Top-of-the-funnel lead-generation activities are a critical ingredient for a successful recruitment business. How do you strategize your lead generation to stand out in this age where all your competitors are probably doing the same thing you are doing? 

We are really lucky to be joined in this episode by Jeremy Jenson, the founder and CEO of Encore Search Partners, the largest privately owned executive search firm based in Houston, Texas. Before starting his recruitment firm, Jeremy used to run a lead generation company for different businesses such as recruitment and search firms.

You will hear Jeremy’s insights and strategy on lead generation activities and how he transitioned into becoming the recruitment business owner of a $12M search firm. 

Episode Outline and Highlights

• [01:50] How Jeremy got into recruiting.

• [05:36] Business milestones - Overcoming adversity, rebranding, and hiring someone with more technical expertise.

• [13:02] Why recruitment business owners should hire and do things with others.

• [25:49] How EOS (Entrepreneur Operating System) can impact your business.

• [35:25] Jeremy’s insights on Lead Generation as a core strength.

• [45:10] Encore Search’s seven core values.

• [53:38] What made Encore Search win Best Place to Work in the Houston Business Journal?

 

From a Lead Generation Firm to a Recruitment Business - Jeremy’s Story

 

Jeremy’s story on what led him to the recruitment industry is fascinating. He started a lead generation company in 2010 - and upon realizing that more than half of his client base was sourcing and staffing businesses, he transitioned into putting up his recruitment business. His claim to fame was in lead generation, where he was the main lead generator, regularly feeding senior recruiters with leads. 

 

His business grew and was billing a million in the third year when market and economic difficulty struck. He had to make a pivotal decision whether to shut his business and be a full-time employee or to keep on going. You will hear how his decision to stay in business paid off, and how implementing strategies to go national and hiring other senior leaders contributed to their growth. 

 

I think many of our listeners can relate to what Jeremy went through. Starting your own recruitment business is not easy - you can get to the point where you are making 100k to zero in a month. Jeremy’s inspiring thought process and decision-making can inspire our recruitment firm owners who are going through the same ordeal.

 

The Pillars of Lead Generation

 

Jeremy’s transition from a lead-generation specialist to a recruitment business owner shows us the critical role of top-of-the-funnel lead-generation activities in business success. He shared insights on what makes lead generation his key strength. Here are the two pillars:

 

• Content - he emphasized the importance of proper story-telling. “Because if you can induce an emotion from your audience, that creates resonance. I don't think that our audience wants to see five tips on how to make your resume more marketable.”

• Email Marketing - he shared why it is important to utilize new tools and platforms to reach as many as possible. “And so we try to constantly look for new, innovative ways to steal market share.”

 

• Digital Marketing - Hiring a digital marketing coordinator to enhance brand loyalty and utilizing various platforms can significantly increase community engagement and brand building.

 

Having Structure in Place Means Sustainable Growth

 

Jeremy is a subject matter expert on EOS - Entrepreneurial Operating System. We discussed how a clear and consistent structure contributed to their business growth. He also touched upon the value of embedding core values to overcome big challenges they had to face by the time their business was growing. 

 

He shared how excellence, resilience, gratitude, professionalism, coachable attitude, meticulousness, and competitiveness are deeply ingrained in daily operations, fostering culture through practices like core value spotlights during meetings. He also talked about transparency, and how it made their company a Best Place to Work award recipient in the Houston Business Journal. 

 

Our Sponsor

 

This podcast is proudly sponsored by i-intro 

 

i-intro® is an end-to-end retained recruitment platform. Their technology and methodology allow recruiters to differentiate themselves from the competition, win more retained business, bigger fees, and increase their billings. Their software combined with world-class training enables you to transition from transactional, contingency recruiter to consultative, retained recruiter. Instead of being perceived as a “me too” vendor, you’ll be positioned as a “me only” solutions provider. Be sure to mention Mark Whitby or The Resilient Recruiter. Book your free, no-obligation consultation here: https://recruitmentcoach.com/retained.

 

Jeremy Jenson Bio and Contact Info

 

Jeremy Jenson is the Founder & CEO of Encore Search Partners. Jeremy is a subject matter expert on The Entrepreneurial Operating System and prides himself on building Houston’s largest privately-held Executive Search firm on the back of his seven Core Values: Excellence, Resilience, Gratitude, Professionalism, Coachable, Meticulous, and Competitive. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with friends & his 3 sons. He is also a member of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, a global co-op of over 17,000 entrepreneurs, worldwide.

 

• Jeremy on LinkedIn

• Encore Search Partners website link

• Jeremy on Instagram

• Path to Success podcast link

 

People and Resources Mentioned

 

• Who Not How, by Dan Sullivan

• Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business, by Gino Wickman

• Rocket Fuel, by Gino Wickman

 

Connect with Mark Whitby

• Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call

• Mark on LinkedIn 

• Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby

• Mark on Facebook

• Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach

 

Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

 

If you’ve been enjoying the podcast, please take two minutes to leave a review. Your review is greatly appreciated because it helps us attract a bigger audience and help more recruiters.

 

Being a high biller requires a combination of hard work, skills, and strategies. But what does it really take?

My special guest, David Bradley, is a 29-year veteran who averaged $750k in annual billings his entire career! In this episode, David shares the strategies and mindset that make him a very effective recruiter! On top of that, David also manages high-volume accounts with a team of 60 headhunters. If you are a recruitment leader like David, you will find insightful takes on how he manages KPIs and how they drive a culture that is geared towards performance.

In 2009, David helped start Movement. He is a partner with Movement and has been an instrumental part in helping the firm grow from 3 to 65 plus headhunters over the past 14 years.

Movement has 5 brick and mortar offices across the United States.

Episode Outline and Highlights

• [02:29] How David got into the recruiting business.
• [07:14] Top recruiter secrets & grinding on a 10-5-2 formula.
• [10:32] Structuring daily activities & time management best practices.
• [17:52] You need to get three critical pieces of information when speaking with a candidate.
• [24:26] The foundation of what makes David a successful recruiter.
• [26:50] Movement’s culture and mission.
• [34:30] Striking the balance when managing your team’s KPI.
• [37:40] Retaining the momentum in 2024 - key to continuous growth and eight-figure billings.
• [45:20] How Movement’s owners play different roles?
• [52:29] David’s future growth plans.

 

What it Takes to Be a Top Recruiter

What does it take to become a top recruiter? It certainly involves grind and hard work. David’s 29-year experience provides him with a credible perspective on what it takes to be successful. This also gives him an advantage as a recruitment leader - his capabilities are a testament to how his team has been performing. Below are the critical topics that David and I discussed:

 

• 10-5-2 Formula

• Being cognizant of your time

• Planning ahead of your phone time

• Mindset

 

If you are listening, as a recruiter or recruitment leader, David's insights are inspiring!

 

The Foundation of Being a Successful Recruiter

 

Being consistently successful in a long time requires more than hard work. There is something else and David generously shared his secret sauce:

 

“So I think having that gratitude, understanding that we get to talk to people for a living and have just an incredible life, incredible income opportunity, incredible balance, we can manage our life any way we want it… And I think that fuels getting up in the morning and saying, you know what? This is gonna be another great day. It's gonna be a great year. It's gonna be a great month. Well, if it's not been a great month, next month's gonna be great. So having that sort of mindset, I think, is really, and factor a lot of fun into this.”

 

This fantastic mindset is an invisible but highly influential factor that determines your success as a recruiter or recruitment business owner. Possessing a positive mindset enables us to navigate the favorable and unfavorable changes we encounter with resilience.

 

The Keys to Continuous Growth and Eight-Figure BIllings

 

David shares how Movement produced $20M in billings around 2022-23. It was a great year for them post-Covid, and the systems and frameworks they had at the time enabled them to retain the momentum even when things appear to slow down in 2024. I wanted to pick David’s brains on the culture and systems they have in place, given that not many recruiting firms get above 8 figures. 

 

My takeaway is how they emphasise creating and enabling a culture geared towards high performance.  They have annual trips for the top 10% of producers, on top of regular social activities and loyalty bonus programs. They also have annual meetings where they fly everyone in, including their staff’s spouses. Doing so contributes to relationship-building and as David said, “an essential part of the culture.”

 

David also discussed their profit-sharing scheme. What I also loved was his insights on managing KPIs while not micromanaging everything.

Our Sponsor

This podcast is proudly sponsored by i-intro 

i-intro® is an end-to-end retained recruitment platform. Their technology and methodology allow recruiters to differentiate themselves from the competition, win more retained business, bigger fees, and increase their billings. Their software combined with world-class training enables you to transition from transactional, contingency recruiter to consultative, retained recruiter. Instead of being perceived as a “me too” vendor, you’ll be positioned as a “me only” solutions provider. Be sure to mention Mark Whitby or The Resilient Recruiter. Book your free, no-obligation consultation here: https://recruitmentcoach.com/retained

 

David Bradley Bio and Contact Info

 

David is a 29-year veteran of the headhunting business. David stumbled into the business in 1995 when he was working with a headhunter to help him find a sales job. The tables got turned and David actually got hired as a headhunter. He spent the next 16 years working for Spherion. He enjoyed success right from the beginning. He billed $175K in year 1 and the following year billed close to $400K and he never looked back from there.

 

In 2009, he left Spherion (later known as Ranstad) to help start Movement. He is a partner with Movement and has been an instrumental part in helping the firm grow from 3 to 65 plus headhunters over the past 14 years. Movement has 5 brick and mortar offices across the United States.

 

* He has been a leading producer at Movement with 750+ placements since 2009 with the most placements in the firm's history (Personal billings of $1.3M in 2023, $1.1M in 2022, and averaged $750K+ in billings throughout his career)

* He manages high-volume accounts with a team of 60 headhunters

* He has helped mentor aspiring headhunters into the business.

* He has completed over 2500 placements throughout his career.

* Member of Pinnacle Society since 2023.

* David holds an MBA from Franciscan University.

 

David has been married to his lovely wife for 32 years and has 5 grown children (ages 17 to 31) He is an avid hockey player and resides with his family in Clarkston, MI.

 

• David on LinkedIn

• David on Facebook

• David on X (Twitter) @jdavidbradley

• David on YouTube

• Movement Search website link

 

People and Resources Mentioned

 

• Pinnacle Society website link

 

Connect with Mark Whitby

• Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call

• Mark on LinkedIn, 

• Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby

• Mark on Facebook

• Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach

 

Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

 

If you’ve been enjoying the podcast, please take two minutes to leave a review. Your review is greatly appreciated because it helps us attract a bigger audience and help more recruiters.

In the evolving recruitment landscape where LinkedIn and ChatGPT dominate the conversation, one tool stands resilient: the humble phone call. 

Is cold calling still a critical part of your recruitment and selling process? Can you be a successful modern recruiter while making zero cold calls?

I am thrilled to be joined by a veteran and successful recruiter, Danny Cahill. You will enjoy his insights based on his decades-long expertise in recruitment approach with a spotlight on the importance of using the phone for cold calls. 

Danny started his recruiting career right out of college at Hobson Associates. He became its rookie of the year and went on to become a top producer and the general manager by the age of 26. At 27, he bought the company and built it into one of the country's largest search firms. Danny was the educational chairperson of the Pinnacle Society, 75 of the highest achievers in the industry.

Episode Outline and Highlights

• [02:12] “Phone: Friend or Foe?” – insights on Danny’s talk at the last Pinnacle Society Summit.

• [09:50] Recalling the good old cold calling days.

• [13:08] Approaching the current landscape of a 5% call response rate.

• [22:09] Why must modern recruiters understand and maximize the phone's power?

• [32:33] “The phone call is a birthday card.” - Danny explains why effort toward candidates and clients can be a strong differentiator.

• [39:35] Can you be a successful recruiter nowadays without making phone calls?

• [45:39] Flipping the order – why the phone should come before email.

• [52:40] Thoughts and insights on AI.

 

How Veteran Recruiters Should Approach the Current Industry Landscape

 

I have known Danny for decades - he is a legendary recruiter and you can just imagine my delight when I had the chance to meet him in person at a Pinnacle Society conference last year. We discussed the talk he gave about using old-school cold-calling. Danny believes that using the phone is a critical skill for recruiters, especially before the advent of the internet. We recalled how exciting it was to not know in detail who you would be talking to, how skillful you should be when carrying conversations, and of course, going through gatekeepers before reaching your actual target.

 

But the landscape now changed. On average, you will only reach 5% of your prospects by phone. Danny believes that although it should be a combination of tools and platforms, making phone calls is more relevant than ever, as it can be a differentiator. This is how Danny puts it: 

 

“If this helps you with your identity crisis, the thing that made you great is going to be more important than ever because you're not someone who just makes phone calls. The phone is your conduit to who you are, which is a storyteller, a persuader, an enabler of aspiration. We sell dreams. That's what we do. And companies are going to always use us. If you have a level of contact and subject matter expertise so that I feel like you can get candidates I can't get in a faster way.”

 

Flipping the Order – Why the Phone Should Come Before Email

 

On Hobson Associates’ website, you will see the line “We’re Always Available to You. By Phone. Online. Or in person.” This is aligned with how Danny wants the order in which their recruiters would reach out to prospects via phone before mail. I tried to pick Danny’s brain for this approach, and he explained the logic. 

 

“Yeah, well, because I think the phone has some real advantages and it is direct. You know, people often say, well, email is faster. Oh, no, it's not. I see email exchanges all the time between clients.”

 

Danny also emphasized that the phone has some power to engage with prospects. “The power of the pause; the power of someone sighing. The thing about text, is that young people like text, because text can be filtered, text can be edited, right? You can wait and you can make a draft of it. Whereas with the phone, you can't skim a phone call. Right. You're on it. You're on the hot seat.”

 

Can You Be a Successful Recruiter With Zero Cold Calls?

We have members of our coaching group who are not really into making cold calls. We see recruiters who are making consistent placements without making a single cold call. With the power of LinkedIn, Social Media platforms, & AI, you can do a lot of business development that can translate to end-to-end sourcing and placements. The question is, can you be a successful recruiter without making cold calls?

 

Danny shared a fact from SourceWhale: 60% of meetings come from the phone call. It may not be the primary way of reaching prospects anymore, but possessing the skill of doing cold calls is a critical part of becoming a successful recruiter. But of course, Danny pointed out that there are so many ways of doing business. Those who can make it work without the need to do cold calls should keep doing what they are doing.

 

Our Sponsor

 

This podcast is proudly sponsored by i-intro 

 

i-intro® is an end-to-end retained recruitment platform. Their technology and methodology allow recruiters to differentiate themselves from the competition, win more retained business, bigger fees, and increase their billings. Their software combined with world-class training enables you to transition from transactional, contingency recruiter to consultative, retained recruiter. Instead of being perceived as a “me too” vendor, you’ll be positioned as a “me only” solutions provider. Be sure to mention Mark Whitby or The Resilient Recruiter. Book your free, no-obligation consultation here: https://recruitmentcoach.com/retained

 

Danny Cahill Bio and Contact Info

 

Danny Cahill started at Hobson Associates right out of college. He became its Rookie of the Year, top producer, and general manager by the age of 26. At 27 he bought the company and built it into one of the country's largest search firms specializing in Software Sales, Bio-Tech Sales, and Industrial Sales talent. He is the only industry “guru” that runs a search firm every day. He does what you do.

 

He was the Educational Chairperson of the Pinnacle Society, 75 of the highest achievers in the industry, and he still personally mentors many members. He also owns and runs AccordingToDanny.com, an online training and mentoring company dedicated to enhancing the skills and jumpstarting the spirits of recruiters worldwide. His keynote presentations have made him one of the most sought-after speakers in the country.

 

He was elected to the NAPS Hall of Fame in 2006 and also received the Dave Knutson Lifetime Achievement Award. HireAbility overwhelmingly voted him the industry’s most popular speaker. AccordingToDanny.com was awarded “Best-In-Class” for Training Excellence from MRINetwork.

 

In his other life, as a playwright, he has had works produced off-Broadway and won both the Maxwell Anderson and the CAB Theatre Award for playwrights. He has written for CBS Television, Muscle and Fitness Magazine, as well as numerous magazines. He received his Master’s Degree in Literature from Wesleyan University and believes salespeople enjoy the world's only job security.  Danny’s book, “Harper’s Rules”, a business novel/parable, which of course features a headhunter, won the 2011 Axiom Award for Best Business Parable. His screenplay, “Breakpoint” was optioned by Dialogue Pictures, and his new memoir, "Aging Disgracefully" is available now in bookstores and on Kindle.

 

• Danny on LinkedIn

• Hobson Associates website link

• Harper’s Rules by Danny Cahill

• How to Quit Golf (and Get Your Life Back) by Danny Cahill

 

People and Resources Mentioned

 

• Pinnacle Society website link

• Alex Elliott on LinkedIn

• Nate Zimmerman on LinkedIn

 

Related Podcast You Might Enjoy

 

• TRR#181 The 4 Core Sales Processes that Drive an Effective Client Acquisition Strategy, with Alex Elliott

• TRR#202 Top Private Equity Recruiter Reveals How He Built a $1,000,000 Practice, with Nate Zimmerman

 

Connect with Mark Whitby

• Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call

• Mark on LinkedIn, 

• Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby

• Mark on Facebook

• Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach

 

Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

 

If you’ve been enjoying the podcast, please take two minutes to leave a review. Your review is greatly appreciated because it helps us attract a bigger audience and help more recruiters.

 

Building a scalable recruitment business that operates seamlessly even without recruiters' direct involvement should not be just a dream—but a tangible goal. Balraj's achievement with Envision Education serves as a testament to what can be accomplished through strategic planning and execution.

Today’s episode explores how recruiters can build high-performing teams and a scalable business with a special guest, Balraj Guraya. As the founder and director of Envision Education, Balraj has not only grown the company into a high-performing team of 23 individuals but also strategically positioned himself to focus solely on scaling the business by replacing himself in the hands-on role in 2022

Tune in to gain valuable insights from Balraj's unique approach and what's working and not in building a scalable business that can thrive even when the founder isn't in the driver's seat.

Episode Outline And Highlights

• [01:46] Why Balraj got into recruitment and started Envision Education 

• [05:20] How Balraj began his business and how things worked in the first year

• [08:07] The biggest challenges Balraj encountered before building a team

• [12:04] The key milestones of growing a team from 2 to 23 people 

• [15:06] How to structure the interview process and get the right people onboard

• [22:37] Ways to structure your team and create an excellent candidate journey 

• [20:45] Steps to building a recruitment business that runs without you 

• [33:20] What contributes to creating a high-energy environment  

• [44:23] How to hire right and create a smooth transition into your culture

• [48:28] The key to building successful business partnerships with Rec2Rec 

• [55:42] What candidate's journey is all about, and how it works 

• [59:11] How to design, roll out, and improve processes for scale 

• [01:02:04] Tip to conquer staff turnover and self-doubt as a business owner

How to Become a Manager and a Leader and Build Confidence in Your Effectiveness

During our discussion, Balraj and I discussed his recruitment strategies at Envision Education. Founded in 2014, Envision Education addresses staffing shortages in Primary, Secondary, and Special Schools across London and the home counties. Balraj's vision has led Envision Education to become a high-performing team of 23 individuals. His journey includes transitioning from a hands-on role as a builder in 2022 to focus on scaling the business.

 

Balraj shares six key principles for recruiters aspiring to become effective managers and leaders in their business. 

 

1. Self-motivation: As a recruiter, Balraj shares that you have to be very self-motivated and have the drive, energy, and focus to grow your business in the beginning to build a strong foundation for growth and expansion.

2. Be consistent: Balraj emphasizes maintaining a steady workflow and understanding that success takes time and effort. It’s not going to be an overnight achievement. So be consistent, produce the right quality and quantity of activity, and stay motivated. 

3. Willingness to make mistakes: Recruitment takes work. It takes resilience, courage, and a willingness to put yourself out there, try uncomfortable things, make mistakes, and embrace them as learning opportunities.

4. Get the right people on board: Balraj emphasizes the pivotal role of team composition in driving success. He explains the importance of recruiting people who align with the company's values and attributes and possess the necessary skills to contribute meaningfully to the team's objectives. Having the right people on board is a game changer. It’s the difference between success and failure.

5. Structure your team: Structuring allows individuals to maximize their strengths and enhance overall performance. According to Balraj, structuring your team will help the team keep up and improve your turnover.  

6. Coaching and development. Balraj highlights the importance of ongoing coaching and development in building a great team. Rather than solely focusing on placements, he emphasizes sharing knowledge and nurturing talent within the organization.

 

Ultimately, running a business transcends mere profitability; it represents a journey of personal development and collective growth—the continuous evolution of oneself and the team.

Steps to Building a Recruitment Business That Runs Without You

 

Balraj shares invaluable insights into transitioning a recruitment business from a one-person 360 operation to a structured departmental setup, effectively replacing oneself in key roles. The key to this evolution lies in making strategic and sometimes costly decisions, recognizing that letting go of control is essential for scalability. Central to this process is: 

 

1. Finding some key people you can trust: Find people you can trust, people who treat your business as more than just a job and are excited about helping your business succeed. They are the backbone of your business, embodying a commitment to its success beyond personal gain.

2. Have some high performers who you are consistently billing. Nurturing a cadre of high performers is critical for sustaining momentum and driving growth. These individuals excel in their roles and embody the energy and drive necessary to propel the business forward, even in the absence of its founder.

3. Design a structured, clear career ladder: According to Balraj, this is one of the best things you can do within your business as a recruiter. Designing and implementing a structured career ladder from the outset provides clarity and direction for employees within the organization. The framework creates professional development and instills a sense of purpose and belonging among the team.

4. Create a high-energy environment: Creating a vibrant, high-energy environment is key to enhancing engagement and cohesion within the team. Balraj emphasizes the need for regular team briefs and goal-setting sessions to align everyone with the company's vision and objectives. 

5. Appreciation: Show appreciation not just to the sales team making the placements but to everyone, including the compliance team and the resource team. They are important in the work they do. Appreciation for all reinforces the value of every team member's contribution.

6. Work on what is most important: Balraj's "4 Ds" approach—Do, Defer, Delegate, Delete—provides a framework for delegating tasks and freeing up time to focus on strategic initiatives. Investing in the sales team and expanding recruitment consultant roles are essential steps before relinquishing direct involvement in day-to-day operations.

7. Develop processes: designing and implementing processes is indispensable for scalability. Balraj advocates for hiring or partnering with individuals possessing complementary operations skills to ensure the efficient execution of tasks and the seamless functioning of the business.

 

Scaling a recruitment business beyond the founder's requires strategic planning, delegation, talent cultivation, and process optimization. Embracing these principles paves the way for scale, sustainable growth, and long-term success. 

 

Our Sponsor

 

This podcast is proudly sponsored by i-intro 

 

i-intro® is an end-to-end retained recruitment platform. Their technology and methodology allow recruiters to differentiate themselves from the competition, win more retained business, bigger fees, and increase their billings. Their software, combined with world-class training, enables you to transition from transactional, contingency recruiter to consultative, retained recruiter. Instead of being perceived as a “me too” vendor, you’ll be positioned as a “me only” solutions provider. Be sure to mention Mark Whitby or The Resilient Recruiter. Book your free, no-obligation consultation here: https://recruitmentcoach.com/retained

 

Balraj Guraya Bio and Contact Info

 

Balraj is the founder and director of Envision Education, a recruitment firm he established in 2014 to address staffing shortages in schools across London and the home counties particularly within special needs education. Barlaj has grown Envision education to a high performing team of 23 people and was able to replace himself as a builder in 2022 so he can concentrate on scaling the business.

 

• Balraj on LinkedIn

• Envision Education Website link 

Resources and People Mentioned

• Ravi Tangri on LinkedIn

Connect with Mark Whitby

• Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call

• Mark on LinkedIn

• Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby

• Mark on Facebook

• Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach

 

Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

 

If you’ve been enjoying the podcast, please take two minutes to leave a review. Your review is greatly appreciated because it helps us attract a bigger audience and help more recruiters.

Every successful recruiter will tell you success is born out of the grind, not the glory. Mastering the grind is the key to unlocking growth. Whether building a robust network, honing communication, or leveraging technology, recruiters must navigate the ups and downs with resilience and determination.

 

Today’s episode explores how recruiters can embrace the grind and build successful businesses with a special guest, Matt Ballema. Matt is the founder of Pioneer Search Group. With a track record of consistently surpassing the million-dollar revenue mark for the past three years, Matt brings over two decades of executive search experience. He specializes in material handling automation space and has placed professionals at all levels, from general manager, president, and COO to sales reps and engineers all over North America.

Tune in to gain insights on elevating your firm to unprecedented success. Matt's insights will inspire and enlighten you whether you're a seasoned recruiter seeking to optimize your operations or an aspiring entrepreneur looking to carve a niche in the industry.

Episode Outline And Highlights

• [02:19] How Matt got into the executive search business space 

• [04:13] When Matt started the Pioneer Search Group

• [10:40] The difference between burning out and embracing the grid 

• [18:34] What it means to work hard and be consistent as a recruiter 

• [20:03] Three important metrics to track in a recruitment business 

• [25:24] Key tools to adapt to stay with the times and leverage technology

• [35:07] How to stay relevant as an executive recruiter in the digital environment 

• [39:10] How to create an in-house team structure for building your database 

• [42:58] The rainmaker model and how it works in a recruitment firm 

• [48:23] Leveling up your team and scaling back direct workload Vs retiring 

• [50:58] How recruiters make people multimillionaires, changed lives and family trees 

• [54:47] How recruiters can harness fear as motivation rather than a detour

• [01:02:04] The mindset of successful recruiter and thinking of the long game 

  How Recruiters Can Navigate the Grind and Scale Their Recruitment Firm

During our discussion, Matt and I discussed his recruitment strategies at Pioneer Search Group, which has been instrumental in building and scaling the firm. Pioneer Search Group specializes in executive search within material handling, power generation, and oil and gas industries across North America, placing top talent in various roles, from sales and sales management to director and VP/C positions. 

 

Matt outlined six essential steps crucial for recruiters looking to establish or expand their executive search firm:

 

1. Entrepreneurship grind: Matt emphasizes the importance of embracing the search business grind mentality, regardless of the revenue goal. Whether it's a million dollars or $250,000,. It doesn’t matter; you must be willing to grind and embrace the grind to achieve.

 

1. Alignment: Before embarking on becoming an executive recruiter or starting a search firm, Matt highlighted the necessity of ensuring alignment with one's partner, as the pursuit can be very demanding.

 

1. Hard work and consistency: Hard work and consistency are the hallmarks of a successful recruiter. Recruitment is an activity-based business, and Matt encourages recruiters to focus on data analytics, planning, and tracking metrics.

 

1. Build your database: According to Matt, as a recruiter, diligently working on and growing your database is the foundation for turning leads into lead generation, both on the candidate and client sides.

 

1. Stay relevant: From a marketing perspective, Matt advised recruiters to brand and package their services effectively, leverage team efforts, technology, and persistence to maximize engagement and seize opportunities.

 

1. Turn fear into motivation: In the placement world, there are many things that recruiters have no control over, but setting fear aside and going for it will keep you achieving your goals. As a recruiter, having the courage to chart your own course is essential for success in the industry.

 

Building and growing a recruitment firm requires persistence, hard work, and a grind mentality. With the right work ethic and mindset, achieving success in the field is feasible and inevitable.

How To Stay with the Times and Leverage the Technology 

Matt shares that mastering market efficiency is paramount for any search firm, describing it as thrilling and daunting. He reflects on his own journey, explaining that until 2016, he operated without a database, relying instead on a platform called Highrise, primarily effective for realtor and sales roles. Though functional, it proved inefficient and costly to maintain. Matt underscores the urgency for small search firms to streamline their operations, as larger ones have the money and resources to innovate in this area faster. He stresses the importance of market mastery, cautioning that failure to adapt risks will result in missing out on business opportunities.

 

In addition, Matt highlights the challenge of navigating through the overwhelming digital landscape, where everyone vies for attention on platforms like LinkedIn. He emphasizes the need for recruiters to remain relevant amidst the noise to stand out. According to Matt, the true differentiator in the recruitment industry is hard work—specifically, the relentless pursuit of connecting with candidates, persuading them, and ultimately closing deals. 

 

Our Sponsor

 

This podcast is proudly sponsored by i-intro 

 

i-intro® is an end-to-end retained recruitment platform. Their technology and methodology allow recruiters to differentiate themselves from the competition, win more retained business, bigger fees, and increase their billings. Their software combined with world-class training, enables you to transition from transactional, contingency recruiter to consultative, retained recruiter. Instead of being perceived as a “me too” vendor, you’ll be positioned as a “me only” solutions provider. Be sure to mention Mark Whitby or The Resilient Recruiter. Book your free, no-obligation consultation here: https://recruitmentcoach.com/retained

 

Matt Ballema Bio and Contact Info

 

Matt is the founder of the Pioneer Search Group, an executive search firm specializing in sourcing top talent in the Material Handling, Power Generation/Oil and Gas Industries across North America. 

 

For the last three years, Matt has built over a million dollars a year. Matt specializes in material handling automation space. His own background is in material handling equipment sales, an industry he knows and is passionate about. Matt has been in the executive search business for over 20 years. He has placed professionals at all levels, from general manager, president, COO, and VP to regional sales, manager, sales rep, and engineers all over North America. 

 

• Matt Ballema on LinkedIn

Resources and People Mentioned

• ZoomInfo

• PC Recruiter 

• Outlook 

• Hinterview 

 

Related Podcast You Might Enjoy

 

• TRR #133 How this Top Producing Recruiter is Putting Health, Fitness, and Family First

• TRR #46 How to Run a Million-Dollar Recruiting Firm From Your RV

Connect with Mark Whitby

• Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call

• Mark on LinkedIn

• Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby

• Mark on Facebook

• Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach

 

Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

 

If you’ve been enjoying the podcast, please take two minutes to leave a review. Your review is greatly appreciated because it helps us attract a bigger audience and help more recruiters.

 

Scaling a recruitment firm to 10x growth in a challenging market demands a strategic approach focused on innovation, adaptability, and talent development. All of which Tom has mastered and has been able to 10x his firm's growth over the past decade. Tom scaled Fraser Dove International from 5 employees to a workforce of 50 employees spread across two offices in the UK, one in Switzerland, and another in the US. 

 

In this episode, we discuss strategies for success and capitalizing on new opportunities in the recruitment industry with a special guest, Thomas Dove. As the co-founder and CEO of Fraser Dove International, a leading global search firm and talent consultancy specializing in Life Sciences, Tom brings a wealth of experience to the table. He started his recruitment career in the early 2000s in a large, corporate, multinational environment and transitioned into the global executive search world before starting his own recruitment firm.

 

Tune in to gain invaluable insights from Tom on achieving exponential growth and staying ahead of the curve in an ever-changing market.  Whether leveraging innovation, promoting adaptability, or investing in talent development, Tom provides valuable perspectives to help recruitment firms thrive amidst evolving challenges and emerging opportunities.

 

Episode Outline And Highlights

• [02:38] How Tom got into the recruiting space

• [04:52] What it takes to start and 10x a recruitment firm 

• [09:42] How to refine your roles in a partnership for scale 

• [11:50] How to unpack your job and hire people with the potential to grow

• [20:33] Ways recruiters can stop being the bottleneck in their businesses 

• [24:38] Tips on how to drive high-performance standards hands-off 

• [26:42] How recruiters can create processes and pathways for excellence 

• [34:15] How to play to people's strength in a challenging market 

• [37:10] Practical steps to becoming a great recruiter in a tough market 

• [41:27] How to generate your production at a high level while developing others 

• [49:11] The 360 business development for turning candidates into client 

• [52:28] What OKRs are and how to use them within a recruiting business 

• [01:04:04] How to develop a unique language and integrate it into a business culture 

How Recruiters Can Unpack Their Job and Find More Opportunities

During our conversation, Tom and I discussed Fraser Dove's remarkable growth, expanding globally by 10x over the past decade. Tom describes how refining his and his partners' roles and constantly reevaluating their jobs has been pivotal in unlocking new opportunities and perspectives. He emphasized the importance of periodically stepping back, assessing tasks, and delegating effectively. For Tom, recognizing when he's overwhelmed with tasks outside his core focus signifies an opportunity to recalibrate priorities, leading to the discovery of fresh avenues for growth and innovation.

 

Tom also shed light on their thought process and hiring approach at Fraser Dove. Over the past decade, they've reviewed and refined job descriptions a notable 15 times, two times a year, when onboarding new leaders. They adopt a dual hiring strategy, defining immediate roles while envisioning how these positions will evolve over the following 12 to 24 months. This forward-thinking technique ensures alignment between organizational needs and individual aspirations, fostering a dynamic and adaptable workforce.

 

As a scaling company, Fraser Dove understands the importance of articulating its mission and vision to potential hires, positioning itself as an employer of choice within the competitive executive search landscape. Tom underscored the importance of communicating career trajectories and growth opportunities to prospective employees, as this distinguishes recruiters as visionary employers. This approach attracts top-tier talent and serves as a guiding principle for recruiters and leaders within the organization, aligning efforts toward a shared vision of the future.

How Recruiters Can Stop Being The Bottleneck In Their Business

Recruiters who attempt to maintain complete control over every aspect of their operations often stunt growth rather than enhance it. Tom admits to possessing a hands-off control-freak mentality, recognizing that true success lies in effective delegation and empowering others to excel without micromanagement. By letting go of responsibilities and entrusting capable individuals, recruiters open doors to success.

 

In the episode, Tom shares 7 practices for recruiters to avoid being the bottleneck in their business; 

1. Create Value: The cornerstone of any successful business lies in delivering value to customers. To achieve this, it's imperative to provide individuals with the autonomy and space to innovate. By creating an environment where people have the freedom to unleash their potential, remarkable outcomes can be achieved.

 

1. Be Inspired by Others: While shouldering more responsibilities may seem like the path to inspiration, true enlightenment often comes from letting go of control and allowing others to shine. By embracing delegation, recruiters open themselves up to new perspectives and innovative approaches.

2. Get the Right People: Building a high-performing team starts with strategic recruitment. Through thorough discovery briefings, asking pertinent questions, and establishing clear search metrics, recruiters can attract individuals who align with their vision and values.

3. Best Practice Mindset: Establishing organizational processes creates a culture of excellence. By ensuring everyone from the oldest to the rest of the tribe buy-in to doing things correctly, recruiters can elevate their performance and drive sustained success.

4. Retain Your Best-Oriented People: According to Tom, retaining the best people helps build organizational intelligence because the knowledge doesn’t leak away. It creates a reservoir of talent and knowledge about the best practices that can be passed down to later generations. 

5. Balance: Success in the recruitment industry demands proficiency in various recruitment aspects. While mastery may not come instantly, recruiters must continually strive to develop their skills. They can carve a career path to success by identifying strengths and focusing efforts accordingly.

6. Develop Others Around You: Tom shares that true leadership involves nurturing talent and fostering growth in others. Recruiting recruiters can cultivate a continuous improvement and achievement culture by leading by example, providing guidance, and inspiring those around you.

 

In essence, success in recruitment is not about shouldering every task alone but rather about empowering others and creating avenues for excellence to thrive.

Our Sponsor

 

This podcast is proudly sponsored by i-intro 

 

i-intro® is an end-to-end retained recruitment platform. Their technology and methodology allow recruiters to differentiate themselves from the competition, win more retained business, bigger fees, and increase their billings. Their software combined with world-class training, enables you to transition from transactional, contingency recruiter to consultative, retained recruiter. Instead of being perceived as a “me too” vendor, you’ll be positioned as a “me only” solutions provider. Be sure to mention Mark Whitby or The Resilient Recruiter. Book your free, no-obligation consultation here: https://recruitmentcoach.com/retained

 

Thomas Dove Bio and Contact Info

 

Tom is one of the co-founders and CEO at Fraser Dove International, a global search firm and talent consultancy in Life Sciences.

 

Tom started his recruitment career in the early 2000s in a large, corporate, multinational environment, which was an excellent place to learn the fundamentals. He transitioned into the global executive search world, helping scale a business to build a 10-office network in Europe, the Americas, and Asia before starting his own entrepreneurial journey in 2013 with Fraser Dove International.

 

Tom scaled Fraser Dove with no outside investment to 45 employees with 2 offices in the UK, 1 in Switzerland, and 1 in the US.

 

• Tom Dove  on LinkedIn

• Fraser Dove Website link

Resources and People Mentioned

 

• Joe Curtis on LinkedIn

• Talent EcoSystem at Fraser Dove

• Mike Dickson on LinkedIn

• Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman

 

Related Podcast You Might Enjoy

• TRR #185 How to Scale Your Recruitment Business While Becoming the Employer of Choice

Connect with Mark Whitby

• Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call

• Mark on LinkedIn

• Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby

• Mark on Facebook

• Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach

 

Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

 

If you’ve been enjoying the podcast, please take two minutes to leave a review. Your review is greatly appreciated because it helps us attract a bigger audience and help more recruiters.

Growing a recruitment business to 7 or 8-figure portfolio companies might be much simpler than you think. Few firm owners achieve this, but Aaron Opalewski stands as an example of this entrepreneurial success. He co-founded his first staffing company at just 24 and has nurtured his second venture into a portfolio of seven staffing companies across various industries. Remarkably, three companies consistently make 8-figure revenues, while one of them, Spark Packaging, hit 7-figures within its first year.

 

In this episode, we discuss invaluable insights on how recruiters can fortify their businesses for growth with a special guest, Aaron Opalewski.  Aaron is the CEO and founder of Spark Talent Acquisition, a company he launched in 2013 at the age of 29. He is also a partner in two other companies outside of staffing and holds investments in the food and beverage industry. 

 

Join us as we explore strategies for structuring businesses, optimizing operations, boosting gross profit, delegating tasks, nurturing client relationships, and building successful partnerships. Tune in for a wealth of wisdom and actionable advice from Aaron's journey of entrepreneurial triumph.

Episode Outline And Highlights

• [02:38] How Aaron got into the recruiting space

• [03:59] What it takes to start and launch a staffing company 

• [08:00] The keys to a successful business partnership 

• [09:54] How delegation and promotion have helped Spark Talent excel 

• [15:18] How to structure a recruiting company for lifetime customer value 

• [24:33] Tips on how to nurture clients and maintain good relationships

• [30:10] How the contract and direct side of a recruiting business works 

• [32:35] Why GP is the most important metric for growth 

• [38:06] How to identify target companies for merger and acquisition 

• [41:27] How to get alignments and nurture clients on social media 

• [44:57] How mergers work in improving GP to over the million dollars range

• [48:25] Growth loops and profit strategy to level up business operations

• [57:15] What is the difference between recurring and contract revenue flow

 

How Recruiters Can Structure Their Firms for Lifetime Value 

 

During our conversation, Aaron and I discussed Spark Talent and how he has steered it into a thriving portfolio comprising seven staffing companies across different sectors over the past decade. Aaron shares that everyone assumes the role of recruiters within his business. As the founder, he personally interviews prospective team members, positioning himself as the primary recruiter across all his ventures. He emphasized the importance of this role, asserting that as a business owner, one must take charge of internal recruitment, honing recruitment skills as diligently as serving clients.  Aaron firmly believes that sourcing and nurturing the right talent through extensive training, coaching, and support makes success almost inevitable. He stressed that while failures may occur in other aspects, assembling the right team and fostering their growth ensures a solid foundation for success.

 

Discussing the organizational structure, Aaron outlined the various roles within their teams and business setup, which include recruiters, account managers, business developers, internal and external apps teams, and portfolio managers overseeing the seven companies. Aaron underscored that recruiting forms the cornerstone of their operations, extending to every area of their business, even extending to the front-end relationship with business development personnel. However, in the early stages, Aaron recalled a time when salespeople juggled multiple roles, from accounting to business development and recruitment. However, he acknowledged that this approach diluted the customer experience and diminished lifetime value, prompting them to restructure and specialize roles for optimal efficiency and client customers' lifetime value.

Nurturing Client and Building Longterm Relationships

Aaron shares the importance of nurturing clients and building long-term relationships. He explains how customers' value has changed over time. In 2018, they were actively building with 80 to 90 clients every week, focusing heavily on business development. By 2019, they had signed over a hundred new service agreements, but their active clients remained the same. In 2020, their active clients started to decrease, making Aaron realize they needed to do a better job to improve.

 

To address this, Aaron explains that they had to shut down new business development from March 2020 to the end of 2022 to concentrate on building their client base. It wasn't until 2023 that they resumed the new business development lever, raising their active service agreements to over 50%. However, Aaron acknowledged they still have much work to improve further.

 

Aaron then shared strategies for building and nurturing clients:

 

1. Mindset Shift: Aaron emphasized the need to shift from a mindset of easily finding new clients if things don't work out with current ones. He believes this mindset can harm client relationships and should be addressed through cultural values within the team.

2. Training for Maintaining Relationships: According to Aaron, maintaining good customer relationships is often overlooked and never discussed enough. Recruiters should make training an ongoing development to remind their teams of the things they have learned and what they need to tweak 

3. Focus on Value: Aaron highlighted the significance of consistently delivering value to clients. He encouraged recruiters to always find ways to deliver value, fulfill their promises, go above and beyond, and exceed client expectations.

4. Role Clarification: Running a recruiting business is a lot of work, and ensuring roles are well-defined can help recruiters avoid diluting the value they offer clients. Having clear roles and responsibilities helps improve services, strengthen client relationships, and scale the roles effectively.

 

Our Sponsor

This podcast is proudly sponsored by i-intro 

i-intro® is an end-to-end retained recruitment platform. Their technology and methodology allow recruiters to differentiate themselves from the competition, win more retained business, bigger fees, and increase their billings. Their software combined with world-class training, enables you to transition from transactional, contingency recruiter to consultative, retained recruiter. Instead of being perceived as a “me too” vendor, you’ll be positioned as a “me only” solutions provider. Be sure to mention Mark Whitby or The Resilient Recruiter. Book your free, no-obligation consultation here: https://recruitmentcoach.com/retained

 

Aaron Opalewski Bio and Contact Info

Aaron is a true entrepreneur; he cofounded his first stuffing company at just 24. He is now the CEO and founder of Spark Talent Acquisition, a company launched in 2013 at the age of 29. Since then, the business has grown to a portfolio of seven staffing companies in diverse industries. Three of the stuffing companies he built consistently generated 8-figure revenues, and one of the Spark Packaging companies achieved 7-figures in its first year. Aaron's entrepreneurial spirit does not stop there; he is also a partner in two other companies outside of staffing and holds investments in the food and beverage industry. 

 

• Aaron on LinkedIn

• Aaron on Instagram

• Aaron on Twitter

• Spark Talent Website link

• Spark Companies website link

Resources and People Mentioned

• Mike Williams on LinkedIn

• Spark Packaging

• Manan Shah 

• TRR #210 3 Key Steps to Boost Your Recruitment Team’s Performance

Connect with Mark Whitby

• Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call

• Mark on LinkedIn

• Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby

• Mark on Facebook

• Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach

 

Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

 

If you’ve been enjoying the podcast, please take two minutes to leave a review. Your review is greatly appreciated because it helps us attract a bigger audience and help more recruiters.

 

Do you need help building lasting relationships with candidates after placement? Scaling a recruitment business and manually nurturing relationships can be overwhelming, leaving little room for other essential tasks. But what if there is a way to automate this process?

 

To answer this question, we discuss how recruiters can automate their recruiting process, workflow, and campaigns with a special guest, Manan Shah. Manan is a Co-founder at Recruiterflow. He has scaled Recruiterflow to a 50-person team working remotely while staying profitable from day one. Manan has a long history of building software businesses and a wealth of knowledge on recruitment technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and automation.

 

Tune in and get invaluable recruiting and sales tactics, philosophies, and tools for building teams and relationships for scale. This is an opportunity to revolutionize your recruiting process, build relationships with a large pool of top candidates, and create a funnel of repeat customers. 

Episode Outline And Highlights

• [02:27] How Manan transitioned from engineering to running software companies

• [09:59] 3 strategies for building teams for scale and lasting growth

• [12:21] Five values and attitudes to interview for when hiring  

• [18:40] How to scale a recruitment agency with non-sales people

• [21:45] 3 steps to help your sales team develop the skills to be successful

• [27:03] How to optimize your workflow and process with automation

• [28:33] Two critical tools for recruiters to drive sales and relationships

• [32:30] How to automate your candidate nurture campaign sequence 

• [41:57] Two tactics every recruiting business should leverage to deliver value upfront

• [45:58] How to build a consistent MPC process for your recruitment business  

• [52:11] How recruiter can make it easier to build market maps 

• [55:34] Three key metrics recruiters need to track to increase their revenue

5 Essential Strategies for Building High-Performing Recruitment Teams

 

Manan and I discussed his secrets to success at Recruiterflow, and he shared five essentials for building teams in a growing recruitment business.

 

1. Keep a close eye on your resources: Manan emphasized the importance of managing resources closely, especially in the early stages when resources are limited. As a recruiter, you have to consider your resources when making decisions.

2. Hire for attitude rather than altitude: The right people can learn a lot on a job, but if they don’t have that inherent curiosity and empathy for the customers and their colleagues, they can’t grow with the company and become great contributors.  

3. Growth environment:  Manan stressed the importance of creating an environment where employees can learn, grow, innovate, and make mistakes freely, emphasizing the symbiotic relationship between individual and company growth. It’s a journey that is rewarding for them and the company as well. 

4.  Hire experimental, high initiative, and high agency people: Manan advocated hiring individuals with a proactive and decisive mindset, capable of taking ownership of problems and finding solutions across teams. Additionally, he highlighted the importance of recruiting individuals who actively seek feedback, as it’s a vital component of continuous improvement.

5. Lastly, Manan highlighted the importance of cultivating a culture where individuals can disagree constructively but remain fully committed to executing decisions once they're made, ensuring unified progress towards common goals.

 

 These strategies serve as a roadmap for recruiters seeking to build resilient and agile teams capable of thriving in a rapidly evolving industry landscape.

 

The Power of Nurturing Candidate Relationships

 

Manan highlights two primary motivations that drive hiring managers to enlist the help of recruitment agencies. Firstly, time is often a critical factor. Many hiring managers face the urgent need to fill roles swiftly, sometimes within weeks or months, while the internal hiring process could take considerably longer—up to two months. Secondly, recruitment agencies offer access to valuable relationships. Recruitment agencies provide a distinct advantage in a landscape where job information is readily available, and individuals can easily connect on platforms like LinkedIn. They possess a vantage view of the industry and collaborate with diverse clients, enabling them to offer candidates various opportunities across different companies and positions. This breadth of choice enriches the candidate experience, fostering stronger relationships, which, in turn, presents an invaluable resource for clients who struggle to cultivate such connections independently.

 

Manan also shares the importance of nurturing candidate relationships beyond the initial placement. He observes a common oversight among recruiters who must maintain contact with candidates once they secure a position. However, this represents a missed opportunity. Cultivating candidate relationships extends far beyond the immediate placement, offering substantial potential for scalability. As candidates progress in their careers and are promoted to decision-making roles or become hiring managers, the recruiter can benefit from additional revenue streams without requiring extensive new business development efforts. This emphasis on relationship-building creates a cycle of repeat customers, illustrating how continuous engagement with candidates can yield long-term dividends for recruitment agencies.

 

Our Sponsor

 

This podcast is proudly sponsored by i-intro 

 

i-intro® is an end-to-end retained recruitment platform. Their technology and methodology allow recruiters to differentiate themselves from the competition, win more retained business, bigger fees, and increase their billings. Their software combined with world-class training enables you to transition from transactional, contingency recruiter to consultative, retained recruiter. Instead of being perceived as a “me too” vendor, you’ll be positioned as a “me only” solutions provider. Be sure to mention Mark Whitby or The Resilient Recruiter. Book your free, no-obligation consultation here: https://recruitmentcoach.com/retained

 

Manan Shah Bio and Contact Info

 

Manan is the Co-founder of Recruiterflow, an ATS and CRM built specifically for recruiting and executive search businesses. He has scaled Recruiterflow to a 50-person team working remotely while staying profitable from day one. Manan has a long history of building software businesses, starting his first in 2013, which he successfully scaled and exited at 26. He has a wealth of knowledge about recruitment technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and automation. 

 

• Manan on LinkedIn

• Manan on Facebook

• Manan on Twitter

• Recruiterflow website link

Resources and People Mentioned

• LinkedIn Sales Navigator

• Alex Beaty 

• Alexis Alvarez

Connect with Mark Whitby

• Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call

• Mark on LinkedIn

• Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby

• Mark on Facebook

• Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach

 

Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

 

If you’ve been enjoying the podcast, please take two minutes to leave a review. Your review is greatly appreciated because it helps us attract a bigger audience and help more recruiters.

 

Are you a solo recruiter curious about achieving extraordinary billing figures with just a handful of daily conversations? Meet Craig, a solo recruiter who's been smashing records. For the last 3 consecutive years, he’s billed over $1.25m as a solo recruiter, reaching a career milestone of $1.5m in 2023, which was a down year for many recruiters.

In today’s episode, we explore how solo recruiters can level up their recruitment game with conversations even when times are tough with a returning guest, Craig Picken. Craig is the co-founder and Managing Partner for Northstar Group, a boutique executive search firm based in Wilmington, NC.  

 

Tune in and get invaluable insights from Craig's unique approach that challenges the norms and redefines what's possible for solo recruiters in today's competitive landscape. His ability to navigate the complexities of talent acquisition is truly remarkable. Whether you're a seasoned recruiter or just starting out in the industry, this episode offers actionable tips to enhance your recruitment conversations and propel your career to new heights. 

 

Episode Outline And Highlights

• [03:47] The conversations that contributed to Mike’s 1.5m billing record 

• [06:37] What qualifies the right conversations and people

• [10:03] Two tools for tracking recruitment conversation 

• [14:42] How to ring the phone and create “spontaneous conversations.”

• [20:11] How to position yourself for the long game and value “not transactions.”

• [27:53] Non-negotiables for success when partnering with a client 

• [34:50] How to avoid burnout: Solo recruiters' physical and mental self-care tips 

• [42:14] What solo recruiters can do to level up to $3-400k recruiters

• [48:35] Craig’s philosophy of content creation and tactics for writing

• [54:54] How podcasting can drive conversations and position you as an expert

• [57:26] Strategies to building a 10K people email list for your podcast

• [58:44] How to do outbound calls and the volume of calls to puts out there

• [01:01:08] What solo recruiters need to do today to be successful tomorrow

5 Steps to Level Up Your Recruitment Business

Craig and I discussed his recruitment strategies at Northstar Group company, a boutique executive search firm based in Wilmington, NC, that focuses on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives for some of the most prominent companies in the aviation and aerospace industry. Craig’s clients include well-known aircraft OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing / financial organizations, and Maintenance / Repair / Overhaul (MRO) providers. With a track record spanning over a decade, Craig has personally concluded hundreds of successful executive-level searches across a variety of disciplines.

Craig outlined five essential steps for recruiters looking to elevate their game:

 

1. Invest in Yourself: Craig emphasized the importance of self-investment, urging recruiters to spend some money, go to conferences, engage in level-up conversations, and continuously seek opportunities for personal and professional growth.

2. Follow the Right People: Recognizing the challenges of talent acquisition, Craig advised recruiters to connect with industry leaders to enhance their credibility and reputation as go-to experts. Following the right people will help you become a destination of choice. 

3. Know who you are working with: Success in recruitment, according to Craig, hinges on understanding your clients, delivering value, nurturing relationships, and adopting a long-term perspective.

4. Choose Your Battles Wisely: Drawing from his experience and insights from the Naval Top Gun program, Craig shares a valuable lesson: “If you can’t win the fight, don’t fight. Go away and come back. Live to fight another day,” which is a great philosophy in recruiting.

5. Differentiate yourself: Craig encouraged solo recruiters to carve out their unique identity and differentiate themselves from the competition. Whether through thought leadership on platforms like LinkedIn or showcasing their authentic self, it can significantly impact their success in the field.

 

Ultimately, leveling up in recruitment involves positioning yourself as a trusted industry expert, promoting your voice, and leading by example. 

Positioning Yourself In The Market

Craig shares the importance of positioning oneself in the market not merely as a transactional recruiter but as an invaluable resource, an expert dedicated to adding tangible value. By prioritizing value over closing deals, recruiters can elevate their status in the client's eyes. Rather than seeking short-term gains, they should aim to build lasting relationships grounded in trust and mutual benefit. According to Craig, the last thing he wants to be in his life is transactional, which is here today and gone tomorrow.

Positioning yourself in the market is about relationships and being with your clients every step of the way. It’s about maintaining a client-centric approach throughout the entire engagement process, being present, reliable, and supportive at every stage, regardless of the challenges or obstacles. This commitment to the long game ensures that clients and prospective clients feel supported and understood, strengthening the bond and attracting more business.

In addition, Craig advocates for prioritizing integrity over immediate financial gain. When recruiters focus on delivering exceptional results, monetary rewards will naturally follow. Don’t succumb to desperation or compromise on your principles for money; this can lead to dissatisfaction and ultimately damage the client relationship. Be willing to walk away from situations that don't align with your values to ensure you can pursue mutually beneficial partnerships built on trust and respect.

 

Our Sponsor

 

This podcast is proudly sponsored by i-intro 

 

i-intro® is an end-to-end retained recruitment platform. Their technology and methodology allow recruiters to differentiate themselves from the competition, win more retained business, bigger fees, and increase their billings. Their software combined with world-class training enables you to transition from transactional, contingency recruiter to consultative, retained recruiter. Instead of being perceived as a “me too” vendor, you’ll be positioned as a “me only” solutions provider. Be sure to mention Mark Whitby or The Resilient Recruiter. Book your free, no-obligation consultation here: https://recruitmentcoach.com/retained

 

Craig Picken Bio and Contact Info

 

Craig is the Co-founder and Managing Partner for Northstar Group, a boutique executive search firm based in Wilmington, NC. Craig is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives for some of the most prominent companies in the aviation and aerospace industry. Clients include well-known aircraft OEM’s, aircraft operators, leasing / financial organizations, and Maintenance / Repair / Overhaul (MRO) providers. Since 2009 he has personally concluded several hundred executive-level searches in a variety of disciplines.

 

• Craig on LinkedIn

• Craig on Twitter @craigpicken

• Craig on Facebook 

• Northstar Group website

• JDRF website

 

Resources and People Mentioned

• LinkedIn Sales Navigator

• Clockwork Recruiting

 

Related Podcast You Might Enjoy

 

• TRR #22 Craig Picken’s Journey From Naval Aviator to Big Billing Solo Recruiter

 

Connect with Mark Whitby

• Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call

• Mark on LinkedIn

• Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby

• Mark on Facebook

• Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach

 

Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

 

If you’ve been enjoying the podcast, please take two minutes to leave a review. Your review is greatly appreciated because it helps us attract a bigger audience and help more recruiters.

 Are you looking for innovative ways to elevate your recruitment firm's brand and solidify its presence in the industry? Podcasting might be the game-changer you haven’t tapped into yet.

 

In today's episode, we explore the powerful impact podcasting can have as a branding tool in the competitive recruitment industry. Our guest, Mike Richards, CEO & Founder of The Treasury Recruitment Company and host of the successful Treasury Career Corner podcast, shares his journey and provides a blueprint for podcasting to strengthen your brand's reach, authority, and engagement. 

 

Tune in for actionable tips, inspiring success stories, and strategic insights on effectively utilizing podcasting to highlight your recruitment brand and deepen your connection with your audience. Whether you’re new to podcasting or looking to refine your approach, this episode is packed with valuable takeaways to help your recruitment firm stand out.

 

Episode Outline And Highlights

 

• [01:51] Mike’s background and what he does in the finance recruiting 

• [02:56] How Mike got into the recruitment space

• [04:31] Mike's highs and lows as a founder in the treasury recruiting space since 2002

• [07:20] 3 Lessons Mike has learned from over 20 years of building a resilient business 

• [09:40] Measures Mike has in place to ensure he doesn’t put his business at risk by overspending when he is doing well. 

• [11:26] Mike’s settlement period and how he makes sure he gets paid without ruffling too many feathers 

• [15:03] Policies to encourage prompt payment within the guaranteed period 

• [17:55] How much Mike has implemented from Profits First book

• [20:28] When Mike started the Global Salary Survey, they systemized it and how it works

• [24:45] How Mike uses Global Salary Survey for marketing purposes

• [28:48] How data empowers the provision of market insights and intelligence to your clients

• [29:43] What inspired Mike to launch his podcast and the keys to his success

• [34:29] Mike's podcast strategy and how his podcast has spanned off to other opportunities

• [43:42] How Mike manages the cashflow issues and the cost of running his podcast events

• [47:28] What Mike is doing in marketing that is working well for his company 

• [49:33] Mike's techniques for leveraging social media for his business 

• [53:46] Marketing engine: Getting in front of people who are interested in your offer

 

Drivers of Success For Your Recruitment Business

Mike and I discussed his recruitment company, Treasury Recruitment Company, which is a truly global treasury recruitment firm established in 2002. It specializes in global treasury recruitment and supports both permanent and interim assignments, giving its clients greater flexibility and choice. The company boasts a track record of successfully placing candidates at all levels, from corporate treasury to analysts and directors and across various sectors from multinationals to consultancies.

 

During our discussion, Mike shares three invaluable lessons gleaned from over two decades in the recruitment industry, each contributing to the resilience and success of his business. 

 

Firstly, he emphasized the importance of prudent cash flow management. Mike highlighted the tendency of many recruitment firms to overlook the economics of their spending when they are doing well, leading to potential pitfalls such as imprudent trips, expansion, or investments.

 

Secondly, he underscored the necessity of closely looking at and monitoring your finances, income, and expenses and ensuring the fuel gauges are topped up for smooth operations. 

 

Lastly, Mike stressed the interconnectedness of these lessons, emphasizing that financial health is the lifeblood of any business and that careful attention to cash flow, income, and expenditure is fundamental to long-term success.

The Role of Podcasting in Recruitment Branding

 

Using podcasting to grow your recruitment business revolves around sharing compelling stories, providing an avenue for expression, and maintaining consistency. Mike shares that when they started the Treasury Career Corner Podcast, their audience was modest, with their episodes gaining about 30, 40, or 60 downloads. Despite initial skepticism about the investment, Mike highlights the value of engaging even a small audience, equating it to the opportunity of speaking directly to a handful of attentive individuals about your recruitment services. 

 

Over time, their podcast's reach grew significantly, now averaging 400 to 500 downloads per episode and boasting a total of 135,000 downloads. Mike believes that the importance of his podcast goes beyond just the statistics. The podcast has opened up opportunities for him, such as invitations to national conferences where he could make meaningful connections and meet fascinating guests. The stories shared on his podcast have helped establish him as an authority in his industry.

 

We all begin somewhere, and initially, according to Mike, attracting 10 or 20 highly engaged prospects is pivotal. While quantity holds importance, prioritizing quality is paramount. It's not about attracting a considerable number of people but rather connecting with individuals who are genuinely interested and attentive to what you offer. Building a community of interested prospects is far more valuable than having 10,000 cold prospects.

 

Our Sponsor

 

This podcast is proudly sponsored by i-intro 

 

i-intro® is an end-to-end retained recruitment platform. Their technology and methodology allow recruiters to differentiate themselves from the competition, win more retained business, bigger fees, and increase their billings. Their software combined with world-class training enables you to transition from transactional, contingency recruiter to consultative, retained recruiter. Instead of being perceived as a “me too” vendor, you’ll be positioned as a “me only” solutions provider. Be sure to mention Mark Whitby or The Resilient Recruiter. Book your free, no-obligation consultation here: https://recruitmentcoach.com/retained

 

Mike Richards Bio and Contact Info

Mike Richards is the CEO & Founder of the Treasury Recruitment Company.

 

Established in 2002, The Treasury Recruitment Company are the only truly Global Treasury Recruitment firm in the world. They recruit at all levels within Corporate Treasury from Treasury Analyst to Treasury Director for multinational corporates, consultancies and a range of financial institutions.

 

Mike regularly speaks at Treasury Recruitment conferences such as the EuroFinance International Treasurers Conference, the Windy City Summit – Chicago and AFP USA Treasurers Conference about;

• the power of personal branding
• how to attract, manage and retain treasury talent
• the latest trends happening within the global treasury recruitment market.

 

In addition Mike also hosts the popular podcast www.TreasuryCareerCorner.com where he interviews treasury professionals about their careers. 

 

• Mike on LinkedIn

• Mike on Twitter

• Mike on Facebook

• Mike on Youtube

• The Treasury Career Corner Podcast link

• Global Treasury Salary Survey link

Connect with Mark Whitby

• Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call

• Mark on LinkedIn

• Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby

• Mark on Facebook

• Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach

 

Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

 

If you’ve been enjoying the podcast, please take two minutes to leave a review. Your review is greatly appreciated because it helps us attract a bigger audience and help more recruiters.

 

Are you a small executive search firm striving to stand out among large competitors in the industry? Fear not, for opportunities abound for those who dare to innovate and differentiate. While larger firms may wield extensive resources and brand recognition, small firms possess agility, adaptability, and personalized services that can be leveraged as competitive advantages in the ever-evolving recruitment landscape.

 

I am excited to share this episode with special guest, Bob Kondal, a top-performing headhunter in Private Equity and Private Credit. This episode is packed with behind-the-scenes stories from twenty years of experience in recruitment that you don’t want to miss!

 

Bob and I touched upon relevant topics such as winning clients as a small firm, storytelling in business, prepping for client meetings, MPC marketing, diversity, and how we achieves a 100% offer to job accepted ratio - that’s right, zero turn-downs. 

Episode Outline And Highlights

• [02:36] Rocky start – Bob’s first recruiting job at Huxley Associates; how he progressed from being on the verge of quitting to becoming the top biller

• [08:42] Bob’s journey from recruiting to equity trading to starting his own search firm 

• [10:50] Challenges and successes: Bob’s milestones as a solo search firm owner

• [14:27] How to shift client’s misconception that working with the bigger search firms will yield better results  

• [19:30] How to use superior performance metrics as a selling point

• [23:07] Storytelling in business: How to pitch against larger firms and win

• [30:01] Prepping for a client meeting

• [33:18] Memorizing teams: Bob shares why and how he memorized teams 

• [40:06] Execution: Bob's process that allows him to achieve zero job turn-downs

• [44:55] Opportunistic introduction: How often Bob uses MPC marketing to spark conversation with potential clients 

• [50:29] The trend toward Diversity in private equity and private capital recruitment

• [51:32] Discussion on “Thinking Fast and Slow” 

• [1:00:09] Investing in your copywriting skills and Bob’s book recommendation 

• [1:01:34] Why Bob practices Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and how it applies to the world of recruitment

 

4 Ways to Stand Out From the Competition and Win New Business as a Small Firm

 

Bob goes to great lengths to stand out from the competition. He believes that so many recruiters are looking for a quick fee, with little regard for the long-term results, and do not spend enough time understanding candidates or the employer they are representing. 

 

He describes 4 different strategies he uses to stand out and stay at the top of our game.

 

1. The power of storytelling:  Bob attributes their high interview acceptance rates and minimal drop-offs to the clarity of their approach. Instead of simply sending job listings, he advocates engaging candidates through a 30-45 minute discussion about their career. 

2. Getting market research and execution right: You only need two things in search: research and execution to help you as an organization achieve zero turn-downs and maintain a competitive edge. This enhances attention to detail, which not only wins business but also cultivates stronger client relationships and satisfaction.

3. Prepping for client meetings: One of Bob's key insights around client meetings is how extensively he prepares.  In addition, he runs the meeting quite differently to other recruiters, for example asking about their investment philosophy.

4. Memorizing teams: Bob explains that the client, as a search headhunter, wants to know if you, as a recruiter, know their market inside out. During Covid, Bob set himself a challenge to memorize whole teams, including where they went to university, what they studied and what grade they achieved.

Like me, you will admire Bob's refreshing, proactive, responsive, and highly professional approaches and how he delivers service to his clients. 

 

Our Sponsor

This podcast is proudly sponsored by i-intro 

 

i-intro® is an end-to-end retained recruitment platform. Their technology and methodology allow recruiters to differentiate themselves from the competition, win more retained business, bigger fees, and increase their billings. Their software combined with world-class training enables you to transition from transactional, contingency recruiter to consultative, retained recruiter. Instead of being perceived as a “me too” vendor, you’ll be positioned as a “me only” solutions provider. Be sure to mention Mark Whitby or The Resilient Recruiter. Book your free, no-obligation consultation here: https://recruitmentcoach.com/retained

 

Bob Kondal Bio and Contact Info 

Bob has 25 years recruiting experience. He started his career with Huxley Associate in SThree. At the time Huxley were the most profitable company in SThree. Bob was the all-time top producer at Huxley in 2001. He's focused on Executive Search in Private Equity and Private Credit for the past 18 years and runs his own firm, Melrose Partners. He was also an equity investor in the City and was a regular commentator on CNBC. His peers from his previous employer are European and Global Heads at Heidrick & Struggles, Russell Reynolds, Spencer Stuart etc.

• Bob on LinkedIn

• Melrose Partners  website link

 

Connect with Mark Whitby

• Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call

• Mark on LinkedIn

• Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby

• Mark on Facebook

• Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach

 

Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

 

If you’ve been enjoying the podcast, please take two minutes to leave a review. Your review is greatly appreciated because it helps us attract a bigger audience and help more recruiters.