Financially, Rich Rosen is having a strong year.
The surprising part is that he says he’s worked twice as hard for it.
Rich has completed more than 1,200 placements, been recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Top 50 Recruiters for seven consecutive years, and continues to bill over $1 million annually. Yet despite spending more time experimenting with AI and recruiting technology than almost anyone I know, he still spends four to six hours every day speaking with clients and candidates.
His view is simple: AI should make recruiters more productive. What matters is what you do with the time it gives back.
Rich uses AI to eliminate low-value work, accelerate research, and prepare more effectively. However, the goal isn’t to work less. The goal is to spend more time doing the activities that actually generate revenue.
In this conversation, Rich shares the tools he’s using, what’s actually helping him become more productive, and where he thinks recruiters should be focusing their time.
We also discuss the current market, why searches feel harder than they did a few years ago, and what Rich is doing differently to keep producing results.
If you’re looking for practical ways to use AI to become more productive without losing focus on the fundamentals of recruiting, you’ll get a lot from this episode.
Episode Outline and Highlights
[10:03] Why perseverance was the dominant theme at the latest Pinnacle Society conference
[11:46] Rich’s perspective on AI hype and what companies are actually doing with AI today
[17:57] Why recruiters often burn out from underappreciation rather than hard work
[21:29] How to identify the clients worth keeping and the ones worth walking away from
[23:45] The relationship intelligence tool Rich is using to stay top of mind with key contacts
[28:28] What AI does well, what it doesn’t, and where recruiters still need to exercise judgment
[32:44] The mistake recruiters make after saving time with AI
[35:18] Rich’s current recruiting tech stack and the tools generating the most value
[41:47] Practical examples of how Rich uses AI to prioritize candidates, searches, and outreach
[46:38] How AI has changed the workflow of a million-dollar recruiter
[54:17] Why Rich still spends four to six hours a day on the phone
[59:57] Is AI making recruiters more productive or simply creating new distractions?
Strong Year, Twice the Work: What the Market Is Actually Doing Right Now
One of the reasons I enjoy talking to Rich is that he doesn’t sugarcoat reality.
Financially, he’s having a strong year. However, he was quick to point out that the results haven’t come easily.
In his words, he’s working twice as hard for those results.
Clients are moving more cautiously. Hiring managers are becoming increasingly selective. Candidates are more reluctant to leave stable positions, particularly for startup opportunities. Searches that might have moved quickly a few years ago often require more persistence today.
That theme came up repeatedly during the recent Pinnacle Society conference in Miami.
Many of the recruiters attending are among the top performers in the industry. Yet there was a shared sense that the market continues to demand greater effort, patience, and resilience than it has in previous cycles.
The encouraging part is that difficult markets often create opportunities for recruiters who remain consistent.
As Rich pointed out, one good client can completely change your year.
The challenge is staying focused long enough to find them.
How to Use AI to Eliminate Low-Value Work
Rich has always been an early adopter of technology. In fact, he probably tests more recruiting tools than anyone I’ve met.
However, he also believes many recruiters are getting distracted by AI rather than becoming more productive because of it.
Use AI to handle research, preparation, organization, and administrative work. Use the time it saves to create more conversations. That’s his approach.
Rich uses AI to help identify candidates, prioritize searches, analyze companies, prepare outreach campaigns, summarize information, and surface opportunities he may otherwise miss.
He also shared several tools that are currently delivering value in his business, including Pin.com, Ren Systems, Cluely, Gemini Deep Research, and a growing number of AI-powered recruiting platforms.
Having said that, Rich was equally clear about what AI should not become — an excuse to avoid business development, a substitute for recruiter judgment, or a hobby that consumes the hours when you should be speaking to clients and candidates.
One of the most useful observations from the conversation was that many recruiters celebrate saving three hours a day through automation.
Rich’s question is simple:
What did you do with those three hours?
Many recruiters save time with AI. The ones who benefit most are the ones who reinvest those hours into business development, candidate conversations, and relationship building.
Why 4-6 Hours on the Phone Still Matters
Despite all the technology available today, Rich’s core activity hasn’t changed very much.
He still spends four to six hours every day speaking with people. That’s where the value is created, and no tool he’s found has changed that.
That’s why Rich plans his day before recruiting hours begin. When he sits down to work, he isn’t deciding what call list to build or which company to research. That’s already done. He’s just calling.
This approach keeps him focused on the activities that directly impact revenue.
Rich’s message isn’t that recruiters should spend less time using AI.
It’s that they should be intentional about how they use it.
If AI saves you three hours a day, use those three hours to build more relationships, have more conversations, and create more opportunities. That’s how technology becomes something that drives results rather than something that gets in the way of them.
