Welcome to the Recruitment Podcast by The Recruitment Network (TRN) — where we share real conversations to help you build high-performing teams, support recruiter wellbeing, and stay ahead in the world of talent acquisition. TRN enables recruitment businesses to maximise their performance, productivity, and profitability.

In this episode with James Walker, Managing Director of BWD Group, we dive deep into one of the most powerful (and underused) levers in recruitment leadership: true productivity analysis. Joined by TRN Co-founder Gordon Stoddart, James shares how a simple but disciplined time audit .became a catalyst for major change across his business Together, they explore how to move beyond surface-level KPIs and outputs to truly understand what consultants are working on day to day, where time is being lost, and how leaders can unlock more value without burning people out. James breaks down how he implemented a visibility (time audit) report, used AI to analyse the data, uncovered inefficiencies, and identified the real problems holding productivity back — from CRM trust and data quality to habits, consistency, and focus.

This candid fireside chat covers:Why most recruitment productivity problems are misunderstoodHow to run a practical time and motion study without damaging trustWhat James learned about consultant behaviour (and his own)The critical link between clean data, CRM confidence, and AI ROIWhy consistency, discipline, and relationships will define the future of recruitmentHow understanding the real problem empowers better decisions and smarter automationThe session also includes live audience Q&A, offering practical insights recruitment leaders can apply immediately to improve focus, efficiency, and long-term performance.

What is TRN?The Recruitment Network is the ultimate support network for recruitment business leaders. We offer a wide range of benefits including:• an inclusive leadership club• Recruitment Trailblazers — a programme tailored for billing managers• full back-office support and training• TRN World — our innovative online community• access to investment insights, technology guidance, and expert content• and much moreExplore more recruitment content: https://trn.world/page/contentUpgrade your team with expert recruitment coaching and training: https://trn.world/page/training(Access to TRN World and content included for members)Download our app — just search The Recruitment NetworkAlready a TRN member? Log in here: https://therecruitmentnetwork.com/log...The Ultimate AI in a Box and other practical guides for TRN members:https://therecruitmentnetwork.com/learn

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