The Mike Ames Recruitment Show

Would you like to hear how the owner of a recruitment company trebled his profits but reduced his headcount by 20%? He'd been running his firm for 20 years but then made the decision to convert to a Factory model. And that's when things began to change.  He opted for a blended fulfilment function that was part 360 and part layered, and it operates like clockwork. We are honoured to have Matt Ellis...

We know that teams that stay together longer become more productive and so more profitable. But how do you do this? Simple, by becoming a sticky employer. This makes it easy for you to attract, retain and motivate the right people. In this edition of the hashtag # MARShow we will be exploring exactly how you do this. The key factors we'll discuss are: - 1️⃣ the type of people you employ 2️⃣ your s...

What makes a great recruiter and how can you discover whether the person you're interviewing is one or not? That's the theme of today'sMike Ames Recruitment Show. Over the years I've employed well over 100 recruiters and estimate I've interviewed over 1000. I've learned some very hard lessons along the way (some cost me a lot of money). But I believe it comes down to a handful of characteristics a...

If the gods decreed all the possessions I'd gathered over the years were to be taken off me, except for one thing it would be this. My network, because with that intact I could get all my other assets back over time. That's the power of a strong network - it makes it easier and quicker to get things done. The problem is, the concept of modern networking has been so watered down that it's hardly re...

Would you like to know what you have to do to recruit and retain the best recruitment talent out there? If so, check this out. Lysha Holmes (www.linkedin.com/in/lyshaholmesr2r) is our guest on this week's show. She is a skilled and experienced rec-to-rec professional who has many years' experience of recruiting recruiters. On the show we focus on drawing upon her vast knowledge and experience in 4...

One of the biggest complaints I get from recruitment leaders is "I don't have enough time to do everything". If this is you, this show is for you.  In the fast-paced world of recruitment, time is our most valuable asset, but the modern world conspires against us. Countless emails flooding your inbox, a never-ending to-do list, firefighting, BD, client care and supporting your team – how can you fi...

When you run a recruitment firm the dream is to sell it but, how likely is this to happen and how much will it be worth? In this episode of the #MARShow we will answer both questions. We'll also share the characteristics of recruitment companies that are particularly attractive to potential buyers. Well, when I say "we" I mean our special guest, Carl Swansbury, founder and Head of Corporate Financ...

This is for anybody who hates attending networking events or feels they don't get very much from them. The good news is they are optional. A Real Network is a group of people who are willing and able to help you in your personal, and professional lives. Real Networking is the act of building and maintaining that network. But why bother? Because getting introductions and finding help when you need...

Ever considered an MBO as either an exit strategy, or as a way of taking over the firm from your boss one day? Well, our next guest is Alan Shave who several years ago, successfully completed an MBO with his colleagues. The process of a MBO is more complicated than many believe and is fraught with danger on both sides. But Alan and his team steered their way through successfully, and now the busin...

Probably the most common obstacle to growing a recruitment company right now is a lack of suitable candidates. Just imagine how much more money you could make if you could find more talent and then place them (the easy part). In this #MARShow our guest is marketing expert, James Whitelock who specialises in marketing techniques to attract candidates. During the show, James shares the methods he us...

Imagine you had a magic wand that instantly made you better at sales pitches, calls, emails, presentations, proposals et al. There is, and it's called AIDA. AIDA is a simple technique you can use when you want somebody (who doesn't know you very well) to do something you want. Hence, it's brilliant in all things sales and marketing. Anytime you have a "call to action" you want people to accept, AI...

Recruiters, did you know there are two kinds of BD: strategic and tactical. You need both, they're very different and most recruiters only do tactical. This show is on this subject but let me quickly explain the difference between the two. TACTICAL BD Is either, "giz a job" or "I've got this great candidate…" by message or phone. In other words vacancy scraping or candidate speccing. You need this...

Websites are like food processors, everybody has one, but few of us really know how to use them fully. Yet, learning just a few tricks can deliver some great results. In this episode of the #MARShow we're delighted to welcome Rob Garner, a seasoned expert in optimizing websites. We'll be sharing free or low-cost changes that can bring in more candidates and boost your BD effectiveness. There'll be...

Whether you're a solo recruiter with ambition or have hit that 3 or 4 employee mark and got stuck, you may be wondering how you can scale up. Scaling a recruitment business is soooooo much more than just adding staff and turnover. If that's all you do, there's a very good chance your company will lose its shape as it grows. That means one or more of the following: - ❌ staff motivation and happine...

Having seen many highly profitable recruitment companies the majority have one really big thing in common. They have stable, empowered, motivated and highly equipped teams. "Get outta here Sherlock", I hear you cry. Obvious, yes, but since most recruitment companies aren't highly profitable, it's clearly hard to do. There are several factors involved, such as: - 360 vs Layered fulfilment team Mana...

If you're a solopreneur recruiter or own a small recruitment firm and want to break the link between the hours you work and what you earn then this show is important. Virtual teams are a great way to grow your business without committing to permanent staff, plus you can now hire people anywhere on the planet. But this approach does come with some risks, which is why we are covering it in today's ...

For some years now, the only people who did cold calls were the ones that liked doing it or were forced into it. The market was good, active clients were feeding in new vacancies, email marketing was working OK and LinkedIn was also very productive. But two things have happened to change that: - ❶ the market tightened up ❷ AI started generating a lot more content (including cold intro emails) In o...

We all want to improve our profitability and one way to do this is build offshore people into your team, but how do you do this successfully? Well, that's the topic of our next Mike Ames Recruitment Show: offshoring for beginners. It's also for those who've tried it, and it didn't work out. On this, we'll be exploring the reasons offshore projects often fail, so you can avoid them yourself. Like m...

360 recruiters have been the mainstay of the industry for years, but things are changing now because as a model it's unreliable. How can this be? I hear you cry. Well, 80%+ of the recruitment companies out there have less than 10 staff, growth is clearly a problem. Good 360s are hard to find, hard to make yourself and hard to keep. And if they go, they're going to take a big chunk of your revenue...

Every now and then you meet somebody who achieves great things but think themselves ordinary. Wendy Merricks is one such person. This is her story. A story that just culminated in the successful sale of her business to an investment company. Wendy has more recruitment experience than anybody I know, including me! She worked for Software Knowledge, my first Recruitment company, in the 90s and was n...

Not having a noticeable fear of failure and 35 years doing the same thing, teaches you an awful lot. Well, it's time to share the best bits.  Quite frankly, I've learnt more by working closely with over 100 recruitment company owners than I did building and selling my own two recruitment firms. One thing I have learnt is that recruitment is easy but business is hard. By that I mean it's full of at...

Picture this. You're discussing terms with a new prospect. They want as much as possible for as little as possible. You want retained and a good fee. Even though you're damned good at what you do, that often isn't enough to win the deal on your terms. Bummer! Well, our guest on the Mike Ames Recruitment Show has a blemish-free record of getting what she wants, using one simple tactic. Michelle The...

12 months ago, The recruitment world changed utterly and forever – CHATGPT launched and incited an arms race. Where it will all end up is still to be seen, but in just one year, the world has witnessed a surge in AI-driven services, particularly in recruitment. ATS & CRM systems have integrated AI into many of their services. (or at least their marketing says they have) Thousands of custom SaaS pl...

Did you know that all of us have a way we prefer to buy things, and if suppliers sell to us in that way, they will be more successful? It's called our Buying Style. Knowing how to spot, and then sell to a person's buying style, is a bit like cheating, and will give you a massive competitor advantage. It makes sense when you think about it. We're all motivated differently, so trying to persuade us...

Over 80% of recruiters never bill more than £1m a year, so those who do must have a secret growth sauce. Like to know what it is? Our next guest on the  #MARShow is Roheel Ahmad, founder and MD of Forsyth Barnes. Started 8 years ago, they are now an international perm business with a turnover of £20m. Roheel will be talking about his journey and the things he does differently. We'll be looking at...