The Resilient Recruiter

Recruiting recruiters that are an asset to your business can be challenging. Attracting the right candidates for the position and assessing their competency is no easy task. Retention and longevity of staff seem to be the Achilles heel of the industry. That begs the question, how do we attract, develop, and retrain great recruiters? Is there a secret method that recruitment firms are missing?  Shaun McCambridge with Stellar Recruiting based in Brisbane, Australia joins me to discuss the method they’ve found most successful for recruiting recruiters. We’ll talk about why Shaun started Stellar Recruitment, what he believes the key to their success is, developing genuine relationships with clients—and how to hire and retain the right people for your team. Outline of This Episode [2:33] Why did Shaun McCambridge start Stellar Recruitment? [5:26] Client partnerships is a key element of their success [7:35] How Stellar created longstanding partnerships [13:06] Increasing retention and longevity of staff [17:47] Attributes Shaun looks for when hiring recruiters [19:21] Assessing character during the interview process [22:45] Measuring performance after 12 months [31:15] Shaun’s journey with personal development [33:49] What inspired Shaun to start his podcast?  [35:50] The importance of mindset over talent and ability [39:16] The ‘20,000 Lives Changed’ campaign [42:15] Stoic philosophy thought for the day The key to creating longstanding partnerships with clients Shaun believes that one of the largest factors that differentiate them in the industry is the relationship they build with their clients. 3 of their clients have worked with them from day one— for the last 14 years. Shaun points out that many recruiters can be transactional and focused on ‘closing the deal’. At Stellar, they strive to be genuine and honest while delivering on the promises they’ve made to their clients. Everything they do is relationship-based and they focus on remembering that they are engaging in human-to-human personalized interaction.  In my experience, many of the recruiters I’ve worked with are experienced professionals who are genuine and honest. While there are some bad actors in the industry, I’ve found that many of the transactional recruiters are inexperienced. They are put under immense pressure to perform, to bring in revenue without the proper support or training. Shaun doesn’t want this transactional dynamic in his business, which is why he places high importance on developing and training his recruiters properly. Keep listening as we discuss his methods.  The secret to decreasing turnover and improving staff retention Shaun was fortunate to start his career with Hays, where he learned the ins-and-outs of the sales world among a group of like-minded competitors. When he left, his goal was to replicate the high-performing culture he experienced there in Stellar Recruitment. Retaining a core group of recruiters can be a powerful force in your business. With this goal in mind, he sought to create a culture where their recruiters feel empowered and challenged. They emphasize on-the-job training in their particular methods. They also provide organizational psychologists on staff to coach team members. They believe ongoing development and training is essential to longevity. Stellar helps their recruiters map out their career paths and implement personal goals that coincide with professional goals. Shaun stated that “Stellar should be a vehicle to achieve outside of work”. Finding fulfillment in their roles with personal and professional impact is key to retention. Shaun also stands by the practice of promoting from within. Making progress and growing through the ranks leads to engagement which Shaun points out leads to retention.  Recruiting recruiters: Assessing attributes of a candidate during the interview process There are 3 attributes that Shaun looks for when they’re hiring new staff: character, competitiveness, and above-average intelligence. They want to hire people who are nice human beings that treat people well. But they also want to hire people who are driven and competitive, with a desire to win, succeed, and challenge themselves. People with above-average intelligence tend to be more coachable and capable of articulate conversations. They also try to ascertain whether or not the candidates stack up against their values (greatness, positivity, and leadership).  I was curious—how do they assess some of those character attributes during the interview process? Shaun stated that they observe candidates from the moment they walk into the building. Were they polite and friendly with administrative staff? How are they conducting themselves? They also utilize a 4-step interview process where you can see how they interact with hiring managers and other staff. If there are any “holes” in their stories, they become apparent through this lengthy process.  They also use targeted and specific questions to gauge the character of candidates. One question they like to use is, “What was your relationship with your previous supervisor?”. Some potential hires throw their bosses under-the-bus, which is a clear indicator they didn’t value that relationship. They have a tried and true series of questions to gauge the fit of the candidate. Shaun admits that it isn’t 100% foolproof, but they’ve found great success with their model.  A unique way to judge performance  Numbers are important in this industry and it is imperative that you’re reaching your goals. However, Stellar Recruitment measures against another benchmark they find just as important—client satisfaction. They use Setmetrics to track performance and routinely have clients complete surveys to gauge satisfaction. Customer service in the industry can be poor, so they’ve found that placing importance on it sets them apart. News travels fast if you aren't performing and aren’t keeping your clients happy. So they’ve become passionate about customer service.  They also use metrics to track engagement with their recruiters. If they’re underperforming, or their interaction with clients is leading to a low satisfaction survey score, it’s a warning sign. They use internal surveys to monitor their staff and if there are engagement issues they can remedy them. They want to be sure that their recruiters are still enjoying their work and being challenged.  Shaun and I agree that the best recruiters embrace a growth mindset and that it is critical to success. Those with a growth mindset are resilient, believe in themselves, and embrace challenges as a means of learning and pushing forward in their career. Listen to the entire episode to hear Shaun’s thoughts on mindset, why he started a podcast, and their “20,000 Lives Changed” company campaign.  Connect with Shaun McCambridge Shaun on Twitter Shaun on LinkedIn Stellar Recruitment Resources & People Mentioned BOOK: Mindset by Carol Dweck Stellar Podcast Verne Harnish Setmetrics Connect With Mark Whitby Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: www.RecruitmentCoach.com/Breakthrough Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby Mark on Facebook Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Mark on YouTube Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK

Developing a strong personal brand is becoming increasingly important to your success as a recruiter. That applies to all recruitment consultants but is especially critical for independent recruiters and owners of small recruiting and staffing agencies. My guest today—Lauren Stiebing—is a great example of a recruiter who has embraced personal branding as a way to differentiate herself in a crowded market. Lauren started her search firm, LS International, in Barcelona in 2015 and has built a thriving global practice in the CPG/FMCG space. There were many factors that contributed to her success, including her relentless persistence. In our conversation, we talk about the challenge of building a client base from scratch and the learning curve associated with mastering the ins and outs of business development. She shares the unique challenges she faced and the different strategies she’s used to successfully build her recruitment business. She’s one of my superstar clients and it’s a wonderful privilege to welcome her to the show.  Outline of This Episode [2:43] The background of Lauren Stiebing’s company—LS International [3:53] Key milestones in the development of her business [7:09] What were some of Lauren’s biggest achievements? [8:14] The values she embraces building a personal brand [10:45] What is the concept of giving hard feedback?  [13:08] Developing relationships with blue-chip multinational companies [14:48] What persistence looks like in the recruitment industry [15:48] Using conferences and speaking engagements to network [18:54] The upside of starting a podcast [25:07] Competing with brand-name search firms [28:33] Why large brands choose her over more established firms [31:34] How did Lauren end up in Barcelona? [32:15] Why build a team versus being a single recruiter? [34:24] How Lauren juggles being a billing manager and recruiter [35:41] Lauren’s vision for the future of LS International Building a recruitment agency from the ground up When Lauren launched her business 4.5 years ago, she had little to no experience with business development. She knew she wanted to go out on her own and had the drive to make it happen. She gave herself a deadline of one year to get the business off the ground. If it didn’t work out as she anticipated, then she would begin searching for a job. Fortunately, she turned a profit in her first year and has never looked back. Starting a recruitment agency is not for the faint of heart, and Lauren’s journey was far from straightforward. From the start, Lauren knew that she wanted to operate a retained search practice. Yet 6 months in, she had zero revenue coming in. Lauren and I started working together at this point. After a month, she made her first placement. She pointed out that making your first placement is the hardest, after that things start to get easier. Lauren has achieved what many haven’t - starting a recruitment agency and growing her billings year after year, while 80% of new recruitment companies fail within the first two years. She provides exceptional service and is unrelenting in her ability to make good on her promises, as evidenced by the fact she’s successfully completed 90% of her search assignments.  The values Lauren’s personal brand embraces Lauren knew she faced a significant challenge in the industry, going up against well-known established firms. She recommends building a brand for yourself to differentiate in the industry. One strategy she leveraged to build her personal brand was launching her podcast, LS International Career Success. She was adding value to the industry and this helped her build relationships with clients and candidates. But that wasn’t the only thing that set her apart. Lauren places a high level of importance on professionalism and confidentiality. She explains that clients NEED to know that she takes their confidence seriously. She also believes that you need to have an impeccable response rate—which is sorely lacking in the industry. Even if you can’t answer every question, you can point them in the right direction. This keeps you from burning bridges. Above all, you must be honest and genuine and willing to give hard feedback where others won’t. Lauren points out that providing hard feedback doesn’t always go over well but ultimately gains their respect and engages people on a deeper level. She shares an example of how she challenges her candidates by asking probing questions.  Strategies and tactics to grow your business Being a young entrepreneur, Lauren knew that persistence was going to be the key to her success. As she began breaking into the industry she learned she must keep knocking on the proverbial door. For her, this looked like leveraging multiple channels of communication: email, phone calls, text messaging, and LinkedIn messaging. She tried whatever she could use to get her foot in the door with candidates and clients.  One strategy she uses—which I find compelling—is using conferences to build relationships. This involves identifying which conferences you want to go to and why. Is there a conference that you can attend to connect with decision-makers in your market sector? She notes that it can be a big financial commitment, not to mention the time involved, so you have to do your due diligence and make sure it’s the right move.  Another way to build your personal brand and place yourself as an expert in the industry is by speaking at events. Lauren most recently spoke about creating a more diverse workforce at a LEAD Network event. Not only did she position herself as a leader and an expert in her market, but she also learned a lot and met people relevant to her industry.  How does LS International compete with established agencies?  Other than building a personal brand that stands out from the competition, there are a couple of key ways Lauren believes her agency differentiates itself:  1. Her competitors may have a podcast, but it doesn’t compare to hers. Lauren notes that many of the big-name firms come across as unrelatable. Their podcasts—if they have one at all—are informational and stuffy, often geared towards those at the executive level. She strives to make her podcast (and her business) relatable to everyone looking to advance their career. 2. Lauren is the first to acknowledge that she faces steep competition. But there is an upside to being a small, boutique search firm—flexibility. Her agency can adapt to each client’s needs from one day to the next. They are small enough to be able to change processes or utilize different tools midway through the process.  LS International is able to keep the business customer-focused because it can be adaptable. She can split-fees with other recruiters as-needed, work with multiple people, or do whatever is necessary to ensure client happiness.  Lauren shares how she got her foot in the door with blue-chip multinational companies, the value she’s found in launching her podcast, and much more. Be sure to listen to our engaging conversation. Connect with Lauren Stiebing Lauren on LinkedIn LS International on Twitter LS International LS International Podcast Resources & People Mentioned Upwork The LEAD Network Connect With Mark Whitby Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: www.RecruitmentCoach.com/Breakthrough Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby Mark on Facebook Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Mark on YouTube    Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK

More and more agencies are proving that you can successfully scale your recruitment business by utilizing team development and automation tools. What does the development process look like? Can automation truly open up your time to focus on revenue-producing activities? Mark Smith, the Managing Director of people2people, has spent the last 15 years implementing these processes. He’s articulated values for the business culture and has developed and retained a team of successful recruiters. people2people has quickly grown into one of the leading agencies in Australia and New Zealand.  In this episode of The Resilient Recruiter, Mark will share some of the strategies that have helped him scale people2people to the point it’s at now. He’ll talk about managing against your values, motivating and developing your team, their automated chatbot “Pete”, and much more. Don’t miss this engaging and educational episode.  Outline of This Episode [3:23] What is the “Valley of Death”? [5:32] You need to define your culture’s values [11:50] How to uphold your values [18:00] Mark’s history with Greg Savage [20:05] Mark attributes his success to team development [27:50] An unconventional way to hire and train recruiters [34:20] Applications for Pete—the people2people chatbot [39:35] Other ways Mark implements automation [44:32] The big challenges recruitment agencies will face You need to define your culture’s values As Mark was scaling his business he began to question if his company’s values were staying consistent across their 110 locations. He wanted to definitively know if the culture in his Brisbane office was the same as in Melbourne. After some reflection, he decided his business had reached a point where it was time to articulate their values.  While researching, he found was that his offices were relatively consistent—and he was relieved. But Mark wanted to forge ahead with his endeavor to fully define what they strive for as a company. He and his team landed on an acronym—STRIDE: Strength (resilience), Teamwork, Respect, Integrity, Drive, and Enterprise—that they would use to define their values. With a description firmly in place, they could begin to manage everything against their values. They had a way to evaluate if potential hires line up with their beliefs. Mark’s company, people2people has since implemented a monthly meeting to talk about wins and performance. They host a yearly STRIDE awards event where people from each office are nominated. They have STRIDE apparel and posters as visual reminders of their values. They’ve found an effective way to implement their team values internally, and Mark believes it greatly impacts their success externally with customer relationships.  Mark has found success in the power of team development People2people now has 110 staff and 8 different locations in Australia and New Zealand. Mark noted that scaling the business wasn’t easy. When the GFC (Global Financial Crisis) hit, there was a downturn in Australia. He couldn’t attract experienced recruiters and had difficulty hiring externally. So he rallied and decided that he would develop his own team into recruiters.  When he chose that path for his business it meant he had to develop a process for training. He wanted the customer experience to be the same across the board. But if he was going to develop his own team from the ground up, he wanted to limit staff turnover and increase longevity. This takes hard work and dedication and fully enforcing the values they built the company on. Because of his effort, 35 of his employees have been with the business for longer than 5 years.  Mark develops his team through succession planning. He has staff trained and ready to step up if a senior consultant moves on. How does he achieve that? His preferred method is to assign a para consultant to a senior consultant in the business. They train with the senior recruiter and handle administrative responsibilities. Mark has found this is the best way to implement team development. Keep listening as he shares what the ideal para consultant looks like and the criteria he uses to determine if they’re ready for their own desk.  Scaling your business utilizing automation While Mark does have a back-office, he’s always striving to keep the bulk of his company’s workforce revenue-producing. For him, that means utilizing the latest technology to take on most administrative duties. Enter Pete—people2people’s chatbot. Previously, Mark had rotated para consultants to answer questions on their website. Now, Pete answers most of the 400+ questions they receive weekly. Of those 400 questions, Pete only transfers approximately 30 conversations to a human being. Implementing a bot to answer questions is just one way Mark has opened up his employees’ time. He also uses his chat-bot to speak with potential hires. They’re able to interact and chat with Pete to knock out some basic questions that would be asked in an interview. Pete can wrap up administrative details and all of the information gathered is input into their system. Mark points out that some people have whole departments to handle processes that his chatbot can do.  Implementing automation may be expensive, but can save you money in the long run. It allows you to hire fewer people and gives you a more scalable business. It opens up your time to win new business. With everything he implements, Mark is always questioning whether or not it is scalable and will help grow the business. Keep listening to hear other ways Mark is using automation and how he addresses ongoing challenges he sees in the recruitment industry.  The core of the business will always be client relationships Although Mark wholly believes in implementing technology and automation to streamline his business, he agrees that there will always be a place for the human element. Bots can’t understand motivations, career aspirations, and certainly can’t sell an opportunity. But by implementing bots and technology, Mark has freed up his recruitment team to focus on activities that bring in revenue and the ever important customer relationships.  It’s also why he’s focused tirelessly on team development to ensure they’re living out the companies core values. He’s struggled through difficult situations where he’s had to part ways with top-earning recruiters because they didn’t espouse the values he’s built the business on. The rest of the team sees that he has taken action and reinforces those values. They see that he is willing to lose revenue to back those beliefs. Mark states that “Success is not only defined by the numbers of dollars or pounds you put up on the board”—It can also be measured in the ongoing relationships recruiters have developed with clients.  Connect with Mark Smith Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter people2people Resources & People Mentioned Fieldglass UiPath Volcanic BOOK: Bad Blood by John Carreyrou BOOK: The Savage Truth by Greg Savage BOOK: Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson M.D. Connect With Mark Whitby Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: www.RecruitmentCoach.com/Breakthrough Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby Mark on Facebook Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Mark on YouTube Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK

Have you thought about incorporating split fees into your business model but are worried about the financial impact? In the competitive world of recruiting, is it better to embrace this model versus losing out? Is it easier to partner and collaborate with other recruiters to fill a position? My guest today, Jason Elias, has built a successful recruiting firm specializing in the legal field—while incorporating split fees. He’s found a way to leverage the competitive niche to benefit his business and his clients.  Jason and I converse about how he got into the recruiting industry and chose his niche. We also cover why he started utilizing the split fee model and how it’s led to success. If you’re considered giving this model a go, be sure to listen to this fascinating episode.  Outline of This Episode [2:11] Jason Elias’ journey from lawyer to recruiter [5:16] How did his first split fee come about? [7:20] How he started collaborating with other recruiters [12:14] Why a split fee model is worth adopting [15:30] Learning lessons from building a team [19:45] Jason’s plans for the future of his firm [25:24] What do you do when clients are your competition? [32:41] How does Jason juggle all of his roles? [35:35] Why Jason believes managing is worth the reward [38:00] Jason shares his favorite tech tools  How did Jason start collaborating with other recruiters? Years ago—when Jason was self-admittedly a young and naive recruiter—he spent a chunk of money to place an advertisement in a publication. That advertisement failed to get him any leads. While turning the pages, he noticed another recruiter’s ad in the accounting section. So he called him up and they met up to discuss their lack of success with the advertising. They completely hit it off. He also found out that his newfound friend collaborated frequently with other recruiters.  The NPAworldwide Australian conference just happened to be two days later. They fast-tracked Jason’s membership and he walked in and instantly felt comfortable. Everyone was transparent and honest, and he felt like these were his people. The organization claims to allow recruiters to collaborate with others in a safe environment—and he believed this from day one.  Fast forward to today, and Jason has been involved with NPAworldwide for over 16 years. He had the opportunity to serve as the director for the Australian region of the NPA for 4 years. Now, he serves on the executive team as Secretary/Treasurer and Chair-Elect. Once he has served his term in this position, he will be appointed the Chair of NPAworldwide for a two-year term.  The natural segue from networking to split-fees Jason’s first split came from a fellow council member at the RCSA—she worked for an organization that needed a lawyer. She connected the two parties and Jason provided a lawyer that was a perfect fit. Since that day, he estimates that one-third of his business is from split fees. Jason has reached gold-level with the NPA, which means he had made at least $2,000,000 in placements at the time he reached that level (over 5 years ago). Of that amount, he would estimate at least $500,000 was from split-fees with other recruiters. Jason continues to see the benefit of collaborating with other recruiters and splitting fees. For example, he has a client in the Northern Territory of Australia. He called her up one day and she didn’t have any placements for him—but she was looking for someone in IT. He told her that while he doesn’t specialize in IT, he knew someone who did. He connected the two and his fellow recruiter filled the position.  For his effort and cooperation, he got a thank-you fee from his colleague. Jason points out that if he hadn’t connected her with someone else she would have gone to a mega-recruiter to fill the position. In the end, he likely would’ve lost that client’s future placements to them. Instead, he created a happy customer who was excited to continue working with him.  Split fees are about the best outcome for the client  Jason found himself in a situation where the perfect candidate for a client had to back out. Instead of being at the end of the road, he was back to square one. His client called him up and informed him that another recruiter had approached them with a promising option that they wanted to interview. They understood he was on retainer and they had signed an exclusive contract. Instead of informing his client that they must go through him due to the contract he told them to make a call to the other recruiter—he would offer to split the fee with him. He ended up speaking with the other recruiter and came to an agreement that worked for them while benefiting his client and the candidate.  In this way, the client’s position was filled and they were satisfied. Jason notes that it is about the long-game and getting the best outcome for the client. This decision, albeit a small monetary loss, led to repeat business because he put the client’s happiness first. Per Jason, in the end, “If you help their business grow, then they’ll help your business grow”. It’s a win-win for every party involved. Be aware of your strengths and your shortcomings—then adjust accordingly  Jason has a lot on his plate, from his role at the NPA to managing and running his own business. On top of that, he’s working on his Master’s degree and has a side hustle business. With all that he’s juggling, how does he manage to remain so successful? Jason admits it’s because he’s aware of his weaknesses. He’s a great recruiter, a great business-owner, and excels with his position at the NPA. But he believes he’s a lousy manager.  Instead of accepting defeat, he chose to build a team of experts around himself to offset his weaknesses. He hired a team member that takes on more of the administrative and managerial role. He does his best to touch base with his team daily and they do a weekly Zoom call. But in the end, he believes in treating his team like the adults and professionals that they are. He doesn’t micro-manage, while providing them with the tools they need. He’s made it a point that he is always available if they need him.  Jason could have gone the route of remaining a high-performing solo recruiter. But with a family to provide for, he wanted to lower his risk. He realized he was better off delegating some of the work and taking a split. It’s worked well for him—Jason has built a national model with great recruiters who are experts in their field. He has a good reputation for being one of the best in his industry. To hear the rest of Jason’s journey in recruiting, make sure you listen to the entire episode of The Resilient Recruiter. Connect with Jason Elias Elias Recruitment Jason(at)EliasRecruitment.com Jason on LinkedIn Elias Recruitment on Twitter Resources & People Mentioned RCSA Lusha Hiretual Zoom Calendly Directi LastPass Grammarly Gmail Freshbooks Tab Ninja PandaDoc Qwilr Referrer Recruiters Who Make Placements FB Group Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell The Robot-Proof Recruiter by Kristina Collier NPAworldwide Connect With Mark Whitby Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: www.RecruitmentCoach.com/Breakthrough Mark’s Masterclass for Recruitment Business Owners Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby Mark on Facebook Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Mark on YouTube Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK

How do you build a successful recruiting agency? What mindsets are needed to thrive as a business? When Erin Devlin became the managing director of people2people in the state of Victoria, Australia, she achieved 70% growth in a 3-year timespan.  Erin humbly claims that when she merged her firm, Devlin Alliance with people2people that they had already established a brand with amazing leadership and accomplished recruiters. She simply built on their success when she launched their Melbourne division. Join me as I talk with Erin about how her company plays to the strengths of its recruiters, their hiring process, and their staff development strategies. Erin also talks about the characteristics from her professional career as a ballerina that led to her success as a recruiter. Don’t miss her unusual and inspiring story! Outline of This Episode [1:06] Meet Erin Devlin—Managing Director of people2people [2:57] Why did Erin merge her firm with people2people? [4:03] What Erin means by ‘celebrating wins’ [7:51] How are team members allowed to leverage their strengths? [11:21] Professional Recruiter of the Year with RCSA - why was she selected? [13:35] Why the 360-degree recruiting model works for people2people [15:05] Developing a team member from rookie to consultant [21:58] Back to the hiring process: how do you assess those things [24:50] Erin’s background as a professional ballerina [30:18] The mentoring program at people2people [33:09] What is Infront Sports Consulting? [36:50] Leveraging success to give back [40:19] Technology as a key to success Celebrating wins and leveraging strengths is the backbone of people2people Erin points out that in order to be successful as a recruitment team, you must provide adequate recognition for the accomplishments of your team in every stage of success. It can be as simple as verbal recognition for a job well done—or a spa day for the whole team. Telling people they’ve done a great job is a wonderful motivator for success. How does people2people accomplish that?  On Mondays they highlight the successes of the previous week in their team meetings. Perhaps placements that occurred, targets reached, or company growth. On Fridays, they celebrate together and talk about the best thing that happened and what they enjoyed the most that week. People show up and do their best when they’re rewarded for it, even in the smallest of ways.  At people2people they allow their team to play to their strengths. They set goals and have a general guideline of what the process to reach those goals could look like. But when it comes down to the nitty-gritty work, they allow their staff to accomplish it in a way that fits them best. They don’t dictate how things get done. Erin states, “We definitely do have a high-performance culture, but there is that flexibility and autonomy in how they achieve the outcome”.  What sets their hiring and development standards apart from the rest?  When hiring recruiters, Erin notes that they don’t always hire the most experienced person in the industry. Instead, they look for people who have demonstrated commitment, shown that they’re responsible, and demonstrate success—whether it was as an athlete or in academics. They want someone empathetic, intellectual, and team-oriented. Above all, they look for people who have strong interpersonal and communication skills and a positive attitude. Once hired, their new team member has a plethora of growth opportunities available to them. They have structured classroom-style training, access to Recruitment Juice, RCSA courses—as well as on-the-job training. They have weekly mini-training lunches where a topic is chosen and discussed for half an hour. These opportunities are very simple, yet so effective for continuous learning. To hear how Erin assesses experienced recruiters, what their interview process is like, and the unique way they vet applicants—listen to our whole conversation.  Erin’s story from accomplished Ballerina to Managing Director and CEO Erin wasn’t always in the recruiting field. She got her start as a professional ballerina with the Australian Ballet. After 7 years, she found herself burned out. She ended up traveling the world but was soon ready for her next challenge—a transition into a long-term career. She started as a temp at a company but was hired full-time within an hour of starting. After observing their recruiting department, she asked if they’d allow her to give it a shot. With that leap of faith, she found a role that resonated with her and fit her unique skill set.  Being a ballerina had encompassed her whole world. It was all-consuming, and there was no balance in her life. But it taught her discipline and drive. She cultivated the ability to work as a team, mastered empathy, and learned to understand people's emotions. These are all skills that transition well into recruiting. In 2010, Erin launched Devlin Alliance, a recruiting firm that specialized in sales and marketing recruitment. 5 years later, her firm merged with people2people and she transitioned into her role as Managing Director. Erin also serves as CEO with Infront Sports Consulting, which people2people is the parent company of. They specialize in helping professional athletes transition out of sports and into a long-term career. We talk more about this role and why it is close to Erin’s heart, so keep listening.  How mentoring someone else is a win for everyone involved Erin has had the opportunity to be part of the RCSA’s mentoring program. She was mentored by many successful recruiters, including Greg Savage and Mark Smith. Erin had a great experience and wanted to give back herself, so she started mentoring others. She feels it is a privilege to help grow the next generation of leaders. Erin and I agree that mentoring positively impacts both the mentee and mentor and that both can learn from each other. There is also an informal mentoring program at people2people where members are encouraged to seek out a mentor. The company’s only ask is that anyone being mentored, in turn, is willing to mentor someone else. It’s a once-a-month commitment where the individual gets to pick their mentor's brain and learn industry tools and strategies. The most successful people are those who are always learning and growing.  And according to Erin, “If you want to be successful you have to invest in your development”—something she is always striving to do.  Erin’s company firmly believes in giving back to the community. You've likely seen the recent devastation from the Australian bushfires that have been painted across the news worldwide. Erin and I wanted to take this opportunity to share the Recruiters for Fire Relief GoFundMe, linked below in the notes. If you feel inclined, check out their cause and donate. Connect with Erin Devlin LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Resources & People Mentioned Recruiters for Fire Relief GoFundMe Juice Accelerated Recruitment Learning People2people Infront Sports Counseling Drive by Daniel Pink RCSA Connect With Mark Whitby Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: www.RecruitmentCoach.com/Breakthrough Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby Mark on Facebook Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Mark on YouTube Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK

It’s tough work being a solo recruiter. Everything in your recruitment firm depends on you. Many in the industry choose to remain solo and struggle while others who make that same choice do extraordinarily well. Rich Rosen fits into that latter category. He consistently bills $1M per year and has lots of repeat business and clients. What’s his secret? I wanted to talk with him to find out and we recorded this episode as a result.  You’ll hear Rich transparently share how 2019 was one of his worst years in the industry in over 20 years—and how he made a comeback to close out the year with right around $700,000 in placements. You’ll also learn how he sets goals, prioritizes his time, and sets himself up for success every day. I hope you listen. This is a fun conversation full of insights from an everyday guy with a successful track record of recruiting success. Outline of This Episode [0:40] Getting to know Rich Rosen, million-dollar producer year after year [2:01] Why Rich has focused entirely on recruiting for software sales professionals [4:36] The reasons Rich has chosen to stay a one-man firm [13:15] Rich’s toughest year in the last 20 years - what happened [21:40] Setting ground rules with clients enable Rich to work smarter, not harder [30:29] What does it take to become a million dollar biller?  [42:01] Rich’s tips for being as productive as possible and planning well 2019 was a disastrous year but Rich rebounded nicely 2019 was a perfect storm for Rich’s recruitment firm. Market conditions, industry trends, and outright strange events combined to prevent him from progressing at a normal rate. He started the year with only $30,000 billed within the first 4 months, which was far below his normal average for that time of year. Many deals fell apart at the last minute and $522,000 in billings evaporated. Rich says that among those losses were a handful of clients who rescinded deals weeks away from hiring the candidates Rich had provided. He says he’s only seen that happen a handful of times in over 20 years in the industry. But by the time we recorded this conversation—early November 2019—Rich had rebounded to a hopeful $700,000 year-end revenue total. It was still shy of his $1M average but far above what many recruiters realize even in good years. How did he do it? Part of the recovery came from restructuring of his fees. Up until that point, his business operated 99% of the time on a contingent fee structure. He pivoted to a partial retainer model and included up-front fees of $8,000 to $16,000 for many clients. He said this change helped him discern which opportunities were serious and which would likely turn out to be a waste of his efforts. It also enabled him to attract clients who were truly serious about their search. Listen to hear the details of how Rich learned to scrutinize opportunities, increase his cold calling, and reconnect with old clients to overcome his early deficit. Setting ground rules for good communication is key to success as a solo recruiter Every client's situation will be different but Rich has learned that there are fundamental understandings that need to exist if a recruiter is going to work efficiently and effectively for the client. The most important of those ground rules is good communication. As an example, Rich communicates deadlines to his clients to impress on them the degree to which he’s willing to help them accomplish their hiring goals quickly. He routinely says to clients that if he sends a message or piece of information to them and does not hear from them within 48 hours, he will put his work for them on hold and send any candidates for their position that he’s communicating about to others in his database. This urgency tells his clients that if they truly want to get things done, they need to communicate. Rich realizes this might sound extreme but he’s found it essential to deliver on what clients want and expect and to help them be accountable for those results. At the very least he expects a text from the client with basic information about the things he’s sent to them. He sends them information for a reason and expects them to help him streamline the process and be effective on their behalf.  Key ingredients to becoming a million-dollar biller No recruiter bills $1M annually by accident. I wanted to hear from Rich himself what he thinks goes into being such a consistently successful person. His tips were pure gold. Here’s what he had to say:  Be authentic: Don’t be fake, don’t lie, and be as honest and blunt as you can. Speak with candor about your insights. Business isn’t rocket science, so be authentic and real. Keep your calls short (he schedules them for 15 minutes) and get to the point, learn what you need to know about the candidate, and stay in touch. Master an industry-specific niche: Doing this makes every call matter. If you’re a generalist, every call is a shot in the dark and you have no focus. If you’ve chosen a specific niche you can build a database of people to cycle through that’s relevant for almost every situation you encounter.  Become the industry expert: Gain a reputation in the industry as the go-to guy, the insider. Do this by giving great advice to anyone who asks. Tell them companies to avoid and those that would be a good fit.  When you’re selling your services to a potential client, mastering these areas adds credibility. Rich notes that by doing your job well you are enhancing the hiring manager’s career—and you need to portray that to them. Find out exactly what they’re looking for in a candidate. Tell them this is your niche and that you’ll always bring them the right person. If you don’t, you don’t get paid. When they can see it in those simple terms, they tend to commit and get the process moving. Tips for being as productive as possible and planning effectively Rich has proven that he is an effective recruiter. But how does he do it? A lot of grunt work. Rich believes phone calls are king. He makes at least 50 a day, whether it be to previous candidates, old clients, or people he’s just added to his database. Rich works from home and his typical workday starts at 8 am with making and returning phone calls. He’ll spend time returning emails and is always sure to leave at least an hour for VP calls. Unlike many recruiters, he takes time to respond to everyone. Because he works nationwide, he structures his calls as such: East coast calls first thing in the morning, then Central time, then he works on those living in the Pacific time zone.  Something Rich does—that many recruiters might not have the drive for—is research in the evenings and on the weekends. He’ll look for candidates on LinkedIn or in his database and gather their email and phone number. He’ll then shoot them an email the night before letting them know to expect a call from him the next day. It’s time-consuming, it’s grunt-work, but he admits that you learn a lot in the process and it turns potential “cold calls” into “warmer” calls..  Rich is a no-excuses and no wasted time type of guy and it’s part of why he’s found so much success. To hear how he fully maximizes his time to be the most efficient and effective recruiter he can possibly be, be sure to listen to the whole episode. Connect with Rich Rosen Rich’s firm: Cornerstone Search Cornerstone on Facebook Cornerstone on Twitter: @RichRoRecruiter Rich on LinkedIn Resources & People Mentioned PODCAST: Recruiter Startup PODCAST: The Brutal Truth About Sales & Selling PODCAST: Sales Gravy PODCAST: The Art of Sales PODCAST: How They Build This BOOK: Fanatical Prospecting Pinnacle Group Connect With Mark Whitby Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: www.RecruitmentCoach.com/Breakthrough Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby Mark on Facebook Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Mark on YouTube Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK

Starting a recruitment agency is a daunting task - one that my guest on this episode warns is not for everyone. The hard work required and the agony of the ups and downs can only be endured when you are deeply committed to building something worthwhile, can manage your time wisely, and keep your head when you inevitably lose deals you worked hard to cultivate and were counting on. He says it’s simply how the recruiting industry works. But in spite of those kinds of setbacks, Justin Satterfield has built Norwood Staffing Solutions from the ground up and has been able to reach the $1M revenue mark in less than two years. Join me for this engaging conversation. Justin shares the story of how he was fired from his previous recruitment position for unsubstantiated reasons, how he started his company from scratch, his team-building philosophy, how he learned that the way he perceives the challenges he faces dictates how he handles them, and more. Outline of This Episode [0:23] Get acquainted with Justin Satterfield - on the road to $1M in net income [3:30] The benefits of establishing a public speaking platform [8:28] Why reputation matters immensely in the recruitment world [10:08] How being treated unfairly at his company led him to start his own [16:31] What is resilience, and why is it so important for recruiters? [18:47] The first 12 months of starting a recruitment agency [21:30[ Things done right and wrong in that first 12 months [24:02] Making decisions to deselect certain activities [29:43] How building a team enabled Justin to turn a huge corner [37:38] Future plans for Norwood Staffing Solutions Justin knew being fired was the best thing that had ever happened to him Straight out of college Justin got a job at a startup staffing company, thinking that he’d plug away at the role until he could find something he was more interested in. But he was a quick study and within 2 years he was number 22 in production out of over 600 producers. He was doing well, clearing $200K annually and had developed a great book of business. That’s when the unthinkable happened. He was called into a room and fired. Why? The team was behind budget and the only remedy was to let someone on the team go. The person in charge at the time decided that Justin was the one who needed to be let go - and promptly took over his book of business. Justin was left in a personally difficult situation. He had signed a 12 month non-compete and admits that he didn’t want to honor it due to the way he was fired. Legal counsel told him that he was likely to win if he took his employer to court but he couldn’t afford the legal fees required to see it through. So he honored the agreement - and spent the year off improving himself so that in the future, his hard work would be to build something for himself, not a corporation or boss. Today, he sees the loss of his position as the best thing that had ever happened to him because of how it set him up to start his own firm and forced him to prepare himself for that task. The painful first 12 months of starting his own recruiting agency A one-man recruitment agency is a grueling endeavor. The founder is the entire recruitment department and the only salesperson on staff - and both of those are full-time jobs upon which the success of the business depends. During the 12 months he was waiting to start his company Justin made the most of the time by developing himself as a leader. He knew he needed to be the best version of himself that he could be if he was going to build and lead a successful company. Once he was able to get started, his company gained traction quickly. He successfully spun the relationships he already had into big clients that helped give him an initial boost. But he soon discovered that his approach to getting the business running had set him up for the biggest mistake of that first year. Justin was spending 100% of his time doing recruitment and didn’t focus at all on sales. Then both of the large opportunities he’d been counting on fell through. He learned that he should have been allocating time to sales every day in order to keep leads coming in. The “Do Something” principle served Justin well “If you don’t have that underlying, full-on confidence, knowing that you can get it done, I would advise against starting a company.” That’s one of Justin’s gems of advice after getting through his first year. He says that you have to develop a tenacious belief that success is not optional. You must be committed to winning no matter what comes. He learned to focus his time on the things that he COULD do rather than looking at the problems. That is what led him to the “Do Something” principle. Justin explains it this way… “People are always looking for motivation on a daily basis. That is a backwards way to look at motivation. You take action. No matter how you feel, you take action. Not when you feel like it. Every single day you act. Action leads to results and results give you motivation. You don’t seek motivation to take action to get results - no, the motivation is a by-product. If you want motivation, close some deals.” This “Do Something” principle has enabled Justin to work hard, land deals, and overcome the struggle required to build his recruitment agency. Adding talented people to your team trumps the financial challenge of doing it When Justin was burning the candle at both ends to keep his fledgling recruitment agency afloat he didn’t have the money to bring on team members. It would have been easy to say, “Uhhhh, no. Not yet,” when it came to adding team members - but two opportunities crossed his path that he couldn’t say “No” to. One was an outstanding recruiter he knew previously who got laid off from her company. Justin knew she was a producer and recognized the value she’d bring to his company, so he hired her. Shortly after that, a salesperson he’d been talking to about a possible position with his company in the future, called and said she was fed up with her current position and was quitting. Justin decided to make it work because he didn’t want to lose the opportunity to hire such an effective salesperson. The timing will never be right to hire and Justin says if you want to grow quickly you will have to take some risk. It’s about the people you take on, not the timing. In his words, “If you get the opportunity to bring on someone who is talented, do it - and do what you need to do to make it work.” Connect with Justin Satterfield Justin (at) NorwoodStaffing.com Justin’s company: Norwood Staffing Justin on LinkedIn Connect With Mark Whitby Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: www.RecruitmentCoach.com/Breakthrough Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby Mark on Facebook Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Mark on YouTube Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK

It isn't very common for a recruitment agency to hit a plateau and then grow beyond that plateau years later - but that’s exactly what happened when Robin Doenicke implemented a new recruitment model for his agency. His recruitment company - Tokyo-based Zensho Agency - has reimagined the structure and culture of its executive search service and as a result, has changed the model upon which the company operates and by which its team is built. It’s this reimagining that has fueled an amazing recruitment agency growth of 10X. Naturally, I became very curious when I realized this, so I invited Robin to be my guest for this episode of the podcast. In his characteristic style, Robin was extremely generous in sharing the how, but more importantly the WHY behind the decisions he’s made regarding the structure of his company and team. The remarkable success they are achieving flows directly out of those decisions and you’ll hear him describe his approach in detail on this episode.  Outline of This Episode [1:15] Starting an Executive Search Firm in Tokyo - the journey to here [3:10] Ideas for structuring his staff as Independent Contractors [6:34] Robin’s view of the relationship between martial arts and business [11:29] How Zensho exploded after a long time of plateau [16:38] The journey of discovering the “why” behind the company [18:15] Challenges in 10X-ing the company in 3 years [33:01] Plans for expanding the company into Australia [40:08] The Stoic Thought for the day The skill of being fully present is behind much of Robin’s success Robin is a martial arts expert - and that is not an exaggeration. He moved to Japan to study with grandmaster Bujinkan Ninjutsu and Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi, both world-renowned martial arts instructors. As a result of his diligent study in a variety of martial arts, Robin has earned a top-rank 15th-dan black belt. It’s this background and experience that's lead him to one of his most vital philosophies about business: Be fully present in the events that make up life. He believes that when you learn to be present you are able to effectively respond to the reality of what’s going on around you, and do so ways appropriate to the situation. This is in contrast to reacting, which is based on negative past experiences or according to ego-driven or fear-based motivations. Robin finds this discipline to be extremely helpful in business and in recruitment in particular. The fast-moving, ever-changing environment of the modern recruiting agency demands a calm, measured approach - and mindfulness to being present allows that to happen. Robin has used the principle to shape the culture within which his team of recruiters drives the agency business forward. Culture is more than a buzzword for Zensho Agency When he read the book “Start With Why” by Simon Sinek, Robin realized that he wanted to build a business that fueled the “why” of those it employs - not one that serves the “why” of its founders or board of directors. He believes that team members who are free to work on their own terms, completely empowered to be entrepreneurs in their own right will foster the most powerful and passionate recruitment service in the world - and as a result would fuel his recruitment agency’s growth. He was right. The team at Zensho enjoys a community and support structure that readily and eagerly shares ideas and strategies so that everyone can succeed and clients and candidates are the beneficiaries. Though each recruiter is a contractor rather than an employee and is thus in business for themselves, they are never by themselves. Each of them enjoys the reputation and prestige of being affiliated with the Zensho brand as well as a generous compensation package of 70% to 90% of the profits from their placements. Truly, the strength and power of the whole trickle down to the individuals on the team. The results speak for themselves. I invite you to join me for this fascinating conversation with Robin. His insight into the world of recruiting and the dynamics of what makes a team truly great will not only inspire you, it will equip you to raise the bar on your own ambition. How Robin is 10X-ing the company in a matter of 3 years At the current rate of growth, including plans for the expansion of Zensho Agency to Australia in 2020, it looks like Robin will accomplish 10X growth within a 3-year span. How has he done it? I asked Robin that exact question and he pointed to two apparent things… 1 - Only allow great people to come on board the team Robin says some of his biggest mistakes in growing the company have come from hiring the wrong people and he’s committed to himself that it won’t happen again. One of the hallmarks of this commitment is the company’s “No Asshole” policy, which makes it hard for those who are purely ego-driven or unwilling to contribute to the success of the whole to find a place within the company. 2 - Cultivate and encourage an entrepreneur mindset rather than an employee mindset Because Zensho Agency has no employees and provides no base salary, recruiters who join the team must be self-motivated, proven producers who are eager to build their own business while contributing to the overall health and success of the team. Robin says those who have been hesitant to join the Zensho team are typically saddled with a belief that a base salary or "employee" status provides more security, when the reality may be that those are limiting beliefs that are holding them back from experiencing their best life. It’s this entrepreneurial mindset that has been behind the recruitment agency’s growth. Why recruiters need to adopt an abundance mindset that benefits everyone One of the things that set Zensho’s team apart is that each person on the team - though in actuality a competitor of sorts to the others on the team - is committed to the success of the others. This unique partnership mentality is something Robin says should become characteristic of the entire recruitment industry because when it is, the entire industry benefits. Successful recruiters enhance both the image and the effectiveness of the industry, enabling those outside the industry to see what we do with a positive attitude and to believe that we offer something of value that nobody else can. For that reason, it’s to all of our benefits to help each other as much as we reasonably can. I was happy to hear Robin say this because I’ve long had close relationships - even mutually beneficial business relationships - with people many would think of as my competition. Of course, I don’t give away all of my secrets but I do try to serve others in the industry - for the very reasons Robin highlights.  I hope you take the time to listen to this episode. Robin’s story will inspire you to aim higher, work harder, and dedicate yourself to forging relationships that serve our clients, your candidates, and the recruitment industry to a greater degree. Connect with Robin Doenicke Robin’s firm: Zensho Agency Follow Robin on LinkedIn Resources & People Mentioned Simon Sinek’s book Start With Why Jim Collin’s book Good To Great Sir Richard Branson Recruitment International The Joe Rogan Podcast Ray Dalio’s book Principles Tim Freke (author) Byron Katie (author) book: Loving What Is The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle Connect With Mark Whitby Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call with Mark: www.RecruitmentCoach.com/Breakthrough Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby Mark on Facebook Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Mark on YouTube Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK

Recruitment leaders who build and lead industry-dominant recruitment firms haven’t risen to their place of prominence by accident. Each of them not only has the experience to inform their leadership decisions but also possesses the personal character traits and habits that set them up for high levels of success. Would you like to know the traits and habits these world-class recruitment leaders have in common? So would I, so I invited a guest on the podcast who has had a front-row seat into the lives and leadership of these amazing individuals for the past 36 years. Doug Bugie’s career in recruitment spans over three decades where he’s mainly worked in the niche of recruitment franchising. His current role is with FPC, a top 1% performer in the recruitment industry as ranked by Forbes. The company is also ranked “Top 50” in franchisee satisfaction by Franchise Business Review. Team members like Doug are one of the reasons the company excels as it does. Doug himself has had a hand in successfully aiding 800 recruitment franchises in 40 countries fill over 100,000 assignments. That’s a mind-boggling amount of success. Join me for this fascinating look into the characteristics that make the top recruitment leaders who they are, which in turn, enables them to rise to the top of the industry and stay there year after year.  Outline of This Episode [0:33] Doug’s accomplishments over the past 36 years (100,000 placements) [6:05] The key quality of recruitment businesses that do well and those that don’t [10:46] At what point to leaders take a non-billing role in their recruitment firm? [14:06] The renaissance outlook of the most successful recruiting leaders [21:54] The biggest changes in the industry most recently, and Doug’s take on the future [28:36] How did we become an industry that’s racing to the bottom? [35:21] How Stoicism relates to Doug’s comments The top recruitment leaders don’t lead from the sidelines Many people have the mental image of a successful leader calling the shots from a vantage point well away from the action - like a coach, calling plays from the sideline at a sporting event. But they forget that every coach was once a successful player in their own right, which is where they learned the game. Doug says that in working alongside leaders in the recruitment industry over the last 36 years, he's seen that the ones who gained the respect and admiration of their followers are what he calls “front line action-takers.” Going back to the sports analogy - they were outstanding players who developed their skills through proving their mettle on the field. During our conversation, Doug highlights how action-taking leaders he’s worked with have set the example for their teams and built cultures that drive success. He also explains how these front-line leaders eventually move to the play-calling role behind the scenes but do so while maintaining the respect of their teams. Great leaders develop a renaissance outlook Stop for a moment to recall the most interesting people you’ve ever met. What are the things about them that make them so interesting? Doug says that the most interesting individuals he’s met are recruiting leaders who are well-read and who take the time to educate themselves about what’s happening in the world - and he says the benefits they receive from these activities are multiplied in their recruiting careers. Leaders who are actively engaged in a process of ongoing self-education can connect with clients and other stakeholders about their interests and passions, across a broad spectrum of industries. It’s that type of engagement that opens the door to the human connections that are at the heart of the true recruitment professional. As you might imagine, Doug has many stories to share and even offers suggestions about how you can develop a renaissance outlook yourself, so be sure you listen. Develop your Emotional Intelligence to thrive in the recruiting world   The advanced tech that makes for efficient data mining has created a commoditized attitude about the recruiting industry. Doug says that clients who need high-level candidates, data mining will never be enough. There is a deeper, more nuanced work that takes place to build relationships of authenticity and trust. The best recruiting leaders make those skills a trademark of what they provide. An observation Doug makes about this point is that women tend to excel in the recruiting field for these very reasons. As he compares the skills women bring to the table to those of their male counterparts, he says women typically don’t struggle as much with ego - which enables them to put others in the spotlight of attention more easily. They allow the customer or client to speak more which provides greater insight into the needs inherent in the situation at hand. But male or female, Doug stresses that emotional intelligence is a skill that can be learned - and that true professionals learn it well. The recruiting professionals who thrive never stop learning about their clients The high dollar figures paid for high-level executive placements are earned, no question. I can say that with confidence because I’ve seen how the recruiters who brought about those placements made it their goal to become students of their clients’ businesses and industries. When you as a recruiter can speak knowledgeably about the industry your clients serve, you cultivate their confidence in you - which in turn, serves your entire process of serving them. But there are clients on the other side of the equation as well - those we come alongside who are seeking a placement. It’s our job to learn about them, their experience, and even their personality so that we can find the placement that best fits them as an individual and furthers their career goals. In this conversation, Doug speaks about the advantages that come to recruitment leaders who are willing to invest time in learning about their client's industries. He shares many intriguing stories of recruitment leaders who set the bar for the industry through their high-level performance and integrity.  Connect with Doug Bugie FPC - the firm where Doug currently serves Doug on LinkedIn Doug on Twitter: @DougBugie DBugie(at)FPCWorldwide.com +1-440-525-6198 Doug on Twitter: @DougBugie Resources & People Mentioned SThree Allegis Group Jeff Herzog, President of FPC Mike Brennan of Norman Broadbent  Tony Goodwin of Antal James Caan Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Connect With Mark Whitby https://recruitmentcoach.com (only include on platforms other than website) Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter: @RecCoach_com Mark on Facebook Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Mark on YouTube Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter Audio Production and Show notes byPODCAST FAST TRACK

When setting up a recruitment business from scratch it's easy to get sidetracked with a thousand different things - and it seems there are also a thousand different ways to approach the business. Alex Elliot and Jonathan Coxon have very clear opinions about what works because they spearheaded the launch of Liquid Personnel in 2006 and sold it exactly 10 years later for a huge profit. By the time the business was sold it was bringing in 100 million pounds in revenue, had 140 employees, and was the recipient of multiple awards. All this came from very humble beginnings - two gents working from a storage closet and with a capital investment of just 3000 pounds.  In this conversation, you’ll hear Jonathan and Alex explain how and why they started the business and how a very clear set of common long-term goals enabled them to forge a partnership that created a stable foundation from which to launch. You’ll also hear about the huge financial mistakes they made, how they went about finding, hiring, and retaining quality team members, and more. Outline of This Episode [0:35] The rapid growth of a recruitment agency [3:15] The early days at Liquid Personnel - starting small and in cramped offices [5:38] Shared goals and shared values make for a good partnership [6:35] What the guys looked for in team members from the start [10:50] The first 12 months in recruitment is about survival [14:14] The unknown unknowns to be faced in starting from scratch [17:39] Knowing when it was time to start hiring [27:19] A hiring model that worked tremendously well [37:26] The best avenues for finding good talent [42:24] Taking on an entire rookie sales force [44:09] What goes into exceptional training? [51:36] When did Jonathan and Alex begin focusing on management? [54:09] What it was like to sell the business and the amazing experience it was Humble beginnings are often the basis for huge success Business founders who have to scratch and scrape to build their business have much to share with those of us who are willing to listen and learn from their example. Alex and Jonathan began Liquid Personnel - a staffing agency focused on the Social Services industry in the UK - in a loaned storage closet at a family member’s business. The two of them shared one desk and spent the majority of their time hustling up leads and tracking down candidates on the phone. Within a year they were able to add their first team members and began a journey to scale that is extremely uncommon among recruitment firms. As you listen you’ll get a feeling for the grit and determination of these two remarkable men and understand how their commitment to building, fostering, and equipping a team of extraordinary individuals made a massive difference in their ability to scale the business. Be sure you stick around to the very end to hear the next big venture Alex and Jonathan are planning.  Don’t let what’s on paper obscure reality “We were very good at making paper profits. We were too focused on paper profits and not focused on cash flow.”  That’s what Alex Elliot said about their perspective during the early days of Liquid Personnel. This was in response to me asking him what he’d do differently if he could go back and do it all over again with the knowledge he has now. There’s a huge lesson here, so pay close attention. Alex is saying that after setting up your recruitment business and getting things rolling, the numbers you see on paper can lead you to believe that your business is doing much better than it is. As he looks back, he realizes that their 10-year journey could likely have been made in seven years if they had focused on cash flow more than on the profits shown on paper. That switch in focus would have enabled them to generate the financial resources needed to add team members sooner, improve their training faster, and scale the company. When hiring, don’t go with what’s acceptable, go with exceptional One of the keys to the success of Liquid Personnel was its own personnel. Alex and Jonathan focused intensely on finding and hiring the right people - those with proven sales track records and specific qualities of greatness they had diligently identified beforehand. When asked about their hiring philosophy, they say that every single person you hire should be raising the average on the sales floor. You should never let yourself accept “average” candidates as being good enough. Greatness begets greatness.  To help you understand how they refined their ideal candidate profile, they offer these tips: 1 - Ask yourself, “What does ‘great’ look like in our business and industry niche?” 2 - What are the attributes of someone who is great in those ways? 3 - What does that kind of person bring to the table for our business in particular? 4 - What does that look like practically and how can we assess it during the hiring process? Listen to hear how they used psychometric profiles, a lengthy interview process, and data to avoid “gut feel” decisions and get the right people on board. Excellence comes from training in the fundamentals Alex and Jonathan believe that the recruiting industry's typical approach to training is short-sighted. In their words, “If you stick someone in the classroom for 6 weeks then stick them on the sales floor thinking they are trained, you’re wrong.” Their experience demonstrates that the value of initial training pales in comparison to the value of ongoing, in-the-field training focused on equipping team members to succeed professionally and personally. The areas of focus they maintained while growing Liquid Personnel were: 1- Incremental learning and development They didn’t believe in “one time” or “one-size-fits-all” training. Each person was equipped on an as-needed, personalized basis. 2 - Giving people as many tools to be successful as possible while making it simple and concise Convoluted, complicated training prohibits the development of skills that team members need to become successful quickly. 3 - Real-time induction training along with practical role-playing coaching Alex and Jonathan made it their goal to link together theory and practice so that their team could see results faster and truly understand their jobs and the services they provide. 4 - Training and development throughout a person’s career The Liquid Personnel training method included ongoing training in a variety of formats. On-demand topical videos enabled team members to hone specific skills as needed. Every advancement opportunity came with the training required to perform with excellence in the new role. And testing was used regularly to ensure the right people were in the right roles at the right times. This episode is full of valuable insights from the rapid growth journey of one of the brightest spots in recent recruitment history. Join me as I walk through how Alex and Jonathan went about setting up a recruitment business that scaled massively in a very short amount of time. Connect with Jonathan and Alex Jonathan Coxon on LinkedIn Alex Elliot on LinkedIn Resources & People Mentioned Liquid Personnel Independent Clinical Services The Recruitment Agency Podcast BOOK: Grit by Angela Duckworth BOOK: Good to Great BOOK: Built To Last BOOK: In Search of Excellence BOOK: How To Win Friends And Influence People BOOK: Influence by Robert Chialdini BOOK: The Score Takes Care Of Itself Connect With Mark Whitby https://recruitmentcoach.com (only include on platforms other than website) Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter: @RecCoach_com Mark on Facebook Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Mark on YouTube Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter Audio Production and Show notes byPODCAST FAST TRACK