Amplifying Recruitment - Learn, Grow, Lead

John Gaughan built Finlay James into an 80-person recruitment business with offices in Manchester, London, Chicago and San Francisco. Then he had to close it.In this episode, Jamie Burrows sits down with John to hear the full, unfiltered story of what went wrong and more importantly, what he's learned from it. John doesn't dodge any of it. He walks through how the business went from billing half a million a month to losing between £125k and £150k a month for eighteen months straight. He talks about the decision not to make mass redundancies, the moment LinkedIn shut off all 66 recruiter licenses, and why having £1.5 million in the bank still wasn't enough when the market turned and the bank refused to help.What makes this conversation valuable isn't the failure story it's what John's doing with it. He now advises fourteen recruitment companies, from solos to twenty-five-person firms, and he's seeing the same blind spots everywhere. Owners who don't know their average order value. Consultants who are exhausted from six hours a day loading cadences but haven't pulled a job in six months. Businesses setting entry-level hires up as 360 billers with no support, no structure and targets that haven't moved in fifteen years despite costs doubling.John breaks down his approach to the fundamentals three numbers he wants on day one: average order value, jobs-on-to-deal ratio, and first interviews to deal. He explains why he'd rather someone worked eight hours and spent fifteen minutes understanding what they achieved than ground through twelve hours of undirected activity. He makes a sharp case for moving up the food chain, sharing how one client is shifting their average fee from £10k to £17.5k by targeting roles two or three levels higher and the data shows they're actually more efficient at that level.There's a brilliant thread running through this episode about the gap between activity and intention. John's argument is that recruitment has become full of busy people doing stuff, and the businesses that are winning are the ones that have stripped it back to specific inputs, specific outputs and a clear destination. He's blunt about the over-reliance on tech, the death of phone culture, and why human-to-human interaction isn't just a nice-to-have anymore it's becoming the only competitive advantage left.If you run a recruitment business and you've been telling yourself you just need to do more of everything, this episode will challenge that thinking. Follow Amplifying Recruitment wherever you get your podcasts.

Most recruitment companies have a marketing problem. But it's not the one they think it is.It's not that the content isn't good enough. It's not that they're on the wrong platform. It's that marketing and sales are operating as two completely separate functions and nobody's bridging the gap.In this episode, Jamie Burrows sits down with Sam Rasdall, founder of Potent, to unpack why marketing in recruitment fails when it's disconnected from BD, and what happens when you actually embed the two together. Sam's been on both sides of the fence, he started in recruitment at S3, built an academy that helped win Team of the Year, then moved into sales and brand at Bold where he took the business to a million pounds in revenue before stepping into the MD seat. Now he works with recruitment companies as a fractional marketing and sales strategist, and he's seen the same problem almost everywhere he goes.Sam breaks down a 90-day marketing-to-BD framework that turns a single industry report into four or five meaningful touchpoints with decision-makers, without a single recruiter needing to cold pitch. He explains why the marketing asset itself is actually the least important part of the whole process, and why the real ROI lives in the conversations it creates before and after it goes to market. He's blunt about the fact that most recruitment companies hire a mid-level marketer on thirty-odd grand, expect them to be a one-person department with CMO-level strategy, and then wonder why nothing moves the needle.There's a sharp segment where Jamie puts Sam on the spot with three budget scenarios a solo recruiter with three hundred quid a month, a ten-person firm with two grand, and a twenty-person business with a marketing apprentice and three grand to spend. Sam walks through each one with practical, specific recommendations from email infrastructure and sub-domains to outsourced execution, to when it actually makes sense to bring in a fractional CMO with an exit plan built in from day one.They also get into why evidence-based content beats thought leadership every time, why your consultants' call transcripts are the most underused content goldmine in your business, and why the next twelve months might be the era of the savvy SME, the recruitment firms that blend smart marketing with old-school BD and actually meet people face to face.If you run a recruitment business and you've ever felt like your marketing spend isn't translating into revenue, this one will reframe how you think about the whole function. Follow Amplifying Recruitment wherever you get your podcasts.

Most recruiters don’t wake up worrying about umbrella legislation.They’re thinking about placements, clients, and keeping the desk moving. But a major change coming in April could quietly put recruitment businesses on the hook for millions in unpaid tax if they get one decision wrong.In this episode, I’m joined by Sean White, Managing Director at Omnia Outsourcing.Sean started his career in industrial recruitment before moving into payroll, so he’s seen this from both sides of the fence. He breaks down one of the biggest legislative shifts the recruitment sector has faced in years and explains why burying your head in the sand is no longer an option.We talk through what’s actually changing, why HMRC is pushing joint and several liability down the supply chain, and what that really means for agency owners. Sean explains how non-compliant umbrella companies have historically disappeared when things go wrong, leaving contractors exposed and agencies thinking they were safe, until now.You’ll hear why accreditations alone aren’t enough, what good looks like when it comes to payroll reporting, and the simple checks recruiters should be making right now. We also get into the uncomfortable reality of what happens if you get this wrong, from eye-watering tax bills to reputational damage that can wipe out years of work.Beyond the risk, we explore the opportunity. Sean shares why this legislation creates a short window for recruiters to have smarter, more consultative conversations with clients and procurement teams. Done right, compliance can become a point of difference, not just another headache.We wrap up with Sean’s view on what 2026 holds for recruitment. A year shaped by legislation, tough decisions, and a real gap opening up between businesses that take this seriously and those that don’t.If you run a recruitment business, this is an episode you can’t afford to skip.Subscribe to Amplifying Recruitment for more straight-talk conversations with people shaping the industry. New episodes every week.

Most recruitment leaders are telling their teams to “get back to basics”.The problem is, half the team has no idea what the basics even are anymore.The market has changed.The tools have changed.Attention spans have changed.And quietly, motivation has taken a hit.In this episode of Amplifying Recruitment, we get into why modern recruiters are struggling to do the hard work that actually drives results, and what leaders need to change if they want performance back.Jamie sits down with Mat West, founder and CEO of ewi, a global recruitment business operating across multiple continents. Mat started in recruitment over 20 years ago, built desks from scratch in 25 countries, and later took the leap to build his own business backed by investors. He’s led teams through hypergrowth, cash-flow scares, global expansion, and cultural scale without losing the human edge.The conversation covers what really happens after you leave a big corporate and put everything on the line. Running out of cash six months in. Personally taking loans to make payroll. Learning the hard way that profit on paper means nothing without money in the bank.From there, it moves into something most recruitment podcasts never talk about. Dopamine.Mat breaks down why cheap dopamine hits from emails, LinkedIn notifications, and quick wins are killing recruiter drive. He explains why real motivation comes from doing hard things consistently, and how he’s reintroduced structured phone-based “human hours” into the business to rebuild confidence, energy, and momentum.You’ll hear why telling recruiters to “go back to basics” doesn’t work anymore, how leaders need to redefine what good actually looks like today, and why AI should be freeing recruiters to build deeper relationships, not replacing the most valuable parts of the job.It’s a grounded, honest conversation about leadership, behaviour, discipline, and what the next version of recruitment really needs to look like.If you lead a recruitment team, or you’re a recruiter feeling stuck, this episode will hit close to home.Subscribe to Amplifying Recruitment for more real conversations with leaders building recruitment businesses in the modern market. Follow the show so you don’t miss the next one.We’ve distilled our most impactful Business Development Training into one focused, fast-paced day so you can unlock client-winning strategies without sacrificing your schedule✅ Proven New Business Development Frameworks✅ Plug & Play Client Engagement Funnels✅ Prospect Conversion Skills You Can Apply Immediately✅ Live Follow-up Q&A for implementation support ⁠⁠Click here for all the info.⁠⁠

Most recruiters talk about growth. Very few talk about what happens when it all collapses.This episode is a raw look at what it actually takes to rebuild after losing everything. Not a pivot story. Not a highlight reel. A real one.Jamie sits down with Paul Micallef, founder of Pegasus Search & Selection, to unpack his journey from starting his first recruitment business at 24, scaling fast in a booming market, and then watching it fall apart during the 2008 financial crash. No cash buffer. No warning. Personal loss on top of professional failure.Paul shares what that period taught him about cash flow, ego, overexpansion, and why he now runs Pegasus very differently. Leaner. More human. Still ambitious.The conversation moves into how Paul rebuilt from scratch, why he stayed hands-on as a biller, and how personal branding on LinkedIn became one of his most reliable growth levers. Two years of daily posting. No shortcuts. No instant wins. Just consistency and value.They also dive into podcasting as a business development tool, why most recruiters get content wrong, and why serving your market beats selling to it every time.If you’re a recruitment founder thinking about scale, struggling with visibility, or quietly worried about what happens if the market turns, this episode will hit home.Follow or subscribe to Amplifying Recruitment for more honest conversations with recruitment leaders who’ve actually been through it.

Most recruiters feel the same frustration. You want the freedom to build your own book, keep more of your fees, and skip the endless admin that eats half your week.But the moment you try to go solo, you hit the wall: operations, finance, legal, tech, insurance, contracts. It’s overwhelming.In this episode, Cosmo Currey returns to unpack the 75 percent commission model behind Van Kaizen and answer the questions recruiters have been messaging us about nonstop. Cosmo explains:How the model works, What you actually get for the 25 percent you give upHow the passive income streams workWhy their global network changes the gameAnd what real support looks like when you aren’t trying to do everything alone.He also breaks down contracts, fees, ATS access, international roles, rebates, legal support, and what happens if someone joins and decides it isn’t for them.If you’re a recruiter curious about earning more, keeping full ownership of your clients and candidates, and avoiding the lonely grind of being fully independent, this one’s worth your time.Subscribe to stay updated with every new episode.

Recruiters are bracing for the biggest shift to workers’ rights in a generation. Sick pay from day one. New rules for zero-hours workers. Tighter controls around umbrellas. More liability pushed onto agencies. And a brand-new enforcement body ready to chase non-compliance.To unpack all of this, Jamie sits down with Simon Bloch, Partner and Head of Employment at JMW Solicitors. Simon has spent years advising recruitment agencies on the laws that shape temp and contract staffing, so he knows exactly where these changes will land hardest.Simon breaks down what’s actually coming in the Employment Rights Bill, why April 2026 is the date everyone should care about, and how the new rules could change risk, margin, and the day-to-day reality of running a temp desk.They get into sick pay starting immediately, the pressure this puts on agency cash flow, what “fair contracts” means for zero-hours workers, and how joint liability with umbrellas could expose agencies to HMRC overnight. Simon also explains the role of the new Fair Work Agency and why enforcement will look very different going forward.If you run a recruitment business and want to stay ahead of what’s coming, this conversation gives you the clarity you need.Follow the show to catch every episode.

A year after buying out Peace Recruitment through an MBO, Alison Blake, Craig Wishart, and Lewis Potter join Will to share what the first 12 months have really been like, the highs, the setbacks, and what it takes to lead through change.Alison Blake, Craig Wishart, and Lewis Potter are the co-owners of Peace Recruitment, a Scotland-based construction and property recruitment firm. Following their MBO from founder Chris Peace, the trio have spent the past year reshaping the business, evolving its culture, building a new team, and balancing billing with business ownership.Key Insights:- From Employees to Owners: The trio share the reality of running a business after an MBO, from legal complexities to cash flow shocks and unexpected staff turnover.- Building Their Own Team: Early challenges forced them to rebuild ultimately creating what they describe as their “strongest team yet.”- Embracing Change: “Change is inevitable, think solutions, not problems.” Their leadership mindset focuses on adaptability and learning through challenges.- Communication & Culture: Open conversations, visibility, and trust have been key to keeping the team motivated during transition.- The Power of People: As tech and AI reshape recruitment, their mission is to keep the human element, investing in relationships, personality, and authentic client connection.- What’s Next: Continued growth, new service lines, and building a business that creates ownership opportunities for the next generation of recruiters.If you’re leading through change or considering an MBO, this episode is packed with lessons on leadership, resilience, and keeping recruitment human.

The education recruitment industry is changing fast.Falling pupil numbers. New frameworks. Evolving payroll legislation. A tighter, more competitive market than ever before.In this episode of Amplifying Recruitment, host Jamie Burrows sits down with Alex Westworth, CEO of Now Education, to unpack where the industry is heading and what it means for agencies, consultants, and leaders.Alex’s story is anything but ordinary from classroom teacher to CEO, he’s seen every side of the education system. Under his leadership, Now Education has grown by giving consultants ownership, autonomy, and the freedom to build real regional businesses.He shares how he’s built a culture that attracts top recruiters, why he believes in transparency across the sector, and what trends he’s watching as the market corrects post-Covid. From the rise of frameworks to the impact of falling pupil numbers, Alex explains exactly what agencies should be preparing for in the next five years.If you’re in education recruitment or lead a business that works in the space this episode is essential listening.🎧 Subscribe to Amplifying Recruitment to hear from the leaders shaping the future of recruitment.

Recruiters put in the work. They build relationships, manage clients and candidates, and drive placements but too often, their pay and career paths don’t reflect the effort.They’re left with two choices: take on management roles they don’t want or go solo and face the challenges of isolation.Cosmo Currey decided there had to be another way. He founded Van Kaizen, a global recruitment firm where consultants keep 75% of their billings.Six years later, the model has scaled to six continents with a retention rate most agencies could only dream of.In this episode, Cosmo shares the thinking behind Van Kaizen, why top recruiters succeed, and the psychology that separates good business development from great.He explains the one trait he looks for in elite performers, his six-minute candidate prep method, and why consultative, value-first BD will always win over quick-hit tactics.If you’re a recruiter wondering whether there’s a smarter way to work or just want to sharpen your own approach to BD and candidate interactions this conversation is packed with insight.Follow the show for more conversations that help you build a stronger, more profitable recruitment business.

Backdoor hires. Restrictive covenants. Exiting your business without it all falling apart.Most recruiters hope these issues never land on their desk – but when they do, the consequences can be brutal.That’s why in this episode of Amplifying Recruitment we sat down with Barry Cullen, founder of RecLaw and one of the UK’s leading recruitment lawyers. Barry has seen it all from clients claiming they “didn’t know it was the same candidate” to recruiters believing their contracts don’t matter.We cover:What actually counts as a backdoor hire (and how courts view it)The biggest mistakes recruiters make with terms and processesThe myth about restrictive covenants that costs recruiters dearlyHow to spot red-flag clients before they burn youWhy contract management and evidence matter more than bravadoThe legal prep recruiters need to sell their business without losing valueBarry’s straight-talking approach makes the legal side of recruitment feel less like jargon and more like survival skills.If you want to protect your fees, safeguard your business, or just avoid ending up in court, this is an episode you can’t afford to miss.Follow the show for more conversations that help you build a smarter, stronger recruitment business.

Buying your mum’s business sounds like a dream but for Laura Clark, it came with pressure she’d never felt before.In this conversation, Laura opens up about the emotional rollercoaster of buying OA through an MBO. She shares how leading with fear nearly broke the business, and the mindset shifts that helped her rebuild confidence and momentum.We get into the realities of hiring and culture, why she lives by “if it’s not a yes, it’s a no” and the brutal truth that sometimes growth means making tough cuts.Laura also talks candidly about juggling four kids with running a recruitment company, the trade-offs she makes daily, and why leaders need to stop pretending you can “have it all.”From the hidden cost of unproductive meetings to the overlooked importance of the candidate journey, this episode is full of unfiltered insights on what it really takes to lead a recruitment business today.Follow the show for more conversations to help you build a smarter, stronger recruitment business.We’ve distilled our most impactful Business Development Training into one focused, fast-paced day so you can unlock client-winning strategies without sacrificing your schedule✅ Proven New Business Development Frameworks✅ Plug & Play Client Engagement Funnels✅ Prospect Conversion Skills You Can Apply Immediately✅ Live Follow-up Q&A for implementation support ⁠Click here for all the info.⁠

Most recruiters don’t last seven months without billing. George Wilson did and says it’s the best thing that ever happened to him.In this episode, George shares his journey from 21-year-old resourcer to Sales Director of Principal People all within the same business.He breaks down the mindset and environment that helped him grow, and what he looks for in high performers today.We talk about how the recruitment industry has changed, why hiring hungry grads is harder than it used to be, and why resilience and emotional maturity matter more than ever.George also shares what he's learned from leading the business through transition, how he thinks about leadership now, and why specialist agencies are best placed to thrive over the next 12 months.If you’re building or leading a recruitment team, this episode is a must-listen.We’ve distilled our most impactful Business Development Training into one focused, fast-paced day so you can unlock client-winning strategies without sacrificing your schedule✅ Proven New Business Development Frameworks✅ Plug & Play Client Engagement Funnels✅ Prospect Conversion Skills You Can Apply Immediately✅ Live Follow-up Q&A for implementation support Click here for all the info.

If your recruiters are still only asking for feedback after a placement, you’re missing the point and bleeding revenue.In this episode, we’re joined by Justin Hillier, founder of Recruiter Insider a feedback platform that’s spent years proving how candidate and client experience directly impacts performance.Justin shares the origin story of the business (it started with a terrible cold call), why Net Promoter Score is a broken metric, and the commercial goldmine buried in consultant feedback.We dig into:The one question that’s been letting recruiters down for 7+ yearsHow to link soft skills to hard numbers (like a 134% improvement in fill rates)Why female-led teams consistently outperform on serviceWhat most agencies get wrong about candidate experience and how to fix itThis one’s packed with perspective-shifting insights and zero fluff. If you want your recruiters performing better without relying on “more jobs” or “better candidates,” listen up.

In this episode, we dive into offshore recruitment in South Africa, hiring remote recruiters, and how UK agencies are saving costs and scaling faster.Jamie interviews Elliott Manning, MD of Kayman Recruitment Group and Vertrou Outsourcing, to uncover the real story behind the shift.You’ll learn:Why South African recruiters outperform on mindset and deliveryHow UK recruitment firms are using outsourcing to scaleKey legal differences in employment law (UK vs South Africa)What most recruitment leaders misunderstand about offshoringWhy AI and automation are reshaping the future of hiringThis is a must-watch if you're a founder exploring cost-effective growth, remote teams, or hiring offshore recruiters.📌 Subscribe to Amplifying Recruitment for more insights on scaling your recruitment business.

Most recruiters don’t charge enough. But the problem isn’t your clients. It’s you.In this episode, Jamie sits down with Jon Brooks, the Founder of The Value Advantage and Pricing Consultant to the recruitment industry.They unpack why most agencies still sell with one-size-fits-all pricing, and how that holds them back from higher fees, better clients, and long-term growth.Jon breaks down:Why recruiters often undervalue themselves before a client ever doesHow to build a “menu of services” that reflects your value (and gets you paid properly)Why pricing psychology matters more than market ratesWhat to do when a client says “we only pay 15%”If you want to stop competing on price and start charging based on real value, this episode will show you where to start.Follow the show for more practical conversations to help you build a smarter, more profitable recruitment business.

Too many agencies are throwing tech at the problem and wondering why it’s not working.This week, I’m joined by Saeed Bor, recruitment ops expert and the man behind the “process > tech” mantra.Si’s worked on the tools, scaled ops teams, and now consults with recruitment agencies across the UK to help them fix the stuff that actually matters. No fluff, no hype just smart process, systems thinking, and sharp advice that gets results.We talk about:Why so many recruitment leaders chase tools instead of fixing processThe most undertrained part of the recruitment process (and how it kills deals)A smarter way to use AI note-takers that actually builds your BD pipelineHow to map your real process using just your last 3 placementsWhat tech to ignore, what to lean into, and where AI is actually usefulThis one’s full of hard truths, sharp insights, and practical ideas that could save your business a ton of time, money and wasted automation.

Welcome to the Amplifying Recruitment podcast. Join your host, Jamie Burrows, and Jo Major, the Founder of Diversity in Recruitment, as they discuss the impact that ED&I training can have on recruiters’ services and business outcomes. Jo is a passionate advocate for equality, diversity and inclusion within recruitment, and she has built a career around training other recruiters on the best practices that they can apply to their client work. During the episode, Jo discusses the systemic barriers and unconscious biases that many people face in the workforce, and in particular during the recruitment process. She calls for more awareness of these issues, and suggests ways that recruiters can help their clients reduce these barriers to entry for marginalised people. She also emphasises the importance of leaders’ involvement in ED&I initiatives, particularly for hiring managers. Jo also shares the reasons that ED&I isn’t just an ethical issue; it also has the power to transform your business outcomes as a recruiter. Tune in to find out more about ED&I in recruitment. 

Welcome to the Amplifying Recruitment podcast. In this episode, your host, Jamie Burrows, is joined by Leadership Consultant Amy Williams to talk about the qualities that make up a great leader. Amy explains why so many recruiters often fall into leadership roles, often without the right training or experience, and shares her advice for people who find themselves in that situation. Throughout the episode, Amy also emphasises the importance of spotting leadership potential within your team, with a particular focus on a personal desire to be in a leadership position. She also warns about the dangers of promoting someone who is only extrinsically motivated, as this often leads to ineffective progress and short-term development. Amy also touches on her predictions for the future of leadership and the recruitment market, suggesting that we aren’t out of the woods yet. Listen in now to learn how to tap into your own - or your team’s - leadership potential. 

Welcome to the Amplifying Recruitment podcast. Your Host, Jamie Burrows, is joined in this episode by Leo Harrison, the Founder of Chapter 2, to talk about his unique business model and innovative take on recruitment practices. During the conversation, Leo shares the three pillars that have led his company to success; an embedded talent model, a solid tech stack and a content creation team. He also highlights the importance of marketing to potential hires who aren’t on the market yet, stating that this will create inbound leads and a thriving talent pool. Leo also shares the story of starting Chapter 2, including the impact that COVID had on the business, and the way that networking defined the company’s early years.He went on to share his advice for other recruiters, in particular when it comes to selling your services in the right way - even touching on his fixed-fee model and the impact it’s had on his success. Tune in now to hear how recruitment can be done differently. We’ve distilled our most impactful Business Development Training into one focused, fast-paced day so you can unlock client-winning strategies without sacrificing your schedule.✅ Proven New Business Development Frameworks ✅ Plug & Play Client Engagement Funnels ✅ Prospect Conversion Skills You Can Apply Immediately ✅ Live Follow-up Q&A for implementation support ⁠⁠Click here for all the info.