Advertise on podcast: Confessions of a Recruiter

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Send us Fan Mail Recruitment has never had more technology, yet most desks still rise or fall on the same old inputs: quality conversations, sharp judgement, and the discipline to do the work that actually drives fees. We are joined by Ross Clennent, a recruiter since 1989, coach to agency owners, and the voice behind Recruitment News Australia, to unpack what’s changed and what stubbornly hasn’t from the landline era to today’s AI rush. Ross takes us back to London in 1989 where a “candidate database” meant a manila folder of CVs and the KPI was simple: book interviews and make placements. From there we get into the modern productivity paradox, how internal HR slowed hiring cycles, and why the core still comes down to talking to clients and candidates. We also dive into the hardest promotion in agency life: moving from biller to leader. Ross shares a clear framework for managing performance without drama by setting expectations across results, activities and behaviour, then using objective reporting to run accountability chats as an inquiry, not a confrontation. On AI in recruitment, Ross is optimistic but blunt: the bar is rising, average recruiters will feel it first, and the winners will use automation to protect more time for the human “grey area” work AI can’t do well yet, influencing, negotiating, and helping both sides flex to meet in the middle. We also tackle specialisation versus generalist desks, the looming rookie training gap, and why playing the long game is still the best career insurance. If you found this useful, subscribe, share it with a recruiter or agency owner who needs a reset, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Support the show · Our Website is: xrecruiter.io

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Send us Fan Mail We sit down with Christy Moses CEO of Miller Leith, to trace the moments that shaped her leadership style, from early sales training at Enterprise Rent-A-Car to building a long recruitment career across a global agency, a fast-growth startup, and an established boutique.  We get practical about what makes recruiters successful over the long haul: choosing a market you genuinely care about, building a name people trust, and learning when to push for new opportunities that don’t fit the usual “consultant to manager” ladder. Christy breaks down key account management in recruitment, including how PSAs, tenders, proposals, and capability statements can either win work or lose it, and why the best agencies sell what the client needs rather than everything they can do.  We also tackle the uncomfortable stats around women in leadership and why the pipeline drops off as seniority rises. Christy shares what helped shift retention through the critical years, from flexible working to more supportive policies and leadership behaviours that make careers sustainable. To close, she gives her clearest advice for recruiters navigating AI and new tools: reduce admin, pick up the phone, get out from behind the screen, and prioritise Face time because relationships still drive decisions.  If this conversation helps, subscribe, share it with a recruiter or agency leader you respect, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Support the show · Our Website is: xrecruiter.io

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Send us Fan Mail He got fired from a construction job, drove around for hours before he could face going home, and then made a decision: if recruiters won't return calls, he'll build the kind of agency that does. Luke Cotterell is the Director of Primebuild Recruitment, and his story is a straight-shooting look at what it really takes to go from zero recruitment experience to consistent results in construction. We cover the scrappy start: setting up an agency for under $1,000, learning contracts and terms of business the hard way, and generating early cash flow through people he already knew. Then we get into the tactics that separate busy from effective, including why relying on the same Seek applicants can flatten your judgement, how reverse marketing works when you lead with a candidate not a pitch, and the mindset shift of always asking: what are other recruiters not doing? Luke's standout move is simple and bold. He walks onto residential job sites to meet site managers where they actually are. These are candidates who aren't polishing LinkedIn profiles, don't always have a CV ready, and still get hired fast when the right builder is paying market rates. We dig into how he builds rapport, keeps a bench of ready-to-move talent, and turns that into roughly a placement a week, plus the reality checks around tax, BAS, and respecting money once the numbers grow. If you're a recruiter thinking about going solo, or just curious how modern staffing businesses win in Australia, you'll get practical takeaways you can use this week. Support the show · Our Website is: xrecruiter.io

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Send us Fan Mail You can change agencies, cities, even countries, but there's one thing you carry into every client meeting and every candidate call: your reputation. Simon Marks spent sixteen years at Michael Page, Future You, Sharp & Carter, and Troocoo, finishing as General Manager before relocating to the United States. In this episode, Ed sits down with Simon to unpack how a recruitment career really grows when the market is messy, the desk is new, and the title does not automatically match the responsibility. They cover the big moves recruiters hesitate to make, what separates billers who are ready to lead from those who aren't, how Simon justified newly created roles at every level, and why reputation is the only credential that compounds across firms, cities, and countries. Subscribe, share with a mate in the industry, and leave a review with the one idea you're taking into your next week on the desk. Support the show · Our Website is: xrecruiter.io

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Send us Fan Mail A recruiter can build a monster desk and still feel stuck. Brianna Hoy did exactly that, earning the nickname “Millie" for Million Dollar while running up to 450 contractors on a high-volume government desk, only to realise the work had slipped into autopilot and the satisfaction was draining away.  We talk through the full arc: door-to-door sales across Australia, the raw “numbers game” that builds resilience, and the ROI mindset that turns activity into consistent billing. Brianna explains what recruiters don’t always see coming when a temp book gets big, you become the employer, and every miss-payment, complaint, and messy human moment can land back on your desk. Then a three-month solo travel break becomes the mirror that shows her desk can run without her, but her career can’t.  From there, she takes a left turn into commercial real estate, learning long sales cycles and how to stay relevant years before a client needs you. That relationship-first skillset becomes the foundation for People People, her specialist property and construction recruitment agency in Brisbane. We get honest about the “launched on Monday” chaos of starting a business, why specialisation matters, how offshore recruitment support can unlock focus, and where AI in recruitment will genuinely help without replacing trust.  If you’re building a recruitment career, thinking about starting an agency, or trying to hire in a candidate-short market, you’ll leave with practical lessons you can apply immediately.  Subscribe, share this with a recruiter mate, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. Support the show · Our Website is: xrecruiter.io

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Send us Fan Mail Debbie Davies takes us right back to the start, when recruitment meant Yellow Pages, walk-in candidates, business lists on CDs, and learning by doing. From there, we dig into the moments that shaped her leadership: the work ethic and resilience she developed growing up on a farm, the impact of experiencing a management style that didn’t align, and the decision to stay true to her values, especially integrity.  We also explore how leadership changes when you step into CEO-level responsibility, where strategy, profitability, continuity and decision-making can’t be avoided and where you can’t afford to bottleneck the business by trying to be across everything. At Beaumont People, Debbie shares why the agency doubles down on specialisation in the for-purpose sector and how a clear niche supports stronger client relationships, candidate outcomes, and team alignment. We unpack culture versus performance, how to deal with rumours quickly, and why managing high performers can be harder than managing anyone else, especially when burnout risk creeps in.  If you’re a recruiter, team leader, agency owner, or aspiring CEO, you’ll leave with practical guidance on specialisation, reputation, and getting back in front of clients. If you found this valuable, subscribe, share it with a recruiter who needs it, and leave us a review so more people can find the show. Support the show · Our Website is: xrecruiter.io

Send us Fan Mail Recruitment can look like hustle from the outside, but the best results usually come from something less glamorous: clear expectations, repeatable habits, and the courage to be human. Sophie Meaglitz from Frontline tells the story of jumping from Melbourne retail into agency recruitment during COVID lockdowns, backing herself when the industry is closed, and still setting clients up for the rebound. The payoff is huge, but the real value is how she explains the choices and behaviours that make the numbers possible. We talk about the moment you realise you are good at the job, and the moment you realise you still have a lot to learn. Sophie breaks down how she manages big vacancy lists with transparency, how she builds trust with clients and candidates, and why “vibe” is not fluff when you are selling a service built on relationships. We also get into leadership in recruitment: being promoted fast, building culture under pressure, letting go of your own desk to grow a team, and making a conscious call about whether you actually want to lead or whether you want to keep billing and stay close to the work. There are plenty of practical takeaways for recruiters and agency leaders: DISC profiles and role fit in fast-paced retail recruitment, finding the right niche, avoiding spam BD, and sticking to non-negotiables like daily business development, consistent KPIs, and closing loops before the weekend. If you want a grounded look at performance, resilience and career direction in Australian recruitment, this one will give you a plan you can use tomorrow. If you got value from this chat, subscribe, share it with a recruiter mate, and leave us a review so more people can find the show. Support the show · Our Website is: xrecruiter.io

Send us Fan Mail Support the show · Our Website is: xrecruiter.io

Send us Fan Mail Support the show · Our Website is: xrecruiter.io