The CEO and founder of Creative Talent Endeavors prioritizes the applicant experience and has better business results to show for it.

“Applying for 100 jobs a day isn’t really doing anything,” says Kyle Samuels, founder and CEO of Creative Talent Endeavors in Charlotte, N.C. “It feels like you’re doing something but you’re not. But taking that same time to be strategic about the relationships you have, the people you know, and then nurturing those and going out, it’s a long game, but it’s going to pay off way more than just blindly applying for jobs. And you’re more likely to get feedback.”

To build his executive search and outplacement firm — known for helping job-hunting executives bypass clunky recruitment processes and hiring companies find innovative executives — Samuels taps 25 years of experience in HR and executive search, where he worked in many facets of the business, including organizational development and talent management and recruitment. His career included a stint at Taco Bell, where, as part of the HR leadership team, he helped build the company culture. He also ran corporate talent acquisition for Taco Bell’s parent company, Yum Brands. Taco Bell, where his mentor was chief people officer, eventually became his first client.

Creative Talent Endeavors has built a reputation for looking beyond its curated networks to find non-traditional candidates who will bring innovation and new ideas. The search will often include what his firm calls “wildcard” candidates. When looking for a CFO of a cereal company, for instance, his team might suggest, “You should hire the CFO from semiconductor manufacturing.”

“One of the most pleasing things and feedback we get from clients is, ‘Wow, working with you guys, we are exposed to talent that we’ve never seen before,’ he says. “And I love that we’re all constantly uncovering new talent to present to our clients.”

There’s a powerful reason he’s pursued this approach. “Stepping out of the status quo brings people with new ideas, different learnings,” he says.

In the company’s outplacement work, he coaches people who have been laid off on mindset, job search strategy and leveraging their networks. “You have value even if you’re not working,” he says.

Despite the rise of AI in recruiting — and scenarios in which candidates are programming their resumes to fit hiring criteria and companies are programming their own to filter out resumes that don’t meet them — Samuels believes the field will always need the human touch. “It doesn’t have the nuance or the discernment of a human being,” he says.

Samuels spoke recently with Chris Benguhe, founder, president and publisher at the Dave Alexander Center for Social Capital. Click on the link below to hear more of his insights on talent and employment.