The RAG Podcast - Recruitment Agency Growth Podcast

On this episode of The RAG Podcast, I was joined by Ed Stevens, the Founder of 94 Group, a specialist group of recruitment agencies in London with 50 staff.This isn’t the first time Ed has built up a successful recruitment business. He launched, grew, and sold his shares in Eximius Group over 8 years between 2008 and 2016.Ed is honestly one of the most impressive recruitment owners I have ever met.His approach to growing this business is crystal clear:He is the ONLY shareholder and ONLY person with recruitment experience.The result is a genuine opportunity for hyper-fast career growth and equity for his business and the people that work in it. If you have aspirations of growing a future or current recruitment company, you NEED to tune in to this one!The RAG sponsorsVincere:If you're a recruiter looking to switch careers and move to Tech, this is your chance. Vincere is hiring for a variety of roles across all their offices. There are opportunities to join their Sales, Customer Success and Implementation teams. Learn more about Vincere on their LinkedIn or Instagram for behind-the-scenes updates. Their careers page is here: https://careers.vincere-digital.io/join-the-teamDistrict4: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.

This week's episode was one that I wanted to have but was also really nervous about. It is without a doubt the most emotional and heartbreaking conversation I have ever recorded.I was joined by Liam Thomas, the Founder of Highfield Professional Solutions & Data X Connect, a specialist recruitment agency headquartered on the South Coast of England with 45 staff.Liam launched the business with his mate and business partner, Sam Hughes, 15 years ago when they were both 25 and fearless!A classic recruitment founder story.But in 2014, when the business was well-established and growing, Sam was diagnosed with Stage 4 Bowel Cancer. The diagnosis changed everything for them.Over the next 7 years, Sam battled everything that came his way and the business continued to grow. Liam admits he was in denial and always believed his partner and friend would be back to work full time again one day.In September 2021, Sam lost his life after an incredible fight.In this episode Liam talks about it all: when they started the business, coping with the diagnosis,  and dealing with the reality of losing Sam.There were tears shed during the recording and I hope it moves you as much as it moved me.I am so proud of Liam for speaking about this and I am sure you will be too.The RAG sponsorsDistrict4Do 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 for more infoVincereVincere.io published a playbook, like a buyers guide, for those shopping around for a new system. Inside you will find:- ROI-driven strategy to building out a comprehensive feature checklist- How to assemble an effective CRM evaluation team- Battle-tested compliance & security vendor scorecards- Understanding inclusion versus integration- Power plays & frameworks for vendor due diligenceDownload here:  https://bit.ly/3C2G1s3Go to www.vincere.io/rag  to book a demo - RAG listeners get an exclusive deal!

On today’s episode of The RAG Podcast I was joined by Adrian Carboni, the founder and CEO of Masento, a specialist technology recruitment agency in London.Adrian launched Masento 5 years ago after a 15-year career with his previous employer! From being one of the top billers in the company to leading the most profitable division, Adrian was granted shares in the business that were projected to yield life-changing returns.In this episode, Adrian talks at length about the reasons for walking away from the business and what he has learned from 5 years of leading a growing recruitment agency.Honest, humble, and always adding humour, it's no surprise that Adrian and his team are onto something special!The RAG sponsorsVincere:Nailing your CRM tech strategy PlaybookVincere published a playbook, like a buyers guide, for those shopping around for a new system. Inside you will find:ROI-driven strategy to building out a comprehensive feature checklistHow to assemble an effective CRM evaluation teamBattle-tested compliance & security vendor scorecardsUnderstanding inclusion versus integrationPower plays & frameworks for vendor due diligenceDownload here:  https://bit.ly/3C2G1s3Go to www.vincere.io/rag to book a demo - RAG listeners get an exclusive deal!District 4Do 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.

In this week's episode, I’m excited to be joined by Spencer Knibbe, the Founder of MBK Search.Headquartered in NYC, the business now has 13 staff and has just opened its UK operation in 2022, intending to expand into APAC next year.As a listener of the show, Spencer and I connected recently and I was blown away by his story!Spencer never worked in recruitment for anyone else. After a successful career as the Head of Risk for a number of investment management powerhouses like Bridgewater and ICAP, he decided to go alone and launch his own advisory practice.Within 12 months he noticed each client wanted to hire him to run their practice and he was instead finding them other candidates to fill the mandate. It was then that the idea for MBK Search was born.MBK’s story is unique in many ways, and it is one of the first US firms I know that have moved to the UK to expand  – it’s typically the other way around :)Spencer is a humble, motivated and honest guy. Anyone looking to hire people from within the industry and convert to recruitment NEEDS to listen to this episode! Enjoy!The RAG sponsorIt’s no secret that recruiters are notoriously time-poor, with highly demanding goals they must achieve to be successful. Talent Ticker was specifically designed to help recruiters get ahead of their most time-intensive tasks like sourcing and prospecting, by providing them with:Powerful predictive intelligence;A candidate database of more than 600 million profiles;And integrations with popular recruitment tools.Any recruiter who uses this tool will be calling the right person, at the right time and for the right reason.Request a demo at TalentTicker.ai and mention Hoxo for a free personalised leads list of candidates or hiring managers.

On a special episode of The RAG Podcast this week, I am joined by fellow Recruitment Podcast Host - Lysha Holmes!Lysha is a great friend of Hoxo and myself and we were deeply saddened to hear the news of her father passing away to cancer in October last year! He was diagnosed at such a late stage that the family did not get the time with him that they would have wanted.On 29th April this year, a small group of us will be raising awareness and money for the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund - visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/quirecruitmenthoxorammytohale2022 to find out more!The RAG sponsorsVincere:Nailing your CRM tech strategy PlaybookWe've just published a brand new playbook, like a buyers guide, for those shopping around for a new system. Inside they will find: ROI-driven strategy to building out a comprehensive feature checklistHow to assemble an effective CRM evaluation teamBattle-tested compliance & security vendor scorecardsUnderstanding inclusion versus integrationPower plays & frameworks for vendor due diligenceDownload here:  https://bit.ly/3C2G1s3 Go to www.vincere.io/rag to book a demo - RAG listeners get an exclusive deal!District 4:District4 support experienced recruiters who want to launch their own businesses. They offer an impressive start-up package which includes back office support, coaching, and help choosing and implementing new technology.Launching a business successfully takes a lot of hard work and preparation. Even if you aren’t ready right now, get the support you need sooner and you’ll stand the best chance of success when the time is right.Visit www.district4.io/hoxo  to see what they can do for you.

On this week's episode, I am excited to be joined by Stuart the Co-Founder and Director of ProvideWith 21 years since starting the business, Stuart has seen pretty much everything there is to see in a growing recruitment agencyMost interestingly, post acquisition by TXM Group, Stuart moved into a new role as Director of Strategic Partnerships - leading their RPO division. I am super excited to hear the story of this change!The RAG sponsorIt’s no secret that recruiters are notoriously time-poor, with highly demanding goals they must achieve to be successful. Talent Ticker was specifically designed to help recruiters get ahead of their most time-intensive tasks, like sourcing and prospecting, by providing recruiters with:powerful predictive intelligencea candidate database of more than 600 million profilesand integrations with popular recruitment toolsAny recruiter who uses this tool will be calling the right person, at the right time and for the right reason.Request a demo at TalentTicker.ai and mention Hoxo for a free personalised leads list of candidates or hiring managers.

On a special episode of The RAG Podcast this week, I want to share with you my talk at the Recruitment Agency Expo 2022 in London.“The 5 Weekly Habits All Recruiters Need To Build A Winning Personal Brand On LinkedIn”Company pages don't get a lot of engagement on LinkedIn. The recruiters in your business are the best way of getting your brand's message to market. Every consultant you employ has a platform to reach thousands of people, and there is a formula to follow for success.I talked through several simple but SUPER effective tips you can use right away to start driving more leads and closing more deals from LinkedIn activity.I hope you find it valuable!The RAG sponsorsVincere:For the very first time, Vincere is giving their customers direct access to their product teams (and vice versa!). They’re opening up their roadmap for customers on a product portal. It's a place for Vinny customers to have a say on upcoming features and shape the direction of their all in one #RecOS platform. Find out more here: https://portal.productboard.com/vkbt4oj2lbnswyuqsn1a69ysGo to www.vincere.io/rag to book a demo - RAG listeners get an exclusive deal!District 4:District4 support experienced recruiters who want to launch their own businesses. They offer an impressive start-up package which includes back office support, coaching, and help choosing and implementing new technology. Launching a business successfully takes a lot of hard work and preparation. Even if you aren’t ready right now, get the support you need sooner and you’ll stand the best chance of success when the time is right.Visit www.district4.io/hoxo to see what they can do for you.

I was joined by Tom Hibberd - Founding Director at Precision Resource Group (PRG) parent company to Panoramic Associates, iO Associates, Panoramic Care and Finitas.With 20 years in the recruitment industry, like so many other successful owners, Tom started his career at S3 before going alone.In 2009, Tom jointly founded Panoramic Associates and spent the first 2 years enjoying life as a small and extremely profitable recruitment agency.After significant success and exciting growth within the senior level staffing sector, Tom took the strategic decision to form a group company, Precision Resource Group (PRG) to house, Panoramic Associates, iO Associates, Panoramic Care and Finitas.The RAG sponsorValentine’s Day is coming up quick, and our sponsor Talent Ticker is here to help you find your special someone. That “someone” being your next big client.To help you make more meaningful connections this year, Talent Ticker is providing an exclusive list of the Top 50 fastest growing start-ups all recruiters should know. Their data indicates that these companies are all on the brink of a significant expansion and perfectly primed to decide on a recruitment partner. Download the list for free at: get.talentticker.ai/hoxo

This week's episode sees the return of a great friend and one of the recruitment industry’s most trusted advisors: the one and only James Osborne is back on The RAG Podcast!James is the Chairman of The Recruitment Network, a global community of almost 9,000 active recruiters, managers, and business leaders.We discussed how mad the market was in 2021, what James expects to see as the next big thing appearing on the recruitment industry’s horizon, and why candidate short markets shouldn’t be a problem for recruiters - it’s precisely the environment we were meant to operate in!Not only that, but when you’re running businesses and building communities, how do you make time for yourself? Your family? The things you enjoy in life?James is a value machine, and there’s plenty of useful takeaways and insights in this conversation. Get stuck in!The RAG sponsorsVincere will be exhibiting at the Recruitment Agency Expo on the 9th of February, stand C20. Drop by to see all the latest ways you could improve your recruitment website, including: shift schedulers, automation tools, and video interviewing.Go to www.vincere.io/rag to book a demo - RAG listeners get an exclusive deal!District4 provide the vital structural and back office support you need to launch a recruitment business successfully. They also work with up and running brands that may need a little extra help in one or two key areas.If you've recently launched a recruitment business and are finding some of the less glamorous aspects a challenge, speak to District4 today to find out how they can help. And get back to focusing on what you love most: running your business.Visit www.district4.io/hoxo for more information.

This week we welcome Clare Cooper back to The RAG Podcast for a third time! Clare is the founder of Storm3, the second brand in the Levin group.I first interviewed Clare when she was a global lead for one of the world's most recognised recruitment brands. Clare launched Storm3 in Feb 2021, and I interviewed her for the second time just 4 weeks later - when she was the only employee of the business!Today, Storm3 is 60 people strong, with teams in London, Amsterdam, Dallas, and Singapore. By the end of April, they’ll have reached 150 heads. Doing the first few months solo before immediately entering a period of hypergrowth, it is safe to say it’s been a hectic year.Clare’s previous episodes have been some of the most listened to in RAG history, and this one doesn’t disappoint. The world is watching the growth of Storm3 with real interest. Find out why as we dive into Clare’s story!The RAG episode 13 sponsorDid you know: around 80% of people abandon their New Year’s resolutions by February? That’s a staggering statistic. Especially if you’d resolved to grow your recruitment business this year.To support your growth goals in 2022, Talent Ticker is providing an exclusive list of the Top 50 fastest growing start-ups all recruiters should know about. Their data indicates these companies are all on the brink of a significant expansion, and are perfectly primed to decide on a recruitment partner.You can download the list for free at: https://get.talentticker.ai/hoxo/