The Resilient Recruiter

Why Values and Connection Built Our Remote Recruitment Success, with Hugh Pocock, EP #241

Jan 10, 2025

59:25

Hugh has zero background in recruiting but extensive experience in agriculture. How did he leverage his industry knowledge and establish a recruitment firm that rapidly grew in five years?

You will most certainly enjoy learning about his mindset, strategies, and how he overcame several roadblocks when he founded Cultura Connect, a company specializing in recruitment within the agriculture, food, and forestry sectors.

Since its inception, the business has experienced rapid growth. They’re now a team of 13 with extensive knowledge and experience in agriculture and related fields.

Hugh is passionate about nurturing and developing talent in the agricultural, food, and forestry industries, leveraging his experience and unique insight into the challenges of building effective teams.

Episode Outline and Highlights

[02:11] Hugh’s background in the agricultural industry and recruitment.
[11:30] Key stages in building Cultura Connect.
[20:15] Overcoming the challenges of building your internal team.
[26:58] Roadblocks and solutions that Hugh and his team have encountered in a remote setup.
[38:42] Taking time to overcome other challenges in a new recruitment business.
[44:41] Discussion on Cashflow Metrics and KPIs.
[48:31] Hugh’s absolute keys to success.
[51:48] Minimum standards that Hugh looks for members of his team.
[54:28] Branding and marketing strategies.

Industry Knowledge is a Key Differentiator in Niche Recruitment

Hugh's story shows how deep industry expertise can become a recruitment agency's strongest differentiator. His agricultural background became a powerful business advantage, enabling Cultura Connect's rapid growth. His background in agriculture and tech became a critical differentiator in successfully bridging the gap between agricultural expertise and talent acquisition.

Focusing on his strengths and leveraging his background gave him the following advantages:

Niche credibility due to his agriculture experience.
Accurate candidate assessments.
Extensive network.
A clear understanding of his client’s needs.
Understanding of innovation and upcoming trends (ex. AgriTech).

Leveraging your field background and experience as a recruiter can be an invaluable key factor in your success when launching your recruitment business.

Choosing the Right People is the Main Key to Success

What Hugh and his business partner have accomplished in the past 5 years is phenomenal. Since its inception, the business has experienced rapid growth with now a team of 13! When I asked him to summarize his absolute key factors to success, he mentioned:

“Getting the right people, people that really understand the industry. That's allowed us to be seen as the Agricultural specialist, the forestry specialist, food specialist. Because we've got that team of individuals, all those individuals are passionate about that. They're passionate about doing a good job, they're committed and I guess ultimately they fit with our culture. So people will be one of the key things for us.”

Ironically, building an internal team can be challenging for recruitment business owners. Hiring the wrong person can reduce growth, profit, and cash flow. Hugh focuses on minimum brand values when identifying someone who will be part of their team. Some of these are:

Passion for the Industry
Compassion
Resilience
Team Orientation
Integrity
Proactivity
Quality over Quantity

These values highlight Hugh's emphasis on creating a team that is not only skilled but also aligned with Cultura Connect's cultural and ethical requirements.

Best Practices in Remote Team Management

Hugh also shared pragmatic approaches to managing a remote team. Cultura Connect's approach to remote work is a great example of maintaining team performance and culture without a physical office. Their success stems from a deliberate balance of virtual and in-person connections.

However, there are critical elements and cadences that are present:

Team rhythm: 6-weekly in-person work sessions combined with weekly virtual meetings
Quarterly activities: Structured team-building events (from hiking to canoeing)
Strategic onboarding: Initial 3-4 days in-person with ongoing mentorship
Flexible workspaces: Supporting team members who prefer occasional office settings

The model enables growth while reducing overhead costs, demonstrating how remote-first can strengthen rather than compromise recruitment operations.

Hugh Pocock Bio & Contact Info

Hugh Pocock is the Founding Director of a recruitment business, Cultura Connect - specializing in recruitment for agriculture, food, and forestry sectors. The business was founded in 2020, with his business partner Tom Marsh, where they have successfully combined Hugh’s 20+ years of experience in agribusiness with Tom’s 20+ years of experience in recruitment. The business has grown rapidly since its inception with the development of a team of recruitment experts with in-depth knowledge and experience in agriculture and related sectors.

Born and raised on his grandparent’s dairy farm in Shropshire, a passion for agriculture was formed from Hugh’s early years. Heavily involved in Holstein Young Breeders in his youth, then going on to graduate with a degree from Harper Adams, Hugh pursued a career in cattle genetics and gained over 15 years of experience in a variety of high-level commercial roles.

In 2016 Hugh signed a farm tenancy, with his wife and two children, on a 100% grass-based 150 acre farm near Whitchurch, Shropshire. Here they farm New Zealand Romney sheep, Polled Dorset Sheep and Wagyu cattle. Sustainability and working closely with nature is their farming philosophy, managing the farm with multiple environmental stewardship initiatives.

Hugh is passionate about nurturing and developing talent in the agricultural, food, and forestry industries, and having the opportunity to work with a multitude of businesses across these sectors gives him a unique insight into the challenges of building and retaining high-performing teams.