The RAG Podcast - Recruitment Agency Growth Podcast

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.

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.