FROM MY DESK

I commented on a LinkedIn post last week that was arguing that going niche is bad advice. I've heard this take before. And in some cases, I understand where it comes from.

But I don't think niche is the problem. I think it’s when people apply it incorrectly.

90% of the top billers I've interviewed who have built something sustainable have one thing in common: they planted a flag. They got known for something specific in a specific market. That's not a coincidence.

With AI reshaping how candidates are sourced and clients are won, being the "general recruiter" is a harder position than ever to defend. Being the go-to person for something? That's a different conversation entirely.

That's what this edition is about.

THE DEBRIEF

Why Being At The Centre Of Your Market Has Never Mattered More

AI has fundamentally changed the recruitment landscape. And it will keep changing it. The question worth sitting with is this: where does the value remain for people to use a recruiter?

Here is part of my answer. True market knowledge. Not the kind you can get from a Google search or an LLM. The kind that lives in boardrooms, on office floors, and in the conversations that happen at after work drinks when people say what they actually think.

Access to information has been completely democratised. Anyone can research a market, generate a candidate long list, or pull together a salary benchmarking report in minutes. That is table stakes now. AI has made it so.

What AI cannot do is get you into the room.

The Compounding Effect Of Committing To Your Niche

When you have a genuine niche and you commit to it, something starts to happen that most recruiters without a true niche have never experienced.

Every conversation you have when you are committed to a niche compounds.

The insight a candidate shares with you on Monday becomes the context that makes your client call on Thursday land differently. The trend a hiring manager mentions in passing becomes the intelligence that earns you a retained search six months later. You are not starting from zero each time. You are building on everything that came before.

This only happens when you are inside your industry. Not observing it. Not covering five sectors at once. You're actually part of it, speaking to the same ecosystem of people repeatedly, over time.

That depth of knowledge builds trust at a level that a generalist recruiter simply cannot replicate. Clients stop seeing you as a supplier and start seeing you as an industry peer. People take your calls because you understand their world. You become the person your market turns to. No LLM gets you there.

Where The Niche Approach Actually Fails

None of this means niche is without risk. The recruiters who struggle are typically the ones who got romantic about a niche that stopped working and refused to move.

Markets shift. Industries contract. A sector that was thriving in 2021 might look very different in 2026. The best recruiters I have spoken to understand this. They evolve. They recognise where their industry is heading and they move with it. They stay inside a world, even as that world changes shape. They do not abandon their expertise, they redirect it.

Defending a dying niche with loyalty is not a strategy. It is a trap.

Having a niche isn't the problem. Defending your niche as the one that has always worked for you, no matter the cost, is the problem. If all the signals point to this once perfect niche having changed, you need to change with it.

The Bet Worth Making

If I am building a recruitment career or business in 2026 and beyond, my position is this:

Become a world-class market expert. Get inside an industry. Become an industry peer. Let every conversation you have build on the last.

The recruiters who do this will have something no AI can replicate and no generalist can compete with. They will have the trust of their market.

THIS WEEK ON THE POD

I recently sat down with Viki Dowthwaite, Commercial Director at Trinnovo Group and 15-year recruitment veteran.

We broke down how to actually make the shift from transactional contingency work to selling a full suite of hiring solutions, think embedded talent, SOW, and retained partnerships.

If you are still operating placement by placement and wondering where more consistency in your billings comes from, this one is for you.

COMING UP

Next Monday, I share the episode with Joe Jani and John Joe from Metric, where we documented how they built a perm-only recruitment business to a $100M valuation in six and a half years.

STEAL THIS

Are You Actually Inside Your Market? A Self Assessment.

Most recruiters think they have a niche. Fewer are truly inside one. Run through these five questions honestly:

1. Could you have a conversation with a senior leader in your market about what is keeping them up at night, without it being about a role or a hire?
   

2. When you speak to someone in your industry, are you bringing insight from a previous conversation into that call, or are you starting from scratch every time?
   

3. Do people in your market come to you, or are you always going to them?
   

4. If you stopped recruiting tomorrow, would anyone in your industry notice you were gone?
   

5. Could you write a two-paragraph summary of where your market is heading in the next 12 months, right now, without researching it?

If you answered no to three or more of these, you are observing your market. Not inside it. That is the gap worth closing.

LEAVE WITH THIS

If AI can do half your job in two years, which half are you building on?

Keep smashing it & honing your craft!

Hishem x

Know a recruiter who needs to hear this? Send it their way.

P.S. If you want to be in the room for a live podcast recording in London next week, we have around 30 tickets left before we sell out. Honest conversations with recruitment leaders about where the market is heading. Grab your spot here: [London Live Podcast Event Tickets]

How to Conduct a World-Class Search Plan with Adam Jennings

We recently built a course on Hector, specifically on delivery.

Not BD. Not cold calling. Delivery.

Because if you speak to most recruiters about where they lose the most time, right up there will almost always be: going round in circles on a search without a proper system behind it.

Adam Jennings has spent 10 years in recruitment, the last three at Add Some Zest, a specialist go-to-market recruitment firm. What makes Adam's approach stand out is not just that he consistently delivers. 

It's that he delivers in a way he can repeat, explain, and measure. His firm runs NPS as a core metric because, in his words, the outcome matters but so does the experience you create getting there.

That mindset runs through everything in this edition.

Over the next few minutes, you're going to get Adam's framework for running a world-class search. From the thinking you do before you open LinkedIn, to the company list you build before you approach a single person, to the sequencing that separates a focused search from a desperate one.

If you've ever finished a search wondering how you ended up there, or felt like you kept surfacing the same faces week after week, this edition is for you.

This edition is structured as a 5-step framework. Each step builds on the last. By the end, you'll have a complete process you can apply to your next live search.

Step 1 of 5: Plan Before You Search

Most recruiters start a search the same way. Brief comes in, LinkedIn opens, job title, experience, skills go in the filters, or you might create an advanced Boolean search. It feels like work.

It isn't.

The candidates you find that way are the same ones every other recruiter with the same job title is finding at the same time.

Adam is direct on this: the quality of your shortlist is almost entirely determined before you contact a single person. The thinking you do upfront, which companies to target and why, what the ideal profile actually looks like in the real market rather than on a job spec, and in what order you're going to work through it, that is where the outcome is decided.

It takes time. Maybe an hour before you start. For a complex or senior search, longer. Most recruiters skip it because it doesn't feel like activity. No calls made, no CVs in. But the ones who do it consistently find strong candidates early rather than spending three weeks expanding outward in desperation.

The other reason planning matters is repeatability. With a documented approach, you can look back and understand why a search worked or why it didn't. Without one, every search starts from scratch and every outcome feels like luck.

Apply it this week: Before your next search, block an hour before you open any search tool. Write down the companies you'll target and why. Write down what the ideal profile looks like in the real market. Then decide the order you're going to work through it.

Step 2 of 5: Build Your Target Company List

The single most important thing you can do to improve a search is decide which companies you're pulling candidates from before you start looking at individuals.

The reason it matters: the company a candidate comes from tells you an enormous amount about whether they're likely to be right. 

In Adam's world of go-to-market recruitment, someone who has spent three years selling expense management software into CFOs at a mid-market SaaS business is a fundamentally different profile to someone doing outbound at a fintech startup, even if both LinkedIn headlines say Account Executive. The company shapes the experience. The experience shapes the fit.

So the question isn't just who's out there. It's who's out there from the right places.

Adam's starting point is always the hiring manager. Ask them directly: which companies do you most respect? Who have you lost deals to? Which organisations would you most want to take people from? 

This is one of the most underused questions in recruitment. Hiring managers know their market well and will often hand you a list of five or six organisations that should sit at the top of your search, before you've done a minute of your own research.

From there, layer in your own market knowledge. If you're newer to the niche, use AI to build a competitive landscape and then apply your judgement on which firms are most likely to produce the profile you need.

The output should be a ranked list. Not a vague sense of the market. A list you can point to and say: these are the organisations I'm prioritising, and this is why.

Apply it this week: On your next search, ask the hiring manager which companies they most respect and would most want to take candidates from. Build your target list from that conversation before you open any search tool.

Step 3 of 5: The Bullseye Method: Start Narrow, Expand Deliberately

Once you have your company list, the next decision is how you work through it. This is where most searches go wrong even when the planning has been done well.

The instinct is to go broad. Contact as many people as possible and see what comes back. Adam's approach is the opposite.

He structures every search around what he calls the bullseye. You start with the smallest, most precise target and expand outward deliberately, only when you've genuinely exhausted what's inside.

Ring 1 is the perfect fit. Candidates who hit every non-negotiable: the right background, the right market experience, the right seniority, the right commercial exposure. This ring might only contain twenty or thirty people. Work every single one before you move on.

Ring 2 is where you introduce flex. Maybe the candidate has come from an adjacent vertical. Maybe their deal sizes are slightly smaller. Still strong candidates, they just require more thought in how you position them.

Ring 3 is the exploratory space. Candidates who wouldn't immediately jump out as obvious fits but who have something about their trajectory, their competitive edge, or their transferable experience that makes them worth a conversation. Used sparingly, a ring-three candidate can sometimes be the best hire a client makes. Used as a default because ring one felt difficult, they will undermine your credibility.

The discipline isn't in the rings themselves. It's in the sequencing. You don't go to ring two because ring one is taking time. You go because you've genuinely exhausted ring one and you have the evidence to show it.

As Adam puts it: "We started from the perfect fit and built outward. Every profile we sent in the first week was someone the client immediately recognised as credible. That is how you build trust in a search early."

Apply it this week: Before your next search, write out who belongs in each ring. Set a minimum number of ring-one conversations to have before you expand. Track it.

Step 4 of 5: Prioritise Who You Approach and When

You have a company list and a sense of the three rings. The next question is who you approach first and in what order.

Start with your existing network and CRM. Before you reach out cold, go through what you already have. Is there anyone in your database from one of your target companies you've spoken to in the last two years? A candidate you placed somewhere who has since moved into a relevant organisation? 

Warm contacts from the right background will always respond faster and more openly than cold outreach, and they're often a source of referrals before you've even had a proper search conversation.

From there, prioritise candidates who are most likely to be genuinely moveable right now, not just the ones who look best on paper. Someone three years into a role who has just been passed over for promotion is a very different proposition to someone six months in who is still finding their feet, even if their CVs look similar.

The more you work a market over time, the more you build a read on who's likely to be open and when. Company changes, leadership shifts, funding news, redundancy rounds: all of these create windows of receptiveness that a market expert spots and a generalist misses.

There's also a practical reason to be thoughtful about the order of approach within a single company. If you're targeting four or five people from the same organisation, don't contact them all at once. 

Pick your strongest targets first, stagger the rest, and let each conversation inform the next. If your first contact tells you the team is going through a restructure, that changes how you approach everyone else. If they mention a colleague thinking about a move, you have a warm lead you'd never have found otherwise.

A world-class search isn't a broadcast. It's a series of deliberate, informed conversations, in an order that makes each one more likely to succeed than the last.

Apply it this week: Before contacting anyone, check your CRM first. If targeting multiple people from the same company, stagger your approach and let each conversation shape the next.

Step 5 of 5: Turn Every Conversation Into Intelligence

This is the part most recruiters leave on the table entirely.

Every conversation you have, whether it results in a candidate moving forward or not, contains information that should make the rest of your search better. The recruiters who treat those conversations as data points consistently find stronger candidates, faster, than the ones who treat each call as a standalone event.

Here's what that looks like in practice. You speak to someone from one of your target companies and they're not looking right now. Before you end the call, you've learned what the culture is like, whether the team is growing or contracting, what the compensation structure looks like, and whether there are any colleagues who might be more open. 

None of that would have appeared in a LinkedIn search. But it's now shaping the rest of your search in ways your competitors, who made the same call and moved on, can't replicate.

Over the course of a properly run search, this builds into something genuinely valuable. Certain companies keep producing the same objection, which tells you something about their culture or comp. Certain candidates keep referencing the same names, giving you a shortlist within your shortlist. Salary expectations start to crystallise, giving you real data to take back to your client about what's realistic.

One of the most powerful things you can do mid-search is return to your client not just with CVs, but with genuine market intelligence they didn't have before you started. 

What are candidates saying about working at companies like theirs? Does anything in the brief need to flex based on what the market is telling you? 

This kind of update does two things at once: it demonstrates the depth of the work you're doing, and it keeps the client engaged rather than just waiting for a shortlist to arrive.

By the time you're ten conversations into a well-run ring-one search, you're a significantly more credible person to speak to about this role than you were at the start. That credibility comes through even in cold outreach and meaningfully increases the likelihood that the people you haven't yet reached will give you the time of day when you do.

Here Is An Example Of A Live Talent Intelligence Dashboard You Could Use: Download & Make A Copy Of It To Turn It Into A Version That Works For Your Desk

Apply it this week: After every search conversation this week, note one thing you learned that you didn't know before the call. At the end of the week, look at what you've built and ask: what does this tell me about the market I'm working?

Put It Together

Most searches don't fail because the candidates aren't out there. They fail because the process behind the search wasn't structured enough to find them.

What Adam's framework gives you is a system you can repeat. One where the quality of your shortlist is decided before you make a single call, where every conversation makes the next one better, and where you can show your client exactly how you got there.

The 5 steps: 

1. Plan before you search 

2. Build your target company list 

3. Start narrow, expand deliberately 

4. Prioritise who you approach and when 

5. Turn every conversation into intelligence

Work through them in order. Every time.

dP.S. Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

#1: Do you listen to my podcast? I release a weekly episode with either a top-performing recruiter or recruitment entrepreneur to find out how they achieved their success so you can learn directly from their journey Check out my latest episode and subscribe to the show.

#2 Take the recruitment High-Performance Team Scorecard
Get instant clarity on where your team is strong, where they’re falling short, and what to focus on next. 👉🏻 Take the Scorecard

#3: Want to win more business, book more meetings, and level up your billings? Our Hector-certified courses are built by top billers who’ve been where you are and cracked it. No fluff. Just real, proven strategies you can use immediately >>>> Browse Courses – Start Closing More Deals Today (Use code Limitless_Learning at checkout for 15% off: exclusive to newsletter readers)

Mastering Discovery: Part Two

How to actually run it. What to say. How to find real pain.

In Part One, we made the case for the importance of discovery. Why skipping it costs you. Why symptoms are not root causes. Why the deeper you diagnose, the easier everything downstream becomes.

Part Two is where it gets practical.

This edition breaks down how to actually run a discovery meeting from the moment you open the call to the moment you agree the next step. You will get a structure to follow, the questions to ask at each stage, and a clear framework for uncovering real pain rather than surface frustration.

This is the part most recruiters never get shown. Let’s fix that. 👇🏼

Start before the call even begins

The quality of a discovery meeting is largely determined before it starts.

Most recruiters do one of two things. They either research everything they can find and walk in with a head full of facts they never use, or they do nothing and go in blind. Neither is right.

What you actually need to know before the meeting is simple.

You want to understand the context of the meeting. Did this come from a cold approach, a referral, or an inbound enquiry? That changes how you open. 

A client who reached out to you is in a different headspace to one you cold-called three weeks ago. Approach both the same way and you immediately lose ground.

You also want to have a few specific, relevant observations ready. Not a script, but a few things that signal you have done your homework. A recent hire into a leadership role. A funding announcement. Something they posted that shows you understand their world. Two or three of these go a long way.

The goal is not to impress them with research. The goal is to make them feel that you already understand enough to have a proper conversation. That sets a different tone from the first 60 seconds.

The four stages of a discovery meeting

Discovery is not a free-flowing chat. It has a structure. Not a script, but a clear sequence that allows you to move through the conversation with purpose.

The four stages are build, explore, diagnose, and qualify. Each one has a specific objective. Each one builds directly into the next.

Section 1: Build Rapport and Credibility

Focus: Connect as a human first. Show curiosity and awareness. 

Trigger: Create trust fast and earn permission to go deeper.

The first two minutes of a discovery call are not a warm-up. They are the call.

Most recruiters treat the opening as dead time. A bit of small talk, a vague "so, shall we get started?", and straight into questions. The prospect is still mentally somewhere else and you have already lost control of the room.

The recruiters who consistently win at discovery do two things before a single question gets asked: they confirm the time, and they set the agenda.

Here is the finessed version, with your actual talk tracks dropped in and the surrounding copy tightened to match the tone:

Confirm the time first.

"I have us down for 45 minutes. Does that still work, or have you got a hard stop earlier?"

One sentence. It signals you respect their calendar. And it tells you exactly what you are working with before you are already rushing.

Then set the agenda.

Walk them through the structure before a single question gets asked. Why you are here, how you plan to spend the time, what you want to agree at the end. If you skip this, you will hit friction the moment you start asking questions. They do not know why you are asking. You have not told them.

"Plan of action for the first part of this call is to get a proper understanding of how you typically approach attracting and recruiting brilliant talent into the business, then have an honest conversation about what you believe is working well and what could be improved."

Set the upfront contract.

Name the decision you want to make together before you start asking anything.

"By the end of the call I should have a clear idea on how we might be able to help, how we have helped similar organisations in your position, or not. Sound fair?"

You are not asking if they want to move forward at the end. You are collecting on an agreement you made at the start. That is a completely different dynamic.

Then ask this before you dive in:

"Is there anything specific you are hoping to walk away from this call with? What would make this a genuinely good use of your time?”

That question does more work than it looks like. It tells you what they actually care about. It gives them some ownership of the conversation. And it gives you a target to hit at the end, before the call has even properly started.

That is rapport with intent. Not asking about their weekend. Showing up prepared, naming the structure, and handing them a small piece of control before you take the rest of it.

When you do this well, the prospect is leaning in before you have asked a single discovery question. That is the permission to go deeper. That is the trigger.

Section 2: Explore Current Approach

Focus: Understand how they hire today and who's involved. 

Trigger: Surface process gaps and inefficiencies that need solving.

You have set the agenda. You have earned the permission. Now the real work starts.

This stage is the most underused in recruitment. Most recruiters jump straight from the brief to the search. But the brief is not the full picture. It is a surface-level summary of what someone thinks they need. How they actually hire tells you everything else.

You are not here to fill a role yet. You are here to understand their world.

Questions that open this up:

"Walk me through what happens when you decide to hire. What is the first step?"

"Who typically gets involved once a role is signed off?"

"How do you usually find or attract candidates?"

"What is working well with your current approach?"

"If we looked at your last few hires, what did that process look like from start to finish?"

These are not qualifying questions. They are diagnostic ones. You are not checking boxes. You are mapping how this company thinks about talent.

What you are actually listening for:

The answers matter. The gaps matter more.

If they cannot clearly explain their own hiring process, that tells you something. If they have never benchmarked their offer against the market, that tells you something. If the decision maker they name now is different to the person they mentioned earlier, that definitely tells you something.

This stage is about surfacing how they think hiring works versus how it actually works. That gap is where the opportunity lives.

Here is the finessed version, using the slide questions as the backbone and cutting the copy back to match the tone of the other sections:

Section 3: Finding and Deeping Pain

Focus: Move beyond surface frustrations. 

Trigger: Quantify the cost of doing nothing, time, money, or delivery risk.

This is where most recruiters stop early.

They hear a problem, they feel like they understand it, and they move to solutions. But what they have usually heard is a symptom, not a cause. And if you solve a symptom, you have not really solved anything.

A client tells you they keep losing candidates at offer stage. That feels like a clear problem. 

But the cause could be a salary that is below market, a three-week interview process that loses people to faster-moving competitors, or a final panel that interviews inconsistently. If you accept the surface answer and move on, you are solving the wrong thing.

The goal of this stage is to move from what they do to what it is costing them.

Questions that get you there:

"Which parts of that process tend to slow things down or frustrate you?"

"When a hire does not work out, what is usually the reason?"

"How often do your first-choice candidates actually make it through?"

"What impact does that have, lost time, team stress, missed delivery?"

"If you were to fix one thing in that process, where would you start?"

Stay curious longer than feels comfortable. Do not accept the first answer. If they name a frustration, go one level deeper. How long has it been present? What have they already tried? What happened?

The more clearly they can articulate what is wrong, the better placed you are to position a solution that actually addresses it.

You are not selling yet. You are helping them feel the cost of staying the same.

Here is the finessed version using the slide questions and cutting the Zac Thompson reference (not our IP):

Section 4: Diagnose and Qualify

Focus: Assess the size and urgency of the problem. 

Trigger: Confirm whether this is a problem you can solve and if they are ready to fix it.

Understanding a problem is not the same as someone being motivated to solve it.

This is where many deals quietly fail. The discovery is good. The pain is real. But the person you are speaking to does not have the urgency or the authority to do anything about it. Weeks later you are chasing feedback on CVs that nobody ever had any intention of reviewing properly.

Qualification is not about interrogating someone. It is about testing commitment honestly before you invest a significant amount of your time.

Questions that tell you what you need to know:

"If you could fix just one part of your hiring process, what would it be?"

"How big a priority is this right now: nice-to-have or must-fix?"

"Who else in the business feels this pain most?"

"If we built something that solved this properly, what would success look like?"

"When would you ideally want this person in seat?"

Three things are worth being clear on before you leave this stage:

Urgency. If nothing changes, what actually happens? If the answer is vague, there is no real pressure. If the answer is "we miss our growth targets and I am personally accountable for that", that is a different conversation entirely.

Authority. Are you speaking to the person who signs off on hiring decisions? If not, who is? Everything you do downstream is conditional on someone you have never met agreeing with it.

Commitment. Would they give feedback on a shortlist within 24 hours? Would interviews happen within a reasonable timeframe? Is budget signed off? These are not unreasonable questions. They are the ones most recruiters are afraid to ask.

End the conversation with clarity: is there real pain, urgency, and ownership? If yes, you have earned the right to move into Stage 5 and position the solution.

Here is the full closing section brought together:

How to End a Discovery Call Properly

A discovery call without a clear next step is not a discovery call. It is just a conversation.

Most recruiters end calls the same way. "I will get that over to you and we can find a time to catch up." It feels polite. It feels natural. And it almost always leads nowhere.

Before you get off the call, you need three things confirmed: what they are going to do with what they have shared, what they expect from you next, and specifically when you will speak again.

BAMFAM. Book a meeting from a meeting.

It is the simplest principle in sales and the most ignored. Every call ends with a next call in the diary. Not a loose "let's find a time." A specific date. A specific time. Agreed before you hang up.

You set the upfront contract at the start of the call. You are collecting on it now.

"Based on everything we have covered, the most logical next step is X. I would rather get something in the diary now than risk it slipping. Would the back end of next week work?"

You are not asking if they want to move forward. You are prescribing the next step and asking if the time works. That is a completely different dynamic.

If they will not commit, that is important information. Either the motivation is not as strong as the conversation suggested, or there is someone else involved in the decision you have not met yet. Either way, you need to know that now, not after three weeks of search work.

A pipeline full of "I'll be in touch" is not a pipeline. It is a wish list.

Book the meeting from the meeting. Every time.

What to do after the call

The debrief is where the value compounds.

Within thirty minutes, write down three things.

What they said the problem was. Then ask yourself: was that a symptom or a root cause? If it was a symptom, what question would have taken you one level deeper? Note it. Use it next time.

The exact words they used to describe the problem. Not your paraphrase. Their language. When you follow up and when you pitch, speaking their words back to them is one of the most powerful things you can do. It signals you were listening. It makes the solution feel like it was built for them, because in a real sense it was.

Whether you covered all four stages. Most calls drift. Rapport runs long, the explore section feels productive, and then the call is nearly over and you have not properly diagnosed anything. The only way to catch the pattern is to review it honestly after the fact.

One better question per call, applied consistently, compounds quickly. Within a month you will notice the difference.

Here is where the real separation happens.

Most discovery conversations operate at the level of what. What role, what skills, what salary, what timeline. That information is necessary but it is not sufficient. It does not tell you anything about why.

The questions that get you to why tend to fall into three categories.

For those of you who use meet note takers this is where this part will be so much easier to do but still an often overlooked opportunity to improve your next client meeting.

What Separates Good Discovery from Great Discovery

Every recruiter asks questions on a discovery call. The best recruiters ask questions that make the prospect stop and think. That is the difference.

Great discovery is not about covering more ground. It is about going deeper in the right places. The recruiters who have genuinely honed this skill over hundreds of calls tend to do one thing consistently: they organise their questions across three time horizons. The past, the present, and the future.

Here is what that looks like in practice.

Questions about the past

These are some of the most revealing questions you can ask. Most clients have patterns, and those patterns become visible the moment you ask about what happened before.

"When you last hired for a role like this, how did it go?"

"If you could change one thing about how you have run this process historically, what would it be?"

"What made previous hires succeed or fail in this type of role?"

If a client has been burned by a recruiter before, or by a bad hire, it will surface here. And surfacing it is good. It means you can address it directly rather than having it sit in the background influencing every interaction without ever being named.

Questions about the present

These explore what is actually happening right now and how serious it is.

"What is the current impact of this role being unfilled?"

"Who in your team is absorbing the extra work, and how long can that continue?"

"How is this landing on you personally?"

That last question is the most important one in this section. People make decisions with emotion, justified by logic. 

If the only consequences you have explored are business-level and abstract, the motivation to act stays distant. When you connect the problem to someone's personal experience of it, the cost of staying the same becomes real. That is when urgency stops being a concept and starts being a feeling.

Questions about the future

These help someone articulate what success would actually look like. In doing so, they begin building the solution themselves.

"If we fast-forward twelve months and this search has gone exactly as you hoped, what does that look like?"

"How would you know that working together had been genuinely valuable, rather than just adequate?"

"If there were no recruitment agencies at all, how would you approach solving this problem?"

That third question is a disruptive one. It removes the easy answer and forces someone to think about the problem independently of the solution they came to the call expecting. What surfaces is almost always more revealing than anything in the brief.

You do not need all of these questions on every call. You need the right ones at the right moment. The past, present, future structure gives you a map. Where you go deepest depends on where the real pain lives.

The Mindset Underneath All of This

Slow down to speed up.

Most recruiters treat discovery as the part of the call you get through before the real work starts. The brief, the pitch, the terms. That is the work. Discovery is just the warm-up.

That is exactly the wrong way to think about it.

When you invest properly in discovery, everything downstream gets easier. Clients are more committed because they helped shape the solution. Candidates are better matched because you understood the problem properly. Conversations about terms happen between two people who already trust each other. The whole experience, for everyone involved, is better.

You are not slowing down to be thorough. You are slowing down because it is the fastest way to get to the right outcome for your client.

The recruiters who consistently win better work are not necessarily the ones with the best pitch. They are the ones who have diagnosed well enough that by the time they present a solution, it feels obvious. The client has practically built it themselves. There is nothing to sell. There is only something to confirm.

That shift, from someone trying to win a job to someone trying to solve a problem, is what moves you from transactional recruiter to genuine consultant. 

Clients feel the difference immediately. They brief you differently. They respond differently. They refer you differently.

It does not happen because of your pitch. It happens because of the questions you asked and how patiently you listened.

Get this right and you will bill more, work with better clients, and enjoy the job more. 

That is not a coincidence. It is the compounding return on a skill most recruiters never bother to develop properly.

P.S. Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

#1: Do you listen to my podcast? I release a weekly episode with either a top-performing recruiter or recruitment entrepreneur to find out how they achieved their success so you can learn directly from their journey Check out my latest episode and subscribe to the show.

#2 Take the recruitment High-Performance Team Scorecard
Get instant clarity on where your team is strong, where they’re falling short, and what to focus on next. 👉🏻 Take the Scorecard

#3: Want to win more business, book more meetings, and level up your billings? Our Hector-certified courses are built by top billers who’ve been where you are and cracked it. No fluff. Just real, proven strategies you can use immediately >>>> Browse Courses – Start Closing More Deals Today (Use code Limitless_Learning at checkout for 15% off: exclusive to newsletter readers)

Mastering Discovery: Part One

Discovery is one of the most important parts of the recruitment process, but also one of the most skipped.

Today's edition of the Limitless learning newsletter is the first of a two-part deep dive into exactly why discovery matters so much.

In Part One, we focus on why discovery is so important if you want more control over your desk, why so many deals quietly fall apart because the real issue was never uncovered, why the difference between symptoms and root causes changes how you operate and why slowing down at the start is often what allows you to move faster later.

In Part Two, we will get extremely practical. We will break down how to actually run a discovery meeting, the structure to follow, the questions to ask, and how to uncover real pain rather than surface frustration.

In addition, you will get a downloadable discovery cheat sheet to use before and during client conversations, so you can take what we cover and apply it straight away.

Let’s jump into part one. 👇🏼

Where most deals actually start to unravel

Think about how a typical role begins.

A hiring manager calls with urgency. You ask about the salary, start date, must-haves, and interview stages. You take notes quickly, confirm you will send profiles over, and hang up feeling efficient.

Within hours you are sourcing and within days, you are sending CVs.

Then the cracks appear.

• Feedback is vague.

• The brief shifts slightly.

• A new stakeholder enters the process with different expectations.

• Candidates drop out at the offer stage.

• The client goes quiet for a week.

None of that usually happens because you were too slow.

It happens because the real problem was never properly diagnosed.

You solved the surface issue. You did not explore the underlying one.

Symptoms versus root cause

Most hiring managers present you with symptoms.

• “We keep losing candidates at offer stage.”

• “We are not seeing the right quality.”

• “The market is really tight.”

• “People are too expensive.”

On the surface these feel like clear directions, but they are rarely the full picture.

Take the first example, that might be because the salary is below market. It might be because the interview process takes three weeks. It might be because internal stakeholders are not aligned on what good looks like. It might be because the role is being sold inconsistently, or because candidates only discover the downsides late in the process.

If you stop at the symptom, your solution will be shallow. You will move faster, send more profiles and hope the outcome improves.

If you keep going until you understand the cause, the entire conversation changes. You move from reacting to operating as an advisor.

The doctor test

There is a simple way to sense check whether you are doing this properly.

Imagine going to a doctor and saying, "My leg hurts."

If they immediately hand you medication and tell you to come back in a month, you would question whether they have really understood the issue.

The doctors you trust are the ones who ask when it started, what makes it worse, what you have tried already and how it is affecting your day-to-day life. Only once they understand the context do they recommend something.

Recruitment is no different.

When you prescribe before you diagnose, you weaken your authority. When you diagnose properly, you strengthen it.

Why consequence matters more than inconvenience

Many recruiters believe they are uncovering pain, but what they are actually uncovering is mild frustration.

Frustration does not drive change but consequence does.

If a role has been vacant for three months, there is always an impact, the question is whether the hiring manager has fully thought it through.

You can explore that impact through different angles.

Team impact: Who is picking up the extra work? How sustainable is that? What happens if one of those people decides they have had enough?

Revenue impac:. What deals are being delayed because this seat is empty? What does another quarter of underperformance cost?

Client impact: Are customers already feeling the strain? What is the lifetime value of a lost account?

Brand impact: What happens when strong candidates go through a messy process and tell their network? How many future hires quietly become harder because of that?

Personal impact: How is this landing on you internally? What pressure is it creating? What happens if this is still unresolved in three months’ time?

You are not being dramatic, you are making reality visible.

When the cost of staying the same becomes clear, the conversation naturally shifts towards doing something properly.

What discovery is actually for

Discovery is not about sounding clever. It is not about pitching your process. It is not about demonstrating expertise too early.

It is about understanding how they currently hire, identifying where it is breaking down, expanding the consequences of that breakdown and helping them articulate what “fixed” would actually look like.

You are not trying to win a job at this stage.

You are trying to earn the right to design the solution.

That shift in intent changes how you ask questions, how you listen and how you position yourself.

The four stages worth structuring around

You do not need a script. You need structure.

First, build rapport with intent. Not small talk for the sake of it, but evidence that you understand their world and have prepared.

Second, explore their current approach. How do they decide to hire? How do they define good? What has worked before and what has not?

Third, diagnose the gaps. Where is the process breaking down? Why is it happening? What is the impact of it continuing?

Fourth, qualify the opportunity. If nothing changes, what happens? If they could design an ideal outcome, what would it look like? Are they motivated to solve this properly?

Most recruiters operate comfortably in the first two stages. Very few go deep into the third. That is where the separation begins.

The habit to build now

You do not need to transform your desk overnight.

After your next client conversation, pause before you start sourcing.

Write down what they said the problem was. Then ask yourself whether that was a symptom or a cause.

If it was a symptom, what question would have taken you one layer deeper?

On your next call, ask that question.

One upgrade per conversation compounds quickly. Over a month, you will notice the difference. Roles feel clearer. Clients feel more aligned. You feel more in control.

Speed still matters.

But control matters more.

And discovery is the habit that builds it.

P.S. Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

#1: Do you listen to my podcast? I release a weekly episode with either a top-performing recruiter or recruitment entrepreneur to find out how they achieved their success so you can learn directly from their journey Check out my latest episode and subscribe to the show.

#2 Take the recruitment High-Performance Team Scorecard
Get instant clarity on where your team is strong, where they’re falling short, and what to focus on next. 👉🏻 Take the Scorecard

#3: Want to win more business, book more meetings, and level up your billings? Our Hector-certified courses are built by top billers who’ve been where you are and cracked it. No fluff. Just real, proven strategies you can use immediately >>>> Browse Courses – Start Closing More Deals Today (Use code Limitless_Learning at checkout for 15% off: exclusive to newsletter readers)

Double down on your data or get left behind.

If you haven’t already, this is the year to absolutely double down on your own data and IP.

For a long time, access was the edge in recruitment. If you had LinkedIn Recruiter, decent search strings, and the discipline to work harder than most people, you could build a strong desk. That advantage has quietly disappeared.

LinkedIn Recruiter AI, sourcing tools, automation and sequencing platforms are now table stakes. Everyone has access to similar tech, and everyone can surface “good” candidates faster than ever before.

Speed and access have been levelled out.

What hasn’t been levelled out is context, and that’s where the real gap is starting to open up.

Two recruiters, same role, same tools

Here’s the analogy I always come back to.

A company instructs two specialist recruitment agencies on the same role. On paper, they look almost identical. Similar experience, similar market expertise, similar tech stack, both use LinkedIn.

From this, both build a longlist of 20 people who look excellent on paper.

• Same job titles.

• Same companies.

• Same tenure.

From the outside, there’s nothing obvious to separate them.

Recruiter A looks at that list and sees what LinkedIn shows everyone. Job titles, employment history, where someone has worked and how long they’ve been there. It’s useful information, but it’s generic. Any half-decent recruiter in the market can get to the same place.

Recruiter B is looking at the same list through a very different lens. They’ve already met or spoken to around 40% of those people, sometimes months or years before the role even existed.

So alongside the CV data, they know what that person wants their career to look like in five years. They know the companies they admire, the ones they’d actively avoid, and why. They understand personal situations, family commitments, commute tolerance, and what would genuinely motivate someone to move rather than just take a call.

That difference isn’t cosmetic, it completely changes how the recruiter operates.

Recruiter A is reacting to responses.

Recruiter B is making decisions.

Why does this change the outcome for clients?

This is the bit clients feel, even if they never say it out loud.

Recruiter A is essentially testing the market. They’re sending messages, waiting for replies, and adjusting as they go. Their confidence grows or shrinks based on what comes back.

Recruiter B already knows where the dead ends are.

They know who won’t move for this client, no matter how good the brief sounds. They know who is quietly open but won’t respond to a generic message. They know how to position the opportunity differently depending on the person they’re speaking to.

That changes everything:

• Shortlists come together faster

• Candidate engagement is deeper

• Drop-off rates are lower

• Client conversations are more confident

One recruiter is hoping the process works, the other is controlling it.

Where that advantage actually comes from

This advantage doesn’t come from clever tech or better automation.

It comes from doing two fairly unglamorous things consistently over time.

The first is having real conversations with people in the market, even when there’s no immediate job to fill. Not surface-level chats, but conversations that uncover motivations, deal-breakers and decision-making patterns.

The second is treating data capture as part of the job, not an admin task.

Recruiter B doesn’t rely on memory. They don’t rely on personal phones, WhatsApp threads, or scraps of notes. What they learn goes into the CRM, properly structured, while it’s still fresh.

That’s the difference between insight that disappears and insight that compounds.

Why “we speak to people all the time” isn’t enough

Most recruiters will read this and think, "We already do this," and to an extent, that’s true.

Most recruiters have good conversations and most recruiters build relationships but the gap tends to appear after the call ends.

If insight lives in someone’s head, it doesn’t scale.

If it lives on a personal device, the business doesn’t own it.

If it isn’t structured, it can’t be reused.

This is where average desks quietly fall behind strong ones. Not because they don’t talk to people, but because they don’t turn those conversations into a usable asset.

Why this matters more now than ever

Every recruiter will have access to LinkedIn data.

As LinkedIn continues to push its AI tools, more teams will be able to surface, rank, and contact candidates faster than ever before. The gap between “good” and “great” sourcing will continue to narrow.

Access to LinkedIn is no longer a competitive advantage. It’s just the baseline.

What sits on top of that shared data is where separation happens. Your own context. Your own history. Your own understanding of people in the market.

That’s the layer AI can’t replicate quickly, and it’s the layer most teams are still neglecting.

If you’re Recruiter A, here’s what to focus on this month

If you recognised yourself in Recruiter A, this isn’t something to “fix” overnight. You don’t undo years of surface-level data in a week.

But you can change the direction of your desk in the next 30 days.

The goal this month isn’t perfection. It’s momentum.

1. Narrow your focus to a “core 30”

Trying to capture everything usually means capturing nothing.

This month, pick 30 people in your market who actually matter:

• People you speak to regularly

• People you’ve placed before

• Likely movers in the next 12–24 months

• People others in your niche want access to

Your job isn’t to vaguely know hundreds of people. It’s to deeply understand a small, high-value group.

2. Upgrade your conversations, not their length

You don’t need longer calls. You need better questions.

Move beyond CV updates and salary checks and start uncovering intent:

• What do they want their career to look like in a few years?

• What’s made them say no recently?

• Which companies are a hard yes or a hard no?

• What matters more now than it used to?

That context is the IP.

3. Capture insight immediately, not “later”

The habit that changes everything is simple.

Update the CRM straight after meaningful conversations.

Not just role and salary, but motivations, red lines, and context that another recruiter could pick up and use. If someone else can’t sound informed within 30 seconds, the data isn’t doing its job yet.

4. Build one habit that compounds

Don’t overhaul your desk. Pick one behaviour you’ll actually stick to:

• 10 minutes a day improving notes

• One relationship call a week with no job attached

• A non-negotiable CRM slot in your calendar

This isn’t admin. It’s asset building.

What success looks like after 30 days

You won’t become Recruiter B overnight.

But conversations get easier, shortlists become more intentional and client confidence improves.

Most importantly, you stop starting from zero every time a role lands, and that’s how the gap begins to close.

P.S. Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

#1: Do you listen to my podcast? I release a weekly episode with either a top-performing recruiter or recruitment entrepreneur to find out how they achieved their success so you can learn directly from their journey Check out my latest episode and subscribe to the show.

#2 Take the recruitment High-Performance Team Scorecard
Get instant clarity on where your team is strong, where they’re falling short, and what to focus on next. 👉🏻 Take the Scorecard

#3: Want to win more business, book more meetings, and level up your billings? Our Hector-certified courses are built by top billers who’ve been where you are and cracked it. No fluff. Just real, proven strategies you can use immediately >>>> Browse Courses – Start Closing More Deals Today (Use code Limitless_Learning at checkout for 15% off: exclusive to newsletter readers)

Discipline Season: When the New Year Buzz Wears Off

January always starts loud. Everyone comes back fired up, goals are flying around, calendars fill up fast, and there’s this pressure to “start strong”, like you’ve only got a small window to get it right.

For a few weeks, it feels good. You’re organised, motivated, and convinced this year will be different because you’ve finally got clarity. The plan feels solid. The energy is there. Everything feels possible.

But by the end of the month, something usually changes.

This edition is about that moment. How you work when the energy drops, how you keep momentum without forcing it, and how discipline quietly replaces motivation as the thing that carries you forward.

Last year, we sat down with Jack on the podcast to unpack discipline, habits, and what separates consistent performers from those who rely on motivation. In this edition, we’ve woven in a few of his insights to add another layer of perspective to the themes we’re exploring.

If you enjoyed what Jack had to say, make sure to check him out on LinkedIn. He has done some brilliant work with recruiters over the years and has some great content to check out.

Motivation Is Not a Strategy

Motivation is helpful, but it’s unreliable.

It shows up when things are going well. When you’ve had a win. When momentum is on your side.

Recruitment doesn’t work like that all the time.

There are weeks where delivery takes over, BD feels slow, candidates disappear, and results lag behind effort. In those weeks, motivation isn’t enough. It was never meant to be.

When your plan is based on “doing the work when I feel good,” consistency falls apart the moment you hit resistance. Standards start to slip. Things get pushed back. You tell yourself you’ll pick it up next week.

One thing Jack spoke about really clearly is that motivation usually fades because it isn’t anchored to anything meaningful. When he finally changed his own habits, it wasn’t because he found some magic routine. It was because the reason for changing became bigger than the comfort of staying the same. When the purpose outweighs the pull of old behaviours, discipline stops feeling like force and starts feeling like alignment.

Discipline replaces that uncertainty. It keeps the work steady even when the week isn’t.

Goals Only Work If Your Habits Support Them

Most recruiters don’t miss their goals because they set their sights too high.

They miss them because the day-to-day behaviour underneath them isn’t strong enough.

Big goals don’t mean much if the inputs aren’t protected. BD disappears when things get busy. Planning happens reactively. The week is shaped by urgency rather than intention.

It’s not a mindset issue. It’s a structure issue.

Goals point the direction. Habits determine whether you actually get there.

Jack sees this all the time with high performers who have achieved a lot on paper. The goal gets them to a certain level, but once the excitement or significance wears off, progress stalls because there’s no system underneath it. The ambition is still there. The consistency just isn’t.

This point in the year isn’t about scrapping plans or starting again. It’s about tightening the habits that make progress easier to repeat.

Discipline Is Usually Just Good Preparation

Discipline often gets confused with willpower.

In reality, the most disciplined recruiters rely on preparation, not grit. They decide what matters before the week starts. They remove daily decisions about whether important work gets done.

They don’t negotiate with themselves every morning. BD isn’t something they’ll “try to fit in” around client calls, it’s already blocked before the week begins. Candidate follow ups aren’t floating in their head hoping to be remembered, they’re scheduled. The decision happened once, on Sunday evening or Monday morning, and the rest of the week is just execution.

It’s not about forcing yourself to make 20 more calls when you’re running on empty. It’s about having already decided that Tuesday morning is BD time before the week’s chaos arrives.

It’s not exciting, but it’s effective. And it’s why some people stay consistent all year while others swing between good weeks and bad ones.

Jack put it simply. When you know you’ve executed your plan for the day or the week, it becomes much easier to switch off without guilt. You’re not filling your evenings with “fake productivity” because you already know you’ve done what you said you would.

If January felt messy, that’s useful information. It points to the system, not the person.

The February Shift: From Fresh Start to Follow Through

February is where things get real.

The noise drops. The pressure to feel inspired fades. The people who make real progress settle into a rhythm.

So instead of asking how to get motivated again, a better question is: what does follow-through look like for me this year?

Not perfection. Not intensity. Just steady execution.

The kind where you don’t need a reset every Monday. The kind where habits carry you through average weeks as well as good ones.

One of the strongest insights Jack shared is that what gets you to one level won’t always get you to the next. Many recruiters reach a point where money or titles stop being enough, and without deeper purpose or better habits, they feel stuck. Discipline is what allows you to keep progressing once those early drivers lose their power.

That’s what discipline is really for. Not to make things harder, but to make progress easier to repeat.

How to Turn This Into Action (Without Overcomplicating It)

1. Define what a “good week” actually means

Write down the 3–4 behaviours that, if they happen, make the week a success regardless of outcomes. Keep this realistic, not aspirational.

2. Pre-decide when those things happen

Put them into your calendar before the week starts. If it’s important, don’t rely on remembering or “finding time”.

3. Remove the daily negotiation

Decide once, then execute. The goal is to stop asking yourself each day whether you feel like doing the work.

4. Review the week, don’t restart it

At the end of the week, ask:

• What did I follow through on?

• What slipped?

• What needs tightening next week?

No judgment. Just small adjustments.

5. Add one personal commitment outside of work

Choose something that requires consistency. Fitness, learning, or a challenge. This reinforces discipline everywhere else.

6. Run this for one month

Don’t change the plan every week. Let the habits settle before you judge them.

February doesn't need a fresh start. It needs follow-through.

Pick one habit from the list above and protect it for the next four weeks. That's it. Not six new systems. Not a complete overhaul. Just one thing, done consistently, until it stops requiring effort.

The year isn't won in January. It's won in the quiet months when no one's clapping and the work still gets done.

P.S. Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

#1: Do you listen to my podcast? I release a weekly episode with either a top-performing recruiter or recruitment entrepreneur to find out how they achieved their success so you can learn directly from their journey Check out my latest episode and subscribe to the show.

#2 Take the recruitment High-Performance Team Scorecard
Get instant clarity on where your team is strong, where they’re falling short, and what to focus on next. 👉🏻 Take the Scorecard

#3: Want to win more business, book more meetings, and level up your billings? Our Hector-certified courses are built by top billers who’ve been where you are and cracked it. No fluff. Just real, proven strategies you can use immediately >>>> Browse Courses – Start Closing More Deals Today (Use code Limitless_Learning at checkout for 15% off: exclusive to newsletter readers)

Step 1: Set the Tone Early (Because It Always Carries)

The way you start the year is usually the way you run it.

If January begins slowly with a bit of procrastination and a lot of "I'll get to that next week" that pace has a funny way of sticking. 

On the flip side, if you're proactive from day one, building pipeline while diaries are still open and people are still receptive, you put yourself in a very different position by the time February rolls around.

Week one, for me, would be about momentum. 

Reaching out early. Booking meetings while calendars are still light. Starting conversations before everyone else switches back into reactive mode.

Not because it feels good, but because it sets a standard for how the rest of the quarter is going to look.

Why this matters: 

Most of your competitors are still "easing back in." The clients you want to work with have open diaries and clearer headspace than they'll have in three weeks. 

The candidates you want to speak to are reflecting on their careers after the break. 

There's a window here, and it doesn't stay open long.

Action Task: 

Ask yourself - what does "starting properly" actually look like for me? 

What am I putting off that would immediately move the needle? 

Write it down and commit to doing it this week.

Step 2: Get Brutally Honest About 2025 Before You Plan 2026

Before I'd even think about setting new targets, I'd spend some time looking back at last year properly (If you haven’t already!)

Not in a dramatic way, and not just focusing on the highlights but really asking some uncomfortable questions:

What genuinely worked in 2025? 

What looked busy but didn't produce much? 

Which clients were worth the effort, and which ones quietly drained time and energy? 

Where did my best fees actually come from? 

What habits helped me perform, and which ones consistently got in the way?

This isn't about overanalysing the past. It's about not repeating the same mistakes with a shinier plan.

If the foundations were cracked last year, building bigger on top of them won't fix the problem.

The honest questions to sit with:

• Which three clients generated the most revenue for you in 2025?

• Which clients took up your time but didn't deliver?

• What was your average placement fee?

• What was your best month, and what did you do differently?

• Outside of work - sleep, energy, fitness - how were you really showing up?

Action Task: 

Write down three things from 2025 you want more of in Q1, and three things you're consciously leaving behind. 

If you're not sure, use the worksheet at the end of this edition to work through it.

Step 3: Set a Proper Q1 Target and Work Backwards

This is where the guesswork stops.

Let's say you want to bill £75K in Q1. 

That's £25K a month, which for most 360 recruiters means roughly two to three placements per month, depending on fee size.

Once you know that number, the pressure changes. 

It's no longer "I need to bill £75K." 

It becomes "I need to do these inputs consistently", and that's a much easier problem to solve.

Here's how to reverse-engineer it (using £75K as an example):

Start with your average fee. Let's say yours is £10K. 

That means you need 7-8 placements across Q1. That's roughly 2.5 placements per month.

Now work backwards through your conversion rates:

• If your offer-to-placement rate is 80%, you need around 9-10 offers.

• If your final stage-to-offer rate is 50%, you need 18-20 final interviews.

• If your CV-to-interview rate is 25%, you need to send around 75-80 quality CVs.

• If you average 3 quality CVs per role, you need 25+ jobs you're actively working.

• If your meeting-to-job conversion is 50%, you need 50+ quality client conversations across Q1.

Your numbers will be different, but the principle is the same. 

Know your ratios. Map the activity. Then protect that activity every single week.

Action Task: 

Reverse-engineer January only. What's your January target? 

What does that require in terms of placements, interviews, CVs, and conversations? 

Get specific. Use the worksheet below to map it out.

Step 4: Lock In Your Top 10 and Build a Real Target List

From your 2025 review, be ruthless about identifying your top ten existing clients.

These are the ones who either are hiring now, have told you they'll be hiring in Q1, or have worked with you before and genuinely value what you do. 

These aren't "nice to have" accounts - they're the foundation of your quarter.

Once those are clear, build a target list of 90 accounts you want to either break into or have meaningful conversations with by the end of Q1. 

Roughly 30 per month.

Not random companies. Not vague "nice brands." 

Actual organisations where there's a real reason for you to speak to them.

The structure that works:

• Top 10 Existing: Your non-negotiables. You're in regular contact with all of them.

• 30 Target Accounts for January: New logos, growth companies, warm intros you haven't followed up on, lapsed clients worth re-engaging.

• Repeat for February and March

Every one of those goes into a structured BD plan, reviewed weekly, adjusted quickly if something isn't landing.

Action Task: 

Write your Top 10 down right now. Then build your 30 for January. 

If you're not sure where to start, ask yourself: who spent money with me last year that I haven't spoken to since? Who did I meet at an event but never followed up with? Who's hiring in my market right now?

Step 5: Fix the One Thing That Held You Back

Everyone has something that limits their performance.

For some, it's inconsistent BD. For others, it's weak qualification, poor conversion, or terrible time management. 

If I were doing this properly, I'd pick one thing and make it my focus for the quarter.

Not trying to overhaul everything at once, but committing to actually improving one skill properly. 

Watching content on it, asking for feedback, role-playing it, and practising it until it feels natural.

Progress comes much faster when you stop spreading your attention too thin.

Common culprits to consider:

• Inconsistent activity (feast or famine)

• Weak job qualification (working roles that were never going to fill)

• Poor discovery (not uncovering real pain or urgency)

• Bad time management (busy but not productive)

• Objection handling (freezing when you hear "we're happy with our current supplier")

• Follow-up (letting warm leads go cold)

Action Task: 

Decide on your one focus for Q1. Write it somewhere you'll see it every day. 

Then find one resource, person, or practice habit that will help you improve it over the next 12 weeks.

Step 6: Look After Your Energy, Not Just Your Output

Big quarters aren't won by grinding yourself into the ground by March.

If you're exhausted, distracted, and constantly "catching up," something is off.

For me, this would mean protecting mornings for high-value work, doing BD when I'm at my sharpest, and not sacrificing sleep or training just to feel busy.

Sustainable intensity always beats burnout.

A few questions worth asking:

• When am I at my sharpest? Am I protecting that time for revenue-generating work?

• What am I doing that drains energy without giving much back?

• What would I need to change to feel genuinely good by the end of Q1, not just relieved it's over?

Action Task: 

Identify one habit or commitment that's draining your energy without giving much back, and adjust it. 

Maybe it's saying yes to every call. Maybe it's working through lunch. Maybe it's checking emails before bed. 

Pick one and change it.

Step 7: Don't Try to Do It Alone

Very few recruiters figure this out in isolation.

If I were serious about Q1, I'd be leaning on my manager for feedback on my outreach and calls, and I'd be asking them to hold me to the plan I've set.

I'd also find someone on my team to run alongside. 

Someone to check in with weekly, share wins with, and keep each other honest when momentum dips.

Accountability changes behaviour far more than motivation ever will.

Action Task: 

Set up one recurring check-in that keeps you honest throughout Q1. 

Whether that's with your manager, a peer, or someone outside your business, make it happen this week.

Download: Your Q1 Planning Worksheet

I've put together a simple worksheet you can use to work through each of these steps.

It covers:

• Your 2025 reflection prompts

• Your reverse-engineered Q1 targets

• Your Top 10 + Target 30 account list

• Your one skill focus for the quarter

• Your energy audit

• Your accountability check-in plan

[Download the Q1 Planning Worksheet here] (Link to worksheet - spreadsheet version)

[Download the Q1 Planning Worksheet here] (Link to worksheet - doc version version)

P.S. Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

#1: Do you listen to my podcast? I release a weekly episode with either a top-performing recruiter or recruitment entrepreneur to find out how they achieved their success so you can learn directly from their journey Check out my latest episode and subscribe to the show.

#2 Take the recruitment High-Performance Team Scorecard
Get instant clarity on where your team is strong, where they’re falling short, and what to focus on next. 👉🏻 Take the Scorecard

#3: Want to win more business, book more meetings, and level up your billings? Our Hector-certified courses are built by top billers who’ve been where you are and cracked it. No fluff. Just real, proven strategies you can use immediately >>>> Browse Courses – Start Closing More Deals Today (Use code Limitless_Learning at checkout for 15% off: exclusive to newsletter readers)

Firstly, I want to say a genuine thank you for reading, replying, sharing, and supporting Limitless Learning in 2025.

We’ve got big plans for 2026, and I’d love your help shaping where we take this next.

To wrap up the year, we’ve put together a short survey that will massively help guide the content we put out in 2026.

It only takes a couple of minutes, but it gives us real clarity on what’s most useful to you.

As a small thank you, the first 10 people to complete the survey will receive a £15 voucher.

I hope you have a great end to 2025, and we will be back in January for another year of Limitless Learning editions!

P.S. Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

#1: Do you listen to my podcast? I release a weekly episode with either a top-performing recruiter or recruitment entrepreneur to find out how they achieved their success so you can learn directly from their journey Check out my latest episode and subscribe to the show.

#2 Take the recruitment High-Performance Team Scorecard
Get instant clarity on where your team is strong, where they’re falling short, and what to focus on next. 👉🏻 Take the Scorecard

#3: Want to win more business, book more meetings, and level up your billings? Our Hector-certified courses are built by top billers who’ve been where you are and cracked it. No fluff. Just real, proven strategies you can use immediately >>>> Browse Courses – Start Closing More Deals Today (Use code Limitless_Learning at checkout for 15% off: exclusive to newsletter readers)

This edition of the Limitless Learning newsletter is our ‘Spotify Wrapped’ style summary of the content and tools that we felt had a big impact in 2025.

The podcasts that shaped your thinking, the newsletters that solved real problems, and the tools that genuinely helped recruiters work smarter.

A clean look at what actually made an impact this year, let’s jump in.

The Most Listened to Podcasts of 2025

2025 brought some of our most open, practical and hard-hitting conversations yet.

These five episodes rose to the top, resonating with recruiters at every level.

Here’s a breakdown of the most-listened-to podcasts of the year.👇🏻

From Under Performer to Top Biller: Rebeka Mulk

Rebeka went from a challenging first year to more than £430K in billings.

We broke down how she built a UK-wide Java desk, the information-gathering habits that changed her output, and the job-briefing technique that transformed her client control.

She also walked us through the systems she uses to keep her pipeline full, how she manages process control and how she rebuilt her entire talent pool from scratch.

An honest look at what it takes to level up fast.

You can listen to Rebeka’s episode here.

Alex Elliott: 10 Harsh Truths About Recruitment

Alex laid out the principles that shape high performance.

• Why the early years feel brutally hard.

• Why grit matters more than talent.

• Why disciplined time blocking protects your day.

We discussed mastering the sales funnel, staying persistent with BD, using data to drive prospecting, and how marginal gains stack up.

Plus, why the phone still beats every tool on the market.

You can listen to Alex’s episode here.

Is Starting Your Own Recruitment Business Worth It? With Edmund Blogg

Most recruiters underestimate what it really takes to start a business.

We covered funding, financial runway, compliance, cash flow and choosing a niche that actually scales.

Edmund shared his perspective on winning those first clients, the operational setup most founders overlook and the traits that separate the ones who grow from the ones who stall.

A straight answer to a question many founders romanticise.

You can listen to Edmund’s episode here.

Self-Doubt, Burnout and Billing $1.5M with Elizabeth Kennedy

A $1.5M year sounds glamorous.

The reality is pressure, intensity, and a lot of self-doubt.

Elizabeth opened up about the mental strain behind big numbers, how she rebuilt boundaries, tightened her sales process and protected her wellbeing.

We also explored how she shifted from pure delivery into leadership while still performing at a high level.

You can listen to Elizabeth’s episode here.

How Adam Tiberius Generated $1M in New Business

Adam broke down exactly how he built a market from the ground up.

He showed us how he identified gaps, entered underserved niches and created a consistent outbound rhythm that actually converted.

We dug into his BD messaging, the frameworks he uses to win major accounts, and the commercial systems that helped him turn insights into more than $1M in new business.

A masterclass in building opportunity rather than waiting for it.

You can listen to Adam’s episode here

The Most Read Newsletters of 2025

Every other week, we publish new content, but a small handful of editions stood out.

From content that actually attracts candidates to time-management habits of top billers to breaking into the US.

Here’s a quick look at the newsletters that earned the most attention in 2025 👇🏻

How to Elevate Your Content to Attract More Candidates

Most recruiters post for likes, not results.

This edition broke down how to flip that.

We looked at how to share real career advice, simplify the hiring process for candidates and use story-led posts to build genuine trust.

We also covered the engagement formats that actually work, how to position yourself as the “insider voice” in your niche and a simple writing framework you can use every day.

Plus, where AI supports consistency without making you sound robotic.

If you want content that converts instead of disappearing in the feed, this was the playbook.

Check out the edition in full here.

Time Management Secrets of a Million Dollar Biller with Mollie Gunn

Time management frustrates recruiters at every level.

Top billers just handle it differently.

We broke down what Mollie’s “perfect day” looked like early in her career compared to now, the non-negotiables that kept her consistent, and the mindset that prevented her from slipping into reactive mode.

We discussed how she prioritises BD and candidates, qualifies roles effectively, avoids low-value work, and stays phone-first without burning out.

A real look at how high performers protect their time.

Check out the edition in full here.

The Big Questions Recruiters Are Asking in 2025, Part One and Two

Across Manchester, London, Glasgow, Sydney and Austin, the themes were the same.

We unpacked the shift in client expectations toward true partnership, how to win exclusive and retained work, and where AI actually adds value rather than replacing fundamentals.

We broke down how to rebuild a 360 desk from scratch, the differences between mid-level billers and million-pound performers and the leadership behaviours that drive accountability and long-term growth.

A snapshot of what recruiters are struggling with right now and how to respond.

Check out part one and part two in full here.

The Hard Truth About Breaking Into the US

The US market rewards focus and punishes inconsistency.

We covered why niche discipline matters more there than anywhere else, how market mapping becomes your biggest currency and why persistence is the only path to winning six-figure accounts.

We also explained why the UK playbook rarely translates, how to adapt your approach to US expectations and the process discipline needed to avoid wasted energy and slow traction.

A straight answer to the question most recruiters get wrong.

Check out the edition in full here.

How to Win Big Without LinkedIn Recruiter

You don’t need LinkedIn Recruiter to win.

You need a tighter niche.

We looked at how narrowing your focus transformed your LinkedIn results, how the right network turns the feed into a live BD tool and the posting habits that actually drive conversation.

We covered using mutual connections to open doors, spotting the daily signals that show hiring intent and staying consistent even when engagement is low.

A practical guide to making LinkedIn work without a premium licence.

Check out the edition in full here.

The 5 tools I recommend to every recruiter & recruitment leader

There’s a lot of noise in the AI and tooling space right now, endless “game-changing” products launching every week.

But in reality?

Most recruiters don’t need 100 tools.

You just need the right ones that save you time, improve data quality, and make you more effective on the phone.

Here are the tools I consistently see delivering real ROI, the ones I’d consider “no-brainers” for any modern recruiter👇🏻

1. AI Note Takers

AI note takers are the lowest-hanging fruit in AI adoption, the quickest way to save hours each week and dramatically improve the quality of what goes into your CRM.

The more conversations your team has, the more valuable your internal IP becomes.

But only if it’s captured properly.

What to prioritise:

• A tool that syncs notes directly into your CRM

• Accuracy in summaries

• Easy sharing across teams

Recommended:

Granola, Fathom, Sourcewhale Notetaker, Hinterview Notetaker, Metaview, Quil.

If you haven’t rolled this out yet, start here.

2. Text Expanders

This is one of the simplest efficiency wins you can add to your workflow.

I’ve used Magical AI for over two years, and the time saved has been enormous.

You never have to rewrite the same email, DM, or client message ever again, and you can store every template you use on repeat.

Works everywhere you type.

Works across all tools.

Zero learning curve.

Alternative: TextBlaze.

3. LinkedIn DM Management

LinkedIn is still one of the biggest pipeline drivers in the industry, but the LinkedIn inbox is genuinely broken.

Messages get buried.

Important conversations get lost.

Replying consistently becomes a job in itself.

Kondo has been the best solution I’ve found for managing DMs properly and getting much closer to Inbox Zero.

If LinkedIn drives your business (it does for most of you), this tool will pay for itself instantly.

4. Data Enrichment Tools

If you want your team to be phone-first, they need clean, accurate data.

Bad numbers = fewer conversations = slower pipeline.

These are the tools I hear recommended again and again across teams:

Core Data Providers:

FullEnrich, ZoomInfo, Cognism, Prospeo, Apollo, Lusha, Seamless.AI.

For VC / Investment-focused recruiters:

PitchBook, Beauhurst, AlphaSense.

Great outreach starts with great data, this is the infrastructure piece most teams overlook.

5. Phone Systems

I’m still amazed by how many recruiters run their desks from work mobile phones vs using a VOIP system.

No call recording =

No call coaching

No pattern awareness

No development

No improvement

If you want performance to improve, calls need to be recorded, reviewed, and coached.

I’ve been using Devyce for 12+ months and really rate it.

But any system that integrates with your CRM and enables call coaching is worth considering.

Other strong options: Dialpad, Aircall, Sourcewhale Dialer, Ringover.

P.S. Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

#1: Do you listen to my podcast? I release a weekly episode with either a top-performing recruiter or recruitment entrepreneur to find out how they achieved their success so you can learn directly from their journey Check out my latest episode and subscribe to the show.

#2 Take the recruitment High-Performance Team Scorecard
Get instant clarity on where your team is strong, where they’re falling short, and what to focus on next. 👉🏻 Take the Scorecard

#3: Want to win more business, book more meetings, and level up your billings? Our Hector-certified courses are built by top billers who’ve been where you are and cracked it. No fluff. Just real, proven strategies you can use immediately >>>> Browse Courses – Start Closing More Deals Today (Use code Limitless_Learning at checkout for 15% off: exclusive to newsletter readers)

Your 2025 End-of-Year Review: The Work Every Recruiter Should Do Before Switching Off

December exposes every recruiter.

You suddenly see where you were consistent, where you coasted, where your desk was strong, and where you were winging it.

Most people rush straight into “new year, new targets” without understanding what actually drove their year in the first place.

That is why an end-of-year review is not a nice-to-have.

It is your competitive advantage.

Here is how to reflect on 2025 properly and why each part matters.

Start With an Honest Look at Your Year

Why this matters: if you do not understand the story of your year, you will repeat it.

Forget the perfect LinkedIn highlight reel. Look at what you actually set out to achieve in 2025 and how the year unfolded.

• What did you want?

• What really happened?

• What changed?

• What surprised you?

This is not about judging yourself. It is about gaining a level of clarity that most recruiters skip, which is exactly why most people enter January with the same habits, the same desk, and the same problems disguised as fresh motivation.

Most recruiters avoid looking at the year properly because it forces an uncomfortable truth, yet the ones who face it always come back sharper. When Elliot hit rock bottom in 2023, broke, burnt out and questioning everything, the turning point was not some clever new tactic. It was the moment he finally got honest about what needed to change. He stripped back the habits that were dragging him down, reset his standards, and rebuilt with real intention, and that shift is what took him to a £1.6M year just twelve months later.

Reflection is not optional if you want 2026 to be different.

Understand the Patterns in Your Wins and Challenges

Why this matters: patterns tell you how you are wired and how your desk actually works.

Instead of listing random highs and lows, analyse them.

• What kind of work led to your best months?

• What habits or decisions led to your dips?

• What repeated more than once?

• Where did luck play a role compared with effort and skill?

Most recruiters do not need new tactics. They need awareness.

Your patterns are the blueprint for how you operate under pressure, in flow, and when things break.

Rebeka became a £400K plus biller by doing what most recruiters do not. She broke down the patterns behind her best months. She looked at what type of work created momentum, which habits consistently produced interviews, and what she was doing on the weeks where everything clicked. That awareness took her from busy to genuinely high-performing. You can only change your future if you understand the patterns from your past.

If you know those patterns, you can design a better 2026 around them.

Look at Your Desk Through a Commercial Lens

Why this matters: your desk is a business inside a business, but most recruiters treat it like a to-do list.

This is the point where you zoom out and ask a few uncomfortable questions.

• Which clients actually produced revenue?

• Who were the distractions?

• How did you really win your best accounts?

• Who do you have meaningful relationships with?

• Where did you give away time, margin, or leverage?

Recruiters love to say they need more jobs. Often the problem is not volume. It is focus.

When Oyster Partnership’s performance dropped, everything only became clearer once Sasza analysed the commercial truth. Contractor churn, margin erosion, leadership bandwidth, and where they were losing money without realising. That review led to better structure, restored accountability, and rebuilding the business in a healthier way.

When you understand the commercial reality of your desk, you stop chasing everything and start building something scalable.

Break Down the Inputs Behind Your Best Work

Why this matters: your best quarter is the blueprint for your 2026 targets.

Every recruiter has at least one moment in the year where everything clicked. Instead of treating it like magic, break it apart.

• How many CVs were you sending?

• How many interviews were you generating?

• How many conversations were you having weekly?

• What level of structure were you operating with?

• What external factors helped or hindered you?

Your best quarter will show you what good looks like for you, what your ratios actually are, and what level of activity you need to hit next year’s goals.

Hemish’s jump from £190K to nearly £900K in a single year came from understanding the mechanics behind his success. He did not guess his way there. He broke down what his good weeks had in common, what activity reliably created interviews, and which inputs actually mattered in his market. That clarity allowed him to build a system he could repeat. 

Most recruiters build goals from thin air, high performers build them from evidence.

Audit Your Skills, Habits and Mindset

Why this matters: billings are a lagging indicator. Skill and behaviour are the leading ones.

Get practical.

• What did you genuinely improve at this year?

• What consistently held you back?

• Which habits made you productive?

• Which habits derailed you?

• What do you need to learn to elevate your role in 2026?

Mollie became a million-dollar biller by constantly auditing her behaviour. She knew exactly which habits drove performance, including two hours of BD a day, her morning routine, and her candidate care rhythms. She corrected herself the moment she drifted. She did not wait for a quarter to go wrong before making adjustments. Reviewing your habits and mindset is how you protect your future performance.

Turn 2026 Into a Plan You Can Actually Hit

Why this matters: vague goals create vague execution.

Once you understand your year, you can finally build a 2026 plan that is grounded in reality rather than guesswork.

• A target tied to your ratios

• Monthly and weekly expectations

• A clear definition of success

• Non negotiables that protect your time, pipeline and mindset

• A client focus list you will double down on in Q1

James Gamble built multiple contract books from scratch because he plans based on reality, not fantasy. He reviews client spread, finishers, margin strength, extension ratios, and weekly GP. Then he builds next year’s plan backwards from that data. His growth has been consistent for years because his plan is based on evidence, not blind optimism. This is how you build a year you can actually hit.

January becomes simple when you know exactly what you are walking into.

Close the Year With Intention

Why this matters: you cannot perform in 2026 if you drag 2025’s mental clutter with you.

Before you log off:

• Note the thing you are proudest of

• Identify the thing you are leaving behind

• Write one thing you want more of next year

• Switch off properly

When Jack scaled WeDo too fast and the wheels came off, the turnaround began only when he and Ryan stopped, reset, and rebuilt with intention. They cut noise, refocused on their niche, simplified how they worked, and regained clarity. Closing the year with intention gives you a clean foundation rather than a chaotic one.

Proper rest is strategy. Tired recruiters do not build great years.

Want to do this properly?

If you want the full guided version with prompts, templates, reflection questions, activity breakdowns, commercial analysis, skill audit, and a one page 2026 plan, you can download the full Recruitment Consultant End-of-Year Review Worksheet here:

P.S. Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

#1: Do you listen to my podcast? I release a weekly episode with either a top-performing recruiter or recruitment entrepreneur to find out how they achieved their success so you can learn directly from their journey Check out my latest episode and subscribe to the show.

#2 Take the recruitment High-Performance Team Scorecard
Get instant clarity on where your team is strong, where they’re falling short, and what to focus on next. 👉🏻 Take the Scorecard

#3: Want to win more business, book more meetings, and level up your billings? Our Hector-certified courses are built by top billers who’ve been where you are and cracked it. No fluff. Just real, proven strategies you can use immediately >>>> Browse Courses – Start Closing More Deals Today (Use code Limitless_Learning at checkout for 15% off: exclusive to newsletter readers)

What 2025 Really Taught Us

If you’ve spent any time recruiting this year, you’ll know it’s been a rollercoaster for some and one of the best years yet for others.

Markets changed fast.

AI got louder.

And the gap between good and great recruiters got wider.

After spending a year inside more than 50 recruitment businesses, engaging in hundreds of conversations, and working closely with recruitment leaders worldwide, a few clear lessons kept emerging. 

The same patterns we saw in teams that grew, performed, and stayed profitable when others didn’t.

Here’s a snapshot 👇🏻

1. Diversify on purpose.

The best recruitment leaders didn’t just chase new markets searching for big wins, they intentionally designed which markets they entered.

They built multiple revenue streams (contract + perm, inbound + outbound, UK + US) that made their businesses stable, not stretched.

Ask yourself: If one part of your desk or business stopped working tomorrow, how long would your revenue hold?

The strongest recruitment teams we met had at least one secondary revenue stream, retainers, international clients, or contractor revenue acting as insurance.

In the report, we unpack how leaders built diversification without losing focus.

2. Sales skill became the safety net.

Tools got smarter, but human selling still won.

The recruiters who treated sales as a craft, not a chore, controlled their pipeline and their future.

What we saw: The best didn’t rely on luck to win jobs; they practised discovery, objection handling, and follow-ups weekly.

When a role dropped off, they didn’t panic; they already had five more conversations lined up because they could build their own pipeline. 

Inside the full report: the frameworks top teams used to rebuild BD confidence and futureproof revenue.

3. Clarity built consistency.

Motivation fades. Structure doesn’t.

The highest-performing teams worked to clear rhythms and ratios that removed guesswork from their week.

What it looked like in practice:

• Monday planning

• Midweek check-ins

• Friday debriefs

And every consultant could answer: “What does success look like for me this week?”

The result? Predictable output, even in unpredictable markets.

We break down how the best businesses created ‘clarity systems’ that scaled across teams.

4. Ownership changed everything.

Every standout performer we met this year took total responsibility.

No market-blaming. No “quiet months.”

They owned the controllables mindset, effort, communication, and it showed.

A simple weekly reset:

1️⃣ What went well that I controlled?

2️⃣ What didn’t, and what’s one thing I’ll change next week?

3️⃣ What’s outside my control that I need to let go of?

That mindset alone separated those who waited for opportunity from those who created it.

This thread of accountability runs through every top-biller story in the report.

5. AI forced a rethink.

Some tried to automate their way to success.

Others used AI as a co-pilot, not a crutch.

The winners learned how to blend technology with trust, curiosity, and great communication.

Our observation: Recruiters using AI well weren’t sending more messages they were sending better ones.

They used it to research faster, prep smarter, and personalise deeper — not replace real conversation.

The report dives into how teams are using AI to enhance, not erode, relationships.

Those were the biggest lessons of 2025.

But what’s coming next might surprise you.

Here are the three bets we’re making for 2026 👇🏻

✅ Trust becomes the new currency

In an AI-saturated world, credibility and human connection will decide who wins.

Watch for recruiters using in-person events, podcasts, and communities to build credibility faster than cold outreach alone.

✅ Diversification goes from optional to essential.

Stability will be engineered, not hoped for.

Watch for firms expanding service lines and geographies to smooth cash flow volatility.

✅ Clarity separates the good from the great.

Teams who know exactly who they are and how they win will move faster.

Watch for businesses doubling down on fewer metrics, simpler playbooks, and visible accountability systems.

We’ve pulled all of this, plus real examples, data, and frameworks from the top recruiters we worked with, into our new 2025 End-of-Year Report.

It’s a short, practical read built to help you reflect, reset, and plan smarter for 2026.

Plus, the report also includes a short reflection guide to help you turn these lessons into action before the year ends.

P.S. Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

#1: Do you listen to my podcast? I release a weekly episode with either a top-performing recruiter or recruitment entrepreneur to find out how they achieved their success so you can learn directly from their journey Check out my latest episode and subscribe to the show.

#2 Take the recruitment High-Performance Team Scorecard
Get instant clarity on where your team is strong, where they’re falling short, and what to focus on next. 👉🏻 Take the Scorecard

#3: Want to win more business, book more meetings, and level up your billings? Our Hector-certified courses are built by top billers who’ve been where you are and cracked it. No fluff. Just real, proven strategies you can use immediately >>>> Browse Courses – Start Closing More Deals Today (Use code Limitless_Learning at checkout for 15% off: exclusive to newsletter readers)

The Final 8 Weeks: How to Finish 2025 Strong

There are eight weeks left in 2025.

And how you use them will decide how you start 2026.

This isn’t the time to slow down, it’s the time to tighten up.

Momentum built now compounds into next quarter, while those who ease off spend January trying to catch up.

Here’s your end-of-year playbook to finish strong and set up a winning start to 2026 👇🏻

Run a Ruthless Desk Review

Before chasing new business, take stock of what’s already in front of you.

The smartest recruiters I know use Q4 to analyse, not react. 

They step back, zoom out, and ask:

“What’s genuinely been driving my success this year and what’s been slowing me down?”

It’s about understanding patterns:

• Which clients actually delivered ROI this year?

• Where did my biggest fees come from?

• Which roles dragged, fell through, or wasted my time?

• Which client conversations didn’t I close that I should have?

This exercise helps you spot where your desk leaks time and where it prints money.

Action Plan: Create two lists:

✅ Top 10 high-potential clients: where you know more value exists if you invest.

⚠️ Top 10 at-risk clients: where you’ve lost traction or visibility this year.

Book calls with both lists this week.

For your top clients, run a Q1 planning chat. 

For your at-risk ones, rebuild the bridge before it’s too late.

The best recruiters don’t just chase new revenue; they defend and grow what’s already there.

Go All In on Your Candidate Network

The next few weeks are gold for candidate conversations.

It’s reflection season, people are thinking about what went well this year, what didn’t, and what they want next.

And that’s your cue.

Instead of trying to pitch jobs, focus on building trust and gathering intel.

When January hiring spikes, you’ll already know who’s moving, who’s hiring, and who’s frustrated where they are.

What to ask:

“What are your 2026 goals?”

“What’s changing in your team or company next year?”

“Who’s impressed you internally this year?”

These questions do three things:

1. Build rapport and trust.

2. Give you referral intel.

3. Help you spot early hiring triggers before the market floods again.
   

Action Plan: Block two 90-minute “candidate reconnection” sessions every week until year-end.

Log every conversation, even short ones, with notes on career plans, motivations, and internal changes.

You’ll thank yourself in January when everyone else is scrambling to book calls.

Lock In Q1 Client Strategy Meetings

Your best clients are planning budgets and headcount right now.

If you’re not part of those conversations, someone else will be.

These aren’t sales calls, they’re value-add sessions.

Your goal is to position yourself as a trusted partner, not just a supplier.

Here’s a simple 4-part agenda:

1. Reflect on 2025: what worked, what didn’t.

2. Discuss 2026 hiring roadmap and growth plans.

3. Share market and salary data (adds instant value).

4. Agree clear next steps for January.
   

Action Plan: Message template:

“Before year-end gets busy, let’s grab 20 minutes to map out your 2026 hiring plan.

I’ll bring salary insights and market trends so we can hit January running.”

If you get 3–5 of these booked in November, your January pipeline will already be warm by Christmas.

Audit Your Time and Rebuild Rhythm

By this point in the year, it’s normal for routines to slip.

But structure is what separates the consistent from the chaotic.

When you zoom out, ask yourself:

• How much time do I spend reacting vs. planning?

• What percentage of my week is BD vs. admin?

• Do I have non-negotiables that actually stay non-negotiable?
  

Try this format for two weeks

🕗 Morning: BD calls, follow-ups, and client touchpoints

🕑 Afternoon: Candidate engagement, interviews, and resourcing

🕔 End of day: Market mapping + setting next-day priorities

Two structured weeks like this can completely change your January output.

Action Plan: Run a “time audit” track your day for 5 days straight.

Highlight tasks that don’t move the needle.

Then remove, delegate, or automate them.

You can’t finish strong if your days aren’t designed to win.

Refresh Your BD System

If you want a fast Q1, your BD pipeline starts today.

Not in January.

Now.

Forget fancy automation or 30-step cadences. 

The goal here is consistency, clarity, and creativity in small bursts.

Here’s how to tighten your BD system:

• Refresh your Top 75 Target Account List.

• Write a simple five-touch cadence: call → email → LinkedIn message → voice note → follow-up.

• Personalise the second line of every message — that’s where most recruiters lose attention.

• Test one new idea per week (e.g. send a voice note, host a mini Q&A, or run a candidate-led campaign).

Action Plan: Run a 5x5 BD Sprint, pick 5 accounts and run 5 touches over 5 days.

Track what lands, refine, then roll it out across your market.

The goal isn’t to “get lucky.”

It’s to get data on what works.

Level Up One Skill

Eight weeks is plenty of time to move the needle on one core skill.

But only one.

Most recruiters try to fix everything at once and end up improving nothing.

Instead, identify what would have made the biggest difference to your 2025 performance.

Was it objection handling? Negotiation? Time management? Qualification?

Then go all in on that one skill.

Action Plan:

• Pick your focus area and commit.

• Watch one short training video, podcast, or course module per week.

• Role-play or practice twice weekly with your manager or peer.

• Ask for feedback on one live example each week.

Eight weeks of deliberate practice is enough to turn an average skill into a competitive advantage.

Protect Your Mindset and Energy

You can’t finish strong if you’re running on fumes.

The final stretch of the year is where burnout can creep in.

Sleep gets shorter, patience gets thinner, and energy drops fast.

This is the foundation of consistent performance.

End-of-year fatigue is real. 

The best recruiters I know treat recovery with the same discipline they treat KPIs.

Action Plan: Each Friday, take five minutes to write:

✅ 3 wins from the week

✅ 1 thing you’ll improve next week

✅ 1 thing you’re grateful for outside of work

That five-minute habit will keep your head in the right place when everyone else is mentally checking out.

Build Your January 2nd Playbook

Before you log off for Christmas, make sure “future you” is set up to win.

Don’t leave loose ends.

When you walk back into the office on January 2nd, you want clarity, not chaos.

Your January 2nd Playbook should include:

• 20 clients and 20 candidates to contact first

• Pre-drafted outreach templates ready to go

• Your first two weeks time-blocked for BD and candidate calls

• A shortlist of warm leads and interview processes to re-engage

Action Plan: Create the document, name it “January 2nd Plan,” and print it.

When you’re back, you’ll know exactly what to do next, no warm-up required.

Final Thought

The next eight weeks are your opportunity to tighten everything, your systems, your relationships, and your mindset.

While others are winding down, the best recruiters are setting the stage.

Because when you build momentum now, you don’t need a “New Year restart.”

You just keep going.

P.S. Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

#1: Do you listen to my podcast? I release a weekly episode with either a top-performing recruiter or recruitment entrepreneur to find out how they achieved their success so you can learn directly from their journey Check out my latest episode and subscribe to the show.

#2 Take the recruitment High-Performance Team Scorecard
Get instant clarity on where your team is strong, where they’re falling short, and what to focus on next. 👉🏻 Take the Scorecard

#3: Want to win more business, book more meetings, and level up your billings? Our Hector-certified courses are built by top billers who’ve been where you are and cracked it. No fluff. Just real, proven strategies you can use immediately >>>> Browse Courses – Start Closing More Deals Today (Use code Limitless_Learning at checkout for 15% off: exclusive to newsletter readers)

Before we dive into answering more of the best questions we received this year at all of our live podcast events.

I wanted to make sure you have seen our latest Hector Masterclass, which you can attend entirely for FREE.

It’s on a topic that is at the forefront of many recruiters' minds every year.

How can I transform my contingent pipeline, which currently fills at 20% to 50%, into a pipeline that is 90%+ filled by working on a committed or retained basis?

Our last masterclass course of the year will help you achieve it.

You can sign up for the three-part course here.

John transitioned from the contingent rollercoaster after one low was too much, with multiple deals falling through one quarter, all at the very last stage (We have all been there)

John had enough of that lifestyle and made the decision that he was only going to work on committed searches moving forward.

This was back in 2015, and it has transformed his entire recruitment career and, quite frankly, his life.

Everything he has learned the hard way, we have put into this course for you all.

Sign up for all the sessions here, with our first session happening tomorrow at lunchtime.

See some of you there - let’s get into this week’s edition!

With market conditions constantly shifting, what key habits or strategies have you seen top billers adopt in 2025 to stay ahead of the competition?

Recruitment in 2025 has been a test of consistency.

Markets have changed fast. Job flow has become unpredictable. 

Clients are more selective about who they partner with.

The recruiters who are still performing aren’t relying on luck or timing. 

They have built structure into their week and created habits that protect their performance regardless of market swings.

The first habit is clarity. They know their numbers and focus on the activities that drive them.

The second is visibility. Even with fewer roles, they continue to offer valuable insights, case studies, and commentary, maintaining an active and credible presence for clients and candidates.

The third is focus. They are disciplined with time and energy, only committing to roles they can fill and clients who value their expertise.

This combination keeps their desks stable when everyone else is reacting to short-term trends.

👉 Practical habits to stay ahead:

• Plan your week with intent. Have fixed blocks for BD, candidate delivery, and client development. Treat them like meetings with yourself that cannot be moved.

• Know your inputs. Track the actions that directly affect results, such as quality calls, interviews arranged, and client conversations. Review them weekly.

• Show up where your market is. Post once or twice a week with something useful, not promotional. It keeps your name front of mind when hiring decisions restart.

• Stay consistent through quiet periods. Keep your pipeline moving even when roles slow down. The activity you do in slow months pays off when the market turns again.

Top billers aren’t reinventing their process every month. They are refining the same foundations until they become impossible to beat.

When having tough months in recruitment, how are you managing internal stakeholders to ensure they can see that what you’re doing will lead to positive outcomes?

Everyone hits slow months, even the best recruiters.

The difference is how you communicate through them.

When you are underperforming, your manager or director doesn’t want excuses; they want visibility. 

They want to know that you're in control, have a plan, and are learning from what isn't working.

The worst thing you can do is go quiet. When people can’t see activity, they assume inactivity.

The recruiters who navigate quiet periods effectively share data, pipeline updates, and next steps. They manage expectations with facts, not feelings.

They also take ownership. They acknowledge what isn’t working and share what they are changing. 

That mindset turns pressure into partnership because it shows maturity and accountability.

👉 How to manage tough months:

• Share numbers regularly. Bring updates on interviews arranged, client meetings booked, and roles qualified. It proves momentum, even if results are delayed.

• Be transparent about what is changing. Inform your manager about the specific parts of your process that you are adjusting or testing.

• Use data to drive discussion. Show where the bottlenecks are in your pipeline. This helps your manager support you with specific solutions rather than general pressure.

• Keep visible energy. Even small wins, such as a new client conversation or a candidate shortlist, should be shared. Energy creates confidence.

When results dip, communication is your safety net. Keep people informed, maintain a clear plan, and make progress visible.

What separates a recruiter who consistently grows year-on-year from one who peaks early and plateaus?

Every recruiter starts with the same drive. What separates the ones who grow long-term is their ability to review, refine, and rebuild how they work each year.

The people who plateau tend to stop evaluating themselves. They become comfortable, continue doing what has always worked, and eventually, the market outpaces them.

The recruiters who keep climbing view each quarter as a fresh start. They audit their desks, eliminate low-value activities, and focus on what works. 

They take feedback well and ask questions about how to improve, rather than defending their current operations.

They also understand that career growth requires personal growth. 

They focus on self-awareness, communication, and leadership, not just billings. 

They track their time, identify weak points in their workflow, and work with mentors or managers to close those gaps.

👉 How to keep progressing:

• Review performance beyond billings. Look at your ratios: CVs sent to interviews, interviews to offers, calls to meetings. This shows where small improvements can make a big difference.

• Run a quarterly desk audit. Remove roles or clients that drain energy or produce low margins. Replace them with opportunities that compound over time.

• Learn from the next level. Speak with someone billing more than you or managing a bigger team. Find one process they do better and implement it.

• Keep testing your approach. Whether it is call openers, email outreach, or job briefs, experiment and track what gets better engagement.

Long-term growth comes from reflection, not repetition. The best recruiters are never finished products.

How can recruitment leaders strike the right balance between freedom and accountability in their teams?

Finding the balance between freedom and accountability is one of the hardest parts of leading a team.

Too much control kills ownership. Too much freedom creates inconsistency.

The best leaders build clear frameworks that give people room to perform but still hold them accountable to specific standards.

They set the rules of the game, then let their consultants find their own way to win within those boundaries. 

That means clarity on inputs, expectations, and behaviours, without constant micro-management.

A good culture of accountability comes from visibility, not pressure. 

When people can see how the whole team is performing, it creates natural self-regulation.

The focus shifts from “my manager is watching” to “I want to contribute.”

👉 How to find the balance:

• Set clear non-negotiables. These might include daily BD activity, candidate follow-ups, or weekly one-to-ones. Beyond that, trust people to plan their own time.

• Coach through questions. Ask “what’s getting in the way?” or “how could we approach this differently?” It helps people problem-solve rather than feel criticised.

• Share visibility, not surveillance. Utilise dashboards or shared trackers to make progress visible. It removes the need for constant chasing.

• Reward initiative. Highlight team members who demonstrate ownership, introduce innovative ideas, or share effective solutions. This reinforces the behaviour you want.

Accountability should never feel like control. It should feel like a commitment to a shared standard everyone buys into.

When scaling a recruitment business, what’s the most challenging role to hire for and why?

When a recruitment business starts to scale, the most challenging role to hire is not the next recruiter. It is the first true leader.

Founders often promote their top-performing biller, but leadership requires a distinct skill set. 

A good manager must deliver results through others while protecting culture, process, and performance standards.

The transition from top individual contributor to leader is where most businesses slow down. 

It takes a shift in mindset from “what can I bill?” to “how do I make my team bill more?”

The best businesses build this layer deliberately. 

They invest time in developing potential leaders early, pairing them with mentors and giving them management exposure before a title is ever offered.

They recognise that a good leader will amplify growth, but the wrong one will create turnover and inconsistency.

👉 How to get it right:

• Hire or promote based on leadership ability, not billing history. Look for examples of coaching, conflict management, and supporting others under pressure.

• Provide structure from day one. New managers need clear frameworks for 1:1s, forecasting, and coaching conversations, not just targets.

• Keep them connected to the desk. The best player-coaches still spend part of their week billing or supporting delivery so they stay credible and grounded.

• Invest in leadership development. External training, shadowing, and feedback sessions should be treated as seriously as sales training.

Scaling becomes sustainable when your first layer of leaders can replicate performance standards and culture without relying on you to do it for them.

P.S. Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

#1: Do you listen to my podcast? I release a weekly episode with either a top-performing recruiter or recruitment entrepreneur to find out how they achieved their success so you can learn directly from their journey Check out my latest episode and subscribe to the show.

#2 Take the recruitment High-Performance Team Scorecard
Get instant clarity on where your team is strong, where they’re falling short, and what to focus on next. 👉🏻 Take the Scorecard

#3: Want to win more business, book more meetings, and level up your billings? Our Hector-certified courses are built by top billers who’ve been where you are and cracked it. No fluff. Just real, proven strategies you can use immediately >>>> Browse Courses – Start Closing More Deals Today (Use code Limitless_Learning at checkout for 15% off: exclusive to newsletter readers)