Jim Kinread

What are some of the challenges UK agency recruiters face when moving into US market? 1. Broad approach and not a true specialist. Must be ultra niche, focus on growth areas and build pools of specialist talent. Get your GTM right. 2. Avoiding IR: Most US companies have an established internal rec team so need to partner with IR rather than going around them - agencies can help fill the 2-10% of roles prospects may be struggling with 3. Undervaluing your service: Based on above the perceived value is higher leading to Perm fees of around 25% and contract margin over 35%. Often increased appetite for retainers and projects. 4. Treating the US like it is one location: America is actually 50 states and compares more to Europe in size. Have an area of focus. 5. Underestimating the importance of compliance: US can be a legal minefield so clients want to be sure you are 100% compliant - prove it. There are so many more so what have you experienced?

49

35 Comments

When experiencing rapid growth, the business case for RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) is almost a dumb-not-to proposition: on-demand recruiters joining as an extension of your team on short notice, flexibility to scale up/down and turn on/off as hiring fluctuates, that's cost-effective compared to agencies, access to technology, etc, to name a few. During periods of uncertainty, like we have today, the use cases for RPO tend to revolve more around flexibility. Many Talent Acquisition Departments had to go through layoffs over the past 2 years and are running very lean. Here are some scenarios that we've been supporting customers with during this time period: - Adding temporary support during Q1 hiring budgets being set and an initial hiring frenzy - Adding fractional support (20hrs/week) for a handful of extra roles - Recruiting team is strong in one area but the team needs support in another area. (IE strong operations recruiters but influx of technical hiring needs) - Unplanned Recruiter turnover: Recruiter quits, fired, etc - Planned Maternity/Paternity Leave - Not wanting to add fixed overhead/full-time recruiters due to build-up/layoff cycles of the past 4 years and find a partner to keep things augmented - Larger organizations needing an external 'floater' team to be allocated as back-up to various departments, worksite locations, or even countries. These are some of the ways dynamic TA/HR Leaders are getting work done including leveraging a unique partner. 2025 is looking brighter, no doubt, but there are many risks to our market that are leaving business leaders in a position that prioritizes flexibility and needing to look at unique ways to operate their TA function. #rpo #chiefpeopleofficer #talentacquisition #chro

89

1 Comment

I teach recruiters how to attract 🧲 not chase 🏃‍♂️ When it comes to generating leads, inbound leads are always going to be easier to convert ✅ So why do most recruiters insist on spending half their week running outdated lead generation strategies such as cold calling and bulk emailing 1000s of cold prospects from their CRM? In my opinion, this isn’t a strategy. It’s throwing 💩 at the wall and hoping it’ll stick. Cold email marketing has a 3% response rate (and most respond saying “not interested”) 90% of C-Suite Executives don’t feel comfortable sharing information via a cold call. What if I told you that you can attract 20+ part-qualified inbound leads per month, from just spending 15 mins a day on your LinkedIn personal brand? Because I’ve helped 100s of recruiters convert their lead generation efforts from “chasing to attracting”, and not 1 of them has ever come to me and said, “Jess this sucks I really wish I was still relying on cold calling and emailing random people” 🥲 Hit the link in my bio for access to free hacks to get started today 🔗

29

14 Comments

HERE IS A BIG BIG ISSUE agency recruiters run into with searches: - Client NEED isn't a true NEED This is the fundamental reason why so many contingent searches go awry. Listen here: The biggest issue with contingency searches is that too many agency recruiters are not fully on the same page with the true URGENCY of the need. This is why you should ALWAYS sell retained down. ALWAYS. The point of this isn't to win retainers. The point of this is to actually VET HOW URGENT THE HIRING NEED IS. Hear me out: 3 possibilities will arise (in order of least likely to most likely) Client says --> "Sure" in which case, woah that was easily agreed upon. Continue the process to vet and see if they'll ultimately pay up AND VET the retained parameters closely to make sure it is truly fillable. Client says "NO" or "I'll get back to you" --> this means they REALLY want to but likely they don't control the purse strings so need to run it up the chain. This is high buying behavior which is a very good thing, means there's a serious need. Client says "NO, I really don't think it's a serious search enough to pay a retainer. I just want you to keep an eye out." Now, you have your answer. This is why you need to close the miscommunication gap. On any topic, close the gap. Make sure you're on the exact same page before wasting your precious time. TLDR: It's not contingent that's the problem. It's the fact that the client isn't really serious about the search. This is where the pain starts bc the expectations are so vastly misaligned. Does this make sense? #r2r #rec2rec #recruitmenttraining #headhunter #headhunters #sales #recruiters #recruiting

25

3 Comments

"We use a PSL" 🥱 Many companies rely on a Preferred Supplier List (PSL) for hiring, this can seriously hurt your chances of securing top talent in niche areas! Here’s why: 🔍 Niche roles require specialist knowledge. Generalist recruiters on your PSL may not have access to the right network—or even fully understand the role. 💡 Speed matters. The best candidates in specialised markets don’t stay on the market long. By the time your PSL catches up, top talent is gone. 📉 You limit innovation. New, agile, and highly-specialised agencies aren’t on your PSL—but they often have the most relevant connections. 🤝 True partnerships > compliance. Hiring managers need flexibility to engage with recruiters who truly get the market, not just the ones on an approved list. Bottom line: If you're hiring for niche or hard-to-fill roles, it might be time to rethink the PSL-first approach. The cost of missing the right hire can far outweigh the comfort of sticking to the list. #Hiring #Recruitment #TalentAcquisition #NicheRoles #PSL #HiringStrategy #FutureOfWork

16

4 Comments

The recruitment industry is overdue for disruption — and that’s a massive opportunity. Too many agencies are still operating with outdated playbooks: ❌ Generic outreach ❌ Transactional relationships ❌ Speed over strategy But clients and candidates expect more. They want insight, personalization, and partnership The disruptors in our space? They’re not just filling roles — they’re shaping workforce strategies. They’re using data to predict hiring trends. They’re building talent communities, not just talent pools. They’re challenging the idea that recruitment is just a service — and proving it’s a business advantage. Disruption in recruitment isn’t about having the biggest database. It’s about having the boldest vision. So, are you just recruiting — or are you redefining what recruitment can be? #Recruitment #AgencyLife #TalentStrategy #DisruptTheMarket #FutureOfWork RAMP Global

18