RecTalk Podcast - Explore Recruitment Insights

In this episode of RecTalk, Nitin Sharma heads to the Gazelle Risk Solutions head office to catch up with Gary Brotherton and Gary Williamson — the two Garys behind one of the recruitment sector’s fastest-growing specialist insurance businesses.Since their last appearance on RecTalk, Gazelle has expanded its team, product portfolio and partner network, while earning multiple industry award nominations. Nitin explores what is behind that growth and why relationships, referrals and trust have become such an important part of Gazelle’s success.The conversation looks at how being recommended by another business can transform the sales conversation, moving insurance away from a simple price-driven transaction and towards solving a genuine client problem. Gary and Gary explain why personal relationships, social proof and specialist knowledge are increasingly important in recruitment insurance.A major focus of the episode is Gazelle’s new contractor insurance proposition. The team discusses how the product has been designed specifically around the needs of contractors and the recruitment businesses, introducers, umbrella companies and payroll providers that support them. They explain how Gazelle has worked with insurer partners to develop a simple quote-and-buy solution covering Professional Indemnity and Public Liability, while also addressing more complex occupations and international exposure, including the USA.The guys also explain what it actually means for an insurance broker to help build an insurance product, rather than simply finding an existing policy in the market. They discuss how Gazelle’s understanding of the recruitment sector feeds directly into conversations with insurers, helping shape products around real-world risks, pricing, distribution and the way contractors and recruitment businesses actually operate.The conversation also touches on the changing contractor market, potential legislative changes, the importance of building agile products, Gazelle’s growing recognition through industry awards, and what recruitment business owners can do when trading conditions are difficult.Gary and Gary share their thoughts on diversification, improving technology and operations, building additional revenue streams, learning from other business owners and, perhaps most importantly, getting into the right rooms and building genuine relationships.WHO THIS EPISODE IS FORThis episode is for recruitment business owners, recruitment leaders, contractor recruiters, umbrella and payroll businesses, insurance professionals, introducers and anyone working with contractors who wants to understand the role specialist recruitment insurance can play in protecting their clients and creating new commercial opportunities.GUESTSGary Brotherton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garybrotherton/Gary Williamson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-williamson-7107082b/Learn more about Gazelle Risk Solutions: https://www.rectools.io/product/gazelle-risk-solutions/HOST — Nitin Sharma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nitin-rectools/Discover recruitment tools and services: https://www.rectools.io/GET IN TOUCH WITH THESE RECOMMENDED SUPPLIERSSourceWhale: https://www.sourcewhale.com/?utm_source=Rectools&utm_medium=Youtube&utm_campaign=podcast_TRN_paid_2026h2&utm_content=shownotesAscen: https://www.ascen.com/rectalkCoRecruit: https://corecruit.com/Agile Partnering: https://www.agilepartnering.com/Listen to RecTalk on another platform: https://rectalk.co.uk/#RecTalk #Recruitment #RecruitmentIndustry #Insurance #GazelleRiskSolutions #RecruitmentInsurance #Contractors #ContractorInsurance #RecruitmentBusiness #RiskManagement #RecruitmentTech #BusinessGrowth #Networking #Referrals #RecruitmentLeaders

What if growing your recruitment business didn’t mean simply hiring more recruiters?In this episode of RecTalk, Nitin Sharma sits down with Kris Holland, Founder of Kitto to challenge one of recruitment’s most deeply embedded assumptions: that headcount growth automatically equals business growth.Kris argues that recruitment businesses need to rethink how they deploy their money, people, technology and time — moving away from the traditional “hire more billers and hope some work out” model towards a more deliberate, marketing-led approach to growth.The conversation covers:• Why recruitment businesses still use headcount as a measure of success — even when profitability may be falling• The hidden cost of hiring, training and managing recruiters who don’t work out• Why “do more with less” shouldn’t simply mean giving recruiters more AI tools and expecting them to double their output• How recruitment businesses can use marketing, content, podcasts, events and communities to generate inbound opportunities• Why LinkedIn is increasingly a B2B sales and relationship-building platform rather than simply a social network• The changing recruitment technology landscape and why newer CRM platforms are challenging legacy providers• Why changing your CRM isn’t necessarily the answer — and why user adoption and clean data matter more• How recruitment businesses can think about their entire tech and marketing stack as one connected growth system• The importance of building a company brand that clients and candidates engage with, rather than relying entirely on individual recruiters• Why community-led recruitment can create stronger, longer-term relationships than traditional cold BD• The danger of relying on short-term, low-quality revenue when cash is tight• How marketing can create a “rising tide” that benefits an entire recruitment business rather than just one individual biller• Why recruitment businesses should think about opportunity cost when deciding where to invest their money• The relationship between process, repeatability, scalability and ultimately building a recruitment business that can operate without its founder• Why recruitment marketing can make the job more enjoyable as well as more commercially effectiveKris also shares his experience of building Kitto and explains why he believes “recruitment is a marketing job” — not as a replacement for great recruiters, but as a way of giving those recruiters better opportunities, better relationships and better tools to convert.WHO THIS EPISODE IS FORThis episode is particularly relevant for recruitment business owners, founders, directors and leaders who are thinking about growth, profitability, marketing, technology and how to build a more scalable recruitment business.It’s also worth listening to if you’re questioning whether the traditional recruitment playbook of more recruiters + more activity + more calls is still the right approach for your business.GUEST — Kris Holland: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kris-holland/Learn more about Kitto: https://www.rectools.io/product/kitto/HOST — Nitin Sharma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nitin-rectools/Discover recruitment tools and services: https://www.rectools.io/GET IN TOUCH WITH THESE RECOMMENDED SUPPLIERSSourceWhale: https://www.sourcewhale.com/?utm_source=Rectools&utm_medium=Youtube&utm_campaign=podcast_TRN_paid_2026h2&utm_content=shownotesAscen: https://www.ascen.com/rectalkCoRecruit: https://corecruit.com/Agile Partnering: https://www.agilepartnering.com/Listen to RecTalk on another platform: https://rectalk.co.uk/#RecTalk #Recruitment #RecruitmentMarketing #RecruitmentBusiness #RecruitmentTech #RecruitmentLeaders #RecruitmentAgency #TalentAcquisition #LinkedIn #AI #Marketing #RecruitmentGrowth #Kitto

What happens when your employer brand becomes so powerful that you receive 20,000–40,000 job applications a month?In this episode of RecTalk, host Sean Kennedy is joined by Laura Buckle, Global VP of Talent at SKIMS, and Eli Duane, Co-Founder of NOVA by Dweet, for a candid conversation about what happens when recruitment reaches serious scale — and why more applications don't necessarily mean better hiring.Laura shares the reality of recruiting at one of the world's fastest-growing fashion and lifestyle brands, including SKIMS' expansion from a digital-first business into wholesale and retail, its growing global footprint, and the huge impact that employer brand can have on candidate volume.The conversation explores how Laura and her team handle tens of thousands of applications, the challenge of separating genuine talent from application "noise", and why candidate experience becomes increasingly important as recruitment volumes rise.A major focus is the role of AI in modern talent acquisition. Laura explains how SKIMS uses NOVA by Dweet to help identify relevant candidates, rediscover people already in its talent pool, and improve the speed and quality of hiring — while keeping human judgement at the centre of the process.Sean, Laura and Eli also discuss:• Why extremely high application volumes can become a recruitment challenge• How AI can help recruiters manage the top of the funnel without replacing human decision-making• Candidate rediscovery and why recruiters need to understand a candidate's journey, not just their CV• The importance of multi-channel sourcing across LinkedIn, universities, events, social platforms, GitHub, YouTube and more• Why recruiters still need to "get into the weeds" when hiring senior talent• How employer brand and candidate experience are closely connected• Whether AI-generated CVs create an unfair advantage for candidates• How recruiters can investigate candidates beyond their CV or LinkedIn profile• Why portfolios, GitHub, online contributions and other digital signals can matter• The changing relationship between recruiters and AI• Why recruiters should use AI to remove repetitive work, collaborate on complex tasks, while keeping human judgement where it matters• How companies can make their recruitment processes more effective as they scale• Why investing in a good ATS and the right AI tools can transform recruitment operations• Whether experience or education matters more when hiring• Why recruiters need to be creative when searching for emerging and hard-to-find talentWHO THIS EPISODE IS FORThis episode is for talent acquisition leaders, recruiters, founders, HR and people leaders, recruitment technology professionals, and anyone interested in how AI is changing modern hiring.It's particularly relevant for companies experiencing rapid growth, rising application volumes, or struggling to balance inbound recruitment with proactive sourcing.GUESTSLaura Buckle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurabuckle/SKIMS: https://skims.com/Eli Duane: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eli-duane/NOVA by Dweet: https://nova.dweet.com/HOST — Sean Kennedy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanthetaguy/Discover recruitment tools and services: https://www.rectools.io/Listen to RecTalk on another platform: https://rectalk.co.uk/#RecTalk #Recruitment #TalentAcquisition #RecruitmentTech #AIRecruitment #HRTech #Sourcing #CandidateExperience #EmployerBrand #RecruitmentAI #TalentTech #SKIMS #NOVAbyDweet

What really makes a recruitment agency successful in today's market?In this special RecTalk Roundtable Masterclass, Nitin Sharma brings together four recruitment industry experts to debate a series of deliberately provocative “unpopular opinions” about the recruitment industry.Joining the conversation are:Jeremy Snell – Co-Founder of Your People Engine, helping recruitment business owners improve learning, development, performance and productivity.Kan Mallawathantri – Founder of Avensys Tech, a recruitment and IT services specialist working with hundreds of recruitment businesses across the UK.Ross Thompson – From Infinity Staff Global, specialising in offshore recruitment solutions for UK recruitment businesses, from marketing support through to 180 and 360 recruitment consultants.Gordon Webb – Sales Director for Europe at Shazamme, providing recruitment websites and marketing technology to recruitment brands globally.The panel gets stuck into some big questions, including:• Are recruitment agencies struggling because of the market, or because they aren't delivering a strong enough candidate experience?• What does great candidate experience actually look like – and should it differ depending on the candidate?• Are AI tools helping recruitment agencies win, or have they simply created another layer of distraction and technology noise?• Why recruitment businesses need to focus on fundamentals such as relationships, business development, communication and service.• Do clients really want recruitment partnerships, or do many simply want a fast and cheap service?• Why defining your ideal client profile can help agencies avoid the race to the bottom.• When should an agency walk away from a client because the problem is price rather than service?• Is the traditional 360 recruiter model dying, or are businesses simply struggling to develop people who can succeed in a 360 role?• Could separating business development and candidate delivery create a more effective recruitment operation?• How technology can support recruiters without replacing the human relationships at the heart of recruitment.The discussion finishes with a lightning round on the biggest reasons agencies may be struggling right now: chaos, process, technology and uncertainty.It's an honest, entertaining and occasionally argumentative conversation about what recruitment businesses should actually be focusing on – and whether the industry's obsession with new technology is distracting from the fundamentals.WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR:Recruitment business owners, agency directors, recruitment leaders, 360 recruiters, business development professionals, recruitment operations teams, RPO and outsourcing providers, and anyone interested in the future of recruitment technology and agency models.GUESTSJeremy Snell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/recruitmentsalestraining/Kan Mallawathantri: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kan-avensystech/Ross Thompson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossnthompson/Gordon Webb: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordonwebb1/HOST — Nitin Sharma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nitin-rectools/Discover recruitment tools and services: https://www.rectools.io/GET IN TOUCH WITH THESE RECOMMENDED SUPPLIERSSourceWhale: https://www.sourcewhale.com/?utm_source=Rectools&utm_medium=Youtube&utm_campaign=podcast_TRN_paid_2026h2&utm_content=shownotesAscen: https://www.ascen.com/rectalkCoRecruit: https://corecruit.com/Agile Partnering: https://www.agilepartnering.com/Listen to RecTalk on another platform: https://rectalk.co.uk/#RecTalk #Recruitment #RecruitmentIndustry #RecruitmentAgency #RecruitmentLeadership #CandidateExperience #RecruitmentTechnology #AIinRecruitment #RecruitmentAI #360Recruiter #BusinessDevelopment #RecruitmentSales #RecTech #RecruitmentTrends #RecruitmentBusiness

What does it actually feel like to hire and integrate an offshore recruitment resource into your business?In this episode of RecTalk, Nitin Sharma hands hosting duties over to Ross Thompson, Director of Infinity Staff Global, for a candid “voice of the customer” conversation with Jeremy Snell, recruitment trainer and Co-Founder of Your People Engine.Jeremy is a client of Infinity Staff Global, and he openly shares his experience of exploring South African talent, defining the role, hiring Bianca, onboarding her into the business and integrating her into the team.The conversation goes beyond the usual sales pitch around offshoring. Jeremy talks about what actually worked, what surprised him, and what he believes recruitment business owners should consider when deciding whether to offshore.The episode covers:• Why Jeremy’s business started looking at offshore talent in the first place• Why South Africa was chosen over other offshore locations, particularly because of time-zone alignment• How to create a genuinely useful hiring specification rather than simply writing a job description• Why soft skills and cultural fit were just as important as technical capability• The importance of defining exactly what you want before seeing candidates• How quickly Infinity Staff Global presented a suitable candidate• Jeremy’s “Google whack” analogy for finding an exceptionally close-fit candidate• How a structured two-week onboarding programme helped Bianca understand the business and workflow• How Bianca became increasingly independent while remaining integrated into the wider team• Why location is becoming less significant when work can be performed effectively remotely• Which recruitment tasks and processes Jeremy believes are particularly suitable for offshoring• Using offshore talent to address bottlenecks in a recruitment business• Potential applications including business development, SDR activity and repetitive, process-driven work• Technology, broadband, equipment and connectivity considerations when working with South African talent• Jeremy’s experience of being the client rather than the recruiter during the hiring process• The importance of clear communication between the client and recruitment team• The practical experience of invoicing and back-office support• What Infinity Staff Global could have done better — including candidate care and communication• And, most importantly, whether Infinity Staff Global delivered the right person, at the right time, with the right skills and attitudeThis is a refreshingly honest conversation about what offshore recruitment support looks like once the sales conversation is over and the person is actually inside the business.GUESTSRoss Thompson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossnthompson/Jeremy Snell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/recruitmentsalestraining/Learn more about Infinity Staff Global: https://www.rectools.io/product/infinity-staff-global/HOST — Nitin Sharma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nitin-rectools/Discover recruitment tools and services: https://www.rectools.io/GET IN TOUCH WITH THESE RECOMMENDED SUPPLIERSSourceWhale: https://www.sourcewhale.com/?utm_source=Rectools&utm_medium=Youtube&utm_campaign=podcast_TRN_paid_2026h2&utm_content=shownotesAscen: https://www.ascen.com/rectalkCoRecruit: https://corecruit.com/Agile Partnering: https://www.agilepartnering.com/Listen to RecTalk on another platform: https://rectalk.co.uk/#RecTalk #Recruitment #RecruitmentIndustry #RecruitmentBusiness #Offshoring #SouthAfrica #RecruitmentOutsourcing #RecruitmentLeaders #Staffing #TalentAcquisition #RecruitmentTechnology #InfinityStaffGlobal #RecruitmentTraining #JeremySnell #RossThompson