Overcoming Adversity and Strategic Growth in a Recruitment Firm

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

• Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call

• Mark on LinkedIn 

• Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby

• Mark on Facebook

• Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach

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