Building a Purpose-Driven Recruitment Business

Imagine building a recruitment firm where every placement creates an actual positive impact. That’s exactly what Leo Hewett did with Core3 — and this is how he made it happen.

After over a decade of experience working for large corporates up to Director level, Leo decided to take the plunge and launch his own ethical recruitment business, Core3 -specialising in Finance & Accounting talent. 

Alongside their B Corp certification, Core3 are proud to have won multiple awards since launching in 2022, including REC's 'Start up of the year' (2023), and Business Leader's 'Business of the Year' (2024).

Episode Outline and Highlights

• [03:23] The story on how Leo’s mom inspired him to give back to the community through recruitment.

• [08:43] What inspired Leo to launch Core3?

• [15:30] A purpose-driven recruitment firm: how Leo set up their organization differently.

• [28:33] How making a difference can easily attract talents.

• [30:39] Highlights and challenges in Core3’s growth journey.

• [34:59] Strategies on reactivating past clients.

• [37:15] ROI from building a personal brand on LinkedIn.

• [40:41] The practicality of following through with a voice note after a LinkedIn connection or engagement.

• [43:10] Developing an inner-circle community to add value.

• [51:50] Bringing in experienced hires in your team.

• [57:15] Overcoming two setbacks when scaling: Culture & Cashflow.

• [1:05:31] Most meaningful metrics Leo and his team focus on.

Building a Purpose-Driven Recruitment Firm

Leo reached director level at Robert Half and was detached from billing for years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he led his team on hands-on recruitment and rediscovered that he still enjoys doing it. With an unexpected inheritance, he built a financial buffer which helped him establish Core3. He established his business in a way that is very much different from most recruiting firms: by being B-Corp Certified!

B-Corp certification acts as a "fair trade" equivalent for businesses, signaling that Core3 is committed to high ethical standards and strong ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) credentials. Core3’s decision to pursue B-Corp certification was driven by a desire to embed impact into the business model and stay accountable to ethical standards. The certification also enhanced its attractiveness to stakeholders who value purpose-driven businesses.

“The values are more than words written on a wall and people love the culture and work I'm working here. But it's, it's different because you can feel it every single day. Because we've given 3% of revenue to these three good causes that we support. Every consultant feels it with every placement. The client, after every placement, gets a menu of which charity they would like to choose where that 3% of this placement will go,” explained Leo.

Another way that Core3 engages with its community is by building inner-circle groups.

Adding Value Through Inner-Circle Groups

Leo and his team have strategically built value-driven communities to foster meaningful conversations among finance professionals. The approach began with the Conscious Finance podcast, which explored finance’s role in meaningful change. As the podcast gained traction, clients expressed interest in deeper discussions, leading to the creation of roundtable events. These roundtables bring like-minded professionals together to discuss shared challenges in an open, collaborative environment. There are challenges in hosting events for these inner circles, such as resource, time, and event costs. However, Leo shared the benefits in adding value to your niche community by developing these inner circles:

• Stronger Client Relationships – Moves Core3 beyond transactional interactions, making them a trusted partner rather than just another recruiter.

• Enhanced Brand Authority – Hosting and facilitating discussions positions Core3 as thought leaders within the industry.

• Exclusive Networking Opportunities – Clients benefit from valuable peer discussions and insights, making them more likely to stay engaged with Core3.

• Self-Sustaining Communities – With ongoing engagement via messaging platforms, these groups create lasting professional connections beyond Core3’s direct involvement.

• Business Growth & Differentiation – Unlike traditional recruiters focused solely on job placements, Core3 creates a deeper, more meaningful engagement model that attracts both talent and businesses.

By fostering these high-value, non-sales-driven communities, Core3 successfully differentiates itself from competitors and creates lasting relationships with finance professionals.

The Challenges of Scaling Your Business

Another topic that I can relate to is how Leo dealt with two main challenges when scaling his business. He shared the two main areas where he struggled: culture and cash flow.

For culture, defining and embedding a strong culture was difficult in the early stages. Lack of clear values and behavioral expectations made it hard to create a positive and cohesive environment. To overcome it, Leo did the following:

• Setting Clear Standards from the Start

• Involving the Team in Defining Culture

• Hiring the Right People

In terms of cash flow, Leo’s corporate background did not give him solid exposure in managing cash-flow directly. Although his business was thriving in its first year, the geopolitical situation in Ukraine and Russia affected his business, leading to a 6-month loss-making.

To overcome this, Leo implemented action points such as:

• Increased Accountability and Visibility: The team collectively committed to improving processes, tracking performance, and holding each other accountable.

• Shift from Inputs to Outputs: Rather than focusing on meaningless KPIs (e.g., "how many calls did you make today?"), they focused on more meaningful metrics like conversion ratios and actual results.

• Implemented OKRs (Objectives and Key Results): This allowed the team to focus on high-impact goals and measurable outcomes, rather than just activity.

• Strengthened Team Collaboration: The team took ownership of the problem and worked collectively to improve performance and cash flow.

Core3 survived the six-month loss-making period without losing a single team member.

Leo Hewett Bio and Contact Info

After over a decade of experience working for large corporates up to Director level, Leo decided to take the plunge and launch his own ethical recruitment business, Core3 -specialising in Finance & Accounting talent. 

He believes that business has a bigger role to play in society than just making a profit. Being future-conscious and aware of how our actions affect people and the planet is more important now than it ever has been. 

This is why Core3's purpose is to pioneer the ‘Conscious Recruitment’ mindset; putting people, planet and progress first. Pledging 3% of sales to their local community and the environment. 

Alongside their B Corp certification, Core3 are proud to have won multiple awards since launching in 2022, including REC's 'Start up of the year' (2023), and Business Leader's 'Business of the Year' (2024).

• Leo on LinkedIn

• Core3 website link

• The Conscious Finance Podcast links

• Core3 on Facebook

• Core3 on Instagram

• Core3 on X

• Core3 on YouTube

People and Resources Mentioned

• Start With Why by Simon Sinek

• 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.