The RAG Podcast - Recruitment Agency Growth Podcast

On this week’s episode, I was delighted to be joined by Alex Odwell, Founder of fintech specialist recruitment agency Referment and most recently of tech business - Radar.Alex has been in the recruitment industry for 14 years. Previously a member of the founding team at Harrington Starr group, he left to launch his own agency in 2016.Referment was born to attract more candidates via referrals. As this is something every agency relies on, Alex was obsessed with making this process faster and more automated. Alex wanted to build something totally different to what he had before. He specifically wanted a lean team with systemised processes that work behind the scenes to surface relevant candidates for every job that his recruiters are working on and track information automatically within the CRM.Now, with 6 senior consultants each billing huge numbers, the investment in the technology has truly paid off. As a result he is now launching - Radar, a recruitment optimisation tool built by former recruiters for recruiters. Alex is a really honest and likeable guy who clearly understands the reality of running a modern day recruitment business.This episode is not to be missed if you are wanting to be more efficient and productive whilst using the tools you already pay for!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

We are back with season 6 and WHAT a guest to kick this season off!In this season, we will be continually digging into the stories of amazing recruitment founders but also talking about the reality of today’s economy. If any changes are happening in our sector then I want to find out and bring it to you first.On this week’s episode I was delighted to be joined by Ed Rossiter, Co-Founder & CEO of Phoenix Search, a specialist recruitment firm headquartered in Ireland but with offices in London and soon to be on the ground in the USA.Although it’s only 4 years old, Phoenix Search has scaled to 45 people and in the past few months secured a 1 million euro investment to scale the business with a further 250 people in the next 3-5 years!In this episode we spoke about:-Ed’s start-up story and why he decided to start Phoenix-The reality of the early days-How he’s got the business to 45 staff in a short period of time-Why and how he secured the 1 million euro investment-How he intends to spend it-His vision for the business-The impact the recession is having on his business today and his thoughts on what could happen nextFeaturing the first Irish guest on The RAG, this episode was packed full of information that I believe ALL potential and experienced recruitment owners will benefit from!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 https://bit.ly/3DE7wLl and take advantage of their special offer for our listeners.

On this week’s episode we wrap up Season 5 of the show in spectacular style!I was honoured to be joined by Ben and Dan, Co-Founders of Edison Search a specialist IoT recruitment firm headquartered in Basingstoke UK with 20 staff within 14 months since inception.Ben and Dan worked together for a long time in their previous company, Ben was head of perm and Dan was head of contract recruitment. Their skills were always complimentary to each other and they always talked about starting their own firm.During the pandemic they had a group video call with their wives involved and made the decision to take the plunge - Edison Search was born!In June 2021 they launched their business with a few simple goals for year 1 Be 100% niche in the IoT space and recruit exclusively into the US from Basingstoke Invoice a minimum of £200k Begin to hire people by the end of the yearThey got to work in a small office and hit the phones hard, what happened next is nothing less than incredible.They are now 20 staff and looking to open an office in the US in the next year.A breath of fresh air to speak to, these owners are taking traditional methods but with a modern approach and it's working!A huge inspiration for any start up founders and one to watch for more established businesses, you will not regret tuning into this one!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 Vinvere’s10-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 was joined by Rogier, the CEO of PCN Recruitment, a payments sector specialist recruitment agency with 30+ staff across offices in Amsterdam, Berlin and the USA.Rogier joined the business as an entry-level recruiter 9 years ago. He knew he wanted to work in sales and was keen on the payments sector - but he had no interest in staying in recruitment!When he heard about PCN he decided it would be a clever move to join as his first job. He worked as the first employee, working directly for the founder, and had the most incredible education in the process.His journey is inspiring to every person who doesn’t necessarily want to launch their own agency but is excited to stay on the journey with their current business!Sponsor: 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.

On this week’s episode, I was joined by Chris O’Connell, a Leadership Coach, NED 🚀 and the host of The Purpose-Led Leadership Podcast. A top billing recruiter at S3, in his early 20s Chris co-founded Timothy James Recruitment, which he and his business partner grew to £25 million in turnover within 9 years.Chris had a life where he focused on the business 100% and sacrificed all else.Over the next 3 years, everything came crashing down:He had a painful exit from the businessHis marriage endedHe left the family homeHe tried to commit suicideThankfully, Chris managed to turn his life around and now works with recruitment businesses to ensure that they grow sustainably and avoid the mistakes that he made!A super open and vulnerable guy who is an inspiration for many around the world, I hope you enjoy this episode as we can all no doubt relate to many of Chris’s experiences!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 Vinvere’s10-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 was joined by Toni, the Managing Director of Digital Gurus, a specialist Tech & Digital recruiter with 66 staff across offices in Manchester, London, Bristol and Birmingham.Toni joined the business as a Senior Consultant 11 years ago. She’d had a successful career in recruitment in Leeds and fancied a change of company and city.Little did she know when she arrived in Manchester that she would end up managing the whole business!In this episode we discussed how she: Entered the industry because she knew that earning money was the top priority for her after university. Moved to ReThink Group (DG) and settled in ManchesterTook on a leadership role and realised that she loved the challenge more than being an individual billerNearly quit to go travelling but was offered the chance to take DG to Manchester and changed her mindHas grown into the MD and had 2 children in the same periodMaintains her family as her priority and is focused on finding a great balance between home and work lifeIs taking the whole of August off work to travel with her kids during the summer!An inspirational female business leader, we need more examples like Toni to make a positive change in our male dominated industry!Sponsor: 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.

On this week’s episode, I was joined by Kyle Winterbottom, the Founder of Orbition Group, a specialist Data & Analytics recruitment agency with 10 staff based in Manchester.Kyle first came on The RAG Podcast in November 2020 when his agency was less than 3 months old. Kyle was a member of the Hoxo Academy back then and was beginning to win business using his daily Linkedin content in addition to his marketing events and podcast that he was already running.In 18 months, he has managed to grow the business to a team of 10 and can track 100% of the revenue back to his brand!In this episode, we discussed: The growth from recruiting in his mother-in-law’s back bedroom to a swanky city centre officeHow his brand has brought in global retainers and multi-hire projects Being the first recruiter to ever be selected in the ‘Data IQ 100 Most Influential People in Data 2022’The reality of personally earning less than during his agency career due to reinvestment and cash flow issuesSome super low moments he experienced over the past 6 months and is grateful for the support of his coach and his wife when times get toughKyle is a down-to-earth guy who is doing some amazing things with his brand right now. Plenty of established businesses should listen to this episode to learn how he leverages his brand to win bigger projects!VincereIf you're following Vincere’s LinkedIn page, you'll notice that they’ve been sharing stories from their customer community on a weekly basis.If you're shopping for a CRM or wondering if there's something better out there, check out Vincere. They have a library of customer stories from all sectors and recruitment types, be it perm, exec, contract and temp, available on Youtube: https://bit.ly/3uYdZM7

On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I was joined by Lawrence & Elliot, the founders of Arto Recruitment, a specialist life science recruitment agency. The business is headquartered in Canterbury, Kent and expanded to more than 23 staff in just over 2 years of existence during the pandemic!Lawrence and Elliot have been best mates since they were 3 years old! Their story is one of real trust, ambition and friendship.People say to never go into business with friends, but these guys are proving it can work.I met Lawrence at a property development course in 2017 and we have been friends ever since - I am so happy to bring him and Elliot onto the show!In this episode they discuss how they: - Grew up together and never spent any time apart - Started in recruitment and both flew up the ranks at Phaidon International- Decided to move back to Kent and commute 2 hours each way to London daily- Kicked off Arto a month before Covid-19 happened and what life was like for them- Had to work in UK perm when their whole experience was in EU contract recruitment- Hit £1m GP and bought sports cars to celebrate- Plan to grow in the UK and the USA to begin with!Don’t miss this conversation with two friends of mine who I am convinced are building a real powerhouse recruitment agency for the future. Enjoy!!

On this week’s episode, I was joined by Matthew Baird, the Founder of Baird & Co Recruitment, which is part of District4. Matt has been in recruitment since 2012 and has worked for a number of agencies recruiting into the social housing sector.During the pandemic, he became disillusioned with working for other people, and at a time of real uncertainty he made the bold and scary decision to start up alone…However, he didn’t have the finances or the knowledge to manage all areas of the start-up process, so he decided to partner with our sponsor District4. In this episode, we discussed the reality of his first 16 months as a business owner, which have included a number of highs and lows.Most notably, I found out that:His first deal happened within 3 weeks and was his largest EVER deal!He took his foot off the gas during the summer as things were going well, which began to bite him in Q3 when sales dried up and he made no deals for 2 months!He worked with his District4 coach to build a robust plan that works for him to drive successful outcomes dailyMatt is another great example of what it takes to thrive in today’s recruitment start-up community. If you would like to speak to Matt directly about his story or D4, then feel free to contact him directly via LinkedIn!VincereIf you're following Vincere’s LinkedIn page, you'll notice that they’ve been sharing stories from their customer community on a weekly basis.If you're shopping for a CRM or wondering if there's something better out there, check out Vincere. They have a library of customer stories from all sectors and recruitment types, be it perm, exec, contract and temp, available on Youtube.

On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I was joined by Jamie & Tony, the founders of The Just Group, a specialist group of construction recruitment brands headquartered in Bromley, Kent with 24 staff which launched in 2012.Jamie & Tony launched the business with a 3rd partner Alan, and up until the pandemic things were going great! However, Covid hit the business for six and they quickly dropped to 6 staff and had to re-evaluate everything. In this episode they discuss how they: Dealt with the pandemic and questioned their business directionParted ways with Alan, their business partner, due to a conflictTook out a huge loan to keep the business alive and support their peopleWent back into lockdown in Jan 2021, which brought huge fear and anxietyChanged the business completely and have grown to their biggest ever since this timeWant to enjoy the journey and enjoy life whilst building the business sustainably They’re great guys with a genuine story of ups and downs, I’m sure we can all relate to their journey!Sponsor: 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.