Cleshon Bess

About Cleshon Bess

Helping great people secure meaningful work is my definition of success.I\'m a multi-contest award-winning Senior IT Recruiter with 15 years of comprehensive experience spanning agency, corporate, and technical recruitment. My career has been built on a foundation of strategic talent acquisition, candidate advocacy, and excellence in recruitment operations.Certified in PRC and CIR, I bring a deep understanding of recruitment best practices and have recently embraced AI-assisted tools to enhance sourcing, screening, and candidate engagement — staying ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving industry!Whether it\'s scaling teams, optimizing recruitment workflows, or building inclusive talent pipelines, I thrive on connecting exceptional talent with meaningful opportunities.Let’s connect if you’re exploring new IT career options or looking to elevate your hiring strategy.Specialties:Candidate ExperienceRecruitment OperationsTalent Pipeline ManagementAI-Assisted RecruitmentCloud Infrastructure RecruitmentData Engineering RecruitmentAI Engineering RecruitmentBusiness Analytics RecruitmentProject & Product Management RecruitmentSoftware Development Recruitment

Experience

1. Principal Recruiter

   Patriot Talent Solutions

   Feb 2026 — Present · Knoxville, TN, US

   As Principal Recruiter, I serve as a strategic linchpin for the organization’s talent strategy, bridging the gap between high-level vision and tactical execution. I leverage 15 years of technical expertise and a data-driven approach to optimize recruitment operations and drive superior hiring outcomes. Delivery-Oriented: Applying the same drive that earned me three Sales Contest Awards to solve the most complex,\"Priority 0\" technical recruitment challenges and high-stakes hiring situations.AI-Driven Sourcing Strategy: Spearheading the integration of AI-assisted tools to improve hiring velocity, reduce bias, and automate repetitive administrative tasks, allowing for deeper focus on high-value candidate relationships.Consultative Partnership: Acting as a trusted advisor to account managers, managing expectations with market realism while championing a human-centric candidate experience.

Skills

• Community Relations
• Process Management
• Human Resources
• Full Life Cycle Recruiting
• Effective Communication
• Sourcing
• Hiring
• Virtual Recruiting
• Networking
• Call Centers
• Psychometrics
• Employee Training
• Relationship Marketing
• Cold Calling
• Customer Retention
• Maintaining Business Relationships
• Sales
• Strategic Sourcing
• Talent Management
• Strategic Communications
• Public Speaking
• Time Management
• HR Policies
• Community Development
• Adaptation
• Recruiting
• Interviews
• Leadership Development
• Competency Based Interviewing
• Performance Metrics
• Staff Development
• Project Management
• Talent Acquisition
• Social Media
• Applicant Tracking Systems
• Employee Relations
• Behavioral Interviewing
• Careerbuilder
• Social Networking
• Personality Testing