Most recruitment agency owners hit a wall around 10–20 people. The culture that made you successful starts to crack. The personal touch gets lost. And you’re left wondering if scaling was worth it.

Nicholas Barton didn’t just avoid that wall. He blasted through it.

He started packing boxes in a warehouse before falling into recruitment. No business plan, no backers. Eighteen years later, The Barton Partnership operates across London, New York, and Singapore with around 100 people. They’ve been recognized by Forbes as one of the world’s best management consulting firms three years running, and ranked in Recruiter magazine’s Hot 100 for GP per employee.

But here’s what makes Nicholas’s story different: he scaled internationally without losing what made the business work in the first place. While competitors chased quick growth and watched their cultures implode, Nicholas played the long game. He built a platform before the headcount. He kept his early hires for 18 years. And he opened offices in three countries without the business ever feeling fragmented.

In this episode, Nicholas breaks down exactly how: the infrastructure he built first, why he gave away 35% through share options, his "present don't sell" approach that keeps turnover low, and how he cracked international expansion without losing his shirt or his culture.

If you’re an agency owner planning your next phase of growth, this conversation is a blueprint for scaling with integrity.

Episode Outline & Highlights

• [3:40] How Nicholas fell into recruitment and found his niche in strategy consulting

• [10:50] The “spray and pray” moment that kick-started his career

• [13:04] Early hires who are still with him 18 years later

• [15:07] The “art of the possible” mindset for founders

• [18:33] How share options became his #1 retention tool

• [23:38] Hiring for character and culture: no ego, no arrogance

• [29:08] The “airport test” and team-based hiring process

• [35:20] Building platform before headcount

• [42:43] Launching an interim practice that now drives 50% of revenue

• [46:43] Three pillars for a scalable firm

• [48:40] Cracking the U.S. market without losing culture

• [56:56] Pivoting to virtual during COVID with zero productivity loss

• [1:04:42] Why great customer service beats great selling

Key Takeaways

Build your platform before your headcount
Nicholas invested in marketing, finance, and ops long before hiring fast. The result: a business that scales smoothly and survives crises.

Give away share options to keep top talent
He’s distributed 35% of his business through EMI options, creating real ownership and 18-year loyalty.

Present, don’t sell
Transparency over persuasion with candidates and clients alike keeps culture intact and turnover low.

Nicholas Barton Bio and Contact Info

Nicholas Barton is the Founder and CEO of The Barton Partnership, a specialist executive search and interim management firm focused on strategy consulting, private equity, and corporate transformation. Founded in 2007, the firm now operates across London, New York, and Singapore with around 100 people. Nicholas has been named Leader of the Year by APSCo and serves as a non-executive director and investor in multiple recruitment ventures, including Search Chain, a fintech-focused search firm he co-founded in 2024.

Nicholas on LinkedIn
The Barton Partnership Website

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