The RAG Podcast - Recruitment Agency Growth Podcast

I am excited, delighted, and honored to be joined by Greg Savage in the latest episode of the RAG Podcast. Now, almost everyone in our sector globally knows who this guy is. During his time in recruitment, Greg:-Has built an incredible brand-Has been an advisor to 16 recruitment organisations in the APAC region-Has owned and scaled three organisations-Has authored a book -Has built his own training academy across the global recruitment community I interviewed Greg at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. He was the second person I brought onto The RAG Report, which was my daily show in 2020 in which I provided some advice to our community in a time of need.On today's episode, we talked about the work Greg did during the pandemic, the advice he gave, the advice he would give now, and the reality of the current economic situation. We also talked about Greg’s book and his experience, and he gave some golden nuggets of information.He specifically outlined the metrics you should be measuring to ensure your business is scaling profitably. He said the number one reason he gets involved with businesses is because they tend to grow gross profit but not their profit. So essentially, they scale without profit. Greg gives some unbelievable advice as to how you can manage this issue and the reasons why it might be worth getting an advisor to help you if you're seeing certain symptoms. I’d advise you to listen to everything he's got to say. The guy is full of wisdom and experience. Take it on board, take some notes, and I hope you get as much value from this episode as I did recording it.VincereA message to all recruitment leaders looking to upgrade their CRM: Before you sign the contract, be sure to read the terms at least twice.Common traps to watch out for:- Not understanding the pricing model- Discounts limited to only the 1st year of contract length- Monthly contracts - this could mean flexibility for the vendor to raise prices- Data hosting - anything outside your country could mean compliance & legal issuesGet Vincere.io’s 10-step guide to keep your vendor due diligence & evaluation process airtight: https://bit.ly/3C2G1s3

On this week's show, I am joined by Ephram Stephenson.Ephram is the CEO of Collar Group, a recruitment group based in Australia with nine offices and over a hundred staff. Interestingly, Ephram only started the business in the summer of 2021 and sent his first invoice in October 2021.Since then, he's grown an agency that covers predominantly blue-collar recruitment, but is now moving into white-collar recruitment and exec search.Now, this is not Ephram's first venture into recruitment ownership.He got into the industry in Australia in the 2000s.He did two and a half years as a consultant where he was a top biller earning a lot of money, and then started his own business, which he had for 17 years.He's launched a number of different recruitment businesses and brands within that time and has been hugely successful.He is one of the most energetic and enthusiastic owners I've ever met. You'll notice this on the podcast.There have been a few guests over the last couple of years that stand out with that no-holds-barred, high-growth energy and absolutely no ceiling on where they want to go. And this is another installment of that type of episode.So if you are in the blue- or white-collar recruitment space, and you are looking to hear about a story of someone with absolutely ridiculously high growth plans, this is one for you. Super honest, super open, and hugely inspiring. I loved every minute of recording it, and I hope you enjoy the show. VincereA message to all recruitment leaders looking to upgrade their CRM: Before you sign the contract, be sure to read the terms at least twice.Common traps to watch:- Not understanding the pricing model- Discounts limited to only the 1st year of contract length- Monthly contracts - this could mean flexibility for the vendor to raise prices- Data hosting - anything outside your country could mean compliance & legal issuesGet Vincere’s 10-step guide to keep your vendor due diligence & evaluation process airtight: https://bit.ly/3C2G1s3

On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I am joined by Ben Duffill.Ben is the Managing Director of MRG Group, The Management Recruitment Group. They’re a 60-person recruitment organisation headquartered in London, with multiple global offices.Ben has a really unique and interesting story in our sector. He went to university at 18 years old and quit within six weeks.Back in Essex, he then managed to get himself into a recruitment career with Hays. This decision set him off on a trajectory to be successful in the future.Now, at the age of 35, in the second business he's worked for, he's top of the tree. He is working for the founder as the Managing Director and has equity in the business.Over the last 15 years, he's grown a family, he's been through ups and downs, but he's been very clear on his vision, what he wants to achieve, and how he can achieve his dreams of being an “intrepreneur”.Usually, I interview entrepreneurs who have founded their own business, but I do not want everyone in recruitment to believe that the only way you're going to succeed is if you leave and set up your own company. Ben has proven that you can be super successful by staying with a business as long as one thing happens, and that is what we're gonna talk about in today's episode.Sponsor: VincereA message to all recruitment leaders looking to upgrade their CRM: Before you sign the contract, be sure to read the terms at least twice.Common traps to watch out for:- Not understanding the pricing model- Discounts limited to only the 1st year of contract length- Monthly contracts - this could mean flexibility for the vendor to raise prices- Data hosting - anything outside your country could mean compliance & legal issuesGet Vincere’s 10-step guide to keep your vendor due diligence & evaluation process airtight: https://bit.ly/3C2G1s3

On today's episode, I am joined by Simon Hair.Simon is the Managing Director of Precision Sourcing Group, a business headquartered in Sydney, Australia with 31 expert recruiters in project services, SAP, data, and software development. Now, I've wanted to have Simon on for a long time.I've worked with him for over two years and for some reason it just never happened. But the timing is perfect, because last week he got voted Australian Recruitment Leader of the Year at the TIARA Awards.Nominated by his team, celebrated by his peers. You can see why in this interview.Simon is one of the most organised and motivated people I have been lucky enough to work with.He enrolled in my Personal Brand Academy during the pandemic, took everything I taught him, and drilled it into his team. Since then, his team has gone and worked with me as a collective for over 12 months.They now are one of the most well-known brands in Australia in their market.Over 23% of their net fee income last year, which is well over $2 million, was generated directly from their activity on LinkedIn. And that doesn't even include the work they've done with candidates. That's just clients they can track who have come in as inbound leads, or they've managed to source via the interaction through LinkedIn.So I'd say he's building one of the most socially engaged recruitment firms on the planet.And the way he explains it makes it sound so simple and so achievable. He's doing so whilst also driving the four-day week, so the team at Precision Sourcing now don't work on Fridays,He appreciates everything there is to offer and he has an open mindset. That's evident in the episode and also in the business he runs today. Anyone who wants to grow in a modern, innovative way and who has an open mindset is going to love this episode.Talent Ticker  Looking for a way to grow your recruitment business in 2022? Talent Ticker is here to help. More than 300 recruitment agencies are using Talent Ticker to automate their recruiters’ most monotonous tasks, help them predict who will be hiring 3 months in advance, and provide simple tools to identify ideal passive and active candidates to pitch for open roles. Learn more at get.talentticker.ai/hoxo and take advantage of their special offer for our listeners.

On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I am joined by Kayleigh Bottomley, the Founder and SVP of Storm4. Storm4 is another branch of Levin, the fastest-growing group of recruitment companies in the world. A couple of weeks ago I shared a repeat of a 2021 episode with James Brown, the founder of Leven group. This was one of my highest played episodes since the start of the RAG Podcast, probably because Levin is one of the most talked about organisations in our sector.They are taking the recruitment industry by storm and doing things differently.In February 2021, Kayleigh started Storm4, since then they have continued the insane growth of the group as they’ve gone from 0 to 125 staff across multiple locations.Every single recruiter Storm4 hires is a graduate with no experience and in just over 12 months they were able to become profitable too!In this episode she’s sharing how she’s done it! I really went deep into the processes, procedures, and people that are required for a team to grow this fast.If you are inspired by insane growth and fast-moving recruitment organisations, then then this one's for you.Talent Ticker  Looking for a way to grow your recruitment business in 2022? Talent Ticker is here to help. More than 300 recruitment agencies are using Talent Ticker to automate their recruiters’ most monotonous tasks, help them predict who will be hiring 3 months in advance, and provide simple tools to identify ideal passive and active candidates to pitch for open roles. Learn more at get.talentticker.ai/hoxo and take advantage of their special offer for our listeners.

On today’s episode, I was joined by John Dyson.John is the founder of FJR Group, a specialist recruitment firm headquartered in Manchester with an office in London, operating across financial services, HR, and technology.John started the business in May 2011, the very same month that I personally started in recruitment.In that period of time, he’s grown a business to over 50 people and has opened multiple offices.Recently, during a snowboarding holiday in France, John suffered an accident where he broke his back in a couple of places and had bleeding in the brain.This specific accident led to many positive decisions and changes to his business - something John would never have foreseen!In this episode, you’re going to find out about a recruitment owner who I believe is doing things in a hybrid way.There are recruitment owners that keep the business lean and wrap everything around themselves, and there are ones who aim to build businesses as fast and as big as they can for growth and exit.John is kind of in between.He’s building a great leadership team to manage the day-to day-operation of FJR Group, but he’s very close to the frontline.To anyone looking to grow their business in a more considered way - not wanting it to be a lifestyle but not necessarily wanting it to be the biggest agency in the world - I think this episode will inspire and support you in so many different ways.VincereA message to all recruitment leaders looking to upgrade their CRM: Before you sign the contract, be sure to read the terms at least twice.Common traps to watch out for:- Not understanding the pricing model- Discounts limited to only the 1st year of contract length- Monthly contracts - this could mean flexibility for the vendor to raise prices- Data hosting - anything outside your country could mean compliance & legal issuesGet Vincere’s 10-step guide to keep your vendor due diligence & evaluation process airtight: https://bit.ly/3C2G1s3

In early 2021, I interviewed James, the CEO of Levin, to discuss his growth plans on The RAG Podcast.Now, almost 2 years later, the company with brands Storm2, Storm3, Storm4, Storm5, and Storm6, published $44m USD NFI in its third year and has grown to over 600 people.This trajectory is remarkable!I am re-releasing my episode with James as so many people loved it.It is still in the top 3 most-played episodes of The RAG and there are so many amazing learnings to take from it!I will be back with fresh eps from next week but in the meantime, enjoy learning from the trailblazers of the global sector!VincereA message to all recruitment leaders looking to upgrade their CRM: Before you sign the contract, be sure to read the terms at least twice.Common traps to watch out for:- Not understanding the pricing model- Discounts limited to only the 1st year of contract length- Monthly contracts - this could mean flexibility for the vendor to raise prices- Data hosting - anything outside your country could mean compliance & legal issuesGet Vincere’s 10-step guide to keep your vendor due diligence & evaluation process airtight: https://bit.ly/3C2G1s3

On this week's episode of the RAG Podcast, you are stuck with me again! In October, I was invited to the very first recruitment expo in Germany. This was hosted by a company called StaffingPro, in coordination with APSco. This expo was targeted mainly at the agency market, but also at some in-house recruiters. I was invited to Frankfurt for a couple of days and I spoke on stage about the three fundamental things every single recruitment agency needs to consider if they want to stand out on LinkedIn. Now that might sound quite similar to the talk I did in Birmingham a couple of weeks ago, which I featured on the podcast, but this presentation focuses on recruitment agencies more holistically, not just on personal branding. In this episode, it's going to be me talking on stage in Germany, in Frankfurt, and you'll hear all about the three things every recruitment company needs to consider if they want to stand out from the competition now and in the future. The sound quality is not as good as normal because I was on stage during that talk, but I do hope you enjoy this episode. Please feel free to ask any questions. I hope it gives you a lot of value.Talent Ticker Looking for a way to grow your recruitment business in 2022? Talent Ticker is here to help. More than 300 recruitment agencies are using Talent Ticker to automate their recruiters’ most monotonous tasks, help them predict who will be hiring 3 months in advance, and provide simple tools to identify ideal passive and active candidates to pitch for open roles.Learn more at get.talentticker.ai/hoxo and take advantage of their special offer for our listeners.

On this week’s episode of The RAG Podcast I was joined by Richard Wright, CEO of Acre.Acre is a specialist recruitment consultancy focusing on everything to do with sustainability, which includes climate change, social issues, and more.Richard has a long history in the recruitment sector. He originally worked for one of the biggest organisations in the world and later bought into a boutique agency as a partner. Richard was at the helm of that business for a long time and eventually sold the business to Randstad. He then stayed in the company for a further three years post-acquisition, before exiting and having some time out of the industry.After a period of time believing he would leave the industry forever, he was persuaded to come back and joined Acre back when it was a 10-person business.It now has well over a hundred staff and 4 international locations.During the episode, Richard was very open about his career and said that right now, he's enjoying it more than he ever has before. Who'd have thought that you could continue to love this game more and more over time?You’re going to love this episode.Richard is super knowledgeable, super inspiring, and a really nice guy.VincereA message to all recruitment leaders looking to upgrade their CRM: Before you sign the contract, be sure to read the terms at least twice.Common traps to watch:- Not understanding the pricing model- Discounts limited to only the 1st year of contract length- Monthly contracts - this could mean flexibility for the vendor to raise prices- Data hosting - anything outside your country could mean compliance & legal issuesGet Vincere’s 10-step guide to keep your vendor due diligence & evaluation process airtight: https://bit.ly/3C2G1s3

On this week’s episode, I was joined by Laurie Boyall, the Founder & Group CEO of McGregor Boyall, one of the most renowned recruitment agencies headquartered in London.Laurie started the agency in 1987, having never worked a day in recruitment in his life! He was a self trained computer programmer and having found a job via a recruitment agency in 86, he saw the invoice attached to his placement. This was all it took for him to change career path! In this episode, we covered Laurie’s 35 years as founder, which involved:- The early days of his career selling European travel tours to USA students- How his Angel-backed 1st business failed and he returned home after 3 years - How he then started his agency, having seen the invoice for his own services in IT- The reality of launching his business and needing to use a phone box for the first 3 weeks as BT phone lines were down- Laurie’s story of growth over the years and how he has constantly loved his role- The economic impact on his business right now and how he sees a huge recession hitting harder than most people think- His new role as CEO and how he spends his time Laurie is a real character, full of humour, honesty and wisdom. Anyone wanting to contact Laurie can reach him via LinkedIn Talent Ticker  Looking for a way to grow your recruitment business in 2022? Talent Ticker is here to help. More than 300 recruitment agencies are using Talent Ticker to automate their recruiters’ most monotonous tasks, help them predict who will be hiring 3 months in advance, and provide simple tools to identify ideal passive and active candidates to pitch for open roles. Learn more at https://bit.ly/3DE7wLl and take advantage of their special offer for our listeners.

On this week’s episode of the RAG, I’m excited to be featuring one of my own talks.Last week I presented at the Birmingham Recruitment Agency Expo in a room filled with well over 200 recruitment professionals.I discussed my thoughts and opinions on how LinkedIn is going to change over the next few years and what every recruiter should be doing now to make the most of their own opportunity before it does.I've rerecorded this session live in front of about 35 recruitment professionals as part of one of our Academy Taster Sessions, so this is a zoom recording, which is much clearer than the original stage recording, but it is the exact same presentation.I really hope you enjoy this because ultimately I think there are a lot of recruiters out there that don't quite know what they're doing on LinkedIn.They spend a fortuneOne of the biggest spends in recruitment businesses is on LinkedIn licenses. The average recruiter spends four hours a day and has a recruiter license, which is over £5000 per year, per person. Multiply that by your team and it's a huge investment!However the problem is that training, support and understanding of what you can do on the platform every day to reach thousands of people and ultimately stand out from the competition in your market is nonexistent in most agencies.So I’m giving you really simple, practical tips that you can use to take straight back to your agency.If you would like to find out more about how we can help you personally improve your performance and stand out on Linkedin, book a call with me and my team. Here we can then have a bespoke conversation with you in your recruitment business to see if our Academy program is right for you and whether we are the right fit: https://personalbrand.hoxomedia.com/registerVincereA message to all recruitment leaders looking to upgrade their CRM: Before you sign the contract, be sure to read the terms at least twice.Common traps to watch:- Not understanding the pricing model- Discounts limited to only the 1st year of contract length- Monthly contracts - this could mean flexibility for the vendor to raise prices- Data hosting - anything outside your country could mean compliance & legal issuesGet Vincere’s 10-step guide to keep your vendor due diligence & evaluation process airtight: https://bit.ly/3C2G1s3

On this week’s episode, I was joined by David Morgan, who in 2000 co-founded Morgan Law, a UK specialist public sector recruitment agency with 35 staff. In this episode, we went through David’s 22 years as a founder to unearth the highs, the lows, and the learnings you can take from them.We covered:-The reality of setting up a business in 2000 when the recruitment industry still operated using fax machines!-How his life changed as the business grew-David’s relationship with alcohol and how that's changed over the years-The breakdown of David’s first marriage and how this affected the business-David's approach to the business during and post Covid-19-The economic impact on his business right now and how he sees the market changing over the upcoming 18 months-His new role as CEO and how he spends his time David is an awesome guy with a unique and a powerful story, I hope you enjoy this as much as I did recording it!Anyone wanting to contact David can reach him via [email protected] Ticker Looking for a way to grow your recruitment business in 2022? Talent Ticker is here to help.More than 300 recruitment agencies are using Talent Ticker to automate their recruiters’ most monotonous tasks, help them predict who will be hiring 3 months in advance, and provide simple tools to identify ideal passive and active candidates to pitch for open roles.Learn more at https://bit.ly/3DE7wLl and take advantage of their special offer for our listeners.

Hannah was a guest on The RAG in June 2021 and she told the story of growing Meet, an international talent provider to the life sciences sector. At this point the business was 12 years old,  135 staff and multiple offices globally.She ended the episode by telling me that they had significant and strategic growth plans. I wasn’t entirely sure what this meant as Hannah chose not to elaborate. In September 2021, I realised why Hannah kept her cards so close to her chest, as Meet announced that lower mid-market private equity firm NorthEdge has backed the primary management buyout of the business. It then all made sense that Hannah had to be very careful about what she said on The RAG, as the transaction was at a very critical point!On this week’s episode I was so excited to have Hannah back on the show to talk about everything she couldn’t discuss last time.We covered-Why she felt the need to start the MBO process in the first place-The reality of the process -The impact on her life and family-The moment the transaction completed-What this means for her and her staff-How she has now grown the business to 230 people (a net growth of 95 in 16 months)-The working relationship with PE firms and why it can be an amazing one!For anyone looking to buy or sell a recruitment business, here is another story that details out the reality of the process and offers huge advice based on real life experience!VincereA message to all recruitment leaders looking to upgrade their CRM: Before you sign the contract, be sure to read the terms at least twice.Common traps to watch:- Not understanding the pricing model- Discounts limited to only the 1st year of contract length- Monthly contracts - this could mean flexibility for the vendor to raise prices- Data hosting - anything outside your country could mean compliance & legal issuesGet Vincere’s 10-step guide to keep your vendor due diligence & evaluation process airtight: https://bit.ly/3C2G1s3

Lloyd is BACK! This is episode 3 with Lloyd, as he came onto the show twice in 2019. In part 1, he was leading a small agency of 15 staff and spoke mainly about his career as a £1.6m biller and how/why he launched his original agency known as Focus Cloud.In late 2019, he talked about the growth of his agency to over 30 people and how his dream was to build Focus Cloud to 100 staff in the future, by expanding into numerous cloud-based recruitment markets.I had an absolute blast recording the first two episodes; from hilarious moments to some really hard-hitting deep revelations, Lloyd held nothing back.On this week’s episode, Lloyd is back, but things are different. In the past 12 months, he has worked tirelessly to acquire the number one UK-based Microsoft recruitment partner known as Cognitive Group.I have had the Founder & CEO of Cognitive Group Jon Keen on the RAG before and know the company well.Lloyd shares the full story of how he acquired the business and became extremely close friends with Jon.The newly created Focus Cloud Group now consists of over 107 staff, with Lloyd at the helm as Group CEO.He has made his dream come true, but he is only just getting started!This is another amazing episode with an incredible person, enjoy! Talent Ticker  Looking for a way to grow your recruitment business in 2022? Talent Ticker is here to help.More than 300 recruitment agencies are using Talent Ticker to automate their recruiters’ most monotonous tasks, help them predict who will be hiring 3 months in advance, and provide simple tools to identify ideal passive and active candidates to pitch for open roles.Learn more at https://bit.ly/3DE7wLl and take advantage of their special offer for our listeners.

On this week’s episode, I was delighted to be joined by Alex Odwell, Founder of fintech specialist recruitment agency Referment and most recently of tech business - Radar.Alex has been in the recruitment industry for 14 years. Previously a member of the founding team at Harrington Starr group, he left to launch his own agency in 2016.Referment was born to attract more candidates via referrals. As this is something every agency relies on, Alex was obsessed with making this process faster and more automated. Alex wanted to build something totally different to what he had before. He specifically wanted a lean team with systemised processes that work behind the scenes to surface relevant candidates for every job that his recruiters are working on and track information automatically within the CRM.Now, with 6 senior consultants each billing huge numbers, the investment in the technology has truly paid off. As a result he is now launching - Radar, a recruitment optimisation tool built by former recruiters for recruiters. Alex is a really honest and likeable guy who clearly understands the reality of running a modern day recruitment business.This episode is not to be missed if you are wanting to be more efficient and productive whilst using the tools you already pay for!VincereA message to all recruitment leaders looking to upgrade their CRM: Before you sign the contract, be sure to read the terms at least twice.Common traps to watch:- Not understanding the pricing model- Discounts limited to only the 1st year of contract length- Monthly contracts - this could mean flexibility for the vendor to raise prices- Data hosting - anything outside your country could mean compliance & legal issuesGet Vincere’s 10-step guide to keep your vendor due diligence & evaluation process airtight: https://bit.ly/3C2G1s3

We are back with season 6 and WHAT a guest to kick this season off!In this season, we will be continually digging into the stories of amazing recruitment founders but also talking about the reality of today’s economy. If any changes are happening in our sector then I want to find out and bring it to you first.On this week’s episode I was delighted to be joined by Ed Rossiter, Co-Founder & CEO of Phoenix Search, a specialist recruitment firm headquartered in Ireland but with offices in London and soon to be on the ground in the USA.Although it’s only 4 years old, Phoenix Search has scaled to 45 people and in the past few months secured a 1 million euro investment to scale the business with a further 250 people in the next 3-5 years!In this episode we spoke about:-Ed’s start-up story and why he decided to start Phoenix-The reality of the early days-How he’s got the business to 45 staff in a short period of time-Why and how he secured the 1 million euro investment-How he intends to spend it-His vision for the business-The impact the recession is having on his business today and his thoughts on what could happen nextFeaturing the first Irish guest on The RAG, this episode was packed full of information that I believe ALL potential and experienced recruitment owners will benefit from!Talent Ticker Looking for a way to grow your recruitment business in 2022? Talent Ticker is here to help.More than 300 recruitment agencies are using Talent Ticker to automate their recruiters’ most monotonous tasks, help them predict who will be hiring 3 months in advance, and provide simple tools to identify ideal passive and active candidates to pitch for open roles.Learn more at https://bit.ly/3DE7wLl and take advantage of their special offer for our listeners.

On this week’s episode we wrap up Season 5 of the show in spectacular style!I was honoured to be joined by Ben and Dan, Co-Founders of Edison Search a specialist IoT recruitment firm headquartered in Basingstoke UK with 20 staff within 14 months since inception.Ben and Dan worked together for a long time in their previous company, Ben was head of perm and Dan was head of contract recruitment. Their skills were always complimentary to each other and they always talked about starting their own firm.During the pandemic they had a group video call with their wives involved and made the decision to take the plunge - Edison Search was born!In June 2021 they launched their business with a few simple goals for year 1 Be 100% niche in the IoT space and recruit exclusively into the US from Basingstoke Invoice a minimum of £200k Begin to hire people by the end of the yearThey got to work in a small office and hit the phones hard, what happened next is nothing less than incredible.They are now 20 staff and looking to open an office in the US in the next year.A breath of fresh air to speak to, these owners are taking traditional methods but with a modern approach and it's working!A huge inspiration for any start up founders and one to watch for more established businesses, you will not regret tuning into this one!VincereA message to all recruitment leaders looking to upgrade their CRM: Before you sign the contract, be sure to read the terms at least twice.Common traps to watch:- Not understanding the pricing model- Discounts limited to only the 1st year of contract length- Monthly contracts - this could mean flexibility for the vendor to raise prices- Data hosting - anything outside your country could mean compliance & legal issuesGet Vinvere’s10-step guide to keep your vendor due diligence & evaluation process airtight.: https://bit.ly/3C2G1s3

On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I was joined by Rogier, the CEO of PCN Recruitment, a payments sector specialist recruitment agency with 30+ staff across offices in Amsterdam, Berlin and the USA.Rogier joined the business as an entry-level recruiter 9 years ago. He knew he wanted to work in sales and was keen on the payments sector - but he had no interest in staying in recruitment!When he heard about PCN he decided it would be a clever move to join as his first job. He worked as the first employee, working directly for the founder, and had the most incredible education in the process.His journey is inspiring to every person who doesn’t necessarily want to launch their own agency but is excited to stay on the journey with their current business!Sponsor: Looking for a way to grow your recruitment business in 2022? Talent Ticker is here to help.More than 300 recruitment agencies are using Talent Ticker to automate their recruiters’ most monotonous tasks, help them predict who will be hiring 3 months in advance, and provide simple tools to identify ideal passive and active candidates to pitch for open roles.Learn more at get.talentticker.ai/hoxo and take advantage of their special offer for our listeners.

On this week’s episode, I was joined by Chris O’Connell, a Leadership Coach, NED 🚀 and the host of The Purpose-Led Leadership Podcast. A top billing recruiter at S3, in his early 20s Chris co-founded Timothy James Recruitment, which he and his business partner grew to £25 million in turnover within 9 years.Chris had a life where he focused on the business 100% and sacrificed all else.Over the next 3 years, everything came crashing down:He had a painful exit from the businessHis marriage endedHe left the family homeHe tried to commit suicideThankfully, Chris managed to turn his life around and now works with recruitment businesses to ensure that they grow sustainably and avoid the mistakes that he made!A super open and vulnerable guy who is an inspiration for many around the world, I hope you enjoy this episode as we can all no doubt relate to many of Chris’s experiences!VincereA message to all recruitment leaders looking to upgrade their CRM: Before you sign the contract, be sure to read the terms at least twice.Common traps to watch:- Not understanding the pricing model- Discounts limited to only the 1st year of contract length- Monthly contracts - this could mean flexibility for the vendor to raise prices- Data hosting - anything outside your country could mean compliance & legal issuesGet Vinvere’s10-step guide to keep your vendor due diligence & evaluation process airtight.: https://bit.ly/3C2G1s3

On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I was joined by Toni, the Managing Director of Digital Gurus, a specialist Tech & Digital recruiter with 66 staff across offices in Manchester, London, Bristol and Birmingham.Toni joined the business as a Senior Consultant 11 years ago. She’d had a successful career in recruitment in Leeds and fancied a change of company and city.Little did she know when she arrived in Manchester that she would end up managing the whole business!In this episode we discussed how she: Entered the industry because she knew that earning money was the top priority for her after university. Moved to ReThink Group (DG) and settled in ManchesterTook on a leadership role and realised that she loved the challenge more than being an individual billerNearly quit to go travelling but was offered the chance to take DG to Manchester and changed her mindHas grown into the MD and had 2 children in the same periodMaintains her family as her priority and is focused on finding a great balance between home and work lifeIs taking the whole of August off work to travel with her kids during the summer!An inspirational female business leader, we need more examples like Toni to make a positive change in our male dominated industry!Sponsor: Looking for a way to grow your recruitment business in 2022? Talent Ticker is here to help.More than 300 recruitment agencies are using Talent Ticker to automate their recruiters’ most monotonous tasks, help them predict who will be hiring 3 months in advance, and provide simple tools to identify ideal passive and active candidates to pitch for open roles.Learn more at get.talentticker.ai/hoxo and take advantage of their special offer for our listeners.

On this week’s episode, I was joined by Kyle Winterbottom, the Founder of Orbition Group, a specialist Data & Analytics recruitment agency with 10 staff based in Manchester.Kyle first came on The RAG Podcast in November 2020 when his agency was less than 3 months old. Kyle was a member of the Hoxo Academy back then and was beginning to win business using his daily Linkedin content in addition to his marketing events and podcast that he was already running.In 18 months, he has managed to grow the business to a team of 10 and can track 100% of the revenue back to his brand!In this episode, we discussed: The growth from recruiting in his mother-in-law’s back bedroom to a swanky city centre officeHow his brand has brought in global retainers and multi-hire projects Being the first recruiter to ever be selected in the ‘Data IQ 100 Most Influential People in Data 2022’The reality of personally earning less than during his agency career due to reinvestment and cash flow issuesSome super low moments he experienced over the past 6 months and is grateful for the support of his coach and his wife when times get toughKyle is a down-to-earth guy who is doing some amazing things with his brand right now. Plenty of established businesses should listen to this episode to learn how he leverages his brand to win bigger projects!VincereIf you're following Vincere’s LinkedIn page, you'll notice that they’ve been sharing stories from their customer community on a weekly basis.If you're shopping for a CRM or wondering if there's something better out there, check out Vincere. They have a library of customer stories from all sectors and recruitment types, be it perm, exec, contract and temp, available on Youtube: https://bit.ly/3uYdZM7

On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I was joined by Lawrence & Elliot, the founders of Arto Recruitment, a specialist life science recruitment agency. The business is headquartered in Canterbury, Kent and expanded to more than 23 staff in just over 2 years of existence during the pandemic!Lawrence and Elliot have been best mates since they were 3 years old! Their story is one of real trust, ambition and friendship.People say to never go into business with friends, but these guys are proving it can work.I met Lawrence at a property development course in 2017 and we have been friends ever since - I am so happy to bring him and Elliot onto the show!In this episode they discuss how they: - Grew up together and never spent any time apart - Started in recruitment and both flew up the ranks at Phaidon International- Decided to move back to Kent and commute 2 hours each way to London daily- Kicked off Arto a month before Covid-19 happened and what life was like for them- Had to work in UK perm when their whole experience was in EU contract recruitment- Hit £1m GP and bought sports cars to celebrate- Plan to grow in the UK and the USA to begin with!Don’t miss this conversation with two friends of mine who I am convinced are building a real powerhouse recruitment agency for the future. Enjoy!!

On this week’s episode, I was joined by Matthew Baird, the Founder of Baird & Co Recruitment, which is part of District4. Matt has been in recruitment since 2012 and has worked for a number of agencies recruiting into the social housing sector.During the pandemic, he became disillusioned with working for other people, and at a time of real uncertainty he made the bold and scary decision to start up alone…However, he didn’t have the finances or the knowledge to manage all areas of the start-up process, so he decided to partner with our sponsor District4. In this episode, we discussed the reality of his first 16 months as a business owner, which have included a number of highs and lows.Most notably, I found out that:His first deal happened within 3 weeks and was his largest EVER deal!He took his foot off the gas during the summer as things were going well, which began to bite him in Q3 when sales dried up and he made no deals for 2 months!He worked with his District4 coach to build a robust plan that works for him to drive successful outcomes dailyMatt is another great example of what it takes to thrive in today’s recruitment start-up community. If you would like to speak to Matt directly about his story or D4, then feel free to contact him directly via LinkedIn!VincereIf you're following Vincere’s LinkedIn page, you'll notice that they’ve been sharing stories from their customer community on a weekly basis.If you're shopping for a CRM or wondering if there's something better out there, check out Vincere. They have a library of customer stories from all sectors and recruitment types, be it perm, exec, contract and temp, available on Youtube.

On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I was joined by Jamie & Tony, the founders of The Just Group, a specialist group of construction recruitment brands headquartered in Bromley, Kent with 24 staff which launched in 2012.Jamie & Tony launched the business with a 3rd partner Alan, and up until the pandemic things were going great! However, Covid hit the business for six and they quickly dropped to 6 staff and had to re-evaluate everything. In this episode they discuss how they: Dealt with the pandemic and questioned their business directionParted ways with Alan, their business partner, due to a conflictTook out a huge loan to keep the business alive and support their peopleWent back into lockdown in Jan 2021, which brought huge fear and anxietyChanged the business completely and have grown to their biggest ever since this timeWant to enjoy the journey and enjoy life whilst building the business sustainably They’re great guys with a genuine story of ups and downs, I’m sure we can all relate to their journey!Sponsor: Looking for a way to grow your recruitment business in 2022? Talent Ticker is here to help.More than 300 recruitment agencies are using Talent Ticker to automate their recruiters’ most monotonous tasks, help them predict who will be hiring 3 months in advance, and provide simple tools to identify ideal passive and active candidates to pitch for open roles.Learn more at get.talentticker.ai/hoxo and take advantage of their special offer for our listeners.

On this week’s episode, I was joined by Anthony Webster, the MD of DVF recruitment and Board Member of Career Legal Group - which has several recruitment entities in London with a collective staff of 50 people. Anthony was my colleague for almost 5 years and is also a true friend.Anthony, alongside Amar and I, was originally going to be a founder of Hoxo - the recruitment agency - in 2017. However, in late 2016 he decided to pull out after lengthy discussions and realising he could not commit to this whilst he had other things to achieve.What I didn’t realise was that Ant was in fact ready to come out as gay to the world. This included his family, friends and colleaguesIn this episode, we discussed the reality of his journey both growing up and working in recruitment whilst hiding his true self.5 years on from coming out and he is a much happier person! Super successful as always, he is living a life that is 100% authentic and it is clear to see.June is Pride Month and both Ant and I wanted to share this story to raise awareness and help others!If you would like to speak to Ant directly about his story or D&I in the workplace then feel free to contact him directly via LinkedIn!VincereIf you're following Vincere on their LinkedIn page, you'll notice that they’ve been sharing stories from their customer community on a weekly basis.If you're shopping for a CRM or wondering if there's something better out there. Check out Vincere. They have a library of customer stories from all sectors and recruitment types, perm, exec, contract and temp, available on YoutubeDistrict4:Do you feel like you’re not surrounded by peers and you’ve stopped learning? Imagine only working alongside other experienced recruiters who you can really collaborate with, while having the freedom to do work your way. If you’re thinking of a change, check out District4, where you can launch your own business and not be alone!Visit www.district4.io/hoxo to see what they can do for you.

On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I was joined by Jez Heard, the founder of Scale-Genesis, a specialist Blockchain & Crypto recruitment agency launched in November 2021Jez is a 24 -year old lad from South Wales who is direct and honest! He only started in Recruitment in 2020 during the pandemic, and within less than 1 year decided to set up his own businessHe worked 14-hour days, 7 days a weekHe researched Blockchain and Crypto every single dayHe built his personal brand on LinkedIn In 6 months he has Billed £500k+Hired 6 recruiters Built a personal brand reaching over 250k views a month across the recruitment industry which has helped him hire ALL his consultants and brought in 5 deals worth £100kJez is young, ambitious and probably a bit crazy - but it’s working!An episode not to be missed,  if you would like to speak to Jez about his story then you can contact him directly on Linkedin!Sponsor: Looking for a way to grow your recruitment business in 2022? Talent Ticker is here to help.More than 300 recruitment agencies are using Talent Ticker to automate their recruiters’ most monotonous tasks, help them predict who will be hiring 3 months in advance, and provide simple tools to identify ideal passive and active candidates to pitch for open roles.Learn more at get.talentticker.ai/hoxo and take advantage of their special offer for our listeners.

On today’s episode I was joined by Nader Beshara, the CoFounder and Director of Ingham Jones a start up financial services, risk, technology and compliance global recruitment search firm with 10 people headquartered in Brighton UK.Nader has been an avid listener of The RAG and I was delighted to hear that listening to the show has helped him a lot since launching in November 2020.We discussed the reality of his journey since launching during the pandemic and here are a few highlights- Launching in covid was an amazing time to do it as he was literally missing out on NOTHING in life whilst working all hours he could- He and Jermaine his business partner hit their annual target inside 12 months- He has loved the entrepreneurial experience to date and would recommend it to any recruiter whos questioning their plan right now- He is growing but stressed that it will be at their own pace and they won’t try and follow the ‘growth crowd’ that we see in our sectorSuper honest and genuine, Nader is a recent and relevant example of what is possible with the right attitude as a start up recruitment founder!

On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast I was joined by Harry Bigwood and Rex Rusling.Along with Ben Leeson, these guys founded The Rec Hub at the end of 2018 originally as a contingent agency.Soon they decided to flip the model to become an “Embedded Talent Partner” to Tech start & scale ups and have since grown to 50 people!In this episode we break down their decision to change the model and how this has helped them grow (it hasn’t been easy, I can assure you).We also talk about the philosophy of growing the business as they all believe that focusing on your staff being HAPPY first leads to success. Not the other way around!Have you worked in an agency where people believe that once they hit targets they will be happy? I think we all have.. These guys are challenging that notion and I love it!Young, ambitious and innovative founders, these guys are a true reflection of all I love about this industry!If you would like to speak to Harry or Rex about their story then you can contact them directly on Linkedin! Sponsor: Looking for a way to grow your recruitment business in 2022? Talent Ticker is here to help.More than 300 recruitment agencies are using Talent Ticker to automate their recruiters’ most monotonous tasks, help them predict who will be hiring 3 months in advance, and provide simple tools to identify ideal passive and active candidates to pitch for open roles.Learn more at get.talentticker.ai/hoxo and take advantage of their special offer for our listeners.

On today’s episode I was joined by Matthew Eames, the Founder and CEO of Eames Group, a global insurance and financial services recruitment agency with circa 140 people across UK, EU, Asia and now the USAMatthew was a guest on The RAG in Feb 2019 and whilst the business was a similar size back then, things were very different. Most notably:- Matt was not the CEO at the time and spent 50% of his time externally facing in business development and exec search- The business operated 5 days a week in the office- Matthew personally had a 3-hour daily commute Now approaching the 20-year anniversary of the business, Matt is again the CEO and more excited about the growth journey than ever.Whilst grand exit plans seem to be on the agenda for most owners in our industry, Matthew proves that you may enjoy the role too much to want to step away any time soon!VincereIf you're following Vincere on their LinkedIn page, you'll notice that they’ve been sharing stories from their customer community on a weekly basis.If you're shopping for a CRM or wondering if there's something better out there. Check out Vincere. They have a library of customer stories from all sectors and recruitment types, perm, exec, contract and temp, available on Youtube: https://bit.ly/3wFYad3District4Do you feel like you’re not surrounded by peers and you’ve stopped learning? Imagine only working alongside other experienced recruiters who you can really collaborate with, while having the freedom to do work your way. If you’re thinking of a change, check out District4, where you can launch your own business and not be alone!Visit www.district4.io/hoxo to see what they can do for you.

On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast I was joined by Jake, my little brother.One of the most charismatic and successful guys I know (and annoyingly good-looking!)We got into recruitment in Melbourne together in 2011.Later in Sydney, Jake became a recruitment owner in his mid 20's, but in 2016 he sold his shares in TheDriveGroup.He was building a great business but, for some reason, he wasn't happy.He put this down to being 'home sick' and moved back to the UK.In 2017 he launched One Life Social Media – a fast-growing 7-figure global digital marketing agency in the fitness industry.With no experience in the industry, he built a business that operated in 20 countries with over 600 clients, helping them with customer acquisition and lead generation online.He led a team of 20+ people too, all before the age of 30. Jake had all the extrinsic measures of success that society says we need to find fulfillment and happiness – wealth, status, validation from others, approval, a growing company, recognition, etc.But something wasn't right.Over the next 2 years, Jake’s life completely changed forever.He suffered the most severe anxiety and depression I have ever witnessed. Due to this, the pandemic, and realising he simply wasn’t happy and needed to change, Jake closed down his second business. I have watched him focus on recovering and embark on a journey of reconnecting to his mind, body, soul, health, consciousness, relationships, and life.I am so happy and proud to say that now he is a completely different person from two years ago.He is happy, healthy and present.Jake is now dedicating his life to helping other high performers who are suffering from the same issues of burnout, anxiety, and depression.I am going to warn you that this is an extremely raw account directly from Jake.He talks about the pain he suffered.How he even had suicidal thoughts (this breaks my heart.)But it’s all true and I feel like the future is bright.If you would like to speak to Jake about his story or his coaching services then you can contact him directly on Linkedin here or via his website www.onelifemindsetcoaching.comRecorded during Mental Health Awareness week. If this helps just one person in any way then I know Jake and I will be delighted!Sponsor: Looking for a way to grow your recruitment business in 2022? Talent Ticker is here to help.More than 300 recruitment agencies are using Talent Ticker to automate their recruiters’ most monotonous tasks, help them predict who will be hiring 3 months in advance, and provide simple tools to identify ideal passive and active candidates to pitch for open roles.Learn more at get.talentticker.ai/hoxo and take advantage of their special offer for our listeners.

On this episode of The RAG Podcast I was joined by Joshua Rayner, the Founder & CEO of Rayner Personnel, a specialist in UK Property Recruitment. I originally interviewed Josh in February of 2019 in my first Hoxo office in London.At the time, Josh had a team of 13 who were all operating as franchisees. This involved buying into the business and scaling a branch of RP in their specific geographical area of the UK.In the first year, this approach appeared to be working (listen to the first episode for more on that!).But in late 2019, it was clear that he had the wrong model and the wrong people.As the pandemic began, Josh made the bold decision to release all but one of the franchisees and start again.He redesigned his business model whilst at home and went out on a mission to grow.Since then, he has built a team of 20 self-employed licensees, making a small change to the old model with huge benefits for Josh and his people.In 2021, he wrote a book about his journey as a serial recruitment agency owner - The Recruitment Rollercoaster is available via Amazon and is a current best seller! All the proceeds from sales go to Mind Charity. A really interesting story with a unique approach to scaling a recruitment firm!The RAG sponsorsVincere:Vincere have refreshed their homepage! They’ve redesigned their look and feel to incorporate the full universe of tools in their stable. Vincere’s platform has evolved so much over the past year that their website and branding needed to catch up. The new visuals are a clear reference to the solar system, with the Vincere CRM/ATS at the core and all their other modules working in harmony around it. Go check it out at https://www.vincere.io/ -If you’d like to request a demo, follow this link https://www.vincere.io/rag - they’ve got an exclusive deal for RAG listeners!District4:Do you feel like you’re not surrounded by peers and you’ve stopped learning? Imagine only working alongside other experienced recruiters who you can really collaborate with, while having the freedom to do work your way. If you’re thinking of a change, check out District4, where you can launch your own business and not be alone!Visit www.district4.io/hoxo to see what they can do for you.

On this week's episode, I was joined by Dan Taylor, MD of Morgan Hunt, a UK Public Sector specialist agency with 150 staff.Dan started at Hays in 1996 and has worked his way through many positions in his 26-year career.In 2018 he became MD of Morgan Hunt and has been on a journey to change the business for the better.Dan shares his unique insights into leading a large recruitment agency on a daily basis and how he never actually considered starting his own agency.His reason - he wanted to work at scale from day 1 and this is rarely possible with a start-up business.A genuine, warm, and inspiring story from someone who shines positivity onto our sector.

On this episode of The RAG Podcast, I was joined by Emrah Baykal, the Founder & CEO of RO, a specialist energy-focused recruitment agency. The agency is based in London & Houston with 10 staff, and is part of the Tempting Ventures Group of over 80 recruiters.Emrah is the first to admit that in the early days of his recruitment career, he loved a billers’ lunch or two.In the first couple of years as owner of RO, he would find any excuse to take his team out for drinks (mainly because he fancied one!).However, his attitude to all of this changed during the pandemic, as he began to exercise daily with a colleague.Emrah began running and weightlifting and taking his nutrition more seriously. He began to develop better habits and in turn feel much healthier for it.Since then, he has implemented some amazing ideas to ensure his own team follows suit and adopts a healthy lifestyle!This was a great episode and one for any owner who is seriously thinking about changing their own lifestyle and the culture within their business!The RAG sponsorsVincere:Vincere refreshed their homepage - galaxy/Nasa space vibes theme.Vincere’s platform has evolved so much over the past year and their website, new modules, and branding needed to reflect that.They've refreshed their visuals and the product diagram. What you see is a reference to the solar system. With Vincere CRM/ATS as the core and all the other modules working in harmony around it - just like nature intended.Go check it out: https://www.vincere.io/If you’d like to request a demo, follow this link https://www.vincere.io/rag - they’ve got an exclusive deal for RAG listeners.District4:Do you feel like you’re not surrounded by peers and you’ve stopped learning? Imagine only working alongside other experienced recruiters who you can really collaborate with while having the freedom to do it your way. If you’re thinking of a change, check out District4, where you can launch your own business and not be alone!Visit www.district4.io/hoxo to see what they can do for you.

On this week's episode I was joined by Chris Sheard, the founder of SR2 Recruitment, a 54 person agency with offices in Bristol, London and soon to be opening in Austin TX.Launched in the middle of 2017, the business is almost 4.5 yrs old and has grown extremely well in that period.In this episode Chris shares the story of why he decided to build a rec agency that gives 5% of operating profit to charity and the impact of having such a clear and powerful mission.Across the industry, attracting internal talent is arguably the most difficult thing right now. Hiring strong recruiters will allow any agency to capitalise on the crazy opportunity in the market todaySR2 have been hugely successful in attracting experienced talent and believe their brand is the secret weapon!The RAG sponsorLooking for ways to stay ahead of your competition in 2022? Talent Ticker is here to help. Through the end of this month, any Hoxo listeners who request a demo of Talent Ticker will receive a free, personalised list of leads to help them get a jump on the rest of the year.  Talent Ticker is the world’s first recruitment intelligence platform, providing you with accurate contact information for passive candidates and matching them with companies looking to hire them. What is unique to Talent Ticker is that they predict when a company will be hiring whilst giving you the projected hiring roles and contact info for the hiring managers.    Any recruiter who uses this tool will be calling the right person, at the right time and for the right reason. Don't wait. Head over to get.talentticker.ai/hoxo/ and claim your free leads today.

On this episode of The RAG Podcast, I was joined by Ed Stevens, the Founder of 94 Group, a specialist group of recruitment agencies in London with 50 staff.This isn’t the first time Ed has built up a successful recruitment business. He launched, grew, and sold his shares in Eximius Group over 8 years between 2008 and 2016.Ed is honestly one of the most impressive recruitment owners I have ever met.His approach to growing this business is crystal clear:He is the ONLY shareholder and ONLY person with recruitment experience.The result is a genuine opportunity for hyper-fast career growth and equity for his business and the people that work in it. If you have aspirations of growing a future or current recruitment company, you NEED to tune in to this one!The RAG sponsorsVincere:If you're a recruiter looking to switch careers and move to Tech, this is your chance. Vincere is hiring for a variety of roles across all their offices. There are opportunities to join their Sales, Customer Success and Implementation teams. Learn more about Vincere on their LinkedIn or Instagram for behind-the-scenes updates. Their careers page is here: https://careers.vincere-digital.io/join-the-teamDistrict4:Do you feel like you’re not surrounded by peers and you’ve stopped learning? Imagine only working alongside other experienced recruiters who you can really collaborate with while having the freedom to do it your way. If you’re thinking of a change, check out District4 where you can launch your own business and not be alone!Visit www.district4.io/hoxo  to see what they can do for you.

This week's episode was one that I wanted to have but was also really nervous about. It is without a doubt the most emotional and heartbreaking conversation I have ever recorded.I was joined by Liam Thomas, the Founder of Highfield Professional Solutions & Data X Connect, a specialist recruitment agency headquartered on the South Coast of England with 45 staff.Liam launched the business with his mate and business partner, Sam Hughes, 15 years ago when they were both 25 and fearless!A classic recruitment founder story.But in 2014, when the business was well-established and growing, Sam was diagnosed with Stage 4 Bowel Cancer. The diagnosis changed everything for them.Over the next 7 years, Sam battled everything that came his way and the business continued to grow. Liam admits he was in denial and always believed his partner and friend would be back to work full time again one day.In September 2021, Sam lost his life after an incredible fight.In this episode Liam talks about it all: when they started the business, coping with the diagnosis,  and dealing with the reality of losing Sam.There were tears shed during the recording and I hope it moves you as much as it moved me.I am so proud of Liam for speaking about this and I am sure you will be too.The RAG sponsorsDistrict4Do you feel like you’re not surrounded by peers and you’ve stopped learning? Imagine only working alongside other experienced recruiters who you can really collaborate with while having the freedom to do it your way. If you’re thinking of a change, check out District4 where you can launch your own business and not be alone!Visit www.district4.io/hoxo for more infoVincereVincere.io published a playbook, like a buyers guide, for those shopping around for a new system. Inside you will find:- ROI-driven strategy to building out a comprehensive feature checklist- How to assemble an effective CRM evaluation team- Battle-tested compliance & security vendor scorecards- Understanding inclusion versus integration- Power plays & frameworks for vendor due diligenceDownload here:  https://bit.ly/3C2G1s3Go to www.vincere.io/rag  to book a demo - RAG listeners get an exclusive deal!

On today’s episode of The RAG Podcast I was joined by Adrian Carboni, the founder and CEO of Masento, a specialist technology recruitment agency in London.Adrian launched Masento 5 years ago after a 15-year career with his previous employer! From being one of the top billers in the company to leading the most profitable division, Adrian was granted shares in the business that were projected to yield life-changing returns.In this episode, Adrian talks at length about the reasons for walking away from the business and what he has learned from 5 years of leading a growing recruitment agency.Honest, humble, and always adding humour, it's no surprise that Adrian and his team are onto something special!The RAG sponsorsVincere:Nailing your CRM tech strategy PlaybookVincere published a playbook, like a buyers guide, for those shopping around for a new system. Inside you will find:ROI-driven strategy to building out a comprehensive feature checklistHow to assemble an effective CRM evaluation teamBattle-tested compliance & security vendor scorecardsUnderstanding inclusion versus integrationPower plays & frameworks for vendor due diligenceDownload here:  https://bit.ly/3C2G1s3Go to www.vincere.io/rag to book a demo - RAG listeners get an exclusive deal!District 4Do you feel like you’re not surrounded by peers and you’ve stopped learning? Imagine only working alongside other experienced recruiters who you can really collaborate with while having the freedom to do it your way. If you’re thinking of a change check out District4 where you can launch your own business and not be alone!Visit www.district4.io/hoxo  to see what they can do for you.

In this week's episode, I’m excited to be joined by Spencer Knibbe, the Founder of MBK Search.Headquartered in NYC, the business now has 13 staff and has just opened its UK operation in 2022, intending to expand into APAC next year.As a listener of the show, Spencer and I connected recently and I was blown away by his story!Spencer never worked in recruitment for anyone else. After a successful career as the Head of Risk for a number of investment management powerhouses like Bridgewater and ICAP, he decided to go alone and launch his own advisory practice.Within 12 months he noticed each client wanted to hire him to run their practice and he was instead finding them other candidates to fill the mandate. It was then that the idea for MBK Search was born.MBK’s story is unique in many ways, and it is one of the first US firms I know that have moved to the UK to expand  – it’s typically the other way around :)Spencer is a humble, motivated and honest guy. Anyone looking to hire people from within the industry and convert to recruitment NEEDS to listen to this episode! Enjoy!The RAG sponsorIt’s no secret that recruiters are notoriously time-poor, with highly demanding goals they must achieve to be successful. Talent Ticker was specifically designed to help recruiters get ahead of their most time-intensive tasks like sourcing and prospecting, by providing them with:Powerful predictive intelligence;A candidate database of more than 600 million profiles;And integrations with popular recruitment tools.Any recruiter who uses this tool will be calling the right person, at the right time and for the right reason.Request a demo at TalentTicker.ai and mention Hoxo for a free personalised leads list of candidates or hiring managers.

On a special episode of The RAG Podcast this week, I am joined by fellow Recruitment Podcast Host - Lysha Holmes!Lysha is a great friend of Hoxo and myself and we were deeply saddened to hear the news of her father passing away to cancer in October last year! He was diagnosed at such a late stage that the family did not get the time with him that they would have wanted.On 29th April this year, a small group of us will be raising awareness and money for the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund - visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/quirecruitmenthoxorammytohale2022 to find out more!The RAG sponsorsVincere:Nailing your CRM tech strategy PlaybookWe've just published a brand new playbook, like a buyers guide, for those shopping around for a new system. Inside they will find: ROI-driven strategy to building out a comprehensive feature checklistHow to assemble an effective CRM evaluation teamBattle-tested compliance & security vendor scorecardsUnderstanding inclusion versus integrationPower plays & frameworks for vendor due diligenceDownload here:  https://bit.ly/3C2G1s3 Go to www.vincere.io/rag to book a demo - RAG listeners get an exclusive deal!District 4:District4 support experienced recruiters who want to launch their own businesses. They offer an impressive start-up package which includes back office support, coaching, and help choosing and implementing new technology.Launching a business successfully takes a lot of hard work and preparation. Even if you aren’t ready right now, get the support you need sooner and you’ll stand the best chance of success when the time is right.Visit www.district4.io/hoxo  to see what they can do for you.

On this week's episode, I am excited to be joined by Stuart the Co-Founder and Director of ProvideWith 21 years since starting the business, Stuart has seen pretty much everything there is to see in a growing recruitment agencyMost interestingly, post acquisition by TXM Group, Stuart moved into a new role as Director of Strategic Partnerships - leading their RPO division. I am super excited to hear the story of this change!The RAG sponsorIt’s no secret that recruiters are notoriously time-poor, with highly demanding goals they must achieve to be successful. Talent Ticker was specifically designed to help recruiters get ahead of their most time-intensive tasks, like sourcing and prospecting, by providing recruiters with:powerful predictive intelligencea candidate database of more than 600 million profilesand integrations with popular recruitment toolsAny recruiter who uses this tool will be calling the right person, at the right time and for the right reason.Request a demo at TalentTicker.ai and mention Hoxo for a free personalised leads list of candidates or hiring managers.

On a special episode of The RAG Podcast this week, I want to share with you my talk at the Recruitment Agency Expo 2022 in London.“The 5 Weekly Habits All Recruiters Need To Build A Winning Personal Brand On LinkedIn”Company pages don't get a lot of engagement on LinkedIn. The recruiters in your business are the best way of getting your brand's message to market. Every consultant you employ has a platform to reach thousands of people, and there is a formula to follow for success.I talked through several simple but SUPER effective tips you can use right away to start driving more leads and closing more deals from LinkedIn activity.I hope you find it valuable!The RAG sponsorsVincere:For the very first time, Vincere is giving their customers direct access to their product teams (and vice versa!). They’re opening up their roadmap for customers on a product portal. It's a place for Vinny customers to have a say on upcoming features and shape the direction of their all in one #RecOS platform. Find out more here: https://portal.productboard.com/vkbt4oj2lbnswyuqsn1a69ysGo to www.vincere.io/rag to book a demo - RAG listeners get an exclusive deal!District 4:District4 support experienced recruiters who want to launch their own businesses. They offer an impressive start-up package which includes back office support, coaching, and help choosing and implementing new technology. Launching a business successfully takes a lot of hard work and preparation. Even if you aren’t ready right now, get the support you need sooner and you’ll stand the best chance of success when the time is right.Visit www.district4.io/hoxo to see what they can do for you.

I was joined by Tom Hibberd - Founding Director at Precision Resource Group (PRG) parent company to Panoramic Associates, iO Associates, Panoramic Care and Finitas.With 20 years in the recruitment industry, like so many other successful owners, Tom started his career at S3 before going alone.In 2009, Tom jointly founded Panoramic Associates and spent the first 2 years enjoying life as a small and extremely profitable recruitment agency.After significant success and exciting growth within the senior level staffing sector, Tom took the strategic decision to form a group company, Precision Resource Group (PRG) to house, Panoramic Associates, iO Associates, Panoramic Care and Finitas.The RAG sponsorValentine’s Day is coming up quick, and our sponsor Talent Ticker is here to help you find your special someone. That “someone” being your next big client.To help you make more meaningful connections this year, Talent Ticker is providing an exclusive list of the Top 50 fastest growing start-ups all recruiters should know. Their data indicates that these companies are all on the brink of a significant expansion and perfectly primed to decide on a recruitment partner. Download the list for free at: get.talentticker.ai/hoxo

This week's episode sees the return of a great friend and one of the recruitment industry’s most trusted advisors: the one and only James Osborne is back on The RAG Podcast!James is the Chairman of The Recruitment Network, a global community of almost 9,000 active recruiters, managers, and business leaders.We discussed how mad the market was in 2021, what James expects to see as the next big thing appearing on the recruitment industry’s horizon, and why candidate short markets shouldn’t be a problem for recruiters - it’s precisely the environment we were meant to operate in!Not only that, but when you’re running businesses and building communities, how do you make time for yourself? Your family? The things you enjoy in life?James is a value machine, and there’s plenty of useful takeaways and insights in this conversation. Get stuck in!The RAG sponsorsVincere will be exhibiting at the Recruitment Agency Expo on the 9th of February, stand C20. Drop by to see all the latest ways you could improve your recruitment website, including: shift schedulers, automation tools, and video interviewing.Go to www.vincere.io/rag to book a demo - RAG listeners get an exclusive deal!District4 provide the vital structural and back office support you need to launch a recruitment business successfully. They also work with up and running brands that may need a little extra help in one or two key areas.If you've recently launched a recruitment business and are finding some of the less glamorous aspects a challenge, speak to District4 today to find out how they can help. And get back to focusing on what you love most: running your business.Visit www.district4.io/hoxo for more information.

This week we welcome Clare Cooper back to The RAG Podcast for a third time! Clare is the founder of Storm3, the second brand in the Levin group.I first interviewed Clare when she was a global lead for one of the world's most recognised recruitment brands. Clare launched Storm3 in Feb 2021, and I interviewed her for the second time just 4 weeks later - when she was the only employee of the business!Today, Storm3 is 60 people strong, with teams in London, Amsterdam, Dallas, and Singapore. By the end of April, they’ll have reached 150 heads. Doing the first few months solo before immediately entering a period of hypergrowth, it is safe to say it’s been a hectic year.Clare’s previous episodes have been some of the most listened to in RAG history, and this one doesn’t disappoint. The world is watching the growth of Storm3 with real interest. Find out why as we dive into Clare’s story!The RAG episode 13 sponsorDid you know: around 80% of people abandon their New Year’s resolutions by February? That’s a staggering statistic. Especially if you’d resolved to grow your recruitment business this year.To support your growth goals in 2022, Talent Ticker is providing an exclusive list of the Top 50 fastest growing start-ups all recruiters should know about. Their data indicates these companies are all on the brink of a significant expansion, and are perfectly primed to decide on a recruitment partner.You can download the list for free at: https://get.talentticker.ai/hoxo/

Our first episode of 2022 and what a cracker to be kicking off with!I was delighted to be joined by Alex Zoboli, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Cornerstone Recruitment Japan K.K.Alex and his business partner scaled their previous recruitment business in Japan from 20 to 200 people and opened their own business only 2 years ago. Already 40 people and looking to grow again to 200 as fast as possible!It was super exciting to find out more about his story to date, secrets to success and plans moving forward.One thing I really respected about Alex was his conviction in the strategy behind HOW his team operates post pandemic. He has a team 100% in the office and will not allow remote working unless the government says otherwise. He believes this is a huge opportunity to build culture and get ahead of the competition. You may choose to agree or disagree but I love the confidence and direction he displayed.If you would like to chat to Alex directly either to enquire about joining his team or to pick his brains on all things start up life then reach out via LinkedIn here.Please note in 2022 we will be live on LinkedIn each Wednesday NOT Thursdays like in 2021 - this will typically be at 12pm UK time but is subject to change!The RAG Episode 12 Sponsors:Vincere joins forces with Access Group. They’re partners with the heavyweight who shares their vision of providing a single operating system for the front, middle and back office of recruitment firms, on a global scale. Vincere has the same people, same vision, but with way more firepower. Press Release here. You can visit www.vincere.io/rag to book a demo - RAG listeners will recieve an exclusive deal.District4 provide support for experienced recruiters to launch their own businesses. They offer an impressive start-up package which includes taking care of the back office, providing coaching and implementing a suite of technology products, meaning recruitment entrepreneurs can focus on what they do best: providing an excellent service to their clients and candidates.If you're thinking about starting your own recruitment agency, speak to District4 about the kind of support they can provide. Launching a business successfully takes a lot of hard work and preparation. Even if you aren’t planning anything for a few months, get the support you need sooner and you’ll stand the best chance of success when the time is right for you.Visit www.district4.io/hoxo for more information.

On the final episode of 2021, I was delighted to be joined by Adrian Kinnersley.Adrian is the Founder & CEO of TwentyAI, headquartered in London with offices in New York, Charlotte, and Austin US.Launched in the middle of the global financial crisis, Adrian was certain he wanted to build a brand he could be proud of. He’d already worked for a number of traditional recruitment agencies and wanted to do things his way!Now happily living in the USA and operating remotely, in this episode we discussed:What he disliked about other recruitment agencies His startup journeyThe decision to launch in the USA - albeit a little too earlyLife during the pandemicHow they are using AI to their advantageA genuine guy with a no nonsense attitude, what a way to finish 2021!Thank you so much to everyone who has tuned in to our biggest year yet - we will be back in January 2022 with more episodes.----Thanks to our long standing sponsor Vincere.io - who have experienced a record breaking 2021! Growing a truly global community of recruiters, I can not wait to see what they have in store for 2022.If you are interested in finding out more about Vincere, they offer great discounts for RAG Listeners at www.vincere.io/rag----Thank you also to our friends and sponsors Odro.co.uk.I know many of you are winding down for Christmas, but if you want to get your ducks in a row to hit the ground running in 2022, now's a great time to check out Odro. They’ve pulled together a new framework which aggregates the best practices from their most successful customers, and helps you create more meaningful connections with your candidates and clients at no fewer than 18 different touchpoints during the hiring process. The guys are offering a free audit of your process against the framework. Plus first time customers can take advantage of a new 90-day guarantee which means you’re not tied in if you don't want to be. Request a demo at their site odro.co.uk, I'm certain you’ll take something from it.

On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast Live, I was joined by Lewis Maleh, Founder and CEO of Bentley Lewis, an award-winning boutique executive search firm.Also the host of 2 x podcasts: “Don't take out your phone!" and “The Recruitment Show”.Lewis believes he and his team are building the best executive search team in the world.Lewis had no prior experience of exec search, but decided to back himself to make it work.12 years later, it’s safe to say he delivered!The business was previously located in Central London offices. Since the pandemic, they’ve moved to a  remote model with a drop in location in London for anyone who needs or wants to use it!A super positive guy who is an inspiration for anyone looking to grow a great business with a focus on profit!---A big thank you to today’s sponsor Volcanic.com - the best in class recruitment website provider delivering websites that look good and perform even better. Following the recent success of Volcanic’s client Camino Partners winning Best New Website award at The NORAs, Camino have provided great insights on how they’ve used their website to elevate their brand messaging, celebrate their consultants, and position themselves as experts in their sector. You can read all about it on the Volcanic blog at https://www.volcanic.com/blog/2021/12/camino-partners-best-new-recruitment-websiteFinally, we are offering RAG listeners an MOT of their current site – landing page is here (and embedded on the above page) The Access Groupwww.volcanic.com/hoxoThis applies to any recruitment website.---Thanks to our sponsor District 4District4 supports experienced recruiters to launch their own recruitment businesses with an impressive start-up package, and take care of the back office and technology which allows them to focus on what they do best: providing an excellent service to their clients and candidates.District4 is a community of expert recruiters who are all business owners in their own right. As a community, they support each-other professionally and personally to hit their goals. If you would like to start your own agency in 2022, then you really should be speaking to these guys! Visit www.district4.io for more information.

On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast Live, I was delighted to be joined by Amy GoldingAmy Golding is the CEO of Opus Talent Solutions, Headquartered in Bristol, UK, Opus has more than 1,000 clients in over 50 countries with 300 staff across eight offices spanning the UK, the Netherlands, Australia and the US.I met Amy back in late 2017 and found her to be truly inspiring, she had such grand plans for the business.Recently acquired by Graphite Capital a UK mid-market private equity specialist- this conversation was fascinating!In this episode we discussed:Her journey from Deloitte to becoming Business Advisor to James Caan CBELaunching Recruitment EntrepreneurJoining Opus as CEO and taking over from Founder Darren Ryemill in 2017How they made the decision to reduce the business from 13 to 3 brands and become true specialists in Tech and Energy markets.Becoming a Mother in Feb 2020 and then surviving the pandemic from March onwardsStory of securing PE investment in 2021 The vision for Opus futureA remarkable leader who is respected across our sector, I know you will love this episode!----Thank you again to our friends and sponsor today - Odro.co.uk .Have you heard about Odro's up and coming new framework that's launching this week? If you don't follow the guys, you might not have so let me tell you about it....Based on conversations from the best of the best in the recruitment space, the guys have pulled together a new framework that helps recruiters create more meaningful and longer-lasting connections with clients and candidates at various different touchpoints throughout the process. It's literally a diagram that really just distils all the opportunities throughout the process where video can be used to help to better attract, assess and provide aftercare, for improved relationships. Look it sounds simple, right? And, actually, it is. But when you see it down on paper like that, it's amazing how many opportunities you realise most businesses are probably missing. Hit the guys up at odro.co.uk/demo and I'm sure they'll be happy to send it on.---Thanks also to our second sponsor Vincere.io - are officially launching in the US with a new office in Atlanta.. Whilst they have gathered US Clients, they strategically held back from going into the US until they were ready to hire a team and do it in full vinny style! They are ready and looking to work with agencies with 20+ users - as they want to ensure the support is in place to cater for the wider demand of the smaller agencies!If you are in the US or UK and interested in finding out more about Vincere, they offer great discounts for RAG Listeners so use www.vincere.io/rag

On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast Live, on this week's episode of The RAG Podcast I am re-joined by James Johnson!James is the founder of District 4 and also a CEO coach. James works with ambitious founders, CEOs and VCs where the difference between success and failure is £m'sJames was previously the CEO of Nicoll Curtin and decided to change his lifestyle after he and his wife suffered from their second miscarriage. The stress of running a global business meant that he was under investing in other, more important areas of his life.Since then, he has changed almost every aspect of his life and now has the family he always wished for!In this episode we went deep into James' own story but also the reality of the stress and challenges faced both inside and outside of work for his many recruitment agency owner clients.----A big thank you to today’s sponsor Volcanic.com - the best in class recruitment website provider delivering websites that look good and perform even better. Volcanic were thrilled to see 14 of their clients receive nominations across 13 categories for the recent National Online Recruitment Awards, and special shoutout to their client Camino Partners for winning Best New Recruitment Website!They’ve also recently published a case study from leading recruitment agency Aspire, where they have reported cutting their website costs in half since switching to Volcanic, which delivered a staggering three websites in just three months! You can check out their website at weareaspire.com.Finally, we are offering RAG listeners an MOT of their current site – landing page is here (and embedded on the above page) The Access Groupwww.volcanic.com/hoxo This applies to any recruitment website.Thanks to our second sponsor District 4District4 supports experienced recruiters to launch their own recruitment businesses with an impressive start-up package and take care of the back office and technology which allows them to focus on what they do best: providing an excellent service to their clients and candidates.District4 is a community of expert recruiters who are all business owners in their own right. As a community we support each-other professionally and personally to hit out goals. On Monday 8th November they started an exciting 5-day challenge “So you want to start your own recruitment business?”Over 5 days you will explore your why, your vision, your financials, your market and put together a business plan.This challenge is for experienced recruiters who have thought about going it alone and want to explore it at a deeper level.At the end of the challenge you will either be raring to go and start your business or have decided that it is not for you. It is running all of this week and there are replays available for anyone who has missed the sessionsYou can catch up either in the challenges closed facebook group at (1) Start your Recruitment Business in 2022 Free Challenge | Facebook or if they search in groups for "Start your recruitment busines in 2022 Free Challenge or by going to my LinkedIn profile and viewing the featured section.They have a new task going live everyday at 9.15 and then a daily Q&A answering all of their set up questions at 12 noon both live via my profile.The link to join the challenge is: https://growyourrecruitmentbusinessevent.vipmembervault.com/products/view/1110290

On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast Live, I was delighted to be joined by Ishpal BansalIshpal founded Aston Holmes, a resourcing and talent acquisition consultancy, alongside his business partner Brad Bloom in 2014.Shortly after launching the business, Ishpal was diagnosed with a heart condition and needed open heart surgery! Thankfully he came through treatment and since then has gone on to grow teams across the UK and Africa (LDN, Cape and J’burg) Approaching 50 people and growing well. In this episode Ishpal was incredibly honest about the challenges he and his partner have faced in their journey so far and why choosing the right partner is non negotiable!An essential episode for anyone who has a business partner today or is considering launching their agency in future!----Thank you again to our friends and sponsor today - Odro.co.uk .Have you heard about Odro's up and coming new framework that's launching this week? If you don't follow the guys, you might not have so let me tell you about it....Based on conversations from the best of the best in the recruitment space, the guys have pulled together a new framework that helps recruiters create more meaningful and longer-lasting connections with clients and candidates at various different touchpoints throughout the process. It's literally a diagram that really just distils all the opportunities throughout the process where video can be used to help to better attract, assess and provide aftercare, for improved relationships. Look it sounds simple, right? And, actually, it is. But when you see it down on paper like that, it's amazing how many opportunities you realise most businesses are probably missing. Hit the guys up at odro.co.uk/demo and I'm sure they'll be happy to send it on.----Thanks also to our second sponsor Vincere.io - are officially launching in the US with a new office in Atlanta.. Whilst they have gathered US Clients, they strategically held back from going into the US until they were ready to hire a team and do it in full vinny style! They are ready and looking to work with agencies with 20+ users - as they want to ensure the support is in place to cater for the wider demand of the smaller agencies!If you are in the US or UK and interested in finding out more about Vincere, they offer great discounts for RAG Listeners so use www.vincere.io/rag