This week on RecTalk, Nitin Sharma hosts a live panel discussion from the TEAM Network South Central Regional Meet Up, centred around one powerful question:

If tomorrow was Day One of your recruitment business… what would you do differently?

Joining Nitin on stage were four respected voices from across the recruitment ecosystem:

• John Docherty – ATP Technical (diversity-led STEM recruitment specialist)
• Ben Browning – Resonant (sales strategy advisor to recruitment firms)
• Ross Thompson – Infinity Staff Global (offshore recruitment support provider)
• Andy Chamberlain – FCSA (umbrella sector compliance leader)

Together, they explored what a modern recruitment business should actually look like heading into 2026 and beyond.

What Was Discussed:

• Why recruitment isn’t just a sales industry — it’s a data-driven professional service
• The shift from “cold calling” to research-led business development conversations
• The ongoing 360 recruiter vs split model debate (batters and bowlers analogy included)
• How elite billers build value propositions using:
• Clear market data
• Strong narrative
• Defined methodology
• Tangible proof
• Why transparency (including candidate weaknesses) builds more trust than perfection
• Using compliance knowledge as a strategic BD advantage
• AI as a co-pilot — not just a content generator
• “Vibe Coding” and building internal tools in under an hour
• Why most agencies blame the market instead of changing behaviour
• The mindset shift required to stay agile in a rapidly changing tech and regulatory landscape

Key Takeaways:

• If your year has been a 5 or 6 out of 10, something needs to change
• Strategy should come before structure
• Clarity in positioning beats “more activity”
• AI should elevate your consultants — not replace thinking
• Clients must understand your process if you want exclusivity
• Growth requires unlearning outdated recruitment models

This episode challenges founders and recruiters to stop defaulting to the traditional model and instead rebuild with intention, data and tech enablement at the core.

🔗 Connect with the panel guests

John Docherty: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johndocherty1/

Ben Browning: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benbrowningrec/

Ross Thompson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossnthompson/

Andy Chamberlain: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-chamberlain-29135528/

🔗 Connect with the host

Nitin Sharma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nitin-rectools/

Discover recruitment tools and services: https://www.rectools.io/

New episodes of RecTalk (including Founder Diaries and Talking Talent) currently drop on Wednesday and Friday.

Look out also for new episodes of The Mixed Grill — the official podcast of the Recruitment Curry Club — dropping on Thursday.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-recruitment-curry-club/

Listen on another platform: https://rectalk.co.uk/

🔗 Get in touch with these recommended suppliers

Ascen: https://www.ascen.com/

ThinkinCircles: https://thinkincircles.com/

Infinity Staff Global: https://www.infinitystaffglobal.com/

The Marketing Junction: https://themarketingjunction.com/

Konquest: https://konquest.io/

#RecTalk #RecruitmentPodcast #RecruitmentGrowth #RecruitmentStrategy #TEAMNetwork #AgencyLeadership #AIinRecruitment #Compliance #360Recruiter #STEMRecruitment