The Resilient Recruiter

With over a million dollars billed consecutively for the last two years, and career billings surpassing $6.6 million, Nate Zimmerman is a Senior Partner and Executive Recruiter at High Country Private Equity Search, based in Denver.

In this episode, Nate shares his journey from breaking into recruitment by cold-calling the firm owner to becoming the youngest Partner in the firm’s history. He breaks down the key milestones along the way from hitting $400K, to breaking 7-figures, to building a team.

Nate has distinguished himself in the competitive world of recruiting with his relentless focus on putting the relationship before the transaction. You’ll discover the work ethic, strategy, and mindset required to reach $1M in annual billings.

Episode Outline and Highlights

• [01:44] How Nate’s recruitment career began with a cold call.
• [09:15] Why Nate chose to specialize in Private Equity Executive Search.
• [10:33] Putting in the work early and laying the groundwork for future success.
• [15:06] Nate’s journey to becoming the youngest partner at High Country Private Equity Search.
• [22:20] Discussion on Nate’s approach to MPC Marketing.
• [26:33] Billing a million dollars for the first time.
• [35:54] Nate’s recruitment philosophy: “relationship before transaction.”
• [41:33] How Nate developed market mastery in his chosen niche
• [49:51] Juggling multiple priorities as a billing manager
• [55:24] Overcoming setbacks - what Nate learned from missing his billing goal in 2023.

Laying the Groundwork for Future Success

Nate’s success can be attributed to his work ethic and belief in investing time and effort to develop his skills. “Knowing the underlying fundamentals, that is what I focused on initially,” explained Nate. “How to recruit people, how to interview people, how to take a job order, how to get a job order. Those things you got to put in the time and effort.”

A major differentiator that Nate shared is how he makes the most of his time - “On the weekends, spend two to three hours, Saturday and Sunday, every weekend during the first couple of years into this industry doing that really basic research. It's contributing long-term to your market mastery. Every hour that you are spending... it's all going to pay dividends.”

He shared his typical day looking at job boards. He emphasized the importance of quality , leading to talk about his MPC and targeted marketing strategies. He also elaborated on his thought process and what is going on in his mind as he achieve his milestones. The important takeaways from this part of our conversation are the value of discipline, consistency, and having a clear vision to align your habits and processes in achieving your goals.

Billing A Million Dollars for the First Time

One of Nate’s significant milestones is when he billed a million dollars for the first time. I had to probe for what he did differently on top of his discipline in planning, allotting extra time to research, conducting weekly internal training, and so on. He successfully laid down his groundwork for success and meeting the seven-digit billing is an astonishing achievement.

Here is what Nate had to say: “You always have to figure out, okay, who's going to be my honeypot next year? And if it's the same client as your best client multiple years in a row, I can assure you that's not going to continue, right? The fees stop coming. So that was a big thing. And frankly, a lot of that did come through referrals. I was very fortunate, but I've gotten to a point now where I'm realizing that, hey, that luck, that it's not forever. So you're gonna have to go out and make that luck next year. Go get that next big client. Don't wait for one of your clients that you're doing such a great job for. You deserve those referrals, but that doesn't mean they're gonna come.”

Deep-diving on this topic further, Nate also shared several important key factors to help recruiters and recruitment business owners meet their billing goals:

• Focusing on relationships first before doing transactions. Nate shared why he puts effort into meeting his clients face-to-face.
• Finding the best candidates and “living inside their heads”. For Nate, it means “to understand, their motivations, their family, you know, where they wanna be in five years. That's always the most important question. I tell candidates, look, you know, it's my job to give you an option and then it's your job to decide.”

Critical Learnings from 2023

It may sound like Nate has the Midas touch, where he turns everything he touches into gold. On the contrary, it was never a walk in the park. Nate even shared why they are currently at an inflection point this year because of a setback in terms of expected versus actual revenue. So I wanted to hear the...

I am always fascinated by hearing how recruitment business owners navigate their journeys through difficulties to grow their practices. That’s why I am very much delighted to share this episode with you on how my special guest, Doug Baird focused on four strategic pillars to successfully grow his small contract recruitment firm into a leading consultancy group today.

Doug is the CEO at New Street Consulting Group (NSCG), a people advisory firm that helps their clients find, assess, build and accelerate teams and leaders who are as good in practice as they are on paper. NSC has been ranked as one of the best small companies in the UK, previously ranked in the Sunday Times’ Fast Track 100, and Doug himself has been a finalist in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Award.

Episode Outline and Highlights

• [2:40] How Doug started his recruitment firm leading up to the foundation of New Street Consultancy Group.
• [9:30] NSC’s approach to offering client solutions via meaningful strategic conversations.
• [13:50] Growing through acquisitions - Doug shares his thoughts.
• [18:54] Doug’s Four Strategic Pillars for growing his recruitment business.
• [24:10] How to use the sense of dissatisfaction to achieve more in your career.
• [29:54] Discussion on some of the biggest challenges that Doug had to navigate through.
• [32:26] Sharing best practices to find the right people for your recruitment business.
• [34:35] What is governance and what does it mean for your organization?
• [37:11] How to balance your team’s structure when bringing in talent.
• [44:12] Utilizing technology as you scale your business.
• [49:43] Looking back at his journey, what are the things that Doug would have done differently?

The Four Pillars of Success in Growing Your Recruitment Business

Doug shared his story beginning in 2003 when he started Interim Partners. They started off as an interim management provider and contracting recruitment business. In this interview, you will hear how he was able to lead his company to growth which ultimately led him to establish a professional services consulting firm, the NSC Group.

I asked for his critical success factors and you will certainly enjoy how he laid the foundation of his business growth on four pillars: talent, structure, governance, and technology. You will also hear us discuss each of these and I am confident that you will be able to pick up several golden nuggets of wisdom to use in your own journey of scaling your business.

Using the Sense of Dissatisfaction to Your Advantage

Tony Robbins once said that being dissatisfied is one of the best ways to achieve more and stay motivated. This is definitely the same with Doug. He believes that having a sense of dissatisfaction and having the courage to walk away from what you are famous for can work to your advantage. He revealed how this mindset gave him a clear vision of his end goal. Related to this idea, you will hear from this interview why growing your business via acquisition makes sense in certain situations.

Strengthening the Pillar of Technology to Scale Your Business

We also covered utilizing technology to effectively manage your recruitment business. Doug shared how they had to let go of some legacy systems they were using and how they adapted by using contemporary technology. We were very specific with some tools such as SalesForce, Bullhorn, Marketo, Cascade for HR, and others. An interesting thing that Doug shared is how they are using Salesforce and Bullhorn at the same time despite the potential overlap. You may be able to relate with some of the technologies mentioned.

What Would Have Doug Done Differently?

What I consider to be the best part of my conversation with Doug in this episode is when he responded to the question of what he would have done differently. “I would probably have tried to have held onto people, some of them that I’ve had at the very beginning,” is how Doug puts it. When you listen to this part, you will hear Doug’s sincerity as he further elaborates on what he meant.

Our Sponsors

This podcast is proudly sponsored by i-intro®.

i-intro® is an end-to-end retained recruitment platform. Our technology and methodology allows recruiters to differentiate themselves from the competition, win more retained business, bigger fees and increase their billings. Be sure to mention Mark Whitby or The Resilient Recruiter for a 25% discount. Book your free, no-obligation consultation here: www.recruitmentcoach.com/retained

Doug Baird Bio and Contact Info

Doug has 25 plus years in recruitment and professional services where he created and managed companies operating within Interim Management, Executive Search and Leadership ...

How do you demonstrate leadership in times of crisis? How do you protect your business and lead your team through the Coronavirus Pandemic? We are living through a very uncertain period of time where we must stay relevant and resilient. In this episode of The Resilient Recruiter, my friend and coaching client Greg Benadiba joins me to share his thoughts.

Greg shares his strategy for screening recruiters and hiring the right people for the position. He also shares the leadership principles he’s built his business on. We share a hopeful viewpoint, one in which your recruiting business can emerge stronger than ever.

• [2:11] Greg Benadiba shares how to work smarter—not harder
• [4:48] Lessons and takeaways from the last recession
• [6:57] How to help your business survive the Coronavirus pandemic
• [10:33] How to build and maintain relationships with clients
• [17:15] The unique way Greg interviews and hires recruiters
• [26:49] The targeted and probing questions to decipher the best candidate
• [30:49] The 5 principles Greg has adapted for his recruiting business

At the time of recording this podcast, Ontario had declared a state of emergency. Major outlets, stores, banks, restaurants, and bars closed on St. Patrick's Day. Greg ‘s team went from having 120 jobs to fill down to 72. Greg believes there will be a significant decrease in job orders across the board. But notes it is possible in this day and age to interview, hire and work remotely.

Greg points out that regardless of the pandemic, there will still be positions that need to be filled. So you must stay level-headed and position yourself for the upswing that will come. I work with each of my clients to have a plan of action to get them through this pandemic—you need to have one as well. Keep listening as Greg and I talk about having a contingency plan in place and where he’s focusing his business right now. We also talk about tough decisions you may have to make as a manager.

It is more important than ever to position yourself to remain in front of your clients. When things pick up again you’ll be at the forefront of their minds. Greg found a unique way to add value for his customers: he made his Zoom account available to customers so that they could still interview potential hires. It was a simple way to help meet their needs and keep their business from screeching to a halt.

We can still facilitate meetings through the tools we have available—email, conference calls, video conferencing, etc. We must be careful not to alienate customers, but stay in touch and offer insight, guidance, and empathy. Greg says to ask the question, “How can we add value considering the current circumstances that our clients are in?”

Greg doesn’t aim to hire experienced recruiters but prefers to hire candidates from across industries who embody the values he’s looking for. They need to be good with people as well as driven and sales focused. He looks for resiliency and someone who is always learning and finding ways to improve. He asks probing questions, such as “What’s the most difficult thing they’ve ever been through?”.

He notes that you can’t rush the recruiting process. On top of his interview questions and profile testing, they have the recruiter undergo a half-day of job shadowing. In the second part of that day, the potential hire is allowed to jump on the phone to connect with people and flesh out a list of referrals. In this way, the candidate is able to immerse themselves into the job and get a feel for what it will be like.

Greg uses a clearly defined checklist in his hiring process. All of the questions on his checklist are based on mistakes that he’s made in the past. He crafts those mistakes into questions for his screening process. Listen as he shares examples of his questions and how he uses them to decipher who will be the best fit for his business.

Greg was kind enough to share 5 principles that he incorporates into his business:

• Principle #1: You are solely responsible for you and your team’s performance. Assume the role of “mini CEO” and take responsibility for performance management, hiring, training, etc.
• Principle #2: You must lead by example. “Do as I say, not as I do” doesn’t work—we all know it. Be the type of manager and leader that your team looks up to and emulates. Follow the rules, don’t cut corners, and be the role model
• Principle #3: Have very clear goals defined for you and your team. Don’t confuse goals with desires. Goals MUST be accomplished, desires are just things you want.
• Principle #4: Don’t worry about looking good, worry about achieving your...

Most recruiters say that Equity, Diversity and Inclusion is important but haven’t actually updated their recruitment process accordingly. There’s a big difference between talking about ED&I and making a real commitment to implement it.

This is why a lot of the discussion around this topic is performative while in reality the candidate shortlists recruiters are presenting to clients are largely made up of the “usual suspects.”

In this challenging episode, it was my pleasure to interview a prominent champion of ED&I, Jo Major. Jo brings 22 years of recruitment industry experience and founded Diversity in Recruitment because of her drive to get ED&I on the agenda of recruitment teams. She believes recruiters can influence and lead the change needed to tackle underrepresentation in UK employment.

Through training and advice, she helps recruiters get to grips with ED&I and gives them the insight, tools, and confidence to attract diverse talent, make their processes equitable and accessible, and recruit inclusively and confidently partner with their clients and hiring managers.

Jo believes that a candidate's identity, background, and circumstances should never be the reason they don't make it into the recruitment process. If you are on the quest of helping your candidates, clients, and your own team, to align with ED&I principles, Jo’s insights and practical advice will be of help to you.

Episode Outline and Highlights

• [04:37] ED&I - Jo’s insights on its importance to the recruitment industry.
• [08:17] What motivated Jo to focus on training instead of recruiting?
• [13:1]1 How impostor syndrome affected Jo when starting her business.
• [18:18] How Diversity in Recruitment supports recruitment businesses.
• [23:05] Jo discusses the “Performative Tickbox Exercise.”
• [27:58] How can recruiters support their clients in inclusive, accessible, and equitable hiring?
• [34:57] How can recruiters make a difference in the area of ED&I?
• [38:37] Why ED&I complements a retained solution for clients.
• [46:04] The critical role of equity in making the recruitment process more inclusive.
• [49:01] How job descriptions can include points of ‘de-selection’.
• [53:10] The most essential steps on ED&I from a recruitment standpoint.
• [59:25] Can ED&I only be afforded by big recruitment companies?

How Diversity in Recruitment Supports Recruitment Businesses

Jo’s two decades of recruitment industry experience gives her a valuable perspective on how diversity, inclusion, and equity should be aligned with the profession of recruitment. She also has a strong drive and passion for this topic.

This was the motivation behind launching her training business, Diversity in Recruitment. How does her organization support recruitment firms to include ED&I in their agenda? “I tend to take a training and advisory approach rather than a consultancy,” stated Jo. “I am a massive fan of module learning - bite-sized accessible training rather than days and days talking about new concepts to recruiters.” Below are some ways in which they can help recruitment businesses:

• Understanding what is diversity and inclusion in the recruitment setting.
• Understanding unconscious bias, hiring habits, and preferences.
• Practical steps on how to make recruitment accessible and equitable and inclusive.
• How to attract under-represented talent.
• How to package your job differently from the way that you have always done.
• Turning marketing strategy to engage candidates not currently on your network.
• Moving away from the cookie-cutter approach.
• Looking at how to have conversations with clients.

ED&I - Is Making a Difference Really Worth It?

Let’s face it - making a difference can be challenging and overwhelming, especially for smaller businesses. In an environment where recruitment businesses have targets and placements to meet, the task of embedding ED&I in the core of their businesses can seem enormous. So you may ask, is it worth undertaking this challenge?

This is how Jo puts it, which for me makes perfect sense. “This will help you be better at your job. This will help you reach more candidates and increase your talent pools. This will help you win more business. This will help you develop long-term relationships with your clients. This will differentiate you from your competitors. It will get you to think about additional products and services.”

The next question is, how do you help your team to be aligned with the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion? And how do you support your clients in doing the same? Jo has provided several meaningful ideas that can help you as a recruiter and recruitment business owner.

My bigg...

In the fast-paced world of recruitment, you’re under constant pressure to deliver results for your clients and achieve sales targets. So what’s the secret to maintaining peak performance without burning out?

In this episode of The Resilient Recruiter, our special guest, Scott Eastin, provides a fresh perspective on achieving sustainable, long-lasting success in recruitment. Drawing from his own successful career, having navigating many ups and downs, Scott emphasizes the pivotal relationship between prioritizing health and recruitment success.

Scott is the Director of Eastin IT Security. Over the last 13 years established himself as a leading Microsoft Security consultant. He’s worked with major organizations such as Coca-Cola, American Express as well as state and local governments. For the last 5 years, he’s built an IT consulting and staffing firm winning high-value, long-term projects that generate recurring revenue.

In this episode, Scott unpacks his remarkable transition from being a software developer to becoming a successful recruiter. He divulges his four cornerstone strategies for business development. Most importantly, emphasizes why prioritizing physical health is a non-negotiable component in maintaining his overall productivity.

Episode Outline and Highlights

• [02:25] Scott’s journey from being a software developer to a successful recruiter.
• [10:14] Insights on challenges when transitioning to a career in recruiting.
• [14:47] Sharing a story of how embracing an idea that was not done became a game-changer.
• [24:00] Scott’s Top 4 Business Development strategies
• [30:35] Hosting networking events - an effective way to engage with your community.
• [36:15] Comparison of consulting practice versus permanent direct hire models in the tech space.
• [44:36] Managing cash flow challenges in a consulting and IT staffing business.
• [54:40] Mindfulness, health and well-being.

The Advantages of a Consulting Business in the IT Space

Is it easier to manage an IT consulting business model versus a permanent direct hire practice? For Scott, having a consulting business model works well for him for the following reasons:

• Trusted Independent Contractors - He has already established a network of reliable independent contractors, which makes it easy to take in projects from his clients.
• Long-term Contracts - Because of quality service delivery, he can secure long-term contracts that assure him six-digit revenues at the beginning of the year.

If you are running an executive search firm or permanent hire practice, you might want to consider exploring the option of a consulting or contract service as an additional revenue stream. Scott believes that this is a great time for such a business model:

“Quite frankly, if you look at the statistics that are coming out now, more and more people are interested in contracting and independent consulting work. I know I was reading an article from the staffing industry where I think they said literally 38% of the U.S. workforce has done some type of gig work.”

Of course, there are also challenges in this type of business model, such as cash flow management - sometimes you would have to pay your contractors before the client even pays you. Scott shared how he solves this. He also elaborated on his approach to business development.

The 4 Cornerstones of Scott’s Business Development Strategy

Scott describes himself as a “reluctant salesman.” Before becoming a recruitment business owner, he had this preconceived notion about salespeople: “Selling is somewhat, maybe a dirty word for some people in the technical industry.”

Part of his journey is getting over that mindset. Scott’s primary principle regarding selling and business development is “Great service, great people, and great value.” He shared four key pointers about this topic and elaborated on how this helps him to get continued repeat businesses:

1. Referrals - Scott’s mantra of great service, great people, and great value is the foundation of providing excellent services consistently. This leads to referrals and repeat businesses across his market and industry.
2. LinkedIn Visibility - Scott consistently posts content and videos on LinkedIn.
3. BDR - Scott hired an experienced Business Development Representative part-time on a contract basis to make cold calls and set up sales appointments for him.
4. Hosting meet-up events - this is something that Scott picked up from one of our guests in a previous episode, Steven Li, and he is thankful that he applied this approach.

Mindfulness, Health, and Well-Being

Being a one-man shop is not easy and can be stressful. Scott shared how he manages stress by prioritizing his health and consistently implementing hea...