From Job Postings to Proactive Recruiting: How to Find the Best Candidates with Darrin Carr

February 07, 2025•4 min read

From Job Postings to Proactive Recruiting:
How to Find the Best Candidates with Darrin Carr

In this episode of the REI Hacker Podcast, host Benson Juarez interviews Darrin Carr, CEO of Carr Talent Acquisition, to discuss how modern businesses can adapt their recruiting strategies to find and retain top talent in today’s competitive labor market. With actionable insights into hiring, company culture, and employee motivation, Darrin shares how businesses can build winning teams by shifting from passive job postings to proactive recruitment.

The Current State of the Employment Market

The labor market remains resilient despite broader economic uncertainty. As Darrin points out:

“The labor market is strong and has been strong and keeps getting stronger and stronger... 60% of small businesses can’t find the people they want for their jobs.”

Key trends shaping the market include:

Over 300,000 jobs added in March, exceeding expectations.
Unemployment holding steady at 3.8%, with rising wages.
Small businesses, especially those with fewer than 250 employees, account for 80% of the 10 million open jobs but often struggle to compete for top candidates.

The challenge is clear: businesses need innovative strategies to stand out and secure the talent they need.

Rethinking Recruitment: The Sales Approach

Traditional job postings and waiting for candidates to apply no longer suffice in today’s labor market. Instead, Darrin emphasizes the importance of treating recruiting like sales:

Identify Talent: Actively seek out A-players. As Darrin notes: “A players usually have jobs, and they need to be found, compelled, and poached.”
Build Relationships: Establish personalized connections with potential candidates.
Make the Pitch: Highlight what makes your company unique.

The process is about more than just offering a paycheck. “Money isn’t the most important factor anymore… People are more driven by employability, personal growth, and meaningful work.”

Post-Pandemic Shifts in Workplace Priorities

The pandemic has reshaped employee expectations, requiring companies to adapt their approach to attract top talent. Key priorities now include:

Flexibility: Remote and hybrid work are no longer perks—they’re expectations.
Career Growth: Employees seek opportunities for development and upward mobility.
Purpose: Workers value jobs that offer meaningful connections and align with their values.
Wellness: Mental and physical health in the workplace has become a priority.

Companies that fail to address these shifts risk losing out on top talent. As Darrin highlights, “Lack of career development (41%), inadequate compensation (36%), uninspiring leadership (34%), [and] lack of meaningful work (31%)” are the top reasons people leave jobs.

Best Practices for Interviewing and Hiring

Darrin stresses the importance of a thoughtful and well-structured hiring process.

Focus on the Future: When interviewing, avoid getting stuck in the past. “Don’t hyper-focus on the past. Ask questions about how they would handle situations in the future.”
Job Shadowing: Allow candidates to experience the role firsthand. “Job shadowing is the gold standard. It provides real-time feedback and gives candidates a true view of the job.”
Social Settings: Use informal environments to assess cultural fit and personality.
Data and Intuition: Combine objective assessments with gut instincts for better decision-making.

A structured, multi-step process not only ensures you hire the right talent but also demonstrates your company’s commitment to making the role a mutually beneficial fit.

Building a Winning Company Culture

Culture is one of the most important differentiators for attracting and retaining employees. Darrin advises: “Crystallize your company culture. Have a sentence or two which describes it.”

A strong culture connects employees to the company’s mission while aligning their personal goals with organizational objectives. “Inspirational leadership means connecting an individual’s personal goals to the company’s goals.”

1099 vs. W2: The Modern Workforce

The workforce itself is evolving. Darrin notes the increasing acceptance of freelance and contract work: “1099 is becoming more and more accepted as a permanent work solution.”

This shift allows businesses to tap into specialized skills without committing to full-time employment, providing flexibility for both companies and workers.

The Importance of Proactive Recruiting

Darrin highlights the need for businesses to get specific and intentional in their hiring strategies:

Focus on sourcing candidates who excel in their fields.
Understand the motivations of top talent. “57% of salespeople are looking for work right now, even though most of them rate themselves as satisfied or highly satisfied.”
Leverage your A-players: “A players hire A players. End of story.”

Recruiting isn’t just about filling open positions—it’s about building a team that will propel the business forward. As Darrin puts it, “Good recruiting is good sales for the right people at the right points in the process.”

Final Thoughts

In a competitive labor market, recruiting top talent requires a proactive and strategic approach. By treating recruiting as a sales process, focusing on culture, and understanding evolving employee priorities, businesses can position themselves as employers of choice.

To learn more about Darrin Carr’s insights and strategies, listen to the full episode of the REI Hacker Podcast. Whether you’re scaling your team or refining your approach, his expertise offers invaluable guidance for finding and keeping the best candidates.