The Resilient Recruiter

Diversity and inclusion is an important topic to discuss in the world of recruitment. Raj Tulsiani and Steve Baggi founded their recruitment firm with the goal and aim of helping organizations broaden their horizons and to hire a more diverse workplace. Doing so not just for diversity’s sake, but to lead to competitive advantage, increased business value, and diverse perspectives to drive innovation. 

Raj is uniquely qualified to tackle this subject. Not only is he a minority business owner himself, but a hugely successful entrepreneur. His firm Green Park is the 5th fastest growing recruitment company in the UK, with revenues just over £90,000,000 (about $117m USD). They’re listed by the Financial Times as one of the fastest-growing companies in Europe, and the only recruitment company to make the Sunday Times Fast Track in 2019.

Raj Tulsiani has become one of the UK’s leading figures in executive search, interim management, workforce planning, and diversification. He has over 20 years of experience moving the dial on leadership, talent and diversity and is the author of ‘Diversity and Inclusion for Leaders: Making a Difference with the Diversity Headhunter.’

Outline of This Episode

• [1:41] Raj’s journey in recruitment
• [3:02] What key milestones facilitated their growth?
• [10:34] The reality of achieving diversity and inclusion
• [16:47] What challenging a customer involves
• [24:37] How Green Park developed its CREED
• [33:22] Lessons learned from the last recession

Diversity and inclusion has been in their DNA since day 1

Raj and his co-founder Steve Baggi “wanted to work for an organization who accepted diversity and inclusion in their actions—not just in their aspirations and in their marketing.” They couldn’t find an employer that embodied their values, so they started their own recruitment firm on the 4th of August in 2006. 

They set up their business with the goal of helping people make diversity and inclusion more meaningful. A good customer was someone who wanted diversity but didn’t know how to get it or weren’t as inclusive as they thought. They committed to looking at the world through the intersection between brand, recruitment, and diversity. 

They invested in technology and research to back them up. It enabled them to hire and retain better talent and be more relevant in the marketplace. It afforded them a platform to be able to challenge poor behaviors they saw that needed to be corrected. 

How do they achieve diversity? 

Raj notes that he articulates it more clearly in his book, but for the purpose of a simple definition: when they talk about diversity they mean someone who is an ethnic minority, a woman, or someone who has a physical disability. Green Park placed a new diverse leader on a board every 8 days and their goal is to be able to achieve that daily by 2025. 

They have placed 35% ethnic minorities in board roles against a national average of 6% and over 50% women against an average of mid-’40s in the rest of the marketplace. Their goal is to provide a customer with a broader choice than they’d receive anywhere else. They want clients who prefer someone relevant to the problems they’ll face in the future. 

There is a high level of institutional prejudice in the marketplace. They are passionate about helping organizations build advocacy and deal with underlying disparities in outcomes. They want to develop relationships and help them understand the world differently. They come with a commitment to being different—and know they won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. 

Challenging your customers to new viewpoints

They believe that you can’t compete without having a true identity. Green Park’s view is that “forward-thinking, modern organizations require a wider, more considered choice—a diverse group of thinkers with a greater breadth of perspectives to drive ideas and spur innovation”. They want their clients to learn to look at the world in a way that gives them a broader choice.

If Raj sees disparities in how someone is treated in the selection process, he won’t hesitate to bring it to their attention and sees it as his duty. He once had a client ask, point-blank, “Why are there so many ethnic minorities on the short-list?”. It left Raj's team speechless, after all—isn’t that what people come to them for? 

He asked Raj how to address it. His response was “We’ve given you the best people that we’ve found and it happens that 40% of them are ethnic minorities' '. They had done their due diligence and the necessary research and they were all qualified candidates.

The Green Park CREED: Courage, Rigor, Empathy, Energy, and Diversity

Raj was clear that the business chose the values they operate on. As they built it, it became more apparent what was important to them. They are courageous with candidate and client feedback. Rigor and gaining a deeper understanding of customer’s needs are high on the list. Embodying empathy and the ability to come alongside a candidate dealing with a difficult transition into a placement is crucial.

Above all, they want to represent the diversity that is already in the world. We both wholeheartedly agree that inclusion is a basic human right. If an organization doesn’t understand or agree with that fact, they can find someone else to do their search. In Raj’s words,“We don’t want to be a conduit for great talent into leaky buckets”. 

To hear our in-depth discussion on diversity and inclusion and how it impacts a business’s competitive advantage and increased business value—listen to the whole episode of the Resilient Recruiter. 

Connect with Raj Tulsiani

• Raj on LinkedIn
• Green Park Limited Instagram
• Green Park on LinkedIn
• Green Park on Twitter
• Green Park on Facebook

Resources & People Mentioned

• BOOK: Diversity and Inclusion for Leaders

Connect With Mark Whitby

• Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: www.RecruitmentCoach.com/Breakthrough

• Mark on LinkedIn
• Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby
• Mark on Facebook
• Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach
• Mark on YouTube

Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

Audio Production and Show notes by
PODCAST FAST TRACK

Recruiting recruiters that are an asset to your business can be challenging. Attracting the right candidates for the position and assessing their competency is no easy task. Retention and longevity of staff seem to be the Achilles heel of the industry. That begs the question, how do we attract, develop, and retrain great recruiters? Is there a secret method that recruitment firms are missing? 

Shaun McCambridge with Stellar Recruiting based in Brisbane, Australia joins me to discuss the method they’ve found most successful for recruiting recruiters. We’ll talk about why Shaun started Stellar Recruitment, what he believes the key to their success is, developing genuine relationships with clients—and how to hire and retain the right people for your team.

Outline of This Episode

• [2:33] Why did Shaun McCambridge start Stellar Recruitment?
• [5:26] Client partnerships is a key element of their success
• [7:35] How Stellar created longstanding partnerships
• [13:06] Increasing retention and longevity of staff
• [17:47] Attributes Shaun looks for when hiring recruiters
• [19:21] Assessing character during the interview process
• [22:45] Measuring performance after 12 months
• [31:15] Shaun’s journey with personal development
• [33:49] What inspired Shaun to start his podcast? 
• [35:50] The importance of mindset over talent and ability
• [39:16] The ‘20,000 Lives Changed’ campaign
• [42:15] Stoic philosophy thought for the day

The key to creating longstanding partnerships with clients

Shaun believes that one of the largest factors that differentiate them in the industry is the relationship they build with their clients. 3 of their clients have worked with them from day one— for the last 14 years. Shaun points out that many recruiters can be transactional and focused on ‘closing the deal’. At Stellar, they strive to be genuine and honest while delivering on the promises they’ve made to their clients. Everything they do is relationship-based and they focus on remembering that they are engaging in human-to-human personalized interaction. 

In my experience, many of the recruiters I’ve worked with are experienced professionals who are genuine and honest. While there are some bad actors in the industry, I’ve found that many of the transactional recruiters are inexperienced. They are put under immense pressure to perform, to bring in revenue without the proper support or training. Shaun doesn’t want this transactional dynamic in his business, which is why he places high importance on developing and training his recruiters properly. Keep listening as we discuss his methods. 

The secret to decreasing turnover and improving staff retention

Shaun was fortunate to start his career with Hays, where he learned the ins-and-outs of the sales world among a group of like-minded competitors. When he left, his goal was to replicate the high-performing culture he experienced there in Stellar Recruitment. Retaining a core group of recruiters can be a powerful force in your business. With this goal in mind, he sought to create a culture where their recruiters feel empowered and challenged. They emphasize on-the-job training in their particular methods. They also provide organizational psychologists on staff to coach team members.

They believe ongoing development and training is essential to longevity. Stellar helps their recruiters map out their career paths and implement personal goals that coincide with professional goals. Shaun stated that “Stellar should be a vehicle to achieve outside of work”. Finding fulfillment in their roles with personal and professional impact is key to retention. Shaun also stands by the practice of promoting from within. Making progress and growing through the ranks leads to engagement which Shaun points out leads to retention. 

Recruiting recruiters: Assessing attributes of a candidate during the interview process

There are 3 attributes that Shaun looks for when they’re hiring new staff: character, competitiveness, and above-average intelligence. They want to hire people who are nice human beings that treat people well. But they also want to hire people who are driven and competitive, with a desire to win, succeed, and challenge themselves. People with above-average intelligence tend to be more coachable and capable of articulate conversations. They also try to ascertain whether or not the candidates stack up against their values (greatness, positivity, and leadership). 

I was curious—how do they assess some of those character attributes during the interview process? Shaun stated that they observe candidates from the moment they walk into the building. Were they polite and friendly with administrative staff? How are they conducting themselves? They also utilize a 4-step interview process where you can see how they interact with hiring managers and other staff. If there are any “holes” in their stories, they become apparent through this lengthy process. 

They also use targeted and specific questions to gauge the character of candidates. One question they like to use is, “What was your relationship with your previous supervisor?”. Some potential hires throw their bosses under-the-bus, which is a clear indicator they didn’t value that relationship. They have a tried and true series of questions to gauge the fit of the candidate. Shaun admits that it isn’t 100% foolproof, but they’ve found great success with their model. 

A unique way to judge performance 

Numbers are important in this industry and it is imperative that you’re reaching your goals. However, Stellar Recruitment measures against another benchmark they find just as important—client satisfaction. They use Setmetrics to track performance and routinely have clients complete surveys to gauge satisfaction. Customer service in the industry can be poor, so they’ve found that placing importance on it sets them apart. News travels fast if you aren't performing and aren’t keeping your clients happy. So they’ve become passionate about customer service. 

They also use metrics to track engagement with their recruiters. If they’re underperforming, or their interaction with clients is leading to a low satisfaction survey score, it’s a warning sign. They use internal surveys to monitor their staff and if there are engagement issues they can remedy them. They want to be sure that their recruiters are still enjoying their work and being challenged. 

Shaun and I agree that the best recruiters embrace a growth mindset and that it is critical to success. Those with a growth mindset are resilient, believe in themselves, and embrace challenges as a means of learning and pushing forward in their career. Listen to the entire episode to hear Shaun’s thoughts on mindset, why he started a podcast, and their “20,000 Lives Changed” company campaign. 

Connect with Shaun McCambridge

• Shaun on Twitter
• Shaun on LinkedIn
• Stellar Recruitment

Resources & People Mentioned

• BOOK: Mindset by Carol Dweck
• Stellar Podcast
• Verne Harnish
• Setmetrics

Connect With Mark Whitby

• Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: www.RecruitmentCoach.com/Breakthrough
• Mark on LinkedIn
• Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby
• Mark on Facebook
• Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach
• Mark on YouTube

Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK

Recruiting recruiters that are an asset to your business can be challenging. Attracting the right candidates for the position and assessing their competency is no easy task. Retention and longevity of staff seem to be the Achilles heel of the industry. That begs the question, how do we attract, develop, and retrain great recruiters? Is there a secret method that recruitment firms are missing? 

Shaun McCambridge with Stellar Recruiting based in Brisbane, Australia joins me to discuss the method they’ve found most successful for recruiting recruiters. We’ll talk about why Shaun started Stellar Recruitment, what he believes the key to their success is, developing genuine relationships with clients—and how to hire and retain the right people for your team.

Outline of This Episode

• [2:33] Why did Shaun McCambridge start Stellar Recruitment?
• [5:26] Client partnerships is a key element of their success
• [7:35] How Stellar created longstanding partnerships
• [13:06] Increasing retention and longevity of staff
• [17:47] Attributes Shaun looks for when hiring recruiters
• [19:21] Assessing character during the interview process
• [22:45] Measuring performance after 12 months
• [31:15] Shaun’s journey with personal development
• [33:49] What inspired Shaun to start his podcast? 
• [35:50] The importance of mindset over talent and ability
• [39:16] The ‘20,000 Lives Changed’ campaign
• [42:15] Stoic philosophy thought for the day

The key to creating longstanding partnerships with clients

Shaun believes that one of the largest factors that differentiate them in the industry is the relationship they build with their clients. 3 of their clients have worked with them from day one— for the last 14 years. Shaun points out that many recruiters can be transactional and focused on ‘closing the deal’. At Stellar, they strive to be genuine and honest while delivering on the promises they’ve made to their clients. Everything they do is relationship-based and they focus on remembering that they are engaging in human-to-human personalized interaction. 

In my experience, many of the recruiters I’ve worked with are experienced professionals who are genuine and honest. While there are some bad actors in the industry, I’ve found that many of the transactional recruiters are inexperienced. They are put under immense pressure to perform, to bring in revenue without the proper support or training. Shaun doesn’t want this transactional dynamic in his business, which is why he places high importance on developing and training his recruiters properly. Keep listening as we discuss his methods. 

The secret to decreasing turnover and improving staff retention

Shaun was fortunate to start his career with Hays, where he learned the ins-and-outs of the sales world among a group of like-minded competitors. When he left, his goal was to replicate the high-performing culture he experienced there in Stellar Recruitment. Retaining a core group of recruiters can be a powerful force in your business. With this goal in mind, he sought to create a culture where their recruiters feel empowered and challenged. They emphasize on-the-job training in their particular methods. They also provide organizational psychologists on staff to coach team members.

They believe ongoing development and training is essential to longevity. Stellar helps their recruiters map out their career paths and implement personal goals that coincide with professional goals. Shaun stated that “Stellar should be a vehicle to achieve outside of work”. Finding fulfillment in their roles with personal and professional impact is key to retention. Shaun also stands by the practice of promoting from within. Making progress and growing through the ranks leads to engagement which Shaun points out leads to retention. 

Recruiting recruiters: Assessing attributes of a candidate during the interview process

There are 3 attributes that Shaun looks for when they’re hiring new staff: character, competitiveness, and above-average intelligence. They want to hire people who are nice human beings that treat people well. But they also want to hire people who are driven and competitive, with a desire to win, succeed, and challenge themselves. People with above-average intelligence tend to be more coachable and capable of articulate conversations. They also try to ascertain whether or not the candidates stack up against their values (greatness, positivity, and leadership). 

I was curious—how do they assess some of those character attributes during the interview process? Shaun stated that they observe candidates from the moment they walk into the building. Were they polite and friendly with administrative staff? How are they conducting themselves? They also utilize a 4-step interview process where you can see how they interact with hiring managers and other staff. If there are any “holes” in their stories, they become apparent through this lengthy process. 

They also use targeted and specific questions to gauge the character of candidates. One question they like to use is, “What was your relationship with your previous supervisor?”. Some potential hires throw their bosses under-the-bus, which is a clear indicator they didn’t value that relationship. They have a tried and true series of questions to gauge the fit of the candidate. Shaun admits that it isn’t 100% foolproof, but they’ve found great success with their model. 

A unique way to judge performance 

Numbers are important in this industry and it is imperative that you’re reaching your goals. However, Stellar Recruitment measures against another benchmark they find just as important—client satisfaction. They use Setmetrics to track performance and routinely have clients complete surveys to gauge satisfaction. Customer service in the industry can be poor, so they’ve found that placing importance on it sets them apart. News travels fast if you aren't performing and aren’t keeping your clients happy. So they’ve become passionate about customer service. 

They also use metrics to track engagement with their recruiters. If they’re underperforming, or their interaction with clients is leading to a low satisfaction survey score, it’s a warning sign. They use internal surveys to monitor their staff and if there are engagement issues they can remedy them. They want to be sure that their recruiters are still enjoying their work and being challenged. 

Shaun and I agree that the best recruiters embrace a growth mindset and that it is critical to success. Those with a growth mindset are resilient, believe in themselves, and embrace challenges as a means of learning and pushing forward in their career. Listen to the entire episode to hear Shaun’s thoughts on mindset, why he started a podcast, and their “20,000 Lives Changed” company campaign. 

Connect with Shaun McCambridge

• Shaun on Twitter
• Shaun on LinkedIn
• Stellar Recruitment

Resources & People Mentioned

• BOOK: Mindset by Carol Dweck
• Stellar Podcast
• Verne Harnish
• Setmetrics

Connect With Mark Whitby

• Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: www.RecruitmentCoach.com/Breakthrough
• Mark on LinkedIn
• Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby
• Mark on Facebook
• Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach
• Mark on YouTube

Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

Audio Production and Show notes by
PODCAST FAST TRACK

Developing a strong personal brand is becoming increasingly important to your success as a recruiter. That applies to all recruitment consultants but is especially critical for independent recruiters and owners of small recruiting and staffing agencies.

My guest today—Lauren Stiebing—is a great example of a recruiter who has embraced personal branding as a way to differentiate herself in a crowded market. Lauren started her search firm, LS International, in Barcelona in 2015 and has built a thriving global practice in the CPG/FMCG space. There were many factors that contributed to her success, including her relentless persistence.

In our conversation, we talk about the challenge of building a client base from scratch and the learning curve associated with mastering the ins and outs of business development. She shares the unique challenges she faced and the different strategies she’s used to successfully build her recruitment business. She’s one of my superstar clients and it’s a wonderful privilege to welcome her to the show. 

Outline of This Episode

• [2:43] The background of Lauren Stiebing’s company—LS International
• [3:53] Key milestones in the development of her business
• [7:09] What were some of Lauren’s biggest achievements?
• [8:14] The values she embraces building a personal brand
• [10:45] What is the concept of giving hard feedback? 
• [13:08] Developing relationships with blue-chip multinational companies
• [14:48] What persistence looks like in the recruitment industry
• [15:48] Using conferences and speaking engagements to network
• [18:54] The upside of starting a podcast
• [25:07] Competing with brand-name search firms
• [28:33] Why large brands choose her over more established firms
• [31:34] How did Lauren end up in Barcelona?
• [32:15] Why build a team versus being a single recruiter?
• [34:24] How Lauren juggles being a billing manager and recruiter
• [35:41] Lauren’s vision for the future of LS International

Building a recruitment agency from the ground up

When Lauren launched her business 4.5 years ago, she had little to no experience with business development. She knew she wanted to go out on her own and had the drive to make it happen. She gave herself a deadline of one year to get the business off the ground. If it didn’t work out as she anticipated, then she would begin searching for a job. Fortunately, she turned a profit in her first year and has never looked back.

Starting a recruitment agency is not for the faint of heart, and Lauren’s journey was far from straightforward. From the start, Lauren knew that she wanted to operate a retained search practice. Yet 6 months in, she had zero revenue coming in. Lauren and I started working together at this point. After a month, she made her first placement. She pointed out that making your first placement is the hardest, after that things start to get easier.

Lauren has achieved what many haven’t - starting a recruitment agency and growing her billings year after year, while 80% of new recruitment companies fail within the first two years. She provides exceptional service and is unrelenting in her ability to make good on her promises, as evidenced by the fact she’s successfully completed 90% of her search assignments. 

The values Lauren’s personal brand embraces

Lauren knew she faced a significant challenge in the industry, going up against well-known established firms. She recommends building a brand for yourself to differentiate in the industry. One strategy she leveraged to build her personal brand was launching her podcast, LS International Career Success. She was adding value to the industry and this helped her build relationships with clients and candidates. But that wasn’t the only thing that set her apart.

Lauren places a high level of importance on professionalism and confidentiality. She explains that clients NEED to know that she takes their confidence seriously. She also believes that you need to have an impeccable response rate—which is sorely lacking in the industry. Even if you can’t answer every question, you can point them in the right direction. This keeps you from burning bridges. Above all, you must be honest and genuine and willing to give hard feedback where others won’t.

Lauren points out that providing hard feedback doesn’t always go over well but ultimately gains their respect and engages people on a deeper level. She shares an example of how she challenges her candidates by asking probing questions. 

Strategies and tactics to grow your business

Being a young entrepreneur, Lauren knew that persistence was going to be the key to her success. As she began breaking into the industry she learned she must keep knocking on the proverbial door. For her, this looked like leveraging multiple channels of communication: email, phone calls, text messaging, and LinkedIn messaging. She tried whatever she could use to get her foot in the door with candidates and clients. 

One strategy she uses—which I find compelling—is using conferences to build relationships. This involves identifying which conferences you want to go to and why. Is there a conference that you can attend to connect with decision-makers in your market sector? She notes that it can be a big financial commitment, not to mention the time involved, so you have to do your due diligence and make sure it’s the right move. 

Another way to build your personal brand and place yourself as an expert in the industry is by speaking at events. Lauren most recently spoke about creating a more diverse workforce at a LEAD Network event. Not only did she position herself as a leader and an expert in her market, but she also learned a lot and met people relevant to her industry. 

How does LS International compete with established agencies? 

Other than building a personal brand that stands out from the competition, there are a couple of key ways Lauren believes her agency differentiates itself: 

1. Her competitors may have a podcast, but it doesn’t compare to hers. Lauren notes that many of the big-name firms come across as unrelatable. Their podcasts—if they have one at all—are informational and stuffy, often geared towards those at the executive level. She strives to make her podcast (and her business) relatable to everyone looking to advance their career.

2. Lauren is the first to acknowledge that she faces steep competition. But there is an upside to being a small, boutique search firm—flexibility. Her agency can adapt to each client’s needs from one day to the next. They are small enough to be able to change processes or utilize different tools midway through the process. 

LS International is able to keep the business customer-focused because it can be adaptable. She can split-fees with other recruiters as-needed, work with multiple people, or do whatever is necessary to ensure client happiness. 

Lauren shares how she got her foot in the door with blue-chip multinational companies, the value she’s found in launching her podcast, and much more. Be sure to listen to our engaging conversation.

Connect with Lauren Stiebing

• Lauren on LinkedIn
• LS International on Twitter
• LS International
• LS International Podcast

Resources & People Mentioned

• Upwork
• The LEAD Network

Connect With Mark Whitby

• Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: www.RecruitmentCoach.com/Breakthrough
• Mark on LinkedIn
• Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby
• Mark on Facebook
• Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach
• Mark on YouTube 

 

Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK

Developing a strong personal brand is becoming increasingly important to your success as a recruiter. That applies to all recruitment consultants but is especially critical for independent recruiters and owners of small recruiting and staffing agencies.

My guest today—Lauren Stiebing—is a great example of a recruiter who has embraced personal branding as a way to differentiate herself in a crowded market. Lauren started her search firm, LS International, in Barcelona in 2015 and has built a thriving global practice in the CPG/FMCG space. There were many factors that contributed to her success, including her relentless persistence.

In our conversation, we talk about the challenge of building a client base from scratch and the learning curve associated with mastering the ins and outs of business development. She shares the unique challenges she faced and the different strategies she’s used to successfully build her recruitment business. She’s one of my superstar clients and it’s a wonderful privilege to welcome her to the show. 

Outline of This Episode

• [2:43] The background of Lauren Stiebing’s company—LS International
• [3:53] Key milestones in the development of her business
• [7:09] What were some of Lauren’s biggest achievements?
• [8:14] The values she embraces building a personal brand
• [10:45] What is the concept of giving hard feedback? 
• [13:08] Developing relationships with blue-chip multinational companies
• [14:48] What persistence looks like in the recruitment industry
• [15:48] Using conferences and speaking engagements to network
• [18:54] The upside of starting a podcast
• [25:07] Competing with brand-name search firms
• [28:33] Why large brands choose her over more established firms
• [31:34] How did Lauren end up in Barcelona?
• [32:15] Why build a team versus being a single recruiter?
• [34:24] How Lauren juggles being a billing manager and recruiter
• [35:41] Lauren’s vision for the future of LS International

Building a recruitment agency from the ground up

When Lauren launched her business 4.5 years ago, she had little to no experience with business development. She knew she wanted to go out on her own and had the drive to make it happen. She gave herself a deadline of one year to get the business off the ground. If it didn’t work out as she anticipated, then she would begin searching for a job. Fortunately, she turned a profit in her first year and has never looked back.

Starting a recruitment agency is not for the faint of heart, and Lauren’s journey was far from straightforward. From the start, Lauren knew that she wanted to operate a retained search practice. Yet 6 months in, she had zero revenue coming in. Lauren and I started working together at this point. After a month, she made her first placement. She pointed out that making your first placement is the hardest, after that things start to get easier.

Lauren has achieved what many haven’t - starting a recruitment agency and growing her billings year after year, while 80% of new recruitment companies fail within the first two years. She provides exceptional service and is unrelenting in her ability to make good on her promises, as evidenced by the fact she’s successfully completed 90% of her search assignments. 

The values Lauren’s personal brand embraces

Lauren knew she faced a significant challenge in the industry, going up against well-known established firms. She recommends building a brand for yourself to differentiate in the industry. One strategy she leveraged to build her personal brand was launching her podcast, LS International Career Success. She was adding value to the industry and this helped her build relationships with clients and candidates. But that wasn’t the only thing that set her apart.

Lauren places a high level of importance on professionalism and confidentiality. She explains that clients NEED to know that she takes their confidence seriously. She also believes that you need to have an impeccable response rate—which is sorely lacking in the industry. Even if you can’t answer every question, you can point them in the right direction. This keeps you from burning bridges. Above all, you must be honest and genuine and willing to give hard feedback where others won’t.

Lauren points out that providing hard feedback doesn’t always go over well but ultimately gains their respect and engages people on a deeper level. She shares an example of how she challenges her candidates by asking probing questions. 

Strategies and tactics to grow your business

Being a young entrepreneur, Lauren knew that persistence was going to be the key to her success. As she began breaking into the industry she learned she must keep knocking on the proverbial door. For her, this looked like leveraging multiple channels of communication: email, phone calls, text messaging, and LinkedIn messaging. She tried whatever she could use to get her foot in the door with candidates and clients. 

One strategy she uses—which I find compelling—is using conferences to build relationships. This involves identifying which conferences you want to go to and why. Is there a conference that you can attend to connect with decision-makers in your market sector? She notes that it can be a big financial commitment, not to mention the time involved, so you have to do your due diligence and make sure it’s the right move. 

Another way to build your personal brand and place yourself as an expert in the industry is by speaking at events. Lauren most recently spoke about creating a more diverse workforce at a LEAD Network event. Not only did she position herself as a leader and an expert in her market, but she also learned a lot and met people relevant to her industry. 

How does LS International compete with established agencies? 

Other than building a personal brand that stands out from the competition, there are a couple of key ways Lauren believes her agency differentiates itself: 

1. Her competitors may have a podcast, but it doesn’t compare to hers. Lauren notes that many of the big-name firms come across as unrelatable. Their podcasts—if they have one at all—are informational and stuffy, often geared towards those at the executive level. She strives to make her podcast (and her business) relatable to everyone looking to advance their career.

2. Lauren is the first to acknowledge that she faces steep competition. But there is an upside to being a small, boutique search firm—flexibility. Her agency can adapt to each client’s needs from one day to the next. They are small enough to be able to change processes or utilize different tools midway through the process. 

LS International is able to keep the business customer-focused because it can be adaptable. She can split-fees with other recruiters as-needed, work with multiple people, or do whatever is necessary to ensure client happiness. 

Lauren shares how she got her foot in the door with blue-chip multinational companies, the value she’s found in launching her podcast, and much more. Be sure to listen to our engaging conversation.

Connect with Lauren Stiebing

• Lauren on LinkedIn
• LS International on Twitter
• LS International
• LS International Podcast

Resources & People Mentioned

• Upwork
• The LEAD Network

Connect With Mark Whitby

• Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: www.RecruitmentCoach.com/Breakthrough
• Mark on LinkedIn
• Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby
• Mark on Facebook
• Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach
• Mark on YouTube 

 

Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

Audio Production and Show notes by
PODCAST FAST TRACK

Developing your personal brand isn’t typically the first thing that comes to mind when you think of building and scaling a recruitment agency. But my guest today—Lauren Stiebing—took the concept of personal branding and made it a way to differentiate herself in a crowded market. Lauren launched her agency, LS International, in Barcelona in 2015 and has reached significant growth through her tactics.

In our conversation, we talk about the learning curve associated with mastering the ins and outs of business development. Because Lauren had already built a network on the recruitment side she was able to take that and her relentless persistence and forge ahead with her recruitment firm. She shares the unique challenges she faced and the different strategies she’s used to successfully build her business. She’s one of my superstar clients and it’s a wonderful privilege to welcome her to the show. 

Outline of This Episode

• [2:43] The background of Lauren Stiebing’s company—LS International
• [3:53] Key milestones in the development of her business
• [7:15] What were some of Lauren’s biggest achievements?
• [8:20] The values she embraces building a personal brand
• [10:51] What is the concept of hard feedback? 
• [13:14] Developing relationships with blue-chip multinational companies
• [14:54] What persistence looks like in the recruitment industry
• [15:54] Using conferences and speaking engagements to network
• [19:00] The upside of starting a podcast
• [25:13] Competing with brand-name search firms
• [28:39] Why large brands choose her over more established firms
• [31:40] How did Lauren end up in Barcelona?
• [32:21] Why build a team versus being a single recruiter?
• [34:30] How Lauren juggles being a billing manager and recruiter
• [35:47] Lauren’s vision for the future of LS International

Building a recruitment agency from the ground up

When Lauren launched her business 4.5 years ago, she had little to no experience with business development. She knew she wanted to go out on her own and knew she had the drive to make it work. So she set out with the goal of giving herself one year to develop the business. If it didn’t work out as she anticipated, then she would begin searching for a job.

She spent time mapping out the different companies she preferred to work with, with an emphasis on FMCG/CPG. She laid out a framework for the type of candidates she’d need to network with. Lauren also researched and landed on her ideal agency model. She was 6 months in and had landed several retainers, but had no revenue coming in. Lauren and I started working together at this point. After a month, she made her first placement. She pointed out that once you hit that mark, things seem to get easier. It’s the initial hump that is the most difficult to overcome. 

Lauren has achieved what many haven’t—a thriving recruitment agency with strong relationships with clients and candidates. She’s also achieved close to a 90% close rate on retained searches. She provides good service and is unrelenting in her ability to make good on her promises. 

The values Lauren’s personal brand embraces

Lauren knew she faced a significant challenge in the industry, going up against well-known established firms. She recommends building a brand for yourself to differentiate in the industry. She accomplished that by permeating social media and launching her podcast. She was adding value to the industry where other agencies weren’t. This helped her build relationships with clients and candidates. But that wasn’t the only thing that set her apart.

Lauren places a high level of importance on professionalism and confidentiality. She explains that clients NEED to know that she takes their confidence seriously. She also believes that you need to have an impeccable response rate—which is sorely lacking in the industry. Even if you can’t answer every question, you can point them in the right direction. This keeps you from burning bridges. Above all, you must be honest and genuine and willing to give hard feedback where others won’t.

Lauren points out that the concept of hard feedback doesn’t always go over well. She shares an example of how she challenges her candidates by asking probing questions. Why are they considering a career move? Is it in the direction they actually want for their career? She’s found that asking the ‘hard’ questions she engages them at a deeper level and builds respect. 

Strategies and tactics to grow your business

Being a young entrepreneur, Lauren knew that persistence was going to be the key to her success. As she began breaking into the industry she learned she must keep knocking on the proverbial door. For her, this looked like leveraging multiple channels of communication: email, phone calls, text messaging, and LinkedIn messaging. She tried whatever she could use to get her foot in the door with candidates and clients. 

One strategy she uses—which I find compelling—is using conferences to build relationships. This involves identifying which conferences you want to go to and why. Is there an HR conference that you can attend to connect with HR directors? What about conferences where you can source members for your own team? She notes that it can be a financial commitment, so you have to do your due diligence and make sure it’s the right move. 

Another way to build your personal brand and place yourself as an expert in the industry is by speaking at events. Lauren most recently spoke about creating a more diverse workforce at a LEAD Network event. Not only did she position herself as a leader and an expert in her market, but she also learned a lot and met people relevant to her industry. 

How does LS International compete with established agencies? 

Other than building a personal brand that stands out from the competition, there are a couple of key ways Lauren believes her agency differentiates itself: 

1. Her competitors may have a podcast, but it doesn’t compare to hers. Lauren notes that many of the big-name firms come across as unrelatable. Their podcasts—if they have one at all—are informational and stuffy, often geared towards those at the executive level. She strives to make her podcast (and her business) relatable to everyone looking to advance their career.

2. Lauren is the first to acknowledge that she faces steep competition. But there is an upside to being a small fish in a big pond—flexibility. Her agency can adapt to each client’s needs from one day to the next. They are small enough to be able to change processes or utilize different tools midway through the process. 

LS International is able to keep the business customer-focused because it can be adaptable. She can split-fees with other recruiters as-needed, work with multiple people, or do whatever necessary to ensure client happiness 

Lauren shares how she got her foot in the door with blue-chip multinational companies, the value she’s found in launching her podcast, and much more. Be sure to listen to our engaging conversation.

Connect with Lauren Stiebing

• Lauren on LinkedIn
• LS International on Twitter
• LS International
• LS International Podcast

Resources & People Mentioned

• Upwork
• The LEAD Network

Connect With Mark Whitby

• Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: www.RecruitmentCoach.com/Breakthrough
• Mark on LinkedIn
• Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby
• Mark on Facebook
• Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach
• Mark on YouTube

Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

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PODCAST FAST TRACK

More and more agencies are proving that you can successfully scale your recruitment business by utilizing team development and automation tools. What does the development process look like? Can automation truly open up your time to focus on revenue-producing activities?

Mark Smith, the Managing Director of people2people, has spent the last 15 years implementing these processes. He’s articulated values for the business culture and has developed and retained a team of successful recruiters. people2people has quickly grown into one of the leading agencies in Australia and New Zealand. 

In this episode of The Resilient Recruiter, Mark will share some of the strategies that have helped him scale people2people to the point it’s at now. He’ll talk about managing against your values, motivating and developing your team, their automated chatbot “Pete”, and much more. Don’t miss this engaging and educational episode. 

Outline of This Episode

• [3:23] What is the “Valley of Death”?
• [5:32] You need to define your culture’s values
• [11:50] How to uphold your values
• [18:00] Mark’s history with Greg Savage
• [20:05] Mark attributes his success to team development
• [27:50] An unconventional way to hire and train recruiters
• [34:20] Applications for Pete—the people2people chatbot
• [39:35] Other ways Mark implements automation
• [44:32] The big challenges recruitment agencies will face

You need to define your culture’s values

As Mark was scaling his business he began to question if his company’s values were staying consistent across their 110 locations. He wanted to definitively know if the culture in his Brisbane office was the same as in Melbourne. After some reflection, he decided his business had reached a point where it was time to articulate their values. 

While researching, he found was that his offices were relatively consistent—and he was relieved. But Mark wanted to forge ahead with his endeavor to fully define what they strive for as a company. He and his team landed on an acronym—STRIDE: Strength (resilience), Teamwork, Respect, Integrity, Drive, and Enterprise—that they would use to define their values. With a description firmly in place, they could begin to manage everything against their values. They had a way to evaluate if potential hires line up with their beliefs.

Mark’s company, people2people has since implemented a monthly meeting to talk about wins and performance. They host a yearly STRIDE awards event where people from each office are nominated. They have STRIDE apparel and posters as visual reminders of their values. They’ve found an effective way to implement their team values internally, and Mark believes it greatly impacts their success externally with customer relationships. 

Mark has found success in the power of team development

People2people now has 110 staff and 8 different locations in Australia and New Zealand. Mark noted that scaling the business wasn’t easy. When the GFC (Global Financial Crisis) hit, there was a downturn in Australia. He couldn’t attract experienced recruiters and had difficulty hiring externally. So he rallied and decided that he would develop his own team into recruiters. 

When he chose that path for his business it meant he had to develop a process for training. He wanted the customer experience to be the same across the board. But if he was going to develop his own team from the ground up, he wanted to limit staff turnover and increase longevity. This takes hard work and dedication and fully enforcing the values they built the company on. Because of his effort, 35 of his employees have been with the business for longer than 5 years. 

Mark develops his team through succession planning. He has staff trained and ready to step up if a senior consultant moves on. How does he achieve that? His preferred method is to assign a para consultant to a senior consultant in the business. They train with the senior recruiter and handle administrative responsibilities. Mark has found this is the best way to implement team development. Keep listening as he shares what the ideal para consultant looks like and the criteria he uses to determine if they’re ready for their own desk. 

Scaling your business utilizing automation

While Mark does have a back-office, he’s always striving to keep the bulk of his company’s workforce revenue-producing. For him, that means utilizing the latest technology to take on most administrative duties. Enter Pete—people2people’s chatbot. Previously, Mark had rotated para consultants to answer questions on their website. Now, Pete answers most of the 400+ questions they receive weekly. Of those 400 questions, Pete only transfers approximately 30 conversations to a human being.

Implementing a bot to answer questions is just one way Mark has opened up his employees’ time. He also uses his chat-bot to speak with potential hires. They’re able to interact and chat with Pete to knock out some basic questions that would be asked in an interview. Pete can wrap up administrative details and all of the information gathered is input into their system. Mark points out that some people have whole departments to handle processes that his chatbot can do. 

Implementing automation may be expensive, but can save you money in the long run. It allows you to hire fewer people and gives you a more scalable business. It opens up your time to win new business. With everything he implements, Mark is always questioning whether or not it is scalable and will help grow the business. Keep listening to hear other ways Mark is using automation and how he addresses ongoing challenges he sees in the recruitment industry. 

The core of the business will always be client relationships

Although Mark wholly believes in implementing technology and automation to streamline his business, he agrees that there will always be a place for the human element. Bots can’t understand motivations, career aspirations, and certainly can’t sell an opportunity. But by implementing bots and technology, Mark has freed up his recruitment team to focus on activities that bring in revenue and the ever important customer relationships. 

It’s also why he’s focused tirelessly on team development to ensure they’re living out the companies core values. He’s struggled through difficult situations where he’s had to part ways with top-earning recruiters because they didn’t espouse the values he’s built the business on. The rest of the team sees that he has taken action and reinforces those values. They see that he is willing to lose revenue to back those beliefs. Mark states that “Success is not only defined by the numbers of dollars or pounds you put up on the board”—It can also be measured in the ongoing relationships recruiters have developed with clients. 

Connect with Mark Smith

• Mark on LinkedIn
• Mark on Twitter
• people2people

Resources & People Mentioned

• Fieldglass
• UiPath
• Volcanic
• BOOK: Bad Blood by John Carreyrou
• BOOK: The Savage Truth by Greg Savage
• BOOK: Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson M.D.

Connect With Mark Whitby

• Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: www.RecruitmentCoach.com/Breakthrough
• Mark on LinkedIn
• Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby
• Mark on Facebook
• Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach
• Mark on YouTube

Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK

More and more agencies are proving that you can successfully scale your recruitment business by utilizing team development and automation tools. What does the development process look like? Can automation truly open up your time to focus on revenue-producing activities?

Mark Smith, the Managing Director of people2people, has spent the last 15 years implementing these processes. He’s articulated values for the business culture and has developed and retained a team of successful recruiters. people2people has quickly grown into one of the leading agencies in Australia and New Zealand. 

In this episode of The Resilient Recruiter, Mark will share some of the strategies that have helped him scale people2people to the point it’s at now. He’ll talk about managing against your values, motivating and developing your team, their automated chatbot “Pete”, and much more. Don’t miss this engaging and educational episode. 

Outline of This Episode

• [3:23] What is the “Valley of Death”?
• [5:32] You need to define your culture’s values
• [11:50] How to uphold your values
• [18:00] Mark’s history with Greg Savage
• [20:05] Mark attributes his success to team development
• [27:50] An unconventional way to hire and train recruiters
• [34:20] Applications for Pete—the people2people chatbot
• [39:35] Other ways Mark implements automation
• [44:32] The big challenges recruitment agencies will face

You need to define your culture’s values

As Mark was scaling his business he began to question if his company’s values were staying consistent across their 110 locations. He wanted to definitively know if the culture in his Brisbane office was the same as in Melbourne. After some reflection, he decided his business had reached a point where it was time to articulate their values. 

While researching, he found was that his offices were relatively consistent—and he was relieved. But Mark wanted to forge ahead with his endeavor to fully define what they strive for as a company. He and his team landed on an acronym—STRIDE: Strength (resilience), Teamwork, Respect, Integrity, Drive, and Enterprise—that they would use to define their values. With a description firmly in place, they could begin to manage everything against their values. They had a way to evaluate if potential hires line up with their beliefs.

Mark’s company, people2people has since implemented a monthly meeting to talk about wins and performance. They host a yearly STRIDE awards event where people from each office are nominated. They have STRIDE apparel and posters as visual reminders of their values. They’ve found an effective way to implement their team values internally, and Mark believes it greatly impacts their success externally with customer relationships. 

Mark has found success in the power of team development

People2people now has 110 staff and 8 different locations in Australia and New Zealand. Mark noted that scaling the business wasn’t easy. When the GFC (Global Financial Crisis) hit, there was a downturn in Australia. He couldn’t attract experienced recruiters and had difficulty hiring externally. So he rallied and decided that he would develop his own team into recruiters. 

When he chose that path for his business it meant he had to develop a process for training. He wanted the customer experience to be the same across the board. But if he was going to develop his own team from the ground up, he wanted to limit staff turnover and increase longevity. This takes hard work and dedication and fully enforcing the values they built the company on. Because of his effort, 35 of his employees have been with the business for longer than 5 years. 

Mark develops his team through succession planning. He has staff trained and ready to step up if a senior consultant moves on. How does he achieve that? His preferred method is to assign a para consultant to a senior consultant in the business. They train with the senior recruiter and handle administrative responsibilities. Mark has found this is the best way to implement team development. Keep listening as he shares what the ideal para consultant looks like and the criteria he uses to determine if they’re ready for their own desk. 

Scaling your business utilizing automation

While Mark does have a back-office, he’s always striving to keep the bulk of his company’s workforce revenue-producing. For him, that means utilizing the latest technology to take on most administrative duties. Enter Pete—people2people’s chatbot. Previously, Mark had rotated para consultants to answer questions on their website. Now, Pete answers most of the 400+ questions they receive weekly. Of those 400 questions, Pete only transfers approximately 30 conversations to a human being.

Implementing a bot to answer questions is just one way Mark has opened up his employees’ time. He also uses his chat-bot to speak with potential hires. They’re able to interact and chat with Pete to knock out some basic questions that would be asked in an interview. Pete can wrap up administrative details and all of the information gathered is input into their system. Mark points out that some people have whole departments to handle processes that his chatbot can do. 

Implementing automation may be expensive, but can save you money in the long run. It allows you to hire fewer people and gives you a more scalable business. It opens up your time to win new business. With everything he implements, Mark is always questioning whether or not it is scalable and will help grow the business. Keep listening to hear other ways Mark is using automation and how he addresses ongoing challenges he sees in the recruitment industry. 

The core of the business will always be client relationships

Although Mark wholly believes in implementing technology and automation to streamline his business, he agrees that there will always be a place for the human element. Bots can’t understand motivations, career aspirations, and certainly can’t sell an opportunity. But by implementing bots and technology, Mark has freed up his recruitment team to focus on activities that bring in revenue and the ever important customer relationships. 

It’s also why he’s focused tirelessly on team development to ensure they’re living out the companies core values. He’s struggled through difficult situations where he’s had to part ways with top-earning recruiters because they didn’t espouse the values he’s built the business on. The rest of the team sees that he has taken action and reinforces those values. They see that he is willing to lose revenue to back those beliefs. Mark states that “Success is not only defined by the numbers of dollars or pounds you put up on the board”—It can also be measured in the ongoing relationships recruiters have developed with clients. 

Connect with Mark Smith

• Mark on LinkedIn
• Mark on Twitter
• people2people

Resources & People Mentioned

• Fieldglass
• UiPath
• Volcanic
• BOOK: Bad Blood by John Carreyrou
• BOOK: The Savage Truth by Greg Savage
• BOOK: Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson M.D.

Connect With Mark Whitby

• Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: www.RecruitmentCoach.com/Breakthrough
• Mark on LinkedIn
• Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby
• Mark on Facebook
• Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach
• Mark on YouTube

Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

Audio Production and Show notes by
PODCAST FAST TRACK

Have you thought about incorporating split fees into your business model but are worried about the financial impact? In the competitive world of recruiting, is it better to embrace this model versus losing out? Is it easier to partner and collaborate with other recruiters to fill a position?

My guest today, Jason Elias, has built a successful recruiting firm specializing in the legal field—while incorporating split fees. He’s found a way to leverage the competitive niche to benefit his business and his clients. 

Jason and I converse about how he got into the recruiting industry and chose his niche. We also cover why he started utilizing the split fee model and how it’s led to success. If you’re considered giving this model a go, be sure to listen to this fascinating episode. 

Outline of This Episode

• [2:11] Jason Elias’ journey from lawyer to recruiter
• [5:16] How did his first split fee come about?
• [7:20] How he started collaborating with other recruiters
• [12:14] Why a split fee model is worth adopting
• [15:30] Learning lessons from building a team
• [19:45] Jason’s plans for the future of his firm
• [25:24] What do you do when clients are your competition?
• [32:41] How does Jason juggle all of his roles?
• [35:35] Why Jason believes managing is worth the reward
• [38:00] Jason shares his favorite tech tools 

How did Jason start collaborating with other recruiters?

Years ago—when Jason was self-admittedly a young and naive recruiter—he spent a chunk of money to place an advertisement in a publication. That advertisement failed to get him any leads. While turning the pages, he noticed another recruiter’s ad in the accounting section. So he called him up and they met up to discuss their lack of success with the advertising. They completely hit it off. He also found out that his newfound friend collaborated frequently with other recruiters. 

The NPAworldwide Australian conference just happened to be two days later. They fast-tracked Jason’s membership and he walked in and instantly felt comfortable. Everyone was transparent and honest, and he felt like these were his people. The organization claims to allow recruiters to collaborate with others in a safe environment—and he believed this from day one. 

Fast forward to today, and Jason has been involved with NPAworldwide for over 16 years. He had the opportunity to serve as the director for the Australian region of the NPA for 4 years. Now, he serves on the executive team as Secretary/Treasurer and Chair-Elect. Once he has served his term in this position, he will be appointed the Chair of NPAworldwide for a two-year term. 

The natural segue from networking to split-fees

Jason’s first split came from a fellow council member at the RCSA—she worked for an organization that needed a lawyer. She connected the two parties and Jason provided a lawyer that was a perfect fit. Since that day, he estimates that one-third of his business is from split fees. Jason has reached gold-level with the NPA, which means he had made at least $2,000,000 in placements at the time he reached that level (over 5 years ago). Of that amount, he would estimate at least $500,000 was from split-fees with other recruiters.

Jason continues to see the benefit of collaborating with other recruiters and splitting fees. For example, he has a client in the Northern Territory of Australia. He called her up one day and she didn’t have any placements for him—but she was looking for someone in IT. He told her that while he doesn’t specialize in IT, he knew someone who did. He connected the two and his fellow recruiter filled the position. 

For his effort and cooperation, he got a thank-you fee from his colleague. Jason points out that if he hadn’t connected her with someone else she would have gone to a mega-recruiter to fill the position. In the end, he likely would’ve lost that client’s future placements to them. Instead, he created a happy customer who was excited to continue working with him. 

Split fees are about the best outcome for the client 

Jason found himself in a situation where the perfect candidate for a client had to back out. Instead of being at the end of the road, he was back to square one. His client called him up and informed him that another recruiter had approached them with a promising option that they wanted to interview. They understood he was on retainer and they had signed an exclusive contract.

Instead of informing his client that they must go through him due to the contract he told them to make a call to the other recruiter—he would offer to split the fee with him. He ended up speaking with the other recruiter and came to an agreement that worked for them while benefiting his client and the candidate. 

In this way, the client’s position was filled and they were satisfied. Jason notes that it is about the long-game and getting the best outcome for the client. This decision, albeit a small monetary loss, led to repeat business because he put the client’s happiness first. Per Jason, in the end, “If you help their business grow, then they’ll help your business grow”. It’s a win-win for every party involved.

Be aware of your strengths and your shortcomings—then adjust accordingly 

Jason has a lot on his plate, from his role at the NPA to managing and running his own business. On top of that, he’s working on his Master’s degree and has a side hustle business. With all that he’s juggling, how does he manage to remain so successful? Jason admits it’s because he’s aware of his weaknesses. He’s a great recruiter, a great business-owner, and excels with his position at the NPA. But he believes he’s a lousy manager. 

Instead of accepting defeat, he chose to build a team of experts around himself to offset his weaknesses. He hired a team member that takes on more of the administrative and managerial role. He does his best to touch base with his team daily and they do a weekly Zoom call. But in the end, he believes in treating his team like the adults and professionals that they are. He doesn’t micro-manage, while providing them with the tools they need. He’s made it a point that he is always available if they need him. 

Jason could have gone the route of remaining a high-performing solo recruiter. But with a family to provide for, he wanted to lower his risk. He realized he was better off delegating some of the work and taking a split. It’s worked well for him—Jason has built a national model with great recruiters who are experts in their field. He has a good reputation for being one of the best in his industry.

To hear the rest of Jason’s journey in recruiting, make sure you listen to the entire episode of The Resilient Recruiter.

Connect with Jason Elias

• Elias Recruitment
• Jason(at)EliasRecruitment.com
• Jason on LinkedIn
• Elias Recruitment on Twitter

Resources & People Mentioned

• RCSA
• Lusha
• Hiretual
• Zoom
• Calendly
• Directi
• LastPass
• Grammarly
• Gmail
• Freshbooks
• Tab Ninja
• PandaDoc
• Qwilr
• Referrer
• Recruiters Who Make Placements FB Group
• Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell
• The Robot-Proof Recruiter by Kristina Collier
• NPAworldwide

Connect With Mark Whitby

• Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: www.RecruitmentCoach.com/Breakthrough
• Mark’s Masterclass for Recruitment Business Owners
• Mark on LinkedIn
• Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby
• Mark on Facebook
• Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach
• Mark on YouTube

Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK

Have you thought about incorporating split fees into your business model but are worried about the financial impact? In the competitive world of recruiting, is it better to embrace this model versus losing out? Is it easier to partner and collaborate with other recruiters to fill a position?

My guest today, Jason Elias, has built a successful recruiting firm specializing in the legal field—while incorporating split fees. He’s found a way to leverage the competitive niche to benefit his business and his clients. 

Jason and I converse about how he got into the recruiting industry and chose his niche. We also cover why he started utilizing the split fee model and how it’s led to success. If you’re considered giving this model a go, be sure to listen to this fascinating episode. 

Outline of This Episode

• [2:11] Jason Elias’ journey from lawyer to recruiter
• [5:16] How did his first split fee come about?
• [7:20] How he started collaborating with other recruiters
• [12:14] Why a split fee model is worth adopting
• [15:30] Learning lessons from building a team
• [19:45] Jason’s plans for the future of his firm
• [25:24] What do you do when clients are your competition?
• [32:41] How does Jason juggle all of his roles?
• [35:35] Why Jason believes managing is worth the reward
• [38:00] Jason shares his favorite tech tools 

How did Jason start collaborating with other recruiters?

Years ago—when Jason was self-admittedly a young and naive recruiter—he spent a chunk of money to place an advertisement in a publication. That advertisement failed to get him any leads. While turning the pages, he noticed another recruiter’s ad in the accounting section. So he called him up and they met up to discuss their lack of success with the advertising. They completely hit it off. He also found out that his newfound friend collaborated frequently with other recruiters. 

The NPAworldwide Australian conference just happened to be two days later. They fast-tracked Jason’s membership and he walked in and instantly felt comfortable. Everyone was transparent and honest, and he felt like these were his people. The organization claims to allow recruiters to collaborate with others in a safe environment—and he believed this from day one. 

Fast forward to today, and Jason has been involved with NPAworldwide for over 16 years. He had the opportunity to serve as the director for the Australian region of the NPA for 4 years. Now, he serves on the executive team as Secretary/Treasurer and Chair-Elect. Once he has served his term in this position, he will be appointed the Chair of NPAworldwide for a two-year term. 

The natural segue from networking to split-fees

Jason’s first split came from a fellow council member at the RCSA—she worked for an organization that needed a lawyer. She connected the two parties and Jason provided a lawyer that was a perfect fit. Since that day, he estimates that one-third of his business is from split fees. Jason has reached gold-level with the NPA, which means he had made at least $2,000,000 in placements at the time he reached that level (over 5 years ago). Of that amount, he would estimate at least $500,000 was from split-fees with other recruiters.

Jason continues to see the benefit of collaborating with other recruiters and splitting fees. For example, he has a client in the Northern Territory of Australia. He called her up one day and she didn’t have any placements for him—but she was looking for someone in IT. He told her that while he doesn’t specialize in IT, he knew someone who did. He connected the two and his fellow recruiter filled the position. 

For his effort and cooperation, he got a thank-you fee from his colleague. Jason points out that if he hadn’t connected her with someone else she would have gone to a mega-recruiter to fill the position. In the end, he likely would’ve lost that client’s future placements to them. Instead, he created a happy customer who was excited to continue working with him. 

Split fees are about the best outcome for the client 

Jason found himself in a situation where the perfect candidate for a client had to back out. Instead of being at the end of the road, he was back to square one. His client called him up and informed him that another recruiter had approached them with a promising option that they wanted to interview. They understood he was on retainer and they had signed an exclusive contract.

Instead of informing his client that they must go through him due to the contract he told them to make a call to the other recruiter—he would offer to split the fee with him. He ended up speaking with the other recruiter and came to an agreement that worked for them while benefiting his client and the candidate. 

In this way, the client’s position was filled and they were satisfied. Jason notes that it is about the long-game and getting the best outcome for the client. This decision, albeit a small monetary loss, led to repeat business because he put the client’s happiness first. Per Jason, in the end, “If you help their business grow, then they’ll help your business grow”. It’s a win-win for every party involved.

Be aware of your strengths and your shortcomings—then adjust accordingly 

Jason has a lot on his plate, from his role at the NPA to managing and running his own business. On top of that, he’s working on his Master’s degree and has a side hustle business. With all that he’s juggling, how does he manage to remain so successful? Jason admits it’s because he’s aware of his weaknesses. He’s a great recruiter, a great business-owner, and excels with his position at the NPA. But he believes he’s a lousy manager. 

Instead of accepting defeat, he chose to build a team of experts around himself to offset his weaknesses. He hired a team member that takes on more of the administrative and managerial role. He does his best to touch base with his team daily and they do a weekly Zoom call. But in the end, he believes in treating his team like the adults and professionals that they are. He doesn’t micro-manage, while providing them with the tools they need. He’s made it a point that he is always available if they need him. 

Jason could have gone the route of remaining a high-performing solo recruiter. But with a family to provide for, he wanted to lower his risk. He realized he was better off delegating some of the work and taking a split. It’s worked well for him—Jason has built a national model with great recruiters who are experts in their field. He has a good reputation for being one of the best in his industry.

To hear the rest of Jason’s journey in recruiting, make sure you listen to the entire episode of The Resilient Recruiter.

Connect with Jason Elias

• Elias Recruitment
• Jason(at)EliasRecruitment.com
• Jason on LinkedIn
• Elias Recruitment on Twitter

Resources & People Mentioned

• RCSA
• Lusha
• Hiretual
• Zoom
• Calendly
• Directi
• LastPass
• Grammarly
• Gmail
• Freshbooks
• Tab Ninja
• PandaDoc
• Qwilr
• Referrer
• Recruiters Who Make Placements FB Group
• Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell
• The Robot-Proof Recruiter by Kristina Collier
• NPAworldwide

Connect With Mark Whitby

• Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: www.RecruitmentCoach.com/Breakthrough
• Mark’s Masterclass for Recruitment Business Owners
• Mark on LinkedIn
• Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby
• Mark on Facebook
• Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach
• Mark on YouTube

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