The Resilient Recruiter

Why do some recruiters stay stuck on contingent work while others shift a large portion of their business to retained without pitching harder or sounding salesy?James Cairns found the answer the hard way.James is a CPA who left a stable corporate finance career to start a boutique search firm with no agency experience, no local network, and just $30,000 in savings. His first year was brutal. Three placements. Borrowed money. Serious doubts about whether he'd made a huge mistake.Then one summer night, sitting on his back porch, James made a decision that changed everything. He eliminated Plan B.From that point on, momentum followed. Today, James runs The CSP Group, a highly respected finance and accounting search firm in St. Louis. He regularly beats national firms, fills senior roles up to CFO level, and now operates with roughly 40% of his work on retained or contained terms.In this episode, James breaks down what actually drove that shift. Not better sales tactics, scripts, or pressure. But commitment, process, and the confidence to walk away from the wrong work.This conversation offers a clear look at what changes when a recruiter stops competing on volume and starts choosing the right work.In this episode, you'll learn:Why eliminating "Plan B" unlocked consistent momentumHow James moved from 3 placements to 40% retained workThe candidate profiling system that generates a third of his placementsWhy being local and specialized beats national firmsHow to position retained search without pitching or pressureWhy walkaway power matters more than persuasionEpisode highlights:[3:44] Why a CPA with zero agency experience started a search firm [6:31] Quitting with $30K, a pregnant wife, and no local network [8:46] First-year reality: three placements and borrowed money [10:04] The back porch moment that eliminated Plan B [18:41] The candidate process that transformed responsiveness [21:51] Talent profiles and how they drive a third of placements [38:02] Why local specialization beats national firms[43:27] The CFO placement that changed everything [50:04] "This is how we work": James's retained positioning [59:06] Why walkaway power leads to more retained workJames's story is proof that retained success isn't about being louder or more persuasive. It's about clarity, commitment, and choosing the right work.Guest Bio:James Cairns is the founder of The CSP Group, a boutique executive search firm specializing in finance and accounting talent in the St. Louis market. James earned his CPA license and began his career at PwC in Big Four audit before moving into corporate finance roles. He started The CSP Group in 2014 with $30,000 in savings, a one-year-old at home, another child on the way, and no local business network. After a difficult first year, James committed fully to making the business work - a decision that changed everything. Today, the CSP Group places senior-level finance professionals up to the CFO level, with approximately 40% of search assignments on retained or contained terms.Connect with James:James on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-cairns-062a5b7/The CSP Group website - https://thecspgroup.com/Connect with Mark: Get your free 30-minute strategy session: recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-session Mark on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mwhitby/?originalSubdomain=ukFollow on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoachThis episode is brought to you by Recruiterflow.Recruiterflow is an AI-first ATS and CRM built to help recruitment businesses run and scale more efficiently. With built-in sequencing, data enrichment, marketing automation, and AI agents, it’s trusted by many leaders in our coaching community.Learn more or request a demo at https://recruitmentcoach.com/recruiterflow

Why do some recruiters post content every week and still struggle to book meetings? While others quietly turn short LinkedIn videos into real sales conversations that actually close.Mike Mello has lived both sides of that question.After 10 years in staffing, Mike had built what most recruiters would call a dream run. Over 1,300 placements. More than $100 million in revenue sold. Nearly 140 contractors are billed as enterprise salespeople.Then he walked away.Not because staffing stopped working. But because buyer behaviour had changed, and most recruiters were still relying on volume instead of context.In this episode, Mike shares how he used LinkedIn video alongside outbound automation to warm up prospects before sales conversations ever happened. The insight that changed everything was simple but powerful: senior decision-makers were watching his videos quietly, building familiarity and trust long before replying to an email or taking a call.Today, Mike is the founder of Simple Side AI, where he helps staffing agencies combine content and outbound in a way that creates better conversations, shorter sales cycles, and higher-quality meetings.This conversation goes well beyond tools. It’s about how buyers actually decide, why pain-point content consistently beats ROI messaging, and why most meaningful meetings don’t happen on email one or two.If you’re posting content but not seeing it turn into a pipeline, this episode will help you know what’s missing.In this episode, you’ll learn:• Why visibility now matters more than outbound volume• How LinkedIn video builds context before the first conversation• Why senior buyers watch content without ever liking or commenting• The difference between pain-point content and ROI content• Why unscripted video outperforms polished AI content• How long do outbound sequences really need to run in staffing• Why Mike’s best meetings happen around email six or seven• Why sales skill still matters more than any tool or platformEpisode highlights[05:40] How Mike made 1,300 placements and sold $100M before launching Simple Side AI[09:05] The LinkedIn video that changed everything and grew one account to 50 contractors[10:36] Why fear of judgement stops recruiters from posting video[12:04] The analytics that proved LinkedIn video beats cold calling[13:56] Why your best clients watch your content but never engage publicly[19:02] Why content and outbound must work together[23:11] Pain-point content vs ROI content[26:42] Why imperfect video builds more trust[43:53] The observation–problem–solution–CTA email structure[52:19] Turning video viewers into warm sales calls[56:01] Why reactivating past accounts often beats cold outreachGuest BioMike Mello is the founder of Simple Side AI, helping staffing agencies turn LinkedIn content and outbound automation into real sales conversations. Before launching Simple Side AI in 2024, Mike spent 10 years in staffing sales, making over 1,300 placements and selling more than $100 million in revenue. As an enterprise salesperson, he built and managed a book of nearly 140 contractors and ranked as the number two salesperson at his company following the acquisition. Mike is based in New York City.ConnectMike MelloLinkedIn: Mike Mello - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-mello-7884b059/Website: Simple Side AI - https://simplesideai.com/Mark WhitbyGet your free 30-minute strategy session: recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-sessionLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mwhitbyInstagram: @RecruitmentCoach

Why do some recruiters command premium fees while others compete on speed and price? It’s not talent or experience. It’s whether they’ve packaged their service as a product.Andrea Hoffer learned this lesson the hard way.Before launching her consulting business, Andrea spent 10 years running a Massage Envy Spa franchise. She led a team of more than 30 employees. Her therapeutic staff stayed. Her front-desk hires didn’t. Turnover was constant. She hired fast, hoped for the best, watched people struggle in a sales-driven role, then repeated the cycle.Eventually, she stopped and asked herself a simple question:“I’ve been trained better than this.”That question changed everything.Andrea rebuilt her hiring approach from scratch and turned it into a branded, repeatable system she now calls the Dream Hire framework. It worked so well that other franchise owners began asking for help.Today, Andrea runs AHA Talent Consulting, where she helps business owners build “hiring machines” that consistently attract the right people. She charges $10,000+ for setup and $3,000+ monthly subscriptions. No placement fees. She’s not selling placements. She’s selling a system.In this episode of The Resilient Recruiter, we break down how to package your recruitment process as a signature solution, why story-based discovery beats traditional intake calls, and where AI genuinely adds leverage without replacing human judgment.In This Episode, You’ll Learn:Why packaging your process matters more than speed or experienceHow the Dream Hire framework works and why Define is the most skipped (and costly) stageWhy asking for stories reveals more than job descriptions ever willHow to assess culture fit without relying on gut feelWhere AI creates real value in hiring and where it doesn’tHow to use technology to scale insight without losing trustEpisode Highlights[4:10] The hiring nightmare that forced Andrea to rebuild her entire process[7:38] Why changing the job posting language repelled the wrong candidates[9:31] The 90-minute group interview where candidates self-select out[12:24] Breaking down the Dream Hire framework: Define, Reach, Engage, Assess, Motivate[13:23] Why most recruiters skip defining and pay for it later[30:20] Assessing culture fit by asking for stories, not descriptions[36:08] The CAR technique for behavioral interviewing[39:58] Where AI creates the most value in hiring[41:02] Using AI chatbots to screen minimum qualifications[52:20] How Andrea uses AI to extend reach without extending hoursGuest BioAndrea Hoffer is the founder of AHA Talent Consulting and creator of the Dream Hire framework. She helps business owners attract, hire, and retain the right people through structured hiring systems and disciplined use of AI.Before consulting, Andrea spent 10 years as the owner and operator of a Massage Envy Spa franchise, where she led a 30+ person team and experienced firsthand the cost of hiring without structure. Today, she works primarily with multi-unit franchisees and small business owners who want predictable hiring outcomes without constant churn.If you’re ready to stop competing on speed and price and start owning your process, your positioning, and your outcomes, this episode is a must-listen.

There’s a lot of noise around AI in recruitment.Some people are selling it as a silver bullet. Others are predicting a job apocalypse for recruiters.Neither is true.In this episode of The Resilient Recruiter, Mark Whitby sits down with Rebecca Hastings to talk about what’s actually happening inside businesses using AI right now and what recruiters are getting wrong.Rebecca advises CEOs, boards, and AI leaders on strategy, governance, and implementation. She’s reviewed hundreds of real-world AI transformation case studies and brings a grounded perspective most recruiters never see. Alongside that, she’s built a retained-only executive search firm focused on senior AI leadership and a sales system that consistently books high-quality meetings without volume-driven hustle.This conversation isn’t about tools or tactics. It’s about judgment, trust, and process.You’ll hear why AI doesn’t make work faster unless human capability is already in place, how weak sales systems are exposed when automation is added, and why recruiters who can explain how they use AI will earn more trust, not less.Rebecca also breaks down how she thinks about sales as a system, from market focus and listening time to multichannel outreach and AI-supported preparation. The result is fewer calls, better conversations, and more consistent meetings.If you want to understand where AI genuinely helps recruiters and where it quietly causes damage, this episode will change how you think about it.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why there won’t be a job apocalypse for recruitersHow AI shifts bottlenecks instead of removing themWhy trust and psychological safety matter in AI adoptionHow to build market expertise AI can amplifyThe sales system Rebecca uses to book more meetings with less effortEpisode highlights:[3:42] How Rebecca billed £360,000 in her first year[14:08] Lessons from market downturns[32:17] Why listening time beats talk time[59:37] What actually happens when AI is introduced[1:15:26] The multichannel sales system behind consistent meetingsGuest bio:Rebecca Hastings is the founder of Lucent Search, specialising in senior AI leadership appointments globally. She works with CEOs, CTOs, heads of AI, and boards on AI strategy, governance, and transformation, and is an AI and systems coach with Recruitment Coach.

This episode brings together the ten most listened-to conversations of 2025.They weren’t popular by accident. These episodes resonated because they spoke directly to the challenges recruiters were dealing with day to day. Planning your time. Building pipeline. Positioning retained search. Recovering from burnout. Staying relevant as the market and LinkedIn both shifted.If you missed any of these conversations the first time around, consider this your shortlist for heading into 2026 with a clearer plan and stronger focus.In this episode, you’ll hear insights on:How to plan your day so you stay out of reactive workHow to build business development into your week without burning outHow to position retained search with confidenceWhy systems create more consistency than chasing placementsHow relationship-building compounds over timeWhy LinkedIn's reach dropped and what actually matters nowEpisode timestamps:00:01 Introduction02:30 Allicia Birch – The 15-minute planning system09:15 Rachel Filby – One BD day per week14:20 Carol Wenom – Positioning retained search21:05 Stuart Barnes – The three-bucket BD model28:40 Jenny Diaz – Writing your plan by hand34:10 Deedee Doke – Differentiation and innovation39:45 Jessica Hamilton – Systems over placements45:30 Brandon Glyck – Relationship compounding52:00 Karolina Willis – From breakdown to breakthrough58:15 Richard van der Blom – Why LinkedIn reach droppedIf you want to future-proof your recruitment business without burning out, this episode is a must-listen.

Tonya Leadman went nine months without a single placement.Seven searches were put on hold. Two offers fell through. Cash flow tightened. And her accountant called to check if she was okay.Tonya is the owner of Leadman & Associates, a national executive search firm serving the food, beverage, and CPG manufacturing industries. After building her career as a top performer in the MRI Network and later moving in-house as a Fortune 500 talent acquisition leader, she launched her own firm in 2022.Then the market turned — and placements stopped.In this episode of The Resilient Recruiter, Tonya shares what actually keeps a recruitment business alive during a prolonged downturn — without dropping fees, spamming clients with resumes, or compromising standards.She also breaks down the candidate presentation system behind her 92% interview rate, why she only submits the top two or three candidates, and the activity that kept her visible when most recruiters disappeared.This is a real conversation about resilience, discipline, and leadership when placements stop.You’ll learn:What to do when your recruitment business goes months without a placementHow Tonya maintained standards during a nine-month droughtWhy submitting fewer candidates builds more trust with clientsThe candidate presentation process behind a 92% interview rateHow staying visible during a downturn pays off when the market turnsWhy Tonya fired a client when cash flow was tightHow career services helped stabilise revenue without losing focusHow fast recruiting can turn around when momentum returnsEpisode timestamps:00:00 Nine months without a placement01:40 Returning from maternity leave to a layoff03:10 The habits that shaped Tonya’s early success14:35 The candidate presentation system behind a 92% interview rate18:19 Why Tonya submits only the top 2–3 candidates30:33 Launching a firm during a tough market39:00 Seven searches on hold and the drought begins43:02 The activity that kept her business alive44:30 Firing a client during a downturn49:17 Career services as a stabiliser51:05 How recruiting can turn around fastGuest: Tonya LeadmanOwner, Leadman & AssociatesIf you run a recruitment agency and want to survive market downturns without lowering your standards, this episode is essential listening.

For years, Matt Rooney did what a lot of capable recruiters do. He stayed busy. Took the work that came in. Said yes more often than he should have.Inside private equity, that turned him into what he later called a "utility recruiter". Useful, but reactive. Some years were strong. Others weren't. And it never quite felt like a real partnership with clients.Two decisions changed the direction of his business.Matt narrowed his focus to one role inside private equity: business development and deal origination. Then he made the shift from contingent to retained.Today, Matt is the founder of Coastal Partners. He's gone from closing 3–4 retained searches in his first year as a specialist to being on track for 10 retained searches this year, with the majority of his work now retained.In this episode of The Resilient Recruiter, Matt breaks down what actually made that transition possible. Not theory. Not scripts. Real decisions, real resistance, and what changed once clients started committing up front.This conversation is especially relevant if you run a recruitment agency, lead a small firm, or feel stuck in feast-or-famine despite working hard.What you'll learn:Why being a "utility recruiter" keeps agencies reactiveWhat changed when Matt stopped taking every jobHow he handled the "no retained experience" objectionWhy specialisation built confidence and credibility fastHow original market data helped him become a trusted partnerWhy predictability mattered more than volumeEpisode timestamps:[00:33] Why does contingent feel reactive [03:02] How Matt fell into recruitment [07:11] Feeling stuck as a utility recruiter [12:44] Resisting the idea of niching down [15:18] Why specialisation changed client relationships [19:03] Making the move to retained [20:39] First retained searches and predictability [27:40] Mapping the market and building authority [34:16] Publishing hiring reports and compensation data [35:25] Launching the Deal Sourcery podcast [50:31] Hosting a live panel at a PE conference [55:56] Why Matt would specialise soonerGuest bio:Matt Rooney is the founder of Coastal Partners and specialises exclusively in business development and deal origination roles within private equity. After nearly a decade recruiting across PE functions, Matt made the decision to focus on one specialty. In his first year as a retained specialist, he closed 3-4 retained searches. This year, he's on track to close 10, with the majority of his business now retained. Matt has become a recognised authority in his niche through original market research, publishing quarterly BD hiring reports and an annual compensation survey. He co-hosts the Deal Sourcery podcast with Dan Her—the only podcast dedicated specifically to business development professionals in private equity.Connect with Matt:LinkedIn: Matt RooneyCoastal Partners: websiteDeal Sourcery Podcast: websiteAbout The Resilient Recruiter:The Resilient Recruiter is a weekly podcast for recruitment agency owners and search firm leaders building sustainable, profitable businesses. Host Mark Whitby interviews industry leaders who share the strategies, systems, and mindsets behind their success—including the mistakes they made along the way. Learn from their experience to avoid the pitfalls and accelerate your results..Since 2001, Mark has coached over 800 recruitment business owners across 34 countries. The podcast brings you the same frameworks and insights Mark teaches in his coaching programs—free every week.Connect with Mark:Free strategy session: recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-sessionLinkedIn: Mark Whitby Instagram: @RecruitmentCoachSubscribe to The Resilient Recruiter for weekly conversations with recruitment leaders who are building businesses that give them freedom, profit, and lasting impact.If you want to future-proof your recruitment business without burning out, this episode is a must-listen.

In this discussion, Matt Alder, a talent acquisition futurist with over 25 years in recruitment technology, dives into the transformative role of AI in recruitment. He highlights the rapid changes in the field and warns against the pitfalls of unchecked experimentation. Matt emphasizes the importance of trust and human skills—networks, relationships, and influence—as essential for recruiters. He explores AI's current benefits, like enhancing candidate experience and the emergence of autonomous candidate agents, painting a picture of a fascinating future in recruitment.

For 20 years, Maria Sinclair watched other people get promoted while she stayed stuck in her own head. She questioned whether she belonged, worried about how she was perceived, and doubted nearly every decision she made.Then Covid hit, and everything changed.Cobalt furloughed 45 of its 55 UK staff, leaving only ten people working. Maria picked up multiple desks, supported clients across new specialisms, and kept the operation steady during one of the most challenging periods the industry had ever seen. That moment revealed a capability she had never fully recognised in herself.Today, Maria is the Managing Director of Cobalt, ranked 49th in the UK’s Hot 100 list based on GP per employee. After 23 years with the business, she has worked her way up from recruitment consultant to MD while helping build a culture known for tenure, trust, and consistent performance.In this conversation, Maria explains how she built confidence later in her career, why she focuses on job quality over call volume, how openness about challenges like perimenopause strengthens team culture, and how Cobalt hires for work ethic and trains for market expertise.If you have ever doubted whether you are ready to lead, this episode shows what becomes possible when you start backing yourself.You’ll learn:• How Maria entered recruitment after being rejected eight times• Why confidence took decades to develop• How she navigated the 2009 crash, Brexit, and Covid• Why the COVID-19 crisis became the turning point in her leadership• The cultural principles that support performance• Why job quality matters more than call volume• How Cobalt assesses work ethic and validates billings• The patience required to train recruiters from other sectors• Why expertise beats activity in the built environmentTimestamps:[6:00] Breaking into recruitment after eight rejections[18:29] The confidence struggle[24:09] Navigating economic shocks[25:36] The Covid moment[28:49] The promotion that shifted everything[30:44] Being open about perimenopause[36:17] Culture and retention[41:37] KPIs that matter[50:18] Hiring for work ethic[54:29] Training recruiters from other sectors[58:13] Becoming an industry expert[1:01:06] Closing rate problems and what they meanGuest Bio:Maria Sinclair is the Managing Director of Cobalt, operating across the built environment with offices in the UK, Germany, and the US. Cobalt ranks 49th in Recruiter Magazine’s Hot 100 list based on GP per employee. Maria has been with Cobalt for 23 years and was appointed UK MD in January 2024.

What does it take to raise your fees, win better clients, and rebuild your recruiting business from the ground up?In this episode, I speak with Randee Staats, founder of S4 Search Partners, who went from losing everything — $250K in debt and $500 left — to rebuilding a seven-figure desk within the following year.Randee explains the decisions that nearly destroyed his business, the turning point that pushed him to rebuild, and the systems that rebuilt his confidence, his pipeline, and his profitability.He also breaks down the daily discipline, fee structure changes, and point-based productivity system that helped him win better clients and finally charge what he is worth.In This Episode, You'll Learn:How Randee launched his firm from his parents' basementThe moment he landed a billion-dollar clientThe scaling mistake that cost him $250KWhy he walked away from a $600K accountHow he raised his fees to 20 to 25 percentThe script he uses to convert email replies into meetingsThe daily BD rhythm that rebuilt his pipelineThe point system that keeps him consistentHow he broke seven figures the year after rebuildingEpisode Highlights02:49 Discovering recruiting05:04 Launching from the basement09:35 The Jim Carrey check13:15 Early success and hidden risks14:18 The scaling mistake17:16 The turning point23:10 The weekly client call script42:00 The wake-up call44:14 New rules for pricing46:47 The $30K placement50:21 Daily planner51:22 BD rhythm1:03:09 The point system1:07:33 Breaking seven figuresGuest BioRandee Staats is the founder of S4 Search Partners, based in New Jersey. He launched the firm in 2015, scaled a major national account to $600K, and later rebuilt his business from $500 and $250K in debt to seven-figure billings using a disciplined daily system and a new fee structure.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/randee-staats/Connect with Mark WhitbyFree 30-minute strategy call: recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-sessionLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mwhitby/Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach