In 2008, America had a recession. It hit most people like a ton of bricks. Unemployment skyrocketed and people were begging to find jobs. It didn’t matter if you liked your job or not, you went to work and had a smile on your face. It is now 2013. The economy is booming in America, but struggling in other parts of the world.

Good recruiters have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. They know how to recruit in a recession, AND IN a booming economy. The Top Recruiters are in the people business. They help people find jobs when they need them most. They also help people find their dream jobs when they are doing something that they don’t enjoy. Do you love what you do for a living? Do you look forward to getting up and doing your job? I would venture to say that most people do not. Speaking from experience, life is too short to do something you hate.

Chris LaVoie understands recruiters. He understands the recession. He understands people. He knows that recruiters are a special breed and he has a burning desire to find the Top Recruiter. He has searched the globe for the best of the best. I had an opportunity to talk with him and asked him some questions. Here is what we talked about.

1) What 2 characteristics of recruiters do you see that make good recruiters exceptional?

Chris: First, I would say the human factor. A job is actually a very personal thing; it affects every single aspect of your life. A job affects interpersonal relationships, vacation time, and even what kind of food you eat. It makes a big difference when the person helping you land a position is somewhat of a friend and understands your life. The second thing would be the ability to adapt quickly to the changing technology AND ever changing economy. These two things alone can make a recruitment firm go from stale to thriving or vice versa.

2) What would be an ideal candidate for a Top Recruiter?

Chris: The single most important characteristic is knowledge base. For us, we want the show to be credible. We want to educate and only people with real expertise can really do that, right? Secondly, this is a show. Shows need to be entertaining to keep any attention by the viewer. So we look for bold personalities who don’t cringe at the sight of a camera. They simply need to be comfortable in front of the camera, not everyone can do that.

3) People recruit for different reasons. What is the primary driver for people to become a recruiter?

Chris: I find that the people in this industry (at least the ones who appear to be at their A game) are people who really want to have an impact on someone’s life. They want to make things better and as we know, a job can have a profound impact on someone’s life. Great recruiter’s never take this notion for granted. If they’re in it for money, it shows.

4) Recruitment has changed over the past 20 years. Do you feel that people place too much emphasis on social media/ new technology to recruit or not enough?

That depends. On the agency side, I feel that the majority are a bit behind in understanding how they can really leverage social media. On the other hand, if you think of talent acquisition, I feel that the majority are well versed in the usage of social media.

5) Why did you start Top Recruiter TV? What does the future hold? How has the reception been on Miami CBS? Do you look to televise nationally?

The idea of Top Recruiter was born in the dawn of the recession. We realized quickly, like many people did, that things were about to change & change quickly. We also realized that while many people were losing their jobs and homes, there were other opportunities as a direct result of this recession. We knew that many people simply did not have the inside knowledge that a recruiter have. We wanted to deliver this information in a way that was entertaining so that people would watch and learn and hopefully apply the information to their situation and thrive. There was so much doom and gloom hovering over us as a country that we really felt something should be done. I have always had a passion for film, so I just took my two passions and married them. As far as the future, we are currently wrapping up in post-production for season 2 and we will start up the planning stage for Top Recruiter 3. We love what this has become and can’t wait to go on the ride again!

Here’s a direct link to the CBS review, we are super excited about it.  You can read it here.

You already can watch the show anywhere in the world via smart TV’s, tablets or smart phones; anywhere there is internet connection. There is a movement in the entertainment industry and people are moving towards the “on demand” direction. We are moving at a much faster pace than our TV crazed parent’s generation. We want specific information wherever we are and we want it now….Even Jerry Sienfield has a web series! We live in exciting times, things are changing, and we like to be on the innovative side of change.

6) What have you learned from working with the best of the best? How has it helped you personally?

I learned so much from each one of the recruiter’s who’ve come on board but so much from the sponsors too. It’s been so amazing. Each person that has been involved in Top recruiter has become a close personal friend of mine and my family. What better gift is there?

7) The economy is different in different parts of the world. For example, New Zealand and Australia is really struggling. Some markets are hotter than others. Do you believe a Top Recruiter could recruit anywhere in any market? From what you have seen, how are they able to recruit differently and be successful?

Funny you mention Australia, we have had multiple conversations with recruiters there and they really want us to film in Australia to tackle the job market there. We are seriously considering doing it. In regards to being a Top Recruiter, yes, I believe that a great recruiter can be successful in any country under any kind of economy. It boils down to adaptability anyway, right? We saw that starting in 2008 in our own country – that doesn’t change.

@willrecruits