The Lone Recruiter

There’s always love in the room until there isn’t. In my view, our job as recruiters is to keep that love, because the moment it leaves, the deal usually goes with it.

In this ep, I walk through a scenario from my own team that holds a big lesson for junior recruiters and a timely reminder for the seniors. You know the feeling. The brief looks great, the candidate looks great, they shake hands, and both walk away saying “that felt good.” That’s love in the room. So what ruins it?

I cover:

Look at your pipeline today. Which deal has the most love in the room, and where are you foggy on clarity? Don’t run from it. Start weaving those conversations in now.

If this one helped, share it with a recruiter who needs it and hit subscribe to help the show grow.

We all know about KPIs in recruitment. Calls, CVs, interviews, placements. But what about the habits behind the numbers?

I've been working with a health coach recently, and he's introduced me to habit tracking. It got me thinking about how we measure success in recruitment and whether we're overlooking some of the most important things.

KPIs tell us what we're achieving, but I reckon our daily habits have a huge influence on how we get there.

In this episode, I explore why habit tracking could be a game changer for recruiters, managers and business owners, both inside and outside the office.

👊 The difference between KPIs and habit tracking

👊 Why sleep, hydration and movement matter to your performance

👊 The softer habits that can make you a better recruiter and leader

👊 How managers can track the things that don't show up in traditional KPIs

👊 Why the first thing on your habit tracker should be completing your habit tracker!

I've started using a habit tracker myself, and I'm encouraging my team to think about the habits that matter to them too.

Because sometimes it's the things we're not measuring that make the biggest difference.

Give it a crack. It might just be a game changer.

As always, have an amazing day!

What if you could swap your biggest problem for someone else's? Would you take the risk, or would you stick with your own?

I heard this question recently and it really got me thinking.

We all have problems. Some big, some small, but when you're in the thick of one, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the stress, uncertainty and emotion surrounding it.

Here's the thing. Sometimes the problem isn't nearly as complicated as we've made it out to be. We just haven't taken the time to properly understand it.

In this ep, I'm sharing a simple mindset shift that can completely change how you approach challenges, whether they're at your recruitment desk, in your business or in your personal life.

👉 Why putting your problems into perspective matters

Before you rush to find a solution, make sure you're solving the right problem.

As always, may all your deals come true!

Feeling stressed about your recruitment desk? Worried about a tough market or where your next placement is coming from?

Here's something I want you to remember: one job is all you need.

In this episode, I'm breaking down how to take a single vacancy and turn it into a pipeline of new opportunities. Because when you've got one good job, you've got everything you need to start rebuilding your desk.

I'll walk you through the practical steps I use to turn one placement into multiple opportunities, from backfilling candidates and leveraging references to canvassing quality talent and asking clients for referrals.

👉 Why having just one job can actually be an advantage

Whether you're an experienced recruiter going through a quiet patch or just starting out, this episode is a reminder that you don't need a full desk to build momentum.

Start with one. Fill it. Build from there.

Ever feel like you're spinning your wheels, juggling a hundred things and not actually moving any closer to making a placement?

I've been there. But there's one question that's stuck with me throughout my recruitment career. A manager drilled it into me every day for six and a half years, and it's still my North Star whenever I'm feeling scattered, overwhelmed or unsure where to focus.

What's closest to the money?

It's ridiculously simple, but it works.

In this ep, I share how this one question can cut through the noise, sharpen your priorities and help you build a to-do list that actually drives revenue.

👉 How to refocus when you're feeling overwhelmed or directionless

Next time you're staring at an endless to-do list, ask yourself what's closest to the money. You might be surprised how quickly everything else falls into place.

As always, make all your deals come true!

If I followed you around with a camera for 24 hours, would I believe you were going to hit your targets this month?

It's a bloody good question. And if you're consistently falling short of your goals, you might not like the answer.

Here's the thing. Most recruiters have a pretty good idea of what they need to do to succeed. But knowing what to do and actually doing it are two very different things.

We track our calls, interviews, placements and to-do lists. But what about all the time we're wasting? The unnecessary conversations, the scrolling, the distractions and the 20-minute chats that should've taken two?

In today's ep, I'm challenging you to take a proper look at how you're spending your working day. And I've got a ridiculously simple exercise that'll show you exactly where your time is going.

👉 Why self-awareness is one of the most valuable skills you can develop as a recruiter.

You might be shocked by what you discover. But once you know where your time is going, you can start doing something about it.

Are you prepping your candidates for interviews but forgetting to prep your clients?

Here's my simple piece of advice I gave a client that completely changed the way she interviews candidates and helped her achieve better hiring outcomes.

The idea is simple: stop grilling candidates in the first interview and start selling the dream.

👉 First interview: Sell the company, the opportunity, the projects, the team and the culture

When a great candidate walks out of that first interview thinking, “I want that job,” the entire recruitment process becomes easier.

As recruiters, we spend plenty of time coaching candidates. But are you also coaching your clients on how to run a better hiring process?

This ep lays out what I think is best practice for training your clients, improving the interview experience and ultimately increasing your chances of making the placement.

What if recruitment isn’t always the answer?

Brett is joined by Rachel and Shannon from Stitch Partners to unpack their move from a traditional recruitment agency into a broader advisory model.

After more than 20 years in the industry, they realised they were already helping clients with far more than filling jobs. The difference? They decided to start treating that expertise as a service in its own right.

Tune in for:

👉 Why recruitment isn’t always the solution to a client’s problem

If you’re already giving your clients a heap of advice for free, this one is worth a listen.

You can’t sprint forever.

Recruitment works well in bursts — 10 or 11 weeks of pushing hard, followed by a chance to stop, recharge and reset.

So if you’re coming to the end of a quarter feeling depleted, this ep is your reminder to take the break. Book the week off. Switch off properly. Touch some grass. Put your feet in the sand and unwind.

But before you clock off, there are a few things to get sorted.

I run through my four-step quarter-end reset:

👉 Take the break and actually recharge.

Do it properly and you can come back from your break rested, recharged and ready to hit the ground running.

Because the last thing you want is to spend the first few weeks of a new quarter trying to get yourself back into gear.

Make all your deals come true.

Recruiters are a superstitious bunch.

Placement bells. Lucky songs. Weird office rituals. Things that make absolutely no logical difference to whether a deal lands… but somehow become sacred agency traditions anyway.

Today I’m counting down five of the best, weirdest and funniest recruitment rituals I’ve come across over the years.

👉 The placement song that announces to the entire office you’ve made another deal

Some of these are ridiculous. Some I genuinely want to introduce and some are probably an OH&S nightmare.

But now I want to hear yours. What weird recruitment superstition, ritual or celebration does your agency have?