The Recruitment Leadership Podcast

Welcome to the latest episode of the Recruitment Leadership Podcast, hosted by Alison Humphries.

 

Recruitment businesses invest heavily in systems, processes and technology - but are they investing enough in the development of their people?

 

In this episode, Alison is joined by Angela Cripps, Owner & Managing Director at Recruiting Gym, to explore why learning and development is often misunderstood in recruitment, and what businesses need to do differently to build long-term performance.

 

Drawing on over 37 years in the industry and decades of training experience, Angela shares practical advice on creating learning programmes that actually stick, rather than relying on one-off training sessions and quick fixes.

 

Together, they explore:

 

💡 The biggest mistakes recruitment businesses make with learning and development

💡 Why training should start with business objectives - not a skills gap assumption

💡 How to identify the real reason behind performance challenges

💡 The importance of structured onboarding, ongoing assessments and repeat learning

💡 How to measure return on investment from training

💡 Why managers need to stop "telling" and start developing people properly

💡 How AI and learning platforms can support development - when used with intention

 

This episode is a reminder that high-performing recruitment businesses don't happen by accident. They build strong habits, clear processes and continuous development into the way they operate.

 

If you're responsible for growing a team, improving performance or developing future leaders, this episode is packed with practical takeaways.

 

Connect with Angela Cripps on LinkedIn.

 

Want to discuss this topic further with Alison? 

 

💬 Email her at alison@recruitmentleadership.co.uk.

Welcome to the latest episode of the Recruitment Leadership Podcast, hosted by Alison Humphries.

 

Most hiring processes haven’t fundamentally changed in decades.

But the expectations, risks, and complexity around hiring have.

 

In this episode, Alison Humphries is joined by Konstanty Sliwowski, Founder of Klareda and the School of Hiring, to challenge one of the biggest blind spots in recruitment today: the reliance on skills, CVs, and experience as a proxy for success.

 

Drawing on over 20 years in recruitment, including building and exiting his own agency, Konstanty shares why most hiring processes break down long before interviews even begin - and what recruiters can do differently to truly add value.

 

Together, they explore:

 

💡 Why skills-based hiring and keyword matching no longer guarantee success

💡 The three critical stages where hiring decisions break down

💡 Why defining outcomes - not experience - is the foundation of better hiring

💡 How misalignment between stakeholders leads to poor hiring decisions

💡 The role recruiters should play in challenging and reshaping client briefs

💡 How AI can support hiring decisions, and where it replaces traditional recruitment tasks

 

Konstanty also introduces Klareda, an AI-powered tool designed to help hiring managers define roles more clearly, align on outcomes, and build structured, effective hiring processes in minutes.

 

As part of this episode, Konstanty is offering listeners:

 

🎁 A free one-month unlimited access to Klareda, plus

🎁 20% off an annual licence for those who choose to continue

 

To access the offer, book a call directly with Konstanty here - https://calendly.com/konstanty-schoolofhiring/klareda-demo

 

📘 You can also download the first chapters of Konstanty’s book “Get to the Point - The Interviewer’s Playbook” here - https://school-of-hiring.kit.com/get-to-the-point

 

Alternatively, you can connect with Konstanty on LinkedIn or explore more via his YouTube channel, School of Hiring.

 

Connect with Konstanty Sliwowski on LinkedIn.

 

Want to discuss this topic further with Alison? 

 

💬 Email her at alison@recruitmentleadership.co.uk.

Welcome to the latest episode of the Recruitment Leadership Podcast, hosted by Alison Humphries.

 

Offshoring in recruitment isn’t new, but the global landscape is evolving quickly.

 

In this episode, Alison is joined by Alex Hashash, Managing Director at Global Capability, to explore how recruitment businesses can use offshore talent to improve delivery efficiency, protect profitability, and build more resilient operating models.

 

Drawing on over 16 years in recruitment, including managing large offshore teams across multiple regions, Alex shares his perspective on how outsourcing markets are shifting - and why emerging locations such as Kenya and East Africa are increasingly being considered alongside more established hubs.

 

Together, they explore:

 

💡 Why delivery efficiency is becoming critical for recruitment profitability

💡 How emerging outsourcing markets compare to established locations

💡 Kenya’s growing role as an outsourcing hub - talent, infrastructure and stability

💡 The realities of managing offshore recruitment teams successfully

💡 Why clear KPIs, daily communication and structured training are essential

💡 The commercial case for offshoring and what leaders should evaluate before starting

During the conversation, Alex also references the Offshore CX Confidence Index and the GBS Benchmarking and Market Report, which explore global outsourcing trends and emerging markets. As these resources are highly data-driven, we’ve linked to them here for listeners who want to explore the reports in more detail.

 

If you're considering offshoring as part of your recruitment strategy, or want to improve how your offshore team performs, this episode offers practical insight into the opportunities and considerations involved.

 

Connect with Alex Hashash on LinkedIn.

Want to discuss this topic further with Alison? 

💬 Email her at alison@recruitmentleadership.co.uk.

Welcome to the latest episode of the Recruitment Leadership Podcast, hosted by Alison Humphries.

 

What happens when a recruitment founder shuts down a 15-head agency and uses everything that went wrong to help others avoid the same fate?

 

In this episode, Alison Humphries is joined by Nitin Sharma, Founder of Rectools (and the Recruitment Curry Club), for a fast-paced conversation about what’s really changing in recruitment, and what business owners need to do now to stay viable in 2026.

 

Nitin shares the story behind his own recruitment business journey (from growth to overextension to closure), why “waiting for the market to come back” is a dangerous strategy, and how RecTools was built to solve a problem most owners know too well: finding the right suppliers, tech and support, without drowning in noise.

 

Together, they explore:

 

💡 Why 2026 could be a “change or fail” year for many agencies

💡 The difference between AI that helps and “harassment as a service”

💡 What candidates and clients now expect from tech-enabled processes

💡 Why recruitment needs to act like a professional service - not a sales machine

💡 Subscription/retainer models, packaged services, and why buying habits are shifting

💡 The biggest implementation mistake: buying shiny tools without involving the people who’ll use them

💡 Whether AI is real, hype, or both, and what happens when “AI” becomes the default, like smart TVs

 

If you’re reviewing your tech stack, questioning your delivery model, or feeling the pressure of “more activity” with less return - this episode will give you a sharper way to think about what needs to change (and how to make it stick).

 

Connect with Nitin Sharma on LinkedIn.

 

Want to discuss this topic further with Alison? 

 

💬 Email her at alison@recruitmentleadership.co.uk.

Welcome to the latest episode of the Recruitment Leadership Podcast, hosted by Alison Humphries.

 

We talk a lot about leadership in recruitment, but how often do we talk about what it means to lead like a human?

 

In this episode, Alison Humphries is joined by Cathleen O’Sullivan, Founder and Director at Cathleen Merkel Ltd, to explore what it really means to create a people-first culture in business, without losing performance, direction, or accountability.

 

Drawing on her experience as a leader in international retail and now as a leadership coach, Cathleen explains how modern leadership is shifting away from hierarchy and control toward connection, curiosity and emotional intelligence - and why this matters more than ever in a world where 44% of employees report work-related stress.

 

Together, they explore:

 

💡 The shift from “professional armour” to authentic, emotionally intelligent leadership

💡 How small business owners can balance results and wellbeing, and avoid burnout themselves

💡 The truth about “human-centred” leadership (and how it’s often misunderstood)

💡 Building collective accountability and culture in growing teams

💡 Why your “why” isn’t a slogan, and how reconnecting to it cuts through complexity

 

🎁 Cathleen also shares an exclusive offer for 10 listeners to receive a free one-hour mentoring session, helping you tackle your own leadership challenges head-on. Details on how to claim it are included in the episode.

 

If you’ve ever wondered how to lead with empathy and impact - this is your episode.

 

Connect with Cathleen O’Sullivan on LinkedIn.

Want to discuss this topic further with Alison? 

💬 Email her at alison@recruitmentleadership.co.uk.

Welcome to the latest episode of the Recruitment Leadership Podcast, hosted by Alison Humphries.

So, you want to run your own recruitment business?

In this episode, Alison Humphries is joined by Marie Pegram, Group Managing Partner at TC Group and Partner at Recruitment Accountants - a specialist division supporting hundreds of agencies with finance, compliance and growth.

 

Together, they break down the real financial responsibilities behind being your own boss, and why it takes more than strong billing figures to build a profitable, sustainable business.

 

In this conversation, they cover:

 

💡 The biggest mistakes recruiters make when starting out|
💡 Why profitability ≠ what’s in the bank
💡 Corporate structure, shareholders and protecting yourself legally
💡 Essential KPIs to monitor (including staff cost ratios and consultant profitability)
💡 What to do when you hit a cash crunch, and how to avoid it in the first pla
💡 Why “writing off” a cost doesn’t mean it disappears!

 

Plus, Alison and Marie dive into how even seasoned business owners can get tripped up - from commission structures that quietly erode profit to the dangers of drawing too much too soon.

 

Whether you're considering starting your own agency or want to tighten up your existing financial strategy, this episode is packed with practical advice.

 

Connect with Marie Pegram on LinkedIn.

 

Want to discuss this topic further with Alison? 

 

💬 Email her at alison@recruitmentleadership.co.uk.

Welcome to the latest episode of the Recruitment Leadership Podcast, where we’re shaking things up, just a little.

This time, our host becomes a guest, as Alison Humphries hands the mic to Zoe Jephtha to reflect on the year so far, unpack the challenges facing recruitment businesses in 2025, and introduce a new way for leaders to assess where they stand. It’s a conversation about performance, leadership, and how to take the real lessons of 2025 and turn them into smarter, sharper planning for 2026.

 

🚨 Alongside this episode, Recruitment Leadership has launched a brand new website, featuring a free-to-use Recruitment Business Health Check tool, designed to give you real-time insight into your business performance, from commercial health to operational efficiency.

 

Together, Alison and Zoe explore:

 

🎯 What the best recruitment businesses are doing differently right now

🎯 Why some agencies thrived in 2025, while others struggled to stay afloat

🎯 The problem with chasing outputs (and how to shift your focus upstream)

🎯 How the Recruitment Business Health Check Tool works, and what Red, Amber and Green scores really mean

🎯 The biggest mindset shift successful leaders are making before 2026

🎯 And what definitely belongs on the “Naughty” and “Nice” lists this year…

 

Whether you're planning for growth, navigating challenge, or just want a clearer sense of where your business stands, this episode is packed with practical takeaways - and a few hard truths.

 

💡 Plus: Hear why inputs matter more than ever, and how even small changes in mindset or leadership rhythm can transform outcomes next year.

 

🧰 Take the Benchmarking Tool now  - https://bit.ly/4rEDe1R

 

If you’re ready to look forward, but start with a little reflection, this episode is your starting point.

 

Want to discuss this topic further with Alison? 

 

💬 Email her at alison@recruitmentleadership.co.uk.

Welcome to the latest episode of the Recruitment Leadership Podcast, hosted by Alison Humphries.

 

What happens when two experienced recruiters decide to build the kind of agency they always wanted to work for?

 

In this episode, Alison Humphries is joined by Amy Griffith and Emma Symonds, Directors of True North Talent - a fast-growing specialist in food and drink manufacturing recruitment.

 

They launched the business after a single (slightly tipsy) conversation, but what followed was anything but casual. Since then, they’ve grown a £2m turnover business, built around quality, consistency, and a strong internal culture - all while sticking firmly to their values.

 

Together, they unpack:

 

🔹 The reality of launching a recruitment business from scratch

🔹 Balancing delivery, branding, BD and ops in year one

🔹 Why your first hire shouldn’t be another recruiter

🔹 Getting intuitive recruiter know-how out of your head and into a process

🔹 The difference between great billing and real leadership

🔹 What it takes to build a repeatable, scalable model, without losing the magic

 

Amy and Emma share why consistent BD, internal culture, and curiosity have helped them grow in a tough market - and what they’d do differently if they were starting again.

 

If you're thinking about starting your own agency, or want to build a business that actually lasts, this one’s packed with the kind of insight only hands-on founders can give.

 

Connect with Amy Griffith and Emma Symonds on LinkedIn.

 

Want to discuss this topic further with Alison? 

 

💬 Email her at alison@recruitmentleadership.co.uk.

Welcome to the latest episode of the Recruitment Leadership Podcast, hosted by Alison Humphries.

What if your recruiters could screen 10,000 candidates in just three days - without adding extra headcount? 

In this episode of the Recruitment Leadership Podcast, Alison Humphries is joined by Blake Carter, Founder and Sales & Partnerships Director of VOAI.app, to explore how AI is changing the way high-volume recruitment gets done.

Blake shares the story behind VOAI - an AI-led platform that’s already helping agencies and corporates slash admin time, boost candidate engagement, and deliver a return on investment that traditional processes just can’t match.

Together, Alison and Blake dig into:

 

💡 Why AI works best in candidate-facing roles (and where it really shouldn’t be used yet)

💡 How sentiment analysis and multilingual capabilities can transform candidate experience

💡 A real case study where AI delivered 200% growth in candidate volume - with half the staff

💡 The implementation process (spoiler: it’s easier than most leaders think)

 

If you’re a recruitment business owner looking for smarter ways to protect profitability, free up your consultants, and still keep the “human” in recruitment, this episode is for you.

 

Connect with Blake Carter on LinkedIn.

Want to discuss this topic further with Alison? 

💬 Email her at alison@recruitmentleadership.co.uk.

Welcome to the latest episode of the Recruitment Leadership Podcast, hosted by Alison Humphries.

 

In this episode, Alison is joined by Darren Westall, CEO and Co-founder of Paiger - a platform originally known for personal branding, but now a powerful engine for business development enablement.

 

Darren shares the story behind Pager’s evolution - from a social scheduling tool into a BD productivity platform trusted by over 1000 staffing businesses. Together, he and Alison explore what recruiters really need to build a pipeline effectively, especially in today’s saturated and cautious market.

In this conversation, they cover:

 

💡 Why BD performance is stalling in so many firms, and what’s really behind it

💡 The gap between “doing more” and “doing better”

💡 How Pager helps recruiters find vacancies, research clients, and automate intelligently (without losing the human edge)

💡 The psychology behind “phone fear”, and how better prep removes it

💡 What recruitment leaders often get wrong about tech implementation

💡 Why smart automation supports BD, but doesn’t replace it

💡 Where AI is heading in recruitment, and the unexpected challenges it may bring

🎁 Darren also offers an exclusive bonus for Recruitment Leadership Podcast listeners - the first 10 people to contact Pager and mention this episode or Alison Humphries will unlock a special offer. Details on how to claim it are included in the episode.

 

Whether you're leading a sales team, implementing new tech, or just trying to get more consistent BD from your consultants - this is essential listening for agency owners and sales leaders alike.

 

Connect with Darren Westall on LinkedIn.

Want to discuss this topic further with Alison?

💬 Email her at alison@recruitmentleadership.co.uk.