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This week’s RecTalk is recorded LIVE at the TEAM Network Service Providers Meeting in Coventry – and it’s an absolute belter 🔥
Nitin Sharma is joined on stage by:
In front of a room full of recruitment service providers, this panel dives deep into one big question:
👉 Why don’t suppliers collaborate properly… when we’re all selling to the same ICP?
Drawing from the live discussion , this episode explores:
There’s some proper honesty in this one. From cult-like networking groups to fear of competitors “stealing” clients, nothing was off limits.
🔥 Key Themes
1️⃣ Collaboration isn’t tactical – it’s strategic
One good partner relationship can drive 5–10 deals. Yet most suppliers focus purely on direct client acquisition.
2️⃣ Value-first wins
Run webinars for your partners’ clients. Share each other’s content. Build micro-packages together. Stop pitching – start helping.
3️⃣ Authenticity over polish
Michelle shares how going from “allergic to LinkedIn” to being unapologetically authentic actually generated real inbound business.
4️⃣ Marketing = Sales Enablement
Sam drops a killer point: marketing assets are useless without sales touchpoints. Every piece of content should create conversations.
5️⃣ Fear is the blocker
Are we scared of competitors? Of losing clients? Of opening our network? The panel unpacks the insecurity that holds suppliers back.
6️⃣ Play the long game
This isn’t transactional. It’s relational. The hockey stick only comes after consistency.
🔗 Connect with the panel guests
Sam Rasdall: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-rasdall-501863108/
Michelle Davies: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleadavies/
Christian Mather: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianmather/
Find out more about the TEAM network: https://www.theteamnetwork.co.uk/
🔗 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 #RecruitmentIndustry #RecTech #RecruitmentSuppliers #BusinessDevelopment #LinkedInForRecruiters #Collaboration #TEAMNetwork
Welcome back to Founder Diaries, a RecTalk podcast hosted by Nitin Sharma.
This episode is a big one.
Most recruitment businesses measure success by headcount, revenue, and placements. But what happens when a founder decides to measure success differently — by building a resilient balance sheet powered by Bitcoin?
In this conversation, Nitin sits down with Scott Ellam, Founder & CEO of XCE – Connecting Excellence, to unpack one of the boldest strategic moves we’ve seen in the recruitment industry.
Scott didn’t just build a profitable international executive search business — he took it public, adopted a Bitcoin treasury strategy, and positioned the company as a long-term, balance-sheet-first growth vehicle.
What We Cover in This Episode
This isn’t a surface-level “crypto chat.” This is a deep dive into:
Scott also shares his personal journey — from working-class roots in the Northwest, to building a global executive search firm, to developing an 8-year conviction in Bitcoin before implementing it publicly.
This episode challenges conventional thinking about wealth creation in recruitment.
Why This Conversation Matters for Recruiters
Let’s be honest…
Recruitment is cash generative… but asset light.
Exits are difficult.
Private equity success stories are rare.
And inflation quietly erodes retained profits.
Scott makes the case that founders need to rethink how they store long-term value — and how they create real equity upside for consultants.
Whether you agree or disagree with the thesis, this is a conversation every ambitious recruiter should hear.
Who This Episode Is For
🔗 Connect with the guest
Scott Ellam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-p-ellam-5a097449/
XCE - Connecting Excellence: https://xce.io/
🔗 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 #FounderDiaries #Recruitment #ExecutiveSearch #RecruitmentFounder #BitcoinTreasury #RecruitmentBusiness #Entrepreneurship #BalanceSheetStrategy #PLC #RecruitmentLeadership
In this episode of RecTalk, Nitin is joined once again by James Whitelock, MD of ThinkinCircles – a recruitment marketing agency that lives and breathes brand clarity, consistency, and credibility.
This conversation is a must-listen if you think your logo is your brand.
Because it’s not.
They go deep into what actually shapes your recruitment brand – and spoiler alert – it’s every interaction your business has.
From candidate conversations to client dinners. From LinkedIn posts to internal behaviour. From AI usage to how your team acts at networking events.
Nothing is neutral.
💥 What We Cover:
🔹 Why brand is built through daily behaviours, not websites
🔹 The 3 C’s of recruitment branding: Clarity, Consistency & Credibility
🔹 Why silence online is just as loud as noise
🔹 The danger of “fits and starts” marketing
🔹 How internal culture dictates external perception
🔹 Why size doesn’t buy authority anymore
🔹 The risks and realities of AI in recruitment marketing
🔹 Why guardrails matter when your team is representing you
🔹 The “Nickelback Effect” and public brand perception
🔹 Building in public vs. pretending you’ve already “made it”
James makes it clear:
You don’t dictate your brand. Your behaviours do.
Every candidate rejection.
Every email.
Every automation sequence.
Every beer at an expo.
They all move the needle.
🎯 The Big Takeaway
If you want to be seen as consultative, embedded, strategic and premium… you have to behave that way.
You can’t “design” your way into authority.
And if your marketing is only active when your desk is quiet? You’re not building a brand. You’re firefighting pipeline.
🔗 Connect with the guest
James Whitelock: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameswhitelock/
ThinkinCircles: https://www.rectools.io/product/thinkincircles/
🔗 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/
#RecruitmentPodcast #RecTalk #RecruitmentMarketing #EmployerBrand #RecruitmentAgency #RecruitmentLeadership #AIinRecruitment #PersonalBrand #BrandStrategy
In this episode of RecTalk, Nitin is joined again by Ross Thompson, founder of Infinity Staff Global, to unpack the reality behind the South African offshore recruitment model — what’s hype, what’s real, and how to actually win with it.
Ross and Nitin dive deep into what’s driving the boom in South African recruitment talent supporting UK, US and Australian agencies, and why cost should never be your primary driver when building an offshore team.
If you’re thinking about hiring remote recruiters, researchers, or BD specialists — or you’re already doing it and want to optimise — this one’s for you.
What we covered in this episode:
We also discuss:
Key Takeaway:
Offshoring isn’t about replacing your UK team. It’s about building a smarter structure — putting the right people in the right seats — and scaling with intention.
If you treat offshore hires as second-class or purely as a cost-saving exercise, it will fail.
If you treat them as valuable, integrated members of your team — it can transform your business.
Who this episode is for:
There’s a lot of noise in the offshore market right now. This episode cuts through it.
🔗 Connect with the guest
Ross Thompson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossnthompson/
Check out Infinity Staff Global: https://www.rectools.io/product/infinity-staff-global/
🔗 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 #OffshoreRecruitment #SouthAfricaRecruitment #RecruitmentBusiness #ScalingAgencies #RecruitmentLeaders #RecruitmentGrowth #InfinityStaffGlobal #Rectools
Welcome to a slightly different episode of The Mixed Grill – the official podcast of the Recruitment Curry Club. This time, it’s a solo special hosted by Bobby Banerjee.
An honest, behind-the-scenes look at how the Recruitment Curry Club was born, why it exists, and how it’s grown from six mates in Birmingham to a global recruitment community spanning five countries.
Bobby shares the deeply personal journey that sparked the idea – including his battle with cancer, stepping away from his business for eight months, and the emotional and professional uncertainty that followed . What started as a small group of friends meeting in Indian pubs to talk openly – without the bravado and sales pitches – quickly evolved into something much bigger.
In this episode, Bobby covers:
Bobby also talks about the emotional rollercoaster of recruitment, how AI, LinkedIn visibility and market conditions are shaping conversations inside the club, and why being “in the room” still matters more than ever.
From intimate dinners to larger expo after-parties, it’s become the unofficial safe space for honest recruitment conversations.
Who This Episode Is For:
🔗 Connect with the host
Bobby Banerjee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbybanerjee/
Get your fill of curry, banter, and brilliant recruitment minds at The Recruitment Curry Club:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-recruitment-curry-club/
Look out for more episodes of The Mixed Grill dropping on Thursdays.
Listen on another platform: https://rectalk.co.uk/
#RecruitmentCurryClub #TheMixedGrill #RecruitmentPodcast #MentalHealthInRecruitment #RecruitmentCommunity #NetworkingDoneRight #RecruitmentIndustry #AIInRecruitment
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:
Together, they explored what a modern recruitment business should actually look like heading into 2026 and beyond.
What Was Discussed:
Key Takeaways:
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
In this episode of RecTalk, Nitin is joined by Ryan Frampton, Co-founder & CEO of CoRecruit (formerly Quil) — one of the fastest-evolving AI tools built specifically for recruitment agencies.
What started as a sales note-taking tool pivoted — by accident — into one of the most powerful recruitment-specific AI platforms on the market.
And this isn’t just another “AI will replace recruiters” conversation.
This is about:
Ryan breaks down how CoRecruit integrates with 40+ ATS & CRM systems, auto-updates records (yes — dropdowns too 👀), reformats CVs, generates high-quality candidate write-ups, and even helps managers coach their teams using real conversational data.
They also talk about:
If you think all note-takers are the same… this episode will change your mind.
🎯 Who This Episode Is For
If you have recs on, and you’re trying to do more with the same headcount — this is essential listening.
🔗 Connect with the guest
Ryan Frampton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-frampton-02623a100/
Check out CoRecruit: https://www.rectools.io/product/corecruit/
Try a free demo: https://corecruit.com/try-for-free
🔗 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 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
Robert Woodford — The Marketing Junction: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marketing4recs/
Barry Cullen — recLAW: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrycullen/
Andrew Philipson — JOBBA: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewphilipson/
Ross Thompson — Infinity Staff Global: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossnthompson/
Dougie Loan — SourceWhale: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougieloan/
Andrew Constantinou — Nodex: https://www.linkedin.com/in/apconstantinou/
#RecTech #RecruitmentTechnology #RecruitmentAI #AgencyRecruitment #RecruitmentLeadership #ATS #CRM #RecruitmentOwner #RecruitmentFounder #FutureOfRecruitment #RetainedSearch #RecruitmentAutomation #RecTalk
Welcome back to The Mixed Grill, the official podcast of the Recruitment Curry Club. In this episode, Nitin Sharma and Bobby Banerjee pick up exactly where the last conversation left off and go deep (and sideways) on everything from personal regrets to the future of recruitment businesses – with plenty of laughs, analogies, and tangents along the way.
The conversation kicks off with reflections on advice they ignored when they were younger – from looking after your body, to understanding money earlier, to appreciating the sacrifices parents made (especially first-generation immigrant parents). It’s honest, reflective, and very real.
From there, things shift into recruitment mode:
There’s also plenty of classic Mixed Grill chaos:
As always, the episode wraps with a reminder of what the Recruitment Curry Club is really about: community, no selling, helping each other out, and assembling the biggest group of genuinely decent people in recruitment.
Who this episode is for:
🔗 Connect with the hosts
Bobby Banerjee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbybanerjee/
Nitin Sharma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nitin-rectools/
Get your fill of curry, banter, and brilliant recruitment minds at The Recruitment Curry Club:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-recruitment-curry-club/
Look out for more episodes of The Mixed Grill dropping on Thursday.
Listen on another platform: https://rectalk.co.uk/
#TheMixedGrill #RecTalk #RecruitmentCurryClub #RecruitmentPodcast #RecruitmentLife #AgencyOwners #FutureOfRecruitment #RecruitmentCommunity #NoMore360
In this episode of RecTalk, Nitin Sharma sits down with the one and only Barry Cullen, Founder of recLAW — aka Backdoor Barry — for a refreshingly honest conversation about what it really takes to scale a specialist professional services business without burning yourself (or your team) into the ground.
Five years into recLAW as a regulated law firm (and eight years into the business overall), Barry opens up about the uncomfortable but necessary transition from “I do everything” founder to building teams, leaders, and systems that work without him being involved in every decision.
This episode goes deep into:
Barry also shares a free value-packed tip for recruiters: how to protect your fees before a dispute ever happens — including a disclaimer you can add to your CVs that makes enforcement dramatically easier (see below).
This is an episode about letting go, growing up as a founder, and building something that lasts beyond you — with plenty of laughs, brutal honesty, and real-world lessons along the way.
🔗 Connect with the guest
Barry Cullen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrycullen/
Link to recruitment CV disclaimer: https://tinyurl.com/reclaw-cv-disclaimer
More from recLAW: https://tinyurl.com/reclaw-rectalk
🔗 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 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
Robert Woodford — The Marketing Junction: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marketing4recs/
Barry Cullen — recLAW: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrycullen/
Andrew Philipson — JOBBA: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewphilipson/
Ross Thompson — Infinity Staff Global: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossnthompson/
Dougie Loan — SourceWhale: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougieloan/
Andrew Constantinou — Nodex: https://www.linkedin.com/in/apconstantinou/
#RecTalk #RecruitmentLaw #recLAW #RecruitmentBusiness #FounderJourney #ScalingUp #AgencyLife #BackdoorFees #LegalForRecruiters #Leadership #CustomerSuccess #RecruitmentIndustry
In this episode of RecTalk, host Nitin Sharma sits down with Theresa Mimnagh, partner at specialist recruitment law firm Lawspeed, to unpack some of the biggest legal and regulatory changes the recruitment industry has faced in years.
Fresh off the back of Lawspeed’s recent industry seminar, Theresa breaks down what recruiters really need to understand about the proposed Employment Rights Bill, including guaranteed hours for agency workers, joint and several liability with umbrella companies, right-to-work changes, flexible working, unfair dismissal reforms, and why temp-heavy recruitment models may soon face serious pressure.
This is not headline-level commentary — it’s a practical, recruitment-specific conversation about risk, margins, contracts, business models, and how agencies can still influence legislation before it’s finalised.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
Theresa also shares real-world insight from Lawspeed’s decades of involvement in shaping recruitment legislation — explaining why early engagement beats reactive panic every time.
🔗 Connect with the guest
Theresa Mimnagh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theresamimnagh/
Find out more about Lawspeed: https://www.rectools.io/product/lawspeed/
Contact the Lawspeed team for expert advice and support: https://www.lawspeed.com/contact-us/
🔗 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 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
Robert Woodford — The Marketing Junction: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marketing4recs/
Barry Cullen — recLAW: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrycullen/
Andrew Philipson — JOBBA: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewphilipson/
Ross Thompson — Infinity Staff Global: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossnthompson/
Dougie Loan — SourceWhale: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougieloan/
Andrew Constantinou — Nodex: https://www.linkedin.com/in/apconstantinou/
#RecTalk #RecruitmentLaw #GuaranteedHours #EmploymentRightsBill #TempRecruitment #UmbrellaCompanies #JointLiability #RecruitmentCompliance #Lawspeed #RecruitmentBusiness #UKRecruitment
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