The RAG Podcast - Recruitment Agency Growth Podcast

On this week’s episode, I was joined by Anthony Webster, the MD of DVF recruitment and Board Member of Career Legal Group - which has several recruitment entities in London with a collective staff of 50 people. Anthony was my colleague for almost 5 years and is also a true friend.Anthony, alongside Amar and I, was originally going to be a founder of Hoxo - the recruitment agency - in 2017. However, in late 2016 he decided to pull out after lengthy discussions and realising he could not commit to this whilst he had other things to achieve.What I didn’t realise was that Ant was in fact ready to come out as gay to the world. This included his family, friends and colleaguesIn this episode, we discussed the reality of his journey both growing up and working in recruitment whilst hiding his true self.5 years on from coming out and he is a much happier person! Super successful as always, he is living a life that is 100% authentic and it is clear to see.June is Pride Month and both Ant and I wanted to share this story to raise awareness and help others!If you would like to speak to Ant directly about his story or D&I in the workplace then feel free to contact him directly via LinkedIn!VincereIf you're following Vincere on their 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, perm, exec, contract and temp, available on YoutubeDistrict4:Do you feel like you’re not surrounded by peers and you’ve stopped learning? Imagine only working alongside other experienced recruiters who you can really collaborate with, while having the freedom to do work your way. If you’re thinking of a change, check out District4, where you can launch your own business and not be alone!Visit www.district4.io/hoxo to see what they can do for you.

On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I was joined by Jez Heard, the founder of Scale-Genesis, a specialist Blockchain & Crypto recruitment agency launched in November 2021Jez is a 24 -year old lad from South Wales who is direct and honest! He only started in Recruitment in 2020 during the pandemic, and within less than 1 year decided to set up his own businessHe worked 14-hour days, 7 days a weekHe researched Blockchain and Crypto every single dayHe built his personal brand on LinkedIn In 6 months he has Billed £500k+Hired 6 recruiters Built a personal brand reaching over 250k views a month across the recruitment industry which has helped him hire ALL his consultants and brought in 5 deals worth £100kJez is young, ambitious and probably a bit crazy - but it’s working!An episode not to be missed,  if you would like to speak to Jez about his story then you can contact him directly on Linkedin!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 today’s episode I was joined by Nader Beshara, the CoFounder and Director of Ingham Jones a start up financial services, risk, technology and compliance global recruitment search firm with 10 people headquartered in Brighton UK.Nader has been an avid listener of The RAG and I was delighted to hear that listening to the show has helped him a lot since launching in November 2020.We discussed the reality of his journey since launching during the pandemic and here are a few highlights- Launching in covid was an amazing time to do it as he was literally missing out on NOTHING in life whilst working all hours he could- He and Jermaine his business partner hit their annual target inside 12 months- He has loved the entrepreneurial experience to date and would recommend it to any recruiter whos questioning their plan right now- He is growing but stressed that it will be at their own pace and they won’t try and follow the ‘growth crowd’ that we see in our sectorSuper honest and genuine, Nader is a recent and relevant example of what is possible with the right attitude as a start up recruitment founder!

On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast I was joined by Harry Bigwood and Rex Rusling.Along with Ben Leeson, these guys founded The Rec Hub at the end of 2018 originally as a contingent agency.Soon they decided to flip the model to become an “Embedded Talent Partner” to Tech start & scale ups and have since grown to 50 people!In this episode we break down their decision to change the model and how this has helped them grow (it hasn’t been easy, I can assure you).We also talk about the philosophy of growing the business as they all believe that focusing on your staff being HAPPY first leads to success. Not the other way around!Have you worked in an agency where people believe that once they hit targets they will be happy? I think we all have.. These guys are challenging that notion and I love it!Young, ambitious and innovative founders, these guys are a true reflection of all I love about this industry!If you would like to speak to Harry or Rex about their story then you can contact them directly on Linkedin! 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 today’s episode I was joined by Matthew Eames, the Founder and CEO of Eames Group, a global insurance and financial services recruitment agency with circa 140 people across UK, EU, Asia and now the USAMatthew was a guest on The RAG in Feb 2019 and whilst the business was a similar size back then, things were very different. Most notably:- Matt was not the CEO at the time and spent 50% of his time externally facing in business development and exec search- The business operated 5 days a week in the office- Matthew personally had a 3-hour daily commute Now approaching the 20-year anniversary of the business, Matt is again the CEO and more excited about the growth journey than ever.Whilst grand exit plans seem to be on the agenda for most owners in our industry, Matthew proves that you may enjoy the role too much to want to step away any time soon!VincereIf you're following Vincere on their 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, perm, exec, contract and temp, available on Youtube: https://bit.ly/3wFYad3District4Do you feel like you’re not surrounded by peers and you’ve stopped learning? Imagine only working alongside other experienced recruiters who you can really collaborate with, while having the freedom to do work your way. If you’re thinking of a change, check out District4, where you can launch your own business and not be alone!Visit www.district4.io/hoxo to see what they can do for you.

On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast I was joined by Jake, my little brother.One of the most charismatic and successful guys I know (and annoyingly good-looking!)We got into recruitment in Melbourne together in 2011.Later in Sydney, Jake became a recruitment owner in his mid 20's, but in 2016 he sold his shares in TheDriveGroup.He was building a great business but, for some reason, he wasn't happy.He put this down to being 'home sick' and moved back to the UK.In 2017 he launched One Life Social Media – a fast-growing 7-figure global digital marketing agency in the fitness industry.With no experience in the industry, he built a business that operated in 20 countries with over 600 clients, helping them with customer acquisition and lead generation online.He led a team of 20+ people too, all before the age of 30. Jake had all the extrinsic measures of success that society says we need to find fulfillment and happiness – wealth, status, validation from others, approval, a growing company, recognition, etc.But something wasn't right.Over the next 2 years, Jake’s life completely changed forever.He suffered the most severe anxiety and depression I have ever witnessed. Due to this, the pandemic, and realising he simply wasn’t happy and needed to change, Jake closed down his second business. I have watched him focus on recovering and embark on a journey of reconnecting to his mind, body, soul, health, consciousness, relationships, and life.I am so happy and proud to say that now he is a completely different person from two years ago.He is happy, healthy and present.Jake is now dedicating his life to helping other high performers who are suffering from the same issues of burnout, anxiety, and depression.I am going to warn you that this is an extremely raw account directly from Jake.He talks about the pain he suffered.How he even had suicidal thoughts (this breaks my heart.)But it’s all true and I feel like the future is bright.If you would like to speak to Jake about his story or his coaching services then you can contact him directly on Linkedin here or via his website www.onelifemindsetcoaching.comRecorded during Mental Health Awareness week. If this helps just one person in any way then I know Jake and I will be delighted!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 episode of The RAG Podcast I was joined by Joshua Rayner, the Founder & CEO of Rayner Personnel, a specialist in UK Property Recruitment. I originally interviewed Josh in February of 2019 in my first Hoxo office in London.At the time, Josh had a team of 13 who were all operating as franchisees. This involved buying into the business and scaling a branch of RP in their specific geographical area of the UK.In the first year, this approach appeared to be working (listen to the first episode for more on that!).But in late 2019, it was clear that he had the wrong model and the wrong people.As the pandemic began, Josh made the bold decision to release all but one of the franchisees and start again.He redesigned his business model whilst at home and went out on a mission to grow.Since then, he has built a team of 20 self-employed licensees, making a small change to the old model with huge benefits for Josh and his people.In 2021, he wrote a book about his journey as a serial recruitment agency owner - The Recruitment Rollercoaster is available via Amazon and is a current best seller! All the proceeds from sales go to Mind Charity. A really interesting story with a unique approach to scaling a recruitment firm!The RAG sponsorsVincere:Vincere have refreshed their homepage! They’ve redesigned their look and feel to incorporate the full universe of tools in their stable. Vincere’s platform has evolved so much over the past year that their website and branding needed to catch up. The new visuals are a clear reference to the solar system, with the Vincere CRM/ATS at the core and all their other modules working in harmony around it. Go check it out at https://www.vincere.io/ -If you’d like to request a demo, follow this link https://www.vincere.io/rag - they’ve got an exclusive deal for RAG listeners!District4:Do you feel like you’re not surrounded by peers and you’ve stopped learning? Imagine only working alongside other experienced recruiters who you can really collaborate with, while having the freedom to do work your way. If you’re thinking of a change, check out District4, where you can launch your own business and not be alone!Visit www.district4.io/hoxo to see what they can do for you.

On this week's episode, I was joined by Dan Taylor, MD of Morgan Hunt, a UK Public Sector specialist agency with 150 staff.Dan started at Hays in 1996 and has worked his way through many positions in his 26-year career.In 2018 he became MD of Morgan Hunt and has been on a journey to change the business for the better.Dan shares his unique insights into leading a large recruitment agency on a daily basis and how he never actually considered starting his own agency.His reason - he wanted to work at scale from day 1 and this is rarely possible with a start-up business.A genuine, warm, and inspiring story from someone who shines positivity onto our sector.

On this episode of The RAG Podcast, I was joined by Emrah Baykal, the Founder & CEO of RO, a specialist energy-focused recruitment agency. The agency is based in London & Houston with 10 staff, and is part of the Tempting Ventures Group of over 80 recruiters.Emrah is the first to admit that in the early days of his recruitment career, he loved a billers’ lunch or two.In the first couple of years as owner of RO, he would find any excuse to take his team out for drinks (mainly because he fancied one!).However, his attitude to all of this changed during the pandemic, as he began to exercise daily with a colleague.Emrah began running and weightlifting and taking his nutrition more seriously. He began to develop better habits and in turn feel much healthier for it.Since then, he has implemented some amazing ideas to ensure his own team follows suit and adopts a healthy lifestyle!This was a great episode and one for any owner who is seriously thinking about changing their own lifestyle and the culture within their business!The RAG sponsorsVincere:Vincere refreshed their homepage - galaxy/Nasa space vibes theme.Vincere’s platform has evolved so much over the past year and their website, new modules, and branding needed to reflect that.They've refreshed their visuals and the product diagram. What you see is a reference to the solar system. With Vincere CRM/ATS as the core and all the other modules working in harmony around it - just like nature intended.Go check it out: https://www.vincere.io/If you’d like to request a demo, follow this link https://www.vincere.io/rag - they’ve got an exclusive deal for RAG listeners.District4:Do you feel like you’re not surrounded by peers and you’ve stopped learning? Imagine only working alongside other experienced recruiters who you can really collaborate with while having the freedom to do it your way. If you’re thinking of a change, check out District4, where you can launch your own business and not be alone!Visit www.district4.io/hoxo to see what they can do for you.

On this week's episode I was joined by Chris Sheard, the founder of SR2 Recruitment, a 54 person agency with offices in Bristol, London and soon to be opening in Austin TX.Launched in the middle of 2017, the business is almost 4.5 yrs old and has grown extremely well in that period.In this episode Chris shares the story of why he decided to build a rec agency that gives 5% of operating profit to charity and the impact of having such a clear and powerful mission.Across the industry, attracting internal talent is arguably the most difficult thing right now. Hiring strong recruiters will allow any agency to capitalise on the crazy opportunity in the market todaySR2 have been hugely successful in attracting experienced talent and believe their brand is the secret weapon!The RAG sponsorLooking for ways to stay ahead of your competition in 2022? Talent Ticker is here to help. Through the end of this month, any Hoxo listeners who request a demo of Talent Ticker will receive a free, personalised list of leads to help them get a jump on the rest of the year.  Talent Ticker is the world’s first recruitment intelligence platform, providing you with accurate contact information for passive candidates and matching them with companies looking to hire them. What is unique to Talent Ticker is that they predict when a company will be hiring whilst giving you the projected hiring roles and contact info for the hiring managers.    Any recruiter who uses this tool will be calling the right person, at the right time and for the right reason. Don't wait. Head over to get.talentticker.ai/hoxo/ and claim your free leads today.