Ever wondered why traditional recruiters seem more interested in their commission than in finding you the right person? Ryan Hogan did too—and it bugged him enough to build an entirely different model.
In this conversation with Cam and Otis, the Navy Reservist and serial entrepreneur shares how scaling Hunt A Killer to a $205M phenomenon exposed him to the broken incentives plaguing the recruiting industry. “I’m an anti-recruiter recruiter all day long,” Ryan admits with a laugh, explaining why the commission-based headhunter approach just doesn’t work for growing businesses.
From the controversial reality that “your next best hire is probably already employed” to the magic of turning recruiting into a true sales and marketing process, Ryan breaks down why finding great talent is actually a lot like hunting. He shares the exact process his team uses to create marketing materials for jobs that actually attract the right people—not just the available ones.
Whether you’re struggling to find talent for your growing business or just curious about a better approach to building teams, Ryan’s flat-fee, embedded recruiting model offers a refreshing alternative to the status quo. Plus, he explains why understanding a candidate’s drivers is the key to convincing them to even consider your opportunity.
More About Ryan:
Ryan Hogan is a Navy Reservist, serial entrepreneur, and the co-founder and CEO of Talent Harbor, a recruiting-as-a-service company helping growth businesses find world-class talent—without the broken incentives of traditional headhunters. After scaling Hunt A Killer from an idea to a $205M global phenomenon, Ryan experienced firsthand how ridiculous the recruiting industry was. That challenge became his next mission. With a deep belief that recruiting needs to be a core competency for all businesses—not an afterthought – Ryan built Talent Harbor to serve growing B2B businesses, especially those running on EOS. His team replaces antiquated commission-driven models with a flat-fee, embedded recruiting service focused on fit, process, and long-term results. Ryan is on a mission to change how business leaders think about hiring—and to challenge the outdated models that no longer
serve today’s workforce or workplace.
#10xYourTeam #RyanHogan #TalentHarbor #RecruitingReimagined #AntiRecruiter #FlatFeeRecruiting #HiringForFit #EOSBusiness #GrowthFocusedHiring #SmartTeamsGrow #EmbeddedRecruiting #BuildBetterTeams
Chapter Times and Titles:
The Anti-Recruiter Recruiter [00:00 – 05:00]
Introduction to Ryan Hogan
“I just poo poo all over recruiters.”
The pain point that led to Talent Harbor
From Hunt A Killer to Talent Hunter [05:01 – 12:00]
Ryan’s journey with Hunt A Killer
The transition to solving recruiting problems
Why traditional recruiting models are broken
“Your Next Best Hire Is Already Employed” [12:01 – 20:00]
The controversial LinkedIn post
Why are employed people make better candidates
The challenge of finding people who aren’t looking
Recruiting Is Hunting (Then Sales) [20:01 – 30:00]
“Expert recruiting is hunting.”
The 90-minute kickoff process
Creating marketing materials for jobs
The Moral Question of Poaching [30:01 – 45:00]
Is it wrong to recruit from other companies?
Understanding candidates’ drivers
Building a process that respects everyone involved
The Flat-Fee Revolution [45:01 – 55:00]
Why commission models create bad incentives
How Talent Harbor’s approach differs
Results from the embedded recruiting model
Connect with Ryan [55:01 – End]
“It’s talentHarbor.com/Ryan”
Final thoughts and takeaways
Standard outro with Camden
Ryan Hogan
https://www.linkedin.com/company/talentharbor/
https://talentharbor.com/
