The Resilient Recruiter

• How to Use LinkedIn’s 2025 Algorithm to Attract More Clients and Candidates, with Richard van der Blom

  Why has your LinkedIn reach dropped even though your content is better and your audience is growing? You’re not imagining things. LinkedIn changed the rules in 2025, and in this episode, LinkedIn algorithm expert Richard van der Blom breaks down exactly what’s changed—and how recruiters can adjust to stay visible and competitive. You’ll discover why organic reach is down by 50%+ for most users and how LinkedIn has shifted focus from virality to relevance. Richard shares how to realign your content strategy based on your goals—whether you’re looking to increase reach, drive engagement, or generate client and candidate leads. We also unpack the five content pillars that top-performing recruiters use, the formats that LinkedIn is rewarding right now (like vertical native video and carousels), and why relying solely on job posts or text-only content can quietly kill your visibility. Richard goes even deeper, revealing his proven process for creating “hybrid” content—written by humans but enhanced by AI—to dramatically improve structure, hooks, and engagement without losing authenticity. Episode Highlights: [3:25] How Richard reverse-engineered LinkedIn’s algorithm manually [8:35] LinkedIn confirms reach is down 50%+—here’s why [12:37] The 5 content types that drive performance in 2025 [18:42] Why recruiters need variety to maintain reach and engagement [21:21] Post formats that are working best and which are declining. [26:10] When selfies help—and when they hurt your reach [28:07] Using polls to generate leads and market insights [32:02] Why hybrid content (human + AI) outperforms both extremes [35:51] Why LinkedIn’s built-in AI tools aren’t your best option Key Takeaways for Recruiters: Fix Your Reach: The algorithm now values relevance > reach. Focus on content that fits your audience and objective. Diversify Formats: Don’t just post jobs. Use video, polls, carousels, and storytelling to stay visible. Hybrid Content Wins: Human + AI = stronger structure, better hooks, and more engagement. AI-only content often fails, and human only content often lacks polish. Combine both for maximum impact. If you’re a recruiter or agency owner looking to build your brand, attract inbound leads, and stay ahead of LinkedIn’s changes—this episode is your roadmap. Resources & Links Download Richard’s 2025 LinkedIn Algorithm Report: [Insert link] Richard’s website: https://www.richardvanderblom.com Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardvanderblom Connect with Mark Whitby Book your free strategy session: https://www.recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-session Mark on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markwhitby Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Twitter: @MarkWhitby Subscribe for more recruiter-focused episodes Like this video if it helped clarify LinkedIn’s algorithm

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• How Selective Client Partnerships Help Recruitment Agencies Scale Faster, with Allicia Birch

  What if your growth path wasn't adding more clients, but working fewer, higher-quality roles with people who genuinely value your service? Allicia Birch, founder of 4tify Recruitment, built a six-figure recruitment firm in her first year — without cold calls, without compromising on fees, and without chasing every job. Her success came down to discipline: working to a structured 12-hour day in 15-minute blocks, building a reputation-based BD strategy, and walking away from bad-fit clients. You'll hear how she transformed underperformance into consistent high billings, created multi-division revenue from single clients, and productised her approach to business development — including how she sells high-ticket projects, runs invite-only roundtables, and uses market intelligence to position herself as a trusted partner, not just a vendor. 4tify is based in Manchester and specializes in construction industry recruitment. After 8 years in the industry, Allicia has become a leading voice in the residential new build market. Episode Highlights [03:20] How she struggled during the first three years with plenty of lessons [14:11] Breakdown to Breakthrough - turning things around from 250k to 350k billings [20:25] What inspired the launch of 4tify [26:10] Key success factors in the first 12 months of business [35:19] Her idea of a cold call - how she does BD without 'cold calling' [44:26] Best practices on being organized and creating a Day Plan [48:30] How market intelligence helps provide custom-fit solutions to clients [58:21] The round-table engagement strategy [1:03:04] What's next for the team Key Takeaways Training Makes the Difference: Her first three years brought zero earnings until proper training at Anderson James turned everything around. A breakthrough coaching session helped her jump from struggling to billing £250,000–£350,000 per year. Client Selection Strategy: "If you're trying to beat me down to 10%, I'm not your recruiter. I don't get out of bed for that." She only works with clients who respect her values, turning down low-fee roles and walking away from companies that don't align. Daily Structure: Speaks to 30 people per day (150 per week) - all warm calls through referrals Plans the day in 15-minute increments the night before at 9 PM Works closest to money first: live processes, then candidates, then client development Uses Excel spreadsheets with checkboxes and color coordination Market Intelligence: Uses reputational analysis to provide custom-fit solutions to each client. Her genuine, relationship-first approach thrives on meaningful partnerships – no cold calling, just honest conversations and deep understanding of what makes great teams work. About Allicia Birch Allicia Birch is the Managing Director of 4tify, a specialist recruitment company with 8 years in the industry, though it didn't start easily. The first three years brought zero earnings, but plenty of lessons. Once things clicked, she went on to consistently break records year after year, becoming a leading voice in the residential new build market. Her genuine, relationship-first approach thrives on meaningful partnerships – no cold calling, just honest conversations and deep understanding of what makes great teams work. With operations expanding in both the UK and US, she's on a mission to connect market leaders to the market. Connect with Mark Whitby Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

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• How Blunt Messaging and Smart Systems Grew a More Profitable Recruitment Firm, with Jordana Matsos

  How do you grow a high-margin recruitment business without hiring a big team—or chasing every lead? And what happens when you go all-in on yourself, right before a global pandemic? In this episode, I’m joined by Jordana Matsos, founder of Higher Equity, who shares how she launched a solo sales recruitment agency with no prior agency experience—and grew it into a $500K+ business by being radically transparent, highly organized, and boldly direct. We discuss why blunt messaging often works better than polished sales talk, how Jordana systematized her entire operation to run lean, and the lessons she learned after scaling too quickly. She also shares how she created an online academy for job seekers, turning inbound candidate traffic into an additional revenue stream. Episode Highlights: [03:43] From sales leader to recruiter: Jordana’s career pivot [11:16] Building the business: pricing, tools, and tech stack [14:28] Leveraging video and short-form content to attract talent [21:58] What went wrong when she scaled too fast [28:45] Creating the HireQuity Academy to serve job seekers [40:46] SOPs and templates that saved time and ensured consistency [45:48] Business development: blunt pitches, smart triggers, and warm referrals [58:30] Why transparency builds trust with both clients and candidates Blunt Messaging That Converts Jordana’s “blunt honesty” approach is one of her biggest differentiators. She shares full job details upfront—company name, comp, and expectations—which earns her 55–70% candidate response rates. For clients, her pitch deck goes out in the first message, including fee structure and recent placements, eliminating unnecessary back-and-forth and building immediate trust. Systematizing Solo Success Coming from a corporate sales background, Jordana knew she had to create repeatable, efficient processes. She templatized everything—from client onboarding to follow-ups and outreach. Tools like Google Sheets, Taplio, Otter.ai, and Aspect helped her automate and scale as a solo operator. Lessons from Scaling Too Fast After a strong first year billing nearly $300K solo, Jordana hired a full-time recruiter, BD rep, and sourcer. But expenses skyrocketed, margins plummeted to 20%, and client relationships suffered. She course-corrected by downsizing, letting go of low-margin clients, and doubling down on her niche—bringing her gross margins back to 60%+. Creating a Revenue Stream with Purpose Unable to serve every candidate personally, Jordana built the HireQuity Academy—an online course that gives job seekers an inside look at how recruiters think. With templates, interview prep, and real-world advice, it helps candidates stand out—and gives Jordana an additional income stream without trading time for money. About Jordana Matsos Jordana spent 15 years leading sales teams before founding Higher Equity in 2021. She now helps companies hire high-performing sales talent while running the HireQuity Academy to support job seekers. Tools & Resources Mentioned: Taplio | Otter.ai | Aspect | Cliff AI – now part of Quantive. Connect with Jordana: LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube | HireQuity Academy | HireQuity Recruitment Connect with Mark Whitby: Free 30-Minute Strategy Call | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter and leave a review if you found value in this episode!

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• How Contract and Perm Revenue Fueled Our £2.6M Growth in Two Years, with Stuart Barnes

  What’s the most innovative way to scale a recruitment firm—especially in a fast-changing, competitive market? For Stuart Barnes, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Navitas Recruitment Group, the answer was combining quick-turn perm revenue with recurring contract income. That dual strategy helped Navitas grow from zero to over £2.6M in net fee income within just two years. In this episode, Stuart shares the real story behind launching a VC-backed recruitment firm in the renewable energy sector. He opens up about the early pressure, the emotional rollercoaster, and the systems that made rapid growth possible—from his blended revenue model to their structured approach to business development. You’ll also hear how Stuart returned to hands-on billing after years in leadership, personally generating over £100k in placements while laying the foundation for a high-performance culture. If you're a recruitment founder or team leader looking for real-world strategies that scale, this episode is packed with insights you can put into action. Episode Highlights: [01:43] How Stuart’s international experience shaped his mindset as a founder [06:22] From startup to £2.6M: how Navitas scaled in under 3 years [10:22] Why he chose renewables and what made it the right niche [13:41] Inside their aggressive 5-year growth plan [18:00] The “key ingredients” that powered their rapid start [29:24] Why BD should never stop—and how Navitas approaches it [37:57] The Channels they use for BD (and how Teams invites help book meetings) [46:09] Team structure and growth philosophy [53:40] Lessons from scaling too fast [55:52] Why KPIs should be meaningful, not just numbers [1:02:00] What’s next: expansion, strategy shifts, and Austin plans Key Takeaways: ✅ Balanced revenue model – Contract = recurring cash flow. Perm = speed. Together = sustainable growth. ✅ Structured BD system – The “3 buckets, 300 hiring managers, 1 hour daily” method that drives consistency. ✅ Hands-on leadership – Stuart led by example, returning to billing and setting the tone for scale. Connect with Stuart: 🔗 Stuart Barnes on LinkedIn 🌐 Navitas Recruitment Group People and Resources Mentioned Paul Taffe on LinkedIn Connect with Mark Whitby Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby Mark on Facebook Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

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• How Exclusive Candidate Representation Drives an 87% Placement Rate, with Lysha Holmes

  What if you could place nearly every candidate you represent—and do it at premium fees, without racing to the bottom? In this episode of The Resilient Recruiter, Mark Whitby is joined by Lysha Holmes, founder of QUI Recruitment and host of The Recruiters Recruitment Podcast. With over 20 years in Rec2Rec, Lysha shares how she’s built a values-led, inbound-only business with zero cold calling. You’ll discover: Why Lysha insists on exclusive candidate representation How she consistently achieves a 1.15:1 interview-to-placement ratio The values behind QUI: Quality, Urgency, and Integrity Her approach to relationship-driven BD and building through referrals How sobriety and wellbeing became business superpowers Whether you're a recruitment agency owner or solo operator, this episode is a playbook for building a more sustainable, high-margin, and meaningful business. Episode Highlights [00:45] Why Lysha rejects cold calls and how she builds BD differently [02:32] Her journey from failing A-levels to founding QUI Recruitment [13:24] Building a solo business while raising children [16:18] How she kept placing during maternity leave [17:19] Why exclusivity is non-negotiable for candidate control [24:27] Origin of QUI’s core values and how they shape every decision [24:56] A 1.15 placement ratio—how it’s done [26:38] The win-win case for exclusive representation [34:01] Attracting premium clients with consistency and care [38:25] BD through conversations, not spam [46:11] Using referrals and warm intros to win business [50:54] What clients are actually using AI for (hint: it’s not automation) [59:03] How sobriety transformed her leadership and mindset [01:04:18] Going sugar-free and protecting health as a growth strategy 💡 Key Takeaways Candidate Exclusivity Works Lysha explains how exclusivity leads to calmer processes, stronger placements, and better outcomes for all parties. She makes the case for exclusivity as a differentiator that drives results and reduces risk. 1.15:1 Interview-to-Placement Ratio By focusing on quality and alignment, Lysha’s ratios are among the best in the industry. Candidates are carefully vetted, and most are introduced to just one or two clients. Personal Brand + Warm BD = Sustainable Growth QUI Recruitment runs 100% on inbound business via referrals, podcasting, and LinkedIn presence. Lysha treats every interaction as business development and never spams. 👤 About Lysha Holmes Lysha began her career in sales and marketing, then transitioned into recruitment in 1998. After working with top agencies and discovering Rec2Rec, she founded QUI Recruitment in 2005. She is also the host of The Recruiters Recruitment Podcast, a mental health advocate, and a leader in the Women in Recruitment Leadership movement. 🔗 Connect with Lysha LinkedIn: Lysha Holmes Website: QUI Recruitment Connect with Mark Whitby Free 30-Minute Strategy Call LinkedIn: Mark Whitby Instagram: @recruitmentcoach X: @MarkWhitby Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter for weekly interviews with top-performing recruitment agency owners and thought leaders.

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