The Resilient Recruiter How to Find Hidden Talent: The Radical Truth About Second Chances, with Emma Freivogel, Ep # 233
As a recruitment business owner, have you considered how to tap into overlooked talent pools while meeting corporate diversity demands? Our special guest, Emma Freivogel, shares how she built two successful organizations - a charity (Radical Recruit) and a profit-for-good consultancy (B Radical) - focused on placing candidates from non-traditional backgrounds into corporate roles.
If you're interested in combining social impact with business success, Emma's insights on structuring support services and creating sustainable revenue through corporate sponsorship could transform your approach to recruitment.
Emma is the Founder and CEO of Radical Recruit, a pioneering charity that supports companies in recruiting talent from diverse backgrounds, including individuals with prior contact with the criminal justice system, victims of domestic violence, and those facing barriers to work. She is also the co-founder of B Radical, a profit-for-good consultancy that supports businesses in implementing inclusive recruitment practices and developing diversity strategies.
Episode Outline and Highlights
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[02:06] The history of how and why Emma founded Radical Recruit and B Radical.
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[05:01] Insights on candidates' backgrounds being advocated for hiring by B Radical.
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[16:33] Emma expounded on her philosophy of giving people second chances - knowing about Chan’s story.
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[22:23] Interesting story of how Emma got into her field.
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[24:39] B Radical’s business model.
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[30:11] How receptive are companies to partnering with Radical Recruit?
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[32:43] Malcolm’s powerful and inspiring story.
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[36:44] What is next for B Radical and Radical Recruit?
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[39:00] Emma’s learnings as a business leader can applied to all business owners and leaders.
The Philosophy Behind Radical Recruit’s Advocacy
Recruitment is challenging in general, but for Radical Recruit, it presents additional difficulties. They focus on supporting marginalized individuals often excluded from the traditional labor market. Emma and Radical Recruit advocate for people from underrepresented communities—those who face barriers related to ethnicity, gender, disability, and past adversities such as homelessness, criminal records, addiction, or domestic violence.
You will hear inspiring stories shared by Emma about Channel - a woman who grew up in extreme poverty and violence, with 47 convictions by her early twenties, and how she is now a head Chef in a restaurant.
You will also know about Malcolm - who fell into homelessness as his life turned upside-down when his father passed and how he was able to turn it around.
These stories exemplify Radical Recruit's approach: to show employers the potential in unconventional candidates and advocate for fair hiring practices that embrace diversity.
What This Means for Recruitment Business Leaders & Owners
Emma is doing something fascinating and incredible. Giving second chances to underdogs and advocating for them in the labor market not only gives businesses and individuals mutual benefits but also contributes to a much bigger value to society. Since Emma has been running non-profit and profit-for-good business models for both Radical Recruitment and B Radical, are there transferable learnings that conventional recruitment businesses can apply from a leadership perspective? I echo Emma’s response below:
“I think from a diversity perspective, if we treated diversity as seriously as we do things like financial resilience and mitigating the risk of cyber-attacks and this sort of thing, then we would not have a problem filling roles at any level… I think that leaders could just be more human-centric generally, not, not with regard to the way they view and interact with radical talent, but just people in general. We're all looking for the same things. We all benefit from the same things.”
Would You Consider Diversity Recruitment Services?
A key discussion topic was Emma's emphasis on how recruitment agencies can build sustainable revenue through diversity recruitment services. She reveals an untapped market opportunity that most traditional agencies overlook.
"Unless the executive sponsors this diversity work, unless it's properly resourced, unless there is thoughtful, considered approach unless people are measuring impact and linking it to the business case, the work's probably not going to get done."
Market Opportunity Emma highlights a massive untapped talent pool in the UK: 11 million people with criminal convictions, 14 million with disabilities, and 230,000 homeless individuals. With every executive prioritizing diversity, there's strong corporate demand but few agencies are equipped to deliver effectively.
Revenue Streams The business model combines traditional recruitment fees with innovative revenue streams. Corporate sponsorship packages start from £3k, supplemented by DEI training, recruitment audits, and comprehensive post-placement support services. This creates multiple recurring revenue opportunities beyond standard placement fees.
Success Metrics A client demonstrates the model's effectiveness with a 92% retention rate for diverse hires. Successful placements range from entry-level to £80k senior roles across multiple sectors. The comprehensive support model drives long-term partnerships and repeat business from corporate clients.
The key takeaway is that while many recruiters shy away from diversity recruitment, there's a significant business opportunity for those willing to develop expertise in this area. As Emma notes, "Every executive has diversity on their agenda" - the challenge is turning that commitment into action through proper resourcing and support.
Emma Freivogel Bio and Contact Info
Emma Freivogel is the founder and co-CEO of Radical Recruit, a pioneering charity that assists businesses in recruiting entry-level talent from diverse backgrounds, including individuals with prior contact with the criminal justice system, domestic violence, or homelessness among other barriers to work. She is also the co-founder of B-Radical, a profit-for-good consultancy that supports job seekers from similar communities in securing more senior and skilled appointments, often within the same companies. B-Radical assists businesses in laying the foundations for success or reimagining their usual ways of working through workshops, training, strategy sessions, audits, advisory services, and early career recruitment. By collaborating with the Radical brands, businesses not only diversify their talent pipelines and teams but also enhance their social value and ESG initiatives. Emma's leadership is driven by a commitment to equality and social justice, aiming to create inclusive opportunities in the labor market and transform recruitment practices so they are both welcoming and fair.
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