The RAG Podcast - Recruitment Agency Growth Podcast

Mathew Gollop found Hong Kong in the back of Recruiter magazine. A glossy advert, a Chinese temple, a palm tree. He flew out, signed the contract, and landed in February 2001.The dot-com bubble had just burst. Then 9/11. Then SARS.Within a year the founder wanted out, and Mathew took the business over. It was the only way to keep his job.When the market finally turned, it turned hard. Connected Group went from 7 people to 85, across 5 offices inside 5 years.Then the financial crisis hit. £800k gone in little over a year. Six months of runway. An investor brought in, his shares diluted, offices closed one by one.“I had dumb confidence, I think, at that time.”On this episode of The RAG Podcast, Mathew Gollop breaks down the full arc. The scale, the near collapse, and the decision that rebuilt the business: giving recruitment away for free.Mathew is the first to admit he loved running 85 people across five offices, and wasn't actually good at it.If you have ever wondered whether purpose can survive a brutal market, this episode has the blueprint.------------------------------------------Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That's why there's Atlas, the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies.It doesn't only track CVs and calls. It remembers everything. Every email, every interview, every conversation. Instantly searchable, always available. And now, it's entering a whole new era.With Atlas 2.0, you can ask anything and it delivers. With Magic Search, you speak and it listens. It finds the right candidates using real conversations, not simply look for keywords.Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier than ever. With Opportunities, you can track, manage and grow client relationships, powered by generative AI and built right into your workflow.Need insights? Custom dashboards give you total visibility over your pipeline. And that's not theory. Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in monthly billings after adopting the platform.No admin. No silos. No lost info. Nothing but faster shortlists, better hires and more time to focus on what actually drives revenue.Atlas is your personal AI partner for modern recruiting.Don't miss the future of recruitment. Get started with Atlas today and unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/------------------------------------------Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn, but AI has turned templated posts and outreach into a commodity. When everyone sounds the same, the market stops listening. The recruiters winning now are the ones the market trusts.At Hoxo we help recruitment founders become the most influential name in their niche, using AI to multiply output while trust stays the product. Our clients turn their existing networks into £100K to £300K in new billings within months. Watch the free RAG listener training to see how: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0

Logan Naidu runs Kernel Global-a multi-brand recruitment group with 200 people across London, Hong Kong, Charlotte and New York.We first spoke in April 2021. He had 180 people. The market was about to explode.2021: £7 million EBITDA. 2022: £10 million EBITDA. Headcount doubled to 300.Then March 2023 hit. Logan closed a second PE deal. Paid out over £30 million to staff. The biggest individual payout? Multiple millions.One month later, he started making cuts."I remember talking to my father-in-law saying I'm really embarrassed by this. I've just taken on a load of money from new investors and we're already talking about making cuts and the business shrinking."By the end of 2023, Logan had cut 100 heads—a third of the business.But here's what makes this story different: he saw it coming.December 2022. Their Christmas party. Logan stood up and said: "I think we've forgotten how hard this industry can be. We've had a record year, but we're cutting corners. We're taking clients for granted. That's going to bite us if we don't get back to it really quickly."It was poorly received. Then 2023 happened.This week on The RAG Podcast, Logan breaks down the full story.We cover:Scaling from £4.9M to £10M EBITDA in three years during the boomWhy he warned his team in December 2022 that they'd "forgotten the basics"Closing a PE deal on a Saturday morning hours before Silicon Valley Bank collapsedMaking 100 cuts across two waves (and why the second wave was harder)The criteria he used to decide who stayed: character, work ethic, client treatmentWhy his sleepless nights dropped from 2–3 per week to 2–3 per yearRebuilding to 2022 levels by 2025 with a completely different foundationHis approach to AI, offshoring, and why he won't chase every new toolWhy he still hires graduates despite the cost and cultural shiftsThe plan to double the business again by 2029This isn't about avoiding pain.It's about a founder who moved fast, made hard decisions early, and came out the other side with a business built to last through cycles.If you've ever wondered how the best operators stay level when everyone else is drinking their own Kool-Aid, this episode is the blueprint.__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: Remote RecruitmentHiring shouldn’t be slow, stressful, or expensive. That’s why there’s Remote Recruitment — the smart hiring partner for modern businesses.They don’t just help you find great people. They help you access elite South African talent that’s ready to deliver. No PAYE. No NI. No bloated overheads. Just trained, remote professionals who integrate seamlessly into your team.Their process handles everything: sourcing, shortlisting, onboarding, and retention. Fully managed. Fully supported. Fully remote.And now, Remote Recruitments has entered a new chapter. From ops to admin, sales to strategy, we’re helping businesses scale smarter with people they trust, at a cost they can afford.Clients have seen:* Up to **60% productivity boosts*** **300% ROI** on BD roles* **30% faster completion** of operational tasksNo overhead burden. No talent shortage panic. Just growth-focused hiring that makes business sense.Remote Recruitment is your flexible hiring solution for the modern era.**RAG Listeners:** Get 5% off your first hire + a free strategy session at www.remoterecruitment.co.uk/rag__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here’s the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That’s the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we’ve created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you’ll learn:- Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedIn- How small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demand- The 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency’s most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0

Stuart Mitchell: How he built $3M in 3 years (then realised he hated his own job)Stuart Mitchell launched Hampton North in September 2022.$1.6 million year one. $2.5 million year two. On track for $3 million plus in year three.Now 10 staff and projects $1m profit for next year.I interviewed him on the show in the middle of 2023, and things were flying.But over the following 18 months, he nearly broke.His dad died. His wife fell pregnant. And the VP he'd promised her-the guy who was supposed to take the pressure off-pulled out in January."I had to go home to my newly pregnant wife and have a really hard conversation."For 6 months, Stuart ground it out alone. High expectations, low empathy. The worst version of himself.Then at a wedding, his old running mate Greg Anderson said: "I think we should do this again."Greg joined in June and immediately told Stuart the truth: "There is nothing here. No process. Nothing written down. You're making it impossible for anyone who joins to actually do well."This week on The RAG Podcast, Stuart tells the full story.We cover:Launching just before the 2023 downturn and hitting $1.6M in the first yearLosing his dad and how it derailed him for two monthsThe VP hire that fell through one week after his wife fell pregnantWhy he admits "I had my own company and I didn't like my job"How one hire professionalised a business built entirely on talentBuilding a $3M agency with 10 people (and why he'll never scale past 25)Why he takes profit first and doesn't care about a big exitThe role this LinkedIn profile and brand played in attracting top-tier talentThis isn't about sacrifice for success.It's about a founder who built a multi-7-figure business, then redesigned it so he could pick his kids up from school.If you've ever wondered whether you can have both profit and peace, this episode is the proof you need!__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That's why there's Atlas, the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies.It doesn't only track CVs and calls. It remembers everything. Every email, every interview, every conversation. Instantly searchable, always available. And now, it's entering a whole new era.With Atlas 2.0, you can ask anything and it delivers. With Magic Search, you speak and it listens. It finds the right candidates using real conversations, not simply look for keywords.Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier than ever. With Opportunities, you can track, manage and grow client relationships, powered by generative AI and built right into your workflow.Need insights? Custom dashboards give you total visibility over your pipeline. And that's not theory. Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in monthly billings after adopting the platform.No admin. No silos. No lost info. Nothing but faster shortlists, better hires and more time to focus on what actually drives revenue.Atlas is your personal AI partner for modern recruiting.Don't miss the future of recruitment. Get started with Atlas today and unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here's the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That's the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we've created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you'll learn:Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedInHow small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demandThe 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency's most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0

Michael Green: How he made $700K in year one (after not billing for 6 years)Michael Green spent six years running teams of 100+ recruiters.Building offices. Managing people. Zero placements.When he launched Unico in April 2024, he had to go back to basics."I had to do role plays to myself. I hadn't qualified a candidate in six years."Day one was brutal. Just him, his house and a dog.But Michael had something most recruiters don't: a genuine answer to "what makes you different?"While everyone else competed on job boards chasing $30K fees, Michael went the opposite direction.Senior positions only. Architect level and above.New York Location onlyHis average fee jumped from $30K to $60K overnight.His biggest placement? $170,000.12 months later: $700K gross profit. Solo.Year two: $1.5M with just four people.But here's what makes Michael different.He's not scaling headcount - he's scaling quality.Ultra-niche: ServiceNow and bleeding-edge SaaS. One technology. Total focus.Last week, a major partner messaged him: "I've seen your posts. I've heard your reputation. We want to use you exclusively."He'd never spoken to them before..He's now targeting growth15 profitable recruiters and $3M in 2026.This week on The RAG Podcast, Michael tells the full story.We cover:- Why he walked away from running 200 people to start from scratch- How he made $700K in year one after six years out of recruitment- The "top 3%" model that clients can't say no to- Why he pivoted from $30K to $100K+ fees overnight- The AI screening tool that's changing his close rate- His LinkedIn strategy that generates 70% conversion ratesThis isn't about scaling fast.It's about a man who had to relearn his own trade, doubted himself daily, and built a $1.5M business in 20 months that doesn't require 100 heads to hit seven figures.No venture capital. No growth-at-all-costs.Just profitable headcount over vanity metrics.If you've ever wondered whether you can start your own agency after years of management - or if there's a smarter way to scale than just adding bodies – this episode has the blueprint.__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That’s why there’s Atlas, the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies.It doesn’t only track CVs and calls. It remembers everything. Every email, every interview, every conversation. Instantly searchable, always available. And now, it’s entering a whole new era.With Atlas 2.0, you can ask anything and it delivers. With Magic Search, you speak and it listens. It finds the right candidates using real conversations, not simply look for keywords.Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier than ever. With Opportunities, you can track, manage and grow client relationships, powered by generative AI and built right into your workflow.Need insights? Custom dashboards give you total visibility over your pipeline. And that’s not theory. Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in monthly billings after adopting the platform.No admin. No silos. No lost info. Nothing but faster shortlists, better hires and more time to focus on what actually drives revenue.Atlas is your personal AI partner for modern recruiting.Don’t miss the future of recruitment. Get started with Atlas today and unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here’s the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That’s the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we’ve created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you’ll learn:- Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedIn- How small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demand- The 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency’s most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0