The Resilient Recruiter

If you had the chance to speak with a highly experienced and successful investor about scaling your recruitment businesses, what questions would you ask?  In this episode of The Resilient Recruiter, I had the opportunity to interview Abid Hamid, the Group CEO of Recruitment Entrepreneur - one of the most successful investors in start-ups and scaling recruitment businesses. Since 2014, they’ve invested in over 30 talented founders, enabling those founders to launch and scale successful business ventures. The group has annual revenues of £45m and is growing at 140% per annum. From his vantage point, Abid has tremendous insight into why a small minority of recruitment businesses are able to scale successfully and outperform the market.  I asked him, “What are you looking for in a founder that then determines whether or not you will invest in them?” Hear his response to this question and all the other insightful answers to topics covering scaling your recruitment business, embracing the new normal and reality, people management, and adapting to technology.  Episode Outline and Highlights [4:49] How has the pandemic affected Recruitment Entrepreneur's portfolio companies? [8:00] The new reality: hours contract versus an output contract - would you consider this setup? [11:40] Three examples of businesses that displayed outstanding resilience during the pandemic and what we can learn from them. [18:35] As an investor, what are the qualities Recruitment Entrepreneur is looking for in a founder that determines whether or not he will invest in them? [23:15] Deal breakers - what factors would lead Recruitment Entrepreneur to decide not to invest in a start-up or scaling recruitment business? [26:17] An investor’s insight: What challenges and opportunities await recruiters in 2021 and beyond? [33:50] Abid’s philosophy on people management and business success [44:00] How to onboard, train and manage remote recruiters - Abid’s advice on mastering recruitment one building block at a time. Embracing the New Reality Having multiple business portfolios, Abid has a great vantage point on how companies should embrace the new reality after the pandemic. One of the changes he is advocating for is looking at an output contract rather than the hour’s contract. He explained, “I think leadership should change its concept that nine to five is what people do. The hours contract, 40-hour contract, 30-hour contract, I think it’s a thing of the past. What you should have is an output contract.” Although this may appear counter with the way businesses have been running in the last 20 years, he laid out valid points on why this makes sense. Would you consider an output-driven contract versus an hour’s contract setup? “Who makes the cut?” In the last four years, Recruitment Entrepreneur has invested in 30 founders running 22 different businesses.  However, that’s a small percentage of the enquiries they receive.  In the last 12 months alone, they received 700 business plans from aspiring entrepreneurs and did deals with less than 1% of them. I asked: “What are you looking for in a founder that then determines whether or not you will invest in them?” Abid told me “Number one, it’s the individual. Why are you sitting here? What have you got in your head that you want to create?” Abid used the analogy of building your dream house and how it translates into a founder’s vision for building a business. Abid then described their process for screening a potential business partner.  People Management - a very Delicate Balance As obvious as it sounds, people management is a critical part of business success. Abid actually described it as “a very delicate balance of allowing your people to flourish within certain parameters.” He also elaborated on leadership and how to mentor and guide people. Some great examples that he gave are: An experienced leader is someone who made a lot of mistakes. The balance is managing your people so that they can avoid the mistakes that you can probably see but they can’t.  Being clear with your new-joiner on their plan from day one. Allowing your people to have a clear vision of your business. Involve your people in the objectives that you as a leader are trying to achieve. Vision leads to strategy, strategy leads to actions. Abid Hamid Bio and Contact Info Abid is trained as a lawyer, worked in corporate banking, and has been in the recruitment sector for the last 20 years mainly in management and leadership roles. He had worked globally within the recruitment sector and a highly experienced business leader with a wealth of experience in various industry sectors and difficult geographies around the world. Abid had held various board positions from start-up to FTSE 250 Listed company and is currently Chairman and NED for 19 companies. Abid on LinkedIn Recruitment Entrepreneur website link Recruitment Entrepreneur on LinkedIn Recruitment Entrepreneur on Facebook Recruitment Entrepreneur on Instagram Recruitment Entrepreneur on Twitter @RecEntrepreneur People and Resources Mentioned Doug Bugie on LinkedIn Armed Forces Covenant website link Connect with Mark Whitby Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby Mark on Facebook Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Related Podcast You Might Enjoy TRR #3 The 4 Qualities of The World’s Top Recruitment Leaders, with Doug Bugie Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

If you have ambitions to scale your recruiting and staffing business, then developing your company culture needs to be one of your top priorities. On The Resilient Recruiter podcast, I’ve interviewed many founders of fast-growing recruitment companies and they all agree on the importance of creating the right culture.  But what does that really mean and how do we achieve it? “Nine out of ten companies do not have a strong functional culture.”  My special guest, Bretton Putter of CultureGene explains what makes a company culture strong and functional and why it should matter to you as a recruitment business owner. Brett also explains how to address a degrading company culture environment, especially in this challenging time of the pandemic where most employees are forced to work remotely. Brett is an expert on company culture development. He is the founder and CEO of CultureGene, a Culture Leadership Platform helping high-growth companies build strong, functional cultures.  Episode Outline and Highlights [1:25] What is company culture and why it is important for growth companies? [3:35] Codifying the culture development process - what it means. [8:28] Why invest time to be intentional on your culture versus just having one by default? [13:30] “There is no right or wrong culture, it is either strong and functional or weak and dysfunctional” What makes a culture functional? [21:55] Hear the initial steps you should take when starting the culture development journey. [32:55] Why it is impossible to hire based on “culture fit” and why you should hire for values instead. [35:49] How to address degrading company culture in a remote environment. [42:20] Brett talks about one of the most challenging experiences he has to overcome. [48:30] Brett tells the story of having lunch with Nelson Mandela. “The way we do things right here” Our conversation started off with how Brett would define “company culture.” He gave a straightforward response, “My definition, or the definition I like of company culture, is the way we do things around here. Which is like an all-encompassing thing, but that is deliberate. Because company culture really is the DNA of your organization and it drives everything.”  Brett also raised very two important points when talking about its importance.  Where we are and how our company is adapting around this time of the pandemic is really driven by our culture. The most important thing we have to think about is that your company culture is degrading over time in most cases. Listen to the whole conversation as Brett and I drill down further on these key points. Invest Time to Design Your Culture If you are a small startup, you might have hesitations about investing time to design and codify your culture. Why does it make sense to not just settle for a default culture and way of working and be proactive in designing your company culture? After doing deep-dive interviews with 50+ leaders who took it upon themselves to build a functional culture, Brett mentioned a number of solid benefits. Some of the payoffs that were mentioned are: Quoting David Cummings, “Company culture is the one sustainable competitive advantage that you have complete control over.” The glue to your team is your company culture - without it, you will not get the right behaviors. It helps you attract better talent. Among other things, having a functional culture can help your company out-position others that do not. The CEO Must Get It Taking the culture-building journey starts with the most important step: the CEO must get it. Culture starts from the top and trickles down below. Brett discussed the critical parts of creating a functional and strong culture: Define your values. This involves understanding two things: What the actual current culture is? What is the aspirational culture? Define the expected behaviours against your values. This involves being really clear with how the members should interpret these values. Listen to how Brett illustrates the above critical points as well as their practical application. Bretton Putter Bio and Contact Info Prior to founding CultureGene Brett ran an international executive search firm working with high-growth tech companies to expand their senior executive teams in Europe and the US. His first book Culture Decks Decoded was published in 2018 and his second book, Own Your Culture: How to Define, Embed and Manage your Company Culture was published in September 2020. He writes a popular blog on culture-driven companies and is a sought-after speaker.   Brett on LinkedIn Brett on Twitter @BrettonPutter CultureGene website link: https://www.culturegene.ai/ CultureGene on Facebook People and Resources Mentioned Own Your Culture, by Bretton Putter Culture Decks Decoded, by Bretton Putter Delivering Happiness, by Tony Hsieh Edgar Schein on LinkedIn David Cummings company culture blog page Connect with Mark Whitby Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: www.recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-session/ Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby Mark on Facebook Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

Imagine having total freedom to run your recruitment business from anywhere. Instead of postponing your dreams of travel and adventure until retirement, what if you could create the ultimate lifestyle business and live life on your terms? That’s what Jordan Rayboy set out to do in 2006 when he launched his search firm, Rayboy Insider Search. When he went out on his own, Jordan had a non-compete agreement with a 200-mile radius. He got around it by getting an RV and running his business from the road. Since then he’s billed millions in placement fees by leveraging technology and managing a virtual team way before Covid-19 forced the world to embrace remote working. In this episode, Jordan shares his inspiring and practical advice on planning, productivity, and the importance of having a peer group. Plus how he manages a remote team working across different time zones. Jordan’s a popular speaker at recruiting conferences and has been interviewed many times. What’s unique and special about this interview is that Jordan speaks publicly for the first time since the pandemic started about his own struggles with mental health in 2020. Episode Outline and Highlights [2:43] Jordan speaks up about mental health and shares his recent struggles [19:14] What inspired Jordan to get an RV and take his business on the road? [27:26] The power of the peer group  [35:20] How Jordan leverages virtual teams to maximize production [41:20] Jordan’s insights from having managing remote teams since 2007 [45:45] Power Planning - hear how a million-dollar biller plans their day Mental Health During the Pandemic Recruiting can be stressful at the best of times.  During the pandemic, most people’s stress levels have gone through the roof. It’s no wonder there’s been a rise in anxiety and depression around the world.  In this interview, Jordan shares his own struggles with mental health coinciding with the onset of the pandemic. Jordan’s courage in speaking openly about his dark times is remarkable.  “I’ve been struggling lately. It's not that I've been struggling in billing… I have just been struggling on the mental health part. Probably just reading way too much bad news, believing all the fear that I’ve been feeding into my mind” said Jordan. He said he was willing to proceed with the podcast in case by sharing his story it could help others who are going through tough times to know they’re not alone.  Fortunately, things are slowly starting to get better. Jordan shared, “I kinda feel like I'm turning a corner. Just in the past couple of days, I talked to my good buddy Monte Merz … I was talking about some of these things and he asked if I want to be part of their touchdown club. It’s like you got a point every day for working out... and you get a point every day if you don’t drink or smoke. And so the goal is to get seven points a week… I just started yesterday after I talked to him. I got out on my bike, didn’t drink anything yesterday, woke up at 5am this morning, got on my trainer bike inside… and I’m doing it, I got 3 points on the board. Just like that, I already feel more empowered because I am making better choices.” If there are takeaways from our conversation on the subject of mental health, here they are: Self-awareness and having the courage to admit if you are not OK. Talk it out with a family member, friend, or someone you trust. News cleanse - stay away from dwelling too much on negative news. Read or listen to inspirational materials (Jordan shared a life-changing book we both read). Do not be afraid or embarrassed to speak to your doctor and seek professional help. The Power of the Peer Group According to Jordan, you need to surround yourself with the right peer group -- people who will have a positive influence on you and push you to get outside your comfort zone.  He said, “It is kind of easy when you are all by yourself to lower your standards and allow yourself to say, ‘hey I am comfortable I have everything I need’… It is really easy to settle into that comfort zone.” Jordan concluded, “The power of the peer group - if you are struggling, surround yourself with other badasses who are living a higher quality of life. If you want to get stronger, work out in the gym with someone stronger than you. When I was getting faster and fitter on my bike because I was getting on group rides with people who are faster and fitter than me. You run with a higher level peer group, it is going to force you to grow.” Very well-said indeed. Planning and Success Jordan is an advocate for what he terms “Power Planning.” Part of his success in getting his business mobile while managing a virtual team in different time zones is attributed to how he plans and his focus in executing such plans.  “Force yourself to execute on your plans, and see the results.  That success will reinforce the habit.” Jordan Rayboy Bio and Contact Info Jordan Rayboy believes life is short, so play hard! He began recruiting in 2000 after his sophomore year of college. Six years later, he struck out on his own, forming Rayboy Insider Search. Being an impatient type-A recruiter, Jordan long ago abandoned the deferred life plan (slave, save, retire). By building an effective virtual team & leveraging technology, Jordan has run his search firm since 2006 while traveling in a tour-bus RV with his wife Jeska. They’ve raised three dogs along the way, which prepared them (kinda) for traveling with their two young children – Ryder and Hunter. They’ve covered the majority of the US and Canada during their adventure while living their dream every day (as long as the RV works).   Jordan is a 3-time Regional AE of the Year and 3 time national top-10 AE at MRI. Jordan on LinkedIn Jordan on Twitter @jordanrayboy Rayboy Insider Search  website link: https://rayboyis.com/ Rayboy IS on Facebook Rayboy IS on Instagram Rayboy IS on Youtube A cause Jordan supports: Operation Underground Railroad - saves children from human trafficking. https://ourrescue.org/ People and Resources Mentioned Jeremy Sisemore on LinkedIn Joe Rice on LinkedIn Monte Merz on LinkedIn Atomic Habits by James Clear Untethered Soul by Michael Singer The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferris The Pinnacle Society website link: https://pinnaclesociety.org/ Connect with Mark Whitby Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: www.recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-session/ Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby Mark on Facebook Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Related Podcast You Might Enjoy TRR #35 Inner Grit: The Traits of a Big Biller, with Jeremy Sisemore Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

The only constant in this world is change. This certainly applies to the recruitment business - in order to succeed, you must continually evolve. How have you adapted your recruiting practice to recent changes in the market?  In this episode, you’ll hear how Cameron Boyd and his firm are adapting to this challenging new environment by doing things differently.  They have introduced a flat fee structure to bring greater objectivity to the executive search process.  They’re also challenging the status quo with regard to recruiter compensation by getting rid of their commission scheme.  Listen in as Cameron explains why he believes the new model aligns the interests of the individual, the firm and the clients they serve. Cameron is a partner at Smith and Wilkinson and is a 15-year veteran of the executive search industry. Cameron serves financial services companies in the eastern United States and has completed over 250 key leadership searches. As his firm’s second-largest shareholder, Cameron has been instrumental in growing the revenue by over 600% over the last ten years. Episode Outline and Highlights [3:30] Shifting from contingency transactional model to a real client partnership on a retained basis - hear how Cameron achieved this transformation. [9:45] The theme of objectivity and fee structure - how to sell your candidates in a way that is beneficial to your client. [16:52] From contingency to retained shift - Cameron reveals details on the transition.  [19:34] Money-back guarantee? Hear how this approach can work to protect your brand. [24:37] Listen to Cameron’s biggest challenge in his recruitment career and how he treats this as an opportunity. [30:37] Doing things differently in this challenging new environment - how to win new businesses. [35:11] Taking away the commission? A very interesting but unusual approach to compensation. [45:25] What advice would you give to someone shifting from contingency to retained? Hear Cameron’s thoughts. [53:00] Discussion about exercising, running, and managing mental health. Objectivity and a Flat Fee Structure In order to serve your clients’ best interests, Cameron firmly believes that objectivity plays a significant part. This is how he explains his concept of objectivity: “By nature, when one candidate has a fee or different fee or no fee attached to his head than this candidate, then all objectivity goes out the window regardless of how hard we all try. Regardless of how hard the headhunter or client tries to keep in mind who is the best candidate, if one’s gonna cost you 50 grand higher or one’s gonna cost you 25 or zero to higher, you are going to take that into your calculation. So out of the window goes the idea that we are all in the same team trying to figure out who is the best fit for this role.” In line with his concept of objectivity, Cameron believes that a flat fee structure works best: “A fee structure that allows for the headhunter to be paid regardless of who is hired, his interest is on the same side as the client.”  Turning a Challenge into an Opportunity The Coronavirus pandemic has brought about unprecedented challenges for most recruitment business owners, including Cameron who said, “this is my second recession.” But rather than thinking of the recession as a challenge, Cameron chooses to regard it as an opportunity.  He explains, “recessions give you time to think more strategically, contemplate where you want to grow or practice, what talent you should further cultivate.”   However, Cameron acknowledges that he’s in a very fortunate position in that he’s been financially prudent during the good years.  His advice to young recruiters: “Save your money. I think it allows you to make a more objective view of the search. If you are not living or dying by the next commission check, you are gonna be more objective with your clients.” Staying Sharp and Avoiding Complacency The more successful you become, the more challenging it becomes to avoid becoming complacent.  He offers three specific tips that have helped him to stay sharp and may work for you as well.  Firstly, focus on the why.  Cameron says he “keeps a family picture of my wife and my boys” on his desk. Second, seek out opportunities to push yourself outside your comfort zone. Finally, don’t get too comfortable and rely on repeat business from your established client base.  Instead, continue to make marketing calls to the organizations who do not know you. Cameron Boyd Bio and Contact Info Cameron Boyd is a 15-year veteran of the executive search industry.  Cameron spent the first 5 years of his search career with a franchise office of Sanford Rose Associates, recruiting attorneys for in-house legal departments and for local, regional, and national law firms.  In 2010 he joined his current firm, now called Smith & Wilkinson, which at the time was a franchise of the MRI network.  While affiliated with MRI, Cameron was the 2011 International Rookie Account Executive of the Year, a 5-time Top 50 Account Executive, a 2016 Top 10 Account Executive, and perennial Pacesetter.  Cameron’s search practice is focused on serving financial services companies in the eastern US, primarily at the C-suite and Officer level.  In his 10+ years with Smith & Wilkinson, he has completed over 250 key leadership searches in technology, operations, finance, lending, marketing, HR, wealth management, and risk management.  Cameron has also personally led or played a key role in, 17 highly visible President/CEO searches.  As the firm’s 2nd largest shareholder, he has been instrumental in the six-fold revenue growth that the company has enjoyed over the past decade and is a passionate supporter of their charitable giving initiatives.  Cameron is a member of the Pinnacle Society, the premier consortium of industry-leading recruitment professionals and a graduate of Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York.  He has personally volunteered with the local United Way as a member of its Organizational Development and Human Resources Committee and volunteered as a Meals on Wheels driver during the COVID pandemic. Cameron and his family live in coastal Maine and enjoy hiking, boating, and travel. Cameron on LinkedIn Smith and Wilkinson website link: https://www.smithandwilkinson.com/ Full Plates - A cause Cameron dearly support: https://www.fullplates.org/ People and Resources Mentioned The Pinnacle Society website link Rich Rosen on LinkedIn Paul Hallam on LinkedIn Nathan Francis on LinkedIn Connect with Mark Whitby Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: www.recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-session/ Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby Mark on Facebook Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Related Podcasts You Might Enjoy TRR #6  Habits of a Million-Dollar Biller, with Rich Rosen TRR #31 Protecting Your Team’s Mental Health While Scaling Your Search Business, with Paul Hallam Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter  

Imagine this - you’ve worked really hard to deliver talent for your client’s urgent requirement. It was a tough spec but you found the perfect candidate. You managed to contact them, get them interested in the job, conduct a full screening interview, and submit the candidate's CV. Sadly your client changed their mind. They would not be hiring the candidate you’ve introduced, therefore no placement fee unfortunately. But after some time, you discovered that they’ve actually hired the candidate. Sound familiar? Yes, backdoor hires can be frustrating to you as a recruiter or a recruitment business owner. Today’s episode actually deals with this dilemma as our special guest, Barry Cullen, offers very practical advice and solutions to prevent, detect, and recover losses resulting from fee disputes and backdoor hires. Barry is the Founder and Director of introPROTECT, a London based law firm who are experts in backdoor hire and fee disputes. Barry has a unique and interesting background. Prior to training as a solicitor, he started his career as a recruiter. Episode Outline and Highlights [0:55] Barry’s unique background and “history of failures” leading him to where he is now. [14:25] From a solicitor’s perspective - the pandemic’s impact on recruiters with clients who can’t or won’t pay their invoices. [21:26] Prevention is better than cure - 7 tips on how to prevent backdoor hires. [28:39] Sending your MPC (Most Placeable Candidate) email - what to avoid and what to include.   [31:47] Barry’s take on multi-agency disputes and the right to represent. [41:20] Dealing with how the word “introduction” is commonly misunderstood in recruitment. [52:54] Barry explains the IntroPROTECT solution [54:50] In case of a business falling out with a client, what should you do first before taking the legal route? [1:01:40] If you are looking to do business internationally, what are the things you should consider from a legal perspective in case of a fee dispute?  Law Practice and Recruitment What do law practitioners and recruiters have in common? “I came to realize actually, that being a litigator which is what I do, is basically recruitment,” Barry’s realization came about when he transitioned from being a recruiter to becoming a solicitor. He further explained, “If you are a recruiter you’ve got a candidate. If you are a litigator you’ve got a case. They are fairly similar things, right? I’m having to convince the other side, no matter how good my case is, I’ve got to convince the other side that my case is better than theirs. So a recruiter, even if their candidate is the best candidate they have for the job, they have to convince the client that they have the best person for them. So that’s very similar.” Of course, having multiple stakeholders, putting deals together, trying to influence people’s perception, and managing expectations are some of the things that make recruiters similar to law professionals. Barry’s experience as a recruiter enables him to marry his law expertise with the needs of his clients who are recruiters and recruitment business owners. What can you do to Prevent Backdoor Hires? Backdoor hires can happen. But there are some things within our control to protect our clients, ourselves, and our recruitment business. Here are some practical tips from Barry: Have your terms of business in place and have it well-drafted.  Go through these terms with your client and ensure that they have explicitly agreed.  Place references to your terms (ie. placing a handy URL to the terms) Do good recruitment. Don’t just send a CV out to 50,000 hiring managers. When identifying a candidate, make sure you are identifying the right people. Follow up and follow through. Get a good audit trail of everything you do. Sending Out an MPC Email? Don’t Send a Spec CV. For a lot of recruiters, sending out an MPC email is one of the most challenging arenas in getting their fee paid. What should you do to avoid this situation? As you’ve read in the subtitle, do not send a specific CV. Instead, you may want to consider Barry’s advice: “If you happen to send a CV to a hiring manager and somebody in that company ultimately hires that person, it is much harder to show that you should get paid and that can be an issue...Take the time to craft the summary. Here is a very brief summary of why this candidate is worth working with. Not enough to identify who they are, but enough to wet the whistle.” Essentially a summary or teaser of the candidate’s key achievements and selling point should be sufficient. And if the client is interested, then they come back and have a conversation before you send the CV. Barry added, “The really nice thing about that as well, is if that summary is going out with your terms attach, and the hiring manager then responding to you ‘Yes please send me the CV’, your terms will probably have a provision in there that requesting CVs from the agency is deemed an acceptance provision.” Barry Cullen Bio and Contact Info Barry is a solicitor, specialist in recruitment, and the founder of introPROTECT, UK's leading experts on recruitment fee disputes. With over 19 years in the recruitment industry - now as a solicitor and previously at the coal face as a recruiter and agency owner, Barry has a complete understanding of the industry, its key players, and the pressures affecting them. Barry’s personal specialism is avoiding or resolving litigation by the education of opponents so that they pay or brokerage of deals to ensure the best outcome for our recruitment clients. Preventing and successfully resolving backdoor hire, rebate, and other introduction fee disputes is where Barry really thrives. Whether advising in the background, brokering a deal directly with end clients, or enforcing through the courts, Barry’s focus is on getting the best overall outcome for clients, whether by way of payment, guaranteed future business, or both. IntroPROTECT website link: http://www.introprotect.com/ IntroPROTECT on LinkedIn Barry on LinkedIn Connect with Mark Whitby Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: www.recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-session/ Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby Mark on Facebook Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

When times are tough, many recruiters go into desperation mode. They drop their rates and work on every order they can get.  Even before the pandemic, the norm in our industry has been a transactional, “CV supplier” style service in competition with multiple agencies.  It’s an incredibly frustrating and demoralizing place to be. So how do you change your business model to retained recruitment?  How can you charge a premium and persuade clients to pay you up-front?  How do you work exclusively or even win MSP (Managed Service Provider) contracts?     Well, it involves differentiating your service and shifting customer perception.  That shift actually begins within your own mindset.  In today’s episode, my guest Plamen Ivanoff, recommends that you start by dropping the word  ‘recruiter’ from your job title! Plamen is the Chairman of the Executive Search and Selection firm, GrassGreener Group™, and Co-Founder of technology company, i-intro®. The i-intro® process helps Recruitment and Search firm owners successfully transition their businesses from the typical “CV supplier” transactional contingency recruitment to the more meaningful, retained recruitment and MSP (Managed Service Provider), consultative models.  To date they have helped over 200 recruitment and search firms to generate £100 million in retained fees. Episode Outline and Highlights [3:19] Plamen shares his journey in the recruitment industry. [8:09] How Plamen went from pure contingent to 100% retained [17:24] Customer perception and differentiation - finding your unique value proposition. [22:08] Instead of “New Normal”, how to focus on the  “New Excellent” during this pandemic [31:20] Why it will never be the same after the coronavirus crisis and what it means to your recruitment business [42:24] What is the good news for recruitment micro-businesses? [51:45] Selling points of “risk reversal” - does a 12-month replacement guarantee make business sense? [1:00:08] Why you should drop the word “recruiter” from your job title, and what to call yourself instead. Customer Perception and Why Differentiation Matters  The recruitment industry is fiercely competitive at the best of times.  During an economic downturn, the competition is even more intense. One major element affected is price pressure. Without differentiation and unique customer perception, there is a possibility that clients would rather go to where they get the lowest price.  This can lead to the gradual erosion of placement fees. Plamen quoted REC’s (Recruitment and Employment Confederation UK) statistics which shows that last year’s market benchmark on fees is 14.7%. He believes that this year’s statistics will come down lower. He emphasized the relevance of having a unique value proposition. As Plamen said:  “I believe this year’s statistics will drop down even further because of exactly the point that you make. Recruiters don’t have the option to compete on anything else because the perception is already set for the client… So some companies are going to market saying ‘I’ll take 12%, I’ll take 10%, just give me the job because I’ve got mouths to feed otherwise I will have to sack these recruiters...’  All of this is happening as we speak now. So this pressure on fees will be considerable. So [if] you provide a recruitment service that is a “me-too” recruitment service like everybody else, you are very likely to be feeling the pressure of fees. But if you take your service out of the “me-too” recruitment, and create what I call “me-only” recruitment, it is above and beyond.” Five Stages of Behavioral Shifts in Times of Crisis Plamen also shared five stages of behavioral shifts by business owners which is more than relevant during this economic crisis. Below is the summary: Overreaction / Fear - panic, business hibernating, putting people in furlough People looking for a new base or new normal - people starting to have more interaction online and start to adjust to the new normal. Hoping for good news - people start to look for good news and how they will position themselves to new opportunities Slow Recovery - more opportunities are starting to come in and early adapters build up relationships with clients. The Late Majority Arrival - those who just waited on what will just happen will pay the price. Positioning yourself to the forefront, being agile, and flexible is the key to do better. Navigating in these difficult times can be challenging for both large and small recruitment businesses. But as Plamen said, those that are more agile, early adapters, will have more chances of success. Drop the Word Recruiter From Your Title Plamen emphasized during our conversation the importance of being consultative to your clients rather than just being transactional. As he said, “Drop the ‘recruiter’ from your title. You need to become a talent acquisition management consultant. Management consultants are associated with improvement and value add.” Plamen Ivanoff Bio and Contact Info Plamen Ivanoff is the Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of the Executive Search and Selection firm, GrassGreener Group™, and i-intro®. The i-intro® process helps Recruitment and Search firm owners successfully transition their businesses from the typical “CV supplier” transactional contingency recruitment to the more meaningful, retained recruitment and MSP (Managed Service Provider), consultative models. i-intro® enables recruiters to deliver to their clients an unparalleled new employee retention rate of over 96% in the first year while reducing commercial downtime and overall cost-to-hire for employers. At the time of writing, over 1000 recruiters and 200 firms around the world have transformed their business with i-intro®, winning in excess of £100 million in retained fees. Plamen on LinkedIn i-intro website link The Wired Recruiter website link i-intro on Facebook i-intro on Twitter @iintro_ i-intro on Youtube i-intro on Instagram Free i-intro consultation Plamen’s e-Books Death of Contingency Recruitment - request here. Redundant? How to Future Proof Your Recruitment Business - request here. The Rewired Recruiter - How to Reinvent Yourself for a Rapidly Changing Industry - request here. People and Resources Mentioned The Shift: The Future of Work is Already Here by Lynda Gratton  The Retained Recruiter Academy - Leveraging Content Marketing by Mark Whitby - request the video here. Connect with Mark Whitby Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: www.recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-session/ Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby Mark on Facebook Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter  

“Our mums were best friends...” When Dan Matthews and Justin McGuire played together as children, nobody could have predicted that they would one day build a global recruitment company with offices in Amsterdam, Brisbane, Dubai, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, London, New York, Perth and Singapore. What makes this story even more remarkable is that as they grew up, Dan and Justin lost touch with one another but both ended up working in recruitment.  By a remarkable coincidence, they both ended up recruiting in the same industry -- advertising, creative, marketing, communications and ultimately they both ended up starting their own businesses, independently of each other. Years later, living in different parts of the world, they reconnected and realized there were incredible synergies to be had by merging their business to become a truly global organization. Episode Outline and Highlights [1:15] Dan and Justin share their origin story - from being childhood friends to merging their recruitment businesses to form DMCG Global. [11:35] The pandemic’s impact on DMCG; how they have adapted their business model to future proof the business and accelerate growth. [17:33] The Licensee model - how Dan and Justin are giving recruiters a turn-key business opportunity to become franchisees and partners of DMCG Global. [24:25] The frustrations and challenges of growing a recruitment company that ultimately inspired Dan and Justin to create their new business model [33:10] On mental health -- Dan and Justin share their own struggles with anxiety and burnout; how Justin “hit the wall.” [41:50] How Justin has billed close to $1m this year despite a challenging market. [50:00] Diversity and Inclusion as a differentiator; the technology platform that enables clients and recruiters to source, select and hire diverse talent. A Radical Remodelling Dan explained how DMCG Global is reinventing their business to encourage peer autonomy, reduce cost and increase revenue. Instead of “employees” they have “partners” -- self-employed recruiters who are effectively running their own business with the benefit of being part of a global brand.  Partners are provided with the technology, systems, back-office support and a dedicated marketing team. Plus ongoing mentoring and a peer community/support network.  centralized support team including digital marketing and back-office functions, and providing a  The support team enables the partners to focus only on recruitment - further motivated by an increased commission structure where they keep 60 - 80% of their billings.  The rationale behind this change? Dan explained: “Under the new scheme, even if someone isn’t billing that much due to the pandemic, they still take home enough to get by. But at the top end, the 80% margin, that’s a lot of money. And we worked it out, our team in London and New York were making double or three times as much as they would have made on the original model.” Justin added, “The goal really is… we are building budding entrepreneurs. And this is a great way of them still feeling part of a family. But also being able to take away the maximum out of their earning as well. It just seems to tick all the boxes. And also, we wanted to create something that was a point of difference for our consultants ”  Definitely an exciting and interesting model, this has been very successful for DMCG so far.  Dealing with Anxiety and Burnout When talking about the greatest adversity that they have ever faced, Justin shared that recent circumstances in this period of the pandemic has caused him to feel burnout and anxiety. He admitted that this is not something that he had experienced previously. As Justin said, “Looking back at it, I think it's just a series of small things that started to build up over time.”  How did he get through this feeling of burnout? He mentioned activities that give him a sense of normalcy and continuity. “Making sure the teams are motivated...Making sure my family was safe, secure, and happy…” He eventually felt things were going back to normal. To be open about this is truly admirable. A lot of people are going through the same situation. If you are a recruitment business owner or recruiter, becoming aware of this feeling of overwhelm is a good starting point. As Dan also pointed out, “As a business owner... the last six months, 9 months, has been a very challenging period for everyone on the recruitment, or anyone all over the world right now. People are dealing with it in their own way. Justin has been great in actually noticing it, recognizing that, and actually dealing with it. And now coming to the other side and talking about it, that is admirable.” DMCG Global Background and Contact Info DMCG Global is a new recruitment agency created by the Founders of Daniel Marks, MCG&Co & SEVENTWENTY. It has 10 global offices in Brisbane, Dubai, Hong Kong, London, Singapore, New York, Amsterdam, Perth, Sydney, and Los Angeles. DMCG has global recruitment specialists for the advertising, creative, marketing, communications and technology industries. Co-founder Justin McGuire and Dan Matthews used to be childhood friends.  Dan has twenty years of experience in Marketing, Advertising, Creative & Digital recruitment and has worked extensively throughout the UK, Europe, USA and Globally to deliver solutions to a broad array of leading blue-chip brands, consultancies and creative agencies.   Justin began his professional career in London at the start of the digital boom, working in client servicing for a communications agency. He joined a headhunting firm based in London, setting up and leading the advertising and media business. Justin was then approached by a leading multi-national recruitment company and invited to relocate to Dubai. Following a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding two years, his experience in the communication industry combined with recruitment, training, and market knowledge, positioned him to set-up his own enterprise. MCG&Co (now DMCG Global) was born in Dubai in 2010 with a single vision: to connect the best businesses with the brightest talent in the marketing, communications and digital space DMCG Global website link: www.dmcgglobal.com Diversely website link: www.diversely.io DMCG Global on LinkedIn DMCG Global on Facebook Justin McGuire on LinkedIn Dan Matthews on LinkedIn People and Resources Mentioned Mentioned Justin’s LinkedIn post about mental health. Connect with Mark Whitby Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: www.recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-session/ Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby Mark on Facebook Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

Why should clients do business with you instead of your competition? What do you offer that is genuinely unique? Couldn’t your competitors make exactly the same claim?  Are your prospects able to discern the difference between what you offer vs your closest competitors? It’s not easy to explain how your service is better in a way that is tangible and believable.  Yet it’s critical that you create a “unique value proposition” if you’re going to thrive in a saturated recruitment market - especially during tough times.   In this episode of the Resilient Recruiter, my special guests, Kevin Redman and Matt Halfpenny share their journey - the highs and lows - and discuss how they have differentiated their service from their competitors. Kevin and Matt are owners of the Property Recruitment Company, founded in 2012 with offices in London and Manchester.  Episode Outline and Highlights [1:34] The how and why - Kevin tells the story of how he started the business in 2012. [6:57] Matt and Kevin unveil their “highs and lows” that they had to navigate through as leaders and entrepreneurs. [12:52] A vision of trying to be different and having a unique value proposition. [16:10] Kevin and Matt talk about differentiating themselves from the competition and what you can learn as a recruiter. [29:46] What it means to lead the change in recruitment instead of just catching up. [33:05] How the retained model can provide more options, flexibility, and a better sense of protection to your clients. [41:10] “The CV is dying” - this is a bold statement you should hear more about! [50:00] What the future holds for the property recruitment company “Dare to be Different” Early in our interview, Kevin and Matt shared the vision that they are working to achieve together. It is “daring to be different.” As Kevin puts it, “I think the biggest value in our business and in my world, personally, that resonates with me and our business is ‘dare to be different’… We got to be different. There are thousands of recruitment companies out there who all transfer people into jobs. We got to have a unique selling point. And I think it was exploring what is different.” Matt also added, “The first thing I wanted to do was be different in terms of the clients or sectors we operate in. We didn’t want to go, or stay in, markets that are overly saturated in my view and actually be confident in our niche.” Hear the different ways on how they are able to differentiate themselves from the competition and how you may be able to apply this to your own recruitment business. The “CV is Dying” While discussing how to keep up with the changes in the recruitment process, Kevin mentioned that the “CV is dying.” What exactly does he mean? Kevin said, “It is a bold statement...I just think now, in a world with a million different job titles, and really duties being fairly similar inside of these job titles, how do you tell? We talked a lot about the culture and as a recruiter the easiest thing for us is skill-matching. Look for a CV, you do XYZ in that CV, my job description says XYZ, that is a match, great! But look, your hiring decisions are motivated, it’s rarely on the skill, it’s cultural fit. Who is right for my organization? Who resonates with my values? … I think you can waste a lot of time looking at ‘CV to skill match’.” To emphasize, he also mentioned, “I think it’s dead because it lacks personality… our world is all about personality, we are service driven, particularly in the UK nation.” Matt added, “If you look at the CV, how many times does a hiring manager look there and go either,  “Wow they’ve worked at that place, they must be great,” or “They’ve worked for this organization they must be terrible.” These very quick assumptions based on length of service, who they work for, all of that, can be mitigated, all of that risk can be reduced, by showcasing another side of them. For us that is usually a recorded Q&A, still got a bit of competency into it. Shows personality, delves into some of the values and experience.” Listen to their other insightful takes on how to remain unique and relevant in the recruitment industry. Property Recruitment Background and Contact Info  Property Recruitment was initially born out of the desire  to change people’s minds about the relevance and value of recruitment agencies and that is still the key attribute to the culture within the company.   The business prides itself on being a challenger recruitment company identifying emerging property sectors and deploying their solutions and expertise in helping organizations connect with incredible talent  The business was founded by Kevin Redman who has 12 years of recruitment experience having previously worked for  the UK's fastest growth Public Sector Recruiter then later with a Global Recruitment Agency.  Kevin has had an entrepreneurial spirit from a young age and his can-do attitude are characteristics that have been a key influence in the growth of the business  In 2017  Matthew Halfpenny became the second equity director.  Matthew was previously a Senior Director within one of the UK's largest recruitment companies with expertise in securing high volume recruitment accounts whilst managing large personnel teams.   Matt and Kevin are passionate believers that the traditional recruitment model will soon not be fit for purpose in the digital revolution. In line with their culture of changing mindsets, they have been early adopters of tech and made it part of the fabric of their business. Website link: www.propertyrecruitmentcompany.com Property Recruitment on LinkedIn  Connect with Kevin and Matt Kevin on LinkedIn Matt on LinkedIn Connect with Mark Whitby Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: www.recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-session/ Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby Mark on Facebook Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter  

In this episode, I grill Doug Johnson on the secrets to his extraordinary success in recruitment.  Listen in as I persuade him to reveal the strategies, skills and techniques he’s developed over the years that have enabled him to generate millions of dollars in placement fees. Old-school sales and recruiting techniques are coming back in vogue during the Covid-19 environment.  Out of necessity, recruiters are going “back to basics” with their business development and candidate generation.  Unfortunately, these classic skills have become something of a lost art. Especially if you started your recruitment career after 2003 (when LinkedIn was founded).  Most recruiters would profit from the wisdom and insights of a veteran who developed their skills pre-LinkedIn era.  Doug is the president of Valor Partners, an executive search firm he founded in 2002. Doug specializes in recruiting leaders in sales, marketing and strategy within enterprise software. He has a particular focus on working with and placing female leaders in tech. Over the last 20 years Doug has placed 600 high performers with companies such as SAP, Microsoft, Salesforce.com, Honeywell, GE, and numerous startups. Prior to founding Valor Partners, Doug spent six years at MRI where he was a five-time top ten account executive of the year, and two-time national account executive of the year. Episode Outline and Highlights [2:40] Doug’s “accidental” career in recruiting and why he wanted to quit every day for the first 3 months!  [7:10] Doug shares his technique for getting referrals - a skill he developed in the pre-LinkedIn era which is just as relevant today. [11:18] Doug’s recruiting call script which is effective in opening conversations with potential candidates [19:10] How Doug went from a rookie to billing $1M two years in a row - the critical success factors. [25:24] An insightful perspective on why the “generalist is dying.” [32:20] The monumental challenge faced when he decided to go out on his own.  [39:29] Doug’s take on our current market and how best to get through this. [46:15] How do you convince a client on why paying an engagement fee makes sense? [51:56] Doug’s story about summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro, and how this experience is transferable to the recruiting business. Doing it Old School - How to be Good at Getting Referrals  Recalling the early years of his career that started in 1997, Doug shared the story of how they looked for referrals before LinkedIn or even before the internet was widely used in the recruitment industry.  “Let’s also remember that way back when you and I got started, the internet was not necessarily a thing. Cell phones were not a thing. LinkedIn wasn’t even an idea. So when I started, I would have to go home at night and I would have to do my research where I had an internet connection… If I wasn’t doing my research at night, [the office] had this big thick book called Corptech and there were about three volumes of it to find companies. I had to look through and find these phone numbers and then call.” He added, “It wasn’t like I could flip through LinkedIn and find the next sales guy in Chicago or the marketing guy in Detroit. I couldn’t do that. So you had to get really really good at asking for referrals and networking and getting information from the people so you could maximize these phone calls.”  Listen further as Doug revealed his secret on how to be good at getting referrals in this episode. Douglas Johnson Bio and Contact Info Doug founded Valor Partners in 2002. He has been working with enterprise software executives to identify and recruit the people who lead, build and manage top sales and marketing teams for over 20 years. His expertise is in SaaS software.  His practice focuses on helping his clients with the unique challenges of building the revenue side of their businesses- sales, marketing and customer success.  He has one other unique aspect to his practice; working with and placing female leaders in tech. "Discretion, exceptional judgment and over 20 years of industry expertise (with a heavy dose of humor and humility) allow me a network, relationships and market knowledge rivaled by very few people." Away from the office, Doug is a single dad with two kids, Grace and Murphy, and two dogs (Ash and Moose). He is a competitive tennis player (played in college), he runs Spartan races and is a year and a half into learning to salsa dance (so frustrating). He feels very fortunate that his career in search has allowed him the opportunity to travel the world with his kids- highlights have included reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro and watching the Northern Lights in Iceland. Doug on LinkedIn  Valor Partners website link: https://valorpartners.com/ Connect with Mark Whitby Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: www.recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-session/ Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby Mark on Facebook Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

From working in a recycling facility to becoming a million-dollar biller, my special guest Tyler Frisbie shares his inspiring story on how hard work, building sincere relationships, and staying humble helped him become a successful recruiter today. Tyler is a Managing Partner of Global Recruiters of McKinney (GRN), based in McKinney, Texas. He specializes in recruiting exceptional leadership talent in environmental and industrial sectors globally. Tyler launched his search firm in 2012, with no prior recruiting experience, and has become the number one office in his network. Episode Outline and Highlights [1:23] Tyler reveals his amazing story leading up to his recruiting career. [16:49] Tyler didn’t close a deal in the first 6 months - here’s how he stayed positive and turned things around. [21:18] Always be open to opportunities - hear how attending one event became a game-changer for Tyler’s recruitment business. [32:28] How relationships and connections enhance your brand. [40:40] Becoming selective - why you should not be afraid to say NO to business. [56:47] Memento mori - how remembering our own mortality can help us make better decisions and live a good life Tyler’s Journey from Garbageman to a Million Dollar Biller Driven by his motivation to support his family, Tyler’s story is amazing in terms of his transition from working in a recycling facility to becoming a million-dollar biller. He shared his struggles when he started working while in high school, doing several jobs while attending night school. It took him eight years to get his degree, but the challenges he overcame laid the foundation for his future success.   Do Not be Afraid to Say No to Business One of Tyler’s key learnings is to eliminate the fear of saying no. “From early in my recruiting career… I say yes to everything. I wanted to get experience and I learned a lot of hard lessons in doing that. Working for cheap and working for … people that I didn’t like.” In hindsight, Tyler appreciated the value of being selective in the assignments to take on for his business.  “There is so much power when you say no. It really shifts psychologically. I think in the minds of people you are saying no to, and in your own confidence.” Hear how Tyler applies the above principles especially on fee negotiation and other aspects of his recruitment business. Tyler Frisbie Bio and Contact Info Tyler is the Managing Partner of Global Recruiters of McKinney (GRN), based in McKinney, Texas. Since 2012, he has been recruiting exceptional leadership talent in environmental and industrial sectors globally. He is a member of The Pinnacle Society since 2019. Tyler’s route to becoming a big billing recruiter was quite unconventional.  At the age of sixteen, Tyler began working the second shift at a telecommunications manufacturing plant in Dallas, Texas. One year later he took a purchasing agent position at a different manufacturing facility that specialized in-flight safety-critical parts for Boeing, LearJet, and Cessna. Shortly after being promoted to purchasing manager, Tyler realized his passion for people and took a sales position at Balcones Resources where he worked with Fortune 1000 companies in implementing creative landfill diversion strategies throughout the US.  Through his hard work and determination, Tyler became the top sales producer and began developing his extensive professional network. During his 14 year tenure at Balcones, Tyler worked his way up to Business Development Manager and ultimately Vice President of Sales and Marketing. He gained expertise in commercial recycling/trash service, plastics recycling, electronic recycling, metals recycling, glass recycling, document destruction, product destruction, fuel technology, and various zero waste initiatives. While working full time, Tyler earned his BA in Business Management from LeTourneau University. Tyler is happily married to Heather of 23 years and they are recently empty nesters. They have two daughters - Rylee 23 & Waverly 18.  Tyler on LinkedIn People and Resources Mentioned The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius The Pinnacle Society website link Rob Bowerman on LinkedIn  Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion - Robert Cialdini Connect with Mark Whitby Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: www.recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-session/ Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby Mark on Facebook Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Related Podcasts You Might Enjoy TRR #32 How to Build a 7-Figure Search Firm with a Small Virtual Team, with Rob Bowerman Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter