Within the eighth episode of the People of Recruiterflow sequence, meet Kevin Loomis, President of Xyon International and Director of Recruiting at Blue Fort Company.
With 25 years of expertise, Kevin’s technique facilities round “Main related discovery by researching, facilitating, and persuading with real belief.”
Although his recruitment journey was removed from linear, it’s that of function and impression.
Entry, Breakthrough, & Outcomes
Generally, one of the best profession recommendation comes once we’re least prepared to listen to it. For Kevin Loomis, it was throughout his faculty years {that a} professor instructed him he’d make a superb headhunter, due to his innate curiosity and knack for connecting with individuals.
Kevin brushed it off on the time—he had his sights set on Wall Road.
For almost a decade, he pursued that dream, working as a stockbroker in some of the cutthroat environments conceivable. The quick tempo and excessive stakes had been thrilling at first, however the job took its toll over time. Kevin grew more and more disillusioned with the {industry} and the particular person he felt he was turning into.
A turning level got here when he reconnected with a university good friend who proposed they begin a enterprise collectively. Throughout one in all their conversations, his professor’s phrases resurfaced: “You’d be nice at headhunting.” This time, the thought caught. Kevin determined to leap, co-founding an IT consulting agency within the late Nineties when know-how was booming and alternatives considerable.
What began as a enterprise shortly grew to become a calling. Kevin was energized by the work, which concerned assembly individuals from all walks of life, studying their tales, and serving to them safe alternatives that modified their lives.
“There’s one thing unbelievable about discovering somebody a job that not solely elevates their profession but in addition impacts their household and future. It’s a achievement I by no means discovered on Wall Road.”
Over the subsequent decade years, Kevin constructed experience throughout industries like biotech, know-how, and gross sales. His precision hiring methods have helped groups and companies alike.
As an example, at one software program startup, worker turnover soared to a staggering 70%. Nevertheless, Kevin’s strategic strategy lowered it to simply 10%, stabilizing the corporate and considerably bettering morale. Equally, for a struggling SaaS agency, he designed a scalable hiring framework that paved the best way for a formidable $11 million acquisition in simply 5 years.
At present, because the Director of Recruiting at Blue Fort, he’s on a mission to construct a recruitment enterprise that prioritizes velocity, intelligence, and deep human understanding.
The Metrics That Kevin Loomis and His Crew Monitor
Metrics are the spine of any successful recruitment technique. For Kevin Loomis, three non-negotiable KPIs that each recruiter ought to monitor, together with:
1. Pace
Kevin believes recruitment is a race in opposition to time, and velocity could make or break the method. Each step is measured and optimized From when an order is acquired to the second the place is crammed.
“There’s a shelf life for each job order,” he explains. “If we don’t act quick, we’ll miss out. That expiration date could possibly be days, weeks, or months, however the sooner we act, the upper our success charge.”
2. Candidate Pipeline Effectivity
Subsequent, Kevin prioritizes the standard and effectivity of his candidate pipeline. He retains an eye fixed on these three sources:
- Purposes: “These are the simplest to trace. We purpose to course of them instantly as quickly as they arrive in.”
- Database Searches: Kevin units a tough rule—each job order should set off a full database sweep inside 24 hours. “Our database is our goldmine. If we’re not leveraging it shortly, we’re losing time.”
- Sourcing: This includes constructing new pipelines in report time.
The KPI for every sourcing methodology is determined by components just like the function’s complexity, the market saturation, and the placement. “In dense markets like New York Metropolis, it takes longer to face out. However in smaller areas, we are able to typically dominate the candidate pool shortly.”
3. Marketing campaign Effectiveness
Kevin’s crew additionally tracks how effectively they’ll nurture sourced candidates into viable prospects by focused campaigns. The crew makes use of instruments like Recruiterflow to make sure candidates keep engaged and transfer swiftly by the funnel.
A Frequent Thread: Pace with Intent
Whether or not it’s processing functions, leveraging the database, or constructing recent pipelines, Kevin emphasizes that velocity + intent maintain all of it collectively.
“Be quick and intentional. Every step ought to transfer you nearer to the aim of closing the place effectively.”
Adapting to Challenges in a Unstable Market
Change is the one fixed in recruiting. Navigating the highs and lows of such a risky market is each a problem and a defining facet of Kevin’s work.
“The market is unpredictable. Some days, it’s crimson scorching, and others really feel like all the pieces’s on pause.” This unpredictability requires recruitment companies to be fast and adaptable without delay.
When the financial system slows, firms typically rent in-house, decreasing the necessity for exterior recruiters. Recruitment companies face decrease demand throughout this time and should discover methods to maintain operations with out overspending.
Conversely, firms battle to scale their inner recruiting groups quick sufficient to fulfill demand when the financial system heats up. That’s when most of them associate with a recruitment company.
The important thing to thriving on this market lies in being versatile because the state of affairs calls for.
“We’ve constructed our company to scale as much as 200 miles an hour when the market calls for it, however we are able to additionally decelerate and hold operations lean throughout slower durations.”
This effectivity comes from:
- A well-organized database: A wealthy pool of certified candidates ensures they reply shortly to shopper wants.
- Excessive-margin operations: The crew can climate gradual markets with out compromising service high quality by maintaining prices low.
- A nimble crew: Your coaching and processes ought to assist your crew seamlessly adapt to altering calls for.
One other tip is to be one of the best available in the market.
Nevertheless the market situation, Kevin and his crew stand out for his or her unmatched experience and deep {industry} data.
Not like many recruiters who could not perceive the particular roles they’re hiring for, Kevin’s crew is aware of the multifamily {industry} inside and outside. From job necessities to {industry} tendencies, they’ll reply any query with out prolonged shopper explanations.
“Our experience speaks for itself. Inside two minutes of talking with us, you’ll know we perceive precisely what you want. And that’s precisely what retains us going.”
The Disruptive Position of AI
AI has basically reshaped the recruitment {industry}, and in response to Kevin Loomis, we’ve solely scratched the floor of what’s attainable. “We predict we all know what AI can do, however we don’t,” he admits. “The potential is very large, and we’re simply initially.”
Hyper-Personalised Outreach at Scale
One in every of AI’s most important contributions to recruitment is its skill to create hyper-personalized outreach. By analyzing information from varied sources—resembling job titles, industries, hiring tendencies, and firm progress metrics—it generates custom-made messages tailor-made to every recipient.
Due to AI, Kevin’s crew can ship 1000’s of customized emails each week—at a velocity and scale that will be unimaginable manually. “Folks don’t even notice these emails are AI-generated. That’s how custom-made they really feel,” he says.
AI in Candidate Sourcing
On the subject of discovering expertise, instruments like LinkedIn’s superior filters and good tags are already efficient, however AI takes them to the subsequent degree.
“AI helps with sourcing the proper individuals and reaching them with the proper message,” Kevin notes.
Past sourcing and outreach, Kevin makes use of AI to craft interview questions, fine-tune job descriptions, and even analyze candidate information. “It’s a large time-saver,” he says. “And it permits me to ask higher questions and give attention to high-value duties.”
What does Success Look Wish to Kevin?
For Kevin Loomis, success is one thing that evolves with life’s levels.
At present, success means scaling and constructing Blue Fort right into a high-margin, intelligently automated recruitment powerhouse. His aim is to attain fast progress, reaching $3–4 million in income inside a couple of years, all whereas sustaining lean operations that outperform conventional staffing fashions.
A decade in the past, his definition of success was completely different. It revolved round household—being current for his youngsters, attending their video games and appointments, and guaranteeing they knew their dad was at all times there.
Ideas for Fellow Recruiters
- Discover a Mentor and Study Actively
Top-of-the-line methods to develop as a recruiter is to associate with a seasoned skilled. Work with somebody you deeply respect—somebody who has been within the {industry} for years and has honed their craft.
Hear attentively throughout their interviews, observe how they deal with completely different eventualities, and take psychological notes. As you acquire confidence, conduct less complicated interviews underneath their steering and search their suggestions.
- Know Your Market Inside Out
Experience issues. Take the time to totally analysis the industries and markets you’re employed in. Watch movies, learn firm profiles, and research industry-specific tendencies. It can equip you with related data to ask considerate questions, exhibit credibility, and construct belief with candidates.
When candidates see you as an knowledgeable skilled, they’re extra prone to open up and share insights that transcend surface-level solutions.
- Ask Open-Ended Questions
Keep away from yes-or-no questions, which yield restricted data. As a substitute, ask open-ended questions that encourage candidates to elaborate. For instance:
- “I see you’ve been on this function for some time. What points of it do you get pleasure from probably the most?”
- “Are you able to stroll me by the challenges you’ve confronted on this place?”
Some of these questions permit for deeper conversations and assist perceive candidates higher.
- Ask Comply with-Up Questions for Consistency
All the time attempt to hold your interviews extra conversational and free-flowing. As an example, if a candidate offers conflicting data, handle it diplomatically:
“Earlier, you talked about this, however now you’re saying one thing barely completely different. May you make clear this for me?”
Such strategies can reveal underlying particulars or considerations, serving to you make extra knowledgeable choices.
- Keep Persistent and Affected person
Recruiting is a journey, not a dash. It’s regular to really feel overwhelmed initially, however each step ahead provides to your progress. Keep curious, embrace suggestions, and continue to learn.
Wrapping Up
The recruitment panorama of 2025 resembles little to the one Kevin Loomis entered over 20 years in the past. At present’s market strikes on the velocity of know-how, and the distinction between securing or shedding high expertise typically boils right down to minutes, not days. But Kevin’s philosophy stays refreshingly human-centric: understanding tales, recognizing potential, and making an impression.
His story proves that intentional recruitment, backed by know-how and human intelligence, is the important thing to success.
