In this episode of the Recruitment Founders Podcast, Lindsay Hartland and Greg Elton dig into the shift from being process-led salespeople to relationship-led recruiters. Greg shares how leaving S3 for exec search exposed a gap, he could sell, but he didn’t have a network, triggering a reset that transformed his results. Lindsay adds that playing the long game (even doing the odd free placement) compounds into referrals and senior mandates. They round out with why building a personal brand on LinkedIn is so important.
Key Takeaways
S3 forged great sales discipline, but exec search demanded a genuine network. Moving from “closing deals” to “serving people” was the unlock.
Relationships beat tools. Know clients and candidates as humans; that’s the moat AI can’t replace and it smooths the peaks and troughs.
Play the long game. Acts of service (even a free placement) come back as warm introductions and C-suite searches.
Be intentional and memorable. Nurture your network (water the plant), ask for warm intros, and stitch dots together — Greg’s FTSE100 win came exactly that way.
Personal brand matters. LinkedIn presence has shifted from nice-to-have to essential; founders should invest in content and community, not just cold calls.
KPIs aren’t everything. Lindsay binned rigid KPIs, focused on service, and built without relying on cold calls or unsolicited CVs; care wins.
Best Moments
“How much do your clients know about you, and how much do you know about them as people?”
“I billed nothing in six months… I billed £465,000 in the following six.”
“Networking isn’t taking a picture of your badge and sticking it on LinkedIn… It’s about being memorable and you remembering people.”
“I’ll do it for you.” (on choosing to deliver for free and the goodwill that followed)
About Recruitment Founders Club
Recruitment Founders Club is your launchpad to owning a successful recruitment business. We provide comprehensive mentorship and cover your start-up costs for the first 12 months. Coupled with our robust network and ongoing support, we not only help you start your own business, we ensure you thrive.
Find out more: https://recruitmentfoundersclub.com/
","author_name":"The Media Insiders"}