Best REC Scale Podcasts (2025)

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Season 8 | Ep39 Matt Tyson on two life-changing exits and the personal cost of chasing growth 1:25:30

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What’s the point in building a business if you lose everything at home? On this week’s episode of The RAG Podcast, I’m joined by Matt Tyson, founder of Knockout Consulting and former owner of two successful payroll companies. Matt has achieved what many founders dream of—two life-changing exits in 15 years. But behind the success was a personal cos…

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Season 8 | Ep38 Dan Grim on what top recruitment talent really wants and why most agencies miss the mark 1:22:49

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Why most recruitment businesses fail to attract top-tier leadership talent On this week’s episode of The RAG Podcast, I’m joined by Dan Grim, founder of Inside Recruitment. With 25 years in the industry and two previous equity partnerships under his belt, Dan now runs a solo rec-to-rec firm helping recruitment businesses hire the kind of leadership…

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Season 8 | Ep37 Why Martin Smith spends 90% of his time on what he's best at - BD and brand growth 1:12:31

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Most recruitment founders try to do it all and burn out in the process. On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I’m joined by Martin Smith, founder of Talent Group, who shares how he's structured his business to double down on what he's best at and handed over the rest. Martin runs TalentDrive and Talent Finance, with a 12-person team across the…

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Episode 62: Racing to the top not the bottom: holding value in a price driven market 24:10

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In this special episode of the Talking Recruitment Podcast, Neil Carberry introduces a valuable conversation from RECLive25. The session, hosted by Lorraine Laryea, Chief Standards Officer at the REC, features guest speakers Colin Gunnell, Chief Executive at Liquid Friday; Michelle Mellor, Chair of the REC and Director and Founder of Cummins Mellor…

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Season 8 | Ep36 Philippa Smith on losing it all then scaling back to build a £1m+ EBITDA lifestyle agency 1:15:02

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What happens when your 15-person agency runs out of cash and you have to start over from scratch? On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I’m joined by Philippa Smith, founder of Silver Swan Recruitment, a luxury staffing agency for ultra-high net worth individuals. After growing her team to 15, COVID and poor cash flow caught up with her. In Au…

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Episode 61: The Employment Rights Bill exclusive with Justin Madders MP 25:52

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In this exclusive episode of the Talking Recruitment Podcast, Neil Carberry sits down with Justin Madders MP, Minister for Employment Rights, Competition and Markets for a timely conversation exploring the Government’s employment agenda and the future of work in the UK. With the Employment Rights Bill on the horizon and his recent fireside chat at …

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Season 8 | Ep35 How Levy Global is scaling post-MBO with a clear vision for growth and legacy 1:24:40

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From recruiter to CEO and majority shareholder, Matt Murphy’s journey at Levy Global is nothing short of remarkable. Now, with Rory McGowan joining from Opus as COO, the business is entering what they call "Levy 2.0" - a new chapter focused on scale, structure, and serious wealth creation. On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I’m joined by Ma…

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Season 8 | Ep34 Jay Wynter on $1m billing for 7 years straight and leading Precision Sourcing’s largest and highest-performing team 57:35

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What does it take to bill over $1 million a year for seven years straight, while leading the highest-performing team in your company? On this week’s episode of The RAG Podcast, I’m joined by Jay Wynter, SAP Practice Lead at Precision Sourcing in Australia. From a tough start in recruitment to becoming a standout performer, Jay has built an elite bi…

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Episode 60: Fit for the turnaround: building scalable, profitable recruitment agencies 30:43

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In this episode of the Talking Recruitment Podcast, Neil Carberry sits down with Duncan Wyeth, Partner Manager at Vision33, a Sage Partner, to explore how recruitment agencies can take control, get lean, and grow smarter in today’s shifting market. From finance transformation to data-led decisions, this episode is packed with practical insight.…

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Season 8 | Ep33 Dan Moussa on growth, consulting skills and leading rec forward in the age of AI 1:02:57

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What does growth really look like in 2025's recruitment market? For Dan Moussa, it means combining consulting skills, AI adoption and personal branding to move the industry forward. On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I'm joined by Dan Moussa, founder of Talesca, a specialist recruitment business in Australia. Dan’s story is one of consisten…

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Season 8 | Ep32 From cleaning to global recruiter - Leon Mitton on scaling with AI at the core 1:02:48

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What does it take to go from running a cleaning business to founding a global recruitment firm? Leon Mitton shares how he launched Agnes Cole Consulting during COVID and is now using AI to drive scale and efficiency in a way few are even attempting. On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I’m joined by Leon Mitton, founder of Agnes Cole Consulti…

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Season 8 | Ep31 Tom Warner on why he downsized his agency and now prefers building solo at a £500K+ run rate 41:43

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What happens when scaling your recruitment business doesn’t bring success, but stress? Tom Warner opens up about the highs and lows of building GroTech and why going solo was the best decision he ever made. On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I’m joined by Tom Warner, founder of GroTech, a specialist go-to-market recruitment agency for SaaS …

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Season 8 | Ep30 James Waissel on hitting £300K within 7 months as a rec agency founder 1:06:08

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James Waissel set a modest goal of £125K in year 1 of launching his own agency. Instead, he ended up billing over £300K in revenue in just seven months. On this week’s episode of The RAG Podcast, I’m joined by James Waissel, founder and CEO of Huntsman Consult, a construction and real estate recruitment business based in London. James started the b…

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Season 8 | Ep29 Graham Cosgrave on growing MatchMedics by going niche and marketing to doctors worldwide 1:06:45

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What happens when you go all-in on a niche? Graham Cosgrave shares how MatchMedics transformed from a traditional agency into one of Ireland’s leading medical recruitment brands by focusing solely on doctors. On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I'm joined by Graham Cosgrave, Director at MatchMedics, a recruitment business specialising in pla…

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Episode 59: Rethinking recruitment for a future-ready workforce 43:49

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In this episode of the Talking Recruitment Podcast Neil Carberry talks to Jo Major, Founder of Diversity in Recruitment. They discuss the evolving role of tomorrow’s recruiter, from transactional hiring to strategic talent architect and reengineering recruitment practices for a skills-first future.By Recruitment & Employment Confederation

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Season 8 | Ep28 From recruiter to founder at 25: Haseena Mooncey on building a global life sciences business 1:05:08

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Starting a recruitment business at 25 with just three years of experience takes serious courage. Haseena Mooncey did exactly that – and she’s built something special. On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I'm joined by Haseena Mooncey, co-founder of CHR Life Sciences, a modern boutique recruitment firm focused on niche roles across the UK, Ire…

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Season 8 | Ep27 From refugee to 7-figure founder: Klajdi Bega on building Luminary Group by age 27 1:09:32

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From Albanian refugee to running a seven-figure recruitment firm by age 27. On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I'm joined by Klajdi Bega, founder and CEO of Luminary Group, a life sciences headhunting firm operating across the UK, Europe, and the US. Born in Albania and raised in North London, Klajdi’s story is one of grit, vision, and rele…

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Episode 58: Navigating the recent legal changes and what they mean for you 34:33

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In this episode of the Talking Recruitment Podcast REC Legal experts Lorraine Laryea, Chief Standards Officer and Melissa Mhondoro, Legal Advice Manager sit down with Kate Shoesmith Deputy CEO to discuss the latest legal and Employment Right Bill changes.By Recruitment & Employment Confederation

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Season 8 | Ep26 Tom Johnson on securing investment from Lord Sugar and buying back 100% of his recruitment business 1:02:41

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What happens when you cold email Lord Sugar asking for investment? Tom Johnson did exactly that…and it worked! On this week's show, I am joined by Tom Johnson, founder of Hernshead Group, a recruitment business he launched six years ago with backing from Lord Alan Sugar after watching The Apprentice. In this episode, Tom shares the full story – fro…

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Season 8 | Ep25 Helen Yarrow on embracing solo entrepreneurship after 30 years in recruitment 1:13:22

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What if recruitment agency growth didn’t mean adding headcount? Helen Yarrow has spent over 30 years in recruitment—and for most of it, she felt like she was falling short of the industry’s definition of success. Why? Because she never scaled a big team. Despite launching her business 14 years ago and building a strong reputation in the B2B events …

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Episode 57: The power of communication: Scaling a successful recruitment business 26:00

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In this episode of the Talking Recruitment podcast, Neil Carberry speaks with Laura Clark, CEO of OA Group and an REC business member. They explore the journey of scaling a business from 6 to 50 people, navigating an MBO, and the vital role of communication in building a successful company.By Recruitment & Employment Confederation

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Season 8 | Ep24 Tom Essex on losing their niche, and completely rebuilding the agency inside the first five years! 53:31

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Founders fall out. Niches get blurred. This is what no one tells you about before you launch your own recruitment agency On this week's show, I am joined by Tom Essex, co-founder of Kigyo Solutions, a recruitment business based in Amsterdam focused on logistics and renewable energy. Tom launched the business in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pa…

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Season 8 | Ep23 Marc Cohen on scaling in the US and securing an 8-figure exit! 1:13:37

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Marc Cohen scaled his recruitment agency in the US and secured an 8 figure exit. On this week's RAG Podcast, I am joined by Marc, founder of ConSol Partners, who achieved something that 99.9% of recruitment founders will never do. Marc and his co-founder Graeme built their agency with an exit strategy in mind from day 1, navigating economic downtur…

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Episode 56: How is automation transforming hiring and empowering candidates in the UK? 31:43

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In this episode of the Talking Recruitment podcast, Neil Carberry speaks with Chris Milligan, CEO of Konfir. They discuss how Konfir’s technology supports the candidate credential verification process, putting the power of data back in candidates' hands. They go on to discuss: The latest automation trends transforming hiring and onboarding processe…

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Season 8 | Ep22 Kyle Winterbottom on how building his brand isn’t just attracting clients—it’s making his business an acquisition target! 1:00:02

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Here is a recruitment business that doesn’t rely on outbound sales Kyle Winterbottom has done things a little differently to the rest Kyle and I sat down for this week’s episode of The RAG Podcast to discuss how his business has evolved since he was last on the show in 2022. He’s built a global community of 1,500+ Chief Data Officers, driving all o…

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Season 8 | Ep21 Lloyd Gordon: Merging 2 rec firms with 100+ staff into one unified team 1:15:39

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In 2022, Lloyd Gordon had just acquired Cognitive Group, bringing his team to over 100 people. Over the past 3 years, he has had the challenge of successfully integrating the two businesses. On this week’s episode of The RAG Podcast, I am joined for the fourth time by Lloyd, CEO of Focus Cloud Group, and this time we discussed: The challenges of me…

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Episode 55: The changing cost of business: taxes, talent & the UK’s economic shift 34:20

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In this episode of the #TalkingRecruitmentPodcast, Neil Carberry speaks with Raj Lal, Senior Sales Director at Totaljobs. They dive into the recent increase in National Insurance contributions, how these changes are affecting businesses and examine the growing disconnect between employee-valued benefits and employer offerings, considering strategie…

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Season 8 | Ep20 Alex Dick on why 400 recruiters apply to work with his business every week! 1:23:39

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Why 400 recruiters apply to work with Alex’s business every single week. On this week's show, I am joined by Alex Dick, founder of Alexander Lyons Solutions. Alex built a £1m legal recruitment desk for nearly a decade before a personal event led him to rethink everything. Now, he’s on a mission to scale with a revolutionary recruitment model – one …

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Season 8 | Ep19 FIFA to Founder: How a 20yr old Harry Portch built HM Staffing by accident 1:08:36

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On this week’s episode of The RAG Podcast with Harry Portch, founder of HM Staffing. Harry’s journey is anything but ordinary. He started his business at just 20 years old – almost by accident – while playing FIFA! Now, six years later, he’s built a leading sales and marketing recruitment agency, transitioned to a fully remote model, and became a L…

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Episode 54: Going beyond the placement and elevating recruitment through strong business strategy 34:42

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In this episode of the Talking Recruitment Podcast, Neil Carberry speaks to Ben Browning, Founder of Resonant, a business consultancy that supports recruitment firms to address their growth challenges. They discuss why recruitment businesses must shift toward a more strategic approach to revenue generation and what recruiters might be missing when …

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Season 8 | Ep18 How 100K LinkedIn followers delivered customers, revenue & an exit strategy 1:08:28

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The fastest-growing LinkedIn account I have ever seen in the recruitment industry! This week I sat down with Andrew MacAskill. From launching Executive Career Jump to becoming Chief Commercial Officer at Fraser Dove, Andrew has built a personal brand that’s led to over 105,000 LinkedIn followers, a published book, and global business success. What …

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Season 8 | Ep17 Jordan Shlosberg: Using tech, branding & social selling to drive revenue 1:07:57

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Introducing the Top 100 most influential recruiters on LinkedIn... This week, I am re-joined by Jordan Shlosberg, founder of Atlas, for an unmissable episode of The RAG Podcast. Since we last spoke in September, Atlas – the world’s first AI-powered CRM for recruiters – has skyrocketed to nearly £1M ARR in just 9 months! But this episode isn’t just …

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Episode 53: Breaking barriers – how employers can create meaningful opportunities for young people 32:21

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In this episode of the Talking Recruitment Podcast, Neil Carberry speaks with Nish Mayor, Director of Employer Engagement & Partnerships at Youth Futures Foundation. They dive into the impact of Youth Futures Foundation’s work and how it is helping young people, especially those from marginalized groups, access the labour market. In this episode th…

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Season 8 | Ep16 James Sanders: 200 employees & 4 brands to selling 50% for £1 to survive! 1:17:45

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Some recruitment founder stories end with an exit. This one starts with it falling apart. On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I am joined by James Sanders James built PSR Solutions from his bedroom to: £65M turnover 200+ staff Multiple acquisitions 4 specialist brands Then came an unexpected call: £3M due. 7 days to pay. But some key lessons…

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Season 8 | Ep15 From doubt to £1M in 2yrs: How Hemish Ilangaratne built RX Group 58:52

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On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I am joined by Hemish Ilangaratne, founder of RX Group, a specialist life sciences recruitment agency. In this candid episode, Hemish sheds light on his inspiring journey: From 11 years at S3 Group (where he didn’t close a single deal in the last seven years) to launching RX Group in 2023. Exceeding his mo…

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Episode 52: Beyond the hype: How AI and verifiable credentials are transforming talent acquisition 29:49

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In this episode of the Talking Recruitment Podcast, Neil Carberry speaks with Etan Bernstein, Co-founder and Head of Ecosystem at the Velocity Network Foundation. They go beyond the hype on how AI is truly impacting the talent acquisition market, what verifiable credentials (VCs) are, and their potential impact. In this episode, we cover: What veri…

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Season 8 | Ep14 Nick Asbridge on building a £1M AI rec business in 2 years – and working less! 1:10:44

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This story is unlike anything I have heard in over 300 episodes of The RAG Podcast. On this week’s episode, I speak with Nick Asbridge, founder of Asobbi, a UK-based AI-focused recruitment company. Nick shares his incredible journey: From 15 years in recruitment to launching Asobbi in January 2023, achieving £1M+ in annual revenue in just two years…

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Season 8 | Ep13 Reflections, resilience & recruitment: my take on 2024 and goals for 2025 38:37

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This is exactly what I see happening in the recruitment industry in 2025… This week is a special solo episode of The RAG Podcast, where I reflect on the challenges and lessons from 2024 and share my predictions for 2025. In this episode, I’ll dive into: 📊 Why profit and quality are now prioritised over growth in recruitment. 🤖 How AI and LinkedIn a…

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Episode 51: Shaping recruitment’s future: insights from Bev White on AI and human-centred strategies 35:02

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Our first episode of the Talking Recruitment podcast for 2025 hears from a speaker that truly does what they love and ensures it creates a difference for the future. Bev White, Chief Executive Officer of Nash Squared sits down with Kate Shoesmith, REC Deputy CEO to chat about her career journey, the importance of personalisation and prioritising hu…

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Season 8 | Ep12 Keith Cronin on life without alcohol: Sobriety and living with purpose 1:11:15

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The man who’s helped me live alcohol-free for the past 12 months! On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I am joined by Keith Cronin, the founder of Alcohol Free Living. Keith has been my personal coach for the past year and supported me in quitting the booze for a better life. In this honest conversation, he shares his powerful journey from st…

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Season 8 | Ep11 The road to a successful MBO: Lessons from Chris Peace’s £Million exit 1:08:22

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What does life look like on the first day after selling your business? In this week’s episode of The RAG Podcast, I’m joined by Chris Peace, founder of Peace Recruitment, a specialist construction and engineering recruitment agency based in Scotland. Chris recently exited his business through a vendor-initiated management buyout (VIMBO) – a unique …

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Episode 50: REC round-up: highlights, challenges & the road ahead 37:24

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In the final episode of 2024, the REC’s formidable duo, Neil Carberry and Kate Shoesmith, sit down to look back at the highlights, the political shifts, the challenges, and how we have supported members throughout the year. They’ll go on to talk about what’s in store for 2025 from the REC and how we are making the sector’s voice heard.…

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Season 8 | Ep9 Catherine Roughan on balancing a thriving solo business and parenthood 1:07:49

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How to build a thriving solo business while still being the best possible parent: This is Catherine Roughan’s inspiring journey What if success in recruitment wasn’t about scale or exit – but about happiness, balance, and doing it your way? This week on The RAG Podcast, I sit down with Catherine Roughan, founder of Kidmore Recruitment, a specialist…

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Season 8 | Ep8 Joe Jani on building towards a £100M valuation (at just 31!) 1:05:27

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What does it take to grow a global recruitment company, secure private equity investment, and aim for a £100M valuation – all by the age of 31? On this week’s The RAG Podcast, I’m sitting down with Joe Jani, founder and CEO of Metric Search, one of the world’s fastest-growing recruitment firms. Here’s what we uncover: 🔥 How Joe scaled Metric Search…

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Episode 49: Navigating the future of staffing: compliance and the power of technology 24:41

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In this episode, Neil Carberry speaks with Mark Kieve, CEO of UK & Ireland of REC business partner Pixid Group. They discuss the importance of compliance in an evolving world, navigating the challenges of cross-border staffing and leveraging technology. In this episode, we discuss: Agility, scalability, and flexibility: in uncertain times, the abil…

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Season 8 | Ep7 Don’t make this mistake on LinkedIn in 2025 25:18

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If you are a recruitment founder planning on spending time and money on LinkedIn next year, then chances are, you’re likely to make this one critical mistake – and it will cost you big time. On this week’s episode of The RAG Podcast, I’m sharing insights from my live talk at the Recruitment Agency Expo in Birmingham. I’m revealing how recruiters ca…

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Season 8 | Ep6 Jim Sloan on how to build a scalable and profitable agency that doesn’t depend on you! 1:09:19

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This week on The RAG Podcast, I’m sitting down with Jim Sloan, CEO and founder of Navartis a specialist recruitment agency in the infrastructure sector. Jim’s journey is an incredible story of growth to a team of 110+ across multiple countries and significant profits of £2M EBITDA Here’s what we discuss: 🔑 How Jim started the business as a new bran…

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Episode 48: Empowering people, elevating standards: The Mixxos way 37:42

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In this episode, Neil Carberry speaks with Gemma Downing and Chris Mapp, Co-owners of REC member, Mixxos Group. They discuss their business journey and how driving standards as a recruitment agency has empowered them to aim higher. In this episode, we discuss: How Mixxos has grown in terms of people, technology, and personal branding. How they bala…

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Season 8 | Ep5 Craig Whiting - On 6 years billing £1.5m per year before learning to “step off the tools” 1:24:42

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On this week’s episode of The RAG Podcast, I’m joined by Craig Whiting, founder of RLS Search, who shares his incredible journey from solo billing to building a 15-member team specialising in tech talent for investment management. In this episode, Craig opens up about his transition from running a small operation with his partner—billing £1.5 milli…

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Season 8 | Ep4 Kate Cross on running an agency with her husband and maintaining £500,000 in contract revenue annually for the past 17 years! 1:05:05

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Ever wondered what it takes to build a thriving recruitment business with your partner? On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, Kate Cross joins me to reveal the highs, lows, and secrets to creating sustainable contract revenue while maintaining a successful personal relationship. Kate is co-founder of Harvey Jacob, a construction recruitment ag…