Most recruiters are good talkers. We do it all day, right? And most recruiters think that ‘selling‘ means ‘pitching’ or ‘persuading’, or ‘spinning’. Having ‘good chat‘ is highly prized. But there is a problem with that. A big one. And it raises its head at the most critical time. And it so often undermines recruiter […]

Three years ago, I warned recruiters to “fix the roof before the rain came.” Many didn’t—and paid the price. Too many let their business development muscles atrophy. That same warning applies now. AI will intensify the need for human connection, trust, and credibility. Strong client relationships will define who thrives, not who automates best. Don’t wait for the storm to hit again—get in front of your clients now. Reinforce your relationships, sharpen your value, and build future resilience. Automation will handle the hack work. Real recruiters must bring something only humans can.

Even in a job-short market, the best candidates have choices. The follow-on effects of changing candidate behaviour, ghosting and counteroffers are almost universal, and I have addressed them several times. You are facing it too, every day. Recruiters must change their inputs if they want to change the outputs. That means doubling down on questioning, […]

Almost all owners of recruitment companies make this disastrous error. I have done it myself. But I learned. It affects recruiters, too, and it can hurt them badly. We must be honest with ourselves. As an industry, we sometimes descend into a herd mentality. Lemming-like, even. We are skittish, scare easily, and see things in black or white. The ‘hire/fire […]

It is assessed when any recruiter is hired. It is discussed in every review of recruiter potential. It is lauded when success is sustained. And blamed for failure. It’s a core requirement to thrive in our profession and maybe succeed in modern life. Resilience. But what does ‘resilience’ really mean in the context of Recruitment? […]

No matter how long you have been in recruitment, how junior or senior your role is, this chart is of compelling interest to you. We are in a recruiting boom, with tight labour markets, talent shortages, and a massive appetite for hiring. As a result, it’s an excellent time to be a recruiter, and most […]

The last 18 months have been great for recruiters. Not easy, but great rewards for the hard-working. The market will turn, and fresh challenges will emerge. It’s likely to be a grind if the market declines. More work for less return. Older recruiting hands will know what I am referring to. I fear some recruiters […]