Building an Elite Performance Culture: The Business | NY Live Event

Stuart Mitchell, founder of Hampton North, calls himself the most abrasive recruitment founder in the room. He’s also built a fully remote, high-commission business with almost no turnover.Stuart talks about why he spends heavily on great people and pays them enough to stay, why mediocrity drags top performers down, and why the right kind of failure should be celebrated. He also shares what he’d do differently: document the processes, and stop to celebrate the wins. Expect strong opinions and a few laughs.In this episode:Hiring the best and paying them enough not to leaveWhy a 25-person firm doing $15–20M can workBacking a recruiter through a rough startNormalizing $100K months and building real wealth for your teamLessons on documentation, scale and enjoying the rideRecorded live in New York, with thanks to Agile Partnering, Woov and Spot.

Adam Posner, founder of NHP Talent Group and host of The Posscast, shares his path from marketing and media to recruitment, and how he kept his business growing through Stage 3A Hodgkin’s lymphoma by leaning hard into automation.Adam explains what he automates, what he refuses to, and why AI should be a tool and not a crutch. We also cover meeting candidates where they are, why analog is back, and why the recruiters who thrive in five years will be the ones who master AI while protecting the art of the relationship.In this episode:Getting fired and finding a new career in recruitmentRunning a business through chemo: what to automate and what to keep humanScheduling: automate it or use it as a touchpoint?Turning 20,000 LinkedIn contacts into meaningful outreachWhy the future isn’t human vs. AI

Build, buy or rent? Live from New York, in front of 100 recruitment founders, we dig into where AI genuinely moves the needle for agencies and where it’s just an expensive distraction.Andy Hallett (Required, RecWire), Ashley (Agile Partnering) and Tycho (Spot) get into why your data is your real asset, why the “ultimate flex” might be being in someone’s phone book, what “AI-native” actually means, and why every firm should have a token budget before the subsidies end.In this episode:Build, buy or rent: what agencies should never build themselvesWhy proprietary tech can lower your valuationAI noise vs. human signal in outreachData over people: the case for treating your database as the assetThe hidden future cost of AI

The US recruitment market offers bigger margins, higher salaries, and huge demand for contract talent.But behind the opportunity sits complex infrastructure - payroll, compliance, contractor management, and funding.In this episode of the Recruiter Startup Podcast, our host Dualta Doherty speaks with Charles Causey, founder of Agile Partnering, about:* Why recruitment firms are expanding into the US* The operational realities of contract staffing* How agencies typically scale in the US market* The thinking behind Agile’s new Turnkey solutionPlus insights on AI, recruiter training, and the future of recruitment infrastructure.If you’re a recruitment founder thinking about expanding internationally or building a contract desk, this conversation is well worth your time.👉 Watch the full episode and subscribe for more conversations with the founders building the future of recruitment.

The recruitment market is recovering.But only the most disciplined agencies will benefit.This full live Recruiter Startup Podcast event from Sydney brings together recruitment founders, M&A advisors, and tech leaders to discuss where the recruitment industry is heading next.Across both panels, the discussion covers:* Recruitment market recovery trends* AI in recruitment and modern ATS systems* Recruitment agency profitability and EBIT benchmarks* What drives recruitment business valuation and exit multiples* Leadership depth and second-tier management* Revenue productivity vs headcount growth* Why niche recruitment agencies are more valuableIf you are scaling a recruitment business, preparing for acquisition, or trying to increase profitability per consultant, this episode provides practical insights from experienced operators and advisors.This is recruitment growth strategy grounded in financial reality.Subscribe for more recruitment founder conversations from around the world.Featuring:Paul Masters Darragh EverardManu VanderveerenJohn BourkeVictoria KirwinHosted by Dualta Doherty

The recruitment industry is not going back to 2022.And the agencies waiting for it to will fall behind.In this live Recruiter Startup Podcast event from Melbourne, recruitment founders, tech leaders, and top billers break down what smarter growth really looks like in today’s recruitment market.This full-length recruitment industry panel covers:* AI in recruitment and ATS evolution* Recruitment agency productivity and performance per consultant* The biggest mistakes agencies made during the 2022 boom* Why lean recruitment teams are outperforming large headcount models* How leadership and activity drive billings* What separates high-performing recruitment agencies from the restIf you’re a recruitment founder, recruitment business owner, operations leader, or L&D manager looking to increase recruiter performance, improve onboarding, or build a more profitable recruitment agency, this episode is essential viewing.Subscribe for more global recruitment industry conversations.Featuring:Matthew CossensManu VanderveerenJohn BourkeVictoria KirwinHosted by Dualta Doherty

What genuinely drives value in a recruitment business?In panel 2 of the Recruiter Startup Podcast live show in Sydney, our host Dualta is joined by two industry leaders with deep insight into building, scaling, and selling agencies.Paul Masters is the founder of Sovereign Private, a specialist advisory and M&A firm for recruitment businesses, having worked on multiple high-value agency transactions and growth strategies.Darragh Everard is Managing Director of The Anderson Partnership, an international recruitment business he has helped scale across multiple markets through strong leadership and commercial execution.Together, they unpack the realities behind agency performance today, such as what buyers look for when acquiring recruitment companies, how profitability, niche focus, and leadership impact valuation, the difference between growing revenue and building a valuable business and market trends.Tune in and subscribe to our channel for more conversations with recruitment founders and industry leaders.

How are recruitment businesses actually adapting to AI, automation, and changing market conditions?In part 1 of the Build Back Better live show in Sydney, our host Dualta Doherty is joined by Manu Vanderveeren (Co-Founder & COO, Spott), John Bourke (Founder, RecView & Starting Point Recruitment), and Victoria Kirwin (Business Growth Specialist, APositive).Together they discuss:- Where AI and automation are genuinely delivering value* How modern ATS platforms are evolving beyond databases* The role of funding, cash flow, and financial strategy in growth* Why brand, relationships, and human skills still matter mostEach speaker brings practical insight from working directly with recruitment agencies across technology, operations, and finance, offering a grounded view of what’s changing in the industry.🎧 Subscribe to the Recruiter Startup Podcast for more conversations with recruitment founders and leaders.

In Part 2 of the Build Back Better live show in Melbourne, host Dualta Doherty is joined by Matthew Cossens, Chief Growth Officer at xrecruiter and former leader behind Aurec’s growth and acquisition by Randstad.Together, they discuss what’s driving recruiter performance today - from the shift from billing to building businesses, to how activity, behaviour, and leadership still outperform tools, even in an AI-enabled world. The conversation also explores common scaling mistakes and the skills that will matter most over the next few years.If you’re working inside or leading a recruitment business, there’s plenty here to take away. Tune in!

Dualta Doherty is joined by Manu Vanderveeren (CEO & COO at Spott), John Bourke (Founder of RecView & Start In Recruitment), and Victoria Kirwin (Business Growth Specialist at APositive), each working directly with recruitment businesses across product, automation, and funding.They discuss where AI and automation are delivering value, how tech decisions impact profitability, what leaner agency models look like, and how leaders should be thinking about investment and risk in the current market.Tune in for a practical conversation grounded in real experiences across the industry.