Our healthcare division at Artemis is growing. If any healthcare recruiters are interested, please message Caitlin Bisaccio!

Great work in support of Miracles for Kids!

I was a Top Biller for 5 years straight  My secret? Time-blocking with 4 quadrants. I had a system… and we still use it today Ten years ago, I was a completely different recruiter. While most of my colleagues were jumping from email to call to LinkedIn without any structure… I had a system. Every day, I blocked my time into four distinct quadrants: > Candidate activities - sourcing, interviewing, and follow-ups. > Client activities - business development, client calls, and pitches. > Admin work - processing paperwork, writing up notes, updating systems. > Operational work - planning, strategizing, and reviewing metrics. The key is strategically planning the day before how much time each quadrant will need Instead of making a phone call, checking email, answering a text message, then making another call... I would batch similar activities together and get into a rhythm. When I was calling candidates, I was JUST calling candidates. No distractions, no context switching, just pure focus. And this helped me build momentum that dramatically increased my productivity. We use the exact same system in my business today! Remember - top performers don't just work harder. They work smarter by optimizing their time and attention.

This VP of Sales turned down a dream job. Because of the job title on LinkedIn. Here's why titles are ruining careers… Last month, I met a VP of Sales who was interviewing for an incredible opportunity. The package was competitive, the culture was excellent, and the growth trajectory was more promising than their current company. But he turned it down for one reason: the job title. In his mind, going from "Vice President of Sales" to "Director of Revenue" was a step backward. Yet the new role offered: > A larger team to manage. > A bigger territory with premium accounts. > Higher overall compensation and better benefits. Unfortunately, he made his decision entirely because of LinkedIn optics. He couldn't bear the thought of his colleagues seeing him take a "lower" position. (Even though the responsibilities and compensation were substantially better.) And this happens far more often than you'd think. Candidates fixate on titles rather than the actual responsibilities, growth potential, and compensation. Some of the best career moves I've witnessed were a perceived "lateral" or even "downward" title change that ultimately led to greater success. So, if you ever find yourself in a similar position, remember that your LinkedIn title doesn't define your career trajectory. The work you do, the impact you make, and the skills you develop, do. Don't let ego get in the way of opportunity.

In most recruitment agencies, there's an unspoken hierarchy: Sales is king. Delivery is necessary (but not glamorous). This mindset is killing companies At most firms, recruiters start in delivery. If they're good, they "graduate" to sales, and the recruiter becomes a second-class citizen. But this creates a dangerous disconnect. Who cares if you sell if you can't deliver? I've built my business on a different philosophy: our delivery function is just as important as sales (if not more).   Because delivering exceptional candidates to clients is your most powerful selling tool. When a client receives a perfectly matched candidate who thrives, they remember that experience. Five years later, when that client moves to a new company, guess who gets the first call? The recruiter who changed their business with an outstanding placement. Great delivery builds evangelists who tell your story for you, which creates a compound effect over time. While others focus on short-term sales, the firms that elevate delivery build relationships that last decades. When you deliver well, clients can't help but come back for more. So sometimes, the best sales strategy isn't about sales at all 🙂

I would call the same 10 prospects 10 times.  My competitors thought I was crazy.  (Until they saw my billing numbers)... Everyone thinks volume is king in recruitment. But I learned something different when I hit my first $2M billing year. While others send 500 messages hoping for a 2% response rate… I took a radically different approach. I would focus intensely on just 10 top-tier prospects. And not just once or twice. I’d connect 6, 7, sometimes 10 different times. The results aren't even comparable. For clients, this deep-dive approach means I truly understand their needs, not just their job descriptions. And for candidates, persistent follow-up shows I'm genuinely invested in their career journey, not just filling my quota. The math is simple - reaching out to 10 prospects ten times takes the same effort as contacting 100 prospects once. But the relationship quality? The conversion rate? The reputation I've built? Completely different game. This approach isn't just more effective, it's more fulfilling. I'm no longer another recruiter playing the spam game.   Because depth beats breadth every single time.