The RAG Podcast - Recruitment Agency Growth Podcast

This week, I'm super excited to be joined by Alex Woodhead, the founder of a brand new 10-day-old talent and engineering consultancy called Apera. A business that specialises in recruitment for future mobility, space and clean energy. This is a super niche futuristic market with so much space for growth. And it isn’t Alex’s first time attacking it! We talk about how Alex started in recruitment: his journey from trainee to Director in his first firm, how he co-founded a company called Strativ, and built one of the fastest-growing recruitment companies on the planet. Within four years, they had a 100+ headcount and £13 million in NFI. Find out how they achieved this and why, a year later, he negotiated his exit and started his own business once again. Alex is one of those founders who has a crazy work ethic, unbelievable self-confidence and belief in what he’s doing.But what stands out about Alex – and we get into it in this episode – is that his success is not a result of having the best sales skills. It's about having the best product and then building a business around that product. TakeawaysBuilding the best product in your industry is crucial for success Confidence is not about being the best salesperson but about believing in what you’re doingLeaving a business can be a difficult decision, but you always need to prioritise personal happiness and growthCreating something special and having a meaningful impact should be the driving force behind any businessFocusing on specific markets and going deeper than anyone else is what leads to success and builds trustIn order to grow sustainably, you need to find the balance between being profitable and scaling If you want to grow your recruitment firm or just listen and learn from one of the best leaders in our industry, then you do not want to miss this episode!__________________________________________Episode sponsor: UntappedSafe to say, last year was tricky for the recruitment sector globally. Many have had to operate through uncertain times, making tough calls and streamlining where possible.However, accessing lower-cost resources internationally has proven to be the 2023 cheat code for business performance. But anyone who has tried it knows it’s not easy to get right. That’s where Untapped comes in. Untapped is one of the hottest companies in the market right now, helping agencies in the UK, US, Middle East and Australia transition to the new world, leverage elite remote individuals and even build whole offshore sourcing and recruiting teams. They source from the most exciting talent pools on the planet for recruitment staff and embed elite talent into your company to improve diversity, productivity and the cost of your teams. Your UK team will also love the help with some of the repetitive, time-consuming work that lands on their desk, improving their job satisfaction. They put around 3000 candidates per month through an intense 4-stage interview and online testing process to find the top 1% and secure these people roles in UK agencies doing research, marketing, finance, sourcing, end-to-end recruiting, coordination and account management. All candidates are benchmarked against UK competency frameworks and are tested for the highest level of communication and language skills.  It’s a simple process: You pay a deposit to kick off the search, they provide a candidates shortlist in 14 days.  You can also put people through your own process and then hire perm or on a freelance basis, depending on your needs. They are totally transparent with salaries. Typically, your global talent will earn 30% more than their local benchmark, giving you high levels of motivation and work ethic, but you’ll still pay 70% less than a UK equivalent support. It’s a no-brainer to complement existing teams to handle surplus demand or to ease cost pressures. If you’re not using this time to rip up your business model and rebuild it with global resources, you are going to fall behind those that do. Due to demand and capacity restraints, they are operating a waiting list at the moment, so be quick to get in touch: www.tryuntapped.com__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: Hoxo Ready to find 25+ warm leads within 7 days on LinkedIn?As a recruiter, most of the working day is spent chasing people via cold outreach on LinkedIn.This method is super time-consuming and most people don’t reply because they simply don’t know or trust you.But it can be different...If you follow the process in this document you will hack the LinkedIn Algorithm in just 15 minutes per day and drive warm leads whenever you want them.A warm lead is a person who you can 100% guarantee knows who you are, and what you do and has shown interest in you and/or your services in the past 48 hours.Over 5000 recruiters around the globe are following this process daily and the results have been amazing!You can have this too!Access the Hoxo 20:10:5 guide here: https://bit.ly/3PLjaJYIf you’d prefer to consume this information directly from our Co-Founder & CEO Sean Anderson (the creator of 20:10:5), you can join our free training course now!Get access to:4 bite-sized training videos that can immediately help you boost business on LinkedInExclusive access to Hoxo 20:10:5 warm leads tracking templateFree support from the Hoxo team to help you implement the process and get the resultsThis course is part of the hugely successful Personal Brand Bootcamp which has seen over 5000 recruiters graduate and drive millions of warm leads and £££ in revenue as a result!Get free access to the course once you’ve downloaded our guide.

On this week's show, Oscar Orellana-Hyder, the Founder of Cordell Partners, shares his journey from being a sceptic of personal branding on LinkedIn to building a successful recruitment agency in the UAE.I’ve worked with Oscar since 2021. He was a Hoxo client whilst working for Robert Walters.He went from someone who thought that using LinkedIn was complete nonsense and was billing £350k per year using only traditional methods, to doubling this within 12 months! All through 100% inbound business, generated via his LinkedIn personal brand.In late 2023, he decided that he finally had the skills and the confidence to launch his own agency. And his personal brand is still generating business all over the region.   If you're really interested in finding out how a personal brand on LinkedIn can actually pay dividends in terms of revenue, you've got to listen to this episode.TakeawaysPersonal branding on LinkedIn can have a significant impact on revenue and business growth – when done rightLiving and working in the UAE and how the region values family The value of niche recruitment markets and how to build deeper client relationships with key decision-makersFocusing on quality over quantity in the mission to build a reputable and ethical recruitment agency The realities of building a business from nothing in the UAE, how to navigate administrative challenges, and cultivating a strong network of local partners Finding self-sufficient people to help grow your teamLearning and connecting as part of a communityEmbracing change in dynamic and transient regionsChapters00:00 Introduction to The RAG Podcast and Cordell Partners01:28 Oscar's transformation and launching Cordell Partners02:52 The name and vision of Cordell Partners03:49 The importance of family in the UAE05:41 The influence of family ethics in business07:34 The niche market of investment recruitment09:59 Transitioning from corporate recruitment to niche market11:24 The decision to move to Dubai13:20 The impact of personal branding on revenue16:14 Joining Robert Walters and focusing on Abu Dhabi19:57 The impact of The RAG Podcast and LinkedIn26:14 The catalyst for starting Cordell Partners38:11 Setting up Cordell Partners and the vision for the future45:15 Building businesses from nothing45:42 Growing the team46:41 Finding self-sufficient people47:11 Value of being part of a community48:08 Future plans and retirement49:35 Expanding to other regions50:05 Identity and accents in the region51:01 Embracing change and transient nature51:28 Infrastructure challenges52:25 Living in a transient place53:19 Future business goals54:16 Importance of commitment to the region55:37 Exploring other countries in the region56:04 Openness to answering questions and helping others56:56 Sponsor message: Hoxo__________________________________________Hoxo MessageReady to find 25+ warm leads within 7 days on LinkedIn?As a recruiter, most of the working day is spent chasing people via cold outreach on LinkedIn.This method is super time-consuming and most people don’t reply because they simply don’t know or trust you.But it can be different...If you follow the process in this document you will hack the LinkedIn Algorithm in just 15 minutes per day and drive warm leads whenever you want them.A warm lead is a person who you can 100% guarantee knows who you are, and what you do and has shown interest in you and/or your services in the past 48 hours.Over 5000 recruiters around the globe are following this process daily and the results have been amazing!You can have this too!Access the Hoxo 20:10:5 guide here: https://bit.ly/3PLjaJYIf you’d prefer to consume this information directly from our Co-Founder & CEO Sean Anderson (The creator of 20:10:5), you can join our free training course now!Get access to:4 bite-sized training videos that can immediately help you boost business on LinkedInExclusive access to Hoxo 20:10:5 warm leads tracking templateFree support from the Hoxo team to help you implement the process and get the resultsThis course is part of the hugely successful Personal Brand Bootcamp which has seen over 5000 recruiters graduate and drive millions of warm leads and £££ in revenue as a result!Get free access to the course once you’ve downloaded our guide.__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: VincereVincere’s portals are a quick-win solution for agencies in need of a no-code candidate and client portal. It’s your one-way ticket to attracting top-tier candidates and clients with everything they need in one place.Easily set up your candidate, client, and job portal straight within your Vincere account andconfigure it to your own brand and theme so it feels like you.You can publish jobs from Vincere’s Job Portal and sync them directly to your website in one easy click. You can also offer candidates a quick and easy job search interface, so it’s made easy for them to find their perfect role.And for your clients, you can offer them unique logins so they can access everythingthey need 24/7, so they can rate and review candidates and arrange interviews.Find out more on vincere.io/rag

On this week's show, I'm joined by Jonathan Berry, the director of the Middle East region for Robert Walters Group.I’ve known him for five years and have been working with him for four years. Jonathan was the first staff member at Robert Walters to join my bootcamp. And I'm now working with over 700 recruiters across the Group. Jonathan came to Dubai after working for Robert Walters in Sydney, and is now running the business in the region. In this episode, he shares his journey from being a lawyer to transitioning into recruitment and building a successful recruitment desk in Dubai. Jonathan discusses the challenges and opportunities of working in the Middle East market and the impact of COVID-19 on recruitment. We also reflect on his leadership role and the importance of personal branding in his success so far. Jonathan explains how LinkedIn has translated into revenue and emphasises the need for a long-term strategy rather than a short-term focus. TakeawaysTransitioning from law to recruitment requires adaptability and a willingness to learn new skills.Building a successful recruitment desk in Dubai involves strategic hiring, building client relationships, and understanding the local market.The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted recruitment in Dubai, with many jobs being put on hold or canceled.Effective leadership involves trust, clear communication, and the ability to motivate and support team members.Personal branding is essential for recruiters to establish credibility and attract clients and candidates. LinkedIn provides value by building connections based on shared interests.Consistent messaging and content creation on LinkedIn can lead to revenue generation.A long-term strategy on LinkedIn is more effective than a short-term focus (Consistency is key) LinkedIn can help you get in the room with potential clients and candidates – and keep you there!Cultural inclusivity and motivation are important aspects of building and managing teams.The Middle East offers exciting growth opportunities for recruitment agencies.Consider the balance between personal and professional life when making career decisions.Being an intrapreneur within a company like RW can provide support and resources for growth.A great guy with a refreshing approach to recruitment – take notes, as this is super valuable! __________________________________________Episode Sponsor: UntappedSafe to say, last year was tricky for the recruitment sector globally. Many have had to operate through uncertain times, making tough calls and streamlining where possible.However, accessing lower-cost resources internationally has proven to be the 2023 cheat code for business performance. But anyone who has tried it knows it’s not easy to get right. That’s where Untapped comes in. Untapped is one of the hottest companies in the market right now, helping agencies in the UK, US, Middle East and Australia transition to the new world, leverage elite remote individuals and even build whole offshore sourcing and recruiting teams. They source from the most exciting talent pools on the planet for recruitment staff and embed elite talent into your company to improve diversity, productivity and the cost of your teams. Your UK team will also love the help with some of the repetitive, time-consuming work that lands on their desk, improving their job satisfaction. They put around 3000 candidates per month through an intense 4-stage interview and online testing process to find the top 1% and secure these people roles in UK agencies doing research, marketing, finance, sourcing, end-to-end recruiting, coordination and account management. All candidates are benchmarked against UK competency frameworks and are tested for the highest level of communication and language skills.  It’s a simple process: You pay a deposit to kick off the search, they provide a candidates shortlist in 14 days.  You can also put people through your own process and then hire perm or on a freelance basis, depending on your needs. They are totally transparent with salaries. Typically, your global talent will earn 30% more than their local benchmark, giving you high levels of motivation and work ethic, but you’ll still pay 70% less than a UK equivalent support. It’s a no-brainer to complement existing teams to handle surplus demand or to ease cost pressures. If you’re not using this time to rip up your business model and rebuild it with global resources, you are going to fall behind those that do. Due to demand and capacity restraints, they are operating a waiting list at the moment, so be quick to get in touch: www.tryuntapped.com__________________________________________Sponsor: Hoxo Ready to find 25+ warm leads within 7 days on LinkedIn?As a recruiter, most of the working day is spent chasing people via cold outreach on LinkedIn.This method is super time-consuming and most people don’t reply because they simply don’t know or trust you.But it can be different...If you follow the process in this document you will hack the LinkedIn Algorithm in just 15 minutes per day and drive warm leads whenever you want them.A warm lead is a person who you can 100% guarantee knows who you are, and what you do and has shown interest in you and/or your services in the past 48 hours.Over 5000 recruiters around the globe are following this process daily and the results have been amazing!You can have this too!Access the Hoxo 20:10:5 guide here: https://bit.ly/3PLjaJYIf you’d prefer to consume this information directly from our Co-Founder & CEO Sean Anderson (the creator of 20:10:5), you can join our free training course now!Get access to:4 bite-sized training videos that can immediately help you boost business on LinkedInExclusive access to Hoxo 20:10:5 warm leads tracking templateFree support from the Hoxo team to help you implement the process and get the resultsThis course is part of the hugely successful Personal Brand Bootcamp which has seen over 5000 recruiters graduate and drive millions of warm leads and £££ in revenue as a result!Get free access to the course once you’ve downloaded our guide.

On this week's show, I'm delighted to be joined by Calvin Lee-Pickett, the CEO and founder of Calvin James Recruitment. Calvin came from the UK to Dubai as an employee of Robert Half Recruitment, a global organisation. A few years later, he decided to start his own business. Without any experience as a business owner, he has grown organically over the last five years. And in this past year, things have REALLY changed for Calvin and his team! In this episode, Calvin discusses how he pivoted his business model to monetise the growing candidate base he’d built and the challenges he faced in setting up a business in Dubai. We also talk about the impact of COVID-19 on the business and the importance of building a solid personal brand. Calvin is a really great guy who’s building something special. You don’t want to miss this one! TakeawaysHow pivoting your business model can create new revenue streams and opportunities for growthThe challenges (and opportunities) in setting up a business in a new country – and the importance of strategic planning and determination in getting it right Agility and adaptability in the face of challenging circumstances The role of an authentic brand in attracting the right team members, candidates, and clientsLifestyle changes and how they can help you become more focused in every aspect of your work and personal life __________________________________________*RAG Sponsor message* HoxoReady to find 25+ warm leads within 7 days on LinkedIn?As a recruiter, most of the working day is spent chasing people via cold outreach on LinkedIn.This method is super time-consuming and most people don’t reply because they simply don’t know or trust you.But it can be different...If you follow the process in this document, you will hack the LinkedIn Algorithm in just 15 minutes per day and drive warm leads whenever you want them.A warm lead is a person who you can 100% guarantee knows who you are, and what you do and has shown interest in you and/or your services in the past 48 hours.Over 5000 recruiters around the globe are following this process daily, and the results have been amazing!You can have this too!Access the Hoxo 20:10:5 guide here: https://bit.ly/3PLjaJYIf you’d prefer to consume this information directly from our Co-Founder & CEO, Sean Anderson (the creator of 20:10:5), you can join our free training course now!Get access to:4 bite-sized training videos that can immediately help you boost business on LinkedInExclusive access to Hoxo 20:10:5 warm leads tracking templateFree support from the Hoxo team to help you implement the process and get the resultsThis course is part of the hugely successful Personal Brand Bootcamp, which has seen over 5000 recruiters graduate and drive millions of warm leads and £££ in revenue as a result!Get free access to the course once you’ve downloaded our guide.__________________________________________*RAG Sponsor message*: VincereVincere’s portals are a quick-win solution for agencies in need of a no-code candidate and client portal. It’s your one-way ticket to attracting top-tier candidates and clients with everything they need in one place.Easily set up your candidate, client, and job portal straight within your Vincere account andconfigure it to your own brand and theme so it feels like you.You can publish jobs from Vincere’s Job Portal and sync them directly to your website in one easy click. You can also offer candidates a quick and easy job search interface, so it’s made easy for them to find their perfect role.And for your clients, you can offer them unique logins so they can access everythingthey need 24/7, so they can rate and review candidates and arrange interviews.Find out more on vincere.io/rag

Episode 2 of my LIVE series in the UAE and I'm joined by Abdul Rahman Risilia, CEO and founder of ARC Talent. Abdul is someone I actually worked with when I started my recruitment career in Melbourne in 2011, but I didn’t realise this until the show because, back then, he worked under a completely different name!In this episode, Abdul shares his journey from door-to-door sales to building a successful recruitment business in Dubai, growing through the various challenges along the way, and his unique business model and approach to hiring.  We talk aboutARC Talent’s unique business model and how they combine a core team in Dubai with freelancers around the world Abdul’s recruitment career, starting with his first job in Melbourne and exploring the various challenges and successes he’s had along the wayThe role of religion and faith in Abdul’s journey and his conversion to Islam The importance of adapting to changing market conditions and building strong relationships with clients and candidatesLessons for starting a business, including taking the time to learn from past experiences and being patient A different approach to recruitment, focusing on relationships and quality over quantity, can lead to better outcomesBuilding a strong brand and maintaining meaningful relationshipsThe future of ARC Talent and Abdul’s vision for expansionHow Dubai offers a unique environment for both personal and professional growthYou don’t wanna miss this!__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: UntappedSafe to say, last year was tricky for the recruitment sector globally. Many have had to operate through uncertain times, making tough calls and streamlining where possible.However, accessing lower-cost resources internationally has proven to be the 2023 cheat code for business performance. But anyone who has tried it knows it’s not easy to get right. That’s where Untapped comes in. Untapped is one of the hottest companies in the market right now, helping agencies in the UK, US, Middle East and Australia transition to the new world, leverage elite remote individuals and even build whole offshore sourcing and recruiting teams. They source from the most exciting talent pools on the planet for recruitment staff and embed elite talent into your company to improve diversity, productivity and the cost of your teams. Your UK team will also love the help with some of the repetitive, time-consuming work that lands on their desk, improving their job satisfaction. They put around 3000 candidates per month through an intense 4-stage interview and online testing process to find the top 1% and secure these people roles in UK agencies doing research, marketing, finance, sourcing, end-to-end recruiting, coordination and account management. All candidates are benchmarked against UK competency frameworks and are tested for the highest level of communication and language skills.  It’s a simple process: You pay a deposit to kick off the search, they provide a candidates shortlist in 14 days.  You can also put people through your own process and then hire perm or on a freelance basis, depending on your needs. They are totally transparent with salaries. Typically, your global talent will earn 30% more than their local benchmark, giving you high levels of motivation and work ethic, but you’ll still pay 70% less than a UK equivalent support. It’s a no-brainer to complement existing teams to handle surplus demand or to ease cost pressures. If you’re not using this time to rip up your business model and rebuild it with global resources, you are going to fall behind those that do. Due to demand and capacity restraints, they are operating a waiting list at the moment, so be quick to get in touch: www.tryuntapped.com

The first of our 5 x episodes recorded Live in the UAE kicks off with ME as the guest! So Chris Redmond, who's been on our show three times since 2019, approached me about interviewing me and telling both the Hoxo story and my learnings from almost 300 episodes of the RAG on my recent trip to Dubai!In this episode, I opened up a lot! We discuss The story of Hoxo to dateThe impact of my personal brand on building the businessWhy I started The RAG PodcastThe impact The RAG has had on the industryMy top learnings from 5 years of interviewing the best in the business How my life and Hoxo are 100% different since the pandemic My vision for building a life that I love both personally and professionally. Thanks to Chris for taking the time to host this episode; it was so much fun to be on the other side of the mic!I hope you find this valuable!Chapters00:00 Introduction to the RAG Podcast05:11 The story of Hoxo Media06:11 Hoxo's services: branding and personal branding13:22 The impact of personal branding20:02 The RAG Podcast: purpose and impact24:25 Lessons from successful recruitment owners30:05 Interviewing style and emotional moments37:20 Hoxo's future plans42:07 Scientist or artist: Sean's approach43:31 Overcoming challenges and taking action46:20 The power of energy and inspiration47:15 Appreciation and friendship47:44 Closing remarks and sponsorship__________________________________________*RAG Sponsor message* HoxoReady to find 25+ warm leads within 7 days on LinkedIn?As a recruiter, most of the working day is spent chasing people via cold outreach on LinkedIn.This method is super time-consuming and most people don’t reply because they simply don’t know or trust you.But it can be different...If you follow the process in this document you will hack the LinkedIn Algorithm in just 15 minutes per day and drive warm leads whenever you want them.A warm lead is a person who you can 100% guarantee knows who you are, and what you do and has shown interest in you and/or your services in the past 48 hours.Over 5000 recruiters around the globe are following this process daily and the results have been amazing!You can have this too!Access the Hoxo 20:10:5 guide here: https://bit.ly/3PLjaJYIf you’d prefer to consume this information directly from our Co-Founder & CEO Sean Anderson (The creator of 20:10:5), you can join our free training course now!Get access to:4 bite-sized training videos that can immediately help you boost business on LinkedInExclusive access to Hoxo 20:10:5 warm leads tracking templateFree support from the Hoxo team to help you implement the process and get the resultsThis course is part of the hugely successful Personal Brand Bootcamp which has seen over 5000 recruiters graduate and drive millions of warm leads and £££ in revenue as a result!Get free access to the course once you’ve downloaded our guide.__________________________________________*RAG Sponsor message*: VincereVincere’s portals are a quick-win solution for agencies in need of a no-code candidate and client portal. It’s your one-way ticket to attracting top-tier candidates and clients with everything they need in one place.Easily set up your candidate, client, and job portal straight within your Vincere account andconfigure it to your own brand and theme so it feels like you.You can publish jobs from Vincere’s Job Portal and sync them directly to your website in one easy click. You can also offer candidates a quick and easy job search interface, so it’s easy for them to find their perfect role.And for your clients, you can offer them unique logins so they can access everything they need 24/7, so they can rate and review candidates and arrange interviews.Find out more on vincere.io/rag

In this episode of the RAG podcast, Sean Anderson interviews Richard Morton, the founder of MatchMedics. Richard shares his journey of launching a recruitment company in his 50s and emphasises that it's never too late to pursue your dreams. He discusses the challenges he faced in the early years and the turning point after reading the book 'Traction'. Richard explains how MatchMedics narrowed its focus to specialise in recruiting doctors and the subsequent growth in team size and revenue. He also highlights the expansion into the local market and other specialities, such as general practice. Sean and Richard discuss the impact of LinkedIn on his recruitment business and the potential it holds for finding high-level candidates. He shares how Hoxo's Personal Branding Bootcamp has helped his team develop a unified language and methodology for using the platform effectively. The conversation also explores the impact of content generation and the importance of becoming a recognisable brand online. They discuss the future vision of the business, opportunities for growth, and the importance of building a strong team and environment. This is a must-listen for anyone wanting to hear first-hand about the journey of building a rec business from the ground up, and what it takes to start driving success! TakeawaysIt's never too late to launch a recruitment company and pursue your dreams.Narrowing your focus and specialising in a specific niche can lead to significant growth and success.Building a strong team and providing opportunities for growth and development are key to long-term success.Transitioning from doing the work to managing can be challenging but is necessary for business growth.Participating in training programs and seeking continuous learning can have a positive impact on business success.LinkedIn has become an increasingly important sourcing strategy for recruitment businesses, particularly in the healthcare sector.Hoxo's LinkedIn Bootcamp helps teams develop a unified language and methodology for using LinkedIn effectively.Content generation on LinkedIn has had a massive impact on business growth and engagement.Building a strong team and environment is crucial for long-term success in the recruitment industry.Seizing opportunities and driving success requires dedication, energy, and the right vision and people.Chapters00:00 Introduction to the RAG podcast00:56 Richard Morton's background and launching MatchMedics04:16 Richard's start in recruitment in 198908:24 Transitioning from being an employee to an entrepreneur12:15  Starting MatchMedics and the early challenges19:14 The turning point after reading the book 'Traction'25:17 Narrowing the focus to specialise in recruiting doctors27:40 Expansion into the local market and other specialities 28:39 Growth in team size and revenue38:22 Managing the resourcer-recruiter model44:26 Expansion into the general practice market45:21 Richard's role in the company46:20 The challenges of transitioning from doing the work to managing46:50 The benefits of participating in the Hoxo Personal Brand Academy47:16 Discovering the potential of LinkedIn48:13 The impact of LinkedIn on business49:07 Creating a unified language and methodology50:03 The Impact of Hoxo on content generation50:33 Generating placeable candidates52:29 Educating the competition52:58 The vision and future of the business53:24 Building a strong team and environment56:13 The journey and potential growth57:09 Seizing opportunities and driving success58:04 Understanding rotations in the healthcare sector59:16 Taking time off and reflecting on achievements01:00:42 Closing remarks and sponsor messageHoxo MessageReady to find 25+ warm leads within 7 days on LinkedIn?As a recruiter, most of the working day is spent chasing people via cold outreach on LinkedIn.This method is super time-consuming and most people don’t reply because they simply don’t know or trust you.But it can be different...If you follow the process in this document you will hack the LinkedIn Algorithm in just 15 minutes per day and drive warm leads whenever you want them.A warm lead is a person who you can 100% guarantee knows who you are, and what you do and has shown interest in you and/or your services in the past 48 hours.Over 5000 recruiters around the globe are following this process daily and the results have been amazing!You can have this too!Access the Hoxo 20:10:5 guide here: https://bit.ly/3PLjaJYIf you’d prefer to consume this information directly from our Co-Founder & CEO Sean Anderson (the creator of 20:10:5), you can join our free training course now!Get access to:4 bite-sized training videos that can immediately help you boost business on LinkedInExclusive access to Hoxo 20:10:5 warm leads tracking templateFree support from the Hoxo team to help you implement the process and get the resultsThis course is part of the hugely successful Personal Brand Bootcamp which has seen over 5000 recruiters graduate and drive millions of warm leads and £££ in revenue as a result!Get free access to the course once you’ve downloaded our guide.__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: UntappedSafe to say, last year was tricky for the recruitment sector globally. Many have had to operate through uncertain times, making tough calls and streamlining where possible.However, accessing lower-cost resources internationally has proven to be the 2023 cheat code for business performance. But anyone who has tried it knows it’s not easy to get right. That’s where Untapped comes in. Untapped is one of the hottest companies in the market right now, helping agencies in the UK, US, Middle East and Australia transition to the new world, leverage elite remote individuals and even build whole offshore sourcing and recruiting teams. They source from the most exciting talent pools on the planet for recruitment staff and embed elite talent into your company to improve diversity, productivity and the cost of your teams. Your UK team will also love the help with some of the repetitive, time-consuming work that lands on their desk, improving their job satisfaction. They put around 3000 candidates per month through an intense 4-stage interview and online testing process to find the top 1% and secure these people roles in UK agencies doing research, marketing, finance, sourcing, end-to-end recruiting, coordination and account management. All candidates are benchmarked against UK competency frameworks and are tested for the highest level of communication and language skills.  It’s a simple process: You pay a deposit to kick off the search, they provide a candidates shortlist in 14 days.  You can also put people through your own process and then hire perm or on a freelance basis, depending on your needs. They are totally transparent with salaries. Typically, your global talent will earn 30% more than their local benchmark, giving you high levels of motivation and work ethic, but you’ll still pay 70% less than a UK equivalent support. It’s a no-brainer to complement existing teams to handle surplus demand or to ease cost pressures. If you’re not using this time to rip up your business model and rebuild it with global resources, you are going to fall behind those that do. Due to demand and capacity restraints, they are operating a waiting list at the moment, so be quick to get in touch: www.tryuntapped.com

In this week’s episode, I’m joined by Jamie Reynolds, a man who’s held some impressive titles in his career but most notably was the Former CEO of PMP Recruitment, a part of the Cordant Group, COO of Halian, and most recently, CEO of The Recruitment Co. In this in-depth episode, he shares his journey from a 17-year-old trainee to his moves toward CEO. During his time at Cordant, he delivered multiple millions in profit through a company wide business transformation programme.Jamie is passionate about empowering people to think differently, and it’s inspiring to hear how he uses this mindset to deliver financial results!It’s not always smooth sailing, and it’s refreshing to hear someone speak so realistically about mental health and wellbeing. Jamie and I discussed the lessons he learned during the acquisition and merger of Halian and Staff Group, including the need for empathy and respect when making tough decisions like redundancies. One of the good guys in the recruitment sector, take notes- there is lots to learn!TakeawaysAcquisitions and mergers can create synergy and growth opportunities for businesses.It is important to ensure that promises of wealth creation are legally bound and fit for purpose.Driving results requires finding efficiencies, building culture, and galvanising people.Entrepreneurial skills can be applied to both large and small businesses.Mental health and well-being should be prioritised in the workplace.Chapters 00:00 Introduction02:20 Jamie’sackground and expertise 06:04 Transition from service sector to recruitment sector 07:20 Jamie's journey to CEO level10:38 Joining the Cordant Group12:59 Transformation within the Cordant Group19:04 Implementing transformational projects25:11 Managing multiple projects32:15 Turning around the business36:32 Transition to Group CEO40:56 Transformation during the pandemic43:46 Dealing with redundancies49:55 Role evolution and disposals52:06 Acquisition and merger of Halian and Staff Group53:31 Lessons learned from exits and transformations55:50 Success of PMP Recruitment56:42 Driving results57:08 Ability to work with both large and small businesses58:58 Offering growth, transformation, and coaching/mentoring01:00:37 Jamie's life and approach to work01:02:31 Importance of mental health and well-being01:04:06 Closing remarks and contact information__________________________________________Hoxo MessageReady to find 25+ warm leads within 7 days on LinkedIn?As a recruiter, most of the working day is spent chasing people via cold outreach on LinkedIn.This method is super time-consuming and most people don’t reply because they simply don’t know or trust you.But it can be different...If you follow the process in this document you will hack the LinkedIn Algorithm in just 15 minutes per day and drive warm leads whenever you want them.A warm lead is a person who you can 100% guarantee knows who you are, and what you do and has shown interest in you and/or your services in the past 48 hours.Over 5000 recruiters around the globe are following this process daily and the results have been amazing!You can have this too!Access the Hoxo 20:10:5 guide here: https://bit.ly/3PLjaJYIf you’d prefer to consume this information directly from our Co-Founder & CEO Sean Anderson (The creator of 20:10:5), you can join our free training course now!Get access to:4 bite-sized training videos that can immediately help you boost business on LinkedInExclusive access to Hoxo 20:10:5 warm leads tracking templateFree support from the Hoxo team to help you implement the process and get the resultsThis course is part of the hugely successful Personal Brand Bootcamp which has seen over 5000 recruiters graduate and drive millions of warm leads and £££ in revenue as a result!Get free access to the course once you’ve downloaded our guide.__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: VincereVincere’s portals are a quick-win solution for agencies in need of a no-code candidate and client portal. It’s your one-way ticket to attracting top-tier candidates and clients with everything they need in one place.Easily set up your candidate, client, and job portal straight within your Vincere account andconfigure it to your own brand and theme so it feels like you.You can publish jobs from Vincere’s Job Portal and sync them directly to your website in one easy click. You can also offer candidates a quick and easy job search interface, so it’s made easy for them to find their perfect role.And for your clients, you can offer them unique logins so they can access everythingthey need 24/7, so they can rate and review candidates and arrange interviews.Find out more on vincere.io/rag

In this week's episode, I was joined by Laura Clark, CEO of OA Group, who shares her journey of joining the family business and eventually taking over as CEO. She discusses the challenges and rewards of working with her mother and the lessons she learned from her entrepreneurial upbringing. Laura also talks about the growth and operations of OA Group, her early career in recruitment, and the negotiation process of buying out her mother's stake in the business.This episode highlights the importance of hard work, independence, and the drive to improve in the recruitment industry. Key takeaways Working with family in a business can be genuinely rewarding, but only with clear boundaries and communication. Growing up with an entrepreneurial parent can instil a strong work ethic and independence from a young age.Success in recruitment requires a genuine passion for the industry and a willingness to go the extra mile for clients and candidates.Taking over a family business involves careful negotiation and planning, with the support of external advisors and a clear vision for the future. Working with family can lead to better conversations and different perspectives.Creating a meaningful and sustainable business means focusing on growth, training, and offering employee opportunities.Balancing growth and fairness is essential for building a good business.Being open-minded and embracing change usually leads to innovation and success.Building a safe environment for feedback and ideas is crucial for business growth.Gender equality should focus on removing limitations and treating everyone as equals.Prioritising and being agile are vital in managing work and family life.Chapters00:00 Introduction to the RAG podcast00:58 Laura's journey and joining the family business03:18 Overview of OA Group05:15 Laura's early career and working with her mother08:06 Growing up with an entrepreneurial parent09:04 Laura's interest in business and entrepreneurship10:34 Joining Osborne Appointments16:11 Early days of recruiting and the types of jobs19:19 Balancing work and motherhood25:45 Progressing in her career and becoming a manager29:25 Realising her entrepreneurial ambitions31:19 Negotiating the deal to take over the business37:48 Taking ownership of the business43:34 Working with family and post-acquisition vision45:01 Creating a meaningful and sustainable business46:20 Balancing growth and fairness46:50 Key principles for a viable business47:48 Embracing change and being open-minded49:18 Seeking outside opinions and ideas50:14 Creating a safe environment for feedback and innovation53:02 The importance of in-person interaction in recruitment58:12 Gender equality and avoiding self-limitations01:02:48 Juggling work and family life01:07:45 The importance of prioritising and being agile__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: UntappedSafe to say, last year was tricky for the recruitment sector globally. Many have had to operate through uncertain times, making tough calls and streamlining where possible.However, accessing lower-cost resources internationally has proven to be the 2023 cheat code for business performance. But anyone who has tried it knows it’s not easy to get right. That’s where Untapped comes in. Untapped is one of the hottest companies in the market right now, helping agencies in the UK, US, Middle East and Australia transition to the new world, leverage elite remote individuals and even build whole offshore sourcing and recruiting teams. They source from the most exciting talent pools on the planet for recruitment staff and embed elite talent into your company to improve diversity, productivity and the cost of your teams. Your UK team will also love the help with some of the repetitive, time-consuming work that lands on their desk, improving their job satisfaction. They put around 3000 candidates per month through an intense 4-stage interview and online testing process to find the top 1% and secure these people roles in UK agencies doing research, marketing, finance, sourcing, end-to-end recruiting, coordination and account management. All candidates are benchmarked against UK competency frameworks and are tested for the highest level of communication and language skills.  It’s a simple process: You pay a deposit to kick off the search, they provide a candidates shortlist in 14 days.  You can also put people through your own process and then hire perm or on a freelance basis, depending on your needs. They are totally transparent with salaries. Typically, your global talent will earn 30% more than their local benchmark, giving you high levels of motivation and work ethic, but you’ll still pay 70% less than a UK equivalent support. It’s a no-brainer to complement existing teams to handle surplus demand or to ease cost pressures. If you’re not using this time to rip up your business model and rebuild it with global resources, you are going to fall behind those that do. Due to demand and capacity restraints, they are operating a waiting list at the moment, so be quick to get in touch: www.tryuntapped.com

On this week's show, I'm delighted to be joined by Josh Huggins, the founder of GS2, a global sustainability search recruitment firm headquartered in Basingstoke. The business is just over 18 months old, with eight employees. Josh shares his journey from being a professional footballer to starting his own recruitment business. After becoming the second-largest shareholder at Principal People he, alongside Simon Bliss, led the process of selling the business. He had to wait five years and faced many challenges before making the bold decision to leave and start GS2. TakeawaysNegotiating an exit from a previous company can be challenging, especially when it comes to non-compete agreements and investment decisions.Focusing on operational billing and setting high standards can help build a strong foundation for a recruitment agency.Investing in personal branding and leveraging platforms like LinkedIn can have a significant impact on client retention and business growth.Internal recruitment plays a crucial role in building a successful company and finding the best talent to drive growth.Having a clear vision and exit strategy can guide the long-term goals and direction of a recruitment agency.Chapters00:00 Introduction to the RAG podcast and guest introduction01:25 Josh Huggins' background and journey to starting GS203:20 Overview of GS2 and its divisions04:39 Target market and clients of GS206:02 The changing recruitment landscape and opportunities in a post-COVID world07:00 Josh's background in football and transition to recruitment10:46 Joining Principal People and the growth of the business16:28 Transitioning to a senior role at Principal People20:44 The process of selling Principal People and the challenges faced27:51 The decision to start GS2 and the challenges faced36:48 The attempted buyback of Principal People and the decision to start GS240:33 The exit from Principal People and the start of GS244:28 Naming and structure of GS245:23 Negotiating the exit and setting up GS247:39 Starting GS2 and building the team49:21 Returning to operational billing and setting standards51:15 Recruiting levels and service offerings52:08 Investing in personal branding and learning from Hoxo53:07 Changing the mindset of recruitment and staying connected with clients55:28 The impact of personal branding on revenue57:21 Bringing Tom Glanfield on board and internal recruitment01:00:15 Building GS2 with an exit in mind01:02:09 The vision for GS2 and future growth__________________________________________Hoxo MessageReady to find 25+ warm leads within 7 days on LinkedIn?As a recruiter, most of the working day is spent chasing people via cold outreach on LinkedIn.This method is super time-consuming and most people don’t reply because they simply don’t know or trust you.But it can be different...If you follow the process in this document you will hack the LinkedIn Algorithm in just 15 minutes per day and drive warm leads whenever you want them.A warm lead is a person who you can 100% guarantee knows who you are, and what you do and has shown interest in you and/or your services in the past 48 hours.Over 5000 recruiters around the globe are following this process daily and the results have been amazing!You can have this too!Access the Hoxo 20:10:5 guide here: https://bit.ly/3PLjaJYIf you’d prefer to consume this information directly from our Co-Founder & CEO Sean Anderson (The creator of 20:10:5), you can join our free training course now!Get access to:4 bite-sized training videos that can immediately help you boost business on LinkedInExclusive access to Hoxo 20:10:5 warm leads tracking templateFree support from the Hoxo team to help you implement the process and get the resultsThis course is part of the hugely successful Personal Brand Bootcamp which has seen over 5000 recruiters graduate and drive millions of warm leads and £££ in revenue as a result!Get free access to the course once you’ve downloaded our guide.__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: VincereVincere’s portals are a quick-win solution for agencies in need of a no-code candidate and client portal. It’s your one-way ticket to attracting top-tier candidates and clients with everything they need in one place.Easily set up your candidate, client, and job portal straight within your Vincere account andconfigure it to your own brand and theme so it feels like you.You can publish jobs from Vincere’s Job Portal and sync them directly to your website in one easy click. You can also offer candidates a quick and easy job search interface, so it’s made easy for them to find their perfect role.And for your clients, you can offer them unique logins so they can access everythingthey need 24/7, so they can rate and review candidates and arrange interviews.Find out more on vincere.io/rag