In the vast digital ocean of talent acquisition, one name has emerged as a beacon for recruiters navigating the complex currents. Chris Carver, aptly nicknamed "Aquaman," didn't set out to become an industry thought leader. Yet his journey from accidental recruiter to sought-after presenter illustrates how expertise combined with genuine generosity can transform not just a career, but an entire professional community.
His unintentional beginning laid the foundation for a career defined by growth, innovation, and a commitment to helping others succeed.
The accidental recruiter
"I fell into recruiting by accident, and that seems to be most people's story. Nobody intends to end up here."
Chris's journey began with an internship focused on localized recruiting, building relationships with universities and workforce services. This experience led to a pivotal opportunity as the first in-house recruiter for a property management company, a role that would test his adaptability and shape his approach to talent acquisition.
Despite limited formal training, Chris learned on the job with the support of a boss who "took a phenomenal chance" on him. Together, they built what Chris describes as "an incredible system" for recruiting talent.
Boolean breakthrough
The true turning point in Chris's career came in May 2021 when he virtually attended RecruitCon and listened to Brian Fink speak about Boolean search techniques.
"I thought I was a good recruiter up to that point. I'd hired so many people, knew how to leverage relationships," Chris explains. "But then it was finding people as opposed to just filtering through whoever was coming in."
Applying these principles, Chris quickly saw impressive results. "I was filling jobs faster with less effort, because it was more targeted," he said. While making fewer calls than his counterparts, Chris achieved the same number of submissions and hires. "I learned very quickly that tracking metrics that matter, combined with my Boolean meant that I could do a really good job."
From student to teacher
As Chris continued developing his expertise, he discovered a philosophy central to his professional identity: Give back to the community. "If everyone's doing better, then we're all going to have a more enjoyable time," Chris explains.
This mindset led Chris to present at conferences and discover his passion for teaching others. "I learned that I loved presenting and giving back, and that truly became a part of who I want to be going forward—someone who’s known for giving generously and wants others to do well."
Free resources for all
For the past two years, Chris has run a monthly webinar series that's completely free for anyone to join. "It's always recorded, and it's always distributed. The recordings are available on my YouTube channel. We do live sourcing."
What began as a sense of duty evolved into something far more meaningful. "Initially, it started out of obligation. I felt almost guilty having all of this knowledge and not sharing what I have," he admits. "And then it just turned into fun, making connections, meeting people."
X-ray searching and inclusive approaches
As Chris continued refining his expertise, he developed specialties defining his contribution to the field. He became known particularly for X-ray searching techniques, joking that "free is my favorite four-letter F word." Yet beneath this lighthearted comment lies a deeper commitment to accessibility and equity in recruiting practices.
"I love X-ray searching. Outside of that, I'm a huge fan of inclusive searching," Chris explains. His approach involves techniques like proximity natural language searching and verb stemming to ensure searches capture the broadest possible pool of qualified candidates—techniques that improve efficiency and combat the unconscious biases that can narrow talent pools.
"I'm allowing my search engines to do the work for me, but to be as inclusive as possible," he says. "I'm not limiting myself to a particular tense that somebody might use on their resume."
The power of a single connection
As Chris's career evolved and his presentation experience grew, he learned that impact often comes in unexpected ways. At the Top Talent Summit in Toronto, after delivering a technically complex presentation on Boolean searching to a room where he noticed "a lot of glazed eyes," Chris worried his material had been too dense.
What happened next changed his perspective entirely.
"After I wrapped up the presentation, I had two people walk up and say, 'Hey, can we take a picture with you? That was the coolest stuff that we've ever seen at a conference.'"
This moment hit home a powerful truth about teaching others: You don't need to reach the entire room; sometimes, making a real difference for just one person who's truly ready to listen is what matters most.
It's a philosophy that runs through everything Chris does, whether he's hosting webinars or speaking at conferences. Every connection can potentially change someone's career path, even if it's just a handful of people at a time.
Advice for aspiring presenters
Looking back on his journey, Chris offers straightforward advice: "Don't be afraid to put yourself out there. You have to start somewhere."
He's refreshingly honest about the importance of consistently showing up, even when the audience isn't packed. "I've been doing my webinar now for two years, and I've had webinars as recently as late last year with three people live. And those three people got a private Aquaman training," he shares with a laugh.
For Chris, the secret ingredient is simple: love what you're teaching. "Make sure that you are passionate about the topic, and that it's not a job. It's really easy to feel burnt out when it becomes an obligation versus something that you're doing because it's fun."
That's the magic of Chris Carver's journey — whether he's speaking to three people or three hundred, fans asking for photos, eyes glazing over, he keeps making waves. One Boolean search, one connection, one "aha moment" at a time.
