The RAG Podcast - Recruitment Agency Growth Podcast

Season 6 | Ep 22 - Paul Sammeroff on how starting a rec business with two strangers backfired within 3 years!On this week's show, I'm joined by Paul Sammeroff, the Founder and Director of PAS Capital, a specialist recruitment firm headquartered in Glasgow that exclusively operates within the oil and gas markets.Paul’s business is only three years old with just under 20 staff at the moment. What's really interesting is the story that Paul's been through in those last three years. He founded the company in January 2020, just before the pandemic, in partnership with two guys that he didn't know. He was introduced by a rec to rec. One of the guys had recruitment experience, the other had cash and Paul drove their everyday operations. Together they created a business, but Paul quickly realised that this wasn’t becoming the partnership he had planned for. Sadly, the relationship didn’t work out and this led to serious strain on Paul, both in business and with his mental health. By the end of 2022 last year, Paul had decided that enough was enough - he was ready to walk away and leave the business or buy out his partners. In this episode, Paul breaks down everything that he did, all the challenges he faced, and how he got to a positive outcome.I'm delighted for Paul that he's in a place that he's happy with, and I'm super excited for people to listen to this and learn the do's and don'ts of going into partnership with investors and anyone when launching a new entity. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!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

Due to unforeseen circumstances, I wasn't able to record this week's episode with a new guest.Rather than leave you with a week of no RAG Podcast, I wanted to bring back an episode that I recorded in 2019, which was one of the best I've ever recorded.My guest is known as Tom Glanfield, founder of Lawrence Harvey, LHi group. This episode was recorded pre-pandemic in an office in London.Tom talked about his business, where he was at the time and how he was looking to exit it. He also told his story of launching the business from his house that he ACTUALLY renamed ‘Harvey House’... Amazing :)The stories in this episode were incredible, and in fact, absolutely hilarious. I remember nearly crying with laughter at one point. Lawrence Harvey is one of the most well-known recruitment brands to have launched in the UK and scaled globally.So I'd love to bring it back!Tom and the team are incredible and have a great business. They've gone from strength to strength since the pandemic!Today we’re going back in time. I really hope you’ll enjoy 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 episode of The RAG Podcast, I am joined by Chris Allaire, the founder and CEO of Averity, a specialist technology recruitment agency. Averity was initially headquartered in New York City but is now operating across the USA.They have 30 employees, are completely remote post-pandemic, and were awarded the best staffing firm to work for in the 10 to 20 employees bracket by the Staffing Industry Analyst, SIA, in 2022.Chris has got energy and is a big biller! This is his eighth startup team, and he clearly comes with a pedigree of knowledge and confidence that has enabled him to not only grow a business to 30 employees in eight years, but to grow one that is incredible to work for!In this episode, we break down Chris’ career and his mindset around building a team and business, and what has made his organisation the best place to work for in the USA.Loads of information, loads of energy, loads of inspiration. I hope you’ll enjoy the episode as much as I did recording it. __________________________________________ Sponsor: RecruitHub*Thinking 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 am joined by Sinead Connolly. Sinead is the award-winning founder of Lotus People, a specialist business support recruitment firm headquartered in Sydney, Australia, with over 22 staff. Now, Sinead and I have known each other for a few years.She’s been a Hoxo client since just after the pandemic, and I've watched her journey go from strength to strength.In this episode, we talked about:- Her journey from Ireland to Australia as a backpacker- How she got into recruitment- How she launched her business within three and a half years of starting in the industry- The support and backing she got from another recruitment firm to start the business- Her original business partner and what happened there- How she went through severe burnout after nine months of being a founder to the point where she had to take three months out of the company all while as a pair, she and her business partner billed 1 million AUD in their first yearWe explored the balance between success and working ourselves to the bone as founders and recruiters, and also why looking after yourself is crucial. We are all aware of wellbeing in 2023, but this is a real life story of someone who's got the balance wrong and became bedridden because she worked too hard.Now, seven years later, she's won Recruitment Leader of the Year at the SEEK Awards. She's got a really, really strong business and is in a strategic CEO role where she can look after the business and isn't responsible for billing. If you are a potential or an existing recruitment owner who is (1) looking to find balance, and (2) looking to offload responsibility and become more strategic and make the business less reliant on your billings, then you need to listen to this. Sinead is vulnerable, honest, and confident. She's a star in the industry. I hope you enjoy every single second of this episode.__________________________________________ If you’re a recruiter who’d love to listen and learn from some of the greatest recruitment owners and leaders then you need to listen to the RAG Podcast! We’re having real and raw conversations with successful recruitment entrepreneurs about what is happening in their businesses right now and their plans to navigate market changes.Episodes are released every Wednesday at 12pm GMT________________________________________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 you:- Recruitment Agency Branding- Personal Brand Bootcamp for recruiters- Personal Brand ManagementFill in this form to find out more: 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 am excited to be joined by Luke McCormack, the founder and CEO of McCormack Partners.Luke owns a specialist recruitment business in Glasgow that focuses on the commercial roofing and cladding sectors all over the UK.Luke reached out to me a long time ago to talk about personal branding, and I've witnessed his journey ever since. I’ve been unbelievably impressed by what he’s achieved.Luke’s got a team of seven billing just under a million pounds this year, and his process is absolutely crystal clear and mapped out:-He’s the face of the business-He’s built a brand that has him in industry magazines-He’s running podcasts and videos-He gets lots of engagement online-He has someone booking all of his meetings-He sells 100% retained or exclusive assignments, paid upfront-The whole recruitment process and delivery are taken care of by Luke's teamBeing the face of the business, Luke requires the right people around him to deliver the retained assignment successfully within 30 days.It’s a very different recruitment model to a lot of the businesses I've interviewed over the last few years, but one that I believe is becoming more common and hugely successful.Luke talks about where he got his inspiration from and his energy and drive to become successful despite his humble beginnings. He also breaks down how he does what he does in a visual document and talks about the future and his plans to dominate in the US in the future as well.Anyone listening to this will gain lots of value, especially smaller recruitment companies and potential startups who are thinking about disrupting and doing things differently by having a model that's modern and digital.You need to listen to this episode because Luke is doing something extra! Sponsor: RecruitHub*Thinking 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’m joined by Edmund Blogg, the co-founder of RecruitHub, the newest sponsor of The RAG Podcast.We’ve partnered with RecruitHub because I believe we’re on a shared mission.These guys are a leading service accelerator for recruitment businesses. They provide new founders with the infrastructure to run their business from day one and allow them to focus on building it. They register the company, build the website and take care of all business finance and back office.They don't charge for startup costs or monthly bills. They don't chargee you anything until you make money!I know of loads of people who have been on the show, are in my network, or are clients of mine who have done amazing things with RecruitHub.Now, I wanted to get Edmund Blogg on the show because he started his career in recruitment, had a really decorated career, ran a global organisation, and then started RecruitHub four years ago. They now have 60 businesses in their portfolio and they reckon they’re going to reach 100 by the end of the year.In this episode, you're not only going to learn loads about startup recruitment businesses, but also about levers for scale and exit planning. We're gonna talk about why Edmund spotted this opportunity, what's different about RecruitHub to others on the market, and some really useful tips and information for you in 2023. Edmund is a super smart guy. There's no surprise his business is doing so well. I can't wait to not only release this episode, but also partner with him!Episode 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

I am excited, delighted, and honored to be joined by Greg Savage in the latest episode of the RAG Podcast. Now, almost everyone in our sector globally knows who this guy is. During his time in recruitment, Greg:-Has built an incredible brand-Has been an advisor to 16 recruitment organisations in the APAC region-Has owned and scaled three organisations-Has authored a book -Has built his own training academy across the global recruitment community I interviewed Greg at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. He was the second person I brought onto The RAG Report, which was my daily show in 2020 in which I provided some advice to our community in a time of need.On today's episode, we talked about the work Greg did during the pandemic, the advice he gave, the advice he would give now, and the reality of the current economic situation. We also talked about Greg’s book and his experience, and he gave some golden nuggets of information.He specifically outlined the metrics you should be measuring to ensure your business is scaling profitably. He said the number one reason he gets involved with businesses is because they tend to grow gross profit but not their profit. So essentially, they scale without profit. Greg gives some unbelievable advice as to how you can manage this issue and the reasons why it might be worth getting an advisor to help you if you're seeing certain symptoms. I’d advise you to listen to everything he's got to say. The guy is full of wisdom and experience. Take it on board, take some notes, and I hope you get as much value from this episode as I did recording it.VincereA message to all recruitment leaders looking to upgrade their CRM: Before you sign the contract, be sure to read the terms at least twice.Common traps to watch out for:- Not understanding the pricing model- Discounts limited to only the 1st year of contract length- Monthly contracts - this could mean flexibility for the vendor to raise prices- Data hosting - anything outside your country could mean compliance & legal issuesGet Vincere.io’s 10-step guide to keep your vendor due diligence & evaluation process airtight: https://bit.ly/3C2G1s3

On this week's show, I am joined by Ephram Stephenson.Ephram is the CEO of Collar Group, a recruitment group based in Australia with nine offices and over a hundred staff. Interestingly, Ephram only started the business in the summer of 2021 and sent his first invoice in October 2021.Since then, he's grown an agency that covers predominantly blue-collar recruitment, but is now moving into white-collar recruitment and exec search.Now, this is not Ephram's first venture into recruitment ownership.He got into the industry in Australia in the 2000s.He did two and a half years as a consultant where he was a top biller earning a lot of money, and then started his own business, which he had for 17 years.He's launched a number of different recruitment businesses and brands within that time and has been hugely successful.He is one of the most energetic and enthusiastic owners I've ever met. You'll notice this on the podcast.There have been a few guests over the last couple of years that stand out with that no-holds-barred, high-growth energy and absolutely no ceiling on where they want to go. And this is another installment of that type of episode.So if you are in the blue- or white-collar recruitment space, and you are looking to hear about a story of someone with absolutely ridiculously high growth plans, this is one for you. Super honest, super open, and hugely inspiring. I loved every minute of recording it, and I hope you enjoy the show. VincereA message to all recruitment leaders looking to upgrade their CRM: Before you sign the contract, be sure to read the terms at least twice.Common traps to watch:- Not understanding the pricing model- Discounts limited to only the 1st year of contract length- Monthly contracts - this could mean flexibility for the vendor to raise prices- Data hosting - anything outside your country could mean compliance & legal issuesGet Vincere’s 10-step guide to keep your vendor due diligence & evaluation process airtight: https://bit.ly/3C2G1s3

On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I am joined by Ben Duffill.Ben is the Managing Director of MRG Group, The Management Recruitment Group. They’re a 60-person recruitment organisation headquartered in London, with multiple global offices.Ben has a really unique and interesting story in our sector. He went to university at 18 years old and quit within six weeks.Back in Essex, he then managed to get himself into a recruitment career with Hays. This decision set him off on a trajectory to be successful in the future.Now, at the age of 35, in the second business he's worked for, he's top of the tree. He is working for the founder as the Managing Director and has equity in the business.Over the last 15 years, he's grown a family, he's been through ups and downs, but he's been very clear on his vision, what he wants to achieve, and how he can achieve his dreams of being an “intrepreneur”.Usually, I interview entrepreneurs who have founded their own business, but I do not want everyone in recruitment to believe that the only way you're going to succeed is if you leave and set up your own company. Ben has proven that you can be super successful by staying with a business as long as one thing happens, and that is what we're gonna talk about in today's episode.Sponsor: VincereA message to all recruitment leaders looking to upgrade their CRM: Before you sign the contract, be sure to read the terms at least twice.Common traps to watch out for:- Not understanding the pricing model- Discounts limited to only the 1st year of contract length- Monthly contracts - this could mean flexibility for the vendor to raise prices- Data hosting - anything outside your country could mean compliance & legal issuesGet Vincere’s 10-step guide to keep your vendor due diligence & evaluation process airtight: https://bit.ly/3C2G1s3

On today's episode, I am joined by Simon Hair.Simon is the Managing Director of Precision Sourcing Group, a business headquartered in Sydney, Australia with 31 expert recruiters in project services, SAP, data, and software development. Now, I've wanted to have Simon on for a long time.I've worked with him for over two years and for some reason it just never happened. But the timing is perfect, because last week he got voted Australian Recruitment Leader of the Year at the TIARA Awards.Nominated by his team, celebrated by his peers. You can see why in this interview.Simon is one of the most organised and motivated people I have been lucky enough to work with.He enrolled in my Personal Brand Academy during the pandemic, took everything I taught him, and drilled it into his team. Since then, his team has gone and worked with me as a collective for over 12 months.They now are one of the most well-known brands in Australia in their market.Over 23% of their net fee income last year, which is well over $2 million, was generated directly from their activity on LinkedIn. And that doesn't even include the work they've done with candidates. That's just clients they can track who have come in as inbound leads, or they've managed to source via the interaction through LinkedIn.So I'd say he's building one of the most socially engaged recruitment firms on the planet.And the way he explains it makes it sound so simple and so achievable. He's doing so whilst also driving the four-day week, so the team at Precision Sourcing now don't work on Fridays,He appreciates everything there is to offer and he has an open mindset. That's evident in the episode and also in the business he runs today. Anyone who wants to grow in a modern, innovative way and who has an open mindset is going to love this episode.Talent Ticker  Looking for a way to grow your recruitment business in 2022? Talent Ticker is here to help. More than 300 recruitment agencies are using Talent Ticker to automate their recruiters’ most monotonous tasks, help them predict who will be hiring 3 months in advance, and provide simple tools to identify ideal passive and active candidates to pitch for open roles. Learn more at get.talentticker.ai/hoxo and take advantage of their special offer for our listeners.