Why We Invest More Per Recruiter

Why We Invest More Per Recruiter Than We Ever Have

I am naturally pretty tight when it comes to spending money.

Yet our overheads per recruiter are around three times what they were five years ago.

We also pay recruiters significantly more than we used to.

Literally twice as much in many cases.

And far more than much of the competition.

Interestingly though, salary still isn't our biggest cost.

The biggest cost by far is candidate and client acquisition.

And that's completely intentional.

The Objective Is Simple

Our objective today is straightforward.

We want every recruiter to get to $500k.

Ideally $1m+.

That's what we're trying to build.

Not a business full of average recruiters producing average results.

A business where recruiters have the opportunity to operate at a completely different level.

Recruitment Economics Look Different At Scale

People often look at recruitment revenue and assume recruitment businesses must be wildly profitable.

Don't get me wrong.

The business is performing better than it ever has.

But when you invest heavily enough into candidate acquisition, client acquisition, systems, technology, marketing, training and support, the economics look very different.

Particularly when your goal is helping recruiters produce two, three, four or even five times what they produced at previous employers.

And earn significantly more money themselves.

We Built A Machine Around The Recruiter

One of the biggest changes in our business over the last few years is how we think about recruiters.

Historically, recruiters were expected to do everything.

Generate candidates.

Generate clients.

Build relationships.

Manage data.

Manage processes.

Handle administration.

Win business.

Fill jobs.

We've moved away from that way of thinking.

Instead, we've built a machine around the recruiter.

The objective is simple:

Create more opportunities.

Remove friction.

Allow recruiters to spend more time doing the activities that generate revenue.

Thinking Bigger

The questions we ask ourselves today are different from the questions we asked five years ago.

We're less interested in:

"How can this recruiter make a few more calls?"

And more interested in:

"How do we generate another 100 customers a month?"

"How do we create another 100 inbound candidates a week?"

"How do we create more opportunities for every recruiter in the business?"

Because if we solve those problems, recruiter performance tends to improve naturally.

Marginal Gains Matter

Of course marginal gains still matter.

A 10% improvement is valuable.

Several 10% improvements across different areas can completely transform a business.

We've always believed that.

Small gains compound.

But there is also a point where optimisation alone isn't enough.

Going from the industry norm of $100k–$200k billers to $500k–$1m+ billers requires more than small improvements.

It requires a different operating model.

Why We Continue To Invest

Fortunately we operate in markets where successful placements create huge value for clients.

That gives us the confidence to keep investing.

Everything we do is built around creating more leverage for recruiters.

More candidates.

More clients.

More conversations.

More opportunities.

Because the more opportunities we create, the more successful recruiters can become.

Final Thoughts

When we look at our business today, we don't just look at recruiter performance.

We look at the environment around the recruiter.

The systems.

The data.

The candidate flow.

The client flow.

The technology.

The training.

The support.

Great recruiters matter.

Of course they do.

But great recruiters operating inside great systems can achieve extraordinary things.

And that's what we're trying to build.

A business where billing $500k is realistic.

A business where billing $1m isn't impossible.

A business that gives recruiters every opportunity to perform at the highest level.