What’s is it like to join a company as one of their very first employees, then go on a 17 year journey with them through GFCs, recessions, pandemics, sale of the business, highs, lows and everything in between? And how does it shape you as a professional? Well, we ask these questions (and more) of the wonderful Sandra Rowlingson from Bluefin Resources, in this week’s episode of “Recruitment Journeys”.

For most Recruiters, it’s a giant leap of faith to start one recruitment firm… Let alone three or four! But this is exactly what serial recruitment entrepreneur David “DJ” Jackson has done over his his 20+ year recruitment career. (And that’s not including the ones that maybe haven’t been so successful!) Dave doesn’t like the word “entrepreneur”. He says that title is a little bit cringe. But, like it or not, that’s exactly what he is. He’s undoubtedly a man who takes risks, and turns...

How many of us can truly say they’ve made Recruitment work for them? Well, this man certainly can! Swapping the illuminations of Blackpool for the palm trees of Miami, James Ward has had a glittering career in the industry that we call “Recruitment”. From top billing contract Recruiter at the SThree Group, to international Rec2Rec, Wardy has seen it all. And it was lovely reconnecting with James after all these years, and talking through all things SThree, Rec2Rec, and just recruitment...

Jay O’Brien worked for Hays, a global recruitment company for over 13 years. Then, he decided to spin his career completely on it’s head and go and work for privately owned specialist, Redpath Partners. Every element of his day-to-day worklife would now be completely different! Or would it? We chat with Jay around his reasoning to immerse himself into a completely different working culture and environment, the pro’s and the con’s, the key differences, and ultimately, if the move has...

Paul Hallam is an absolute stalwart of the Australian Recruitment Industry, enjoying a career spanning well over a quarter of a century. As one of the three founding Directors of Six Degrees Executive, this is a career spurred on by one key ingredient: Passion. Paul has many passions and drivers in his life, all of which are talked about in this episode of “Recruitment Journeys”, recorded live at the RCSA Shape Conference on Hamilton Island. I learned a few things about Paul that I...

It took me about two years to get these particular recruitment leaders behind microphones, and I reckon they only agreed because the tropical holiday vibes were in full effect. Recorded live on sunny Hamilton Island at the RCSA Shape conference, Kat and Jo from MAYDAY Recruitment gave me a full, authentic and often amusing insight into how MAYDAY came about, and how they’re growing their company. The conversation was of course super sensible and business-like, but there was also quite a...

Stu Holmes comes from a loving and privileged family, and went to one of the best schools in the land, where his Father was the Principal. But sadly, despite this blessed start to life, life did not quite pan out for Stu the way it was possibly supposed to. Stu found himself in prison, which was a sad conclusion to a life (at the time) in a downward spiral. Without a shadow of doubt, this is the most honest and indeed confronting podcast interview I’ve ever conducted. I’m so grateful...

She doesn’t like talking about it too much, but Debbie Davis from Sirius People was recently awarded CEO Monthly Magazine’s “Most Influential CEO Award” for the IT recruitment industry. So we were chuffed and honoured that Debbie agreed to hop onto the Recruitment Journeys podcast to tell us how this farm girl from country New South Wales, and once budding Olympian, found herself to be the recipient of such a coveted award. Hope you enjoy the episode!

Nina Mapson-Bone is a busy human! She’s a Mum, an MD, Chair of the RCSA, sits on charity boards, and is now also an author! So high profile is her life, her colleagues affectionately refer to her as their very own “D-list Celebrity!” Nina crams a lot into her life, and she does it all with a very cheery disposition. But the subject of her new book “Meaningful Work: Unlock your unique path to career fulfilment” really caused me stop in my tracks and think about my own life… In a good way....

This is not a story that you often see play out in our industry. Erin Evans has just parted ways with her business partner of 11 years, and has sold her stake in the company that they started from scratch together from a small two desk office, to start all over again, on her own. They have mutually, and amicably, agreed to continue their entrepreneurial journeys separately, accepting that sometimes, things just don’t work out the way you planned. They originally had two businesses...

How does a self-proclaimed flame-haired, larger than life Geordie-Jock go from literally bearing all in a kilt on national TV, to becoming the almost respectable Managing Partner of a leading digital recruitment company in Australia… But doing so without compromising his big personality and his zest for life? We ask James Farrey from Just Digital People that exact question, on todays episode of Recruitment Journeys.

Most Recruiters don’t join a company and think to themselves, “Great, that’s me sorted for the next 16 years!” Most Recruiters, when they get that 7 year itch (or even 2 or 3 year itch), jump ship, or start looking for that greener grass. But what if you didn’t have to? What if the company you worked for allowed you to constantly evolve, constantly grow, be constant challenged, and be long-term happy? So that’s Kristan De Sousa’s story at Six Degrees Executive.

Ephram Stephenson epitomises the “recruitment entrepreneur”. In his 22 year career, he has successfully launched, scaled and sold more recruitment companies than most of us have had recruitment jobs. But with Collar Group, he seems to be achieving something a little bit out of the ordinary. Collar is less than 2 years old, but already has 13 offices, and 100+ staff, with close to 1000 temps running. What is the magic sauce that is helping Ephram achieve such crazy (early) successes? And what...

Ryan McCabe was, in his own words and own admission, a failed engineer, then a failing Recruiter. But during his brief-ish foray into Recruitment, he has a lightbulb moment. With a wife seven months pregnant, zero evidence that his idea would work, but blind and unwavering belief, he founded Odro, and pioneered video-technology for the recruitment industry. In today’s candid chat, we chat with Ryan about the 7 year journey so far of launching a tech start-up from Glasgow, not the...

Paul Masters is the recruitment industry advisor behind all the big, recent multi-million dollar M&A deals here in Australia. Paul is the guy who quietly helps recruitment business owners realise the dreams they had many years ago when they started their little companies from kitchen tables or serviced offices across Australia. Paul is the guy who brokers the deals, that helps these business owners become very, very wealthy, almost overnight. But there’s a LOT that goes into...

Ross Clennett has been a recognised name in the Australian Recruitment Industry for many a long year. So it should come as no surprise that he was the 2022 recipient of the RCSA’s CEO Outstanding Contribution Award. Before he was a recruitment trainer and blogger, Ross was a very successful Recruiter in his own rights, billing around a million dollars a year in today’s money. In this chat today, he talks about his early years in recruitment, how and when he first encountered Mr Greg...

For as long as I can remember, there’s always been a bit of a morbid fascination with what I do within the Recruitment Industry, namely Rec2Rec. So why not get over 50 years of R2R experience together, on the same podcast, and lift the lid on what we do? On this episode of “Recruitment Journeys”, we have a bit of a special one… I’m simply calling this “The Rec2Rec Special”. Joining me in this chat is Grace Marlin in New York, James Vizor in London and Charlie Bell in Melbourne, and I ask...

Paul Tulip was a Recruiter who liked a drink. He proudly maintains to this day that some of the best friends he met, and best memories he made, were with a beer in his hand. He’d happily admit that having a drink was not only important to him, but a part of who he was. Then on one standard Tuesday night, that all changed. He woke up at 1.30am on a normal school night, drunk and hungover (yes, it’s possible to be both), and said “Nah, I’m done with this!” That was 10 months ago, and...

In an industry that’s crammed full of small, niche specialists, all trying to cut through the noise, compete with the big boys, and make a crust… How do you stand out? How do you ensure that you’re not only seen and heard, but ultimately recognised as the No 1 “Go To” Recruiter in your chosen super tight niche? We asked Chris Caiger-Watson from Genius People, because I reckon he’s done exactly that. Hope you enjoy this “Recruitment Journeys’ podcast titled “How to become the No 1 “Go To”...

Niall Clerkin was, as he puts it himself, “fit as a fiddle”. He was running marathons left, right and centre, and living his best healthy life. He was also a Recruiter by day, and had enjoyed a wonderful recruitment career, proudly listing “million dollar biller” and senior recruitment executive as some of his accolades. Then, after a relatively inconspicuous visit to the doctors, he found himself, surprisingly, on the wrong end of a quadruple heart bypass. With no clues for the cause...

How did Paddy Flaherty go from dreams of playing in the Premier League, to masterminding the rebuild of an iconic Sydney recruitment brand that had taken a bit of a hiding through covid? In this “Recruitment Journeys” podcast chat, we speak to Paddy about his own recruitment career, the highs and lows, and what the “secret sauce” is that he attributes to the success of rebuilding Experis NSW almost back to its former pre-Covid glory.

Erin Devlin has had a very jam packed life, and done it all. From professional ballet dancer, to international cabin crew, to recruitment industry leader, to mother of (soon to be) 3, to author… There’s literally no limits to Erin’s talents, and everything that she turns her hand to, she seems to do to the highest of standards. In this new podcast episode, we speak to Erin and find out where that drive comes from to keep reinventing herself, how she juggles her multi-faceted life, and what’s...

In Episode 1 of Series 4, we look closely at a subject that’s been very topical in the recruitment industry of late, since the arrival of Old Mate Covid… And that’s “working from home”. Or more specifically, the shorter working week. A few recruitment businesses have pioneered the four day working week, or the nine-day fortnight with amazing results. And they haven’t looked back. Today we talk to two such industry trailblazers… Shawn Twomey from The Andersen Partnership, and Simon Hair...

Iterate and Creative Natives were two exciting Australian start-ups, that launched within a few months of each other, in 2019. Both were set up for great early success, and destined to smash the lights out in their first full calendar year of 2020. And then Covid hit. Every single recruitment business on the planet struggled for a period of time. But the firmly established companies probably had a slightly easier ride than others. But what was it like to be a brand new business, who...