In this episode of RecTalk, Nitin Sharma sits down with Ross Thompson, Executive Manager of Infinity Staff Global, the go-to partner for ethical and effective offshoring to South Africa.

Ross joins Nitin to unpack the realities of outsourcing recruitment roles offshore: the opportunities, the pitfalls, and the right way to do it. Having placed two of his own staff through Ross, Nitin dives into what makes Infinity Staff Global’s model both compliant and people-first.

🔍 Episode Highlights

• Doing offshoring the right way: Why using freelancers or third-party EORs can put your business at risk with South African tax authorities (SARS) — and how Infinity Staff Global avoids these traps.
• Ethics and compliance: The importance of true South African ownership, legal employment contracts, and full tax and government compliance.
• Talent quality & retention: How Infinity Staff achieves a 90% retention rate by paying above-market salaries, offering proper benefits, and investing in monthly training sessions (including with trainers like Vanessa Rath).
• Cultural alignment: Why South African professionals are a natural fit for UK, Australian, and US markets — from time zones to work ethic and communication style.
• Ross’s “why”: His personal mission to give back to South Africa through fair employment and future scholarship opportunities for young people.
• Scaling your recruitment business: How UK agencies are using South African talent to expand into the US market or rebuild after a tough year—without compromising quality or culture.

Ross is a dual citizen of South Africa and Australia, passionate about ethical recruitment outsourcing. Infinity Staff Global helps recruitment agencies and suppliers build remote teams in South Africa with full legal and HR compliance.

🎧 Who This Episode Is For

• Recruitment agency owners exploring offshore hiring options.
• Talent leaders looking to scale ethically and reduce operational risk.
• Business owners curious about expanding into international markets.
• Anyone considering South Africa as a hub for recruitment operations.

🔗 Connect with the guest

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

See Ross’s previous appearance on RecTalk:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2c9sCHXbE6WV5Y8uj49jqI

Check out Infinity Staff Global on Rectools:

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 at Rectools.io:

https://www.rectools.io/

Find out about the Recruitment Curry Club:

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

New episodes of RecTalk, Founder Diaries and Talking Talent drop every Wednesday and Friday.

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

🔗 Get in touch with these recommended suppliers

Carl Jones — Konquest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-jones-66093722/

Ben Fielding — Quinset: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfielding/

Ross Thompson — Infinity Staff Global: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossnthompson/

Matt Fox — Exitus Advisory: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-fox-50b10311/

#RecTalk #RecruitmentPodcast #RecruitmentIndustry #Offshoring #Outsourcing #SouthAfricaTalent #InfinityStaffGlobal #RecruitmentBusiness #HRCompliance #Rectools #RecruitmentInnovation #NitinSharma #RossThompson

In this insightful episode of Talking Talent, hosts Nitin Sharma and Sean Kennedy sit down with Emily Firth, Co-founder of TheTruthWorks, to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing employers today — trust.

Recording from IHR Live in London, the conversation dives deep into how businesses can rebuild credibility and authenticity in an increasingly artificial world — one dominated by AI, automation, and corporate buzzwords. Emily shares her perspective on why employer brands must start with honesty, how to craft a genuine employee value proposition, and why leaders need to be more transparent, communicative, and self-aware.

The trio explore:

• Why mistrust has become the default in work and society
• How AI and remote work impact perceptions of honesty and productivity
• The crucial link between leadership communication and employee engagement
• Why “fixing your employee experience” matters more than a slick careers page
• How to make employer branding less about spin and more about truth
• The importance of vulnerability and community among business leaders

Emily also shares her personal journey from Global Head of Employer Branding at Booking.com to launching her own consultancy, TheTruthWorks — a firm built on telling the truth, not selling a façade.

👥 Who this episode is for:

• Employer brand and talent marketing professionals
• Business leaders and founders navigating hybrid work and culture shifts
• HR and TA professionals seeking to strengthen engagement and retention
• Anyone curious about the intersection of trust, transparency, and truth-telling in modern work

🔗 Connect with the guest

Emily Firth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyfirth/

TheTruthWorks: https://www.thetruthworks.co/

🔗 Connect with the hosts

Sean Kennedy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanthetaguy/

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

Discover recruitment tools and services at Rectools.io:

https://www.rectools.io/

Find out about the Recruitment Curry Club:

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

New episodes of RecTalk, Founder Diaries and Talking Talent drop every Wednesday and Friday.

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

🔗 Get in touch with these recommended suppliers

Carl Jones — Konquest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-jones-66093722/

Ben Fielding — Quinset: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfielding/

Ross Thompson — Infinity Staff Global: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossnthompson/

Matt Fox — Exitus Advisory: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-fox-50b10311/

#TalkingTalent #RecTalk #EmployerBranding #TrustAtWork #TheTruthWorks #RecruitmentPodcast #Leadership #HRCommunity #IHRLive #EmployeeExperience #Transparency #WorkCulture

Welcome to The Mixed Grill, the official podcast of The Recruitment Curry Club, hosted by Nitin Sharma and Bobby Banerjee. Recorded earlier this year at the Peg & Grill in Birmingham (https://pegandgrill.co.uk/), this light-hearted episode dives into the real conversations happening in recruitment — over curry and laughter.

Curry club attendees Harshil Shah and James Fairclough, join the hosts for an honest chat about:

• The highs and lows of running your own recruitment business.
• Avoiding burnout while chasing success.
• Why being vulnerable in business isn’t weakness — it’s leadership.
• Lessons from recruiting as a startup founder, writing better job specs, and what really convinces a client to buy in.
• The importance of personal branding in recruitment and when it can actually turn clients off.
• And yes, plenty of talk about football, biryanis, and Birmingham banter.

Nitin opens up about his own entrepreneurial journey — from scaling and failing to rebuilding through community and conversation. James shares how hiring in-house reshaped his respect for recruiters, and Harshil reflects on balancing ambition with rest. Expect humour, humility, and a touch of spice.

Who this episode is for:

Recruitment founders, startup leaders, consultants, and anyone in the industry who’s felt the grind and wondered, “Am I the only one struggling with this?” It’s also for anyone curious about how community events like The Recruitment Curry Club help recruiters connect beyond KPIs.

🔗 Connect with the guests

Harshil Shah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hshah167/

James Fairclough: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-fairclough-a20b60102/

🔗 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 in the near future.

New episodes of RecTalk, Founder Diaries and Talking Talent drop every Wednesday and Friday.

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

#RecTalk #TheMixedGrill #RecruitmentCurryClub #RecruitmentPodcast #RecruitmentLife #RecruitmentCommunity #Burnout #StartupLife #RecruitmentFounders #RecruitmentStrategy #UKRecruitment

Welcome to a special RecTalk episode from IHR Live London!
Host Nitin Sharma, founder of Rectools.io, brings you three powerful conversations recorded live at the UK’s leading in-house recruitment event.

First, Neil Rudolph & Coel Taylor from Redknows share how global brands are using storytelling and authenticity to attract the right talent while reducing hiring costs.

Expect insights on:

• How to make your careers site speak to candidates, not customers
• Why employer brand authenticity beats flashy campaigns
• Real-world ROI: how one client cut agency spend and job board costs by improving their brand presence

Then, Barbara Sutherland & Harpreet Pannum from EY unpack EY’s three-year transformation in tech recruitment — from the post-COVID hiring crisis to becoming true trusted advisors to their business stakeholders.

Key discussion points:

• Moving from a reactive “master-servant” recruiter model to strategic partnership
• Empowering recruiters to challenge stakeholders with data and insights
• Using risk and issue management to elevate TA conversations
• How agencies shaped (and sometimes strained) internal TA relationships — and what EY did to fix it

And finally, Dan Ashdown & Freddy Rhead from In-house Recruitment (IHR) wrap things up by diving into the value of IHR membership, networking, and professional growth through community.

They discuss:

• What’s included in an IHR membership — events, webinars, e-learning, templates & advisory tools
• How the IHR Live Lounge and annual events connect 1,000+ TA professionals
• Why learning, collaboration, and benchmarking against peers are the real keys to staying ahead in talent acquisition

🎯 Who This Episode Is For:

• Talent Acquisition Leaders looking to strengthen their employer brand and stakeholder relationships
• Recruitment Marketers keen to learn how storytelling drives authentic attraction
• In-House Recruiters seeking inspiration on becoming trusted business advisors
• HR & People Leaders eager to understand the latest in community-driven recruitment

🔗 Connect with the guests

Neil Rudolph: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-rudolph/

Coel Taylor: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coeltaylor/

Barbara Sutherland: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbarasutherland/

Harpreet Pannum: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harpreet-pannum-5a6b98b2/

Dan Ashdown: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danashdown1/

Freddy Rhead: https://www.linkedin.com/in/freddy-rhead-8765b6268/

🔗 Connect with the host

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

Discover recruitment tools and services at Rectools.io:

https://www.rectools.io/

Find out about the Recruitment Curry Club:

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

New episodes of RecTalk, Founder Diaries and Talking Talent drop every Wednesday and Friday.

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

🔗 Get in touch with these recommended suppliers

Carl Jones — Konquest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-jones-66093722/

Ben Fielding — Quinset: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfielding/

Ross Thompson — Infinity Staff Global: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossnthompson/

Matt Fox — Exitus Advisory: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-fox-50b10311/

#RecTalk #Rectools #RecruitmentPodcast #EmployerBranding #InHouseRecruitment #TalentAcquisition #IHRLive #EY #RedKnows #RecruitmentStrategy #TACommunity #RecruitmentEvents

In this powerful and thought-provoking episode of RecTalk, host Nitin Sharma sits down with Cordelia Osewa-Ediae — a respected Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) leader and advocate — live from the IHR Live Lounge in London.

Cordelia opens up about her incredible personal and professional journey — from growing up in Nigeria and running a fashion business, to building a meaningful career in the UK and becoming a voice for inclusion, empathy, and cultural understanding in the workplace.

They dive deep into:

• The realities of loneliness and community when moving to a new country.
• The cultural differences between collectivist and individualist societies — and how they shape belonging.
• How Cordelia found her “why” and began championing DEI long before it became a corporate buzzword.
• The importance of listening, empathy, and curiosity in driving genuine inclusion.
• How personal experiences — including moments of kindness and allyship — can completely reshape our biases.
• The weaponisation of language around immigration, identity, and “otherness,” and why leaders must think critically about narratives that divide.
• Why real progress often happens quietly — through “quiet doing” — rather than through social media noise.

Cordelia’s story is one of courage, compassion, and constant self-education. She reminds us that inclusion starts with connection, that community is built through shared humanity, and that leadership means being open to learning, unlearning, and relearning.

Who this episode is for:

✅ HR and Talent Leaders navigating DEI in modern workplaces.

✅ Recruiters and business owners building diverse, inclusive teams.

✅ Anyone feeling isolated in a new environment and seeking connection.

✅ Leaders wanting to create safe spaces for open, respectful dialogue.

✅ Listeners passionate about challenging bias and driving meaningful change.

🔗 Connect with the guest

Cordelia Osewa-Ediae: https://www.linkedin.com/in/c-osewa-ediae/

🔗 Connect with the host

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

Discover recruitment tools and services at Rectools.io:

https://www.rectools.io/

Find out about the Recruitment Curry Club:

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

New episodes of RecTalk, Founder Diaries and Talking Talent drop every Wednesday and Friday.

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

#RecTalk #DEI #Inclusion #Leadership #Recruitment #Community #Empathy #HumanConnection #Rectools #HR #IHRLive #DiversityInRecruitment

In this episode of Talking Talent, a RecTalk podcast hosted by Nitin Sharma  and Sean Kennedy, the duo sit down with Tim Browning, internal Recruitment Lead at Supermassive Games to unpack the real challenges facing recruiters and candidates in today’s job market—particularly in gaming and tech.

From the rise of AI-driven rejection systems to the declining quality of candidate experience, Tim shares why the human touch still matters and how he approaches high-volume hiring with empathy and transparency. The trio dives into:

• Why great candidates are getting rejected faster than ever.
• The balance between automation and authenticity in recruitment.
• How cultural nuances shape rejection communication across markets.
• The importance of simplifying internal processes (“KISS – Keep It Simple, Stupid”).
• Why TA teams need to focus on clarity, speed, and empathy—without overcomplicating hiring.

Tim also reflects on his own journey at Supermassive Games, scaling a mid-sized studio with nearly 180 staff, and why keeping recruitment straightforward is the secret to success in fast-moving creative industries.

The chat wraps up with personal reflections on resilience, rejection, and why recruiters should stop waiting for January to make change—just start now.

Who This Episode Is For:

• Talent Acquisition professionals struggling with high application volumes.
• Recruiters in gaming, tech, or creative sectors balancing automation with authenticity.
• HR leaders interested in improving candidate experience and communication.
• Anyone navigating job rejection or layoffs and looking for a candid, humorous perspective.

🔗 Connect with Tim Browning

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-browning101/

Supermassive Games: https://www.supermassivegames.com/

🔗 Connect with the hosts

Sean Kennedy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanthetaguy/

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

Discover recruitment tools and services at Rectools.io:

https://www.rectools.io/

Find out about the Recruitment Curry Club:

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

New episodes of RecTalk, Founder Diaries and Talking Talent drop every Wednesday and Friday.

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

#TalkingTalent #RecTalk #RecruitmentPodcast #TimBrowning #SupermassiveGames #TalentAcquisition #CandidateExperience #AIRecruiting #RecruiterLife #GameIndustry #HRTech #Hiring #NitinSharma #SeanKennedy

In this deeply moving and inspiring episode of Founder Diaries, Nitin Sharma sits down with Dianne Flory Intal, Founder and President of Success Matcher, a global recruitment business based in Montana, USA.

Dianne shares her incredible journey of transforming personal tragedy into purpose. After losing both of her parents within the same year, she channelled her grief into creating a recruitment company built on empathy, integrity, and cultural understanding. Success Matcher was born from love — literally. As Dianne beautifully says, “Grief is love with nowhere to go.”

This episode explores:

• How profound loss became the foundation of Dianne’s entrepreneurial mission
• What makes Success Matcher stand out in a global, often transactional, recruitment market
• Why relationship-building and cultural intelligence are more valuable than ever in recruitment
• Cultural nuances in recruitment — how conversations differ between UK, US, Asian, and Middle Eastern clients
• Her business model’s dual focus: U.S. contingency recruitment and global manpower solutions from the Philippines
• Lessons learned about resilience, legacy, and redefining success beyond revenue

Nitin and Dianne also dive into an honest discussion about the recruitment industry’s “sales-first” mindset — and why treating recruitment as a professional service (not just a sales job) could reshape its future.

Who this episode is for:

• Recruitment founders seeking purpose-driven growth
• Entrepreneurs coping with grief or personal loss
• Professionals expanding globally and managing cultural differences
• Anyone curious about redefining success through empathy and connection

🔗 Connect with Dianne Flory Intal

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianneflory/

Success Matcher: https://successmatcher.com/

🔗 Connect with Nitin Sharma

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

Discover recruitment tools and services at Rectools.io:

https://www.rectools.io/

Find out about the Recruitment Curry Club:

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

New episodes of RecTalk, Founder Diaries and Talking Talent drop every Wednesday and Friday.

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

#FounderDiaries #RecTalk #RecruitmentPodcast #Entrepreneurship #SuccessMatcher #NitinSharma #Rectools #RecruitmentFounders #Resilience #GriefToGrowth #RecruitmentRelationships #CulturalIntelligence #RecruitmentBusiness #InspiringFounders #WomenInRecruitment

Welcome to The Mixed Grill, a RecTalk podcast and the official podcast of the Recruitment Curry Club. Hosted by the ever-entertaining Bobby Banerjee, this episode serves up a spicy mix of laughter, nostalgia, and brutally honest recruitment chat.

He’s joined by an all-star lineup (including Curry Cartel regulars) — James Whitelock, Sarah Higgs, Nitin Sharma, Naz Harrison, Michelle Flynn, Christian Mather, and Pete Hogg. Together, they dive into what makes the recruitment industry tick — and what makes it absolutely ridiculous.

🍛 Expect a hilarious mix of:

• Mount Rushmore of Recruitment — Who deserves a place among industry legends?
• Wild office tales — from candidates who upload bank statements instead of CVs to the recruiter who brought a child into a live interview.
• Heartwarming wins — moments when recruiters truly changed lives.
• A spicy debate about the future of recruitment, leadership flaws, and why recruiters deserve more professional respect.

No sales chaat — just pure, unfiltered conversation from the people who live and breathe recruitment.

Who this episode is for:

👉 Recruiters, talent leaders, and HR pros who want to laugh, reflect, and maybe even rethink how they view the industry.

👉 Anyone who’s ever worked in recruitment and thought, “You couldn’t make this stuff up.”

👉 Fans of authentic, no-filter conversations about people, purpose, and a little chaos.

🔗 Connect with the guests

Naz Harrison: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazharrison/

Michelle Flynn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleflynn/

Christian Mather: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianmather/

Pete Hogg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phogg/

🔗 Connect with the Curry Cartel

Bobby Banerjee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbybanerjee/

James Whitelock: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameswhitelock/

Sarah Higgs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahhiggs01/

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 in the near future.

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

#RecTalk #TheMixedGrill #RecruitmentCurryClub #RecruitmentPodcast #RecruitmentHumour #NitinSharma #BobbyBanerjee #RecruitmentLegends #Rectools #RecruitmentCommunity #BigSpoonEnergy

Welcome to Talking Talent, the brand-new RecTalk spin-off where agency meets in-house, and recruitment meets real talk.

In this episode (filmed at IHR Live London), hosts Nitin Sharma and Sean Kennedy dive into the world of internal talent acquisition — and why the transition from agency life isn’t as easy as it looks.

They’re joined in the second half by Mark Kunaseelan, Head of Resourcing at University of the Arts London, for a refreshingly honest chat about:

• The purpose-driven world of public sector and higher education recruitment
• Whether degrees are still essential for career success (and why some TA roles now bizarrely require a master’s)
• The real impact of AI and automation in hiring — what’s helpful vs. what’s just hype
• How apprenticeships and accessibility in education could reshape the future workforce
• And the importance of fit, culture, and purpose when choosing your next role

Expect plenty of laughs, strong opinions, and some surprisingly deep insights into what makes modern recruitment tick — from the agency floor to the university boardroom.

Who this episode is for:

• TA and HR professionals navigating digital transformation
• Recruiters curious about moving in-house
• Leaders in higher education or public sector talent
• Anyone interested in AI’s evolving role in recruitment
• Listeners who like their recruitment talk with a dose of humour and honesty

🔗 Connect with Mark Kunaseelan

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mkunaseelan/

University of the Arts London: https://www.arts.ac.uk/

🔗 Connect with the hosts

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

Sean Kennedy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanthetaguy/

Discover recruitment tools and services at Rectools.io:

https://www.rectools.io/

Find out about the Recruitment Curry Club:

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

New episodes of RecTalk, Founder Diaries and Talking Talent drop every Wednesday and Friday.

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

#TalkingTalent #RecTalk #RecruitmentPodcast #TalentAcquisition #HigherEducation #AIinRecruitment #PublicSectorHiring #CareerDevelopment #RecruitmentInnovation #Rectools

In this episode of Founder Diaries, host Nitin Sharma sits down with Chris Peace, former Hayes top biller turned founder of the award-winning Peace Recruitment, to unpack his incredible journey from launching a business during the 2008 recession to achieving a multimillion-pound exit — and finding renewed purpose as a business coach and co-founder of the Impact Board.

Chris opens up about:

• Leaving corporate comfort at Hayes to start a business at the worst economic time imaginable.
• Building Peace Recruitment from his kitchen table into one of Scotland’s top construction and property recruitment firms.
• The turning point when tragedy struck and he realised the importance of building a proper, compliant, and sellable business.
• How he transformed from a “desk recruiter” into a leader, mentor, and eventual exit-ready founder.
• The true value of coaching, what it takes to make a company attractive to buyers, and the hidden time it really takes to prepare for a sale.
• Why he joined forces with Rich Gibbins and Tristan Gardiner to reshape Impact Board into an elite peer-to-peer network for recruitment leaders.
• His biggest lessons on authentic leadership, avoiding burnout, and finding fulfilment in helping others grow.

Chris shares practical insights on valuation, leadership transitions, and why being brutally honest with yourself is the secret weapon for sustainable growth.

Who This Episode Is For:

• Recruitment founders thinking about starting, scaling, or selling their agency.
• Business owners feeling stuck between growth and burnout.
• Entrepreneurs who want to learn how to build a resilient, sale-ready business.
• Anyone interested in the real mental and emotional journey behind success stories — not just the highlight reel.

🔗 Connect with Chris Peace

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrispeace1/

Check out the Impact Board:

https://www.impactboard.co.uk/

🔗 Connect with Nitin Sharma

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

Discover recruitment tools and services at Rectools.io:

https://www.rectools.io/

Find out about the Recruitment Curry Club:

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

New episodes of RecTalk and Founder Diaries drop every Wednesday and Friday.

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

#FounderDiaries #RecTalk #RecruitmentPodcast #ChrisPeace #ImpactBoard #RecruitmentFounders #BusinessExit #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #RecruitmentGrowth #NitinSharma #Rectools #RecruitmentCoaching #ScalingARecruitmentBusiness #BusinessValuation