The RAG Podcast - Recruitment Agency Growth Podcast

James Leighton on how you can build a business like his, which is eight years old, in two years!On this week's show, I am finally joined by a good friend and client, James Leighton. James is the founder of Anderson James, a specialist construction and property recruitment firm, headquartered in Manchester with over 30 people operating in both contingent,RPO markets, public and private sector in the US.And I'm delighted to finally have him on because I didn't actually know the story of him building the business.Now whilst the business launched in 2015 and is effectively eight years old, the business didn't really get moving until 2017, 2018.So they had at least two to three years at the beginning where they didn't get the business moving for a number of reasons. Now, James shared in-depth issues that they faced and the different steps they've gone to grow to where they are now. And he broke down exactly how he would get to where he is now in two years. So for anyone wanting to know how you can build a business that's eight years old in two years, you need to listen to this episode. He gives some really clear advice, practical examples, all the way through the show as to how a startup founder or someone trying to grow to 30 and above can do it in record time.__________________________________________HoxoWe’re on a mission to help brand recruitment agencies, giving them the means to stand out in the most competitive markets in the world.Here’s how we can help:- Recruitment Agency branding- Personal Brand Academy for recruiters- Personal Brand ManagementCheck out our website and social profile for examples of our work in action and to hear what our clients have to say about us. Like what you see? Reach out: https://bit.ly/3jpuEWa__________________________________________ Sponsor‘Wow’ your clients by uncovering tactics and power plays for high-impact candidate submissions.Download Vincere's eBook "Techify Your Client Experience Strategy"  -Learn Candidate-driven strategies -How to offer the “VIP” treatment- Leverage tech for high-impact collaborationLink: https://personalbrand.hoxomedia.com/vincere

On this week's show, I was joined by Matthew Wragg, the CEO of Gattaca, an organisation with 500 people, headquartered in the UK.Matt has been with the company for over 21 years. From his first role in recruitment, he's worked his way up. He’s had eight or nine different roles in that time! And then, just over a year ago, in early 2022, he got given the CEO job. While he never vocalised it, this was something he’d always wanted. In this episode, we talked about his journey to becoming CEO, but also the work he's done beyond becoming CEO. He talked about:- His visibility both internally and externally- How he still meets with clients- How he sends out messages to his whole company every single MondayHe gives some really practical advice on how you can run a business and focus on growth and attrition. We also talked a lot about how Matt's super proud of working in the recruitment industry and wants his whole business to share that sense of pride. Matt is a young, energetic, highly inspirational CEO and a huge advocate for the industry. You're gonna learn a lot from this one!__________________________________________HoxoWe’re on a mission to help brand recruitment agencies, giving them the means to stand out in the most competitive markets in the world.Here’s how we can help:- Recruitment Agency branding- Personal Brand Academy for recruiters- Personal Brand ManagementCheck out our website and social profile for examples of our work in action and to hear what our clients have to say about us. Like what you see? Reach out: https://bit.ly/3jpuEWa__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: RecruitHubAaron from IXL launched his own recruitment business with RecruitHub, which offers start-up support that guides new business owners through the process and takes a lot of pressure off their shoulders.Aaron can focus on recruitment, fully supported by their finance and operations teams as well as benefit from discounts and a full tech stack that he plugged into from day one.He started at the beginning of this year and is already profitable!Find out more about his journey here:  https://www.recruit-hub.com/case-studies/launch-stories-ixl/

On this week's show, I am joined by James Wardle, who is the founder of Alderson James, a specialist talent acquisition and HR recruitment agency headquartered in the UK with seven staff. Now, what was so unbelievable about this episode is how honest and vulnerable James was.We spoke about the 10 years of running this business and how he started life with pretty much no plan. He was a rec-2-rec who wanted to effectively work for himself before getting married and having children. Whilst the business has been running for over 10 years, everything changed during the pandemic!Here James had to be honest with his wife, family, and friends about the fact that he was a gambling addict. This came as a huge shock to his nearest and dearest, they had no clue this was an issue.He was at a point where he was spending - and winning and losing - on ridiculous bets. He was searching for daily things to place bets on in the first lockdown, like football games in Singapore and Thailand. Anywhere in the world he could find sports to bet on, he was betting and he was also investing in crypto and different highly volatile stocks.It all culminated in September 2020 when he lost $50,000 in a day. His business nearly went under. He only one member of staff at that point. He was at rock bottom. Since then he's gone cold turkey and stopped betting. He turned it all off, and his business has grown as a result!James soon hit $2 million in revenue with three people, personally billing £1.6m. He's now built the team to seven. He is working with clients all over the world - some of the most unbelievable brands. He's switched on, he's focused and he's got a growth plan. He wants to get to 20 staff in the next couple of years. Now James is not a guest from the biggest business I've interviewed on the show, but it is one of the most honest, vulnerable, incredible episodes I think I've ever recorded. So I really hope you find as much value as I did having this conversation. __________________________________________HoxoWe’re on a mission to help brand recruitment agencies, giving them the means to stand out in the most competitive markets in the world.Here’s how we can help:- Recruitment Agency branding- Personal Brand Academy for recruiters- Personal Brand ManagementCheck out our website and social profile for examples of our work in action and to hear what our clients have to say about us. Like what you see? Reach out: https://bit.ly/3jpuEWa__________________________________________ Sponsor‘Wow’ your clients by uncovering tactics and power plays for high-impact candidate submissions.Download Vincere's eBook "Techify Your Client Experience Strategy"  -Learn Candidate-driven strategies -How to offer the “VIP” treatment- Leverage tech for high-impact collaborationLink: https://personalbrand.hoxomedia.com/vincere

This week I  was joined for the third time by Elliot Dell.Elliot is the CEO of Salt, a global leading digital recruitment agency with over 400 staff across 20 offices.Now, Elliot joined the RAG in person in 2019, just before the pandemic.At that point, there were 220 people in the company, spread across nine offices. So in three and a half years, effectively doubling the business while dealing with a global pandemic has been an interesting journey for him.In this episode, we talked about:🎙️ The reality of the boom post-Covid and how it helped the locations he's expanded into🎙️ The introduction of an academy for hiring trainees and growing the organisation🎙️ The reality of a global company - 20 offices located on every continent, and different regions suffering with different issues due to the economic downturnElliot also talks about protecting your time as a business leader. He discusses his routine and how he still finds time for his family, the gym, and his own self-care.As always, Elliot was super honest and very passionate about the Salt business, sharing a vision to grow it to a thousand people in the next few years.This was a really refreshing conversation that highlighted how high growth doesn't necessarily mean burning yourself at both ends. You can find time for everything else too.Any business owner or recruitment leader looking to grow their headcount significantly should listen to this episode.HoxoWe’re on a mission to help brand recruitment agencies, giving them the means to stand out in the most competitive markets in the world.Here’s how we can help:- Recruitment Agency branding- Personal Brand Academy for recruiters- Personal Brand ManagementCheck out our website and social profile for examples of our work in action and to hear what our clients have to say about us. Like what you see? Reach out: https://bit.ly/3jpuEWaEpisode Sponsor: RecruitHubAaron from IXL launched his own recruitment business with RecruitHub, which offers start-up support that guides new business owners through the process and takes a lot of pressure off their shoulders.Aaron can focus on recruitment, fully supported by their finance and operations teams as well as benefit from discounts and a full tech stack that he plugged into from day one.He started at the beginning of this year and is already profitable!Find out more about his journey here:  https://www.recruit-hub.com/case-studies/launch-stories-ixl/

On this week's show, I don't have a live guest. I have been away, and unfortunately, a few of the guests have not been able to record their own yet.So, instead, I'm bringing back one of the most listened to and interesting episodes I've ever recorded, and that's with James Caan CBE. Most people know James Caan from his time on Dragons’ Den. What most people don't know is that James made his money from the recruitment sector.James launched his own business, Alexander Mann Solutions, and is now the founder of Recruitment Entrepreneur, helping recruiters startup and scale up recruitment organisations all over the world. James is a celebrity, and in this episode that I recorded at the beginning of 2021, we got right into James's story and advice for anyone else growing, starting, launching, and becoming a successful recruitment owner.We covered:🎙Launching, growing and selling Alexander Mann in 2013 for £260 million🎙How he felt when he had enough money to retire at 42 years old🎙Growing Humana International and moving into private equity with Hamilton Bradshaw🎙Launching Recruitment Entrepreneur in 2014, investing in more than 32 founders to date🎙The impact his 3 million LinkedIn followers had on his career/business?🎙Why he loves the industry and keeps on going when he simply doesn’t need to!James is really humble, honest, and genuine. I hope you get value from this episode. __________________________________________HoxoWe’re on a mission to help brand recruitment agencies, giving them the means to stand out in the most competitive markets in the world.Here’s how we can help:- Recruitment Agency branding- Personal Brand Academy for recruiters- Personal Brand ManagementCheck out our website and social profile for examples of our work in action and to hear what our clients have to say about us. Like what you see? Reach out: https://bit.ly/3jpuEWa__________________________________________ Sponsor‘Wow’ your clients by uncovering tactics and power plays for high-impact candidate submissions.Download Vincere's eBook "Techify Your Client Experience Strategy"  -Learn Candidate-driven strategies -How to offer the “VIP” treatment- Leverage tech for high-impact collaborationLink: https://personalbrand.hoxomedia.com/vincere

On this week's show, I'm joined by Antony Pitt. Antony is the president of Hanover USA and has been in the recruitment industry since 1996. I love this episode because Antony was so candid about his experience. He's running a business in the US with more than 30 staff. Hanover is a global business specialising in financial services recruitment, with 70 staff headquartered in London.What's really interesting about this episode is Antony talks about his challenge with alcohol addiction. He built his recruitment career in London, had a real issue with alcohol to the point where it was affecting everything in his life, and he decided to move to the US to change. When he got there, he was still suffering from his addiction, so he went into rehab. In this episode, Antony breaks down the story of how alcohol addiction can affect anyone, but also how with the right help and support, you can come out the other side and do wonderful things.He's now 👉 Running a multiple-million-dollar business👉 The owner of two homes in the US👉 More excited about his career 👉 More energised than he ever was beforeAnyone who is interested in the challenges we have outside of work and how we can get through tough times and still build a great business is going to be inspired by this show.I hope you enjoy every word of it.If you'd like to find out more about Hanover USA, head over to this link: https://www.hanoversearch.com/usHoxoWe’re on a mission to help brand recruitment agencies, giving them the means to stand out in the most competitive markets in the world.Here’s how we can help:- Recruitment Agency branding- Personal Brand Academy for recruiters- Personal Brand ManagementCheck out our website and social profile for examples of our work in action and to hear what our clients have to say about us. Like what you see? Reach out: https://bit.ly/3jpuEWaEpisode Sponsor: RecruitHubThinking about starting a recruitment business in the UK or US? Download your startup blueprint and access key information including:- Funding – how much do you need, and what are your options- Knowing where you stand - decode your non-compete and understand your restrictions- Co-founder MUST-knows- How to automate your way to faster billings- Business plan basics – what are they, and how do you write one?- Naming & brand-building – creating a brand that stands outAnd more…Get your copy at recruit-hub.com/startup-blueprint

Jonathan Field on building a super profitable recruitment business where everyone has a responsibility to drive businessOn this week's show, I am joined by Jonathan Field, who is the co-CEO of SSQ. SSQ is a niche legal search firm headquartered in London with over a hundred staff across 11 offices all over the globe.They've got offices in Europe and Asia, and they've just opened one up in the USA. I absolutely loved this episode because Jonathan spoke about things I honestly don't think I've ever covered in four years of hosting the show. We talked about his journey from leaving a law firm after two years as a practicing lawyer to join the recruitment industry, and then working his way up to CEO.We also talked about the legal recruitment sector and its high-profit nature, and the way in which they've run their business. We covered a number of things: 1️⃣How they maintain profit margins of over 30% with over a hundred people2️⃣How every single person in their business, apart from pure back-office individuals, has a fee-earning responsibility. 3️⃣The employee ownership trust. Last year, SSQ sold 100% of the business to an employee-owned trust, which effectively means that everyone in the business owns the company and will gain incredible rewards from this structure. Scaling to a hundred people, 30% profit without ridiculous management structures, and then an amazing ownership exit strategy that I've never heard about before!In this episode, we're gonna cover it all, and you're gonna learn so much from one of the most well-spoken smart founders I've ever worked with. __________________________________________HoxoWe’re on a mission to help brand recruitment agencies, giving them the means to stand out in the most competitive markets in the world.Here’s how we can help:- Recruitment Agency branding- Personal Brand Academy for recruiters- Personal Brand ManagementCheck out our website and social profile for examples of our work in action and to hear what our clients have to say about us. Like what you see? Reach out: https://bit.ly/3jpuEWa__________________________________________ Sponsor‘Wow’ your clients by uncovering tactics and power plays for high-impact candidate submissions.Download Vincere's eBook "Techify Your Client Experience Strategy"  -Learn Candidate-driven strategies -How to offer the “VIP” treatment- Leverage tech for high-impact collaborationLink: https://personalbrand.hoxomedia.com/vincere

For this episode, I’m excited to be joined by Daniel Puttick, the founder of LINKS Recruitment Group.They’re headquartered in Cardiff, with 25 staff in offices in Birmingham and Bristol.Dan started the business in 2017 and reached rather quick success.He saw 7 figures of revenue and record profits inside the first few years. In Dan’s words, he got to a point where he thought he'd made it. As they were making more and more money, he began investing in different businesses.He began starting work at different times, leaving the team to run the business.He essentially took his foot off the gas… It soon backfired!In this episode we talked about:🎙️How Daniel got to the point where his business was in a great place🎙️What happened to the business when he took his foot off the gas🎙️Daniel being quite a controlling leader and what he's had to do to learn from his own mistakes 🎙️How he had to change himself to make the business flourishDan was super candid and super humble in his approach, and you can see he's got his fire back to take the business to the next level. So anyone listening to this who's thinking about starting a business, this is a real honest account of the highs and the lows, the reality of what you must consider.But also, if you're in the thick of growth and you think you might be at a point where you can take your foot off the gas, hopefully, this might keep you in the right direction. HoxoWe’re on a mission to help brand recruitment agencies, giving them the means to stand out in the most competitive markets in the world.Here’s how we can help:- Recruitment Agency branding- Personal Brand Academy for recruiters- Personal Brand ManagementCheck out our website and social profile for examples of our work in action and to hear what our clients have to say about us. Like what you see? Reach out: https://bit.ly/3jpuEWaEpisode Sponsor: RecruitHubThinking about starting a recruitment business in the UK or US? Download your startup blueprint and access key information including:- Funding – how much do you need, and what are your options- Knowing where you stand - decode your non-compete and understand your restrictions- Co-founder MUST-knows- How to automate your way to faster billings- Business plan basics – what are they, and how do you write one?- Naming & brand-building – creating a brand that stands outAnd more…Get your copy at recruit-hub.com/startup-blueprint

On this week's show, I was joined by Gary Redman. Gary is the CEO of the Now Business Group, a collection of recruitment organisations in construction, finance, accountancy, services, and most importantly in the education sector.The business is headquartered in the UK with a really strong sales and EBITDA profile. We’re talking between five and a half to six million pounds per year in net profit.Gary started the business 27 years ago. He started in recruitment at 19, quite quickly launched his own company and has been through everything you can imagine since then.In this episode, we break down and chronologically crawl through those 27 years and talk about:🎙️The highs and lows throughout his career🎙️His health issues🎙️His personal life🎙️The catalyst that caused a lot of issues and challenges in the businessWe agreed at the end of this episode that this will only be part one because Gary's story is one that we’ll need more time to tell. But, even in this first part, you’ll get so much value and inspiration.I left the conversation feeling so inspired that someone who's in the later stages of their career is still so motivated by just doing a great job, building teams, and building businesses regardless of the money and the financial return.It makes me think that I've got so much ahead of me.I hope you enjoy this as much as I did recording it.__________________________________________HoxoWe’re on a mission to help brand recruitment agencies, giving them the means to stand out in the most competitive markets in the world.Here’s how we can help:- Recruitment Agency branding- Personal Brand Academy for recruiters- Personal Brand ManagementCheck out our website and social profile for examples of our work in action and to hear what our clients have to say about us. Like what you see? Reach out: https://bit.ly/3jpuEWa__________________________________________ Sponsor‘Wow’ your clients by uncovering tactics and power plays for high-impact candidate submissions.Download Vincere's eBook "Techify Your Client Experience Strategy"  -Learn Candidate-driven strategies -How to offer the “VIP” treatment- Leverage tech for high-impact collaborationLink: https://personalbrand.hoxomedia.com/vincere

On this week's show, I was joined by Jo Sellick. In 2022, Jo was the sole founder of Sellick Partnership, a specialist recruitment agency headquartered in Manchester. Over the last 21 years, Jo has worked tirelessly to drive the business forward and has taken the business to £95m in revenue and 105 staff across multiple offices.In 2019, Sellick Partnership was 70% acquired by a French organisation with further plans for growth.. Little did they know that within a few short months, they were about to enter the pandemic!In this episode, I spent time understanding Jo’s mindset, breaking down the barriers of what he went through in the early days, and the journey in between, from the start to now.He’s one of the most personable, natural, and charismatic recruitment founders I've ever met.This episode is hugely inspirational and Jo gives away some practical advice.HoxoWe’re on a mission to help brand recruitment agencies, giving them the means to stand out in the most competitive markets in the world.Here’s how we can help:- Recruitment Agency branding- Personal Brand Academy for recruiters- Personal Brand ManagementCheck out our website and social profile for examples of our work in action and to hear what our clients have to say about us. Like what you see? Reach out: https://bit.ly/3jpuEWaEpisode Sponsor: RecruitHubThinking about starting a recruitment business in the UK or US? Download your startup blueprint and access key information including:- Funding – how much do you need, and what are your options- Knowing where you stand - decode your non-compete and understand your restrictions- Co-founder MUST-knows- How to automate your way to faster billings- Business plan basics – what are they, and how do you write one?- Naming & brand-building – creating a brand that stands outAnd more…Get your copy at recruit-hub.com/startup-blueprint